WIDESPREAD DEFICITS IN SOMATOSTATIN BUT NOT NEUROPEPTIDE-Y CONCENTRATIONS IN ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE CEREBRAL-CORTEX

Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) and neuropeptide Y-like immun oreactivity (NPYLI) were measured in the cerebral cortex of 49 patient s with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and 9 elderly controls. Concentration s of SLI were lower in AD patients relative to controls in 9 of 10 cor tical regions. In contrast, no significant differences in NPYLI concen trations between the two groups were observed in any of 10 regions. Th ese studies suggest a dissociation between SLI deficits and NPYLI conc entrations in the postmortem cerebral cortex of AD patients. The appar ent sparing of NPYLI-containing neurons suggests that neuropeptide Y m ay be located within a separate group of neurons compared to somatosta tin.