Palla Ákos szerk.: Az Országos Orvostörténeti Könyvtár közleményei 37. (Budapest, 1965)
Tóth Tibor: The Variability of the Brain-Weight by Homo
gram difference between the Adultus and Maturus, while a 40 gram difference between the Maturus and Senilis and, finally, the average of the Hypersenil brain is 80.2 grams less than the average brain weight of the Senilis period (Table 2). The doubling of the weight difference (40 —> 80.2 grams) taking place in the adult period of postnatal ontogenesis clearly shows the increase of regressive acceleration, particularly during the Senilis —Hypersenilis age. It should be noted that the evenly graduated regression of the average brain weight is evident not only for normal categories, but also for those of oedema and atrophia in case of males (Table 3). During the periods of Adultus and Maturus the average weight of the brain is apparently greater in the edematous groups of males, approximately 20—70 grams higher than in case of the normal (Table 3). The weight difference between the two groups is reduced or abolished in the Senilis and Hypersenilis (Table 3.) This reduction of weight differences is examinable for the atriophied and normal male groups (Table 3.). In analyzing the categories of brain weights in females, I discovered that the edematous and normal groups also regress evenly, but the difference between the normal and edematous groups is not as great as for males (Table 3.). In the normal female groups the weight difference between the Adultus and Maturus is only 12.1 grams, between the Maturus and Senilis, 33.2 grams, while the Hypersenilis average is only 28.9 grams smaller than the weight of the previous period (Table 2.). These two weight differences essentially agree, i. e., from the viewpoint of the weight of the brain, regressive acceleration is not as great as for males during the process of aging, while for females this acceleration begins 10 to 15 years earlier (Table 2.) It is interesting to note that the average difference in the weights of the brain of normal and atrophied groups of females—unlike those of the males—does not become reduced in the Hypersenilis period, nor does it increase (Table 3). Possibly this is not a manifestation of sexual dimorphism, but is related to the small number, or even lack of cases (Tables 1 and 3). Continuing the analysis it may be seen that the values for brain weight in the apoplexia group exhibit great discord in both the male and female series, although in its entirety thetrend of divergence
