Cytogenetic changes in patients with senile dementia.

Chromosome analyses were performed on lymphocytes from patients with Alzheimer type dementia, multi-infarct dementia, Down's syndrome and healthy controls. At least 100 cells were scored from each individual. A significant increase in aneuploidy was observed in the demented patients compared to controls but there was no difference between multi-infarct dementia and senile dementia of Alzheimer type. Nor was there any sex difference in the different groups. Also there was a significantly increased frequency of structurally altered chromosomes among the patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type compared to other forms of dementia. In the control group such an anomaly was not observed.