Loss of neurons of origin of the adrenergic projection to cerebral cortex (nucleus locus ceruleus) in senile dementia
Bondareff, W.; Mountjoy, C.Q.; Roth, M.
Neurology 32(2): 164-168
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-3878 PMID: 7198741 Document Number: 189630
To examine the possibility that senile dementia may be associated with a loss of noradrenergic neurons that innervate the cerebral cortex, a Quantimet 720 image analyzer was used to estimate the number of neurons in the nucleus locus ceruleus in elderly patients with the clinical diagnosis of senile dementia. In all but 1 case the diagnosis was established histopathologically as senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT). In a subgroup characterized by a high dementia score and relatively young age at death, there was a loss of about 80% of locus ceruleus neurons. This loss of neurons indicates a deficit of noradrenergic innervation to cerebral cortex in a group of patients which may represent a variant of SDAT.