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Cell counts in human cerebral cortex in normal adults throughout life using an image analysing computer
Journal of the Neurological Sciences
|April 1, 1980
Summary
Brain cell counts decline with age, with the most significant loss observed in large neurons and the least in glial cells. This study quantifies age-related neuronal and glial cell changes in the human cortex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Aging Research
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Human brain aging involves cellular changes.
- Previous studies on cell loss used manual methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify age-related changes in different cortical cell populations.
- To compare cell loss across various brain regions.
Main Methods:
- Histological examination of 20 micrometer paraffin sections from 64 normal subjects (18-95 years).
- Cresyl fast violet staining and cell counting in 11 brain areas.
- Classification of cells into three populations: glial, small neurons, and large neurons based on size.
Main Results:
- A decrease in all three cell populations (glial, small neurons, large neurons) with increasing age.
- The greatest cell loss (up to 60%) was observed in large neurons.
- Glial cells exhibited the least age-related decline.
Conclusions:
- Significant age-related reduction in cortical neurons, particularly large neurons.
- Glial cells show greater resilience to aging compared to neurons.
- Findings provide quantitative data on human brain aging at the cellular level.