A full list of affiliations appears at the end of the paper. 'N euroglia' or 'glia' are collective terms describing cells of neuroepithelial (oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, ependymal cells), neural crest (peripheral glia), and myeloid (microglia) origin. Changes in neuroglia associated with diseases of the CNS have been noted, characterized, and conceptualized from the very dawn of neuroglial research. Rudolf Virchow, in a lecture to students and medical doctors in 1858, stressed that 'this very interstitial tissue [that is, neuroglia] of the brain and spinal marrow is one of the most frequent seats of morbid change... ' 1. Changes in the shape, size, or number of glial cells in various pathological contexts have been frequently described by prominent neuroanatomists 2. In particular, hypertrophy of astrocytes was recognized very early as an almost universal sign of CNS pathology: 'the protoplasmic glia elements [that is, astrocytes] are really the elements which exhibit a morbid hypertrophy in pathological conditions' 3. Neuroglial proliferation was thought to accompany CNS lesions, leading to early suggestions that proliferating glia fully replaced damaged neuronal elements 4. Thus, a historical consensus was formed that a change in 'the appearance of neuroglia serves as a delicate indicator of the action of noxious influences upon the central nervous system, ' and the concept of 'reactionary change or gliosis' was accepted 5. While the origin of 'gliosis' is unclear (glia + osis in Greek means 'glial condition or process'; in Latin the suffix-osis acquired the additional meaning of 'disease'; hence 'astrogliosis'
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.