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Brain 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität LMU, Feodor-Lynen Straße 17, Munich, Germany.

In Alzheimer's disease, tau pathology spreads hierarchically from the inferior temporal lobe throughout the cortex, ensuing cognitive decline and dementia. Similarly, circumscribed patterns of pathological tau have been observed in normal ageing and small vessel disease, suggesting a spatially ordered distribution of tau pathology across normal ageing and different diseases. In vitro findings suggest that pathological tau may spread 'prion-like' across neuronal connections in an activity-dependent manner. Read More

Learn Mem 2019 Mar 15;26(3):93-100. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30312, USA.

The entorhinal-hippocampal circuit is one of the earliest sites of cortical pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Visuospatial memory paradigms that are mediated by the entorhinal-hippocampal circuit may offer a means to detect memory impairment during the early stages of AD. In this study, we developed a 4-min visuospatial memory paradigm called VisMET (Visuospatial Memory Eye-Tracking Task) that passively assesses memory using eye movements rather than explicit memory judgements. Read More

Brain Res 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Neurology, Key Laboratory of Neurology of Hebei Province, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

Cognitive impairment is one of the most common and disabling co-morbidities of epilepsy. It is therefore imperative to find novel treatment approaches to rescue cognitive function among epilepsy patients. Adult neurogenesis is strongly implicated in cognitive function, and mild hypoxia is known to promote the proliferation and differentiation of both embryonic and adult neural stem cells (NSCs). Read More

Epileptic Disord 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, "Regina Montis Regalis" Hospital, Mondovì.

Berardinelli-Seip syndrome, or congenital generalized lipodystrophy type 2 (CGL2), is characterized by a lack of subcutaneous adipose tissue and precocious metabolic syndrome with insulin resistance, resulting in diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hepatic steatosis, cardiomyopathy, and acanthosis nigricans. Most reported mutations are associated with mild, non-progressive neurological impairment. We describe the clinical and EEG data of a patient with progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME), CGL2, and progressive neurological impairment, carrying a homozygous BSCL2 nonsense mutation. Read More

Indian J Endocrinol Metab 2018 Nov-Dec;22(6):780-784

Department of General Medicine, Sardar Patel Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.

Background: It has been an established fact that diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with lower levels of cognitive function and may be a risk factor for the development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Most of these studies involved elderly diabetes patients and aging itself may contribute to cognitive impairment. Since a majority of the individuals with DM are between the ages of 40 and 59 years, it is crucial to determine the factors that contribute to cognitive impairment in these patients. Read More

Neural Plast 2018 2;2018:7301530. Epub 2018 Dec 2.

Mental Health Service, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Background: Previous reviews have generally reported cognitive//behavioral improvements after cognitively oriented treatments (COTs) in persons with MCI. However, comparatively little is known about the neural mechanisms associated with such cognitive improvement.

Objective: The primary aim of the current review was to examine neurophysiological changes measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and possible cognitive changes following COTs in those with MCI. Read More

Front Aging Neurosci 2018 23;10:434. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Sir Mortimer B. Davis - Jewish General Hospital and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.

Slow walking speed, time to perform the five-times-sit-to-stand (FTSS) test and motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR; defined as slow gait speed combined with subjective cognitive complaint) have been separately used to screen older individuals at risk of cognitive decline. This study seeks to (1) compare the characteristics of older individuals with MCR, as defined through slow walking speed and/or increased FTSS time; and (2) examine the relationship between MCR and its motor components as well as amnestic (a-MCI) and non-amnestic (na-MCI) Mild Cognitive Impairment. A total of 633, individuals free of dementia, were selected from the cross-sectional "Gait and Alzheimer Interactions Tracking" study. Read More

J Clin Exp Hepatol 2019 Jan-Feb;9(1):109-111. Epub 2018 Sep 17.

