Clinical and Functional Assessment of Dysautonomia and Its Correlation in Alzheimer’s Disease

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 592-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beata Zakrzewska-Pniewska ◽  
Malgorzata Gawel ◽  
Elzbieta Szmidt-Salkowska ◽  
Katarzyna Kepczynska ◽  
Monika Nojszewska
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Urinary Incontinence ◽  
Orthostatic Hypotension ◽  
Functional Assessment ◽  
Sympathetic Skin Response ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
The Relationship

The aims were to assess dysautonomia in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), clinically and electrophysiologically, using sympathetic skin response (SSR) test and R-R interval variation (RRIV) test and to analyze the relationship between symptoms of dysautonomia and SSR/RRIV results. A tota of 54 patients with AD and 37 controls were evaluated using Autonomic Symptoms Questionnaire and SSR/RRIV test. Clinical dysautonomia was observed in 66% of patients (eg, orthostatic hypotension in 34.5%, constipation in 17.2%, urinary incontinence in 13.8%). The SSR test was abnormal in 26%, but the RRIV test was abnormal in 97.7% of cases; there was significant difference in RRIV test results between AD and controls (R mean 8.05% and 14.6%, respectively). In AD, clinical dysautonomia occurs at a various degree, and the abnormal SSR and RRIV test results were not always related to the presence of clinical dysautonomia; this observation points that the tests could be used as a useful tool in the assessment of subclinical dysautonomia.

scholarly journals SOCIAL COGNITION AND AWARENESS IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S120-S120
Author(s):  
Marcia Dourado ◽  
Tatiana Belfort ◽  
José Simões Neto
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Social Functioning ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Consecutive Series ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Impaired Awareness ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Social cognition is the capacity to interpret and predict another’s behavior according to beliefs, intentions, and emotions, and the ability to decode environmental stimuli in order to be better able to adapt to new situations. A key question is the relationship between social cognition and awareness in dementia. This study aimed to investigate the relation between social and emotional functioning (SEF) and awareness in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In a cross-sectional design, a consecutive series of 50 people with mild to moderate AD and their 50 family caregivers were assessed. The study variables were awareness, SEF, neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognition, working memory, quality of life, functional activities, presence of depressive symptoms, and caregivers’ burden and cognition. We found a significant difference between self-rated SEF and informant-rated SEF. In 56% of the cases, self-rated SEF was lower than the informant-rated SEF. People with AD mostly (56%) had mildly impaired awareness of disease, 20% had moderate impaired awareness of disease, and 6% were unaware of the disease. A multivariate linear regression examined the association between informant-rated SEF score and the variables. The social functioning and relationship domain of awareness and informant-rated QoL of people with AD were significantly associated with informant-rated SEF. Conclusion: The relationship between informant-rated SEF and awareness of social functioning and relationship supports the multidimensional nature of awareness. SEF and awareness of social functioning shows that they are comprised of judgments related to perceptions about oneself and values qualitatively different from awareness of memory or functionality, which can be directly observed.

scholarly journals IS THERE TREATMENT EFFECT OF VINPOCETINE ON AUTONOMIC DYSFUNCTION IN RATS WITH ALZHEIMER

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Azizuddin Khan ◽  
Nazan Dolu ◽  
Seda Gündüz ◽  
Ali Yucel Kara ◽  
Hale Acer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Autonomic Dysfunction ◽  
Skin Conductance ◽  
Skin Conductance Level ◽  
Sympathetic Skin Response ◽  
Group V ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Group A ◽  
Conductance Level

