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Darke S, Duflou J, McDonald S, Peacock A, Farrell M, Lappin J. Neuropathology of deaths due to acute alcohol toxicity in Australia, 2011-2022. Drug Alcohol Depend 2024; 263:111407. [PMID: 39151332 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A major alcohol-related harm is structural pathology affecting the brain. The study aimed to: 1. Determine the frequency and nature of neuropathology amongst cases of death due to acute alcohol toxicity; 2. Compare diagnoses of brain atrophy with pathology in other organs; 3. Determine the demographic, clinical and organ pathology correlates of brain atrophy. METHODS Retrospective study of 500 cases of death attributed to acute alcohol toxicity in Australia, 2011-2022. Data on clinical characteristics, toxicology, neuropathology and other organ pathology were retrieved from police reports, autopsies, toxicology and coronial findings. RESULTS Mean age was 49.5 years, 69.4 % were male, with alcohol use problems documented in 70.2 %. Brain atrophy was diagnosed in 60 cases (12.0 %), most commonly in the cerebellum (32 cases, 6.4 %). Atrophy at other sites was present in 37 (7.4 %). The presence of brain atrophy was lower than other major pathologies: cardiomegaly (32.6 %, p<.001), nephro/arteriosclerosis (30.2 %, p<.001), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (21.8 %, p<.001) but not hepatic cirrhosis (11.9 % p=1.0). Those diagnosed with atrophy were older (53.4v 49.0 years, p<.001), more likely to have documented alcohol problems (85.0v 68.2 %, Odds ratio: OR 2.53) and seizure history (10.0v 3.0 %, OR 2.92), to have cardiomegaly (43.3v 31.0 %, OR 1.90, COPD (48.3v 18.2 %, 3.57) and nephro/arteriosclerosis (50.0 v 27.4 %, OR 2.27). CONCLUSIONS Despite the majority of cases having a history of alcohol problems, the level of neuropathology amongst cases of death due to acute alcohol toxicity was comparatively low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane Darke
- National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia.
| | - Johan Duflou
- National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Skye McDonald
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia
| | - Amy Peacock
- National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Farrell
- National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia
| | - Julia Lappin
- National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia
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Alcohol, Coffee, and Milk Intake in Relation to Epilepsy Risk. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14061153. [PMID: 35334809 PMCID: PMC8951548 DOI: 10.3390/nu14061153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol, coffee and milk intakes have been explored in relation to epilepsy risk in observational studies; however, the results were not consistent. We performed a Mendelian randomisation (MR) study to evaluate the causality of these relationships. Genetic variants associated with alcohol, coffee and milk intake were adopted as instrumental variables. We obtained the summary data of epilepsy from the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Consortium (15,212 cases and 29,677 controls) and FinnGen consortium (4588 cases and 144,780 controls). Genetically predicted alcohol intake was associated with a higher risk of epilepsy in the ILAE Consortium (odds ratio (OR): 1.22, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.02-1.45). The association in the FinnGen consortium remained consistent in direction. Combined analysis of ILAE and FinnGen databases further indicated that genetically predicted alcohol intake was associated with a higher risk of epilepsy (OR = 1.24; 95% CI, 1.06-1.47, p = 0.009). Genetically predicted coffee intake was not related to epilepsy risk, while higher genetically predicted milk intake was related to a lower risk of epilepsy (OR = 0.957; 95% CI, 0.917-0.999, p = 0.044). Our results suggest a detrimental effect of alcohol intake on the risk of epilepsy, while milk intake might be associated with a decreased risk of epilepsy.
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Araujo I, Henriksen A, Gamsby J, Gulick D. Impact of Alcohol Abuse on Susceptibility to Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:643273. [PMID: 34179073 PMCID: PMC8220155 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.643273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the prevalence and well-recognized adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and alcohol use disorder in the causation of numerous diseases, their potential roles in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases remain poorly characterized. This is especially true of the rare neurodegenerative diseases, for which small population sizes make it difficult to conduct broad studies of specific etiological factors. Nonetheless, alcohol has potent and long-lasting effects on neurodegenerative substrates, at both the cellular and systems levels. This review highlights the general effects of alcohol in the brain that contribute to neurodegeneration across diseases, and then focuses on specific diseases in which alcohol exposure is likely to play a major role. These specific diseases include dementias (alcohol-induced, frontotemporal, and Korsakoff syndrome), ataxias (cerebellar and frontal), and Niemann-Pick disease (primarily a Type B variant and Type C). We conclude that there is ample evidence to support a role of alcohol abuse in the etiology of these diseases, but more work is needed to identify the primary mechanisms of alcohol's effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iskra Araujo
- Gulick Laboratory, Byrd Neuroscience Institute, University of South Florida Health, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Amy Henriksen
- Gulick Laboratory, Byrd Neuroscience Institute, University of South Florida Health, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Joshua Gamsby
- Gulick Laboratory, Byrd Neuroscience Institute, University of South Florida Health, Tampa, FL, United States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South FL, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Danielle Gulick
- Gulick Laboratory, Byrd Neuroscience Institute, University of South Florida Health, Tampa, FL, United States
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South FL, Tampa, FL, United States
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Cardenas VA, Hough CM, Durazzo TC, Meyerhoff DJ. Cerebellar Morphometry and Cognition in the Context of Chronic Alcohol Consumption and Cigarette Smoking. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:102-113. [PMID: 31730240 PMCID: PMC6980879 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebellar atrophy (especially involving the superior-anterior cerebellar vermis) is among the most salient and clinically significant effects of chronic hazardous alcohol consumption on brain structure. Smaller cerebellar volumes are also associated with chronic cigarette smoking. The present study investigated effects of both chronic alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking on cerebellar structure and its relation to performance on select cognitive/behavioral tasks. METHODS Using T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Images (MRIs), the Cerebellar Analysis Tool Kit segmented the cerebellum into bilateral hemispheres and 3 vermis parcels from 4 participant groups: smoking (s) and nonsmoking (ns) abstinent alcohol-dependent treatment seekers (ALC) and controls (CON) (i.e., sALC, nsALC, sCON, and nsCON). Cognitive and behavioral data were also obtained. RESULTS We found detrimental effects of chronic drinking on all cerebellar structural measures in ALC participants, with largest reductions seen in vermis areas. Furthermore, both smoking groups had smaller volumes of cerebellar hemispheres but not vermis areas compared to their nonsmoking counterparts. In exploratory analyses, smaller cerebellar volumes were related to lower measures of intelligence. In sCON, but not sALC, greater smoking severity was related to smaller cerebellar volume and smaller superior-anterior vermis area. In sALC, greater abstinence duration was associated with larger cerebellar and superior-anterior vermis areas, suggesting some recovery with abstinence. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that both smoking and alcohol status are associated with smaller cerebellar structural measurements, with vermal areas more vulnerable to chronic alcohol consumption and less affected by chronic smoking. These morphometric cerebellar deficits were also associated with lower intelligence and related to duration of abstinence in sALC only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie A. Cardenas
- Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIND),
San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christina M. Hough
- Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIND),
San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, UCSF Weill Institute for
Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los
Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Timothy C. Durazzo
- VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Mental Illness Research
and Education Clinical Centers, Sierra-Pacific War Related Illness and Injury Study
Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford
University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Dieter J. Meyerhoff
- Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIND),
San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University
of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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5
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Opalach C, Romaszko J, Jaracz M, Kuchta R, Borkowska A, Buciński A. Coping Styles and Alcohol Dependence among Homeless People. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162381. [PMID: 27598582 PMCID: PMC5012672 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The ways in which homeless individuals cope with stress may differ from those relied upon by the members of the general population and these differences may either be the result or the cause of their living conditions. The aim of the study was to determine the preferred coping style among the homeless and its relationship with alcohol dependence. METHODS The study included 78 homeless individuals and involved the collection of demographic, sociological, psychological and medical data from each participant. Coping styles relied upon when dealing with stressful situations were assessed using a Polish adaptation of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations. Alcohol dependence was assessed using the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) and a quantitative analysis of alcohol consumption. RESULTS Men accounted for 91.93% of the study population. Nearly 75% of the subjects met the alcohol dependence criterion. Significant relationships were observed between the individual's age, preferred coping style and alcohol consumption level. As an individual's age increased, the use of emotion-oriented coping styles decreased, while an increase in alcohol consumption was associated with a more frequent use of emotion- and avoidance-oriented strategies. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study, similarly to those of many other studies of homeless individuals but investigating other areas (e.g. epidemiology of tuberculosis and traumatic injuries), are an exaggerated representation of associations observed in the general population. The results describe a group of people living on the margins of the society, often suffering from extremely advanced alcoholism, with clear evident psychodegradation. The presence of specific ways of coping with stress related to excessive alcohol consumption in this group of individuals may interfere with active participation in support programmes provided for the homeless and may further exacerbate their problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cezary Opalach
- Faculty of Theology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, ul. Kard. Hozjusza 15, 11–041 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Jerzy Romaszko
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, ul. Warszawska 30, 10–082 Olsztyn, Poland
- * E-mail:
| | - Marcin Jaracz
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, ul. M. Curie Skłodowskiej 9, 85–094 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Robert Kuchta
- Municipal Social Welfare Centre in Olsztyn, ul. Towarowa 18, 10–417 Olsztyn,Poland
| | - Alina Borkowska
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, ul. M. Curie Skłodowskiej 9, 85–094 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Adam Buciński
- Department of Biopharmacy, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, ul. A. Jurasza 2, 85–089 Bydgoszcz, Poland
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Novier A, Diaz-Granados JL, Matthews DB. Alcohol use across the lifespan: An analysis of adolescent and aged rodents and humans. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 133:65-82. [PMID: 25842258 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence and old age are unique periods of the lifespan characterized by differential sensitivity to the effects of alcohol. Adolescents and the elderly appear to be more vulnerable to many of alcohol's physiological and behavioral effects compared to adults. The current review explores the differential effects of acute alcohol, predominantly in terms of motor function and cognition, in adolescent and aged humans and rodents. Adolescents are less sensitive to the sedative-hypnotic, anxiolytic, and motor-impairing effects of acute alcohol, but research results are less consistent as it relates to alcohol's effects on cognition. Specifically, previous research has shown adolescents to be more, less, and similarly sensitive to alcohol-induced cognitive deficits compared to adults. These equivocal findings suggest that learning acquisition may be differentially affected by ethanol compared to memory, or that ethanol-induced cognitive deficits are task-dependent. Older rodents appear to be particularly vulnerable to the motor- and cognitive-impairing effects of acute alcohol relative to younger adults. Given that alcohol consumption and abuse is prevalent throughout the lifespan, it is important to recognize age-related differences in response to acute and long-term alcohol. Unfortunately, diagnostic measures and treatment options for alcohol dependence are rarely dedicated to adolescent and aging populations. As discussed, although much scientific advancement has been made regarding the differential effects of alcohol between adolescents and adults, research with the aged is underrepresented. Future researchers should be aware that adolescents and the aged are uniquely affected by alcohol and should continue to investigate alcohol's effects at different stages of maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelle Novier
- Baylor University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, One Bear Place #97334, Waco, TX 76798, United States
| | - Jaime L Diaz-Granados
- Baylor University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, One Bear Place #97334, Waco, TX 76798, United States
| | - Douglas B Matthews
- Baylor University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, One Bear Place #97334, Waco, TX 76798, United States; University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Department of Psychology, HHH 273, Eau Claire, WI 54702, United States.
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Abstract
Alcohol abuse and dependence are serious public health problems worldwide, resulting in significant morbidity, mortality, and legal implications. Therefore, sudden unexpected, suspicious, or violent death in alcohol consuming persons are frequently seen in the forensic setting. Alcohol-induced brain damage is predominantly caused by nutritional deficiencies and repeated withdrawal syndrome. Brain lesions associated with heavy alcohol consumption include brain atrophy, hepatic encephalopathy, and central pontine myelinolysis. In addition, the dementing conditions Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, acquired hepatocerebral degeneration, Marchiafava-Bignami disease, and pellagrous encephalopathy are closely associated with chronic alcohol consumption. In neuroradiological and autopsy studies, cerebral and cerebellar atrophy has been demonstrated in alcoholics. There is a regional selectivity, with the frontal lobes being particularly affected. Moreover, a disproportionate loss of cerebral white matter relative to cerebral cortex suggests that a major neurotoxic effect of chronic alcohol consumption predominantly affects the white matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Büttner
- Forensic Pathology and the Institute of Legal Medicine at the Medical University of Rostock, Germany
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8
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Skefos J, Cummings C, Enzer K, Holiday J, Weed K, Levy E, Yuce T, Kemper T, Bauman M. Regional alterations in purkinje cell density in patients with autism. PLoS One 2014; 9:e81255. [PMID: 24586223 PMCID: PMC3933333 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathological studies, using a variety of techniques, have reported a decrease in Purkinje cell (PC) density in the cerebellum in autism. We have used a systematic sampling technique that significantly reduces experimenter bias and variance to estimate PC densities in the postmortem brains of eight clinically well-documented individuals with autism, and eight age- and gender-matched controls. Four cerebellar regions were analyzed: a sensorimotor area comprised of hemispheric lobules IV-VI, crus I & II of the posterior lobe, and lobule X of the flocculonodular lobe. Overall PC density was thus estimated using data from all three cerebellar lobes and was found to be lower in the cases with autism as compared to controls, an effect that was most prominent in crus I and II (p<0.05). Lobule X demonstrated a trend towards lower PC density in only the males with autism (p = 0.05). Brain weight, a correlate of tissue volume, was found to significantly contribute to the lower lobule X PC density observed in males with autism, but not to the finding of lower PC density in crus I & II. Therefore, lower crus I & II PC density in autism is more likely due to a lower number of PCs. The PC density in lobule X was found to correlate with the ADI-R measure of the patient's use of social eye contact (R² = -0.75, p = 0.012). These findings support the hypothesis that abnormal PC density may contribute to selected clinical features of the autism phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry Skefos
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Christopher Cummings
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Katelyn Enzer
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jarrod Holiday
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Katrina Weed
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ezra Levy
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tarik Yuce
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Thomas Kemper
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Margaret Bauman
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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de la Monte SM, Kril JJ. Human alcohol-related neuropathology. Acta Neuropathol 2014; 127:71-90. [PMID: 24370929 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-013-1233-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 262] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Revised: 12/12/2013] [Accepted: 12/13/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol-related diseases of the nervous system are caused by excessive exposures to alcohol, with or without co-existing nutritional or vitamin deficiencies. Toxic and metabolic effects of alcohol (ethanol) vary with brain region, age/developmental stage, dose, and duration of exposures. In the mature brain, heavy chronic or binge alcohol exposures can cause severe debilitating diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems, and skeletal muscle. Most commonly, long-standing heavy alcohol abuse leads to disproportionate loss of cerebral white matter and impairments in executive function. The cerebellum (especially the vermis), cortical-limbic circuits, skeletal muscle, and peripheral nerves are also important targets of chronic alcohol-related metabolic injury and degeneration. Although all cell types within the nervous system are vulnerable to the toxic, metabolic, and degenerative effects of alcohol, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and synaptic terminals are major targets, accounting for the white matter atrophy, neural inflammation and toxicity, and impairments in synaptogenesis. Besides chronic degenerative neuropathology, alcoholics are predisposed to develop severe potentially life-threatening acute or subacute symmetrical hemorrhagic injury in the diencephalon and brainstem due to thiamine deficiency, which exerts toxic/metabolic effects on glia, myelin, and the microvasculature. Alcohol also has devastating neurotoxic and teratogenic effects on the developing brain in association with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder/fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol impairs function of neurons and glia, disrupting a broad array of functions including neuronal survival, cell migration, and glial cell (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes) differentiation. Further progress is needed to better understand the pathophysiology of this exposure-related constellation of nervous system diseases and better correlate the underlying pathology with in vivo imaging and biochemical lesions.
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Abstract
Alcohol-related diseases of the nervous system are caused by excessive exposures to alcohol, with or without co-existing nutritional or vitamin deficiencies. Toxic and metabolic effects of alcohol (ethanol) vary with brain region, age/developmental stage, dose, and duration of exposures. In the mature brain, heavy chronic or binge alcohol exposures can cause severe debilitating diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems, and skeletal muscle. Most commonly, long-standing heavy alcohol abuse leads to disproportionate loss of cerebral white matter and impairments in executive function. The cerebellum (especially the vermis), cortical-limbic circuits, skeletal muscle, and peripheral nerves are also important targets of chronic alcohol-related metabolic injury and degeneration. Although all cell types within the nervous system are vulnerable to the toxic, metabolic, and degenerative effects of alcohol, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and synaptic terminals are major targets, accounting for the white matter atrophy, neural inflammation and toxicity, and impairments in synaptogenesis. Besides chronic degenerative neuropathology, alcoholics are predisposed to develop severe potentially life-threatening acute or subacute symmetrical hemorrhagic injury in the diencephalon and brainstem due to thiamine deficiency, which exerts toxic/metabolic effects on glia, myelin, and the microvasculature. Alcohol also has devastating neurotoxic and teratogenic effects on the developing brain in association with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder/fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol impairs function of neurons and glia, disrupting a broad array of functions including neuronal survival, cell migration, and glial cell (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes) differentiation. Further progress is needed to better understand the pathophysiology of this exposure-related constellation of nervous system diseases and better correlate the underlying pathology with in vivo imaging and biochemical lesions.
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Oliveira S, Fontanelli BAF, Stefanini M, Chuffa L, Teixeira G, Lizarte F, Tirapelli L, Quitete V, Matheus S, Padovani C, Martinez M, Martinez F. Interaction of maternal separation on the UCh rat Cerebellum. Microsc Res Tech 2013; 77:44-51. [DOI: 10.1002/jemt.22311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2013] [Revised: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S.A. Oliveira
- Department of Anatomy, Biosciences Institute; UNESP-Univ. Estadual Paulista; Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - B. A. F. Fontanelli
- Department of Anatomy, Biosciences Institute; UNESP-Univ. Estadual Paulista; Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - M.A. Stefanini
- Department of Morphology and Pathology; UFSCar-Federal University of São Carlos; São Carlos SP Brazil
| | - L.G.A. Chuffa
- Department of Anatomy, Biosciences Institute; UNESP-Univ. Estadual Paulista; Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - G.R. Teixeira
- Department of Anatomy, Biosciences Institute; UNESP-Univ. Estadual Paulista; Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - F.S.N. Lizarte
- Department of Surgery and Anatomy; USP-University of São Paulo; Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil
| | - L.F. Tirapelli
- Department of Surgery and Anatomy; USP-University of São Paulo; Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil
| | - V.H.A. Quitete
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology; State University of Campinas (UNICAMP); Campinas, São Paulo Brazil
| | - S.M.M. Matheus
- Department of Anatomy, Biosciences Institute; UNESP-Univ. Estadual Paulista; Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - C.R. Padovani
- Department of Biostatistics, Biosciences Institute; UNESP-Univ. Estadual Paulista; Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - M. Martinez
- Department of Morphology and Pathology; UFSCar-Federal University of São Carlos; São Carlos SP Brazil
| | - F.E. Martinez
- Department of Anatomy, Biosciences Institute; UNESP-Univ. Estadual Paulista; Botucatu SP Brazil
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12
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Fitzpatrick LE, Jackson M, Crowe SF. Characterization of cerebellar ataxia in chronic alcoholics using the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS). Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2012; 36:1942-51. [PMID: 22568470 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01821.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2011] [Accepted: 02/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholism is the most common cause of cerebellar dysfunction, yet estimates of the incidence of alcoholic cerebellar degeneration (ACD) vary greatly, with differences in methodologies contributing to these disparate findings. This study set out to characterize the frequency and pattern of clinical signs of ACD in an alcoholic group using the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS). METHODS We compared the performance of 49 alcoholics and 29 control participants. The relative contributions of demographic and alcohol consumption variables to ICARS scores in the alcoholic group were also examined. RESULTS The alcoholic group demonstrated significantly poorer performance on all of the ICARS subscales as compared with the control group. Within the alcoholic group, performance was more impaired on the speech scale than on all of the other scales, except the lower limb component of the kinetic scale, and less impaired on the oculomotor scale compared with all other scales. Years of heavy drinking and lifetime alcohol consumption correlated with total ICARS scores; however, maximum daily consumption was actually negatively correlated with ICARS scores. Of the alcohol history variables, years of heavy drinking was the best predictor of total ICARS scores, making a 19% unique contribution, followed by the period of abstinence from alcohol, which uniquely contributed 7% of the variance. There were high correlations between age and male gender and the alcohol consumption variables; however, age and gender were still found to uniquely contribute 5 and 7% respectively to the variance in total ICARS scores. CONCLUSIONS ACD may affect up to two-thirds of chronic alcoholics. Assessing the number of years an individual has been drinking beyond a certain threshold can give a good indication of the likelihood of ACD. Age, gender, and the source of the clinical sample may significantly contribute to the prevalence of ACD and require further detailed investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Fitzpatrick
- School of Psychological Science , Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
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13
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Jordaan GP, Warwick JM, Nel DG, Hewlett R, Emsley R. Alcohol-induced psychotic disorder: brain perfusion and psychopathology--before and after anti-psychotic treatment. Metab Brain Dis 2012; 27:67-77. [PMID: 22147223 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-011-9273-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol-induced psychotic disorder (AIPD) also known as alcohol hallucinosis is a rare complication of alcohol abuse. The pathogenesis and treatment of AIPD are still unclear. Few prospective treatment studies are available but case reports generally suggest that anti-psychotic treatment is effective. Brain imaging changes in relation to treatment response have also not been studied except for case reports. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of anti-psychotic treatment on psychopathology and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with AIPD before and after 6 weeks of treatment. Nineteen patients with AIPD were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) before and after 6-weeks of open-label treatment with a fixed dose of haloperidol (5 mg/day). Highly significant improvements were noted on the positive, general and total scores of the PANSS. Post-treatment increased rCBF to the left caudate and left frontal lobe was noted. Changes in frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital, thalamic and cerebellar rCBF showed significant negative correlations with the degree of symptom improvement, suggesting dysfunction of these areas in AIPD. Psychopathological and rCBF findings suggest reversible generalised cerebral dysfunction in AIPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard P Jordaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, P.O. Box 19063, Tygerberg 7505, Cape Town, South Africa.
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Louis ED. Treatment of Essential Tremor: Are there Issues We are Overlooking? Front Neurol 2012; 2:91. [PMID: 22275907 PMCID: PMC3257846 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2011.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2011] [Accepted: 12/28/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common neurological diseases. Although a large number of medications have been tested, there are only two first-line medications, primidone and propranolol, which is a situation that has not changed in approximately 30 years. Several recent reviews have summarized the current pharmacotherapeutic options for ET and the approach to the management of ET patients. Yet there remain a number of important issues, both scientific and clinical, that have not been broached in the literature and that have therapeutic implications. Objectives: To introduce several clinical and scientific issues that have not formally entered the published literature on the treatment of ET. Methods: In September 2011, materials for this article were gathered during a literature search of PubMed using the following terms: ET, clinical, clinical trial, treatment, medications, therapeutics. English-language articles were selected for further review. Results: The paper focuses on several topics that have received scant or no discussion in the published literature on ET therapeutics. These topics are as follows: the nature of the underlying disease pathophysiology, the presence of pathological heterogeneity, the complexity of cellular and neurochemical changes which may be underlying this disorder, the presence of clinical heterogeneity, the selection of treatment endpoints, the effects of diagnostic uncertainty, the presence of cognitive and psychiatric features in ET, the identification of possible modifiable risk factors, and the absence of any neuroprotective therapies. Conclusion: The author has identified several topics that have received scant or no discussion in the published literature on ET therapeutics. Further discussion of the issues raised here may lead to improvements in clinical trial methodologies as well as facilitate the development of fresh approaches to pharmacotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elan D Louis
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University New York, NY, USA
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15
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Louis ED, Faust PL, Ma KJ, Yu M, Cortes E, Vonsattel JPG. Torpedoes in the Cerebellar Vermis in Essential Tremor Cases vs. Controls. THE CEREBELLUM 2011; 10:812-9. [PMID: 21656041 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-011-0291-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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16
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Iseri PK, Karson A, Gullu KM, Akman O, Kokturk S, Yardýmoglu M, Erturk S, Ates N. The effect of memantine in harmaline-induced tremor and neurodegeneration. Neuropharmacology 2011; 61:715-23. [PMID: 21640732 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2011] [Revised: 05/12/2011] [Accepted: 05/16/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common and most disabling movement disorders among adults. The drug treatment of ET remains unsatisfactory. Additional therapies are required for patients with inadequate response or intolerable side effects. The current study aims to investigate the anti-tremogenic and neuroprotective effects of memantine (NMDA receptor antagonist) on the harmaline model of transient action tremor. The effects of memantine were further compared with ethanol. Three separate groups of male Wistar rats were injected either with saline, ethanol (1.5 gr/kg), or memantine (5 mg/kg) 15 min prior to a single intraperitoneal injection of harmaline (20 mg/kg). Tremor and locomotion were evaluated by a custom-built tremor and locomotion analysis system. After 24 h of harmaline injection, cellular viability, and apoptosis were assessed using crystal violet staining, and caspase-3 immunostaining, respectively. Harmaline caused neuronal cell loss and caspase-3 mediated apoptosis in cerebellar granular and purkinje cells as well as the inferior olivary neurons. Despite a reduction in tremor intensity and duration with ethanol, this compound resulted in cell loss in cerebellum and olivary nucleus. Memantine exhibited neuroprotective efficacy on cerebellar and inferior olivary neurons albeit weaker anti-tremor effect compared to ethanol. In conclusion, anti-tremogenic and neuroprotective effects do not necessarily overlap. Memantine is a potential treatment for ET particularly given its neuroprotective efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pervin K Iseri
- Department of Neurology, Kocaeli University Medical School, Kocaeli, Turkey.
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Zahr NM, Pitel AL, Chanraud S, Sullivan EV. Contributions of studies on alcohol use disorders to understanding cerebellar function. Neuropsychol Rev 2010; 20:280-9. [PMID: 20809198 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-010-9141-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2010] [Accepted: 08/18/2010] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuropathological, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging studies of human alcoholism provide evidence for degradation of frontal, pontine, thalamic, and cerebellar brain sites and disturbed associated functions. Current studies using neuroimaging combined with examination of executive functions, traditionally considered the sole purview of the frontal lobes, have identified a role for the cerebellum serving as a compensatory processing adjunct to enable normal performance on challenging tasks tapping executive functions. This overview proposes that disruption of an executive frontocerebellar network is a major contributor to characteristic behaviors of alcoholism that, on the one hand, enable alcohol use disorders, and on the other hand, lead to compensation for dysfunctions in alcoholism traditionally considered frontally-based.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie M Zahr
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Abstract
Acute and chronic alcohol intoxications have particularly deleterious consequences on physiological processes involving motor control and balance. This paper describes alcohol impairments to the central motor system networks in social and heavy drinkers and in individuals dependent on alcohol with or without neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Houa
- Department of Neurology, Saint-Pierre Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Belgium
| | - Claude Tomberg
- Brain Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and CENOLI, Free University of Brussels, Belgium
| | - Xavier Noël
- Laboratory of Medical Psychology, CHU–Brugmann, Psychiatry Department, University of Brussels, Belgium
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Phillips JG, Ogeil RP, Müller F. Alcohol consumption and handwriting: A kinematic analysis. Hum Mov Sci 2009; 28:619-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2009.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Louis ED, Benito-León J, Bermejo-Pareja F. Population-based study of baseline ethanol consumption and risk of incident essential tremor. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2009; 80:494-7. [PMID: 19359288 PMCID: PMC2683019 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.2008.162701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent postmortem studies have demonstrated pathological changes, including Purkinje cell loss, in the cerebellum in essential tremor (ET). Toxic exposures that compromise cerebellar tissue could lower the threshold for developing ET. Ethanol is a well-established cerebellar toxin, resulting in Purkinje cell loss. OBJECTIVE To test whether higher baseline ethanol consumption is a risk factor for the subsequent development of incident ET. METHODS Lifetime ethanol consumption was assessed at baseline (1994-1995) in a prospective, population-based study in central Spain of 3285 elderly participants, 76 of whom developed incident ET by follow-up (1997-1998). RESULTS In a Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for cigarette pack-years, depressive symptoms and community, the baseline number of drink-years was marginally associated with a higher risk of incident ET (relative risk, RR = 1.003, p = 0.059). In an adjusted Cox model, the highest baseline drink-year quartile doubled the risk of incident ET (RR = 2.29, p = 0.018), while other quartiles were associated with more modest elevations in risk (RR(3rd quartile) = 1.82 (p = 0.10), RR(2nd quartile) = 1.75 (p = 0.10), RR(1st quartile) = 1.43 (p = 0.34) vs non-drinkers (RR = 1.00)). With each higher drink-year quartile, the risk of incident ET increased an average of 23% (p = 0.01, test for trend). CONCLUSIONS Higher levels of chronic ethanol consumption increased the risk of developing ET. Ethanol is often used for symptomatic relief; studies should explore whether higher consumption levels are a continued source of underlying cerebellar neurotoxicity in patients who already manifest this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- E D Louis
- GH Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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21
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Armstrong RA, Ironside JW, Lantos PL, Cairns NJ. A quantitative study of the pathological changes in the cerebellum in 15 cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2009; 35:36-45. [PMID: 19187059 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2990.2008.00979.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
AIMS To determine in the cerebellum in variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD): (i) whether the pathology affected all laminae; (ii) the spatial topography of the pathology along the folia; (iii) spatial correlations between the pathological changes; and (iv) whether the pathology was similar to that of the common methionine/methionine Type 1 subtype of sporadic CJD. METHODS Sequential cerebellar sections of 15 cases of vCJD were stained with haematoxylin and eosin, or immunolabelled with monoclonal antibody 12F10 against prion protein (PrP) and studied using spatial pattern analysis. RESULTS Loss of Purkinje cells was evident compared with control cases. Densities of the vacuolation and the protease-resistant form of prion protein (PrP(Sc)) (diffuse and florid plaques) were greater in the granule cell layer (GL) than the molecular layer (ML). In the ML, vacuoles and PrP(Sc) plaques occurred in clusters regularly distributed along the folia with larger clusters of vacuoles and diffuse plaques in the GL. There was a negative spatial correlation between the vacuoles and the surviving Purkinje cells in the ML. There was a positive spatial correlation between the vacuoles and diffuse PrP(Sc) plaques in the ML and GL. CONCLUSIONS (i) all laminae were affected by the pathology, the GL more severely than the ML; (ii) the pathology was topographically distributed along the folia especially in the Purkinje cell layer and ML; (iii) pathological spread may occur in relation to the loop of anatomical connections involving the cerebellum, thalamus, cerebral cortex and pons; and (iv) there were pathological differences compared with methionine/methionine Type 1 sporadic CJD.
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Zuccoli G, Santa Cruz D, Bertolini M, Rovira A, Gallucci M, Carollo C, Pipitone N. MR imaging findings in 56 patients with Wernicke encephalopathy: nonalcoholics may differ from alcoholics. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2008; 30:171-6. [PMID: 18945789 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a1280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is a severe neurologic disorder resulting from dietary vitamin B(1) deficiency. This study was undertaken to analyze and compare MR imaging findings and neurologic manifestations at clinical presentations of patients with WE with and without a history of alcohol abuse. MATERIALS AND METHODS WE patients were identified using diagnostic neurologic data bases. Fifty-six patients (29 females, 27 males) diagnosed between 1999 and 2008 with WE who improved within 1 month from the onset of thiamine administration were included in the analysis. Patients' records were reviewed for clinical manifestations and imaging studies' findings. MR imaging was performed in the acute phase of the disease at a field strength of 1T (16 patients) and 1.5T (40 patients). All MR images were of acceptable to good quality and were retrospectively reviewed. We compared imaging findings and clinical presentation in the alcoholic (AL) group versus the non-alcoholic (NA) group using the 2-tailed Fisher exact test and the Phi coefficient as appropriate. RESULTS Forty-three percent of the patients were in the AL group, whereas 57% were in the NA group. Eighty-nine percent showed changes in consciousness, 75% had ocular manifestations, and 54% had ataxia. On MR imaging, 80% of the patients had evidence of symmetric lesions in the medial thalami and in the periventricular region of the third ventricle; 59%, in the periaqueductal area; 45%, in the mamillary bodies; 36%, in the tectal plate; and 7%, in the periventricular gray matter located anteriorly to the fourth ventricle. Signal-intensity alterations in areas considered atypical for the disease were noted only in the NA group and always in association with the typical findings. Contrast enhancement of the thalamus and mamillary bodies was significantly associated with alcohol abuse. CONCLUSIONS Contrast enhancement in the mamillary bodies and thalamus is a typical finding of the disease in AL patients. Atypical MR imaging findings characterize NA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Zuccoli
- Department of Radiology, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
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24
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Yoo SY, Kim JH, Do SH, Zuo Z. Inhibition of the Activity of Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 4 Expressed inXenopusOocytes After Chronic Exposure to Ethanol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2008; 32:1292-8. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2008.00697.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Jaatinen P, Rintala J. Mechanisms of ethanol-induced degeneration in the developing, mature, and aging cerebellum. THE CEREBELLUM 2008; 7:332-47. [DOI: 10.1007/s12311-008-0034-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2007] [Accepted: 08/01/2007] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Axelrad JE, Louis ED, Honig LS, Flores I, Ross GW, Pahwa R, Lyons KE, Faust PL, Vonsattel JPG. Reduced Purkinje cell number in essential tremor: a postmortem study. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 65:101-7. [PMID: 18195146 DOI: 10.1001/archneurol.2007.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical and functional imaging evidence suggests that cerebellar dysfunction occurs in essential tremor (ET). In recent postmortem studies, we documented increased numbers of torpedoes (Purkinje cell axonal swellings) in ET patients without Lewy bodies. Purkinje cell loss, however, has never been rigorously assessed. OBJECTIVE To quantitatively assess the number of Purkinje cells in brains of ET patients and similarly aged controls. METHODS Postmortem cerebellar tissue was available in 14 ET cases (6 with Lewy bodies and 8 without Lewy bodies) and 11 controls. Calbindin immunohistochemistry was performed on paraffin sections of the cerebellum. Images were digitally recorded and blinded measurements of the number of Purkinje cells per millimeter of cell layer (linear density) were made. RESULTS Purkinje cell linear density was inversely correlated with age (r= - 0.53, P= .006) and number of torpedoes (r= - 0.42, P= .04). Purkinje cell linear density differed by diagnosis (mean [SD], controls, 3.46 [1.27] cells/mm; ET cases with Lewy bodies, 3.33 [1.06] cells/mm; and ET cases without Lewy bodies, 2.14 [0.82] cells/mm; P= .04), with the most significant difference between ET cases without Lewy bodies and controls, where the reduction was 38.2% (P= .04). In an adjusted linear regression analysis that compared ET cases without Lewy bodies with controls, decreased linear density (outcome variable) was associated with ET (beta= .56, P= .03). CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated a reduction in Purkinje cell number in the brains of patients with ET who do not have Lewy bodies. These data further support the view that the cerebellum is anatomically, as well as functionally, abnormal in these ET cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan E Axelrad
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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Piguet O, Cramsie J, Bennett HP, Kril JJ, Lye TC, Corbett AJ, Hayes M, Creasey H, Broe GA. Contributions of age and alcohol consumption to cerebellar integrity, gait and cognition in non-demented very old individuals. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2006; 256:504-11. [PMID: 16917683 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-006-0671-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2006] [Accepted: 04/24/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Gait disturbance and cognitive changes are common with ageing. The cerebellum contributes to motor coordination and participates in various aspects of cognition. However, no research has investigated the possible cerebellar contribution to gait and cognition in non-demented very old individuals. The current study aimed to determine the associations between indices of cerebellar size (vermal area and total volume) and measures of motor and cognitive integrity, as well as the role of variables known to impact on cerebellar size (alcohol consumption and chronological age) in a sample of 111 community dwellers (mean age: 85 years; range: 81-97 years). A marginally significant association was present between age and total vermal area. Significant correlations between current daily alcohol intake and some vermal areas were observed. These associations were more pronounced in men, particularly after controlling for cerebrum size. Multiple linear regression models revealed limited unique contributions of cerebellar predictors to neurological and cognitive measures. In summary, the results indicate that the cerebellum may be susceptible to alcohol-related shrinkage in non-demented very old individuals, more so in men, even at low dose. It also appears that the observed changes in cerebellum size in this population contribute little to neurological and cognitive changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Piguet
- Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute and the University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Bowers BJ, Radcliffe RA, Smith AM, Miyamoto-Ditmon J, Wehner JM. Microarray analysis identifies cerebellar genes sensitive to chronic ethanol treatment in PKCgamma mice. Alcohol 2006; 40:19-33. [PMID: 17157717 PMCID: PMC1931504 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2006.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2006] [Revised: 09/08/2006] [Accepted: 09/08/2006] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuroadaptive changes that occur in the development of ethanol tolerance may be the result of alterations in gene expression. We have shown that PKCgamma wild-type mice develop tolerance to the sedative-hypnotic effects of ethanol after chronic ethanol treatment; whereas, mutant mice do not, making these genotypes a suitable model for identifying changes in gene expression related to tolerance development. Using a two-stage process, several genes were initially identified using microarray analyses of cerebellar tissue from ethanol-treated PKCgamma mutant and wild-type mice. Subsequent confirmation of a subset of these genes using quantitative real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reactions (qRT-PCR) was done to verify gene expression changes. A total of 109 genes from different functional classifications were identified in these groups on the microarrays. Eight genes were selected for verification as follows: three, Twik-1, Plp, and Adk2, were chosen as genes related to tolerance; another three, Hsp70.2, Bdnf, and Th, were chosen as genes related to resistance to tolerance; and two genes, JunB and Nur77, were selected as candidate genes sensitive to chronic ethanol. The results from the verification experiments indicated that Twik-1, which codes for a potassium channel, was associated with tolerance and appeared to be dependent on the presence of PKCgamma. No genes were confirmed to be related to resistance to tolerance; however, expression of two of these, Hsp70.2 and Th, were found to be sensitive to chronic ethanol and were added to the transcription factors, JunB and Nur77, confirmed by qRT-PCR, as a subset of genes that respond to chronic ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara J Bowers
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, 447 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
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Abstract
Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Neuropathologic and neuroimaging studies have shown a wide range of structural problems, including abnormal neuronal migration and volume reduction in specific brain regions, including white matter. We identified foci of significant fetal white matter microglia-macrophage immunoreactivity in a "binge" model of early prenatal alcohol exposure in sheep. Ewes of alcohol-exposed fetuses received daily 90 min alcohol (1.5 gm/kg i.v.) infusions at 30-60 d gestation (term = 147 d). Ewes of control fetuses received same volume infusions of normal saline intravenously. Near-term (125 d gestation) fetal brains were labeled with microglia-macrophages using HAM56 antibody. We quantified dense immunoreactive cellular regions across sections and anatomical locations using computer-assisted microscopy and quantitative morphometry. The proportional HAM56-positive area in cortical white matter was greater in the alcohol-exposed fetuses (1.6%) compared with the saline controls (0.7%). The areas were localized to the frontal gyral white matter, temporal gyral white matter, optic radiation, and others (corpus callosum, septum pellucidum, fasciculus subcallosus, and external capsule), with a greater distribution in the gyral white matter. The greater area of macrophage-rich regions in near-term fetal sheep brain suggests a vulnerability of developing white matter that is enhanced by early alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirofumi Watari
- Department of Pathology-Neuropathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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Köksal M, Ilgaz C, Erdogan D, Ozogul C, Tong EK, Kalender H. Ultrastructure of rat pup's Purkinje neurons whose mothers were exposed to ethanol during pregnancy and lactation. Int J Neurosci 2006; 115:1669-86. [PMID: 16287633 DOI: 10.1080/00207450590958510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
This study was intended to investigate the effects of alcohol on the ultrastructure of fetal cerebellar Purkinje cells. Twelve adult female rats of Sprague-Dawley species were utilized. Control and experiment groups were formed. Rats were made pregnant. Rats in experiment group were administered liquid diet containing 6% alcohol. Cerebellums of infant rats were taken on 6th, 8th, and 10th days after birth. For electron microscopy, tissue sections were processed and stained with the usual methods. When control and experiment groups were compared for electron microscopic investigation, degeneration of mithocondria as cristolysis, dilatations of rough endoplasmic reticulum tubuli, and ring-shaped appearance of Golgi apparatus unit were determined. In some groups, nuclear membrane disintegrated. In cytoplasms of Purkinje cells, multivesicular bodies were distinguished. It was determined that liquid diet containing 6% alcohol had toxic effects on Purkinje cells and caused ultrastructural signs of degeneration in these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mete Köksal
- Gazi University Faculty of Medicine Department of Histology and Embryology Beşevler, Ankara, Turkey.
