Researchers have proposed that increased release of excitatory amino a
cids (EAAs) is involved in the pathogenesis of dementia of the Alzheim
er type (DAT), and CSF EAA concentrations have been measured to obtain
evidence in support of this hypothesis. However, previous comparisons
of CSF EAA concentrations in patients with DAT and in controls have y
ielded inconsistent results, perhaps because patient samples have been
heterogeneous as to dementia severity. To determine whether there are
changes in CSF concentrations of EAAs related to severity of illness
in patients with DAT, we measured CSF concentrations of glutamate, asp
artate, and taurine in 32 subjects with DAT, in whom we also assessed
the severity of illness using clinical and neuropsychological measures
, and 11 age-matched controls. The results suggested that increased CS
F aspartate and glutamate concentrations, as well as decreased taurine
concentrations, may occur in some persons with more advanced symptoms
of DAT.