title: Preservation of brain nerve growth factor in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The status of nerve growth factor (NGF) levels during the prodromal phase of Alzheimer disease (AD), characterized by mild cognitive impairment (MCI), remains unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether cortical and/or hippocampal NGF levels are altered in subjects with MCI or different levels of AD severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  An NGF enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay determined protein levels in the hippocampus and 5 cortical areas in people clinically diagnosed as having no cognitive impairment, MCI, mild AD, or severe AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were from the Rush Religious Orders Study and the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Pittsburgh, Pa).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no changes in cortical or hippocampal NGF levels across groups; in MCI, levels did not correlate with an increase in choline acetyltransferase activity in these regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brain NGF levels appear sufficient to support the cholinergic plasticity changes seen in MCI and remain stable throughout the disease course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush Presbyterian-St Luke's Medical Center, 2242 W. Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. emufson@rush.edu
authors.forename: Elliott J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Mufson
authors.forename: Milos D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ikonomovic
authors.forename: Scot D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Styren
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Counts
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wuu
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leurgans
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Cochran
authors.forename: Steven T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: DeKosky
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
chemical_list: D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase