Summary
Recently, morphometric analysis has shown that the nucleus raphe dorsalis, which is presumed to project diffuse serotonergic fibers to the telencephalon, is affected in Alzheimer's disease. A similar study was conducted in this report in two patients with parkinsonism-dementia complex of Guam and a Guamanian control. It demonstrated a significant reduction in the number of large neurons, and the presence of abundant Alzheimer's neurofibrillary tangles in this nucleus.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arai H, Kosaka K, Iizuka R (1984) Changes of biogenic amines and their metabolites in postmortem brains from patients with Alzheimer-type dementia. J Neurochem 43:388–393
Bowen DM, Allen SJ, Benton JS, Goodhardt MJ, Haan EA, Palmer AM, Sims NR, Smith CCT, Spillane JA, Esiri MM, Neary D, Snowdon JS, Wilcock GK, Davison AN (1983) Biochemical assessment of serotonergic and cholinergic dysfunction and cerebral atrophy in Alzheimer's disease. J Neurochem 41:266–272
Brodal A (1981) Neurological anatomy. In relation to clinical medicine, 3rd edn. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 411–416
Curcio CA, Kemper T (1984) Nucleus raphe dorsalis in dementia of the Alzheimer type: neurofibrillary changes and neuronal packing density. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 43:359–368
Davies P, Maloney AJF (1976) Selective loss of central cholinergic neurons in Alzheimer's disease. Lancet II:1403
Descarries L, Watkins KC, Garcia S, Beaudet A (1982) The serotonin neurons in nucleus raphe dorsalis of adult rat: a light and electron microscope radioautographic study. J Comp Neurol 207:239–254
Hirano A, Malamud N, Kurland LT (1961) Parkinsonismdementia complex, an endemic disease on the island of Guam. II. Pathological features. Brain 84:662–679
Hirano A, Zimmerman HM (1962) Alzheimer's neurofibrillary changes: a topographic study. Arch Neurol 7:227–242
Ishii T (1966) Distribution of Alzheimer's neurofibrillary changes in the brain stem and hypothalamus of senile dementia. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 6:181–187
Ishino H, Otsuki S (1975) Frequency of Alzhemer's neurofibrillary tangles in the basal ganglia and brain stem in Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia and the aged. Folia Psychiatr Neurol Jpn 29:279–287
Mann DMA, Yates PO (1983) Serotonin nerve cells in Alzheimer's disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 46:96
Mann DMA, Yates PO, Marcyniuk B (1984) A comparison of changes in the nucleus basalis and locus coeruleus in Alzheimer's disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 47:201–203
Nakano I, Hirano A (1983) Neuron loss in the nucleus basalis of Meynert in parkinsonism-dementia complex of Guam. Ann Neurol 13:87–91
Okamato K, Hirano A, Yamaguchi H, Hirai S (1982) The fine structure of eosinophilic stages of Alzheimer's neurofibrillary tangles. Clin Neurol (Tokyo) 22:840–846
Reynolds GP, Arnold L, Rossor MN, Iversen LL, Mountjoy CQ, Roth M (1984) Reduced binding of [3H], ketanserin to cortical 5-HT2 receptors in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. Neurosci Lett 44:47–51
Whitehouse PJ, Price DL, Clark AW, Coyle JT, DeLong MR (1981) Alzheimer disease: evidence for selective loss of cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis. Ann Neurol 10:122–126
Whitehouse PJ, Price DL, Struble RG, Clark AW, Coyle JT, DeLong MR (1982) Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia: loss of neurons in the basal forebrain. Science 215:1237–1239
Yamada M, Mehraein P (1977) Verteilungsmuster der senilen Veränderungen in den Hirnstammkernen. Folia Psychiatr Neurol Jpn 31:219–224
Yamamoto T, Hirano A (1985), Nucleus raphe dorsalis in Alzheimer's disease: neurofibrillary tangles and loss of large neurons. Ann Neurol (in press)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yamamoto, T., Hirano, A. Nucleus raphe dorsalis in parkinsonism-dementia complex of Guam. Acta Neuropathol 67, 296–299 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687815
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687815