NEOCORTICAL NEUROTRANSMITTER MARKERS IN HUNTINGTONS-DISEASE

Several neurotransmitter markers were determined in post mortem tissue from temporal and frontal cortex in Huntington's disease in order to identify and understand the specific neuronal losses that occur in the neocortex in this disease. Decreases in GABA and glutamate concentrat ions were identified, together with increases in metabolites of dopami ne and 5-hydroxytryptamine, indicative of regulatory changes presumabl y induced by the neuronal deficits. There is also evidence for abnorma l cortical tryptophan metabolism. These changes may well contribute to some of the behavioural symptoms of the disease.