Neurochemical observations in a case of Pick's disease

Neurochemical markers of the activities of the cholinergic, gabaergic and dopaminergic systems were measured in post-mortem brain from a case of Pick's disease. No marked changes were found in the activities of choline acetyltransferase, acetylcholinesterase, L-glutamic acid decarboxylase and the concentration of dopamine. In areas of brain showing no histological changes, muscarinic receptor binding was within the normal range. In the cerebral cortex, which exhibited the neuropathological features of Pick's disease, the number of muscarinic cholinergic binding sites was much reduced, suggesting that the cortical neurones which are lost in Pick's disease are cholinoceptive.