Catecholaminergic neurones assessed ante-mortem in Alzheimer's disease.

Indices of dopaminergic and noradrenergic varicosities were assayed in neocortical tissue obtained at diagnostic craniotomy from patients with Alzheimer's disease in the presenium. Dopaminergic markers (concentrations of dopamine, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid) were not significantly different from controls in either frontal or temporal cortex. In the frontal cortex, the release of endogenous dopamine and noradrenaline (in the presence of both resting and stimulating concentrations of potassium) was also unaffected whereas release of endogenous serotonin was significantly reduced. In the temporal cortex, noradrenergic markers (concentration of noradrenaline and uptake of radiolabelled noradrenaline) were significantly reduced, to at least 47% of mean control values. These deficits are interpreted as reflecting denervation and were present in patients examined only some two years after developing symptoms of dementia. The ratio of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol to noradrenaline (a putative index of noradrenaline turnover) was elevated in the temporal cortex, suggesting increased activity of the remaining noradrenergic varicosities. Noradrenergic markers did not correlate with either clinical or histological indices of the severity of the disease which contrasts with presynaptic cholinergic and serotonergic markers.