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31
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Oliver PL, Davies KE. Analysis of human neurological disorders using mutagenesis in the mouse. Clin Sci (Lond) 2005; 108:385-97. [PMID: 15831088 DOI: 10.1042/cs20050041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The mouse continues to play a vital role in the deciphering of mammalian gene function and the modelling of human neurological disease. Advances in gene targeting technologies have facilitated the efficiency of generating new mouse mutants, although this valuable resource has rapidly expanded in recent years due to a number of major random mutagenesis programmes. The phenotype-driven mutagenesis screen at the MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit has generated a significant number of mice with potential neurological defects, and our aim has been to characterize selected mutants on a pathological and molecular level. Four lines are discussed, one displaying late-onset ataxia caused by Purkinje cell loss and an allelic series of three tremor mutants suffering from hypomyelination of the peripheral nerve. Molecular analysis of the causative mutation in each case has provided new insights into functional aspects of the mutated proteins, illustrating the power of mutagenesis screens to generate both novel and clinically relevant disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter L Oliver
- MRC Functional Genetics Unit, Department of Human Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
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Jung ME, Gatch MB, Simpkins JW. Estrogen neuroprotection against the neurotoxic effects of ethanol withdrawal: potential mechanisms. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2005; 230:8-22. [PMID: 15618121 DOI: 10.1177/153537020523000102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Ethanol withdrawal (EW) produces substantial neurotoxic effects, whereas estrogen is neuroprotective. Given observations that both human and nonhuman female subjects often show less impairment following EW, it is reasonable to hypothesize that estrogens may protect females from the neurotoxic effects of ethanol. This article is based on the assumption that the behavioral deficits seen following EW are produced in part by neuronal death triggered by oxidative insults produced by EW. The EW leads to activation of protein kinase C, especially PKCepsilon, which subsequently triggers apoptotic downstream events such as phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NFkappaB) complex. On phosphorylation, active NFkappaB translocates to the nucleus, binds to DNA, and activates caspases, which trigger DNA fragmentation and apoptosis. In contrast, estrogens are antioxidant, inhibit overexpression of PKCepsilon, and suppress expression of NFkappaB and caspases. Estrogen treatment reduces the behavioral deficits seen during EW and attenuates molecular signals of apoptosis. The effects of ethanol and estrogen on each step in the signaling cascade from ethanol exposure to apoptosis are reviewed, and potential mechanisms by which estrogen could produce neuronal protection against the neurotoxicity produced by EW are identified. These studies serve as a guide for continuing research into the mechanisms of the neuroprotective effects of estrogen during EW and for the development of potential estrogen-based treatments for male and female alcoholics.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Jung
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA.
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Mulholland PJ, Self RL, Stepanyan TD, Little HJ, Littleton JM, Prendergast MA. Thiamine deficiency in the pathogenesis of chronic ethanol-associated cerebellar damage in vitro. Neuroscience 2005; 135:1129-39. [PMID: 16165302 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.06.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2005] [Revised: 06/17/2005] [Accepted: 06/22/2005] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Nutritional deficiencies associated with long-term ethanol consumption may cause neuronal damage in ethanol-dependent individuals. Thiamine deficiency, in particular, is thought to contribute to ethanol-associated cerebellar degeneration, although damage may occur in adequately nourished alcoholics. Thus, the present study examined the effects of thiamine depletion and ethanol exposure on cytotoxicity in rat cerebellum. Organotypic cerebellar slice cultures were treated starting at 25 days in vitro with 100 mM ethanol for 11 days or 10 days followed by a 24-h withdrawal period. This exposure paradigm has previously been shown in hippocampal slice cultures to result in spontaneous cytotoxicity upon ethanol withdrawal. Additional cerebellar cultures were exposed to the thiamine depleting agent pyrithiamine (10-500 microM) for 10 or 11 days, some in the presence of ethanol exposure or withdrawal. Other cultures were co-exposed to thiamine (1-100 microM), 500 microM pyrithiamine, and ethanol for 10 or 11 days. The results demonstrated that neither 11-day ethanol treatment nor withdrawal from 10-day exposure significantly increased cerebellar cytotoxicity, as measured by propidium iodide fluorescence. The 11-day treatment with 100 or 500 microM pyrithiamine significantly increased propidium iodide fluorescence approximately 21% above levels observed in control tissue. Cultures treated with both ethanol (11 days or 10 days plus withdrawal) and 500 microM pyrithiamine displayed a marked increase in cytotoxicity approximately 60-90% above levels observed in control cultures. Pyrithiamine and ethanol-induced cytotoxicity was prevented in cultures co-exposed to thiamine (10-100 microM) for the duration of pyrithiamine treatment. Findings from this report suggest that the cerebellum may be more sensitive to the toxic effects of thiamine deficiency, as compared with alcohol withdrawal, associated with alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- P J Mulholland
- Department of Psychology, 012-I Kastle Hall, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, USA.
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McCaffery P, Koul O, Smith D, Napoli JL, Chen N, Ullman MD. Ethanol increases retinoic acid production in cerebellar astrocytes and in cerebellum. BRAIN RESEARCH. DEVELOPMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH 2004; 153:233-41. [PMID: 15527891 DOI: 10.1016/j.devbrainres.2004.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2004] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Several characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) are similar to the teratogenic effects of retinoic acid (RA) exposure. It has been suggested that FAS may result from ethanol-induced alteration in endogenous RA synthesis, leading to abnormal embryonic concentrations of this morphogen. We examined whether ethanol may interfere with RA synthesis in the postnatal cerebellum, as a region of the developing CNS particularly vulnerable to both ethanol and RA teratogenesis. It was found that astrocytes are the predominant source of postnatal RA synthesis in the cerebellum. They express both retinaldehyde dehydrogenase 1 and 2. In vitro cytosolic preparations of astrocytes, as well as live cell preparations, have an increased capacity to synthesize RA in the presence of ethanol. A mechanism by which ethanol could stimulate RA synthesis is via the ethanol-activated short-chain retinol dehydrogenases, which we show to be present in the postnatal cerebellum. To determine whether ethanol stimulated RA synthesis in vivo, a sensitive and highly specific HPLC/MSn technique was used to measure cerebellar RA after administration of ethanol to postnatal day 4 rat pups. Cerebellar RA levels climbed significantly after such treatment. These results suggest that the cerebellar pathology exerted by ethanol may occur, at least in part, through increased production of RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter McCaffery
- University of Massachusetts Medical School Shriver Center, Waltham, MA, USA
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Abstract
It is generally believed that chronic alcohol consumption results in cerebellar atrophy and Purkinje cell loss, especially in the anterior vermal region. A post-mortem stereological design was applied to cerebella from 10 chronic male alcoholics (mean age 45.5 years) with a minimum of 10 years of severe addiction and 10 male controls (mean age 42.5 years). All alcoholics had pathoanatomical evidence of alcohol abuse but no clinical signs of Wernicke's encephalopathy. Cerebellum was divided into five different areas: the anterior and posterior lobe, the anterior and posterior vermis, and the flocculonodular lobe. The total cortex and white matter volume, the cerebellar surface area, the total Purkinje and granule cell number and density, and the mean volume of Purkinje cells and their cell nuclei were measured in all five regions using stereological methods. The volume of the granular layer was increased by 13% with an increase in layer thickness by 17% possibly due to oedema. Globally, the mean volume of the Purkinje cell perikaryon was decreased by 24% with a decrease in the volume of Purkinje cell nuclei by 16%. The increase of the granular layer and the decrease of Purkinje cell size resulted in a 21% global reduction of Purkinje cell density without a concomitant loss of neurons. No significant regional or global cortical and white matter atrophy was found in cerebella from alcoholics compared to controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgitte Bo Andersen
- Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND To understand how and why alcohol intoxication affects visually guided stepping, the eye movements and performance of 6 subjects (aged 22-35 years) were monitored as they progressed along a pathway of 18 irregularly placed stepping stones before and after consumption of an acute oral dose of alcohol. METHODS Horizontal eye movements were measured with infrared reflectometry; footfall on or off target was monitored via copper fabric soles stuck to subjects' footwear. Breath alcohol concentration was monitored with an Alco-Sensor III breathalyzer. RESULTS After alcohol loading, both locomotor and oculomotor deficits were evident. All subjects increased their step cycle duration-with prolonged stance, swing, and double support phases-and occasionally missed footfall targets. A large proportion of saccades made to fixate successive stepping stones were inaccurate and were accompanied by one or more corrective saccades. These problems with looking and stepping to footfall targets tended to occur together and were comparable to those seen previously in cerebellar patients undertaking the same task. CONCLUSIONS The fact that healthy subjects acutely intoxicated by alcohol show symptoms of cerebellar dysfunction suggests that alcohol acutely and adversely affects the cerebellar contribution to performance of visually guided movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Crowdy
- Department of Physiology, University of Bristol, School of Medical Sciences, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Abstract
The object of this review is to assemble much of the literature concerning Purkinje cell death in cerebellar pathology and to relate this to what is now known about the complex topography of the cerebellar cortex. A brief introduction to Purkinje cells, and their regionalization is provided, and then the data on Purkinje cell death in mouse models and, where appropriate, their human counterparts, have been arranged according to several broad categories--naturally-occurring and targeted mutations leading to Purkinje cell death, Purkinje cell death due to toxins, Purkinje cell death in ischemia, Purkinje cell death in infection and in inherited disorders, etc. The data reveal that cerebellar Purkinje cell death is much more topographically complex than is usually appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna R Sarna
- Genes Development Research Group, Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alta., Canada T2N 4N1
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Cavanagh JB, Holton JL, Nolan CC. Selective damage to the cerebellar vermis in chronic alcoholism: a contribution from neurotoxicology to an old problem of selective vulnerability. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2003. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2990.1997.tb01309.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. B. Cavanagh
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, London and ,
| | - J. L. Holton
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - C. C. Nolan
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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Jung ME, Watson DG, Wen Y, Simpkins JW. Role of protein kinase C in estrogen protection against apoptotic cerebellar cell death in ethanol-withdrawn rats. Alcohol 2003; 31:39-48. [PMID: 14615010 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2003.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Results of studies from our laboratory have shown that administration of 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) reduces cerebellar neuronal damage during ethanol withdrawal (EW). In the current study, we examined mechanisms underlying E(2) protection against EW-associated cerebellar damage by assessing apoptotic indicators: DNA fragmentation, caspase-3 activity, and protein kinase C (PKC) activity. Ovariectomized rats, implanted with E(2) or oil pellets, received ethanol [7.5% weight/volume (wt./vol.)] (EW/E(2) group and EW/Oil group, respectively) chronically (for 5 weeks) or control dextrin diet (Dextrin/Oil group). At day 14 of EW, cerebelli were collected for the terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase (TdT)-mediated dUDP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay to detect DNA fragmentation and for immunohistochemistry to detect caspase-3 activation. A separate group of rat cerebelli was prepared to assess for total PKC activity, as well as for activity of a specific PKC isozyme, epsilon (PKCepsilon), by using an in vitro [gamma-(32)P]ATP phosphorylation assay at days 1 and 14 of EW. Results indicated that rats in the EW/Oil group had more DNA fragments and caspase-3-positive neuronal cells than observed for control rats, and these effects were inhibited by E(2) treatment. For total PKC activity at day 1 of EW, rats in the EW/E(2) group had a lower cytosolic PKC activity than observed for either rats in the EW/Oil group or control rats. At day 14 of EW, both EW groups had a lower total PKC activity than observed for control rats. For PKCepsilon activity, rats in the EW/E(2) group had a lower cytosolic PKCepsilon activity than observed for rats in the EW/Oil group or for control rats at day 1, and they had a lower membrane PKCepsilon activity at day 14 of EW than observed for control rats. These findings support the suggestion that E(2) protects against cerebellar neuronal damage in ethanol-withdrawn rats by inhibition of DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation, and that reduced PKC activity may be involved in the protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna E Jung
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas HSC at Fort Worth, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76107-2699, USA.
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Sullivan EV, Harding AJ, Pentney R, Dlugos C, Martin PR, Parks MH, Desmond JE, Chen SHA, Pryor MR, De Rosa E, Pfefferbaum A. Disruption of frontocerebellar circuitry and function in alcoholism. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2003; 27:301-9. [PMID: 12605080 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000052584.05305.98] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This article represents a symposium of the 2002 joint meeting of RSA and ISBRA held in San Francisco. Presentations were Neuropathology of alcohol-related cerebellar damage in humans, by Antony J. Harding; Neuropathological evidence of cerebellar damage in an animal model of alcoholism, by Roberta Pentney and Cynthia Dlugos; Understanding cortical-cerebellar circuits through neuroimaging study of chronic alcoholics, by Peter R. Martin and Mitchell H. Parks; and Functional reorganization of the brain in alcoholism: neuroimaging evidence, by John E. Desmond, S.H. Annabel Chen, Michelle R. Pryor, Eve De Rosa, Adolf Pfefferbaum, and Edith V. Sullivan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith V Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5723, USA.
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Turlejski K, Djavadian R. Life-long stability of neurons: a century of research on neurogenesis, neuronal death and neuron quantification in adult CNS. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2002; 136:39-65. [PMID: 12143397 DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(02)36006-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In this chapter we provide an extensive review of 100 years of research on the stability of neurons in the mammalian brain, with special emphasis on humans. Although Cajal formulated the Neuronal Doctrine, he was wrong in his beliefs that adult neurogenesis did not occur and adult neurons are dying throughout life. These two beliefs became accepted "common knowledge" and have shaped much of neuroscience research and provided much of the basis for clinical treatment of age-related brain diseases. In this review, we consider adult neurogenesis from a historical and evolutionary perspective. It is concluded, that while adult neurogenesis is a factor in the dynamics of the dentate gyrus and olfactory bulb, it is probably not a major factor during the life-span in most brain areas. Likewise, the acceptance of neuronal death as an explanation for normal age-related senility is challenged with evidence collected over the last fifty years. Much of the problem in changing this common belief of dying neurons was the inadequacies of neuronal counting methods. In this review we discuss in detail implications of recent improvements in neuronal quantification. We conclude: First, age-related neuronal atrophy is the major factor in functional deterioration of existing neurons and could be slowed down, or even reversed by various pharmacological interventions. Second, in most cases neuronal degeneration during aging is a pathology that in principle may be avoided. Third, loss of myelin and of the white matter is more frequent and important than the limited neuronal death in normal aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris Turlejski
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland.
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Apfel MIR, Ésberard CA, Rodrigues FKP, Bahamad Júnior FM, Sillero RO. Estudo estereológico das células de Purkinje cerebelares submetidas à intoxicação alcoólica em ratos Wistar. ARQUIVOS DE NEURO-PSIQUIATRIA 2002. [DOI: 10.1590/s0004-282x2002000200014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
MOTIVO DO ESTUDO: Analisar o efeito do álcool sobre as células de Purkinje de ratos. MÉTODO: Ratos Wistar receberam oralmente soluções alcoólicas em diferentes concentrações 4%, 12% e 24%. Os animais foram sacrificados com 4, 8 e 12 semanas e os cerebelos foram clivados em cortes aleatórios e uniformemente isotrópicos e incluídos em parafina. Cortes de 6µm (H & E) foram analisados por estereologia. RESULTADOS: As diferenças entre a densidade por área e densidade de superfície das células de Purkinje de todos os grupos experimentais (E) e os respectivos controles (C) foram significativas. Com 12 semanas, a densidade volumétrica da célula de Purkinje diminuiu entre os grupos C e E nas concentrações de 4% e 12%, mas não para a concentração de 24%, provavelmente devido a menor ingestão de líquido pelos animais. CONCLUSÃO: O álcool exerceu efeito tóxico sobre o corpo celular da célula de Purkinje nas três concentrações estudadas a partir de 4 semanas.
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Jung ME, Yang SH, Brun-Zinkernagel AM, Simpkins JW. Estradiol protects against cerebellar damage and motor deficit in ethanol-withdrawn rats. Alcohol 2002; 26:83-93. [PMID: 12007583 DOI: 10.1016/s0741-8329(01)00199-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
On the basis of findings obtained from this study, we hypothesize that the female sex steroid 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) protects against cerebellar neuronal damage and behavioral deficit in rats withdrawn from chronic ethanol exposure. Ovariectomized rats implanted with E(2) or an oil pellet received liquid ethanol (7.5% [wt./vol.]) or dextrin diet for 5 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of ethanol withdrawal. On termination of diet administration, rats were tested for both overt withdrawal signs and latency (seconds) to fall from an accelerating rotarod in six consecutive sessions (the longer the latency, the better the performance). The initial latency was measured separately to assess motoric capacity before learning occurred. Rats were then killed, and cerebella were prepared for accessing of Purkinje cell damage. The study revealed three specific findings. (1) In the absence of E(2), the ethanol withdrawal group showed higher total ethanol withdrawal sign scores than those for the dextrin group, whereas the score for the ethanol withdrawal group was lower in the presence of E(2). (2) In the absence of E(2), the ethanol withdrawal group showed shorter rotarod latency than that for the dextrin group, whereas the latency for the ethanol withdrawal group increased in the E(2)-treated group. In ethanol withdrawal groups, E(2) treatment also resulted in a longer latency than that observed with oil treatment in the initial session and in subsequent sessions. (3) Purkinje cell numbers in the ethanol withdrawal group without E(2) were lower than those in dextrin groups and in the ethanol withdrawal group with E(2) treatment. These findings support the suggestion that E(2) exerts protective effects against withdrawal signs, cerebellar neuronal damage, and motoric impairment in subjects exposed to, and withdrawn from, chronic ethanol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna E Jung
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas HSC at Fort Worth, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107-2699, USA.
