Language
English
Publication Date
12-1-2025
Journal
eLife
DOI
10.7554/eLife.106273
PMID
41324576
PMCID
PMC12668675
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
12-1-2025
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
Age-related neurodegenerative diseases involve reduced cell numbers and impaired behavioral capacity. Neurodegeneration and behavioral deficits also occur during aging, and notably in the absence of disease. The cerebellum, which modulates movement and cognition, is susceptible to cell loss in both aging and disease. Here, we demonstrate that cerebellar Purkinje cell loss in aged mice is not spatially random but rather occurs in a pattern of parasagittal stripes. We also find that aged mice exhibit impaired motor coordination and more severe tremor compared to younger mice. However, the relationship between patterned Purkinje cell loss and motor dysfunction is not straightforward. Examination of postmortem samples of human cerebella from neurologically typical individuals supports the presence of selective loss of Purkinje cells during aging. These data reveal a spatiotemporal cellular substrate for aging in the cerebellum that may inform how neuronal vulnerability leads to neurodegeneration and the ensuing deterioration of behavior.
Keywords
Animals, Purkinje Cells, Aging, Mice, Humans, Cerebellum, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Male, Female
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Donofrio, Sarah G; Brandenburg, Cheryl; Brown, Amanda M; et al., "Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Stripe Patterns Reveal a Differential Vulnerability and Resistance to Cell Loss During Normal Aging in Mice" (2025). Faculty and Staff Publications. 5657.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/5657
Included in
Allergy and Immunology Commons, Biological Phenomena, Cell Phenomena, and Immunity Commons, Pathology Commons