Eggers R, Haug H, Fischer D
J Hirnforsch. 1984;25(2):129-39.
The studies here reported were performed on the prosencephalons of 12 human brains between 37 and 86 years of age having no signs of neuropathological alteration. The evaluation was carried out on serial frontal sections with a mean thickness of 5 mm with stereological point counting procedures for volume and surface area. The results were mainly given in relative values since the range of variation is very high and the sample small. The aging process was evaluated with the aid of a linear regression function. The stereological investigation regarding the absolute values of volume and surface area (border face) of the macroscopical brain parts show a high interindividual variability. However, the relative volume of brain parts shows only small variations. Changes during aging could consequently only be revealed with the help of the relative values. The relative volumes and surface areas of the frontal lobe and the prosencephalic ganglia decrease with aging, while the parieto-occipital lobe and the striate cortex increase. However, if we refer these relative increases to the absolute decrease of brain volume, corresponding changes cannot be found in the parieto-occipital lobe until old age. The shrinkage of the frontal lobe, of the centrum semiovale and of the prosencephalic ganglia exceeds 10%. In the grays it is probably accompanied by a loss of neurons. The relative sizes of the surface area do not change significantly during aging with exception of the frontal cortex. The thickness of the cortex remains probably constant. The size of lateral ventricles increases with aging.
此处报告的研究是在12例年龄在37至86岁之间且无神经病理学改变迹象的人类大脑前脑上进行的。评估是在平均厚度为5毫米的连续额叶切片上进行的，采用体视学点计数法来计算体积和表面积。由于变异范围非常大且样本较小，结果主要以相对值给出。借助线性回归函数对衰老过程进行了评估。关于宏观脑区体积和表面积（边界面）绝对值的体视学研究显示个体间存在很大差异。然而，脑区的相对体积仅显示出微小变化。因此，衰老过程中的变化只能借助相对值来揭示。额叶和前脑神经节的相对体积和表面积随衰老而减小，而顶枕叶和纹状皮质则增加。然而，如果将这些相对增加与脑体积的绝对减小相关联，直到老年才会在顶枕叶发现相应变化。额叶、半卵圆中心和前脑神经节的萎缩超过10%。在灰质中，这可能伴随着神经元的丧失。除额叶皮质外，表面积的相对大小在衰老过程中变化不显著。皮质厚度可能保持不变。侧脑室大小随衰老而增加。
