Demonstration of neurofibrillary tangles and neuropil thread-like structures in spinal cord white matter in parkinsonism-dementia complex on Guam and in Guamanian amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

This report concerns the demonstration and distribution of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), immunoreactive neuropil thread-like structures and dots in the spinal cord gray and white matter of six patients with parkinsonism-dementia complex on Guam and five patients with Guamanian amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A monoclonal antibody to Alzheimer NFTs was used. NFTs were found in the spinal cord gray matter and white matter and all patients had immunoreactive neuropil thread-like structures and dots in the gray matter as well as in the white matter. They were particularly numerous in the lateral funiculus of patients with Guamanian ALS.