The brain ganglioside pattern in presenile and senile dementia

Ganglioside lipid fractions in the cerebral gray matter were studied in 13 patients with various forms of dementia. In 2 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 1 with senile dementia an abnormal ganglioside pattern was observed, i.e., a decrease of G1 and G3 in association with an increase of G2. In the light of the total clinical and histologic data on the patients, it would seem that this disturbance in ganglioside metabolism may be a phenomenon accompanying extensive degradation of brain tissue rather than a factor in the etiology of dementia.