scholarly journals Value of Neuropsychological Tests to Identify Patients with Depressive Symptoms on the Alzheimer’s Disease Continuum

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 819-826
Author(s):  
Felix Menne ◽  
Carola Gertrud Schipke ◽  
Arne Klostermann ◽  
Manuel Fuentes-Casañ ◽  
Silka Dawn Freiesleben ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Geriatric Depression Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Csf Biomarkers

Background: Depressive symptoms often co-occur with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and can impact neuropsychological test results. In early stages of AD, disentangling cognitive impairments due to depression from those due to neurodegeneration often poses a challenge. Objective: We aimed to identify neuropsychological tests able to detect AD-typical pathology while taking into account varying degrees of depressive symptoms. Methods: A battery of neuropsychological tests (CERAD-NP) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were assessed, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers were obtained. After stratifying patients into CSF positive or negative and into low, moderate, or high GDS score groups, sensitivity and specificity and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated for each subtest. Results: 497 participants were included in the analyses. In patients with low GDS scores (≤10), the highest AUC (0.72) was achieved by Mini-Mental State Examination, followed by Constructional Praxis Recall and Wordlist Total Recall (AUC = 0.714, both). In patients with moderate (11–20) and high (≥21) GDS scores, Trail Making Test-B (TMT-B) revealed the highest AUCs with 0.77 and 0.82, respectively. Conclusion: Neuropsychological tests showing AD-typical pathology in participants with low GDS scores are in-line with previous results. In patients with higher GDS scores, TMT-B showed the best discrimination. This indicates the need to focus on executive function rather than on memory task results in depressed patients to explore a risk for AD.

scholarly journals Neurogranin and BACE1 in CSF as Potential Biomarkers Differentiating Depression with Cognitive Deficits from Early Alzheimer’s Disease: A Pilot Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola G. Schipke ◽  
Ann De Vos ◽  
Manuel Fuentes ◽  
Dirk Jacobs ◽  
Eugeen Vanmechelen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Geriatric Depression Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Csf Biomarkers ◽  
Postsynaptic Protein ◽  
Depressive Symptom Severity ◽  
Early Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
T Tau

Background/Aims: Major depressive disorder (MDD) can cooccur with early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or may cause memory problems independently of AD. Previous studies have suggested that the AD-related cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers tau and Aβ(1–42) could help discriminate between early AD and depression unrelated to AD. Moreover, the postsynaptic protein neurogranin and presynaptic BACE1 have increasingly gained attention as potential new AD biomarkers, but they have not yet been investigated concerning depression. Methods: Using ELISAs, we studied CSF neurogranin and BACE1 levels in patients with mild (n = 21) and moderate (n = 19) AD, as well as in MDD patients with (n = 20) and without (n = 20) cognitive deficits. The clinical examinations included analyses of t-tau, Aβ(1–42), and Aβ(1–40), besides neuropsychological tests and cranial magnetic resonance imaging. Depressive symptom severity was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Results: Along with classic AD biomarkers, neurogranin and BACE1 CSF levels differed between moderate AD and MDD (p ≤ 0.01). MDD associated with cognitive deficits was distinguished from mild AD through the CSF neurogranin/BACE1 ratio (p < 0.05), which was strongly correlated with GDS scores (ρ = –0.656; p < 0.01). Conclusion: The neurogranin/BACE1 ratio in CSF can distinguish between depression and AD among patients with similar cognitive deficits, along with the classic AD biomarkers. Further longitudinal studies are ongoing to identify which biomarkers have prognostic value.

scholarly journals Awareness of the COVID-19 Outbreak and Resultant Depressive Tendencies in Patients with Severe Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 539-541
Author(s):  
Akito Tsugawa ◽  
Shu Sakurai ◽  
Yuta Inagawa ◽  
Daisuke Hirose ◽  
Yoshitsugu Kaneko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Recognition Rate ◽  
Geriatric Depression Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Geriatric Depression ◽  
Severe Dementia ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
Current Events

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has substantially affected patients with dementia and their caregivers. However, we found not all Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients were afraid of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, we investigated the association between rate of awareness of COVID-19 and depressive tendency in AD. 126 consecutive outpatients with AD were enrolled in this study from May 25, on the day when the declaration of emergency was lifted in Japan, through June 30, 2020. In addition to routine psychological tests, the participants were asked the following two questions: “Do you know COVID-19?” and “Why are you wearing a face mask?”. Moderate to severe AD patients were found to have a low COVID-19 recognition rate and did not fully understand why they were wearing face masks. In addition, because they did not understand the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak, their Geriatric Depression Scale scores were also substantially lower. These results may appear to simply indicate that people with severe dementia are unaware of current events. However, these results provide insights into how to care for patients with dementia and how to allocate the time and support of our limited staff during the COVID-19 outbreak.

