Objective: To determine if there is cholinergic neuronal loss in the putamen in cervical dystonia.

Background: The etiology of cervical dystonia is unknown. Striatal cholinergic abnormalities have been implicated in the pathogenesis of dystonia in animal models, human imaging, and other studies. In dystonia animal models, there are decreased numbers of striatal cholinergic interneurons.

Methods: Formalin-fixed posterior putamen samples from 8 cervical dystonia (73.7 ± 11.1 years; 7 females, 1 male) and 7 neurologically healthy control (72.9 ± 12.2 years; 6 females, 1 male) brain donors were obtained from the University of Maryland Brain and Tissue Bank after review of medical records. Samples were embedded in paraffin and 5-mm thick slides were cut. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Bielschowsky silver stain were used. Immunohistochemistry was performed with beta-amyloid, phospho-tau, and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) antibodies. The ChAT antibody was used to identify cholinergic neurons. ChAT-stained slides were scanned with a whole slide imager. ChAT-positive neurons in the putamen on each slide were manually enumerated in ImageScope software.

Results: There were no significant pathologic changes, including neurodegeneration, in cervical dystonia. The numbers of ChAT-positive neurons appeared similar in both groups by visual inspection. There were no statistically significant differences in the density of ChAT-positive neurons: 2.35 ± 0.80 cells/mm² in the cervical dystonia group and 1.81 ± 0.58 cells/mm² in controls (p=0.17). There was no gliosis.

Conclusions: The results of this study do not support a finding of cholinergic neuronal loss in the posterior putamen in cervical dystonia.

« Back to 2017 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/striatal-cholinergic-neurons-in-cervical-dystonia/