INCREASED TAU-IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN OLIGODENDROCYTES FOLLOWING HUMAN STROKE AND HEAD-INJURY

Tau immunohistochemistry was performed on post-mortem brain tissue fro m patients who died following head injury or stroke and from neurologi cally normal controls. Tau-positive oligodendrocytes were detected wit h three different tau antibodies in head injured or stroke patients, b ut not in control cases. Tau-positive oligodendrocytes were detected 2 h following head injury indicating that accumulation of tau may be an acute response of these cells to brain injury. The mechanisms underly ing accumulation of tau in oligodendrocytes after acute brain injury m ay be similar to those which occur in chronic neurodegenerative condit ions such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multi-system atr ophy (MSA).