2009 Articles

Purkinje cell axonal torpedoes are unrelated to advanced aging and likely reflect cerebellar injury

Louis, Elan D.; Faust, Phyllis L.; Vonsattel, Jean Paul; Erickson-Davis, Cordelia

Torpedoes, swellings of the proximal Purkinje cell axon, are thought to represent a cellular response to injury [3]. They may occur in a variety of cerebellar disorders [7]. Most recently, their numbers were noted to be six-times higher in essential tremor (ET) than control brains [4]. Torpedoes are also often viewed as a cumulative phenomenon associated with advanced aging [3,4], yet there are surprisingly few supporting data. We quantified torpedoes in normal human cerebella spanning a considerable age range to assess whether torpedoes are a cumulative phenomenon of aging. These data help place the relative abundance of torpedoes in ET in context.