Herabgesetzte Konzentration der Homovanillinsäure im Gehirn von parkinsonkranken Menschen als Ausdruck der Störung des zentralen Dopaminstoffwechsels

Abstract

The behaviour of homovanillic acid, a major metabolite of dopamine, has been studied in the brain of patients with Parkinson's disease, using post-mortem material. In these patients, the concentration of homovanillic acid in the caudate nucleus, the putamen, the substantia nigra and the globus pallidus showed a 68-82% decrease as compared to the control values. The dopamine concentration in the caudate nucleus and in the putamen of these patients was decreased by about 85 and 94%, respectively. These findings indicate a reduced dopamine turnover in the brain of patients with Parkinson's disease, probably as a consequence of an impairment in dopamine formation. The decreased homovanillic acid concentration in the globus pallidus of these patients represents the first direct evidence for a disturbed dopamine metabolism in this area of the brain. In some brain regions, the molar ratio homovanillic acid: dopamine was found to be different in normal and in Parkinsonian patients. © 1965 Springer-Verlag.