Serotonin Receptor Changes in Dementia of the Alzheimer Type

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Serotonin receptors were assessed in postmortem brains of control and Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD) patients using ligand binding techniques. Differential losses of serotonin S1 and S2 receptors were present in neocortex, hippocampus, and amygdala of ATD patients, whereas no significant changes were observed in basal forebrain and basal ganglia. Losses of S1 receptors were significantly age-related in the ATD group, suggesting they occurred at a later stage of the disease process. Losses of S2 receptors were considerably greater (with a reduction to 35% of control in temporal cortex) and were not age-related in ATD. Significant correlations were observed within the ATD group between S2 receptor binding and somatostatin immuno-reactivity in temporal and frontal cortices. Thus the loss of S2 receptors in ATD may be a relatively early change in the disease process, and may precede the changes in ascending serotonergic neurones.