RESUMEN

Noradrenaline, dopamine, homovanillic acid (HVA), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels were measured in post-mortem brains from 8 cases of pre-senile Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD), 5 cases of senile ATD, 4 cases of Down's syndrome aged 53-57 years, one 27-year-old case of Down's syndrome and 13 controls. In the controls, the concentration of noradrenaline in hypothalamus (P less than 0.05) and mamillary body (P less than 0.02) decreased with age. Compared with age-matched controls, noradrenaline levels in these areas were more markedly reduced in pre-senile ATD (P less than 0.01), the 53-57-year-old cases of Down's syndrome (P less than 0.001) and in the 27-year-old Down's, than in senile ATD (hypothalamus P less than 0.05, mamillary body, n.s.). Dopamine and HVA concentrations in caudate nucleus were unaltered in pre-senile or senile ATD but dopamine was decreased (P less than 0.01) in the older cases, although not in the 27-year-old case, of Down's syndrome. In the olfactory tubercle in ATD the level of HVA was unaltered but the activity of ChAT was decreased (P less than 0.01). ChAT activity was reduced in pre-senile ATD (P less than 0.001), the older Down's cases (P less than 0.01) but not the young Down's case, and senile ATD (P less than 0.001) in the temporal cortex and in pre-senile ATD (P less than 0.001) and the older Down's cases (P less than 0.001) but not senile ATD in the caudate nucleus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH), substance P immuno-reactivity and choline acetyltransferase activity (CAT) were measured in post-mortem brains from 6 cases of Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD), 3 cases of Down's syndrome and 6 controls and in spinal cords from two cases of ATD and two controls. The activity of CAT was lower in posterior and anterior grey matter of lumbar spinal cord from two cases of ATD than from two controls. No significant differences were observed in the levels of the 3 peptides in the ATD, Down's and control brains and spinal cords, even in areas of ATD and Down's brain in which there were significant reductions in the activity of CAT or concentration of noradrenaline. These results show that TRH, LH-RH and substance P are not affected in ATD and Down's syndrome either as a consequence of a direct effect on the peptidergic neurone or of a secondary effect related to the loss of CAT activity and noradrenaline.

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The spinal cord and meninges were examined, at all levels, in seven anencephalic fetuses of between 19 and 24 weeks of gestation. Four of the seven anencephalics showed dense collections of cells resembling immature neural tissue throughout the spinal subarachnoid space. The leptomeninges were excessively vascular and contained many active macrophages and small round cells in all the anencephalics and the cord was more slender than normal. Control fetuses did not show these features, although inactive macrophages were seen occasionally. It is concluded that the abnormal collections are made up of heterotopic neural tissue which may have been dislodged downwards from the skull during earlier development and that the spinal leptomeninges show an inflammatory response. The significance of both the heterotopia and the phagocytic activity in these anencephalic fetuses is discussed. In particular, the findings are compared with those in patients with the "respirator brain" syndrome, in whom displacement of brain tissue is associated with raised intracranial pressure.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Neurochemical markers of the activities of the cholinergic, gabaergic and dopaminergic systems were measured in post-mortem brain from a case of Pick's disease. No marked changes were found in the activities of choline acetyltransferase, acetylcholinesterase, L-glutamic acid decarboxylase and the concentration of dopamine. In areas of brain showing no histological changes, muscarinic receptor binding was within the normal range. In the cerebral cortex, which exhibited the neuropathological features of Pick's disease, the number of muscarinic cholinergic binding sites was much reduced, suggesting that the cortical neurones which are lost in Pick's disease are cholinoceptive.

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Twenty-one fetuses with spina bifida and twenty apparently normal fetuses of between 14--23 weeks gestation were examined for the presence of hydrocephalus and Arnold--Chiari malformation. Sacral, lumbo-sacral, lumbar, thoraco-lumbo-sacral and thoraco-lumbar lesions were found. Some were closed, some were open. The amount of neural tissue at the site of the lesion was very variable. In three cases, diastematomyelia was found. The heads of spina bifida fetuses were not enlarged. Hydrocephalus was found in eleven of them and the Arnold--Chiari malformation in twelve. In nine fetuses the abnormalities co-existed. Hydrocephalic brain showed depression of the tentorium, abnormalities in the corpus callosum and absence of the lateral fissure. The more cephalad and extensive the spinal lesion, the more likely it was to be accompanied by brain abnormalities. Isolated sacral defects were not associated either with hydrocephalus or with the Arnold--Chiari malformation. Pathological changes in the brain occurred in the presence of both open and closed spinal lesions and were apparently unrelated to fetal age. No evidence was found as to the sequence in which these brain abnormalities appeared.

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

A follow-up clinical and neuropathological study of eleven mentally subnormal subjects diagnosed in life as suffering from either senile, cerebral arteriosclerotic or pre-senile dementia is reported. Of the original cohort seven have died and neuropathological examination has confirmed the diagnosis of cerebral arterisclerotic dementia in three, senile dementia in one and senile dementia of unusually early onset in another mongol patient. Autopsy was refused in one patient and in the other patient neuropathological examination revealed a diffuse sclerosis of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher type. In the four survivors the clinical diagnosis of dementia would appear to be probably correct in one patient, partially correct in another, and wrong in two patients. The study has confirmed that dementia can be diagnosed in mental defectives with a reasonable degree of accuracy and draws attention to the potential interest of neuropathological examinations in decreased psychiatrically disordered mentally subnormal subjects.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

A man of 51 years presented with sudden onset of a confusional state and marked visual deterioration. The computerised transaxial tomogram showed a mass in the corpus callosum which had spread to involve both cerebral hemispheres. The visual evoked potential to pattern stimulus was delayed by about 20 ms. Necropsy confirmed the presence of an astrocytoma of the corpus callosum involving the optic radiation and occipital cortex on both sides. The anterior visual pathway was normal.

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Six patients with sarcoidosis of the central nervous system are described. Pathological confirmation was obtained by brain biopsy in two patients and at necropsy in two; in two patients the diagnosis was presumptive and was made on the evidence of multisystem involvement. The symptomatology, methods of diagnosis, and results of treatment are discussed.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Three cases are reported, each with a benign ependymal-lined cyst which produced clinical signs and symptoms simulating cerebrovascular disease or cerebral neoplasm. The pathological features are described and their histogenesis discussed.

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)

Asunto(s)