Neurochemical investigations of aged human brain cortex.

Neurochemical investigation of FC and TC of 10 brains of old age and 10 controls did not reveal significant differences of total ganglioside, DNA, protein, and lipid levels. With regard to individual gangliosides there was a significant decrease of the percentage of GM1 in the FC and a significant decrease of GM1, GD1a, GM2 as well as a significant increase of GD1b and GD3 in the TC of the aged brains. Our results present some neurochemical evidence for regionally different changes in neuronal processes in the aged human brain, whereas neuronal cell loss might play only a minor role in this condition.