The current study examined changes in the dendritic arbor of basolateral amygdaloid neurons in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Quantitative analysis of Golgi Kopsch-impregnated tissue samples revealed a significant reduction in the total dendritic length per neuron in AD. Terminal and nonterminal dendritic segments were affected similarly. Somatofugal ordering of the same segments, however, indicated that the reductions were restricted to the inner portion of the dendritic tree, coupled with significant AD-related increases in the length and number of the highest order segments. These data suggest that despite an overall AD-related loss of dendritic length in this amygdaloid subregion, new dendritic segments continue to form. The loss of proximal segments, combined with the gain of distal segments, may be interpreted as dendritic remodeling in the course of the disorder.
Aged Aged, 80 and over