Cortical cholinergic denervation is associated with depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease and parkinsonian dementia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between ratings of depressive symptoms and in vivo cortical acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD) and parkinsonian dementia (PDem).


METHODS
Subjects (with PD, n = 18, including subjects with PDem, n = 6, and normal controls, n = 10) underwent [11C]methyl-4-piperidinyl propionate AChE positron emission tomography imaging and clinical assessment including the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD).


RESULTS
Subjects with PD and PDem had higher scores on the CSDD compared with normal controls: 7.3 (5.4) and 2.8 (2.6), respectively (F = 6.9, p = 0.01). Pooled analysis demonstrated a significant inverse correlation between cortical AChE activity and CSDD scores: R = -0.5, p = 0.007. This correlation remained significant after controlling for Mini-Mental State Examination scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Depressive symptomatology is associated with cortical cholinergic denervation in PD that tends to be more prominent when dementia is present.
Bohnen
N I
NI
Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. nbohnen@umich.edu
Kaufer
D I
DI
Hendrickson
R
R
Constantine
G M
GM
Mathis
C A
CA
Moore
R Y
RY
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D018678:Cholinergic Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D003704:Dementia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000378:metabolism
D018678:Cholinergic Agents; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase