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Chemical Synapses01:26

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Synaptic Loss in Multiple Sclerosis Spinal Cord.

Natalia Petrova1, Erik Nutma2, Daniele Carassiti1

  • 1The Blizard Institute (Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery, and Trauma), Barts and London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.

Annals of Neurology
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) disability may stem from significant synaptic loss, not just axonal damage. This study found substantial synapse and neuron loss in the spinal cords of MS patients, impacting function.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neuropathology

Background:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) disability is traditionally attributed to axonal loss.
  • However, the poor correlation between spinal cord area and disability suggests other factors are involved.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the extent of synaptic loss in the spinal cords of individuals with chronic MS.
  • To determine if synaptic loss contributes to disability in MS.

Main Methods:

  • Postmortem spinal cord tissue from 18 chronic MS patients and 8 healthy controls was analyzed.
  • Immunohistochemistry was used to quantify synaptophysin and synapsin, markers of synaptic density.

Main Results:

  • A substantial loss of synapses (58-96%) was observed throughout the spinal cords of MS patients.
  • Moderate loss (47%) of anterior horn neurons was detected, particularly within demyelinating lesions.
  • Synaptic loss was significantly greater than expected based on axonal loss alone.

Conclusions:

  • Synaptic loss is a major pathological feature in chronic multiple sclerosis.
  • This widespread synaptic loss likely plays a significant role in the accrual of disability in MS patients.