The aim of this thesis is to investigate the secondary degenerative processes of the central
nervous system after cerebrovascular disease, with special emphasis on WD of the CST
and TND of spinal motoneurons. In this study, immunohistochemical and morphometric
analyses were performed on postmortem human histological samples. Analyses of CST
degeneration showed microglial activation as early as day 3 post-stroke, increased over
the following 1 month and persisted up to 1 year later. Signs of axon and myelin damage
appeared within 7-10 days and gradually worsened. We found no difference in the
dynamics of degeneration between ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes.
Microglial activation also appeared early in the anterior horn of the SpC, especially in the
area of the Rexed IX lamina, where the large alpha-motoneurons are located. Based on
the decrease in synaptic coverage of large motoneurons and their increase in size observed
one week post-injury, it is hypothesized that transneuronal synaptic reorganization or
some kind of functional damage might occur in the first month after stroke.