scholarly journals Determining Filipino Normative Data for a Battery of Neuropsychological Tests: The Filipino Norming Project (FNP)

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-270
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Cotoong Dominguez ◽  
Thien Kieu Thi Phung ◽  
Ma. Fe Payno de Guzman ◽  
Krizelle Cleo Fowler ◽  
Macario Reandelar Jr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Normative Data ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Test Battery ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Neuropsychological Test Battery ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Effect Of Age

Background: Filipino normative data for neuropsychological tests are lacking. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the Filipino normative data for the Filipino Norming Project (FNP) Neuropsychological Battery, combining the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale – Cognitive (ADAS-Cog) and the Neuropsychological Test Battery from the Uniform Dataset of Alzheimer’s Disease Center (UDS-ADC). Methods: We recruited participants 60 years and older with normal cognition (MMSE score of 25 and above and did not fulfill criteria for dementia according to DSM-IV criteria). Psychologists administered the tests to the study participants. We conducted multivariate analyses to study the effect of age, gender, and education on test performance. Results: A total of 191 participants underwent the FNP Neuropsychological Test Battery. The mean age was 68.8 years (SD 5.4). The majority were female (84.1%). The mean score of ADAS-Cog was 9.98 (SD 4.74). The effect of education was prominent throughout the cognitive domains tested while the effect of age was limited to a few cognitive domains. The mean ADAS-Cog scores were 11.80 ± 4.40 for primary education, 9.93 ± 5.08 for secondary, and 8.15 ± 3.95 for tertiary. On average, women scored 2.75 points lower than men and performed better on the verbal components. Men performed better on the constructional praxis component. The same effect of education and gender was observed for the UDS-ADC. Conclusion: For the first time, normative data are available for the ADAS-Cog and UDS-ADC for a Filipino older population. This study stresses the importance of establishing population-specific normative data, taking into account the specific sociocultural and linguistic context of that population.

scholarly journals Isoprostanoids Levels in Cerebrospinal Fluid Do Not Reflect Alzheimer’s Disease

Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 407
Author(s):  
Carmen Peña-Bautista ◽  
Miguel Baquero ◽  
Marina López-Nogueroles ◽  
Máximo Vento ◽  
David Hervás ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Lipid Peroxidation ◽  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Mini Mental State Examination ◽  
Csf Biomarkers ◽  
Plasma Samples ◽  
Neuropsychological Status ◽  
State Examination

Previous studies showed a relationship between lipid oxidation biomarkers from plasma samples and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), constituting a promising diagnostic tool. In this work we analyzed whether these plasma biomarkers could reflect specific brain oxidation in AD. In this work lipid peroxidation compounds were determined in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from AD and non-AD (including other neurological pathologies) participants, by means of an analytical method based on liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Statistical analysis evaluated correlations between biological matrices. The results did not show satisfactory correlations between plasma and CSF samples for any of the studied lipid peroxidation biomarkers (isoprostanes, neuroprostanes, prostaglandines, dihomo-isoprostanes). However, some of the analytes showed correlations with specific CSF biomarkers for AD and with neuropsychological tests (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS)). In conclusion, lipid peroxidation biomarkers in CSF samples do not reflect their levels in plasma samples, and no significant differences were observed between participant groups. However, some of the analytes could be useful as cognitive decline biomarkers.

scholarly journals CSF and blood Kallikrein-8: a promising early biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Teuber-Hanselmann ◽  
Jan Rekowski ◽  
Jonathan Vogelgsang ◽  
Christine von Arnim ◽  
Kathrin Reetz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Csf Biomarkers ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Mci Due To Ad

