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Acetylcholine esterase activity in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease

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European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Impairment of cholinergic neurotransmission is a well-established fact in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but there is controversy about its relevance at the early stages of the disease and in mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods

In vivo positron emission tomography imaging of cortical acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity as a marker of cholinergic innervation that is expressed by cholinergic axons and cholinoceptive neurons has demonstrated a reduction of this enzyme activity in manifest AD. The technique is also useful to measure the inhibition of cerebral AChE induced by cholinesterase inhibitors for treatment of dementia symptoms.

Results

A reduction of cortical AchE activity was found consistently in all studies of AD and in few cases of MCI who later concerted to AD.

Conclusion

The in vivo findings in MCI and very mild AD are still preliminary, and studies seem to suggest that cholinergic innervation and AChE as the main degrading enzyme are both reduced, which might result in partial compensation of their effect.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares that he has no relevant financial or any other interests in this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, Clinical Neuroscience, University of Manchester, 27 Palatine Road, Manchester, M20 3LJ, UK

    Karl Herholz

  2. University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    Karl Herholz

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Correspondence to Karl Herholz.

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Herholz, K. Acetylcholine esterase activity in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 35 (Suppl 1), 25–29 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-007-0699-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-007-0699-4

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