The influence of age and dementia of the neurone population of the mammillary bodies.

In a study on the influence of age and senile dementia on the mammillary bodies, the medial mammillary nucleus was examined in 15 brains from young (control), normal aged and demented females. Neurone populations, volumes and cell densities were estimated. Individual variation was high in all the groups studied. Normal ageing and dementia were accompanied by a substantial loss of volume but no significant loss of neurones, resulting in a considerable increase in cell density. No significant differences were detectable between the normal aged group and the demented group. These findings are in agreement with other investigators who have found no neuronal loss with age in discrete nuclear structures.