scholarly journals Gustatory Dysfunction as an Early Symptom of Semantic Dementia

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariko Sakai ◽  
Hiroaki Kazui ◽  
Kazue Shigenobu ◽  
Kenjiro Komori ◽  
Manabu Ikeda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Semantic Dementia ◽  
Recognition Threshold ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Threshold Values ◽  
Clinical Dementia Rating ◽  
Early Symptom ◽  
Taste Discrimination ◽  
Detection And Recognition

Objective: To investigate the gustatory function in patients with semantic dementia (SD). Methods: Detection and recognition thresholds of the 4 basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, and bitter), taste discrimination, and taste identification were evaluated in 18 patients with SD, 18 patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), and 22 healthy controls. Results: Total detection and recognition threshold values were significantly higher in the SD and AD groups than in the control group. Patients with early-stage SD (Clinical Dementia Rating Scale score 0.5) exhibited significantly higher detection and recognition thresholds relative to controls, while increases in recognition threshold were only noted in patients with AD. Patients with SD exhibited significantly higher thresholds for the detection of sweet and salty tastes and the recognition of salty, sour, and bitter tastes, while patients with AD exhibited significantly higher thresholds only for the recognition of salty and sour tastes. Taste discrimination was preserved, whereas taste identification was disturbed, in both the SD and AD groups. Conclusions: Gustatory dysfunction at both the sensory and semantic levels may be among the early symptoms of SD. Although patients with SD had difficulty detecting sweet tastes, they more easily recognized these tastes than others, which may explain their strong preference for sweets.

A new complementary approach to endoscopy for esophageal cancer diagnosis.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 42-42
Author(s):  
Gengxi Jiang ◽  
Hongmei Tao ◽  
Xing Tang ◽  
Da Lou ◽  
Yue Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Esophageal Cancer ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Squamous Carcinoma ◽  
Pathological Examination ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Threshold Values ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Therapeutic Decision Making

42 Background: For esophageal cancer, no viable non-invasive detection technologies are available today. In earlier investigations, Cancer Differentiation Analysis (CDA) Technology which measures information relating to both protein fragments and cellular signals in blood samples in a single test has showed a significant advantage in esophageal cancer diagnosis. Methods: Blood samples from 105 individuals in EDTA tubes were collected from Shanghai Changhai Hospital, China, between July and December 2014, CDA and endoscopy tests were carried out on all samples before clinically diagnosed. A performance predication model of CDA and endoscopy test results was built using pROC package in R Language for the data of Area Under the Curve (AUC) and CDA threshold values. Further analysis was carried out based on the CDA threshold values. Results: Out of the 105 individuals, samples from 6 individuals diagnosed as esophageal benign diseases were selected as control group. 99 samples from individuals diagnosed as esophageal cancer, of which 3 and 82 cases were adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma, 2, 26, 33, 31 and 7 cases were classified as stage 0,I,II, III, IV, respectively. Details of AUC results of endoscopy, and CDA plus endoscopy for each group were given in Table 1 below. Conclusions: Even though the sensitivity of the endoscopy is usually high due to its pathological examination, this investigation showed that CDA technology could further enhance the diagnosis sensitivity of endoscope, especially for early stage of esophageal cancer, and it (CDA) can be an effective complementary tool to clinical diagnosis and operation determination while obtaining the pathological information via endoscopy. In conclusion, CDA technology is of great value in esophageal diagnosis and therapeutic decision-making. [Table: see text]

scholarly journals Association between plasma exosome neurogranin and brain structure in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: a protocol study

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. e036990 ◽  
Author(s):  
MengFei He ◽  
Li Sun ◽  
Wenhui Cao ◽  
Changhao Yin ◽  
Wenqiang Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Blood Collection ◽  
Clinical Dementia Rating ◽  
Protocol Study ◽  
Medical University

