Neocortical glial cell numbers in human brains

D.P. Pelvig; H. Pakkenberg; A.K. Stark; B. Pakkenberg

Neocortical glial cell numbers in human brains

D.P. Pelvig, H. Pakkenberg, A.K. Stark, B. Pakkenberg

Department of Neuroscience

295 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Stereological cell counting was applied to post-mortem neocortices of human brains from 31 normal individuals, age 18-93 years, 18 females (average age 65 years, range 18-93) and 13 males (average age 57 years, range 19-87). The cells were differentiated in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia and neurons and counting were done in each of the four lobes. The study showed that the different subpopulations of glial cells behave differently as a function of age; the number of oligodendrocytes showed a significant 27% decrease over adult life and a strong correlation to the total number of neurons while the total astrocyte number is constant through life; finally males have a 28% higher number of neocortical glial cells and a 19% higher neocortical neuron number than females. The overall total number of neocortical neurons and glial cells was 49.3 billion in females and 65.2 billion in males, a difference of 24% with a high biological variance. These numbers can serve as reference values in quantitative studies of the human neocortex. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved
Udgivelsesdato: 2008/11

Original language	English
Journal	Neurobiology of Aging
Volume	29
Issue number	11
Pages (from-to)	1754-1762
Number of pages	8
ISSN	0197-4580
Publication status	Published - 2008

Cite this

@article{435c6960f81e11ddb219000ea68e967b,

title = "Neocortical glial cell numbers in human brains",

abstract = "Stereological cell counting was applied to post-mortem neocortices of human brains from 31 normal individuals, age 18-93 years, 18 females (average age 65 years, range 18-93) and 13 males (average age 57 years, range 19-87). The cells were differentiated in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia and neurons and counting were done in each of the four lobes. The study showed that the different subpopulations of glial cells behave differently as a function of age; the number of oligodendrocytes showed a significant 27% decrease over adult life and a strong correlation to the total number of neurons while the total astrocyte number is constant through life; finally males have a 28% higher number of neocortical glial cells and a 19% higher neocortical neuron number than females. The overall total number of neocortical neurons and glial cells was 49.3 billion in females and 65.2 billion in males, a difference of 24% with a high biological variance. These numbers can serve as reference values in quantitative studies of the human neocortex. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved Udgivelsesdato: 2008/11",

author = "D.P. Pelvig and H. Pakkenberg and A.K. Stark and B. Pakkenberg",

note = "Times Cited: 0ArticleEnglishPakkenberg, BHS Bispebjerg Univ Hosp, Res Lab Stereol & Neurosci, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, DenmarkCited References Count: 38356JPELSEVIER SCIENCE INC360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USANEW YORK",

year = "2008",

language = "English",

volume = "29",

pages = "1754--1762",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Neocortical glial cell numbers in human brains

AU - Pelvig, D.P.

AU - Pakkenberg, H.

AU - Stark, A.K.

AU - Pakkenberg, B.

N1 - Times Cited: 0ArticleEnglishPakkenberg, BHS Bispebjerg Univ Hosp, Res Lab Stereol & Neurosci, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, DenmarkCited References Count: 38356JPELSEVIER SCIENCE INC360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USANEW YORK

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - Stereological cell counting was applied to post-mortem neocortices of human brains from 31 normal individuals, age 18-93 years, 18 females (average age 65 years, range 18-93) and 13 males (average age 57 years, range 19-87). The cells were differentiated in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia and neurons and counting were done in each of the four lobes. The study showed that the different subpopulations of glial cells behave differently as a function of age; the number of oligodendrocytes showed a significant 27% decrease over adult life and a strong correlation to the total number of neurons while the total astrocyte number is constant through life; finally males have a 28% higher number of neocortical glial cells and a 19% higher neocortical neuron number than females. The overall total number of neocortical neurons and glial cells was 49.3 billion in females and 65.2 billion in males, a difference of 24% with a high biological variance. These numbers can serve as reference values in quantitative studies of the human neocortex. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved Udgivelsesdato: 2008/11

AB - Stereological cell counting was applied to post-mortem neocortices of human brains from 31 normal individuals, age 18-93 years, 18 females (average age 65 years, range 18-93) and 13 males (average age 57 years, range 19-87). The cells were differentiated in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia and neurons and counting were done in each of the four lobes. The study showed that the different subpopulations of glial cells behave differently as a function of age; the number of oligodendrocytes showed a significant 27% decrease over adult life and a strong correlation to the total number of neurons while the total astrocyte number is constant through life; finally males have a 28% higher number of neocortical glial cells and a 19% higher neocortical neuron number than females. The overall total number of neocortical neurons and glial cells was 49.3 billion in females and 65.2 billion in males, a difference of 24% with a high biological variance. These numbers can serve as reference values in quantitative studies of the human neocortex. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved Udgivelsesdato: 2008/11

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0197-4580

VL - 29

SP - 1754

EP - 1762

JO - Neurobiology of Aging

JF - Neurobiology of Aging

IS - 11

ER -