Alzheimer's disease (AD) shows less autonomic dysfunction. There was lack of response or prolongation of its latency in skin sympathetic response. Vinpocetine is a classic inhibitor of PDE1 activity. Vinpocetine treatment has been shown to enhance performance on cognitive tests in humans. The efficacy of the use of vinpocetine in clinical trials has been controversial. A comparison of multiple studies evaluating vinpocetine use in Alzheimer's disease  AD was recently conducted. Objective: Our first aim was to assess dysautonomia in rat with Alzheimer's disease  AD electrophysiologically, using sympathetic skin response (SSR) test. The second aim in this study, evaluate of the effect of vinpocetine treatment on Alzheimer autonomic dysfunction and attention deficiency.Method: Rats were divided into four groups: Sham group (Group C, i.p. saline), Alzheimer group (Group A), Vinpocetine group (Group V, 5mg/kg, every other day, i.p.), Alzheimer+ Vinpocetine group (Group AV). Alzheimer's disease was induced in old male rats by AlCl3 (40 mg/kg i.p.) and D-Galactose (90 mg/kg) daily for 6 weeks. Then Skin Conductance Level (SCL), which is a sympathetic skin response parameter, was measured as tonic (no-stimuli period, 2 min) and phasic SSR (simultaneously with 15 auditory stimuli, 10 min). Tonic SSR is useful to investigate general states of arousal and alertness, while phasic SSR is useful to study multifaceted attentional processes (related to novelty, intensity). Results: SCL was difference among groups (tonic: F=21.47, p≤0.000; phasic: F=9.86, p≤0.000). Skin conductance level (SCL) was statistically lower in Group A than Group C (p≤0.005) and Group V (p≤0.000). SCL of Group V was statistically higher then Group C (p≤0.04), Group A (p≤0.000) and Group AV (p≤0.000). SCL of Group AV was lower than Group C’s (p≤0.01). Conclusion: There were no statistically difference between Group A and Group AV. We concluded that autonomic disturbances accompanied Alzheimer's disease and vinpocetine treatment couldn’t ameliorate this disturbance. Keywords: Autonomic dysfunction, Dysautonomia, Inhibitor, Skin conductance level, Sympathetic skin response  

Spouse-caregivers’ quality of life in Alzheimer's disease

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 837-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcela Moreira Lima Nogueira ◽  
Jose Pedro Simões Neto ◽  
Maria Fernanda B. Sousa ◽  
Raquel L. Santos ◽  
Rachel D. L. Rosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Sexual Satisfaction ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Spouse Caregivers ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACTBackground:The relationship between sexuality and quality of life (QoL) of spouse-caregivers remains unclear. We designed this study to evaluate the relationship between sexual satisfaction and spouse-caregivers’ QoL, and to determine the influence of the clinical characteristics of people with dementia (PWD) on spouse-caregivers’ self-reported QoL.Methods:Using a cross-sectional design, 54 PWD and their spouse-caregivers completed the QoL in Alzheimer's Disease scale (QoL-AD), questionnaire on sexual experience and satisfaction (QSES), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating scale (CDR), Assessment Scale of Psychosocial Impact of the Diagnosis of Dementia (ASPIDD), Pfeffer functional activities questionnaire (FAQ), the Cornell scale for depression in dementia (CSDD) and Zarit burden interview (ZBI). Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors that influenced the spouse-caregivers’ QoL ratings.Results:We did not find a significant difference in QoL between male and female spouse-caregivers (p = 0.71). We also found that 13% of males and 48.1% of females demonstrated moderate to severe sexual dissatisfaction. However, we did not find a significant correlation between spouse-caregivers’ QoL and sexual satisfaction (p = 0.41). The linear regression indicated that impaired awareness and lower QoL of PWD were significantly related to spouse-caregivers’ QoL (p = 0.000).Conclusions:The spouse-caregivers’ QoL is influenced by awareness of disease and PWD QoL. Our study would be helpful for the development of adequate psycho-educational approaches to increase spouse-caregivers’ QoL, considering the specificities of the couples’ relationship.

MiR-335-5p Inhibits β-Amyloid (Aβ) Accumulation to Attenuate Cognitive Deficits Through Targeting c-jun-N-terminal Kinase 3 in Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wang ◽  
Zhifu Fei ◽  
Song Luo ◽  
Hai Wang
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Transgenic Mice ◽  
Western Blot ◽  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Amyloid Aβ ◽  
Β Amyloid ◽  
The Relationship

Objectives: Alzheimer's disease (AD), also known as senile dementia, is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive impairment and personality changes. Numerous evidences have suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the pathogenesis and development of AD. However, the exact role of miR-335-5p in the progression of AD is still not clearly clarified. Methods: The protein and mRNA levels were measured by western blot and RNA extraction and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), respectively. The relationship between miR-335-5p and c-jun-N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3) was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. SH-SY5Y cells were transfected with APP mutant gene to establish the in vitro AD cell model. Flow cytometry and western blot were performed to evaluate cell apoptosis. The APP/PS1 transgenic mice were used as an in vivo AD model. Morris water maze test was performed to assess the effect of miR- 335-5p on the cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Results: The JNK3 mRNA expression and protein levels of JNK3 and β-Amyloid (Aβ) were significantly up-regulated, and the mRNA expression of miR-335-5p was down-regulated in the brain tissues of AD patients. The expression levels of miR-335-5p and JNK3 were significantly inversely correlated. Further, the dual Luciferase assay verified the relationship between miR-335- 5p and JNK3. Overexpression of miR-335-5p significantly decreased the protein levels of JNK3 and Aβ and inhibited apoptosis in SH-SY5Y/APPswe cells, whereas the inhibition of miR-335-5p obtained the opposite results. Moreover, the overexpression of miR-335-5p remarkably improved the cognitive abilities of APP/PS1 mice. Conclusion: The results revealed that the increased JNK3 expression, negatively regulated by miR-335-5p, may be a potential mechanism that contributes to Aβ accumulation and AD progression, indicating a novel approach for AD treatment.

