Fourteen patients with Alzheimer's disease were evaluated by psychometric testing, fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET), and EEG. They were divided into two groups according to the EEG findings. Group A (seven patients) had normal alpha backgrounds and group B (seven patients) had decreased alpha backgrounds. Group A had significantly higher WAIS Performance IQ scores (p = 0.005) than group B. Group A also had higher Weschler Memory Scale scores (p = 0.047) and parietal glucose metabolic rates (p = 0.038) than group B, but these differences are not statistically significant given the multiple comparisons made between the two groups. Relative intactness of parietal lobe function, as measured by psychometric testing and PET, appears to correlate with preservation of EEG alpha background. The EEG may be useful in assessing regional cortical involvement or the clinical stage in Alzheimer's disease.

Age-related changes in the response of rabbit papillary muscles to isoproterenol and calcium were studied. Newborn rabbit papillary muscles were not only less sensitive to the inotropic effect of isoproterenol and calcium, but also produced significantly less maximal inotropic tension to these agents in comparison to the adult. The decreased response of newborn papillary muscle to isoproterenol appears to be due to a combination of (a) decreased ability of papillary muscle to respond to calcium and (b) immaturity of isoproterenol-sensitive contractile mechanism. Differences in myocardial norepinephrine content do not appear to play an important role in the age-related difference in the response to isoproterenol and calcium.

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Parkinson's disease can employ a predictive motor strategy.

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