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Neutron activation analysis techniques for identifying elemental status in Alzheimer's disease

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Abstract

Brain tissue (hippocampus and cerebral cortex) from Alzheimer's disease and control individuals sampled from Eastern Canada and the United Kingdom were analyzed for Ag, Al, As, B, Br, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hg, I, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, Ti, V and Zn. Neutron activation analysis (thermal and prompt gamma-ray) methods were used. Highly significant differences (probability less than 0.005) for both study areas were shown between Alzheimer's diesease (AD) and control (C) individuals: AD>C for Al, Br, Ca and S, and AD<C for Se, V and Zn. Aluminium content of brain tissue ranged from 3.605 to 21.738 μg/g d.w. (AD) and 0.379 to 4.768, μg/g d.w. (C). No statistical evidence of aluminium accumulation with age was noted. Possible zinc deficiency (specially for hippocampol tissue), was observed with zinc ranges of 31.42 to 57.91 μg/g d.w. (AD) and 37.31 to 87.10 μg/g d.w. (C), for Alzheimer's disease patients.

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Ward, N.I., Mason, J.A. Neutron activation analysis techniques for identifying elemental status in Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Articles 113, 515–526 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02050527

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