Pursuit of the origin of the large myelinated fibers of the anterolateral funiculus in the spinal cord in humans in relation to the pathomechanism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis |
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Authors: | K Oyanagi Emiko Kawakami Takashi Morita Hitoshi Takahashi |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Neuropathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Neuroscience, 2–6 Musashidai, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8526, Japan e-mail: k123ysm@tmin.ac.jp Tel.: +81-42-325-3881, Fax: +81-42-321-8678, JP;(2) Department of Pathology, Shinrakuen Hospital, Nishi-ariake machi, Niigata 950-2087, Japan, JP;(3) Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1 Asahimachi, Niigata 951-8585, Japan, JP |
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Abstract: | To determine the origin of the large myelinated fibers in the anterolateral funiculus (ALF) in the spinal cord of humans,
myelinated fibers in the ALF of the mid-cervical spinal cord were examined quantitatively. Five groups of subjects were examined,
consisting of control subjects, patients with cerebral lesions and showing complete degeneration of the unilateral/bilateral
pyramis of the medulla oblongata, those with lesions of the pontine tegmentum, those with lesions of the lower cervical spinal
cord, and those with thoracic/lumbar lesions. The results indicate that the large myelinated fibers in the ALF of the mid-cervical
spinal cord of humans originate from the tegmentum of the brain stem and the lower cervical spinal cord, and not from the
cerebrum, or the thoracic or lumbar spinal cord. Thus, they are descending fibers from the brain stem tegmentum and ascending
fibers from the lower cervical cord, and not corticospinal tracts or long-ascending fibers from the thoracic or lumbar spinal
cord. The origin of the large myelinated fibers in the ALF of the spinal cord in humans, the number of which was severely
decreased in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is considered to be the long-descending neurons in the brain stem
tegmentum and the propriospinal neurons in the spinal cord.
Received: 23 December 1998 / Revised, accepted: 29 March 1999 |
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Keywords: | Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Anterolateral funiculus Morphometry Propriospinal fiber Reticulospinal fiber |
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