Gender difference in the association and presentation of visual hallucinations in dementia with Lewy bodies: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACTDementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is one of the most common causes of degenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and presents pathological and clinical overlap with both AD and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Consequently, only one in three DLB cases is diagnosed correctly. Platelets, previously related to neurodegeneration, contain microRNAs (miRNAs) whose analysis may provide disease biomarkers. Here, we profiled the whole platelet miRNA transcriptome from DLB patients and healthy controls. Differentially expressed miRNAs were further validated in three consecutive studies from 2017 to 2019 enrolling 162 individuals, including DLB, AD, and PD patients, and healthy controls. Results comprised a 7-miRNA biosignature, showing the highest diagnostic potential for the differentiation between DLB and AD. Additionally, compared to controls, two miRNAs were down-regulated in DLB, four miRNAs were up-regulated in AD, and two miRNAs were down-regulated in PD. Predictive target analysis identified three disease-specific clusters of pathways as a result of platelet-miRNA deregulation. Our cross-sectional study assesses the identification of a novel, highly specific and sensitive platelet-associated miRNA-based bio-signature, which distinguishes DLB from AD.The paper explainedProblemDementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) presents pathological and clinical overlap with both Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), which impairs its correct diagnosis. Although numerous papers report peripheral biomarkers for AD, well-established biomarkers for DLB distinguishing it from AD are still missing. Platelet miRNA transcriptome was analyzed in several works, but their putative role as disease biomarkers for neurological disorders has not been assessed. It would be of paramount importance to establish a blood-based bio-signature as a minimally invasive mean for DLB diagnosis, improving differentiation of DLB patients from controls and AD.ResultsOur study revealed that platelet miRNAs might be promising biomarkers for the correct diagnosis of DLB stratifying patients in comparison with overlapping disorders, especially AD, and may help to highlight possible disease-related processes. In this cross-sectional study, which includes 162 individuals (DLB, AD, PD and healthy controls), platelet-associated miRNA content was disease group-specific. Three different miRNA sets together with their predicted targeted pathways were defined.ImpactThis study suggests that platelet miRNA may serve as DLB biomarker allowing the correct diagnosis and stratification in an easily-applied manner in clinical settings, and may help to highlight possible disease-related processes.

Download Full-text

Sex ratio in dementia with Lewy bodies balanced between Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease dementia: a cross-sectional study

Alzheimer s Research & Therapy ◽

10.1186/s13195-018-0417-4 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

A. Mouton ◽

F. Blanc ◽

A. Gros ◽

V. Manera ◽

R. Fabre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Sex Ratio ◽

Dementia With Lewy Bodies ◽

Lewy Bodies ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Parkinson’S Disease Dementia ◽

Cross Sectional

Download Full-text

Multimorbidity as an important issue among women: results of a gender difference investigation in a large population-based cross-sectional study in West Asia

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013548 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. e013548 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Masoomeh Alimohammadian ◽

Azam Majidi ◽

Mehdi Yaseri ◽

Batoul Ahmadi ◽

Farhad Islami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gender Difference ◽

Large Population ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

Download Full-text

Gender difference in resilience among the under graduate medical students – A cross sectional study

International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.26452/ijrps.v11ispl2.2057 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (SPL2) ◽

pp. 21-24

Author(s):

Mahati Sundar ◽

Archana R

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Gender Difference ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Female Students ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Undergraduate Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Male And Female ◽

Second Year

A health professional requires resilience to be able to handle the depression, anxiety and stress, which may occur when they are in the field. Resilience is theability to tackle and overcome difficulties, with personal transformation and growth. Studies in undergraduate medical students have shown a difference in the stress scores of males and females, showing the possibility of gender difference in coping strategies and resilience. Therefore, the objective of the study was to assess the resilience scores of undergraduate medical students and to find out the existence of gender differences in their resilience scores. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the first and second-year MBBS students of 18-25 years of age after obtaining informed consent and Institutional ethical clearance. All willing male and female students fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria formed the study participants. A standard resilience questionnaire was used to assess the resilience scores of the students and the male and female participants scores were noted separately. A total of of282 first and second-year undergraduate medical students participated in the study. A significantly higher percentage of female students had a high resilience score in comparison to male participants. Our study highlights the fact that females have a higher resilience compared to males. But still, the majority of male and female students are having moderate resilience. Thus, the future focus should be on the promotion of resilience-building measures to be taught to the students early in their medical curriculum to successfully tackle the stressful situations.

