Decreased level of beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type.

beta-Endorphin-like immunoreactivity in cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) was observed to decrease in patients with Huntington's disease and dementia due to brain vascular disease. The greatest decrease was seen in patients with presenile and senile dementia of Alzheimer type(SDAT). The immunoreactivity significantly correlated with psychological functions when examined using a dementia rating scale (r=0.51, p less than 0.01, for all dementia, r=0.65, p less than 0.02, for only SDAT). These results suggest that a B-endorphin-like substance may be related in the pathophysiology of dementia.