Abstract
Dementia may be defined as a progressive deterioration of intellectual and emotional functions, the commonest causes being the primary degenerative disorders and AD and SDAT. AD/SDAT is characterized histopathologically by the presence of numerous senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles throughout cortical grey matter. Neurochemically, reductions of brain choline acetyl transferase and acetylcholine esterase have been noted (Perry et al 1977, Davies 1979, Rossor et al 1982). Results regarding reductions of catechol aminergic transmitters in AD/SDAT are less extensive, but lower mean concentrations of dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA) have been observed in some brain areas (Adolfsson et al 1979, Gottfries et al 1983).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Wurtman, R.J. Alzheimer’s disease. Scientific American, 252: 62–75, 1985.
Perry, E.K., Tomlinson, B.E., Blessed, G., Bergman, K., Gibson, P.H., and Perry, R.H. Correlation of cholinergic abnormalities with senile plaques and mental test scores in senile dementia. Brit. J. Med., 2: 1458–1459 (1978).
Bowen, D.M., Benton, J.S., Spillane, J.A., Smith, C.C.T., and Allen, S.J. Choline acetyltransferase activity and histopathology of frontal neocortex biopsies of demented patients. J. Neurol. Sci., 57: 191–202 (1982).
Wilcock, G.K., Esiri, M.M., Bowen, D.M., and Smith, C.C.T. Alzheimer’s disease: correlation of cortical choline acetyltransferase activity with the severity of dementia and histological abnormalities. J. Neurol. Sci., 57: 407–417 (1982).
Ansell, GB . Phospholipids and the nervous system. In: “Form and Function of Phospholipids,” GB. Ansell, JN Hawthorne, and RMC. Dawson,eds. Elsevier, Amsterdam (1973)
Blusztajn, J.K. and Wurtman, R.J. Choline and cholinergic neurons. Science, 221: 614–620 (1983).
Mandybur, T.I. The incidence of cerebral amyloid angiopathy in Alzheimer’s disease. Neurology (Minneap.), 25: 120–126 (1975).
Perry, R.H., Candy, J.M., Perry, E.K., Irving, D., Blessed, G., Fairbaim, A.F., and Tomlinson, B.E. Extensive loss of choline acetyl transferase activity is not reflected by neuronal loss in the nucleus of Meynert in Alzheimer’s disease. Neuroscience Letters, 33: 311–315 (1985).
Pearson, R.C.A., Sofroniew, M.V., Cuello, A.C. Powell, T.P.S., Eckenstein, S., Esiri, M.M., Wilcock, G.K. Persistence of cholinergic neurons in the basal nucleus in a brain with senile dementia of the Alzheimer’s type demonstrated by immunohistochemical staining for choline acetyltransferase. Brain Research, 289: 375–379 (1983).
Abe, T., Haga, T., Kurokawa, M. Rapid transport of phosphatidylcholine occurring simultaneously with protein transport in the frog sciatic nerve. Biochem. J., 136: 731–740 (1973).
Droz, B., Brunetti, M., DiGiambernadino, L., Koenig, HL., Porcellati, G. Axonal transport of phosphoglycerides to cholinergic synapses. In: “Cholinergic Mechanisms,” G. Pepeu, ed., Plenum Press, New York (1981)
Blusztajn, J.K. and Wurtman, R.J. Choline biosynthesis by a preparation enriched in synaptosomes from rat brain. Nature, 290: 417–418 (1981)
Maire, J.-C., Tacconi, MT., Wurtman, RJ. Source of choline for the release of choline and acetylcholine from brain slices. Soc. Neurosci., 9:283.8, abstract (1983).
Corradetti, R., Lindmar, R., Loffelholz, K. Mobilization of cellular choline by stimulation of muscarinic receptors in isolated chicken heart and rat cortex in vivo. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 226: 826–832 (1983).
Birks, R.I. The relationship of transmitter release and storage to the fine structure in a sympathetic ganglion. J. Neurocytol., 3: 133–160 (1974).
Birks, R.I. and Macintosh, F.C. Acetylcholine metabolism of a sympathetic ganglion. Can. J. Biochem. Physiol., 39: 787–827 (1961).
Parducz, A., Kiss, Z., Joo, F. Changes of the phosphatidylcholine content and the number of synaptic vesicles in relation to neurohumoral transmission in sympathetic ganglia. Experientia, 32: 1520–1521.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1986 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Winblad, B., Adolfsson, R., Nordberg, A., Nyberg, P. (1986). Brain Topochemistry of Cholinergic and Monoaminergic Parameters in Alzheimer’s Disease. In: Fisher, A., Hanin, I., Lachman, C. (eds) Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. Advances in Behavioral Biology, vol 29. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2179-8_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2179-8_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9283-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-2179-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive