title: Evidence for degenerative and regenerative changes in neostriatal spiny neurons in Huntington's disease.
abstract: Golgi impregnations of neostriatum from deceased Huntington's disease patients and controls were examined. In all cases of Huntington's disease the morphology of dendrites of medium-sized spiny neurons was markedly altered by the appearance of recurved endings and appendages, a decrease or increase in the density of spines, and abnormalities in the size and shape of spines. Pathological changes were rarely observed in medium-sized and large aspiny neostriatal neurons. The findings provide evidence for simultaneous degeneration and growth of spiny neurons in Huntington's disease and support the view that a specific population of neostriatal neurons is selectively involved in its pathogenesis.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Graveland
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DiFiglia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000473:pathology*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009474:Neurons / Q000648:ultrastructure