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45
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Martinez SE, Vaglenova J, Sabria J, Martinez MC, Farres J, Pares X. Distribution of alcohol dehydrogenase mRNA in the rat central nervous system. . Consequences for brain ethanol and retinoid metabolism. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1046/j.0014-2956.2001.02416.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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46
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Luostarinen LK, Collin PO, Peräaho MJ, Mäki MJ, Pirttilä TA. Coeliac disease in patients with cerebellar ataxia of unknown origin. Ann Med 2001; 33:445-9. [PMID: 11585106 DOI: 10.3109/07853890108995958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurological symptoms of unknown origin are common in coeliac disease (CD). Evidence suggests that CD may also contribute to the development of idiopathic late-onset ataxia. AIM To evaluate the frequency of CD in patients with cerebellar ataxia of unknown origin. METHODS The medical files of adult patients with the diagnosis of cerebellar ataxia of unknown origin (n=44) were evaluated. Serum gliadin, endomysial, and serum tissue transglutaminase antibodies were used as screening tests for CD. Subjects with positive results were referred to small-bowel biopsy. RESULTS The frequency of CD was as high as 9.1% in all patients. A thorough interview and review of the patient files indicated alcohol abuse as a cause for cerebellar disease in almost half (45.5%) of our patients. When the cases with alcohol abuse were omitted, the calculated frequency of CD was 16.7% in patients with ataxia of unknown origin. CONCLUSION CD is a common association with cerebellar disease and the disease should be considered in all patients with ataxia of unknown origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- L K Luostarinen
- Department of Neurology, Tampere University Hospital, Finland.
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Nathaniel EJ, Hassard T, Burton L, Novak C. Effect of exogenous thyroxine on the development of the Purkinje cell in fetal alcohol effects in the rat. Exp Mol Pathol 1999; 67:175-91. [PMID: 10600400 DOI: 10.1006/exmp.1999.2283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The amelioration of fetal alcohol effects on the postnatal development of the Purkinje cell by exogenous L-thyroxine was investigated in the neonatal rat. Time-pregnant rats were divided into three groups. Group A (n = 6) received 35% liquid ethanol diet; Group B (n = 6) was fed a liquid diet in which maltose dextrins replaced alcohol isocalorically, constituting the pair-fed group; Group C (n = 6) received the 35% liquid ethanol diet and, in addition, received exogenous thyroxine (5 microg/kg/day) subcutaneously. After the pups were born, the mothers were removed and the pups of each were surrogate fostered by dams who were fed normal rat chow and water ad libitum. An average of six pups, one from each litter, were killed at days 7, 14, 21, and 28 for each of the above three groups. Light and electron microscopic observations of lobule II/III revealed a delayed alignment of Purkinje cells (Pc) in alcohol-exposed pups compared to pair-fed pups. The Pc of the pair-fed group showed a single-layer arrangement at 7 days which was seen only at day 14 in the alcohol group. However, in the alcohol + T(4)-exposed pups a single-layer arrangement was quite often seen at 7 days. Morphological observations showed impaired evidence of protein synthesis at all time sequences in the pups of Group A compared to Group B. A most interesting finding was the morphological evidence of greater protein synthesis in the Pc of the alcohol + T(4) group at all times as indicated by a hypertrophied nucleus, abundant ribosomal collection, and numerous Nissl bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J Nathaniel
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Surgery, and Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0W3, Canada
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Baker KG, Harding AJ, Halliday GM, Kril JJ, Harper CG. Neuronal loss in functional zones of the cerebellum of chronic alcoholics with and without Wernicke's encephalopathy. Neuroscience 1999; 91:429-38. [PMID: 10366000 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(98)90664-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This study examines the effect of chronic alcohol consumption on the human cerebellum using operational criteria for case selection [Caine D. et al. (1997) J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. 62, 51-60] and unbiased stereological techniques. We describe, for the first time, structural changes in different functional zones of the cerebellum of chronic alcoholics and correlate these changes with specific clinical symptoms. No consistent changes in the number of neurons or the structural volume for any cerebellar region were observed in the chronic alcoholics without the clinical signs of Wernicke's encephalopathy. In all cerebellar measures, these chronic alcoholics did not differ significantly from the non-alcoholic controls, suggesting that chronic alcohol consumption per se does not necessarily damage human cerebellar tissue. However, several cerebellar changes were noted in the thiamine-deficient alcoholics studied. There was a significant decrease in Purkinje cell density (reduced on average by 43%) and molecular layer volume (reduced by 32%) in the cerebellar vermis in all thiamine-deficient chronic alcoholics. A decrease in cell density and atrophy of the molecular layer, where the dendritic trees of the Purkinje cells are found, without significant cell loss suggests loss of cellular dendritic structure and volume. These thiamine-deficient alcoholics also had a significant decrease (36% loss) in the estimated Purkinje cell number of the flocculi, disrupting vestibulocerebellar pathways. These results indicate that cerebellar Purkinje cells are selectively vulnerable to thiamine deficiency. There is evidence that this damage contributes significantly to the clinical signs of Wernicke's encephalopathy. There was a 36% loss of Purkinje cells in the lateral lobe in alcoholics with mental state signs and 42% atrophy of vermal white matter in ataxic alcoholics. The finding of a 57% loss of Purkinje cells and a 43% atrophy of the molecular layer of the vermis in alcoholics with cerebellar dysfunction supports previous findings highlighting the importance of spinocerebellar pathways to these symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- K G Baker
- Department of Pathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Tabbaa S, Dlugos C, Pentney R. The number of granule cells and spine density on Purkinje cells in aged, ethanol-fed rats. Alcohol 1999; 17:253-60. [PMID: 10231174 DOI: 10.1016/s0741-8329(98)00059-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether chronic intake of ethanol by aged F344 rats was associated with a reduction in parallel fiber input to cerebellar Purkinje neurons (PN). Previous results from this laboratory provided direct evidence that synaptic density in PN dendritic arbors was significantly decreased and indirect evidence that terminal dendritic segments of PN were deleted during chronic ethanol treatment. From these results, it was hypothesized that an ethanol-related deletion of PN terminal dendritic segments might result from 1) a reduction in parallel fiber input to PN from cerebellar granule neurons or 2) a reduction in dendritic spines, the postsynaptic sites for parallel fiber input to PN dendrites. Measurements of the total number of cerebellar granule neurons (GN) and the volume of the GN layer, and measurements of the density of spines on PN terminal dendritic segments were made in separate groups of aged, ethanol-treated and control rats. There were no significant ethanol-related changes in these parameters after 40-48 weeks of ethanol treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Tabbaa
- Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, SUNY at Buffalo, NY 14214-3000, USA
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Riikonen J, Jaatinen P, Sarviharju M, Kiianmaa K, Hervonen A. Effects of lifelong ethanol consumption on rat sympathetic neurons. Alcohol 1999; 17:113-8. [PMID: 10064378 DOI: 10.1016/s0741-8329(98)00041-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In this experiment we studied the effects of aging and lifelong ethanol consumption on rat peripheral sympathetic neurons. The aim was to find out the possible differences in the vulnerability to ethanol-induced neuronal degeneration between rats of both genders, or between the alcohol-avoiding (ANA) and the alcohol-preferring (AA) lines of rat. The superior cervical ganglia (SCG) of 40 male and 41 female AA and ANA rats were analyzed. The ethanol-exposed groups had 12% ethanol as the only available fluid from 3 to 24 months of age. The young (3 months) and old (24 months) control groups had water instead. SCG neuronal density, volume, and total neuron number were measured by unbiased morphometric methods. No gender difference was seen in either the volume of the SCG or in the SCG neuron number. The volume of the ganglion was significantly increased with age, but the total neuron number did not change. Neuronal density was significantly decreased with age, but lifelong ethanol consumption induced no further decrease. SCG neuron number in the ethanol-exposed groups did not differ from the age-matched or young control groups, but a significant negative correlation (r = -0.70, p<0.01) was seen between individual ethanol consumption and the number of SCG neurons in the female rats. The amount of lipopigment in the SCG was increased in the ethanol-exposed male rats. These results suggest that the peripheral sympathetic neurons are rather resistant to ethanol-induced degeneration, and that no major gender or line differences exist in this respect.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Riikonen
- Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland
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