Cited by 494Primate Behavior and EcologyNeurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanismsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

A neuronal morphologic type unique to humans and great apes

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Nimchinsky, Esther A., Gilissen, Emmanuel, Allman, John M., Perl, Daniel P., Erwin, Joseph M., Hof, Patrick R.·1999·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Abstract

We report the existence and distribution of an unusual type of projection neuron, a large, spindle-shaped cell, in layer Vb of the anterior cingulate cortex of pongids and hominids. These spindle cells were not observed in any other primate species or any other mammalian taxa, and their volume was correlated with brain volume residuals, a measure of encephalization in higher primates. These observations are of particular interest when considering primate neocortical evolution, as they reveal possible adaptive changes and functional modifications over the last 15–20 million years in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region that plays a major role in the regulation of many aspects of autonomic function and of certain cognitive processes. That in humans these unique neurons have been shown previously to be severely affected in the degenerative process of Alzheimer’s disease suggests that some of the differential neuronal susceptibility that occurs in the human brain in the course of age-related dementing illnesses may have appeared only recently during primate evolution.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.96.9.5268

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  • Von Economo neurons are consistently affected in ASD and are present almost exclusively in the frontoinsular and anterior cingulate cortices.

    “a particular population of distinct neurons, the von Economo neurons (VENs), present almost exclusively in the frontoinsular (FI) and anterior cingulate cortices (ACC) have been found to be consistently affected in ASD [4, 104, 256, 258].”

    From Autism spectrum disorder: neuropathology and animal models (2017) · cites this paper as [256]

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Authors
Nimchinsky, E. A., Gilissen, E., Allman, J. M., Perl, D. P., Erwin, J. M., & Hof, P. R.
Affiliations
California Institute of Technology (US)
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
1999-04-27
Volume
96
Issue
9
Pages
5268-5273
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
OpenAlex
W2001597020
Cited by
494
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 29
FWCI
21.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Strong
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01ey011759-05, AG14308)
  • National Institute on Aging (R44AG014308)
  • National Eye Institute (EY11759)
  • National Cancer Institute (CA/MH08944)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
anterior cingulate cortex, encephalization, Hominidae, great apes, pongids, Alzheimer's disease, human evolution
MeSH terms
Alzheimer Disease, Animals, Cell Differentiation, Biological Evolution, Humans, Neurons, Hominidae, Neocortex

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