IntroductionNeurogranin is known to be significantly elevated in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and may be an effective clinical predictor of cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) is an intermediate disease state between normal cognitive ageing and dementia, the latter of which can easily revert to AD. There remains significant uncertainty regarding the conversion of aMCI to AD, and therefore, elucidating such progression is paramount to the field of cognitive neuroscience. In this protocol study, we therefore aim to investigate the changes in plasma neurogranin in the early stage of AD and the mechanism thereof regarding the cognitive progression towards AD.Methods and analysisIn this study, patients with aMCI and AD patients (n=70 each) will be recruited at the memory clinic of the Department of Neurology of Hongqi Hospital affiliated with the Mudanjiang Medical University of China. Healthy older controls (n=70) will also be recruited from the community. All subjects will undergo neuroimaging and neuropsychological evaluations in addition to blood collection at the first year and the third year. We hope to identify a new biomarker of cognitive decline associated with AD and characterise its behaviour throughout the progression of aMCI to AD. This work will reveal novel targets for the therapeutic prevention, diagnosis and treatment of AD. The primary outcome measures will be (1) neuropsychological evaluation, including Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Clinical Dementia Rating scale, Shape Trail Test-A&B, Auditory Verbal Learning Test-HuaShan version; (2) microstructural alterations and hippocampal features from MRI scans; and (3) neurogranin levels in the neuronal-derived exosomes from peripheral blood samples.Ethics and disseminationThe ethics committee of the Hongqi Hospital affiliated with the Mudanjiang Medical University of China has approved this study protocol. The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national or international scientific conferences.Trial registration numberChiCTR2000029055.

scholarly journals Identification of Cathepsin D as a Plasma Biomarker for Alzheimer’s Disease

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
Jae-Whan Kim ◽  
Soon-Young Jung ◽  
Youngbin Kim ◽  
Hansol Heo ◽  
Chang-Hyung Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cathepsin D ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Clinical Dementia Rating ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Lysosomal Protease

Although Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, there are still no drugs available to treat or prevent AD effectively. Here, we examined changes in levels of selected proteins implicated in the pathogenesis of AD using plasma samples of control subjects and patients with cognition impairment. To precisely categorize the disease, fifty-six participants were examined with clinical cognitive tests, amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scan, and white matter hyperintensities scored by magnetic resonance imaging. Plasma cathepsin D levels of the subjects were examined by immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Correlation of plasma cathepsin D levels with AD-related factors and clinical characteristics were examined by statistical analysis. By analyzing quantitative immunoblot and ELISA, we found that the plasma level of cathepsin D, a major lysosomal protease, was decreased in the group with amyloid plaque deposition at the brain compared to the control group. The level of plasma cathepsin D was negatively correlated with clinical dementia rating scale sum of boxes (CDR-SB) scores. In addition, our integrated multivariable logistic regression model suggests the high performance of plasma cathepsin D level for discriminating AD from non-AD. These results suggest that the plasma cathepsin D level could be developed as a diagnostic biomarker candidate for AD.

Biological and Phytochemical Screening of Fumaria indica extract on Chemically Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Reference to Biochemical Parameters

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (02) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irfan Aziz ◽  
Birendra Shrivastava ◽  
Chandana Venkateswara Rao2 ◽  
Sadath Ali
Keyword(s):  
Free Radicals ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Food Additives ◽  
Ethanolic Extract ◽  
Hepatoprotective Activity ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Toxic Industrial Chemicals

Liver disease or liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer mortality in the world. Hepatitis viral infection, food additives, alcohol, fungal toxins (aflatoxins), toxic industrial chemicals, air and water pollutants are the major risk factors of liver cancer. Moreover, due to high tolerance of liver, HCC is seldom detected at an early stage and once detected treatment faces a poor prognosis in most cases.Fumaria indica possesses hepatoprotective activity as evidenced by the significant and dose dependent restoring the activities of entire liver cancer marker enzymes, diminution in tumor incidence, decrease in lipid peroxidation (LPO) and increase in the level of antioxidant enzymes (GSH, CAT, SOD, GPx and GST) through scavenging of free radicals, or by enhancing the activity of antioxidant, which then detoxify free radicals. These factors protect cells from ROS damage in NDEA and CCl4-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Histopathological observations of liver tissues too correlated with the biochemical observations. Thus, present investigation suggested that the Fumaria indica would exert a chemoprotective effect by reversing the oxidant-antioxidant imbalance during hepatocarcinogenesis induced by NDEA and CCl4. Besides Fumaria indicais very much effective in preventing NDEA-induced multistage hepatocarcinogenesis possibly through antioxidant and antigenotoxic nature, which was confirmed by various liver injury and biochemical tumour markers enzymes. The hepatoprotective activity of a Fumaria indicaof 50 % ethanolic extract was studied using rats. The animals received a single intraperitoneal injection of N-nitrosodiethylamine 200mg/kg body wt followed by subcutaneous injection of CCl4 in a dose of 3 ml/kg body wt. Fumaria indica extract dose dependently and significantly the increase in serum hepatic enzyme levels after NDEAand CCl4 treatment compared to the toxin control group. The results of this study confirmed the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of the Fumaria indicaextract against carbon tetrachlorideand N-nitrosodiethylamine induced hepatotoxicity in rats. In addition to this, studies on molecular aspect of hepatoprotective therapy will give mechanistic information in hepatoprotective therapy and also critical balance should be there between the animal model and clinical research. The hepatoprotective properties of Fumaria indicashould provide useful information in the possible application in hepatic liver disease.

