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Brain stem serotonin-synthesizing neurons in Alzheimer's disease: a clinicopathological correlation
- Source :
- Acta Neuropathologica; November 1992, Vol. 84 Issue: 6 p638-650, 13p
- Publication Year :
- 1992
-
Abstract
- The location and number of brain stem serotonin-synthesizing neurons were analyzed in 11 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 5 agematched controls using immunohistochemical techniques. In addition, the number of neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the cortex and brain stem raphe was evaluated, as was the number of Nissl-stained raphe neurons. AD patients could be classified into two groups based on their raphe pathology; patients with such pathology (AD<superscript>+</superscript>) and those without (AD<superscript>-</superscript>). The number of large raphe neurons correlated significantly with the number of serotonin-synthesizing neurons in control material, indicating that all large neurons were serotonergic. This relationship was not apparent in AD<superscript>+</superscript> patients, in whom the number of serotonin-synthesizing neurons correlated with the number of neurofibrillary tangles in the raphe of these patients. This indicates that in AD<superscript>+</superscript> patients the serotonin-synthesizing neurons were selectively affected. There was no correlation between raphe and cortical pathology or raphe pathology and patient sex, age, mini-mental score or depression score, even when such scores were weighted for the interval between testing and death. There was a trend for the raphe pathology to correlate with the age of onset and duration of dementia and the Blessed dementia score in AD<superscript>+</superscript> patients. Most AD<superscript>+</superscript> patients with severe raphe lesions had clinical dementia only, while AD<superscript>-</superscript> patients had additional clinical features. The raphe lesions were more dramatic in AD<superscript>+</superscript> patients with a rapid progression of symptoms.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00016322 and 14320533
- Volume :
- 84
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- Supplemental Index
- Journal :
- Acta Neuropathologica
- Publication Type :
- Periodical
- Accession number :
- ejs16168598
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00227741