Swedenborg, Linnaeus and brain research--and the roles of Gustaf Retzius and Alfred Stroh in the rediscovery of Swedenborg's manuscripts.

Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) at the end of his long life became famous as a visionary mystic and founder of a new religion. However, at younger age, he was recognized as a prominent mining engineer and natural philosopher, particularly interested in geology, mineralogy, cosmology, paleontology and last but not least physiology of the brain. In his Oeconomica regni animalis (1740) and in several posthumously published extensive manuscripts, he described and analyzed e.

Morphological aberrations in therapy-resistant partial epilepsy (TRPE). Confocal laser scanning and 3D reconstructions of Lucifer Yellow injected atypical pyramidal neurons in epileptic human cortex.

Epileptic temporal and parietal cortices, removed from 6 patients with therapy-resistant (intractable) partial epilepsy (TRPE) during neurosurgery, were studied. Neurons (40-50 in each slice) in laminae I-VI and white matter were injected with Lucifer Yellow (LY). Samples were examined in a confocal laser scanning microscope (BioRad [Richmond, CA] MRC 600), and individual cells were scanned at 0.

Dendritic morphology in epileptogenic cortex from TRPE patients, revealed by intracellular Lucifer Yellow microinjection and confocal laser scanning microscopy.

Biopsy material was obtained from cortical epileptogenic zones (eight temporal, one occipital, one parietal and one frontal) of eleven patients aged 1.5-47 years with therapy-resistant partial epilepsy (TRPE) undergoing epilepsy surgery. Control autopsy material (two temporal, two occipital, one parietal and one frontal) was removed from six neurologically healthy cases within 6-10 hours postmortem delay.

Structural and vasoactive factors influencing intracerebral arterioles in cases of vascular dementia and other cerebrovascular disease: a review. Immunohistochemical studies on expression of collagens, basal lamina components and endothelin-1.

The condition of the brain parenchyma in cases of vascular dementia and other cerebrovascular conditions may be influenced by structural and functional changes of the terminal intracerebral blood vessels. Arterioles can develop obliterative lesions, capillaries and postcapillary venules can be altered, causing edema. The first part of this review is focused on expression of different types of collagens and other components of the extracellular matrix in intracerebral arterioles.

Vascular changes and blood-brain barrier damage in the pathogenesis of polycystic lipomembranous osteodysplasia with sclerosing leukoencephalopathy (membranous lipodystrophy).

The histopathological, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic findings in eight patients with polycystic lipomembranous osteodysplasia and sclerosing leukoencephalopathy (PLO-SL) are described. This autosomally recessively inherited disease is first manifested by multiple bone cysts, which are later followed around the age of 30 by severe neuropsychiatric syndrome. The pathogenesis of PLO-SL has not been established, and the search for the most suspected error in lipid metabolism has been unsuccessful.

The microvascular changes in cases of hereditary multi-infarct disease of the brain.

A report on a cerebro-vascular disease with autosomal dominant inheritance, characterised by stroke-like episodes beginning in early adulthood and progressive dementia, afflicting one family living in Sweden was presented in 1977. Another afflicted member showing gait and coordination disturbances and impaired cognitive functions is now introduced. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple brain lesions indicating ischaemic injuries.

Atypical pyramidal cells in epileptic human cortex: CFLS and 3-D reconstructions.

Epileptic temporal cortices, removed from 3 patients with intractable partial epilepsy (IPE) during neurosurgery, were studied. Pyramidal neurons (40-50 per slice) in laminae III, V and white matter, were injected with lucifer yellow. Samples were examined in a confocal laser scanning microscope (Biorad 600) and individual cells scanned at 0.

Neurobiorheology. A new branch of biorheology. Historical background and current ideas.

The application of principles of biorheology, hemorheology and perihemorheology on problems of the nervous system in health and disease was suggested by Alfred L. Copley (1982, 1987). Late in 1988 Copley and Sourander considered neurobiorheology to be an appropriate term for a new branch of biorheology bridging the gap between biorheology and neurobiology.

Rett syndrome: cerebellar pathology.

The cerebellar pathology at autopsy of 5 patients with Rett syndrome is described. The patients ranged in age from 7-30 years. All had markedly reduced brain weights with proportionately small cerebella.

