BIOGENIC-AMINE METABOLITES IN THE CSF OF PATIENTS WITH LATE-ONSET ANDALCOHOLIC ATAXIAS

The levels of monoamine metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DO PAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were measured in lumbar cerebr ospinal fluid (CSF) from 10 patients with late onset ataxia, 8 patient s with alcoholic ataxia and 18 control patients. The levels did not di ffer significantly among the three groups of patients suggesting that the central neuronal systems utilizing dopamine, noradrenaline and 5-h ydroxytryptamine do not have a significant pathophysiological role in these forms of ataxias. The measurement of CSF amine metabolites proba bly does not contribute to the differential diagnosis of ataxias.