Neuropathology of the locus ceruleus: a semi-quantitative study

The locus ceruleus was studied in 86 brains of the elderly, with or without degenerative disease. Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy and senile dementia were among the diseases studied. Nerve cell loss, the appearance of neurofibrillary changes and Lewy bodies were examined semi-quantitatively. The number of nerve cells diminished in old age, especially over 90 years. The decrease of nerve cells was greater in cases with Lewy bodies. A marked loss of nerve cell was observed in multiple system atrophies, including Shy-Drager syndrome, olivopontocerebellar atrophy and striatonigral degeneration, and in some cases of Parkinson's disease and senile dementia. The number of nerve cells did not decrease in cases of progressive supranuclear palsy. Lewy bodies and neurofibrillary tangles appeared increasingly in old age. However, the incidence of both changes in the same neuron was rare, and in such cases their structures appeared not to be related.