BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE For a better understanding of neuronal network disturbances after stroke, we investigated the changes in the cholinergic system after experimental focal infarct. METHODS We quantitatively evaluated the highly sensitive acetylcholinesterase histochemistry and local glucose utilization 7 days after left middle cerebral artery occlusion in Wistar rats. RESULTS In all rat...

The number of nerve cells in the nucleus basalis of Meynert in normally aged persons is reduced by 30% by 90 years of age and cytoplasmic RNA content and nucleolar volume by about 20%. In Alzheimer's disease the changes are greatly exacerbated, with the cell number being depleted by a further 60% and cytoplasmic RNA content and nucleolar volume by an extra 35%. Moreover, younger patients with A...

Background—The cholinergic nucleus basalis (Ch4) is an exclusive site of neurofibrillary degeneration in alcoholic patients with Wernicke’s encephalopathy. Aim—To test the hypothesis that the loss of Ch4 neurons contributes to thememory disorder, KorsakoV’s psychosis, commonly seen in Wernicke’s encephalopathy. Methods—Magnocellular basal forebrain neurons were quantified in alcoholic patients ...

BACKGROUND We report on a patient who appeared to show recovery of an injured anterior cingulum via an aberrant neural tract between an injured cingulum and the basalis nucleus of Meynert following traumatic brain injury (TBI), which was demonstrated on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). METHODS A 47-year-old male who had suffered a pedestrian traffic accident underwent conservative managem...

The impact of glucocorticoids on beta-amyloid(1-42) (Abeta(1-42)) and NMDA-induced neurodegeneration was investigated in vivo. Abeta(1-42) or NMDA was injected into the cholinergic magnocellular nucleus basalis in adrenalectomized (ADX) rats, ADX rats supplemented with 25%, 100%, 2x100% corticosterone pellets, or sham-ADX controls. Abeta(1-42)- or NMDA-induced damage of cholinergic nucleus basa...