Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD
-
Digital Clock Drawing Test (dCDT) technology enables the examination of detailed neurocognitive behavior as behavior unfolds in real time; a capability that cannot be obtained using a traditional pen and paper testing format. ⋯ Longer age-related decision making latencies may reflect a greater need for working memory and increased self-monitoring in older subjects. These latency measures have potential to serve as neurocognitive biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and other insidious neurodegenerative disorders.
-
Episodic memory impairment is the core feature of typical Alzheimer's disease. ⋯ The combination of FCSRT and CERAD-WL improves the classification of MCI-AD and defines different prognostic profiles. These findings have important implications for clinical practice and the design of clinical trials.
-
The aim was to evaluate brain amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) using amyloid PET imaging and clarify the relationship between the annual change in Aβ deposition and disease progression. Forty-eight MCI patients underwent neuropsychological assessment and amyloid PET imaging using [11C]-PIB over a follow-up of 5.7±1.5 years. Thirty-nine MCI patients who had an amyloid-positive scan were defined as MCI due to AD, and 9 MCI patients who had an amyloid-negative scan were included. ⋯ In patients who progressed during a short duration of 1.7±0.8 years, the annual rate of increase in PIB SUVR was 0.101±0.094 (n = 16, p < 0.05), which was greater compared to patients with long conversion or stable patients. There was a negative correlation between the annual rate of increase in PIB SUVR and duration of progression to AD among individual MCI converters (r = -0.47, n = 28, p < 0.05). The patients defined as MCI due to AD could progress to AD with a shorter period if they have a greater increased annual rate in brain Aβ deposition.
-
A proportion of patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) also develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ⋯ FTD patients with a mixed bvFTD+PNFA phenotype and with a C9orf72 repeat expansion should be closely monitored for the possible development of ALS. The risk of developing ALS in FTD appears to decline with the duration of FTD symptoms.
-
Despite its popularity, the latent structure of 22-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) remains unclear. There has been no study exploring how caregiver multidimensional burden changed. ⋯ The five-factor ZBI is a psychometrically robust measure for assessing multidimensional burden in Chinese caregivers. The changes of multidimensional burden have deepened our understanding of the psychological characteristics of caregiving beyond a single total score and may be useful for developing interventions to reduce caregiver burden.