Cerebrospinal Fluid Catecholamines in Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Catecholamines (CA)[dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE)] in the ventricular cerebrospinal (CSF) and lumbar spinal fluid obtained from 11 cases of Parkinson's disease and 3 control subjects were determined using a high performance liquid chromatography. Results were as follows:
1. The free DA concentration of ventricular CSF was decreased in Parkinson's disease compared to the control. However, there were no differences in free NE concentrations of ventricular CSF between the two groups.
2. There were no differences in free NE and DA concentrations of lumbar CSF between the two groups.
3. NE concentrations of the lumbar CSF showed a tendency to be higher than those of ventricular CSF, while the DA concentrations of ventricular CSF was much higher than that of lumbar CSF.
4. The administration of L-threo-DOPS and L-DOPA-DCI increased conjugated forms of NE and DA, resulting in the increase of total NE and DA concentrations of ventricular CSF.