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Morphological evaluation of the human pyramidal tract: gender and age differences
Yuuki Souma1, Noboru Goto, Jun Goto
1Ishibashi Gastrointestinological Hospital, Department of Rehabilitation Therapy, Japan.
Okajimas Folia Anatomica Japonica
|February 21, 2009
Summary
This study examined human spinal cords to identify gender and age-related differences in lateral corticospinal tract axons. Findings offer insights into motor function variations across demographics and aging.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Human Anatomy
- Histology
Background:
- The lateral corticospinal tract is crucial for voluntary motor control.
- Understanding axonal changes with gender and aging is vital for neurology and aging research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender and age-related differences in human spinal cord axons.
- To analyze axons within the lateral corticospinal tract at the C5 level.
- To correlate axonal characteristics with motor function, gender, and aging.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a specialized preparation technique involving secondary chromic acid fixation.
- Employed nitrocellulose embedding for tissue preservation.
- Applied Luxol fast blue-PAS-hematoxylin staining for discriminative axonal visualization.
- Examined 43 human spinal cords (31 males, 12 females) at the C5 spinal cord level.
Main Results:
- Identified specific differences in lateral corticospinal tract axons related to gender.
- Observed alterations in axonal characteristics associated with the aging process.
- Quantified axonal changes at the C5 spinal cord level.
Conclusions:
- Axonal structure in the lateral corticospinal tract varies between genders.
- Aging significantly impacts axonal morphology in the spinal cord.
- These findings contribute to understanding gender-specific and age-related motor function changes.
