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Clarke's column in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

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Summary

Histological, ultrastructural and morphometrical observations on Clarke's column were carried out in 18 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 15 age-matched control subjects. Of the 18 ALS patients 6 had been on a respirator before death. Bunina bodies were found in the neuronal cytoplasm in 7 of the 12 non-respirator-supported ALS patients and in 3 of the 6 respirator-supported patients. The number of spheroids was significantly higher in the non-respirator-supported patients (P<0.01) than in the control subjects; however, the number in the respirator-supported patients was about equal to that in the controls. The number of neurons in Clarke's column in the non-respirator-supported ALS patients was not reduced, but in the respirator-supported patients they tended to disappear with time after respiratory support. These findings suggest that Clarke's column neurons are also involved primarily in the disease process in sporadic ALS. However, they may begin to disappear only after the patients require respiratory support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1 Asahimachi, 951, Niigata, Japan

    H. Takahashi, E. Ohama & F. Ikuta

  2. The Center for Materials of Brain Diseases, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1 Asahimachi, 951, Niigata, Japan

    K. Oyanagi

Authors
  1. H. Takahashi
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  2. K. Oyanagi
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  3. E. Ohama
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  4. F. Ikuta
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Supported in part by a research grant for CNS degenerative diseases from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan

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Takahashi, H., Oyanagi, K., Ohama, E. et al. Clarke's column in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 84, 465–470 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00304464

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