Distribution of astrocytic plaques in the corticobasal degeneration brain and comparison with tuft-shaped astrocytes in the progressive supranuclear palsy brain

Abstract

Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) have some clinical and pathological features in common. Each, however, has been shown to have specific astrocytic inclusions. CBD is characterized by astrocytic plaques, and PSP is characterized by tuft-shaped astrocytes. To clarify differences between these inclusions, we investigated intracerebral distribution of astrocytic plaques and tuft-shaped astrocytes in autopsied brains of patients with either CBD or PSP. Specimens from ten patients with CBD and five patients with PSP were stained by the Gallyas-Braak method. Densities of the astrocytic plaques and tuft-shaped astrocytes were determined for 11 cerebral cortical regions, 6 subcortical nuclei, 5 brain stem regions, the cerebellar cortex and the dentate nucleus. Astrocytic plaques were most abundant in the prefrontal and premotor areas in the cerebral cortex of CBD brains, whereas tuft-shaped astrocytes were most prominent in the precentral gyrus and premotor area of PSP brains. Many astrocytic plaques were observed in the caudate nucleus of CBD brains, whereas tuft-shaped astrocytes were abundant in both the caudate and putamen and moderate in number in the globus pallidus, subthalamic nucleus and thalamus in PSP brains. Very slight accumulation of astrocytic plaques was seen in the brain stem of CBD brains, whereas numerous tuft-shaped astrocytes were found in the red nucleus and superior colliculus of PSP brains. Distribution of the astrocytic plaques and tuft-shaped astrocytes differed greatly. Thus, CBD and PSP can be considered different entities.

Spatial patterns of the tau pathology in progressive supranuclear palsy

“…A diagnosis of AGD, which also has 4R-tau positive oligodendrocytic and astrocytic inclusions [32], can be excluded as the majority of patients were young, exhibited supranuclear gaze palsy, and EN were mainly absent in the cingulate gyrus and amygdala. A diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration (CBD) was excluded by the absence of astrocytic plaques, the presence of globose or flame shaped NFT rather than wispy-fine NFT, and lack of neuropil threads [14,33]. Although EN are present in PSP they are not as abundant as in other tauopathies such as CBD [17] and our cases conform to this distribution.…”

Metabolic network expression in parkinsonism: Clinical and dopaminergic correlations

“…Indeed, the distribution of pathological changes in CBS paralleled the observed network correlations: astrocytic plaques were ten-fold more frequent in the caudate relative to the putamen. 41 …”

The Thalamus: A Small but Precious Window on -Related Neurodegeneration?

“…Thalamic degeneration is known to occur in PSP and CBD, though the topographic distribution of thalamic lesions differs between the 2 pathologies. [4][5][6] …”