engleski

Morphological analysis of von Economo neurons

Von Economo neurons (VENs) are modified pyramidal neurons abundant in layer V of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and fronto- insular cortex (FI) of the human brain. The aim of this study is to establish a comprehensive morphological description of VENs in the human ACC. We analyzed sections of the ACC (Brodmann area 24) in five adult human specimens. The sections were stained using rapid Golgi, Golgi- Cox and Nissl. VENs have a distinct somato- dendritic morphology that allows their clear distinction from other modified pyramidal neurons. We established that VENs have a perpendicularly oriented, rod-like core part consisting of the cell body and two thick extensions – the apical and basal stem. The core part was characterized by a lack of a clear demarcation between the cell body and the two extensions. Another typical feature was the basal extension which ended in a brush-like branching pattern. The most distinct feature of VENs was the distant origin site of the axon, which arose from the ending of the basal extension. Quantitative analysis found that VENs could be divided into two groups based on total dendritic length – small VENs with a peak total dendritic length of 1500 – 2500 µm and large VENs with a peak total dendritic length of 5000 – 6000 µm. Comparative morphological analysis of VENs and other oval and fusiform modified pyramidal neurons showed that on Nissl sections oval and fusiform neurons could be misidentified as VENs. Our data show that the reports on the presence of VENs in non-primates in other layers and regions of the cortex need further confirmation by showing the dendritic and axonal morphology of these cells. In conclusion, our study provides a foundation for further comprehensive morphological and functional studies on VENs between different species.

von Economo neurons ; modified pyramidal neurons ; anterior cingulate cortex ; Golgi staining ; Nissl staining

nije evidentirano