A Biomarker Combining Imaging and Neuropsychological Assessment for Tracking Early Alzheimer's Disease in Clinical Trials

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 429-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nishant Verma ◽  
S. Natasha Beretvas ◽  
Belen Pascual ◽  
Joseph C. Masdeu ◽  
Mia K. Markey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Latent Variable ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Disease Assessment ◽  
Latent Variable Analysis ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Selection Of

Background: Combining optimized cognitive (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale- Cognitive subscale, ADAS-Cog) and atrophy markers of Alzheimer's disease for tracking progression in clinical trials may provide greater sensitivity than currently used methods, which have yielded negative results in multiple recent trials. Furthermore, it is critical to clarify the relationship among the subcomponents yielded by cognitive and imaging testing, to address the symptomatic and anatomical variability of Alzheimer's disease. Method: Using latent variable analysis, we thoroughly investigated the relationship between cognitive impairment, as assessed on the ADAS-Cog, and cerebral atrophy. A biomarker was developed for Alzheimer's clinical trials that combines cognitive and atrophy markers. Results: Atrophy within specific brain regions was found to be closely related with impairment in cognitive domains of memory, language, and praxis. The proposed biomarker showed significantly better sensitivity in tracking progression of cognitive impairment than the ADAS-Cog in simulated trials and a real world problem. The biomarker also improved the selection of MCI patients (78.8±4.9% specificity at 80% sensitivity) that will evolve to Alzheimer's disease for clinical trials. Conclusion: The proposed biomarker provides a boost to the efficacy of clinical trials focused in the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage by significantly improving the sensitivity to detect treatment effects and improving the selection of MCI patients that will evolve to Alzheimer’s disease.

Characteristics of Insulin-degrading Enzyme in Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 610-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huifeng Zhang ◽  
Dan Liu ◽  
Huanhuan Huang ◽  
Yujia Zhao ◽  
Hui Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Protein Level ◽  
Senile Plaque ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Insulin Degrading Enzyme ◽  
Degrading Enzyme ◽  
Significant Difference

Background: β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulates abnormally to senile plaque which is the initiator of Alzheimer's disease (AD). As one of the Aβ-degrading enzymes, Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) remains controversial for its protein level and activity in Alzheimer's brain. Methods: The electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, OVID and Sinomed were systemically searched up to Sep. 20th, 2017. And the published case-control or cohort studies were retrieved to perform the meta-analysis. Results: Seven studies for IDE protein level (AD cases = 293; controls = 126), three for mRNA level (AD cases = 138; controls = 81), and three for enzyme activity (AD cases = 123; controls = 75) were pooling together. The IDE protein level was significantly lower in AD cases than in controls (SMD = - 0.47, 95% CI [-0.69, -0.24], p < 0.001), but IDE mRNA and enzyme activity had no significant difference (SMD = 0.02, 95% CI [-0.40, 0.43] and SMD = 0.06, 95% CI [-0.41, 0.53] respectively). Subgroup analyses found that IDE protein level was decreased in both cortex and hippocampus of AD cases (SMD = -0.43, 95% CI [-0.71, -0.16], p = 0.002 and SMD = -0.53, 95% CI [-0.91, -0.15], p = 0.006 respectively). However, IDE mRNA was higher in cortex of AD cases (SMD = 0.71, 95% CI [0.14, 1.29], p = 0.01), not in hippocampus (SMD = -0.26, 95% CI [-0.58, 0.06]). Conclusions: Our results indicate that AD patients may have lower IDE protease level. Further relevant studies are still needed to verify whether IDE is one of the factors affecting Aβ abnormal accumulation and throw new insights for AD detection or therapy.

Orthostatic hypotension in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: a meta-analysis of prospective studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmet Turan Isik ◽  
Neziha Erken ◽  
Idil Yavuz ◽  
Derya Kaya ◽  
Mehmet Selman Ontan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Orthostatic Hypotension ◽  
Prospective Studies ◽  
Meta Analysis
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document