Comparison of Analgesic Effect of Levobupivacaine with Dexmedetomidine and Levobupivacaine for Scalp Block before Supratentorial Craniotomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 103 (10) ◽  
pp. 1028-1035
Keyword(s):  
Postoperative Pain ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Numerical Rating Scale ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Analgesic Requirement ◽  
Supratentorial Craniotomy ◽  
Numerical Rating ◽  
Fentanyl Consumption ◽  
Scalp Block

Background: Craniotomy causes acute and chronic pain. Uncontrolled postoperative pain may lead to adverse events. Perioperative scalp nerves block is not only effective in reducing intraoperative hemodynamic response, but it also reduces postoperative pain and postoperative analgesia requirement. Objective: To compare the benefits of adding dexmedetomidine to levobupivacaine in scalp nerves block before craniotomy for the duration of analgesia in supratentorial craniotomy. Materials and Methods: After approval by the Committee for Research, 50 supratentorial craniotomy patients were randomized into two groups. The control group received 30 mL scalp nerves block with 0.25% levobupivacaine with adrenaline 1:200,000, whereas the study group received 30 mL scalp nerves block with 0.25% levobupivacaine with adrenaline 1:200,000 plus dexmedetomidine 1 mcg/kg. The primary outcome was the time to first analgesic requirement postoperatively. The secondary outcomes included intraoperative fentanyl consumption, verbal numerical rating scale, tramadol consumption, and complications during the first 24 hours postoperatively. Results: Patients in the study group had significantly increase time to the first analgesic requirement in postoperative period and reduced intraoperative fentanyl consumption. The median time to first analgesic requirement was 555 (360 to 1,035) minutes in the study group versus 405 (300 to 520) minutes in the control group (p=0.023). Intraoperative fentanyl consumption 125 (75 to 175) mcg in the study group was significantly lower than 200 (150 to 250) mcg in the control group (p=0.02). The verbal numerical rating scale at 1, 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours postoperatively, tramadol consumption, and complications during the first 24 hours postoperatively were not statistically significant different. Conclusion: Preoperative scalp nerves block with 0.25% levobupivacaine with adrenaline (1:200,000) with dexmedetomidine 1 mcg/kg significantly increased the time to first analgesic requirement and reduced intraoperative fentanyl consumption compared to 0.25% levobupivacaine with adrenaline (1:200,000) without perioperative complications. Keywords: Scalp block, Dexmedetomidine, Post-craniotomy analgesia, Supratentorial tumor, Levobupivacaine

The effectiveness of discharge planning and range of motion (ROM) training in increasing muscle strength of nonhemorrhagic stroke patients

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Mohamat Iskandar
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Strength ◽  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Discharge Planning ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Planning Program ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Central Java

