Acetylcholinesterase activities and monoamine metabolite levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

We measured cholinesterase (ChE) activity and monoamine metabolite levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 22 patients with early-onset Alzheimer type dementia (Alzheimer's disease; AD) and of 32 controls. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and homovanillic acid (HVA) levels were significantly lower in AD patients than in controls. However, there was an overlap in values of each CSF parameter. The measurement of various CSF parameters rather than one alone was more useful as a diagnostic aid. CSF ChE activities correlated with scores on the GBS rating scale, Hasegawa dementia scale, and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, but the monoamine metabolite levels did not. Although cholinergic and monoaminergic deficits may coexist in AD patients, cholinergic deficits tend to be more often associated with cognitive decline than the monoaminergic deficits.