Death Rate Due to COVID-19 in Alzheimer’s Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia

We aimed to evaluate the frequency and mortality of COVID-19 in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). We conducted an observational case series. We enrolled 204 patients, 15.2% of whom were diagnosed with COVID-19, and 41.9% of patients with the infection died. Patients with AD were older than patients with FTD (80.36±8.77 versus 72.00±8.35 years old) and had a higher prevalence of arterial hypertension (55.8% versus 26.3%). COVID-19 occurred in 7.3% of patients living at home, but 72.0% of those living at care homes. Living in care facilities and diagnosis of AD were independently associated with a higher probability of death. We found that living in care homes is the most relevant factor for an increased risk of COVID-19 infection and death, with AD patients exhibiting a higher risk than those with FTD.

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Simultaneous PET-MRI Studies of the Concordance of Atrophy and Hypometabolism in Syndromic Variants of Alzheimer’s Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia: An Extended Case Series

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-150151 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 639-653 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Kuven K. Moodley ◽

Daniela Perani ◽

Ludovico Minati ◽

Pasquale Anthony Della Rosa ◽

Frank Pennycook ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Case Series ◽

Mri Studies

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Anxiety and Depression as Risk Factors in Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: The HUNT Study

Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra ◽

10.1159/000493973 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 414-425 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hege Rasmussen ◽

Tor Atle Rosness ◽

Ole Bosnes ◽

Øyvind Salvesen ◽

Marlen Knutli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Health Study ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Hunt Study ◽

Independent Risk Factors

Background: The roles of both anxiety and depression as risk factors for frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have not been previously investigated together. Objective: To study anxiety and depression as independent risk factors for FTD and AD. Methods: Eighty-four patients with FTD and 556 patients with AD were compared with 117 cognitively healthy (CH), elderly individuals. Both cases and controls were participants in the second Health Study of Nord-Trøndelag (HUNT2) from 1995 to 1997, in which depression and anxiety were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: Significant associations were found between anxiety and FTD and between depression and AD. A significantly increased risk of developing FTD was observed in patients who had reported anxiety on the HADS (p = 0.017) (odds ratio [OR]: 2.947, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.209–7.158) and a significantly increased risk of developing AD was observed in patients who had reported depression on the HADS (p = 0.016) (OR: 4.389, 95% CI: 1.311–14.690). Conclusion: Our study findings suggest that anxiety and depression may play different roles as risk factors for FTD and AD.

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Plasma cholesterol in Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia

Translational Neuroscience ◽

10.1515/tnsci-2020-0098 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 116-123

Author(s):

Pan Wang ◽

Huihong Zhang ◽

Yan Wang ◽

Miao Zhang ◽

Yuying Zhou

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Cholesterol Level ◽

Plasma Cholesterol ◽

Low Density Lipoprotein ◽

Density Lipoprotein ◽

Apoe Ε4 ◽

Cholesterol Levels ◽

Increased Risk

AbstractBackgroundThe relationship between the apolipoprotein E (APOE)-ε4 allele, triglyceride (TG) level, and cholesterol level and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been well established, but their relationship with behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is not well-known.MethodologyThe levels of TGs, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein were measured in bvFTD and AD patients and in normal controls (NCs). DNA was extracted, and APOE was genotyped.ResultsThe APOE-ε4 allele frequency was higher in the AD group than in the NC group, but no difference was found between the AD and the bvFTD groups. The bvFTD group had higher LDL than the AD group, and significant differences were also found for the cholesterol level in the dementia groups compared with the NC group. Elevated LDL level was positively correlated with appetite and eating score in the bvFTD group. Compared with the AD patients and NCs without the APOE-ε4 allele, those with the APOE-ε4 allele had higher TC, but its correlation with the bvFTD group was absent.ConclusionsThe bvFTD and the AD groups had higher cholesterol levels. The APOE-ε4 allele and eating behavior might modify lipid metabolism in dementia. TG and cholesterol analyses may offer a new opportunity for targeted treatments.

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037 Frontotemporal dementia or frontal variant alzheimer’s disease? A case series

Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry ◽

10.1136/jnnp-2019-anzan.34 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 90 (e7) ◽

pp. A13.1-A13

Author(s):

Alice Powell ◽

David Foxe ◽

Glenda M Halliday ◽

Olivier Piguet ◽

John R Hodges ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽

Neuropsychological Testing ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Case Series ◽

Imaging Features ◽

Topographical Distribution ◽

Visuospatial Skills

IntroductionAccurate prediction of the underlying neuropathology in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is essential for future targeted therapy trials and prognostication. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology has been reported in a significant proportion of patients with clinical bvFTD. We sought to determine whether detailed clinical and neuroradiological assessment was sufficient to distinguish bvFTD with AD pathology from bvFTD with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD).MethodsTwo patients with clinically diagnosed probable bvFTD but AD pathology at autopsy, were identified. The clinical, neuropsychological and imaging features of these patients were compared with those of ten patients with clinically probable bvFTD and proven FTLD pathology (tau, TDP-43, FUS).ResultsBoth patients with AD pathology presented with behavioural symptoms typical of bvFTD as well as memory impairment. Executive function, memory and visuospatial skills were impaired in both pathologic groups. Language skills were relatively spared in those with AD pathology. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were frequent in both groups but significant depression and anxiety were seen only in those with FTLD pathology. Dementia severity and caregiver burden were similar. The degree or topographical distribution of atrophy on MRI did not differ.ConclusionsAlzheimer’s pathology may cause bvFTD symptoms which are otherwise indistinguishable to those caused by FTLD pathology. While there may be subtle differences in patterns of cognitive deficits, standard neuropsychological testing is insufficient to discern the underlying pathology. Similarly, structural imaging cannot be used to reliably identify AD pathology. Better access to amyloid biomarkers may be needed to more accurately define bvFTD caused by AD pathology.

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Predictors of New-Onset Epilepsy in People With Younger-Onset Neurocognitive Disorders

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnagi.2021.637260 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 ◽

Author(s):

Xinshi Wang ◽

Samantha M. Loi ◽

Emma Foster ◽

Zhibin Chen ◽

Dennis Velakoulis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Vascular Dementia ◽

Movement Disorder ◽

Frontotemporal Dementia ◽

Smoking Status ◽

Neurocognitive Disorders ◽

Seizure Freedom ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Increased Risk

Objective: People with neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) have an increased risk of epilepsy. However, most studies investigating the risk of seizures in people with NCDs are limited to those with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD), and those who developed dementia after age 65 years. A knowledge gap exists regarding factors associated with development of epilepsy in people with younger-onset NCD, and those with non-AD and non-VD dementia subtypes. In this study, we aimed to identify the factors associated with the development of epilepsy in people with younger-onset NCDs of varied etiologies, the majority of whom had symptom onset prior to age 65 years.Participants and Methods: This was a retrospective study reviewing the medical records of consecutive people admitted with cognitive impairment to a tertiary neuropsychiatry unit between 1 January 2004 and 30 April 2019. People diagnosed with primary NCDs were included in the analysis. The prevalence and characteristics of epilepsy were described. The factors associated with developing epilepsy were identified in a binary logistic regression model.Results: A total of 427 people were included. One hundred fourteen had Alzheimer's disease, 104 frontotemporal dementia, 51 vascular dementia, 69 movement disorder-associated dementia, and 89 unspecified NCD. The median age on admission was 59 years (range 33–86) and 75.2% (n = 321/427) had young-onset NCD with onset before 65 years of age. 40/427 (9.4%) people had epilepsy, and epilepsy onset clustered between 2 years before and 6 years after the onset of cognitive decline in 80% (n = 32/40). The most frequent seizure type was focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizure (35%, n = 14/40). Most of the people (94.7%, n = 36/38) achieved seizure freedom with one or two antiseizure medications. People with unspecified NCD (compared to frontotemporal dementia and movement disorder-associated dementia, age of onset of NCDs ≤50 years, and current smoking status were independently associated with higher risk of developing epilepsy.Conclusion: Epilepsy is common in people with younger-onset NCDs, and a high index of suspicion is warranted particularly for those with unspecified subtype and smoking status. Smoking reduction or cessation should be further investigated as a potentially modifiable factor for risk reduction.

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