Elevation in relative levels of brain membrane unsaturated fatty acids in Alzheimer's disease: high resolution proton spectroscopic studies of membrane lipid extracts.

Unsaturation indices of cerebral cortex membrane phospholipids in Alzheimer's disease were determined utilizing high resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of lipid extracts. The unsaturation index of Alzheimer's brain was found to be significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than that of age-matched controls. The study provides further support for the hypothesis that alteration in phospholipid metabolism, especially an elevation in unsaturated fatty acids, may play a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.