Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026
09:52
Imaging and Analysis of Neurofilament Transport in Excised Mouse Tibial Nerve
Published on: August 31, 2020
Neurofilament protein levels: quantitative analysis in essential tremor cerebellar cortex
Elan D Louis1, Karen Ma, Rachel Babij
1GH Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. EDL2@columbia.edu
Neuroscience Letters
|May 8, 2012
Summary
Essential tremor (ET) brains show abnormal neurofilament (NF) phosphorylation, specifically in phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated NF-H proteins. These findings suggest NF abnormalities may contribute to ET pathogenesis.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuropathology
Background:
- Essential tremor (ET) is a common neurological disorder.
- ET brains exhibit increased Purkinje cell axonal swellings (torpedoes) containing disorganized neurofilament (NF) proteins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in neurofilament (NF) protein composition and phosphorylation in cerebellar tissue between ET cases and controls.
Main Methods:
- Western blot analysis was performed on cerebellar tissue from 47 ET cases and 26 controls.
- Levels and phosphorylation states of NF-L, NF-M, NF-H, and α-internexin were compared.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found in the overall levels of NF-L, NF-M, NF-H, or α-internexin.
- Significantly higher levels of phosphorylated NF-H (SMI-31) and non-phosphorylated NF-H (SMI-32) were observed in ET cases compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Cerebellar tissue in ET cases displays abnormal phosphorylation of neurofilament heavy (NF-H) proteins.
- These NF abnormalities may play a role in the cellular disruption observed in Essential Tremor pathogenesis.