Download Full-text

Gender Difference in Associations between Chronic Temporomandibular Disorders and General Quality of Life in Koreans: A Cross-Sectional Study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0145002 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. e0145002 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Tae-Yoon Kim ◽

Joon-Shik Shin ◽

Jinho Lee ◽

Yoon Jae Lee ◽

Me-riong Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Gender Difference ◽

Temporomandibular Disorders ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

General Quality

Download Full-text

Cannabis, schizophrenia genetic risk, and psychotic experiences: a cross-sectional study of 109,308 participants from the UK Biobank

Translational Psychiatry ◽

10.1038/s41398-021-01330-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michael Wainberg ◽

Grace R. Jacobs ◽

Marta di Forti ◽

Shreejoy J. Tripathy

Keyword(s):

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Auditory Hallucinations ◽

Risk Scores ◽

Visual Hallucinations ◽

Psychotic Experiences ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Persecutory Delusions ◽

Polygenic Risk

AbstractCannabis is known to produce acute, transient psychotic-like experiences. However, it is unclear whether cannabis disproportionately increases the risk of specific types of psychotic experiences and whether genetic predisposition influences the relationship between cannabis use and psychotic experiences. In this cross-sectional study of 109,308 UK Biobank participants, we examined how schizophrenia polygenic risk modulates the association between self-reported cannabis use and four types of self-reported psychotic experiences (auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, persecutory delusions, and delusions of reference). Cohort-wide, we found a strong, dose-dependent relationship between cannabis use and all four types of psychotic experiences, especially persecutory delusions. Cannabis users’ psychotic experiences tended to be earlier-onset and cause greater distress than non-users’, but were not more likely to lead to help-seeking. Participants with high schizophrenia polygenic risk scores showed stronger associations between cannabis use and auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, and delusions of reference, as well as psychotic experiences overall. For instance, cannabis ever-use was associated with 67% greater adjusted odds of delusions of reference among individuals in the top fifth of polygenic risk, but only 7% greater adjusted odds among the bottom fifth. Our results suggest that cannabis use is a predictive risk factor for psychotic experiences, including early-onset and distressing experiences. Individuals genetically predisposed to schizophrenia may be especially vulnerable to psychotic experiences as a result of using cannabis, supporting a long-postulated hypothesis. This study exemplifies the utility of population-scale biobanks for elucidating gene-by-environment interactions relating substance use to neuropsychiatric outcomes and points to the translational potential of using polygenic risk scores to inform personalized harm reduction interventions.

Download Full-text

Platelet miRNA Biosignature Discriminates between Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Alzheimer’s Disease

Biomedicines ◽

10.3390/biomedicines9091272 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 1272

Author(s):

Ana Gámez-Valero ◽

Jaume Campdelacreu ◽

Dolores Vilas ◽

Lourdes Ispierto ◽

Jordi Gascón-Bayarri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Dementia With Lewy Bodies ◽

Lewy Bodies ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Diagnostic Potential ◽

Degenerative Dementia ◽

Mirna Deregulation

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is one of the most common causes of degenerative dementia, after Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and presents pathological and clinical overlap with both AD and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Consequently, only one in three DLB cases is diagnosed correctly. Platelets, previously related to neurodegeneration, contain microRNAs (miRNAs) whose analysis may provide disease biomarkers. Here, we profiled the whole platelet miRNA transcriptome from DLB patients and healthy controls. Differentially expressed miRNAs were further validated in three consecutive studies from 2017 to 2019 enrolling 162 individuals, including DLB, AD, and PD patients, and healthy controls. Results comprised a seven-miRNA biosignature, showing the highest diagnostic potential for the differentiation between DLB and AD. Additionally, compared to controls, two miRNAs were down-regulated in DLB, four miRNAs were up-regulated in AD, and two miRNAs were down-regulated in PD. Predictive target analysis identified three disease-specific clusters of pathways as a result of platelet-miRNA deregulation. Our cross-sectional study assesses the identification of a novel, highly specific and sensitive platelet-associated miRNA-based biosignature, which distinguishes DLB from AD.

Download Full-text