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Abstract
Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining
were examined in different cortical regions, hippocampal formation and basal forebrain
of non-neurological controls and of patients afflicted with senile dementia of Alzheimer
type (SDAT). Both enzymes showed a clear topographical distribution in the various
regions studied. In SDAT cases, ChAT activity was reduced by 0-60% in the neocortex
and by up to 97% in the hippocampus depending on the area and layer examined. In the
nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca (NDB) and the medial septal nucleus (MSN), the
activity was decreased by 65% and 55%, respectively; no significant change was found
in the lateral septal nucleus (LSN), nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM), substantia
innominata (SI) and globus pallidus (GP). Comparable changes were seen in AChE staining.
The results indicate that degeneration or dysfunction of cholinergic neurons in the
medial septal area and possibly neocortex is an important characteristic of SDAT.