THE NEUROCHEMISTRY OF VASCULAR DEMENTIA

Citation
Cg. Gottfries et al., THE NEUROCHEMISTRY OF VASCULAR DEMENTIA, Dementia, 5(3-4), 1994, pp. 163-167
Citations number
9
Categorie Soggetti
Neurosciences,Psychiatry
Journal title
ISSN journal
10137424
Volume
5
Issue
3-4
Year of publication
1994
Pages
163 - 167
Database
ISI
SICI code
1013-7424(1994)5:3-4<163:TNOVD>2.0.ZU;2-T
Abstract
Vascular dementia (VAD) is cognitive impairment caused by changes in t he blood circulation of the brain. It is not synonymous with multi-inf arct dementia. The latter is a subgroup of VAD. Neurochemical investig ations of noninfarcted brain tissue from patients with VAD show genera l changes in VAD brains. The serotonin metabolism is severely reduced and so is the activity of choline acetyltransferase. Monamine oxidase B is significantly increased in the white matter. A severe decrease in myelin components indicates white matter disturbances of such a degre e that they must be considered to be of pathogenetic importance. The l evels of some neuropeptides in the hypothalamus are increased. This is a finding which is in agreement with clinical findings of a high acti vity in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in patients with VAD. This high activity is possibly due to a loss of serotonergic inhibitor y tone on the hypothalamus in VAD brains.