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J Aging Phys Act 2021 Jun 13:1-13. Epub 2021 Jun 13.

There is a paucity of evidence regarding the effects of sport and physical activity on wellbeing in dementia. The present study is the first known study to involve golf with this population. People with dementia (n = 10) and carers (n = 5) participated in a 6-week golf program, facilitated by golf center staff (n = 3). Read More

Clin Neurophysiol 2021 May 13;132(8):1830-1844. Epub 2021 May 13.

UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Denmark Hill, London, UK.

Possessing a discrete functional repertoire, the anterior horn cell can be in one of two electrophysiological states: on or off. Usually under tight regulatory control by the central nervous system, a hierarchical network of these specialist neurons ensures muscular strength is coordinated, gradated and adaptable. However, spontaneous activation of these cells and their axons can result in abnormal muscular twitching. Read More

J Affect Disord 2021 Jun 7;292:204-211. Epub 2021 Jun 7.

Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospitals, Nordre Fasanvej 57, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark; Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Copenhagen K 1014, Denmark.

Background: Patients with affective disorder seem to experience higher risks of several somatic diseases, but no studies have provided estimates of both absolute and relative risks for these diseases in the same population.

Methods: A prospective cohort of all patients age ≥18 years old with a hospital contact with affective disorder between 1997-2014 (n=246,282) and a random sample from the background population (n=167,562) was followed for hospitalizations with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, hip fracture, psoriasis, migraine, or dementia. Adjusted absolute and relative risk estimates were calculated using multivariable adjusted Aalen's additive and Cox proportional hazard regression models. Read More

Neurobiol Aging 2021 May 14;105:252-261. Epub 2021 May 14.

Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Electronic address:

We investigated whether cerebrovascular disease contributes to neurodegeneration and clinical phenotype in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Regional cortical thickness and subcortical gray matter volumes were estimated from structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 165 DLB patients. Cortical and subcortical infarcts were recorded and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) were assessed. Read More

J Neurol Sci 2021 Jun 3;427:117529. Epub 2021 Jun 3.

Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan. Electronic address:

Due to an increasing number of dementia patients, the development of a rapid and sensitive method for cognitive assessment is awaited. Here, we examined the usefulness of a novel and short (3 min) eye tracking device to evaluate the cognitive function of normal control (NC, n = 52), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 52), and Alzheimer's disease (AD, n = 70) subjects. Eye tracking total score declined significantly in MCI (**p < 0. Read More

Aging Ment Health 2021 Jun 15:1-9. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

University Center of Psychiatry & Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Objectives: Previous studies on the interrelationship between sleep and agitation relied on group-aggregates and so results may not be applicable to individuals. This proof-of-concept study presents the single-subject study design with time series analysis as a method to evaluate the association between sleep and agitation in individual nursing home residents using actigraphy.

Method: To record activity, three women and two men (aged 78-89 years) wore the MotionWatch 8© (MW8) for 9 consecutive weeks. Read More

Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Division of Affinity Proteomics, Department of Protein Science, SciLifeLab, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.

Objective: Decreased amyloid beta (Aβ) 42 together with increased tau and phospho-tau in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is indicative of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the molecular pathophysiology underlying the slowly progressive cognitive decline observed in AD is not fully understood and it is not known what other CSF biomarkers may be altered in early disease stages.

Methods: We utilized an antibody-based suspension bead array to analyze levels of 216 proteins in CSF from AD patients, patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and controls from two independent cohorts collected within the AETIONOMY consortium. Read More

Eur J Neurol 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Clinic of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.

Background: Neurology is a field of increasing subspecialization. There is no published data regarding the proportion of neurology subspecialists in the Baltic States. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify factors associated with neurology subspecialty choice, to examine possible differences between neurology residents' and junior neurologists' view of subspecialty, and to assess perceived subspecialty acquisition opportunities and subspecialty attractiveness. Read More

Alzheimers Dement 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA.

Cognitive impairment of dementia patients affects their ability to communicate and cooperate with care. Dementia patients need a specialized communication to increase their cooperation during daily care and a scale to measure cooperation with care. To improve communication, we created and applied a digital communication platform (DCP) in an observational study. Read More

Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Medical Science of Aging, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan.

Wien Med Wochenschr 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Abteilung für Neuropathologie und Neurochemie, Universitätsklinik für Neurologie, Medizinischer Universitätscampus Wien, Ebene 4J, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Wien, Österreich.

Dementia is the clinical consequence of various neurological disorders with a multitude of etiologies. Precise knowledge of the underlying pathologies is essential for an accurate treatment of patients and for the development of suitable disease biomarkers. A definite diagnosis of many of the disorders, particularly for neurodegenerative ones, can only be made after a thorough postmortem neuropathological examination. Read More

Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

School of Medical Sciences, Orebro University, 702 81, Orebro, Sweden.

Purpose: Dementia, present in 20% of hip fracture patients, is associated with an almost threefold increase in postoperative mortality risk. These patients have a substantially higher incidence of cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular mortality after hip fracture surgery compared to patients without dementia. This study aimed to investigate the association between beta-blocker therapy and postoperative mortality in patients with dementia undergoing hip fracture surgery. Read More

JMIR Serious Games 2021 Jun 15;9(2):e26872. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Background: The aging population is one of the major challenges affecting societies worldwide. As the proportion of older people grows dramatically, so does the number of age-related illnesses such as dementia-related illnesses. Preventive care should be emphasized as an effective tool to combat and manage this situation. Read More

Neurocase 2021 Jun 15:1-7. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is associated with diverse pathological substrates such as tau, prion protein, transactive response and, rarely, alpha synuclein. We report the case of a54-year-old man, who presented with asymmetric levodopa-poor-responsive parkinsonism, frontal lobe signs and behavioral changes. He was diagnosed with CBS, and postmortem analyses revealed Lewy body disease Braak stage VI without comorbid pathologies. Read More

Top Cogn Sci 2021 Jun 14. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Department of Psychology, Temple University.

The loss of the ability to independently complete activities of daily living, such as meal preparation and household chores, is a defining characteristic of clinical dementia; however, minor difficulties in completing everyday activities emerge in the mild cognitive impairment stage, and even healthy older adults exhibit subtle functional difficulties compared to younger adults. These functional difficulties are associated with an array of negative outcomes, including decreased quality of life, higher costs of care, and increased frustration, depression, caregiver burden, and institutionalization. While cognitive models have been proposed to explain the functional deficits seen in dementia and subtler forms of cognitive decline, in contrast to other cognitive disorders such as aphasia, there are essentially no theoretically motivated interventions to address difficulties in everyday functioning. Read More

Health Expect 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Ulster University, Newtownabbey, UK.

Background: This research reports on a pilot study that examined the usability of a reminiscence app called 'InspireD' using eye tracking technology. The InspireD app is a bespoke digital intervention aimed at supporting personalized reminiscence for people living with dementia and their carers. The app was developed and refined in two co-creation workshops and subsequently tested in a third workshop using eye tracking technology. Read More

Palliat Med 2021 Jun 15:2692163211019302. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Background: Predictive cancer tools focus on survival; none predict severe symptoms.

Aim: To develop and validate a model that predicts the risk for having low performance status and severe symptoms in cancer patients.

Design: Retrospective, population-based, predictive study. Read More

Obesity (Silver Spring) 2021 Jun 14. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Department of Surgery, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.

Bariatric surgery has been shown to improve cognition in patients with severe obesity. Bariatric surgery may improve mental function in patient populations with obesity and with cognitive impairment, including nonacquired, dementia, and traumatic brain injury, although studies have been limited. Bariatric surgery provides an opportunity to explore the effects of obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemias, and other expressions of metabolic syndrome on cognition. Read More

ChemMedChem 2021 Jun 14. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

RIKEN Kobe Institute, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, 650-0047, Kobe, JAPAN.

The efficient synthesis of L-[5-11C]leucine and L-alfa-[5-11C]methylleucine has been investigated using a continuous two-step sequence of rapid reactions consisting of Pd0-mediated 11C-methylation and microfluidic hydrogenation. The synthesis of L-[5-11C]leucine and L-alfa-[5-11C]methylleucine was accomplished within 40 min with a decay-corrected radiochemical yield of 15-38% based on [11C]CH3I, radiochemical purity of 95-99%, and chemical purity of 95-99%. The Pd impurities in the injectable solution measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry met the international criteria for human use. Read More

In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2021 Jun 14. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-744, South Korea.

