Morphometrical investigations on lamina-V-pyramidal-neurons in the frontal cortex of a case with anorexia nervosa.

Pyramidal neurons in the motor cortex of a lethal case of anorexia nervosa were investigated by means of a computer-assisted three-dimensional quantitative neuronographic method. The differentiation level of GOLGI-impregnated lamina-V/VI-pyramidal-neurons was analyzed by comparison of parameters such as the number of basal dendritic fields, ramification degree, length of dendritic segments and spine density with data estimated in another case of corresponding gender and age. In the anorexia case, as well as typical pyramids, a slim neuron type with one extremely long basal dendritic field was found to occur more frequently. In all the neurons investigated, the ramification pattern of single basal dendritic fields was found to be reduced and changes in the spine morphology as well as a reduction in spine density were observed. However, a simultaneous lengthening of the terminal dendrites of higher order give some evidence for the coincidence of regressive process with repair mechanisms and neuronal plasticity.