Gamma-aminobutyric acid and homovanillic acid concentration in the CSF of patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer's type
R. Zimmer, A. W. Teelken, W. B. Trieling, W. Weber, T. Weihmayr and H. Lauter
The investigation of enzyme and neurotransmitter levels and/or their
metabolites in the CSF of patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer's type
(SDAT) could become a promising approach for a clinical research and
diagnostic procedure. To learn more about the metabolic reflections of
central metabolism in the CSF of patients with SDAT, we measured CSF levels
of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and homovanillic acid (HVA), the dopamine
metabolite. In 16 female patients with SDAT and in eight matched control
patients, CSF GABA levels were measured by ion exchange with fluorimetric
detection, and HVA levels were measured fluorimetrically. The GABA content
of the CSF was significantly reduced in patients with SDAT, whereas the HVA
level was unchanged.
