Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD
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Positron emission tomography (PET) with the glucose analog F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is widely used in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. Guidelines recommend voxel-based statistical testing to support visual evaluation of the PET images. However, the performance of voxel-based testing strongly depends on each single preprocessing step involved. ⋯ The prognostic value of voxel-based single subject analysis of brain FDG PET in MCI subjects can be improved considerably by optimizing the processing pipeline.
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While longitudinal studies have investigated the relationships between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes and dementia subtypes, the results have been contradictory. In addition, some research shows that depression accompanied by MCI might increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). ⋯ MCI subtyping could be useful in finding a prodrome for dementia and in particular for AD. The differing impacts of depressive symptoms on the development of AD suggest that the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment could differ in aMCI and naMCI patients.
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The contribution of cerebral small vessel disease to cognitive decline, especially in non-Caucasian populations, is not well established. ⋯ Frontal lacunar infarcts are associated with MCR in Indian seniors, perhaps, by contributing to slow gait and poor memory function.
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Aside from accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in the brain, Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been reported as being associated with peroxidation of major phospholipids (e.g., phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho)) and degradation of antioxidative phospholipids (e.g., ethanolamine plasmalogen (PlsEtn)). In addition to its presence in the brain, Aβ is also found in blood; however, there is still little information about the levels of PtdCho hydroperoxide (PCOOH) and PlsEtn in the blood of patients with AD. In this study, by assuming a possible interaction among Aβ, PCOOH, and PlsEtn in blood circulation, we evaluated the levels of these molecules and correlations in blood samples that had been obtained from our former AD study for PCOOH measurement (Kiko et al., J Alzheimers Dis28, 593-600, 2012). ⋯ In addition, lower PlsEtn and higher PCOOH levels were observed in red blood cells (RBCs) of patients with AD. In both AD and control blood samples, RBC PCOOH levels tended to correlate with plasma levels of Aβ40, and each PlsEtn species showed different correlations with plasma Aβ. These results, together with in vitro data suggesting Aβ aggregation due to a decrease in levels of PlsEtn having DHA, led us to deduce that Aβ is involved in alterations in levels of PCOOH and PlsEtn species observed in the blood of patients with AD.
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Decreased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid-β 1-40 (Aβ40) and amyloid-β 1-42 (Aβ42) and increased total and phosphorylated tau (t-tau, p-tau) concentrations have been described in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). ⋯ CSF biomarkers profile similar to that of CAA was observed in CAA-I (with even lower levels of Aβ42 compared to CAA). Based on our findings, high p-tau seems more specific for AD, whereas low Aβ42 differentiates CAA-I from CAA, PACNS, and controls, and low Aβ40 differentiates CAA-I from AD.