Neuron and glial cell numbers in the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus in brains of schizophrenic subjects

english

2008

volume 27, issue 3

Schizophrenia    Thalamic Nuclei   Cytology    Cell Count    Neurons    Neuroglia    neurology    Image Processing, Computer-Assisted

Društvo za stereologijo in kvantitativno analizo slike
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

Several stereological studies of schizophrenic subjects have shown reduction in both the total number of neurons and in the total volume of the mediodorsalthalamic nucleus (MD). This is in contrast to other studies in thatno differences have been found. Using systematic random sampling and an optical fractionator design, the total number of neuron and glial cells in theMD subdivisions: parvocellular (MDPC), magnocellular (MDMC), and densocellular (MDDC) were counted in brains from 9 schizophrenic and 8 controlsubjects. The control subjects were age, height and body-weight matchedto the schizophrenic subjects. We found the neuronal numbers in the schizophrenic subjects to range more than a factor of two, from 3.68 to 9.22 x106. This is in contrast to the control subjects, who ranged from 5.24 to 7.10 x 106 in neuronal cell numbers. Within our inhomogeneous sample, some schizophrenic subjects thus exhibited relative high total neuron numbers in MD, while others exhibited relative low neuron numbers. The result is in line with the heterogeneity of this severe mental disease and may help to explain why different research groups get different results. The major limitation in this study is the small number of brains of schizophrenic subjects with a highdegree of inhomogeneity in length of disease and age of onset. The debatesof the comparison of the neurons in the MD in brains of schizophrenic subjects and control subjects and the possible impact of this variance on the disease are still not complete.

16.09.2009