Pathology of the central nervous system with special reference to the lipids.

The historical background of lipid research with particular reference to the nervous system is outlined. Attention is called to the early studies of Swedish investigators on the morphology and physical properties of the lipid rich myelin sheath. The pioneering research of the late Gunnar Brante on quantitative topical lipid chemistry of the human nervous system in health and disease is pointed out.

Distribution of lead in the cerebellum of suckling rats following low and high dose lead exposure. A micro-PIXE analysis.

The distribution of lead in the cerebellum of suckling Sprague-Dawley rats was examined using a nuclear microprobe for elemental mapping of tissue sections (particle-induced X-ray emission, 3-microns beam of 2.5 MeV protons; micro-PIXE). The rats were injected intraperitoneally with a lead-containing vehicle or vehicle only from ages 1 to 14 days.

Autofluorescence emission spectra of neuronal lipopigment in mucopolysaccharidosis (Sanfilippo's syndrome).

Characteristics of intraneuronal lipopigment in two siblings with Sanfilippo's syndrome are reported. A lipopigment emission spectrum probably reflects its composition and the (uncorrected) autofluorescence emission spectra results are compared with spectra from non-diseased tissue and from previously reported childhood-onset neuronal ceroidlipofuscinoses (ceroidoses), adult-onset ceroidosis (Kufs' disease) and animal ceroidoses. Values derived from the emission spectra from Sanfilippo's syndrome could be distinguished from those obtained from equivalent regions of non-diseased brains and were within the range of abnormal values previously reported from accumulations of pigment in various types of neuronal ceroidosis.

Changes in brain temperature and free amino acids in normal and protein deprived suckling rats exposed to room temperature.

Previous reports on early-induced protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) in rats have indicated alterations in the concentration of free amino acids and of protein synthesis in the brain. Recently it was shown that early-induced protein deprivation (PD) retards the development of thermoregulation. This resulted in a failure to maintain a normal rectal temperature after short exposure to room temperature (+22 degrees C) still at the age of 20-25 days corresponding to changes seen in normal rats at an age of 10-15 days.

Rett syndrome: spinal cord neuropathology.

The morphologic changes of the spinal cord in Rett syndrome are described in 2 young women who died at 20 and 30 years of age. Both patients had been in a severely disabled state for many years with tetraparesis and extreme muscle wasting. Degeneration and loss of spinal ganglion nerve cells, in addition to gliosis of both the white and gray matter of the spinal cord, were evident.

Reactions of vessel walls and brain parenchyma to the accumulation of Gaucher cells in the Norrbottnian type (type III) of Gaucher disease.

Splenectomy in children with the Norrbottnian type of Gaucher disease is followed by increased blood levels of glucosylceramide and impaired neurological and mental status. High blood levels are associated with an increased accumulation of glucosylceramide in perivascular Gaucher cells in the brain compared to non-splenectomised cases. Surrounding the Gaucher cell infiltrates there is loss of neurons and slight demyelination in the brain parenchyma.

A syndrome of multiple congenital contractures: neuropathological analysis on five fetal cases.

We performed a neuropathological study on 5 fetuses with an autosomal recessive, lethal syndrome of congenital contractures diagnosed by fetal hydrops on ultrasonography. The fetuses showed a typical pattern of malpositioning of hips and knees with occasional pterygia of the neck and elbows. The muscles were hypoplastic and the spinal cords showed severe thinning, most markedly affecting the ventral half.

Neuropathology of Salla disease.

A neuropathological study was performed on two patients with Salla disease, one male and one female, from different families. They both died at the age of 41 years. Both patients showed increased excretion of free sialic acid in the urine, psychomotor retardation starting in the 1st year of life, ataxia and spasticity.

Nutritional rehabilitation of skeletal muscle in protein-deprived young rats.

The effect of severe protein deprivation and subsequent nutritional rehabilitation on the fibre size and mitochondrial enzyme activity of the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles of the young rat has been examined. Protein deprived rats showed atrophy of type 2 fibres predominantly, reduced histochemical activity of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) and reduced biochemical activity of citrate synthase. Nutritional rehabilitation indicated by resumption of the original body weight resulted in complete restitution of the weight of the muscles and the size of type 1 and type 2 fibres, but not of the activity of SDH and citrate synthase.