Early Markers in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Diseases

The aim of Early Markers in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Diseases is to provide the reader with updated data on various approaches whose investigation and development could contribute to the discovery of early diag- nostic markers of these two degenerative diseases. Concerning Parkinson's disease, some of the topics dealt with in the book will help update the information previously reported in Early Diagnosis and Preventive Therapy in Parkinson's Disease. Concerning Alzheimer's disease, the scope and limitations of electrophysiological and brain imaging techniques with regards to early detection of the disease are documented. Various biochemical parameters, such as brain energy metabolism, levels of choline, and platelet monoamine oxidase activity are envisaged as some of the starting points for the discovery of early diagnostic markers of Alzheimer's disease.

Early markers in Parkinson’s disease.- Early markers in Parkinson’s disease.- Differential diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.- The premorbid personality of patients with Parkinson’s disease.- An antibody in the CSF of Parkinson’s disease patients: summary of data and potential role as a diagnostic marker.- Contribution of motor performance tests to the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.- Electrophysiological methods in the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.- Characterization of Parkinson’s disease using positron emission tomography.- Dopamine beta-hydroxylase and beta 2-microglobulin in cerebrospinal fluid: early markers in Parkinson’s disease.- Urinary dopamine sulfate conjugates in Parkinson’s disease.- Salsolinol and the early detection of Parkinson’s disease.- MR imaging of putamenal iron predicts response to dopaminergic therapy in parkinsonian patients.- The neurotoxic component in Parkinson’s disease may involve iron-melanin interaction and lipid peroxidation in the substantia nigra.- Round table on Parkinson’s disease.- Early markers in Alzheimer’s disease.- The need for early markers in Alzheimer’s disease.- Descriptive and analytic epidemiology of Alzheimer’s disease.- Differential diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease.- Down syndrome: a model for the study of Alzheimer’s disease and aging.- PET scanning for the detection of Alzheimer’s disease.- Reference-free evaluation of auditory evoked potentials—P300 in aging and dementia.- Enzymes and glial cells in brain damage and neurodegenerative diseases.- Senile dementia of Alzheimer’s type and Parkinson’s disease: neurochemical overlaps and specific differences.- Changes in brain energy metabolism and the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.- Cholinemetabolism in Alzheimer’s disease: hints as to possible markers.- The presence of antibrain antibodies in the CSF of some Alzheimer disease patients: correlation with CSF parameters.- Increased monoamine oxidase activity and vitamin B-12 deficiency in dementia disorders.- Round table on Alzheimer’s disease.- Closing remarks.