Catecholamine topochemistry in human basal ganglia. Comparison between normal and Alzheimer brains

Analysis of catecholamine levels in postmortem human control and Alzheimer brains revealed lower mean concentrations of noradrenaline, but not dopamine, in nucleus caudatus, putamen and globus pallidus, but not in hippocampus, of the Alzheimer brains. Generally, noradrenaline levels were higher in the more posterior parts of nucleus caudatus and putamen in the control brains, whereas such gradients were absent in the Alzheimer brains.