Which neurotransmitter has been implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease?
A. Acetylcholine
B. Dopamine
C. Epinephrine
D. Serotonin
Correct Answer: A. Acetylcholine
A relative deficiency of acetylcholine is associated with this disorder. The drugs used in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease will act to increase available acetylcholine in the brain. The remaining neurotransmitters have not been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. Cholinergic neurons located in the basal forebrain, including the neurons that form the nucleus basalis of Meynert, are severely lost in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is the most ordinary cause of dementia affecting 25 million people worldwide. The hallmarks of the disease are the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques.
Option B: Acetylcholine (ACh) was the first neurotransmitter to be identified. ACh is the neurotransmitter used by all cholinergic neurons, which has a very important role in the peripheral and central nervous systems. All pre- and postganglionic parasympathetic neurons and all preganglionic sympathetic neurons use ACh as a neurotransmitter. In addition, part of the postganglionic sympathetic neurons also uses ACh as a neurotransmitter.
Option C: Given its widespread distribution in the brain, it is not surprising that cholinergic neurotransmission is responsible for modulating important neural functions. The cholinergic system is involved in critical physiological processes, such as attention, learning, memory, stress response, wakefulness and sleep, and sensory information.
Option D: It has been demonstrated that the cholinergic system plays a role in the learning process. Moreover, published data indicate that ACh is involved in memory. Further studies have demonstrated that endogenous acetylcholine is important for modulation of acquisition, encoding, consolidation, reconsolidation, extinction, and retrieval of memory.