Background: Non-hemorrhagic stroke patients experience hemiparesis, an improper handling results in joint contractures. Discharge planning combined with a range of motion (ROM) training given to patients and their families are expected to improve muscle strength in patients after returning from the hospital. Aims: This study is to identify the effectiveness of discharge planning in increasing muscle strength. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-posttest design. A total of 34 respondents were selected by cluster random sampling technique, from RAA Soewondo Pati General Hospital of Pati, Central Java, Indonesia. The respondents were divided equally into two groups; an intervention group (N = 17) was given a discharge planning program together with stroke information and range of motion (ROM) training while the control group (N = 17) received a standard discharge planning available in the hospital. Further, Muscle Rating Scale (MRS) was employed to assess the muscle strength on the 2nd, 7th, and 14th day after discharge planning presented to the nonhemorrhagic stroke patients. Results: This present study clearly acknowledges the standard discharge planning program available in the hospital improve the muscle strength of the upper and lower extremity in the nonhemorrhagic stroke patients just 2nd day after the care (pretest), and the significant improvement was observed until the day 14. Moreover, combining the care with ROM training at the intervention group faster the recovery and the muscle strength improved significantly at the 7th day and continue increase at the day 14. Looking to the muscle strength since the 2nd day to the day 14, respectively the muscle strength of upper and lower limb at the control group improved at the point of 0.588 and 0.882, while at the group received the ROM training reached the value of 1.472 and 1.412. Conclusions: The ROM training combined to the current discharge planning program will faster the muscle strength recovery of the nonhemorrhagic stroke patients. This research provide insight how family plays important role to the success in monitoring the rehabilitation and recovery progress. 

Retinol, α-Tocopherol and Vitamin D3 in White MuscleDisease

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 6029-2018
Author(s):  
HANDAN MERT ◽  
SERKAN YİLDİRİM ◽  
IBRAHİM HAKKİ YORUK ◽  
KİVANC IRAK ◽  
BAHAT COMBA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Vitamin D3 ◽  
White Muscle ◽  
Bone Structure ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Muscle Disease ◽  
Control Group ◽  
White Muscle Disease ◽  
Fat Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins are essential for the health of all living organisms. Vitamins E, A, D and K are known as fat-soluble vitamins, and deprivation of vitamin E causes various disorders, especially in the reproduction and cardiovascular systems and in muscle functions. Vitamin A, on the other hand, has roles in various biological functions – like eyesight – and the growth, reproduction and differentiation of epithelial cells. Vitamin A deficiency leads to the keratinization of the epithelium, and disorders related to the metaplasies of the genital and genitourinary systems. Conversely, vitamin D is defined as a pro-hormone and is responsible for Cahomeostasis, and thus indirectly affects the bone metabolism, bone structure, and cellular and neural functions of Ca. White muscle disease (WMD) can occur in newborn lambs, but is more commonly seen in lambs of up to 3 months of age. In this study, 30 lambs of 3 to 50-days-old from different flocks diagnosed with White Muscle Disease (WMD) were selected as research material, while the control group consisted of 8 healthy lambs. With the aim of clarifying the cause of WMD, serum fat-soluble vitamins, retinol, α-tocopherol and vitamin D3 levels were determined in 16 lambs. Gluteal and heart musclet issue samples also were taken from 30 lambs with WMD. The vitamin levels of the samples were analysed by HPLC. The levels of serum α-tocopherol, retinols, and vitamin D3 were foundto be low in the diseased animals, but only retinol (p<0.001) and α-tocopherol (p<0.0011) level differences were statistically relevant. Macroscopically, Zenker’s necrosis was determined in the heart muscles of 17 lambs, and in the gluteal and chest muscles of 6 lambs. 7 lambs displayed necrosis in both their heart and in gluteal muscles. The samples were analyzed microscopically to reach similar findings: swollen homogeneous pink muscles, pycnotic nuclei, and hyperaemic and haemorrhagic blood vessels in gluteal, chest and heart muscles. Hyaline degeneration and Zenker's necrosis, dystrophic regions in necrotic areas, cc was detected as a severe disease in lambs at an early stage of life with advanced degeneration in different muscle tissues. Deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins was also detected in the sick animals. Control group lambs had higher levels of α tocopherol and retinol (p<0.001) compared to the sick lambs. .

