Summary
Large numbers of neuronally localized peptides have been discovered which act as neurotransmitters or neuromodulators. Many are stable postmortem and can be measured in routine autopsy samples. Minor decreases in neuropeptide concentrations may be seen with age but they have not been studied in detail. A somatostatin deficit is the most consistent peptide abnormality in dementia and is found in the cerebral cortex of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and of those with Parkinson’s disease with a coexistent dementia. Since somatostatin is found within cerebral cortical neurons, the deficit may reflect selectivity of cortical neuronal damage in these diseases.
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Rossor, M.M. (1985). Neuropeptides in Human Aging and Dementia. In: Gaitz, C.M., Samorajski, T. (eds) Aging 2000: Our Health Care Destiny. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5058-6_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5058-6_10
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