A quantitative study of frontal cortex dendritic microtubules in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

The dendritic microtubules (MT) of the frontal cortex layers II and III were studied in 9 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the results compared with 9 case controls. Dendrites with abnormally oriented MTs and others depleted of these structures were seen. A significant reduction in the number of MTs per unit area was found in AD. It is suggested that microtubular changes in AD can interfere with neuroplasmic transport and thus, be implicated with the dendritic degeneration present in this disease.