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The cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain system are sensitive to nerve growth factor (NGF), a member of the neurotrophin gene family. Since the cholinergic system is affected early in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD), it was hypothesized that a deficit in NGF, e.g. reduced neurotrophin uptake by specific receptors, may play a role in neuronal cell death in AD. We quantitated mRNA levels of neurotrophins (NGF, BDNF, NT-3, NT-4/5) and their receptors (trkA, trkB, trkC, p75) in AD postmortem parietal cortex (n=16) and cerebellum (n=11). We applied highly sensitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in rapid autopsy derived brain tissue (mean postmortem delay 147±96 min., n=53) to minimize postmortem mRNA variations. In the AD parietal cortex trkA mRNA levels were more than two times lower as compared to controls (n=16, mean±SEM 0.26±0.07 units/S12, range, 0–1.78, and …