Abstract
Several competing hypotheses exist trying to explain the cause of the Alzheimer's disease, e.g. acetylcholinergic, Beta-amyloid, tau protein, demyelination or oxidative stress hypothesis. Events triggering neuron degeneration include disruption of the intracellular calcium ion homeostasis, increased production of reactive oxygen species and induction of apoptosis.
Mitochondrial dysfunctions, as well as various inflammatory processes or alterations in the activity of neurotrophic factors have been described both in Alzheimer's disease and in depression. The aim of present study is to discover the relation between biochemical parameters related to monoaminergic system, neuroplasticity and mitochondrial functions in patients with diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, depressive disorder and in controls subjects.