NEUROTRANSMITTER AMINO-ACIDS IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID OF PATIENTS WITH PARKINSONS-DISEASE

We measured the CSF and plasma levels of glutamate, glutamine, asparta te (only in plasma), asparagine, glutamine, glycine and GABA in 31 pat ients with Parkinson's disease and in 45 matched controls. We used an ion-exchange chromatography method. When compared to controls, PD pati ents had similar CSF levels of glutamate, glutamine, asparagine, and g lycine higher CSF GABA levels higher plasma levels of glutamine, aspar agine, and glycine, and lower plasma levels of aspartate. The CSF leve ls of the amino acids measured were not correlated with the clinical f eatures of PD. Our results that CSF GABA levels an not decreased in PD as previously suggested.