NR AGOV
AU Klöppel,S.; Kovacs,G.G.; Voigtländer,T.; Wanschitz,J.; Flicker,H.; Hainfellner,J.A.; Guentchev,M.; Budka,H.
TI Serotonergic nuclei of the raphe are not affected in human ageing
QU Neuroreport 2001 Mar 26; 12(4): 669-71
PT journal article
AB Sleep disorders increase with ageing. The serotonergic system has been linked with sleep regulation. In fatal familial insomnia, a prion disease with insomnia as one major clinical feature, we recently observed a disturbance in the serotonergic system as likely substrate of typical symptoms. Using immunohistochemistry for the serotonin synthesizing enzyme, tryptophan hydroxylase, we investigated the serotonergic median raphe nuclei (dorsal raphe nucleus, superior central nucleus, and raphe obscurus nucleus) in brains of an older (n = 12; age range 62-84 years) and a younger group (n = 10; age range 5-29 years). We found no significant difference between age groups in the percentage of neurons able to synthesize serotonin. Other changes might relate to sleep disturbances in the elderly.
MH Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging/*metabolism; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Human; Male; Middle Age; Raphe Nuclei/*chemistry/metabolism; Serotonin/*analysis/metabolism; Sleep Disorders/metabolism; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Tryptophan Hydroxylase/metabolism
AD Institute of Neurology, University of Vienna, Austria.
SP englisch
PO England