Hypothalamic monoamines and neuropeptides in dementia.
The concentrations of monoamines and various neuropeptides were determined in the hypothalamus of brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia (n = 26) and compared with control values (n = 21). Decreased concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (P less than 0.05) and homovanillic acid (P less than 0.01) were found, and increased arginine vasopressin- (P less than 0.01), galanin- (P less than 0.05) and somatostatin- (P less than 0.01) like immunoreactivity. It is proposed that this disequilibrium may be important for certain circadian symptoms, e.g. the changes in sleep/wake rhythms that are rather often observed in dementia.
Wallin
A
A
Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Gothenburg University, St. Jörgen's Hospital, Hisings Backa, Sweden.
Carlsson
A
A
Ekman
R
R
Gottfries
C G
CG
Karlsson
I
I
Svennerholm
L
L
Widerlöv
E
E
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003704:Dementia / Q000378:metabolism*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*
D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D009479:Neuropeptides