Postmortem serotoninergic correlates of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease

• Published in: Neuroreport Vol. 13; no. 9; p. 1175
• Main Authors: Lai, Mitchell K P, Tsang, Shirley W Y, Francis, Paul T, Keene, Janet, Hope, Tony, Esiri, Margaret M, Spence, Ian, Chen, Christopher P L-H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 02.07.2002
• Subjects: 8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease - metabolism; Alzheimer Disease - physiopathology; Alzheimer Disease - psychology; Cognition Disorders - metabolism; Cognition Disorders - physiopathology; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Disease Progression; Down-Regulation - physiology; Female; Humans; Male; Neocortex - metabolism; Neocortex - pathology; Neocortex - physiopathology; Neurons - metabolism; Neurons - pathology; Neuropsychological Tests; Predictive Value of Tests; Radioligand Assay; Receptors, Serotonin - metabolism; Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT1; Serotonin - metabolism; Serotonin Receptor Agonists; Sex Factors
• DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200207020-00021
• ISSN: 0959-4965

Serotonin1A receptor density and serotonin concentration were measured in the postmortem neocortex of 17 AD patients who had been prospectively assessed every four months with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for a mean of 2.6 years till death. In the frontal cortex, serotonin levels correlated negatively with the annual rate of MMSE decline, while serotonin1A receptor density was positively correlated with the rate of MMSE decline. Our study suggests that reduced serotonin levels and increased serotonin1A receptor density are markers for accelerated cognitive decline in AD, and provides support for the use of serotonin1A antagonists in the treatment of AD.