Homovanillic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type.

The possibility of disturbed dopamine and serotonin metabolism in senile dementia of Alzheimer type was studied. The basal concentrations of homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were studied in 28 patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type and in 13 controls of similar age with no neurological disease. The concentrations of HVA were significantly reduced in the dementia patients compared to the concentrations of the controls. The values of HVA were also significantly reduced in the most severely demented patients compared to the less severely demented ones. There was a slight but statistically significant decrease in the 5-HIAA levels in the dementia patients compared to the levels of the controls. The 5-HIAA levels were reduced in the most severely demented patients compared to the controls but not when compared with the less severely demented patients. It is concluded that in severe forms of senile dementia of Alzheimer type, there is a decrease in the levels of HVA and 5-HIAA in CSF which may reflect a decreased turnover of dopamine and serotonin. Patients diagnosed as senile dementia of Alzheimer type, but with less severe symptoms, had levels of HVA and 5-HIAA similar to controls.