Noradrenergic changes, aggressive behavior, and cognition in patients with dementia.

BACKGROUND: We wished to examine the integrity of the noradrenergic system in patients with Alzheimer's disease, mixed/other dementias and controls, and possible relationships between changes in the noradrenergic system and the presence of behavioral and psychiatric signs and symptoms in demen...

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Main Authors: Matthews, K, Chen, C, Esiri, M, Keene, J, Minger, S, Francis, P
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2002
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author Matthews, K
Chen, C
Esiri, M
Keene, J
Minger, S
Francis, P
author_facet Matthews, K
Chen, C
Esiri, M
Keene, J
Minger, S
Francis, P
author_sort Matthews, K
collection OXFORD
description BACKGROUND: We wished to examine the integrity of the noradrenergic system in patients with Alzheimer's disease, mixed/other dementias and controls, and possible relationships between changes in the noradrenergic system and the presence of behavioral and psychiatric signs and symptoms in dementia. METHODS: Alpha(2) adrenoceptor sites were measured by radioligand binding in three cortical regions of 46 individuals with dementia and 33 elderly normal controls together with cortical noradrenaline concentration and locus coeruleus cell and neurofibrillary tangle counts. RESULTS: The alpha(2) adrenergic receptor density was unaltered in patients with Alzheimer's disease, mixed/other dementias compared with controls; however, there was a loss of locus coeruleus cells in subjects with dementia, reaching 50% within the rostral nucleus. In addition, a significant reduction was seen in the midtemporal cortical noradrenaline concentration (31% decrease) in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In subjects with dementia, there was a positive correlation between aggressive behavior and magnitude of rostral locus coeruleus cell loss, while the reduction in noradrenaline concentration correlated with cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Subgroups of patients with Alzheimer's disease may have different neurochemical changes from patients lacking these changes. Therefore, this study may have implications for the treatment of behavioral and psychiatric signs and symptoms in dementia, particularly aggressive behavior in patients with dementia.
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spelling oxford-uuid:68432e39-6a4f-4025-8353-a4e34e0c89212022-03-26T18:43:44ZNoradrenergic changes, aggressive behavior, and cognition in patients with dementia.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:68432e39-6a4f-4025-8353-a4e34e0c8921EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2002Matthews, KChen, CEsiri, MKeene, JMinger, SFrancis, P BACKGROUND: We wished to examine the integrity of the noradrenergic system in patients with Alzheimer's disease, mixed/other dementias and controls, and possible relationships between changes in the noradrenergic system and the presence of behavioral and psychiatric signs and symptoms in dementia. METHODS: Alpha(2) adrenoceptor sites were measured by radioligand binding in three cortical regions of 46 individuals with dementia and 33 elderly normal controls together with cortical noradrenaline concentration and locus coeruleus cell and neurofibrillary tangle counts. RESULTS: The alpha(2) adrenergic receptor density was unaltered in patients with Alzheimer's disease, mixed/other dementias compared with controls; however, there was a loss of locus coeruleus cells in subjects with dementia, reaching 50% within the rostral nucleus. In addition, a significant reduction was seen in the midtemporal cortical noradrenaline concentration (31% decrease) in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In subjects with dementia, there was a positive correlation between aggressive behavior and magnitude of rostral locus coeruleus cell loss, while the reduction in noradrenaline concentration correlated with cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Subgroups of patients with Alzheimer's disease may have different neurochemical changes from patients lacking these changes. Therefore, this study may have implications for the treatment of behavioral and psychiatric signs and symptoms in dementia, particularly aggressive behavior in patients with dementia.
spellingShingle Matthews, K
Chen, C
Esiri, M
Keene, J
Minger, S
Francis, P
Noradrenergic changes, aggressive behavior, and cognition in patients with dementia.
title Noradrenergic changes, aggressive behavior, and cognition in patients with dementia.
title_full Noradrenergic changes, aggressive behavior, and cognition in patients with dementia.
title_fullStr Noradrenergic changes, aggressive behavior, and cognition in patients with dementia.
title_full_unstemmed Noradrenergic changes, aggressive behavior, and cognition in patients with dementia.
title_short Noradrenergic changes, aggressive behavior, and cognition in patients with dementia.
title_sort noradrenergic changes aggressive behavior and cognition in patients with dementia
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