engleski

Role of subputaminal nucleus in language: enigma of primary progressive aphasia solved?

The relatively small magnocellular group of cholinergic neurons located within the rostrolateral extension of the basal forebrain was named and described as the nucleus subputaminalis (NSP) in the human brain by Giuseppe Ayala in 1915. Upon detailed analysis of the NSP in 33 normal subjects, we found the human NSP best developed at the rostral and anterointermediate levels, which are usually negligible or missing in monkeys. The ascension of the NSP fibers through the external capsule towards the inferior frontal gyrus, the larger size of the NSP on the left side, and the most protracted development among all magnocellular aggregations within the basal forebrain strongly suggest its connection with the cortical speech area and its role in generation of P300 (P3) event-related potential. Recent postmortem analysis of NSP of cases presenting with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) revealed marked loss of cholinergic neurons in NSP regardless of underlying pathology, providing further evidence for the importance of NSP in language abilities. As the NSP is human specific and connected with the cortical speech area, its possible role in other neurological (variants of frontotemporal lobar degeneration), neurodegenerative (Alzheimer's disease) and psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia) should be also carefully investigated in future studies.

basal nucleus of Meynert ; basal forebrain ; chimpanzee ; cholinergic system ; cortical speech area ; evolution ; oddball paradigm ; P300 (P3) event-related potential ; primary progressive aphasia ; subputaminal nucleus

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