Ginseng is a popular herbal medicine and known to have protective and therapeutic effects in various diseases. Ginsenosides are active gradients representing the diverse pharmacological efficacy of ginseng. Huntington's disease (HD) is incurable genetic disorder associated with mutant huntingtin (mHtt) aggregation in the central nervous system. Read More

Brain 2021 Jun 15. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Center for Cognitive Neurology and Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and the only illness among the top 10 causes of death for which there is no disease-modifying therapy. The failure rate of clinical trials is very high, in part due to the premature translation of successful results in transgenic mouse models to patients. Extensive evidence suggests that dysregulation of innate immunity and microglia/macrophages plays a key role in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Read More

Commun Biol 2021 Jun 14;4(1):736. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Department of Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau protein are a pathological hallmark of more than 20 distinct neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and frontotemporal dementia. While the exact mechanism of tau aggregation is unknown, the accumulation of aggregates correlates with disease progression. Here we report a genome-wide CRISPR screen to identify modulators of endogenous tau protein for the first time. Read More

BMJ Open 2021 06 14;11(6):e045657. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Institute of General Practice, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Introduction: Mental disorders such as depression are common, and an estimated 264 million people are affected by them throughout the world. In recent years, studies on digital health interventions to treat mental disorders have shown evidence of their efficacy, and interest in using them has increased as a result. In the primary care setting, depression and anxiety are the two most frequently diagnosed and treated mental disorders. Read More

Clin Ther 2021 Jun 12. Epub 2021 Jun 12.

Puget Sound Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Seattle, Washington; The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Electronic address:

Purpose: The long-term effects of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) used in the treatment of patients with various types of dementia remain unclear, largely due to challenges in the study of their discontinuation. We present several unexpected results from a discontinuation trial that might merit further investigation.

Methods: This double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the discontinuation of AChEI medications was conducted in 62 US veterans. Read More

Int Psychogeriatr 2021 Jun 15:1-7. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.

Objective: To examine the link between social and emotional isolation and likelihood of dementia among older black and white Brazilians.

Design: Cross-sectional clinical-pathological cohort study.

Setting: Medical center in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Read More

Int Psychogeriatr 2021 Jun 15:1-3. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.

Int Psychogeriatr 2021 Jun 15:1-3. Epub 2021 Jun 15.

School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

CNS Spectr 2021 Apr;26(2):179

Colorado Springs Neurological Associates, Colorado Springs, CO, USA.

Background: The purpose of this work was to determine the extent to which a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approach to patients with dementia and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI) can help to determine the most likely diagnosis and the prognosis of these patients.

Objective: Volumetric brain MRI alone is recognized as a useful imaging tool to differentiate behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) from the more common Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our objective is to create a protocol that will provide additional non-standard, objective imaging data that can be utilized clinically to distinguish common and uncommon forms of dementia and TBI. Read More

CNS Spectr 2021 Apr;26(2):143

Maimonides University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Objective: The objective was to determine alterations in the care of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) with depressive disorder without and with apathy to determine differential parameters.

Methods: We studied 69 PLHIV, negativized viral load, of both sexes (19 women and 44 men), with depressive disorder (F32.9-DSM IV), 20 with apathy and 26 without apathy; negativized viral load, in highly effective antiretroviral treatment without therapeutic failure in the last 2 years and without protease inhibitors; without psychopharmacological treatment (except anxiolytics) or dementia due to HIV (American Academy of Neurology) or comorbidities (hepatitis C, CNS or central vascular infections). Read More

CNS Spectr 2021 Apr;26(2):144

Resident.

Objective: To discuss the psychiatric symptoms that are associated with CADASIL syndrome Abstract Cerebral:Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a rare type of hereditary disease involving the small cerebral vessels. The clinical symptoms are various and include recurrent ischemic strokes, migraine with aura, seizures with epilepsy, psychiatric problems such as mood disturbances, and progressive cognitive decline leading to dementia. This disease needs awareness amongst the psychiatrists even though it is discussed much more in neurology literature. Read More