Reduced Lumbar Cerebrospinal Fluid Somatostatin Levels in Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia with Frontotemporal Degeneration

Abstract

The present study evaluates the cerebrospinal fluid levels of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (LI) in two types of primary degenerative dementias: dementia of Alzheimer''s disease (DAT) and dementia with frontotemporal cortical degeneration of non-Alzheimer type (which included Pick''s disease). Several studies have documentated reduced concentration of somatostatin-LI in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in DAT. This study confirmed these results and showed in addition reduced CSF levels of somatostatin-LI in frontal lobe dementia (FTD), which has not been shown previously. There was no significant correlation with the duration of the disease. The histopathology and distribution of cortical degeneration in DAT and FTD differs in most aspects but shares the reduction in somatostatin-LI reduction. This suggests involvement of somatostatin neurons in these two types of primary degenerative dementias.