Increased Climbing Fiber Lateral Crossings on Purkinje Cell Dendrites in the Cerebellar Hemisphere in Essential Tremor

Yueh-Chi Wu; Elan D Louis; John Gionco; Ming-Kai Pan; Phyllis L Faust; Sheng-Han Kuo

doi:10.1002/mds.28502

Increased Climbing Fiber Lateral Crossings on Purkinje Cell Dendrites in the Cerebellar Hemisphere in Essential Tremor

Mov Disord. 2021 Jun;36(6):1440-1445. doi: 10.1002/mds.28502. Epub 2021 Jan 26.

Authors

Yueh-Chi Wu^{1

2}, Elan D Louis³, John Gionco^{2

4}, Ming-Kai Pan^{5

6

7}, Phyllis L Faust^{2

4}, Sheng-Han Kuo^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
² Initiative for Columbia Ataxia and Tremor, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
³ Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas, USA.
⁴ Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA.
⁵ Department and Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁶ Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁷ Molecular Imaging Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Abstract

Background: Climbing fibers (CFs) innervate Purkinje cells (PCs) with 1:1 relationship to ensure proper cerebellar function. Although CFs abnormally extend into the parallel fiber domain of PC dendrites in essential tremor (ET), the architecture of CFs in relation to PCs has yet to be investigated in detail.

Objective: The aim of this work was to study the architecture of CFs in relation to PCs in ET.

Methods: The number of PC somas and PC dendrites that a single CF crossed was quantified in the postmortem cerebellum of 15 ET cases and 15 control cases.

Results: In ET, CFs crossed a greater number of PC somas and PC dendrites than in control cases, raising the possibility that there is abnormal CF wiring onto the PCs. Interestingly, the increase in CF-PC crossings positively correlated with tremor severity.

Conclusions: Patients with ET have increased CF crossings on PC dendrites. This abnormal architectural arrangement may contribute to synchronous brain activity and tremor. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Keywords: Purkinje cell; cerebellum; climbing fiber; essential tremor; pathology.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cerebellum
Dendrites
Essential Tremor*
Humans
Purkinje Cells*
Synapses

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding