Gottfries C G
Gerontology. 1986;32 Suppl 1:98-101. doi: 10.1159/000212837.
Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia are considered primary degenerative disorders of the brain. The delimitation of the two disorders is their onset: whether it is before or after the age of 65 years. As the neuropathological findings in the two disorders are similar they sometimes are sampled together. Biochemical investigations have shown extensive and severe disturbances of neurotransmitters in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia. Although the acetylcholinergic system is severely damaged and has been given special etiological importance, it seems that also the monoaminergic, the GABA-ergic and the neuropeptidergic systems are deranged. The extensive damage to the neurotransmitter systems indicates an etiology beyond the transmitter level. It is natural to assume that the disturbed neurotransmitters have pathogenic importance for the disorder. Pharmacological treatment trials have been performed in which the failing systems are substituted. Hitherto, however, these trials have not been as successful as expected.
阿尔茨海默病和老年痴呆症被认为是大脑的原发性退行性疾病。这两种疾病的界定在于发病年龄：即是否在65岁之前发病。由于这两种疾病的神经病理学发现相似，它们有时会被一起采样。生化研究表明，阿尔茨海默病和老年痴呆症患者大脑中的神经递质存在广泛而严重的紊乱。尽管乙酰胆碱能系统受到严重损害并被赋予了特殊的病因学重要性，但似乎单胺能、γ-氨基丁酸能和神经肽能系统也出现了紊乱。神经递质系统的广泛损害表明病因超出了递质水平。自然而然会认为紊乱的神经递质对该疾病具有致病重要性。已经进行了药理治疗试验，其中对功能衰竭的系统进行替代。然而，迄今为止，这些试验并未取得预期的成功。
