This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal

James Leverenz, MD; S. Mark Sumi, MD

Arch Neurol. 1986;43(7):662-664.

Abstract
• Because patients with Alzheimer's disease often develop clinical manifestations of Parkinson's disease, we examined the substantia nigra in 40 cases of pathologically confirmed Alzheimer's disease for the changes of Parkinson's disease (neuronal loss, Lewy bodies, or neurofibrillary tangles). Eighteen patients had one or more of these changes in the substantia nigra. Subsequently, we reviewed their clinical records and found that rigidity, with or without tremor, had been noted in 13 patients, and nine patients had a second diagnosis of possible or definite Parkinson's disease. Eleven (85%) of these patients had the pathologic changes of Parkinson's disease. These findings suggest that the majority of patients with Alzheimer's disease with extrapyramidal signs have the pathologic changes of Parkinson's disease in the substantia nigra.

Author Affiliations
From the Laboratory of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology (Drs Leverenz and Sumi), and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine (Dr Sumi), University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Feb 11, 1986.

Reprint requests to Laboratory of Neuropathology, RJ-05, Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195 (Dr Sumi).

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Lewy Body Pathology in Familial Alzheimer Disease: Evidence for Disease- and Mutation-Specific Pathologic Phenotype.
Leverenz et al.
Arch Neurol 2006;63:370-376.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Genetic association between the APOE*4 allele and Lewy bodies in Alzheimer disease
Tsuang et al.
Neurology 2005;64:509-513.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Familial Dementia with Lewy Bodies with an Atypical Clinical Presentation
Bonner et al.
J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2003;16:59-64.
ABSTRACT  

Improved Detection of Substantia Nigra Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease
Schneider et al.
J. Histochem. Cytochem. 2002;50:99-106.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Diagnosing Dementia With Lewy Bodies
Pompeu and Growdon
Arch Neurol 2002;59:29-30.
FULL TEXT  

Neurofibrillary Pathology in Alzheimer Disease With Lewy Bodies: Two Subgroups
Gearing et al.
Arch Neurol 1999;56:203-208.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Determinants of SPontaneous Extrapyramidal Symptoms in Elderly Psychiatric Inpatients Diagnosed With Alzheimer's Disease, Major Depressive Disorder, or Psychotic Disorders
Sweet et al.
J. Neuropsychiatry Clin. Neurosi. 1998;10:68-77.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Extrapyramidal Signs and Psychiatric Symptoms Predict Faster Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease
Chui et al.
Arch Neurol 1994;51:676-681.
ABSTRACT  

The Neurologic Syndrome of Severe Alzheimer's Disease: Relationship to Functional Decline
Franssen et al.
Arch Neurol 1993;50:1029-1039.
ABSTRACT  

Extrapyramidal Signs and Other Neurologic Findings in Clinically Diagnosed Alzheimer's Disease: A Community-Based Study
Funkenstein et al.
Arch Neurol 1993;50:51-56.
ABSTRACT  

Neurologic Signs in Alzheimer's Disease: Results of a Prospective Clinical and Neuropathologic Study
Forstl et al.
Arch Neurol 1992;49:1038-1042.
ABSTRACT  

Tardive Dyskinesia in Alzheimer's Disease: Clinical Features and Neuropathologic Correlates
McDaniel et al.
J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1991;4:79-85.
ABSTRACT  

Clinical and Positron Emission Tomographic Studies in the 'Extrapyramidal Syndrome' of Dementia of the Alzheimer Type
Tyrrell et al.
Arch Neurol 1990;47:1318-1323.
ABSTRACT  

A Prospective Study of Alzheimer Disease in Down Syndrome
Lai and Williams
Arch Neurol 1989;46:849-853.
ABSTRACT  

Clinical and Pathological Aspects of Parkinsonism in Alzheimer's Disease: A Role for Extranigral Factors?
Morris et al.
Arch Neurol 1989;46:651-657.
ABSTRACT  

Cerebral Degenerations Producing Dementia: Importance of Neuropathologic Confirmation of Clinical Diagnoses
Marks et al.
J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1988;1:187-198.
ABSTRACT  

Drug-Induced Alzheimerism
Kurlan and Como
Arch Neurol 1988;45:356-357.
ABSTRACT  

The Neurologic Examination in Patients With Probable Alzheimer's Disease
Huff et al.
Arch Neurol 1987;44:929-932.
ABSTRACT  

Learning Deficit in Parkinson's Disease: Comparison With Alzheimer's Disease and Normal Aging
El-Awar et al.
Arch Neurol 1987;44:180-184.
ABSTRACT  

Risk of Alzheimer's Disease for First Degree Relatives
Sinex
AM J ALZHEIMERS DIS OTHER DEMEN 1986;1:14-17.