Neuropeptides in cerebrospinal fluid in normal-pressure hydrocephalus and dementia.
Wikkelsö. C C; Ekman. R R; Westergren. I I; Johansson. B B
Key Findings
- DSIP, peptide YY, and somatostatin levels are reduced in CSF of NPH patients compared to healthy controls.
- Somatostatin is also reduced in Alzheimer’s disease patients.
- After ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery in NPH, CSF levels of DSIP, VIP, and somatostatin increase alongside clinical improvement.
- No correlation was found between CSF peptide concentrations and the degree of dementia in any group.
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers, the data suggest DSIP might reflect changes in brain fluid dynamics rather than directly influencing cognition or longevity. There’s no dosage guidance or therapeutic protocol to apply, and the findings are specific to a medical condition (NPH) that requires surgical intervention. Thus, the study offers limited actionable insight for self‑directed health optimization.
Summary
The study measured several brain chemicals (including DSIP) in the spinal fluid of people with normal‑pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), Alzheimer’s, and multi‑infarct dementia. It found that DSIP and some other peptides were lower in NPH patients, rose after they got a shunt surgery, and that these changes matched clinical improvement. However, peptide levels didn’t track how severe the dementia was.
Abstract
Delta-sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), peptide YY (PYY) and somatostatin (SOM) were assayed with specific radioimmunological methods in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of healthy volunteers, 12 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 11 patients with multi-infarct dementia (MID) and 10 patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). Patients with NPH were reinvestigated 3 months after a ventriculoperitoneal shunt operation. DSIP, PYY and SOM levels in CSF were decreased in patients with NPH compared to controls. The CSF concentration of SOM was also significantly reduced in patients with AD. No correlations were found between the degree of dementia in any of the illnesses and the CSF concentrations of the peptides. The concentration of DSIP, VIP and SOM increased significantly in parallel to the clinical improvement after the shunt operation in NPH patients.
Study Information
pubmed
1991
1991-07-01T00:00:00.000Z
10.1159/000116653
31