title: Neurotransmitters and second messengers in aging and Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: A substantial loss of cortical cholinergic nerve endings, along with a much more circumscribed cortical degeneration of pyramidal neurons, almost certainly causes glutamatergic hypoactivity in live Alzheimer's patients. These selective pathologies are discussed in terms of therapy. An additional effect of some proposed treatments is emerging as there is evidence that processing pathways for beta-amyloid precursor proteins in cortical pyramidal neurons, a target cell for acetylcholine, are affected by neuronal activity.
authors.affiliation: Miriam Marks Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Chessell
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Stratmann
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Procter
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Bowen
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents