scholarly journals Spatial working memory in Alzheimer's disease: A study using the Corsi block-tapping test

2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Cristina Guariglia
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Spatial Memory ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Mild Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia

Abstract The Corsi block-tapping test was developed as a non-verbal task to measure spatial memory. In this test, cubes are tapped by the examiner in novel sequences of increasing length after which participants are required to reproduce each sequence immediately. Objectives: To evaluate spatial working memory in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Methods: 30 elderly control subjects (21 women, 9 men) and 30 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (15 women and 15 men), with 8 or more years of schooling, were evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), digit span and Corsi block-tapping test. Proportions were compared using Chi-Square, and continuous variables with the Mann-Whitney tests. Results: AD patients were older than controls (p=0.014), but there were no differences regarding gender or educational level between these groups. The performance on the Corsi block-tapping test differed between AD and control individuals (p=0.010), and between patients with moderate dementia and controls (p=0.032), but not between control individuals and patients with mild dementia (p=0.090). Conclusions: In the present study, AD patients with moderate dementia showed impairment in spatial working memory while those with mild dementia did not. This finding may be due to the relatively small sample size, but it is also possible that spatial memory may be normal in the initial (limbic) phase of AD.

scholarly journals Topographical disorientation in Alzheimer's disease

2009 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 967-972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Cristina Guariglia ◽  
Ricardo Nitrini
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Three Dimension ◽  
Route Description ◽  
Mild Dementia ◽  
Topographical Orientation ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
Topographical Disorientation

Topographical disorientation (TD) has not been as extensively studied as other frequent manifestations of Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE: To verify the occurrence of TD and to identify the neuropsychological dysfunctions associated with TD in AD. METHOD: Thirty patients with probable AD, their caregivers and 30 subjects without dementia (controls) were interviewed with a questionnaire and evaluated with tests related to topographical orientation. RESULTS: AD patients, even those with mild dementia, differ from controls in the questionnaire on topographical orientation and in most neuropsychological tests except for tests of spatial working memory, point localization, three dimension and nonsense figure copy. When the performances in the neuropsychological tests of patients with mild or moderate dementia were compared, only landmark recognition and route description were more impaired in moderate dementia. CONCLUSION: TD occurs even in mild dementia of AD, a finding apparently not explained by the impairments of more elementary spatial functions.

scholarly journals Effect of cortisol levels on working memory performance in elderly subjects with Alzheimer's disease

2008 ◽  
Vol 66 (3b) ◽  
pp. 619-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Nery de Souza-Talarico ◽  
Paulo Caramelli ◽  
Ricardo Nitrini ◽  
Eliane Corrêa Chaves
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Acute Administration ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Cortisol Levels

BACKGROUND: Subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have elevated cortisol levels as a result of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction. Acute administration of hydrocortisone has been associated with working memory (WM) performance in young adults. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether cortisol levels are associated with WM performance in subjects with AD. METHOD: Eighty subjects were included, comprising 40 patients with mild AD and 40 healthy elderly controls. WM was assessed using the Digit Span Backward test (DSB). Saliva samples were collected to determine cortisol levels. RESULTS: AD subjects had poorer performance on the DSB than controls (p=0.002) and also presented higher levels of cortisol than control group (p=0.04). No significant correlation was observed between the DSB and cortisol levels in both groups (r= -0.29). CONCLUSION: In this study, elevated cortisol levels were not associated with poorer WM performance in patients with AD or in healthy elderly subjects.

scholarly journals The effect of miR-101 on the memory of rats with a model of Alzheimer’s disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 354-359
Author(s):  
O. G. Berchenko ◽  
N. O. Levicheva ◽  
D. O. Bevzyuk ◽  
V. V. Sokolik
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Spatial Memory ◽  
Spatial Orientation ◽  
Emotional Memory ◽  
Amyloid Peptide ◽  
Adaptive Behaviour ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease

Memory impairment is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. The clinical diagnosis of the disease is made in the later stages of its development, when specific therapy of the disease is not always effective. Therefore, the detection of early behavioral manifestations of memory disorders in the development of the disease will allow the use of preventive therapy aimed at stopping the death of neurons in brain structures. A neuroethological study of working, spatial, and emotional memory was performed in rats 15–16 months of age with a model of early manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease induced by stereotactic administration of β-amyloid peptide 40 aggregates into the hippocampus. Changes in the neuroethological components of working and spatial memory have been identified. Testing of working memory showed a violation in rats of recognizing the shape of identical objects, reducing experimental activity to unfamiliar objects and their differentiation. Spatial orientation disorders have been identified in the Barnes labyrinth. Emotional memory research has shown the preservation of innate forms of protective adaptive behaviour. At the same time, vegetative indicators reflected an increase in emotional tension. Intranasal administration of liposomal miRNA miR-101 involved in liposomes to rats with a model of early manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease improved neuroethological parameters of working and spatial memory. Restoration of the level of research activity and differentiation of familiar and unfamiliar objects in the testing of working memory in rats has been established. Spatial memory in Barnes labyrinth testing was improved by reproducing spatial orientation skills and relieving emotional stress. Thus, the intranasal use of miR-101 in Alzheimer’s disease is a promising approach to prevent the development of amyloidosis and preserve memory in the early manifestations of Alz-heimer’s disease.

The Effectiveness and Safety of Chemical Drugs Combined with Acupuncture for Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shenghua Yu ◽  
Hongjie Liu ◽  
Li Xu ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Yan Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Disease Assessment ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Significant Difference

Introduction: Acupuncture has been applied with chemical drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in the clinic. Whether such combination is effective and safe should be studied although it is recommended by some researchers.Methods: To explore the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture combined with the chemical drugs for AD, databases like PubMed, Web of Science were searched to retrieve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on AD treated with acupuncture and chemical drugs to perform meta-analysis. The risk of bias in each study was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias scale. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3.Results: Five studies were included in which only donepezil combined with acupuncture was evaluated. Acupuncture combined with donepezil showed a significant difference in effectiveness rate [RR=1.45, 95% CI (1.19, 1.77), P=0.0002] compared with donepezil. On the comparison of mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score and Alzheimer's disease assessment scale cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog) score there was no difference. However, after one trial with severe AD patients was removed, acupuncture combined with donepezil showed better effect than donepezil alone. Conclusion: Acupuncture combined with donepezil could work on AD at the early stage or with mild AD, implying that acupuncture could be a complementary therapy for AD at early stage or with mild condition. Besides, scalp acupuncture seems to be more effective on improving cognitive function. However, this conclusion must be considered cautiously, given the small sample size and lack of trials of high quality. Therefore, more high-quality, multicenter, prospective, RCTs with large sample sizes are needed to further clarify the effect of acupuncture combined with chemical drugs for AD.

scholarly journals Combining Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Electroencephalography May Contribute to Assess the Severity of Alzheimer's Disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petro Julkunen ◽  
Anne M. Jauhiainen ◽  
Mervi Könönen ◽  
Ari Pääkkönen ◽  
Jari Karhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Response Characteristics ◽  
Specificity And Sensitivity

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of old age dementia, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often precedes AD. In our previous study (Julkunen et al. 2008), we found that the combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG) was able to find distinct differences in AD and MCI patients as compared to controls. Here, we reanalyzed the small sample data from our previous study with the aim to test the sensitivity of the TMS-EEG characteristics to discriminate control subjects (n=4) from MCI (n=5) and AD (n=5) subjects. Furthermore, we investigated how the TMS-EEG response characteristics related to the scores of the dementia rating scales used to evaluate the severity of cognitive decline in these subjects. We found that the TMS-EEG response P30 amplitude correlated with cognitive decline and showed good specificity and sensitivity in identifying healthy subjects from those with MCI or AD. Given the small sample size, further studies may be needed to confirm the results.

scholarly journals Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and cognitive stimulation, combined and alone, in treating individuals with mild Alzheimer’s disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Devita ◽  
Fabio Masina ◽  
Daniela Mapelli ◽  
Pasquale Anselmi ◽  
Giuseppe Sergi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cognitive Stimulation ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Immediate Memory ◽  
General Improvement

Abstract Backgrounds Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) and cognitive stimulation (CS) are the standard pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aims The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of these treatments, alone or combined, on the neuropsychological profiles of patients with AD. Methods Forty participants were assigned to three groups receiving either only AChEI (n = 14), AChEI + CS (n = 15), or only CS (n = 11). Cognition was evaluated at baseline and after three months. Linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate differences among the treatments in terms of changes in the patients’ neuropsychological profiles. Results Results, although preliminary because of the small sample size, suggest that a general improvement was found in patients who received AChEI + CS and those who received only CS compared with those who received only AChEI. Interestingly, individuals who received only CS showed a significant improvement in immediate memory recall than those who received only AChEI. Furthermore, the group receiving AChEI + CS showed an improvement in delayed recall than the other two groups. Discussion The combination of AChEI and CS seems to have the greatest benefit for patients with mild AD. More interestingly, CS alone is more effective than AChEI alone, even in improving memory, considered to be the “lost” cognitive domain in AD.

scholarly journals Low Vitamin D and Its Association with Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadia Sultan ◽  
Uzma Taimuri ◽  
Shatha Abdulrzzaq Basnan ◽  
Waad Khalid Ai-Orabi ◽  
Afaf Awadallah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Vitamin D Supplementation ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Vitamin D Levels ◽  
Prevention And Treatment

Vitamin D is a neurosteroid hormone that regulates neurotransmitters and neurotrophins. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. It increases neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor which further promotes brain health. Moreover, it is also helpful in the prevention of amyloid accumulation and promotes amyloid clearance. Emerging evidence suggests its role in the reduction of Alzheimer’s disease hallmarks such as amyloid-beta and phosphorylated tau. Many preclinical studies have supported the hypothesis that vitamin D leads to attentional, behavioral problems and cognitive impairment. Cross-sectional studies have consistently found that vitamin D levels are significantly low in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive impairment compared to healthy adults. Longitudinal studies and meta-analysis have also exhibited an association of low vitamin D with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Despite such evidence, the causal association cannot be sufficiently answered. In contrast to observational studies, findings from interventional studies have produced mixed results on the role of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment and dementia. The biggest issue of the existing RCTs is their small sample size, lack of consensus over the dose, and age of initiation of vitamin D supplements to prevent cognitive impairment. Therefore, there is a need for large double-blind randomized control trials to assess the benefits of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment.

scholarly journals Working memory task performance and chunking in early Alzheimer's disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 198 (5) ◽  
pp. 398-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Huntley ◽  
Daniel Bor ◽  
Adam Hampshire ◽  
Adrian Owen ◽  
Robert Howard
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Mild Disease ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Encoding Strategy

BackgroundChunking is a powerful encoding strategy that significantly improves working memory performance in normal young people.AimsTo investigate chunking in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease and in a control group of elderly people without cognitive impairment.MethodPeople with mild Alzheimer's disease (n = 28) were recruited and divided according to Mini-Mental State Examination score into mild and very mild disease groups. A control group of 15 elderly individuals was also recruited. All participants performed digit and spatial working memory tasks requiring either unstructured sequences or structured sequences (which encourage chunking of information) to be recalled.ResultsThe control group and both disease groups performed significantly better on structured trials of the digit working memory tasks, indicating successful use of chunking strategies to improve verbal working memory performance. The control and very mild disease groups also performed significantly better on structured trials of the spatial task, whereas those with mild disease demonstrated no significant difference between the structured and unstructured spatial conditions.ConclusionsThe ability to use chunking as an encoding strategy to improve verbal working memory performance is preserved at the mild stage of Alzheimer's disease, whereas use of chunking to improve spatial working memory is impaired by this stage. Simple training in the use of chunking might be a beneficial therapeutic strategy to prolong working memory functioning in patients at the earliest stage of Alzheimer's disease.

scholarly journals Sleep problems in Alzheimer's disease: does drug treatment help or harm?

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 219-221
Author(s):  
Katharine Smith ◽  
Mary-Jane Attenburrow
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Cochrane Review ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Drug Treatments ◽  
Size Limits ◽  
Careful Assessment

SummaryDrug treatments are commonly used for sleep disturbance in Alzheimer's disease, although none have a specific licence for this indication. This month's Cochrane review assessed the available evidence of benefit or harm in the use of these medications. The review identified two studies of melatonin, which did not show significant improvement in sleep over placebo. One study of trazodone suggested a beneficial effect on sleep, but its small sample size limits the generalisability of the results. Larger studies are needed, with careful assessment of the evidence for possible improvements in sleep but also of important side-effects such as falls and increased confusion.

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