Clinic for Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

Mild cognitive dysfunction as in minimal or covert hepatic encephalopathy (HE) can be found in a variety of metabolic disturbances, several neurological diseases, and even older age. Because liver cirrhosis usually is accompanied by one or the other of these, a differentiation between HE and cognitive decline because of comorbidities is difficult. Somehow discriminating is the impairment of motor speed and accuracy, which is more prominent in HE than in any of the comorbidities. Read More

Comput Med Imaging Graph 2019 Jan 26;73:1-10. Epub 2019 Jan 26.

Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, School of EIEE, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240 China.; Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment Instrument, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. Electronic address:

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder with progressive impairment of memory and other mental functions. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) have been widely used as an important imaging modality of brain for AD diagnosis and monitoring the disease progression. The longitudinal analysis of sequential MRIs is important to model and measure the progression of the disease along the time axis for more accurate diagnosis. Read More

PLoS One 2019 14;14(2):e0212261. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Pharmacology, Sarajevo Medical School, Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Alzheimer's disease represents the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder and a leading cause of progressive cognitive impairment. Predicting cognitive decline is challenging but would be invaluable in an increasingly aging population which also experiences a rising cardiovascular risk. In order to examine whether plasma measurements of one of the established biomarkers of heart failure, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), reflect a decline in cognitive function, associated with Alzheimer's disease neurodegeneration, BNP levels were analysed, by using a novel assay called a SOMAscan, in 1. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Feb;98(7):e14581

The Department of Nursing, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin, China.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be a stage of pre-dementia. Although the traditional Chinese exercise (TCE) has benefits associated with cognitive functions, the effects of the TCE on cognitive functions of older patients with MCI remain controversial. This study performs a meta-analysis to quantify the efficiency of TCE for older individuals on cognitive and psychological outcomes. Read More

IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

This work reviews the state-of-the-art neuromarkers development for the prognosis of Alzheimer's diseases (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The first part of this study is devoted to reviewing the recently-emerged machine learning (ML) algorithms based on electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) modalities. In particular, the methods are categorized by different types of neuromarkers. Read More

Australas J Ageing 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

Objective: To assess the ability of the Australian Modified Lawton's Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Scale (Modified Lawton's Scale) to screen for cognitive impairment in patients without physical or sensory deficits.

Methods: Prospective single-blind study of diagnostic accuracy.

Results: Data were available for 249 patients. Read More

Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Frailty in Ageing Research Group (FRIA), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, (Belgium).

Objective: Although many studies explored the relationship between executive functions (EF) and activities of daily living (ADLs) in cognitive disorders, previous studies used measurements without well-defined levels of ADLs. This study explored the relationship between EF and the threefold classification of everyday functioning; basic or b-, instrumental or i-, and advanced or a-ADLs, and examined how EF account for the variance in this triad of everyday functioning.

Methods: A sample of 44 cognitively healthy persons, 41 persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment and 35 persons with Alzheimer's Disease were assessed with comprehensive measures of EF and the b-, i- and a-ADL tools. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Feb 13;9(1):1952. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Biomedical & Translational Informatics Institute, Geisinger, Danville, USA.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition marked by a decline in cognitive functions with no validated disease modifying treatment. It is critical for timely treatment to detect AD in its earlier stage before clinical manifestation. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between cognitively normal older adults and AD. Read More

Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

, Berkeley, CA, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Post-concussion syndrome (PCS), when the patient's concussion symptoms last longer than 4-6 weeks, affects 10-30% of concussion patients. PCS presents a significant source of morbidity to patients and a management challenge to providers. In this review, we present the current evidence and best management approaches for pediatric PCS. Read More

J Med Syst 2019 Feb 13;43(3):76. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, Erode, India.

The recent studies in Morphometric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) have investigated the abnormalities in the brain volume that have been associated diagnosing of the Alzheimer's Disease (AD) by making use of the Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM). The system permits the evaluation of the volumes of grey matter in subjects such as the AD or the conditions related to it and are compared in an automated manner with the healthy controls in the entire brain. The article also reviews the findings of the VBM that are related to various stages of the AD and also its prodrome known as the Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Read More

J Prev Alzheimers Dis 2019 ;6(2):135-138

Dr. Lovingly Park, PAREXEL International, 1560 E. Chevy Chase Dr, Suite 140, Glendale, CA 91206, USA, Phone: +1 818 254 4389, Fax: +1 818 936 6844, Email:

Background: The recruitment challenges for MCI and AD subjects into clinical trials are well known, and this is particularly true for early phase studies. Currently, only 10-20% of all patients who are referred for research from the community are trial eligible (Grill and Karlawish, 2011). Due to the limited and specific study objectives in early phase study designs, these rates drop to approximately one patient every two months. Read More

J Prev Alzheimers Dis 2019 ;6(2):112-120

Yakeel T. Quiroz, PhD Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 100 1st Avenue, Building 39, Suite 101, Charlestown, MA 02129, Phone (617) 643-5944; Fax: (617) 726-5760, E-mail:

The study of individuals with autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease affords one of the best opportunities to characterize the biological and cognitive changes of Alzheimer's disease that occur over the course of the preclinical and symptomatic stages. Unifying the knowledge gained from the past three decades of research in the world's largest single-mutation autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease kindred - a family in Antioquia, Colombia with the E280A mutation in the Presenilin1 gene - will provide new directions for Alzheimer's research and a framework for generalizing the findings from this cohort to the more common sporadic form of Alzheimer's disease. As this specific mutation is virtually 100% penetrant for the development of the disease by midlife, we use a previously defined median age of onset for mild cognitive impairment for this cohort to examine the trajectory of the biological and cognitive markers of the disease as a function of the carriers' estimated years to clinical onset. Read More

J Prev Alzheimers Dis 2019 ;6(2):85-89

Ana Graf, Senior Global Program Head, Novartis Pharma AG, Fabrikstrasse 12-4.03.35A, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland, E-mail:

We are launching the Insights to Model Alzheimer's Progression in Real Life study in parallel with the Alzheimer Prevention Initiative Generation Program. This is a 5-year, multinational, prospective, longitudinal, non-interventional cohort study that will collect data across the spectrum of Alzheimer's disease. The primary objective is to assess the ability of the Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative Cognitive Composite Test Score and Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status to predict clinically meaningful outcomes such as diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia due to Alzheimer's disease, and change in Clinical Dementia Rating - Global Score. Read More

Alzheimers Res Ther 2019 Feb 12;11(1):18. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Institut de la Mémoire et de la Maladie d'Alzheimer (IM2A), Centre des Maladies Cognitives et Comportementales, Hôpital La Salpêtrière, Paris, France.

Background: There are currently no approved treatments for the prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Approved symptomatic treatments for mild-to-moderate AD include acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and memantine, but more efficacious treatments are needed. BI 409306 is a potent and selective phosphodiesterase 9 inhibitor assessed for the symptomatic treatment of AD. Read More

J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Division of Epidemiology, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.

Background: Hearing impairment is prevalent among older adults and has been identified as a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia. We evaluated the association of hearing impairment with long-term cognitive decline among community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: A population-based longitudinal study of adults not using hearing aids who had hearing acuity and cognitive function assessed in 1992-96, and were followed for a maximum of 24 years with up to five additional cognitive assessments. Read More

PLoS One 2019 12;14(2):e0212222. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Dean Center for Tick Borne Illness, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.

Objectives: To examine whether post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) defined by fatigue, cognitive complaints and widespread pain following the treatment of Lyme disease is associated with small fiber neuropathy (SFN) manifesting as autonomic and sensory dysfunction.

Methods: This single center, retrospective study evaluated subjects with PTLDS. Skin biopsies for assessment of epidermal nerve fiber density (ENFD), sweat gland nerve fiber density (SGNFD) and functional autonomic testing (deep breathing, Valsalva maneuver and tilt test) were performed to assess SFN, severity of dysautonomia and cerebral blood flow abnormalities. Read More

J Nerv Ment Dis 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Neurology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China.

Evidence from a neuropsychological test revealed that interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) may have significant impact on cognitive performance. Sometimes, neuropsychological tests may not be sensitive to detection of mild cognitive changes. We applied P300 and mismatch negativity (MMN) to detect mild cognitive changes caused by small amount of IEDs. Read More

ACS Sens 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Blood-based diagnosis (Hemodiagnosis) of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is emerging as a promising alternative of cerebrospinal fluid-based methods because blood contains various kinds of AD biomarkers, including amyloid beta 1-40, 1-42, and τ (tau) protein. However, with current technology, the accuracy of the blood plasma-based methods is relatively low compared to the traditional methods because the concentration of AD biomarkers in blood plasma is incredibly low and diverse interfer-ence is present in blood plasma, which hinders precise detection. Here, we suggest a nanoplasmonic biosensor using gold nanorods with a chaotropic agent for ultrasensitive detecting Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in human plasma precisely. Read More

PM R 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University, Goyang, South Korea.

Background: The Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) evaluates frontal lobe and executive function. Therefore, it can be helpful in differentiating cognitive deficits. However, there are no studies comparing the COWAT performance according to the type and stage of cognitive impairment. Read More

Mov Disord Clin Pract 2019 Jan 9;6(1):46-50. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

Gastroenterology, Internal Medicine, Sakura Medical Center Toho University Sakura Japan.

Objectives: Neuroimaging markers for Parkinson's disease (PD)/dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) include dopamine transporter (DAT) scanning and metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy. It is unknown which marker is useful to identify the premotor phase PD/DLB. We reported four patients who, during a negative DAT scan period, had a positive MIBG result that suggested premotor PD/DLB. Read More

Alzheimers Dement 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia.

Introduction: A small percentage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases are caused by genetic mutations with autosomal dominant inheritance. We report a family with a novel variant in PSEN1.

Methods: We performed clinical and genetic evaluation of 93 related individuals from a Colombian admixed population. Read More

Trials 2019 Feb 11;20(1):117. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, China.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is known as a transitional status between normal cognitive function and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) are considered to be beneficial to patients with cognitive impairment. However, it is still unknown whether the combination of the two therapies could optimize the therapeutic effect for MCI. Read More

J Clin Med 2019 Feb 9;8(2). Epub 2019 Feb 9.

Departement of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona,Via Casorati 43, 37127 Verona, Italy.

Recent literature highlights the importance of identifying factors associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Actual validated biomarkers include neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid assessments; however, we investigated non-Aβ-dependent factors associated with dementia in 12 MCI and 30 AD patients. Patients were assessed for global cognitive function (Mini-Mental state examination-MMSE), physical function (Physical Performance Test-PPT), exercise capacity (6-min walking test-6MWT), maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), brain volume, vascular function (flow-mediated dilation-FMD), inflammatory status (tumor necrosis factor-α ,TNF- α, interleukin-6, -10 and -15) and neurotrophin receptors (p75NTR and Tropomyosin receptor kinase A -TrkA). Read More

Neuroimage Clin 2019 Feb 4;22:101711. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Danish Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Background: Diagnosing frontotemporal dementia may be challenging. New methods for analysis of regional brain atrophy patterns on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could add to the diagnostic assessment. Therefore, we aimed to develop automated imaging biomarkers for differentiating frontotemporal dementia subtypes from other diagnostic groups, and from one another. Read More

J Neurosci Res 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Italy.

Neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, decreased glucose/energy metabolism, and disrupted neurotransmission are changes that occur early in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), manifesting as mild cognitive impairment. Recently, the imbalanced function of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system was identified as a critical factor in AD progression. Thus, maintaining balance among neurotransmitter systems, particularly the GABA system, can be considered a beneficial strategy to slow AD progression. Read More

Am J Nurs 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Melinda R. Steis is a nurse manager at the Viera Outpatient Clinic, Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Melbourne, FL. Lynn Unruh is a professor and Varadraj Prabhu Gurupur is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Management and Informatics, College of Community Innovation and Education, University of Central Florida, Orlando. Emilia Shettian is a cofounder of Enigma Health and is based in Leesburg, FL. Meredeth Rowe is a professor in the College of Nursing, University of South Florida, Tampa. Adam Golden is associate chief of staff of research at Orlando VAMC and a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida. The authors acknowledge Nadia Telemaque-Brathwaite, MBA, health care administrator and team leader at the Viera Outpatient Clinic, for her assistance with data collection. Contact author: Melinda R. Steis, The authors and planners have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

Study findings support targeted interventions that facilitate early recognition and appropriate action.

