Cerebrospinal fluid neurochemistry in the myoclonic subtype of Alzheimer's disease.
Monoamine metabolites, biopterin, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) were determined in the lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 24 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) without myoclonus or extrapyramidal signs, in 8 patients with DAT and myoclonus, and in 14 age-matched healthy control subjects. In patients with DAT with myoclonus as compared with both DAT patients without myoclonus and control subjects, the concentrations of homovanillic acid and biopterin were significantly decreased. 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid was significantly lower in patients with myoclonic DAT as compared to patients with nonmyoclonic DAT, but not significantly lower than in control subjects. CSF AChE and SLI were significantly reduced in patients with DAT with or without myoclonus, as compared with control subjects, but AChE and SLI were not significantly different between dementia groups. These results suggest that DAT patients with myoclonus represent a distinct clinical and neurochemical DAT subtype.
Kaye
J A
JA
Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, MD.
May
C
C
Atack
J R
JR
Daly
E
E
Sweeney
D L
DL
Beal
M F
MF
Kaufman
S
S
Milstien
S
S
Friedland
R P
RP
Rapoport
S I
SI
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001708:Biopterins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005260:Female; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008875:Middle Aged; D009207:Myoclonus / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000378:metabolism
D001708:Biopterins; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D006719:Homovanillic Acid