Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP): A quantitative study of the pathological changes in cortical and subcortical regions of eight cases

Richard A. Armstrong*, Peter L. Lantos, Nigel J. Cairns

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

In eight cases of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) were numerous in the substantia nigra (SN), red nucleus (RN), locus caeruleus (LC), pontine nuclei (PN), and inferior olivary nucleus (ION) and abnormally enlarged neurons (EN) in the ION, LC and PN. Loss of Purkinje cells was evident in the cerebellum. Tufted astrocytes (TA) were abundant in the striatum, SN and RN and glial inclusions ('coiled bodies') (GI) in the midbrain (SN, RN) and pons (LC). Neuritic plaques were frequent in one case. NFT, GI, and TA densities were uncorrelated in most areas. NFT and EN densities were positively correlated in the midbrain and surviving neurons and disease duration in several areas. These results suggest: 1) predominantly subcortical pathology in PSP with widespread NFT while TA and GI have a more localized distribution, 2) little correlation between neuronal and glial pathologies, and 3) shorter duration cases may be more likely to develop cortical pathology. © 2007 Springer-Verlag.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1569-1577
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Neural Transmission
Volume114
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2007

Keywords

  • basal ganglia
  • frontal cortex
  • glial inclusions (GI)
  • neuritic plaques
  • neurofibrillary tangles (NFT)
  • progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)
  • tufted astrocytes (TA)

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