Reduced cholinesterase activity and somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type.

Cholinesterase (ChE) activity and somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) of the cerebrospinal fluid were determined for 59 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (AD/SDAT) and for 19 age-matched control patients with no signs of dementia. Both ChE activities and SLI concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid were reduced significantly in dementia patients compared to the controls. In the AD/SDAT patients cholinesterase and somatostatin-like immunoreactivity levels seemed to be correlated with the severity of dementia. These findings agree with observations of reduced cortical acetylcholinesterase activities and somatostatin values in dementia of the Alzheimer type.