Quantitation of BDNF mRNA in human parietal cortex by competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction: decreased levels in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system. One pathological characteristic is excessive neuronal loss in specific regions of the brain. Among the areas most severely affected are the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and their projection regions, the hippocampus and cortex. Neurotrophic factors, particularly the neurotrophins nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, play an …