PRELIMINARY NEUROCHEMICAL FINDINGS IN NON-ALZHEIMER DEMENTIA DUE TO LOBAR ATROPHY

Non-Alzheimer's dementia due to lobar atrophy had choline acetyltransf erase activities comparable with control rather than Alzheimer's disea se values, based on 3 autopsy proven cases on Pick's disease and biops ies from 3 examples of dementia of frontal lobe type. Muscarinic choli nergic receptors were relatively spared only in Alzheimer's disease. S erotonin receptors were markedly reduced (based on Pick cases) whereas measures that reflected presynaptic serotonergic activity were either not affected or increased. Cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue measu rements suggested that inhibitory interneurones and dopamine release w ere relatively spared. There was no in vitro evidence of hypometabolis m.