Loss of motor units in Alzheimer's disease.
Little attention has been paid in the literature to the state of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We conducted a comprehensive electrophysiological study in 15 AD patients looking for functional abnormalities within their PNSs. A reduction of the number of functioning motor units (MU) was found in the thenar and soleus muscles of most of these patients without enlargement of the remaining MUs territories, while the motor and sensory conduction velocities of the peripheral nerves were preserved. These results suggest dysfunction of the spinal motoneurones in patients afflicted with this condition.
Sica
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Division Neurologia, Hospital Ramos Mejia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Pereyra
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Mangone
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CA
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009431:Neural Conduction; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology