Intermittent vs Continuous Administration of Nerve Growth Factor to Injured Medial Septal Cholinergic Neurons in Rat Basal Forebrain.

Many medial septal neurons of the basal forebrain are dependent on nerve growth factor (NGF) from the hippocampus for survival and maintenance of a cholinergic phenotype. When deprived of their source of NGF by axotomy, medial septal neuronal cell bodies atrophy and lose their cholinergic markers. This is similar to what is observed in the basal forebrain during Alzheimer's disease (AD).