Clock Drawing and Frontal Lobe Behavioral Effects of Memantine in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Rater-Blinded Study

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 454-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
James F. Paskavitz ◽  
John J. Gunstad ◽  
Jesse E. Samuel
Author(s):  
J. Metuzals ◽  
D. F. Clapin ◽  
V. Montpetit

Information on the conformation of paired helical filaments (PHF) and the neurofilamentous (NF) network is essential for an understanding of the mechanisms involved in the formation of the primary lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD): tangles and plaques. The structural and chemical relationships between the NF and the PHF have to be clarified in order to discover the etiological factors of this disease. We are investigating by stereo electron microscopic and biochemical techniques frontal lobe biopsies from patients with AD and squid giant axon preparations. The helical nature of the lesion in AD is related to pathological alterations of basic properties of the nervous system due to the helical symmetry that exists at all hierarchic structural levels in the normal brain. Because of this helical symmetry of NF protein assemblies and PHF, the employment of structure reconstruction techniques to determine the conformation, particularly the handedness of these structures, is most promising. Figs. 1-3 are frontal lobe biopsies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anis Davoudi ◽  
Catherine Dion ◽  
Shawna Amini ◽  
Patrick J. Tighe ◽  
Catherine C. Price ◽  
...  

Background: Advantages of digital clock drawing metrics for dementia subtype classification needs examination. Objective: To assess how well kinematic, time-based, and visuospatial features extracted from the digital Clock Drawing Test (dCDT) can classify a combined group of Alzheimer’s disease/Vascular Dementia patients versus healthy controls (HC), and classify dementia patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) versus vascular dementia (VaD). Methods: Healthy, community-dwelling control participants (n = 175), patients diagnosed clinically with Alzheimer’s disease (n = 29), and vascular dementia (n = 27) completed the dCDT to command and copy clock drawing conditions. Thirty-seven dCDT command and 37 copy dCDT features were extracted and used with Random Forest classification models. Results: When HC participants were compared to participants with dementia, optimal area under the curve was achieved using models that combined both command and copy dCDT features (AUC = 91.52%). Similarly, when AD versus VaD participants were compared, optimal area under the curve was, achieved with models that combined both command and copy features (AUC = 76.94%). Subsequent follow-up analyses of a corpus of 10 variables of interest determined using a Gini Index found that groups could be dissociated based on kinematic, time-based, and visuospatial features. Conclusion: The dCDT is able to operationally define graphomotor output that cannot be measured using traditional paper and pencil test administration in older health controls and participants with dementia. These data suggest that kinematic, time-based, and visuospatial behavior obtained using the dCDT may provide additional neurocognitive biomarkers that may be able to identify and tract dementia syndromes.


2010 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 941-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
April R. Wiechmann ◽  
James R. Hall ◽  
Sid O'bryant

The purpose of this study was to explore the sensitivity and specificity of the Clock Drawing Test by using a widely employed four-point scoring system to discriminate between patients with Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia. Receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that the Clock Drawing Test was able to distinguish between normal elders and those with a dementia diagnosis. The cutoff score for differentiating patients with Alzheimer's disease from normal participants was = 3. The cutoff score for differentiating those with vascular disease from normal participants was = 3. Overall, the four-point scoring system demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity for identifying cognitive dysfunction associated with dementia; however, the current findings do not support the utility of the four-point scoring system in discriminating Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasushi Moriyama ◽  
Aihide Yoshino ◽  
Kaori Yamanaka ◽  
Motoichiro Kato ◽  
Taro Muramatsu ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Jiang ◽  
Gang Liu ◽  
Suhua Shi ◽  
Zhigang Li

Objectives. To compare musical electroacupuncture and electroacupuncture in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.Methods. In this study, 7.5-month-old male senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice were used as an Alzheimer’s disease animal model. In the normal control paradigm, 7.5-month-old male SAMR1 mice were used as the blank control group (N group). After 15 days of treatment, using Morris water maze test, micro-PET, and immunohistochemistry, the differences among the musical electroacupuncture (MEA), electroacupuncture (EA), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and normal (N) groups were assessed.Results. The Morris water maze test, micro-PET, and immunohistochemistry revealed that MEA and EA therapies could improve spatial learning and memory ability, glucose metabolism level in the brain, and Aβamyloid content in the frontal lobe, compared with the AD group (P<0.05). Moreover, MEA therapy performed better than EA treatment in decreasing amyloid-beta levels in the frontal lobe of mice with AD.Conclusion. MEA therapy may be superior to EA in treating Alzheimer’s disease as demonstrated in SAMP8 mice.


2003 ◽  
Vol 59 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 173-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasilis P Bozikas ◽  
Mary H Kosmidis ◽  
Anastasios Kourtis ◽  
Katerina Gamvrula ◽  
Petros Melissidis ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
So Hee Park ◽  
Kyoungwon Baik ◽  
Seun Jeon ◽  
Won Seok Chang ◽  
Byoung Seok Ye ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Focused ultrasound (FUS)-mediated blood–brain barrier (BBB) opening has shown efficacy in removal of amyloid plaque and improvement of cognitive functions in preclinical studies, but this is rarely reported in clinical studies. This study was conducted to evaluate the safety, feasibility and potential benefits of repeated extensive BBB opening. Methods In this open-label, prospective study, six patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) were enrolled at Severance Hospital in Korea between August 2020 and September 2020. Five of them completed the study. FUS-mediated BBB opening, targeting the bilateral frontal lobe regions over 20 cm3, was performed twice at three-month intervals. Magnetic resonance imaging, 18F-Florbetaben (FBB) positron emission tomography, Caregiver-Administered Neuropsychiatric Inventory (CGA-NPI) and comprehensive neuropsychological tests were performed before and after the procedures. Results FUS targeted a mean volume of 21.1 ± 2.7 cm3 and BBB opening was confirmed at 95.7% ± 9.4% of the targeted volume. The frontal-to-other cortical region FBB standardized uptake value ratio at 3 months after the procedure showed a slight decrease, which was statistically significant, compared to the pre-procedure value (− 1.6%, 0.986 vs1.002, P = 0.043). The CGA-NPI score at 2 weeks after the second procedure significantly decreased compared to baseline (2.2 ± 3.0 vs 8.6 ± 6.0, P = 0.042), but recovered after 3 months (5.2 ± 5.8 vs 8.6 ± 6.0, P = 0.89). No adverse effects were observed. Conclusions The repeated and extensive BBB opening in the frontal lobe is safe and feasible for patients with AD. In addition, the BBB opening is potentially beneficial for amyloid removal in AD patients.


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