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Published on: January 17, 2019
Reduced Purkinje cell number in essential tremor: a postmortem study.
Jordan E Axelrad1, Elan D Louis, Lawrence S Honig
1Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Archives of Neurology
|January 16, 2008
Summary
Essential tremor (ET) patients without Lewy bodies show a significant reduction in Purkinje cells. This finding indicates anatomical abnormalities in the cerebellum of these essential tremor patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuropathology
Background:
- Clinical and imaging studies suggest cerebellar dysfunction in essential tremor (ET).
- Postmortem studies revealed increased torpedoes (Purkinje cell axonal swellings) in ET patients without Lewy bodies.
- Purkinje cell loss has not been rigorously quantified in ET.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess Purkinje cell numbers in the cerebellum of ET patients and age-matched controls.
Main Methods:
- Postmortem cerebellar tissue from 14 ET cases and 11 controls was analyzed.
- Calbindin immunohistochemistry was used on cerebellar sections.
- Blinded, digital measurements quantified Purkinje cell linear density.
Main Results:
- Purkinje cell density decreased with age and increased torpedoes.
- A significant reduction (38.2%) in Purkinje cell linear density was observed in ET cases without Lewy bodies compared to controls (P=.04).
- Decreased Purkinje cell density was associated with ET in regression analysis (P=.03).
Conclusions:
- A reduction in Purkinje cell number was demonstrated in ET patients without Lewy bodies.
- These findings support cerebellar anatomical abnormalities in these ET cases.
- The cerebellum is both functionally and anatomically abnormal in ET without Lewy bodies.
