α-Synuclein pathology in the spinal cords of neurologically asymptomatic aged individuals

The authors assessed the frequency of spinal cord alpha-synuclein pathology in neurologically asymptomatic individuals older than 60 years of age ( N = 106). Using alpha-synuclein immunohistochemistry, nine cases (8%) had incidental Lewy neurites in the intermediolateral column and at least some alpha-synuclein pathology in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, locus ceruleus, and central raphe nucleus. Sparse alpha-synuclein pathology was also detected in the substantia nigra, basal forebrain, amygdala, or cortex in all but two cases.