Cerebrospinal fluid levels of diazepam‐binding inhibitor in neurodegenerative disorders with dementia

We investigated CSF levels of diazepam-binding inhibitor (DBI), a recently discovered neuropeptide that allosterically modulates GABAergic transmission, in various neurodegenerative disorders with dementia (28 patients with Parkinson9s disease, 10 with Alzheimer9s disease, 7 with Huntington9s chorea). We applied a battery of neuropsychological tests to determine the degree of dementia and to exclude the presence of mood alterations. CSF DBI levels were elevated in parkinsonian subjects with dementia and in patients with Alzheimer9s disease, but decreased in Huntington9s chorea patients. We hypothesize that modifications of CSF DBI levels may be related to a functional or structural alteration of the GABAergic System.