Objective: The objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to determine the pooled mean difference (MD) in dopaminergic measures between Alzheimer’s disease and control groups.

Background: There is a growing body of evidence suggesting the potential contribution of decreased dopamine levels to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the relationship between the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease and dopaminergic changes is still unclear and requires thorough exploration.

Method: A systematic search on, MEDLINE/PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was performed from inception to June 2023. Eligible studies measuring the dopaminergic levels in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Subgroup analysis was performed by the stratification of the dopamine receptors. Heterogeneity was assessed by using the Cochrane Q test statistic and inconsistency index (I²). A random effects model was used to calculate the MD with a 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess differences in the levels of dopaminergic neurometabolites.

Results: A total of 10 studies were included in this meta-analysis. Results from the meta-analysis showed significantly lower levels of dopamine 1 receptor, dopamine 2, and dopamine 3 receptor in patients with Alzheimer’s disease compared with controls (MD = -22.78, 95% CI: -35.03, -10.54; p < 0.003), (MD = -15.81, 95% CI: -29.03, -2.58; p < 0.002), and (MD = -10.50, 95% CI: –20.09, -0.92; p < 0.03) respectively. However, there was no significant differences were observed in dopamine 4 and dopamine 5 receptor in patients with Alzheimer’s disease compared with controls (MD = -30.32, 95% CI: -109.70, 49.06; p= 0.45), and (MD = 17.62, 95% CI: -15.70, 50.94; p= 0.30).

Conclusion: The current finding suggests that low dopaminergic levels were associated with the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, further study is needed to robust the present finding.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/dopaminergic-alterations-in-patients-with-alzheimers-disease/