Cytologic and Cytochemical Studies of Neuroglia

Abstract

The neuroglia located in the Purkinje cell layer of the cerebellum constitute one of the most notable concentration of these cells in the central nervous system. The astroglial elements in this region and in the remainder of the cerebellar cortex have been the subject of many writings. Following the pioneering studies of Bergmann, Golgi, Weigert and others in the last century, a number of investigations were reported in the early part of this century, based upon the use of metallic impregnation methods, in which morphologic details of the cerebellar astrocytes were described. Outstanding contributions were those of Cajal,¹ Fananas,² and later Schroeder.³ Schroeder's study, which was carried out after Hortega had described and characterized the oligodendroglia, provides a detailed account of the features of oligodendrocytes as well as astrocytes in cerebellar cortex. Following Penfield's summation in 1932⁴ of information then available concerning the neuroglia, little attention