Abstract: Background: When older adults with cognitive impairment develop new physical or behavioral symptoms, their family caregivers face a difficult decision: whether and when to seek professional medical care. Most family caregivers lack formal training in assessment and may have difficulty making such decisions. Read More

J Alzheimers Dis 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada.

Background: Impaired physical function (i.e., slowing of gait, muscle weakness, and poor mobility) is common in older adults with cognitive impairment and dementia. Read More

J Alzheimers Dis 2019 Feb 7. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common, devastating disease which carries a heavy economic burden. Accelerated efforts to identify presymptomatic stages of AD and biomarkers to classify the disease are urgent needs. Currently no biomarkers can perfectly discriminate individuals into multiple disease categories of AD (no cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia). Read More

J Alzheimers Dis 2019 Feb 2. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Department of Anatomy, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, PA, USA.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a biological construct defined by abnormal deposits of hyperphosphorylated tau and amyloid-β. The 2050 projection for AD in the USA is 14 million. There is a strong association between AD, air pollution, and traffic. Read More

J Alzheimers Dis 2019 Feb 2. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Background: Cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) have been linked to both depression and cognitive decline but their role in neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) has yet to be clarified.

Objective: Understanding the role of CVRFs in the etiology of NPS for prospective treatments and preventive strategies to minimize these symptoms.

Methods: We examined the distribution of NPS using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) scores in three cohorts from the Prevention of Alzheimer's Dementia with Cognitive Remediation Plus Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Depression (PACt-MD) study: older patients with a lifetime history of major depressive disorder (MDD) in remission, patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and patients with combined MCI and MDD. Read More

J Psychoactive Drugs 2019 Feb 9:1-6. Epub 2019 Feb 9.

a Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology , Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , Rome , Italy.

Novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) have currently become a major public health concern because of relatively easy accessibility to these compounds and difficulty in identifying them with routine laboratory techniques. Here, we report the F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) case study of a 23-year-old man who developed a substance-induced psychotic disorder after having intravenously injected himself with an unspecified amount of methoxetamine (MXE), a ketamine derivative hallucinogen. From a clinical perspective, a blunted affective responsiveness with diminished social drive and sense of purpose, along with a profound detachment from the environment, was observed. Read More

Front Aging Neurosci 2019 25;11. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Department of Neurology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.

One of the major problems that elderly people are facing is dementia. For scientist's dementia is a medical, social and economic problem, as it has been characterized as the epidemic of the 21st century. Prevention and treatment in the initial stages of dementia are essential, and community awareness and specialization of health professionals are required, with the aim of early and valid diagnosis of the disease. Read More

Physiother Theory Pract 2019 Feb 9:1-6. Epub 2019 Feb 9.

d Department of Physical Therapy , Angelo State University , San Angelo , Texas , USA.

Background And Purpose: The Groningen Meander Walking time (GMW-sec) test has not been clinically validated as a feasible assessment to test functional mobility skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the concurrent validity of the GMW-sec test with the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test in older adults with dementia.

Methods: This study included a cross-sectional and between subjects design with one factor, which had three different levels of group. Read More

Aging Ment Health 2019 Feb 10:1-6. Epub 2019 Feb 10.

b School of Psychology and Public Health , La Trobe University , Melbourne , Australia.

Objectives: Cognitive Rehabilitation interventions have the potential to improve quality of life for people with MCI. We recently developed, trialled, and evaluated the use of the MAXCOG (Maximising Cognition) intervention-a very brief (four-session) face-to-face program focussing on individualised goals to improve function in daily life. Although the program assisted people reach their practical goals, we could not demonstrate broader changes to quality of life, mood, or carer burden. Read More

Aging Clin Exp Res 2019 Feb 9. Epub 2019 Feb 9.

School of Nursing, Jilin University, 965 Xinjiang Street, Changchun, 130021, China.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of different types of exercises on global cognition in adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Methods: We systematically searched six databases from their inception to December 14, 2018, for randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy of exercise on global cognition in adults with mild cognitive impairment. For the included studies, the mean changes in global cognition from baseline to endpoint were analyzed. Read More

Neuroinformatics 2019 Feb 9. Epub 2019 Feb 9.

Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, 16 Jichang Road, Guangzhou, 510405, Guangdong, China.

Little is known about the high-order interactions among brain regions measured by the similarity of higher-order features (other than the raw blood-oxygen-level-dependent signals) which can characterize higher-level brain functional connectivity (FC). Previously, we proposed FC topographical profile-based high-order FC (HOFC) and found that this metric could provide supplementary information to traditional FC for early Alzheimer's disease (AD) detection. However, whether such findings apply to network-level brain functional integration is unknown. Read More

Neurobiol Aging 2019 Jan 9;76:201-207. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA. Electronic address:

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a satiety hormone that is highly expressed in brain regions like the hippocampus. CCK is integral for maintaining or enhancing memory and thus may be a useful marker of cognitive and neural integrity in participants with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) CCK levels were examined in 287 subjects from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Read More

Neurobiol Aging 2019 Jan 10;76:181-193. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IREM), University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland; Hospital for Psychogeriatric Medicine, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich (PUK), Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address:

The protracted accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) is a major pathologic hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and may trigger secondary pathological processes that include neurovascular damage. This study was aimed at investigating long-term effects of Aβ burden on cerebral blood volume of arterioles and pial arteries (CBVa), possibly present before manifestation of dementia. Aβ burden was assessed by 11C Pittsburgh compound-B positron emission tomography in 22 controls and 18 persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), [ages: 75(±6) years]. Read More

Neurobiol Dis 2019 Feb 6;125:176-189. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Department of Biochemical Sciences "A. Rossi-Fanelli", Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, Roma 00185, Italy. Electronic address:

Hyper-active GSK-3β favors Tau phosphorylation during the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Akt is one of the main kinases inhibiting GSK-3β and its activation occurs in response to neurotoxic stimuli including, i.e. Read More

Nat Rev Neurosci 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Biochemistry and Centre for Ageing and Neurobiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a major cause of age-related dementia. We do not fully understand AD aetiology and pathogenesis, but oxidative damage is a key component. The brain mostly uses glucose for energy, but in AD and amnestic mild cognitive impairment glucose metabolism is dramatically decreased, probably owing, at least in part, to oxidative damage to enzymes involved in glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and ATP biosynthesis. Read More

Neurologia 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Departamento de Psicología y Antropología, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, España.

Objective: The symptoms of minor stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) are temporary and mild. Despite the transient nature of the focal symptoms and the absence of visible brain lesions in some patients, many experience persistent cognitive problems subsequently. We aimed to establish the discriminant capacity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in screening for cognitive impairment (CI) within 90 days of TIA. Read More

Alzheimers Dement 2019 Feb 5. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA.

Introduction: The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) separates "early" and "late" mild cognitive impairment (MCI) based on a single memory test. We compared ADNI's MCI classifications to our neuropsychological approach, which more broadly assesses cognitive abilities.

Methods: Three hundred thirty-six ADNI-2 participants were classified as "early" or "late" MCI. Read More

J Neurol Sci 2019 Jan 24;398:184-191. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Gerontology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China. Electronic address:

Background: Although repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been considered a potentially effective treatment for cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), previous studies have produced inconsistent results. The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of rTMS on cognitive function in patients with AD.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, MEDLINE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched for relevant terms. Read More