Alzheimer's disease
In postmortem cortical tissue from Alzheimer patients, somatostatin levels were lower in posterior parietal but not in anterior frontal cortex, suggesting loss of som atostatin-containing neurons, especially in the parietal association cortex, may be a critical determinant for Alzheimer dementia.
Abstract
Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in Alzheimer CSF was significantly lower than in that from age-matched controls. The degree of reduction correlated with indices of intellectual impairment and decline in cortical glucose utilization as determined by PET. There was a close association between reduction in CSF somatostatin and glucose hypometabolism in the parietal lobe. In postmortem cortical tissue from Alzheimer patients, somatostatin levels were lower in posterior parietal but not in anterior frontal cortex. Loss of somatostatin-containing neurons, especially in the parietal association cortex, may be a critical determinant for Alzheimer dementia.