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Relative neuron loss (NL) in substantia nigra (SN) and locus coeruleus (LC) in neurodegenerative disorders
Author(s) -
Hedreen John C
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.707.11
Subject(s) - tauopathy , progressive supranuclear palsy , locus coeruleus , neuropathology , substantia nigra , lewy body , dementia , frontotemporal dementia , pathology , disease , parkinson's disease , psychology , neuroscience , neurodegeneration , medicine , central nervous system
The pattern of pigmented neuron NL in SN and LC varies in advanced cases of different types of neurodegenerative disease. It is well‐known that in Parkinson disease (PD) and diffuse Lewy body disease (DLBD) there is usually moderate to severe NL in both SN and LC, whereas in Alzheimer disease (AD) NL is typically much more severe in LC than in SN. This study investigates relative NL in SN and LC by review of semiquantitative estimates of NL in the author's Neuropathology Reports at the McLean Brain Bank for the last 7 years. The accepted patterns for AD, PD, and DLBD are confirmed. MSA follows the PD pattern. In progressive supranuclear palsy, and frontotemporal degeneration tauopathies and non‐tauopathies, NL is somewhat variable; typically there is moderate to severe NL in SN with none or mild NL in LC. In argyrophilic grain dementia, SN has modest NL and LC little. In familial severe amyloid angiopathy dementia cases, half have an AD‐type pattern and half only mild NL, worse in LC than SN. In severe tauopathy cases with a Guam Parkinson‐dementia tangle distribution pattern, SN NL varies from none to moderate, and all have moderate to severe NL in LC. This study establishes typical patterns of SN and LC NL for different neurodegenerative diseases. No explanation is presently available for these different patterns.