Demonstration of neurofibrillary tangles and neuropil thread-like structures in spinal cord white matter in parkinsonism-dementia complex on Guam and in Guamanian amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

This report concerns the demonstration and distribution of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), immunoreactive neuropil thread-like structures and dots in the spinal cord gray and white matter of six patients with parkinsonism-dementia complex on Guam and five patients with Guamanian amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A monoclonal antibody to Alzheimer NFTs was used. NFTs were found in the spinal cord gray matter and white matter and all patients had immunoreactive neuropil thread-like structures and dots in the gray matter as well as in the white matter. They were particularly numerous in the lateral funiculus of patients with Guamanian ALS.Supported in part by a grant of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Associaton