MINERALIZATION OF THE GLOBUS-PALLIDUS FOLLOWING EXCITOTOXIC LESIONS OF THE BASAL FOREBRAIN

The excitotoxin N-methyl aspartic acid was injected into the rat nucle us basalis to destroy basal forebrain cholinergic (BFC) neurons. In lo ng-term survival experiments (up to 11 months post-lesion), conspicuou s mineralized deposits were found in the globus pallidus and to a less er extent in the thalamus. Deposits stained in a manner consistent wit h a composition of calcium and iron. Typically, deposits were absent f rom the center of the injection site, where BFC cell loss was most sev ere, but were present within the ventral and lateral globus pallidus w here there was substantial sparing of BFC neurons. The similarity of t his pathology to basal ganglia calcification and its relationship to A lzheimer's Disease and Down's syndrome is discussed.