Brain gangliosides in the presenile dementia of Pick.

Histochemical analysis of frontal and temporal lobes from four patients with Pick presenile dementia indicated intracellular and extracellular deposits of gangliosides. Thin layer chromatography of gangliosides disclosed the presence of an unknown ganglioside, a decrease of N-acetylgalactosamine-GDla and an increase of GTla and/or GD2 in white matter of Pick brain. Chromatography of gray matter and quantitation of the sialic acid content yielded results similar to controls. It is suggested that degradation and removal of gangliosides is incomplete in Pick disease.