Effect of the Interaction Between Hypertension and Cerebral White Matter Changes on the Progression of Alzheimer Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (14) ◽  
pp. 1354-1360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping-Song Chou ◽  
Yi-Hui Kao ◽  
Meng-Ni Wu ◽  
Mei-Chuan Chou ◽  
Chun-Hung Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Alzheimer Disease ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
Cerebral White Matter ◽  
Clinical Dementia Rating ◽  
White Matter Changes ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Mean

Background: Cerebrovascular pathologies and hypertension could play a vital role in Alzheimer disease (AD) progression. However, whether cerebrovascular pathologies and hypertension accelerate the AD progression through an independent or interaction effect is unknown. Objective: To investigate the effect of the interactions of cerebrovascular pathologies and hypertension on AD progression. Method: A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted to compare AD courses in patients with different severities of cerebral White Matter Changes (WMCs) in relation to hypertension. Annual comprehensive psychometrics were performed. WMCs were rated using a rating scale for Age-related WMCs (ARWMC). Results: In total, 278 patients with sporadic AD were enrolled in this study. The mean age of the patients was 76.6 ± 7.4 years, and 166 patients had hypertension. Among AD patients with hypertension, those with deterioration in clinical dementia rating-sum of box (CDR-SB) and CDR had significantly severe baseline ARWMC scales in total (CDR-SB: 5.8 vs. 3.6, adjusted P = 0.04; CDR: 6.4 vs. 4.4, adjusted P = 0.04) and frontal area (CDR-SB: 2.4 vs. 1.2, adjusted P = 0.01; CDR: 2.4 vs. 1.7, adjusted P < 0.01) compared with those with no deterioration in psychometrics after adjustment for confounders. By contrast, among AD patients without hypertension, no significant differences in ARWMC scales were observed between patients with and without deterioration. Conclusion: The effect of cerebrovascular pathologies on AD progression between those with and without hypertension might differ. An interaction but not independent effect of hypertension and WMCs on the progression of AD is possible.

scholarly journals Ultrasound-guided superficial cervical plexus block for analgesia in patients undergoing craniotomy via suboccipital retrosigmoid approach: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e034003
Author(s):  
Kun Peng ◽  
Min Zeng ◽  
Jia Dong ◽  
Xiang Yan ◽  
Dexiang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nerve Block ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Numerical Rating Scale ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cervical Plexus ◽  
Ethics Review ◽  
Superficial Cervical Plexus Block ◽  
Cervical Plexus Block ◽  
Plexus Block

IntroductionScalp nerve block has been proven to be an alternative choice to opioids in multimodal analgesia. However, for the infratentorial space-occupying craniotomy, especially the suboccipital retrosigmoid craniotomy, scalp nerve block is insufficient.Methods and analysisThe study is a prospective, single-centre, randomised, paralleled-group controlled trial. Patients scheduled to receive elective suboccipital retrosigmoid craniotomy will be randomly assigned to the superficial cervical plexus block group or the control group. After anaesthesia induction, superficial cervical plexus nerve block will be performed under the guidance of ultrasound. The primary outcome is the cumulative consumption of sufentanil by the patient-controlled intravenous analgesia pump within 24 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes include the cumulative consumption of sufentanil at other four time points and numerical rating scale pain severity score.Ethics and disseminationThe protocol (version number: 2.0, 10 April 2019) has been approved by the Ethics Review Committee of China Registered Clinical Trials (Ethics Review No. ChiECRCT-20190047). The findings of this study will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at scientific conferences.Trial registration numberNCT04036812

scholarly journals Donepezil for mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyoungwon Baik ◽  
Seon Myeong Kim ◽  
Jin Ho Jung ◽  
Yang Hyun Lee ◽  
Seok Jong Chung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Treatment Group ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Significant Difference

AbstractWe investigated the efficacy of donepezil for mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease (PD-MCI). This was a prospective, non-randomized, open-label, two-arm study. Eighty PD-MCI patients were assigned to either a treatment or control group. The treatment group received donepezil for 48 weeks. The primary outcome measures were the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Exam and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores. Secondary outcome measures were the Clinical Dementia Rating, Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part III, Clinical Global Impression scores. Progression of dementia was assessed at 48-week. Comprehensive neuropsychological tests and electroencephalography (EEG) were performed at baseline and after 48 weeks. The spectral power ratio of the theta to beta2 band (TB2R) in the electroencephalogram was analyzed. There was no significant difference in the primary and secondary outcome measures between the two groups. However, the treatment group showed a significant decrease in TB2R at bilateral frontotemporoparietal channels compared to the control group. Although we could not demonstrate improvements in the cognitive functions, donepezil treatment had a modulatory effect on the EEG in PD-MCI patients. EEG might be a sensitive biomarker for detecting changes in PD-MCI after donepezil treatment.

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