Skip to main content
Log in

Quantitative histological studies on the aged human brain

I. Senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in “normal” patients

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Acta Neuropathologica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Brains from 75 people were studied to assess the occurrence of senile plaques and argyrophilic tangles in a population selected as far as possible for its probable mental normality.

Histological methods were devised and validated to permit quantitative assessment of the numbers of these lesions as well as their frequency of occurrence in the two areas studied—frontal cortex and Ammon's horn.

There was significant correlation between increasing age over 60 years and the proportion of patients who showed these changes at both sites. No definite relationship was found between age, site of occurrence and the intensity of the pathological changes.

Zusammenfassung

75 menschliche Gehirne wurden untersucht, um das Auftreten von senilen Plaques und argyrophilen Fibrillen in einer wegen mutmaßlicher psychischer Unauffälligkeit ausgewählten Population zu erfassen. Die histologischen Methoden wurden standardisiert und überprüft, um eine quantitative Erfassung der Zahl und Häufigkeit dieser Läsionen in zwei untersuchten Hirnregionen — Frontalrinde und Ammonshorn — zu ermöglichen. Es fand sich eine signifikante Korrelation zwischen zunehmendem Alter über 60 Jahren und dem Anteil an Patienten mit diesen Veränderungens in beiden Regionen. Zwischen Alter, Ort des Auftretens und Intensität der pathologischen Veränderungen fand sich keine Beziehung.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abercrombie, M.: Estimation of nuclear population from microtome sections. Anat. Rec.94, 239–247 (1946).

    Google Scholar 

  • Alzheimer, A.: Über eine eigenartige Erkrankung der Hirnrinde. Zbl. Nervenheilk. Psychiat.30, 177–179 (1907).

    Google Scholar 

  • Beard, R. E.: Notes on some mathematical mortality models. In: Ciba Foundation Colloquia on Ageing, vol. 5, pp. 302–311, ed. by G. E. W. Wolstenholme and M. O'Connor. London 1959.

  • Blinkov, S. M., Glezer, I. I.: The Human Brain in Tables and Figures. New York 1968.

  • Bouman, L.: Senile plaques. Brain57, 128–142 (1934).

    Google Scholar 

  • Braunmühl, A., von: Alterserkrankungen des Zentralnervensystems. In: Hdb. spez. path. Anat., Bd. 13/1, ed. Lubarsch, O., F. Henke, u. R. Rössle. Berlin-Göttingen-Heidelberg: Springer 1957.

    Google Scholar 

  • Comfort, A.: Ageing. The biology of senescence. 1st ed. London: 1956.

  • Corsellis, J. A. N.: Mental Illness and the Ageing Brain. London: 1962.

  • — Brierley, J. B.: An unusual type of pre-senile dementia. (atypical Alzheimer's disease with amyloid vascular change). Brain77, 571–587 (1954).

    Google Scholar 

  • Critchley, M.: The neurology of old age. Lancet1931 I, 1119, 1121, 1131.

  • Culling, C. F. A.: Handbook of Histopathological Techniques. 2nd ed. London 1968.

  • Dayan, A. D.: Quantitative histological studies on the aged human brain. II. Senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in senile dementia. Acta neuropath. (Berl.)16, 95–102 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  • Divry, P.: Étude histochimique des plaques séniles. J. belge Neurol. Psychiat.27, 643–654 (1927).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gellerstedt, N.: Zur Kenntnis der Hirnveränderungen bei der normalen Altersinvolution. Upsala Läk-Fören. Förh.38, 194–408 (1933).

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, L.: Alzheimer's disease: a clinicopathologic analysis of 23 cases with a theory on pathogenesis. J. nerv. ment. Dis.118, 97–130 (1953).

    Google Scholar 

  • Grünthal, E.: Über die Alzheimersche Krankheit: eine histopathologisch-klinische Studie. Z. ges. Neurol. Psychiat.107, 128–157 (1926).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirano, A., Zimmerman, H. M.: Alzheimer's neurofibrillary changes. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. (Chic.)1, 227–242 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kidd, M.: Alzheimer's disease — an electron microscopical study. Brain87, 307–320 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  • King, L. S.: Pathology of senile brains. 1. Silver reducing structures in the hippocampus. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat. (Chic.)48, 241–256 (1942).

    Google Scholar 

  • McMenemey, W. H.: Present concepts of Alzheimer's disease. In: The Central Nervous System, pp. 301–309, ed. O. T. Bailey, and D. E. Smith. Baltimore 1969.

  • Margolis, G.: Senile cerebral disease. Lab. Invest.8, 335–370 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  • Newton, R. D.: Identity of Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia, and their relation to senility. J. ment. Sci.94, 225–249 (1948).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothschild, D.: Pathologic changes in senile psychoses and their psychologic significance. Amer. J. Psychiat.93, 757–788 (1937).

    Google Scholar 

  • Simchowicz, T.: Histologische Studien über die senile Demenz. In: Histologie und histopathologische Arbeiten über die Großhirnrinde, pp. 267–444, Hrsg. F. Nissl, u. A. Alzheimer. Jena 1911.

  • — Sur la signification des plaques séniles et sur la formule sénile de l'écorce cérébrale. Rev. neurol.31, 221–227 (1924).

    Google Scholar 

  • Stowell, R. E.: Effect on tissue volume of various methods of fixation, dehydration and embedding. Stain Technol.16, 67–83 (1941).

    Google Scholar 

  • Terry, R. D.: Electron microscopic studies of Alzheimer's disease and of experimental neurofibrillary tangles. In: The Central Nervous System, pp. 213–224, ed. O. T. Bailey and D. E. Smith. Baltimore 1969.

  • Tomlinson, B. E., Blessed, G., Roth, M.: Observations on the brains of non-demented old people. J. Neurol. Sci.7, 331–356 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  • Wildi, E., Linder, A., Costoulas, G.: Étude statistique des altérations dégéneratives cérébrales apparaissant au cours du viellissement. Psychiat. et Neurol. (Basel)148, 41–68 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dayan, A.D. Quantitative histological studies on the aged human brain. Acta Neuropathol 16, 85–94 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687663

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687663

Key-Words

Navigation