A link between amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition and α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor availability in specific brain regions could provide a clue to the mechanisms underlying cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease (AD), according to a new report. In patients with AD, Okada et al. found an inverse relationship between Aβ burden and α4β2 receptor availability in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis and medial frontal cortex, but not in other brain regions. This region-specific effect might explain why the global Aβ burden in the brain is often an unreliable indicator of cognitive function.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER
Okada, H. et al. Alterations in α4β2 nicotinic receptors in cognitive decline in Alzheimer's aetiopathology. Brain doi:10.1093/brain/awt195
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Amyloid-β-related cholinergic dysfunction is linked to cognitive deterioration in Alzheimer disease. Nat Rev Neurol 9, 600 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2013.202
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2013.202