Biochemical pathology and treatment strategies in Alzheimer's disease: emphasis on the cholinergic system

Abstract

The neurochemical pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been consistently shown to involve cholinergic degeneration in the cerebral cortex. This together with evidence from experimental animal studies showing that cholinergic neurones play a role in learning and memory processes has formed the basis of the cholinergic hypothesis of Alzheimer's dementia and the major rationale for neurotransmitter replacement therapy of the disorder.