Skip to main content
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1984 Feb;47(2):201–203. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.47.2.201

A comparison of changes in the nucleus basalis and locus caeruleus in Alzheimer's disease.

D M Mann, P O Yates, B Marcyniuk
PMCID: PMC1027693  PMID: 6707659

Abstract

In 22 patients with Alzheimer's disease loss of neurons from the nucleus basalis of Meynert and locus caeruleus averaged 58% and 71% respectively with nucleolar volume being reduced by 30% in both. These changes were greater in those patients under 80 years of age and in such patients damage to the locus was more severe than that to the nucleus basalis. In older patients (over 80 years) changes were similar in extent in both regions.

Full text

PDF
201

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bondareff W., Mountjoy C. Q., Roth M. Loss of neurons of origin of the adrenergic projection to cerebral cortex (nucleus locus ceruleus) in senile dementia. Neurology. 1982 Feb;32(2):164–168. doi: 10.1212/wnl.32.2.164. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bowen D. M., White P., Spillane J. A., Goodhardt M. J., Curzon G., Iwangoff P., Meier-Ruge W., Davison A. N. Accelerated ageing or selective neuronal loss as an important cause of dementia? Lancet. 1979 Jan 6;1(8106):11–14. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)90454-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Candy J. M., Perry R. H., Perry E. K., Irving D., Blessed G., Fairbairn A. F., Tomlinson B. E. Pathological changes in the nucleus of Meynert in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. J Neurol Sci. 1983 May;59(2):277–289. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(83)90045-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cross A. J., Crow T. J., Perry E. K., Perry R. H., Blessed G., Tomlinson B. E. Reduced dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity in Alzheimer's disease. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981 Jan 10;282(6258):93–94. doi: 10.1136/bmj.282.6258.93. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Davies P. Neurotransmitter-related enzymes in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. Brain Res. 1979 Aug 3;171(2):319–327. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(79)90336-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hubbard B. M., Anderson J. M. A quantitative study of cerebral atrophy in old age and senile dementia. J Neurol Sci. 1981 Apr;50(1):135–145. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(81)90048-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Jacoby R. J., Levy R. Computed tomography in the elderly. 2. Senile dementia: diagnosis and functional impairment. Br J Psychiatry. 1980 Mar;136:256–269. doi: 10.1192/bjp.136.3.256. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Mann D. M., Lincoln J., Yates P. O., Stamp J. E., Toper S. Changes in the monoamine containing neurones of the human CNS in senile dementia. Br J Psychiatry. 1980 Jun;136:533–541. doi: 10.1192/bjp.136.6.533. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Mann D. M. Nerve cell protein metabolism and degenerative disease. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 1982 May-Jun;8(3):161–176. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2990.1982.tb00272.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mann D. M., Yates P. O., Hawkes J. The noradrenergic system in Alzheimer and multi-infarct dementias. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1982 Feb;45(2):113–119. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.45.2.113. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mann D. M., Yates P. O. Is the loss of cerebral cortical choline acetyl transferase activity in Alzheimer's disease due to degeneration of ascending cholinergic nerve cells. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1982 Oct;45(10):936–936. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.45.10.936. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Perry E. K., Gibson P. H., Blessed G., Perry R. H., Tomlinson B. E. Neurotransmitter enzyme abnormalities in senile dementia. Choline acetyltransferase and glutamic acid decarboxylase activities in necropsy brain tissue. J Neurol Sci. 1977 Nov;34(2):247–265. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(77)90073-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Perry E. K., Tomlinson B. E., Blessed G., Bergmann K., Gibson P. H., Perry R. H. Correlation of cholinergic abnormalities with senile plaques and mental test scores in senile dementia. Br Med J. 1978 Nov 25;2(6150):1457–1459. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6150.1457. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Perry E. K., Tomlinson B. E., Blessed G., Perry R. H., Cross A. J., Crow T. J. Neuropathological and biochemical observations on the noradrenergic system in Alzheimer's disease. J Neurol Sci. 1981 Aug;51(2):279–287. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(81)90106-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Perry R. H., Candy J. M., Perry E. K., Irving D., Blessed G., Fairbairn A. F., Tomlinson B. E. Extensive loss of choline acetyltransferase activity is not reflected by neuronal loss in the nucleus of Meynert in Alzheimer's disease. Neurosci Lett. 1982 Dec 13;33(3):311–315. doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(82)90391-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Seltzer B., Sherwin I. A comparison of clinical features in early- and late-onset primary degenerative dementia. One entity or two? Arch Neurol. 1983 Mar;40(3):143–146. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1983.04050030037006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tomlinson B. E., Irving D., Blessed G. Cell loss in the locus coeruleus in senile dementia of Alzheimer type. J Neurol Sci. 1981 Mar;49(3):419–428. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(81)90031-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. White P., Hiley C. R., Goodhardt M. J., Carrasco L. H., Keet J. P., Williams I. E., Bowen D. M. Neocortical cholinergic neurons in elderly people. Lancet. 1977 Mar 26;1(8013):668–671. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)92114-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Whitehouse P. J., Price D. L., Struble R. G., Clark A. W., Coyle J. T., Delon M. R. Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia: loss of neurons in the basal forebrain. Science. 1982 Mar 5;215(4537):1237–1239. doi: 10.1126/science.7058341. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wilcock G. K., Esiri M. M., Bowen D. M., Smith C. C. Alzheimer's disease. Correlation of cortical choline acetyltransferase activity with the severity of dementia and histological abnormalities. J Neurol Sci. 1982 Dec;57(2-3):407–417. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(82)90045-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wilcock G. K., Esiri M. M., Bowen D. M., Smith C. C. The nucleus basalis in Alzheimer's disease: cell counts and cortical biochemistry. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. 1983 May-Jun;9(3):175–179. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2990.1983.tb00105.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES