A brainstem atlas of catecholaminergic neurons in man, using melanin as a natural marker

Abstract

The present paper provides an atlas showing the distribution of melanin-containing nerve cells in the human brainstem. It was found that neuromelanin, which can be viewed as a waste product of catecholamine metabolism, is suitable as a natural marker for catecholaminergic neurons in the medulla oblongata, pons, and the mesencephalon of the adult human brain. Within these areas of the brain, there is a striking similarity between the location of melanin and the catecholamine cell bodies described in various animals and in human fetuses, whereas no melanin was found in the diencephalic dopaminergic cell groups. Cell counts from the center of each area showed that the mean density of melanin-containing perikarya varied considerably between the different areas.