Spatial, Temporal and Numeric Analysis of Alzheimer Changes in the Nucleus Coeruleus

Evaluation of Parkinson Disease and Alzheimer Disease with the Use of Neuromelanin MR Imaging and123I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine Scintigraphy

“…23,24 Our NmMRI study could not identify a significant signal reduction in the LC of patients with Alzheimer disease. Busch et al 25 reported that the LC begins to lose cells only during the later stages of Alzheimer disease. Therefore, we consider that this result can be attributed to the relatively short duration (2.5 years) of the disease and the small number of patients with Alzheimer disease in this study.…”

Age-related Changes in Locus Ceruleus on Neuromelanin Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 3 Tesla

“…Pathologically, the LC has been known to be aŠected in degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, [9][10][11] as well as in psychiatric disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia. [12][13][14][15] In Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, neurons are lost and intraneuronal neuromelanin is diminished.…”

“…[12][13][14][15] In Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, neurons are lost and intraneuronal neuromelanin is diminished. [9][10][11] On the other hand, in depression and schizophrenia, subtle changes were observed in neuronal number or size and in enzyme activities that suggested dysfunction of the noradrenergic system. [12][13][14][15] We believe that neuromelanin MR imaging has the potential to detect organic or functional changes in the LC in the above-cited disorders as a reduction in the neuromelaninproduced contrast from decreased cell number and W or intracellular neuromelanin concentration.…”

Neocortical Glial Cell Numbers in Alzheimer’s Disease

“…The total number of neuromelanized neurons in the nucleus ceruleus was reported to be statistically significantly reduced in female AD cases [8] while two studies of the nucleus basalis of Meynert found neuron loss varying from zero rostrally to 36% caudally in 10 cases of AD compared with 8 controls [9] and a cell loss ranging from 89 to 42% in the Ch4 part of this nucleus [10]. In the amygdala and its subdivisions, neuron loss has been reported to range from 36 to 70% [11], while a study of the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei by the same group showed no neuron loss in AD [12].…”