ObjectiveThere is still an urgent need for supportive minimally invasive and cost-effective biomarkers for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Previous work in our lab has identified Kallikrein-8 (KLK8) as a potential candidate since it shows an excessive increase in human brain in preclinical disease stages. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood KLK8 for AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD.MethodsIn this multi-centre trans-sectional study, clinical and laboratory data as well as CSF and/or blood serum samples of 237 participants, including 98 patients with mild AD, 21 with MCI due to AD and 118 controls were collected. CSF and/or serum KLK8 levels were analysed by ELISA. The diagnostic accuracy of KLK8 in CSF and blood was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses and compared with that of CSF core biomarkers Aβ42, P-tau and T-tau.ResultsThe diagnostic accuracy of CSF KLK8 was as good as that of core CSF biomarkers for AD (area under the curve (AUC)=0.89) and in case of MCI (AUC=0.97) even superior to CSF Aβ42. Blood KLK8 was a similarly strong discriminator for MCI (AUC=0.94) but slightly weaker for AD (AUC=0.83).ConclusionsThis is the first study to demonstrate the potential clinical utility of blood and CSF KLK8 as a biomarker for incipient AD. Future prospective validation studies are warranted.

Canadian Collaborative Study of Tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA) and Lecithin Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease: Effect on Mood

1989 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Vida ◽  
Louise Gauthier ◽  
Serge Gauthier
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Treatment Period ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor ◽  
Collaborative Study ◽  
Geriatric Depression Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Significant Degree ◽  
Disability Rating Scale

Several lines of evidence have implicated acetylcholine (ACh) as one of the neurotransmitters found to be decreased in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Various methods of cholinergic augmentation have been attempted, with mixed results. Tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA), an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, is currently being investigated at the McGill Centre for Studies in Aging. Preliminary uncontrolled data from a 10-week clinical trial of THA and lecithin, reported elsewhere, suggest a clinically modest but statistically significant beneficial effect on cognition, although problems exist with side effects, particularly gastrointestinal. Since the suggestion by Janowsky in 1972 that cholinergic neurotransmission may exert an inhibitory or depressant effect on mood, the evidence accumulated in the literature has been inconclusive. We undertook to assess several potential pretreatment correlates of depressive symptoms in AD and to monitor the course of these symptoms during the 10 week treatment period, using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) of Brink and Yesavage. Pretreatment GDS scores were found to correlate with degree of overall disability and dementia as measured by the Rapid Disability Rating Scale (RDRS) and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMS), respectively. GDS scores over the treatment period did not change to a statistically significant degree. The meaning of these results is discussed, particularly with reference to the difficulty of diagnosis and measurement of depression in the setting of dementia.

scholarly journals Changes of Regional Neural Activity Homogeneity in Preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease: Compensation and Dysfunction

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Zhang ◽  
Liang Cui ◽  
Yanlu Huang ◽  
Yu Chen ◽  
Yuehua Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Neuropsychological Tests ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Potential Biomarker

IntroductionSubjective cognitive decline (SCD) is the preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease and may develop into amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). Finding suitable biomarkers is the key to accurately identifying SCD. Previous resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) studies on SCD patients showed functional connectivity disorders. Our goal was to explore whether local neurological homogeneity changes in SCD patients, the relationship between these changes and cognitive function, and similarities of neurological homogeneity changes between SCD and aMCI patients.Materials and Methods37 cases of the healthy control (HC) group, 39 cases of the SCD group, and 28 cases of the aMCI group were included. Participants underwent rs-fMRI examination and a set of neuropsychological test batteries. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) was calculated and compared between groups. ReHo values were extracted from meaningful regions in the SCD group, and the correlation between ReHo values with the performance of neuropsychological tests was analyzed.ResultsOur results showed significant changes in the ReHo among groups. In the SCD group compared with the HC group, part of the parietal lobe, frontal lobe, and occipital lobe showed decreased ReHo, and the temporal lobe, part of the parietal lobe and the frontal lobe showed increased ReHo. The increased area of ReHo was negatively correlated with the decreased area, and was related to decrease on multiple neuropsychological tests performance. Simultaneously, the changed areas of ReHo in SCD patients are similar to aMCI patients, while aMCI group’s neuropsychological test performance was significantly lower than that of the SCD group.ConclusionThere are significant changes in local neurological homogeneity in SCD patients, and related to the decline of cognitive function. The increase of neurological homogeneity in the temporal lobe and adjacent area is negatively correlated with cognitive function, reflecting compensation for local neural damage. These changes in local neurological homogeneity in SCD patients are similar to aMCI patients, suggesting similar neuropathy in these two stages. However, the aMCI group’s cognitive function was significantly worse than that of the SCD group, suggesting that this compensation is limited. In summary, regional neural activity homogeneity may be a potential biomarker for identifying SCD and measuring the disease severity.

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