The Melanin Factor - Part I - Pink Brains

Potentially Gross Picture Alert!!!

The following picture shows autopsy sections through the Substantia Nigras of: a) on the left, a Parkinsonian brain, and b) on the right, a "normal" brain.

 

Note that the normal brain's Substantia Nigra is replete with black neuro-melanin, whereas the Parkinsonian brain has gone pink.

Curiously, since this is perhaps a hallmark anatomical change attributable to PD you'd think there would be a bushel of literature on the subject of why this happens and what is the impact... but I really couldn't find anything but speculative reports, suggesting that the pigmentation loss coincides with cell death.

"How do they know the cells are dead at onset?"  I wondered.

"What if they've just stopped producing neuromelanin?"  I thought.

"We've got to try and fix the pigmentation problem, and there must be a purpose for the pigment..."

So I explored the production of melanin in the body.

I'll begin to try and explain my understanding thus far in Part II, forthcoming.

Glen

#Parkinson's #parkinsons #neurodegeneration