Abstract
Background: Essential tremor involves the cerebellum, yet quantitative analysis of dentate nucleus neurons has not been conducted. Objectives: To quantitatively compare neuronal density or neuronal number in the dentate nucleus of essential tremor versus age-matched controls. Methods: Using a 7-μm thick Luxol fast blue hematoxylin and eosin-stained paraffin section, dentate nucleus neuronal density (neurons/mm2) was determined in 25 essential tremor cases and 25 controls. We also applied a stereological approach in a subset of four essential tremor cases and four controls to estimate total dentate nucleus neuronal number. Results: Dentate nucleus neuronal density did not differ between essential tremor cases and controls (P = 0.44). Total dentate nucleus neuronal number correlated with neuronal density (P = 0.007) and did not differ between essential tremor cases and controls (P = 0.95). Conclusions: Neuronal loss, observed in the Purkinje cell population in essential tremor, did not seem to similarly involve the dentate nucleus in essential tremor.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 995-999 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Movement Disorders |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2021 |
Keywords
- essential tremor; cerebellum; dentate neuron; stereology; pathology
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neurology
- Clinical Neurology