ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to give a brief overview of the pathological changes that underlie key central nervous system (CNS) disorders that may be encountered in a clinical psychiatry setting.
Neurons All of the cell types seen in the brain can be involved in the reaction to damage, but it is often the neurons that are the
primary target for pathology in CNS disorders. Neurons are highly metabolically active cells, a fact that is clearly reflected in their morphology. They have a large nucleus with a prominent nucleolus, numerous mitochondria, a highly developed Golgi apparatus, and abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER). It is these stacks of rough ER that form the characteristic Nissl substance, which can be stained with basophilic dyes such as cresyl violet and help to distinguish neurons from other cell types (Figure 31.1a).
