Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Status of cholinesterase activities in blood in neuropsychiatric disorders

  • An Overview
  • Published:
Neurochemical Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The availability of easily accessible biochemical trait markers of central cholinergic activity would assist in the identification of homogeneous subgroups of neuropsychiatric patients within specific diagnostic categories. In addition to a refinement of nosology, these measures could also help to design specific treatment interventions. The activities of cholinesterase isoenzymes in blood have been reported to be abnormal in neuropsychiatric disorders with proven or hypothesized abnormalities of central cholinergic transmission. However, the relevance of these peripheral cholinesterase abnormalities to disordered central cholinergic transmission remains uncertain. Future studies examining specific cholinesterase isoenzymes in homogeneous diagnostic groups are needed to determine the potential utility of these measures as peripheral trait markers of central cholinergic activity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Davis, K. L., andBerger, P. A. 1978. Pharmacological investigations of the cholinergic imbalance hypotheses of movement disorders and psychosis. Biol. Psychiat. 13:23–49.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Davis, K. L. 1979. Cholinomimetic treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders: a review of recent developments. Mt. Sinai J. Med. 46:455–459.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Davies, P., andMaloney, A. J. F. 1976. Selective loss of central cholinergic neurons in Alzheimer's disease. Lancet 2:1403.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Whitehouse, P. J., Price, D. L., Clark, A. W., Coyle, J. T., andDeLong, M. R. 1981. Alzheimer disease: evidence for selectived loss of cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis. Ann. Neurology 10:122–126.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Whitehouse, P. J., Price, D. L., Struble, R. G., Clark, A. W., Coyle, J. T., andDeLong, M. R. 1982. Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia: loss of neurons in the basal forebrain. Science 215:1237–1239.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Johns, C. A., Greenwald, B. S., Mohs, R. C., andDavis, K. L. 1983. The cholinergic treatment strategy in aging and senile dementia. Psychopharm. Bull. 19:185–197.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Janowsky, D. S., El-Yousef, M. K., Davis, J. M., andSekerke, H. J. 1972. A cholinergic-adrenergic hypothesis of mania and depression. Lancet 2:632–635.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Stahl, S. M., andBerger, P. A. 1982. Neuroleptic effects in Tourette syndrome predict dopamine excess and acetylcholine deficiency. Biol. Psychiat. 17:1047–1053.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Milstoc, M., Teodoru, C. V., Fieve, R. R., andKumbaraci, T. 1975. Cholinesterase activity and the manic-depressive patients. Dis. of the Nerv. System 36:197–199.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Chipperfield, B., Newman, P. M., andMoyes, I. C. A. 1981. Decreased erythrocyte cholinesterase activity in dementia. Lancet 1:199.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Perry, E. K., Perry, R. H., Blessed, G., andTomlinson, B. E. 1978. Changes in brain cholinesterases in senile dementia of Alzheimer type. Neuropath. Appl. Neurobiol. 4:273–277.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Deutsch, S. I., Mohs, R. C., andDavis, K. L. 1982. A rationale for studying the transmissibility of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol. Aging 3:145–147.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Perry, R. H., Wilson, I. D., Bober, M. J., Atack, J., Blessed, G., Tomlinson, B. E., andPerry, E. K. 1982. Plasma and erythrocyte acetylycholinesterase in senile dementia of Alzheimer type. Lancet 2:174–175.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Smith, R. C., Ho, B. T., Hsu, L., Vroulis, G. A., Glaghorn, J., andSchoolar, J. 1982. Cholinesterase enzymes in the blood of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Life Sci. 30:543–546.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Deutsch, S. I., Mohs, R. C., Levy, M. I., Rothpearl, A. B., Stockton, D., Horvath, T., Coco, A., andDavis, K. L. 1983. Acetylcholinesterase activity in CSF in schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer's disease and normals. Biol. Psychiatr. 18:1363–1373.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Mathew, R. J., Ho, B. T., Khan, M. M., Perales, C., Weinan, M. L., andClaghorn, J. L. 1982. True and pseudocholinesterases in depression. Am. J. Psychiat. 139:125–127.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Fieve, R. R., Milstoc, M., Kumbaraci, T., andDunner, D. L. 1976. The effect of lithium on red blood cell cholinesterase activity in patients with affective disorders. Dis. Nerv. System 37:240–243.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Domino, E. F., andKrause, R. R. 1972. Reexamination of red cell and plasma cholinesterase activity in drug-free chronic schizophrenic patients and normals. Biol. Psychiatr. 4:17–31.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM-III), 1980, American Psychiatric Association, Washington, D.C.

  20. Lucas, A. R., Krause, R. R., andDomino, E. F. 1971. Biological studies in childhood schizophrenia: plasma and RBC cholinesterase activity. J. Autism Child. Schiz. 1:72–81.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Bender, L. 1947. Childhood schizophrenia: clinical study of one hundred schizophrenic children. Am. J. Orthopsychiat. 17:40–56.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Rabinovitch, R. D., Lucas, A. R., andIngram, W. 1965. Childhood schizophrenia: Evolution to adulthood. Paper presented at American Orthopsychiatric Association Annual Meeting, New York, March 1965.

  23. Young, J. G., Kavanagh, M. E., Anderson, G. M., Shaywitz, B. A., andCohen, D. J. 1982. Clinical neurochemistry of autism and associated disorders. J. Autism Dev. Disorders 12:147–165.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Festoff, B. W., andFernandez, H. L. 1981. Plasma and red blood cell acetylcholinesterase in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Muscle & Nerve 4:41–47.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Deutsch, S. I., andDavis, K. L. 1983. Schizophrenia: A review of diagnostic and biological issues. I. Diagnosis and Prognosis. Hosp. Community Psychiat. 34:313–322.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, 10016, New York, New York

    Stephen I. Deutsch & Magda Campbell

  2. Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA

    Stephen I. Deutsch & Magda Campbell

Authors
  1. Stephen I. Deutsch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Magda Campbell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Deutsch, S.I., Campbell, M. Status of cholinesterase activities in blood in neuropsychiatric disorders. Neurochem Res 9, 863–869 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00964519

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00964519

Keywords

Search

Navigation