Are we social enough? Use of social media among members of the Italian Society of Neurology for the study of dementia.

BACKGROUND: Clinical researchers increasingly embrace social media in their professional lives. The digital revolution has provided new routes for sharing data, disseminating results, and promoting the impact of scientific findings. In this study, we explored the attitude of the members of the Italian Society of Neurology for the study of dementia (SINdem) to use social media with the aim to set up possible corrective actions to maximize digitalization benefits at the individual and community levels. METHOD: An ad hoc designed survey was implemented and distributed to the SINdem and SINdem4Juniors communities. It explored the different use of social media taking into account frequency, type of social media use (active vs passive; professional vs private). Descriptive statistical analyses were performed alongside statistical comparisons to highlight possible differences in the use. RESULTS: We collected 133 answers showing a prominent use of social media in private life (t(132) = 21.1, p < 0.001), with SINdem4Juniors members showing a higher private use compared to the older SINdem colleagues. Professional use was mainly limited to passive activities such as following others' social profiles (t(132) = 11.9, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Overall scenario suggests that professional use of social media is very limited in both SINdem and SINdem4juniors communities. This evidence points to an urgent need for training interventions and top-down strategies aimed at improving collaboration, dissemination, and sharing through social media among individuals belonging to the same scientific-professional community.

A systematic review of progranulin concentrations in biofluids in over 7,000 people-assessing the pathogenicity of GRN mutations and other influencing factors.

BACKGROUND: Pathogenic heterozygous mutations in the progranulin gene (GRN) are a key cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), leading to significantly reduced biofluid concentrations of the progranulin protein (PGRN). This has led to a number of ongoing therapeutic trials aiming to treat this form of FTD by increasing PGRN levels in mutation carriers. However, we currently lack a complete understanding of factors that affect PGRN levels and potential variation in measurement methods. Here, we aimed to address this gap in knowledge by systematically reviewing published literature on biofluid PGRN concentrations. METHODS: Published data including biofluid PGRN concentration, age, sex, diagnosis and GRN mutation were collected for 7071 individuals from 75 publications. The majority of analyses (72%) had focused on plasma PGRN concentrations, with many of these (56%) measured with a single assay type (Adipogen) and so the influence of mutation type, age at onset, sex, and diagnosis were investigated in this subset of the data. RESULTS: We established a plasma PGRN concentration cut-off between pathogenic mutation carriers and non-carriers of 74.8 ng/mL using the Adipogen assay based on 3301 individuals, with a CSF concentration cut-off of 3.43 ng/mL. Plasma PGRN concentration varied by GRN mutation type as well as by clinical diagnosis in those without a GRN mutation. Plasma PGRN concentration was significantly higher in women than men in GRN mutation carriers (p = 0.007) with a trend in non-carriers (p = 0.062), and there was a significant but weak positive correlation with age in both GRN mutation carriers and non-carriers. No significant association was seen with weight or with TMEM106B rs1990622 genotype. However, higher plasma PGRN levels were seen in those with the GRN rs5848 CC genotype in both GRN mutation carriers and non-carriers. CONCLUSIONS: These results further support the usefulness of PGRN concentration for the identification of the large majority of pathogenic mutations in the GRN gene. Furthermore, these results highlight the importance of considering additional factors, such as mutation type, sex and age when interpreting PGRN concentrations. This will be particularly important as we enter the era of trials for progranulin-associated FTD.

Cognitive dysfunction, social behavior disorder, cerebellar ataxia, and atypical brain FDG-PET presentation in spinocerebellar ataxia 17: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Spinocerebellar ataxia 17 (SCA17) is a rare autosomal dominant form of inherited ataxia, caused by heterozygous trinucleotide repeat expansions encoding glutamine in the TATA box-binding protein (TBP) gene. CASE DESCRIPTION: We describe the clinical history, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging findings of a 42-year-old patient who presented for medical attention showing prevalent behavioral and cognitive problems along with progressively worsening gait disturbances. The patient's family history indicated the presence of SCA17 in the maternal lineage. Genetic analysis confirmed a heterozygous 52-CAG pathological expansion repeat in TBP (normal interval, 25-40 CAG. Brain 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) showed bilateral hypometabolism in the sensorimotor cortex, with a slight predominance on the right, as well as in the striatal nuclei and thalamic hypermetabolism, a finding similar to what is observed in Huntington's disease. The patient also underwent neuropsychological evaluation, which revealed mild cognitive impairment and difficulties in social interaction and understanding other's emotions (Faux Pas Test and Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test). CONCLUSION: Our report emphasizes the importance of considering SCA17 as a possible diagnosis in patients with a prevalent progressive cognitive and behavioral disorders, even with a pattern of FDG-PET hypometabolism not primarily indicative of this disease.

The Shortening of Leukocyte Telomere Length Contributes to Alzheimer's Disease: Further Evidence from Late-Onset Familial and Sporadic Cases.

Telomeres are structures at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes that help maintain genomic stability. During aging, telomere length gradually shortens, producing short telomeres, which are markers of premature cellular senescence. This may contribute to age-related diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), and based on this, several studies have hypothesized that telomere shortening may characterize AD. Current research, however, has been inconclusive regarding the direction of the association between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and disease risk. We assessed the association between LTL and AD in a retrospective case-control study of a sample of 255 unrelated patients with late-onset AD (LOAD), including 120 sporadic cases and 135 with positive family history for LOAD, and a group of 279 cognitively healthy unrelated controls, who were all from Calabria, a southern Italian region. Following regression analysis, telomeres were found significantly shorter in LOAD cases than in controls (48% and 41% decrease for sporadic and familial cases, respectively; p < 0.001 for both). Interestingly, LTL was associated with disease risk independently of the presence of conventional risk factors (e.g., age, sex, MMSE scores, and the presence of the APOE-ε4 allele). Altogether, our findings lend support to the notion that LTL shortening may be an indicator of the pathogenesis of LOAD.

Alzheimer's disease as a viral disease: Revisiting the infectious hypothesis.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the most frequent type of dementia in elderly people. Two major forms of the disease exist: sporadic - the causes of which have not yet been fully understood - and familial - inherited within families from generation to generation, with a clear autosomal dominant transmission of mutations in Presenilin 1 (PSEN1), 2 (PSEN2) or Amyloid Precursors Protein (APP) genes. The main hallmark of AD consists of extracellular deposits of amyloid-beta (Aß) peptide and intracellular deposits of the hyperphosphorylated form of the tau protein. An ever-growing body of research supports the viral infectious hypothesis of sporadic forms of AD. In particular, it has been shown that several herpes viruses (i.e., HHV-1, HHV-2, HHV-3 or varicella zoster virus, HHV-4 or Epstein Barr virus, HHV-5 or cytomegalovirus, HHV-6A and B, HHV-7), flaviviruses (i.e., Zika virus, Dengue fever virus, Japanese encephalitis virus) as well as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), hepatitis viruses (HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV, HEV), SARS-CoV2, Ljungan virus (LV), Influenza A virus and Borna disease virus, could increase the risk of AD. Here, we summarized and discussed these results. Based on these findings, significant issues for future studies are also put forward.

The Nerve Growth Factor Receptor (NGFR/p75NTR): A Major Player in Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the most prevalent type of dementia in elderly people, primarily characterized by brain accumulation of beta-amyloid (Aß) peptides, derived from Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP), in the extracellular space (amyloid plaques) and intracellular deposits of the hyperphosphorylated form of the protein tau (p-tau; tangles or neurofibrillary aggregates). The Nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR/p75NTR) represents a low-affinity receptor for all known mammalians neurotrophins (i.e., proNGF, NGF, BDNF, NT-3 e NT-4/5) and it is involved in pathways that determine both survival and death of neurons. Interestingly, also Aß peptides can blind to NGFR/p75NTR making it the "ideal" candidate in mediating Aß-induced neuropathology. In addition to pathogenesis and neuropathology, several data indicated that NGFR/p75NTR could play a key role in AD also from a genetic perspective. Other studies suggested that NGFR/p75NTR could represent a good diagnostic tool, as well as a promising therapeutic target for AD. Here, we comprehensively summarize and review the current experimental evidence on this topic.

Rare Amyloid Precursor Protein Point Mutations Recapitulate Worldwide Migration and Admixture in Healthy Individuals: Implications for the Study of Neurodegeneration.

Genetic discoveries related to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias have been performed using either large cohorts of affected subjects or multiple individuals from the same pedigree, therefore disregarding mutations in the context of healthy groups. Moreover, a large portion of studies so far have been performed on individuals of European ancestry, with a remarkable lack of epidemiological and genomic data from underrepresented populations. In the present study, 70 single-point mutations on the APP gene in a publicly available genetic dataset that included 2504 healthy individuals from 26 populations were scanned, and their distribution was analyzed. Furthermore, after gametic phase reconstruction, a pairwise comparison of the segments surrounding the mutations was performed to reveal patterns of haplotype sharing that could point to specific cross-population and cross-ancestry admixture events. Eight mutations were detected in the worldwide dataset, with several of them being specific for a single individual, population, or macroarea. Patterns of segment sharing reflected recent historical events of migration and admixture possibly linked to colonization campaigns. These observations reveal the population dynamics of the considered APP mutations in worldwide human groups and support the development of ancestry-informed screening practices for the improvement of precision and personalized approaches to neurodegeneration and dementia.

Calabria as a Genetic Isolate: A Model for the Study of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Although originally multi-ethnic in its structure, nowadays the Calabria region of southern Italy represents an area with low genetic heterogeneity and a high level of consanguinity that allows rare mutations to be maintained due to the founder effect. A complex research methodology-ranging from clinical activity to the genealogical reconstruction of families/populations across the centuries, the creation of databases, and molecular/genetic research-was modelled on the characteristics of the Calabrian population for more than three decades. This methodology allowed the identification of several novel genetic mutations or variants associated with neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, a higher prevalence of several hereditary neurodegenerative diseases has been reported in this population, such as Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease, Niemann-Pick type C disease, spinocerebellar ataxia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease. Here, we summarize and discuss the results of research data supporting the view that Calabria could be considered as a genetic isolate and could represent a model, a sort of outdoor laboratory-similar to very few places in the world-useful for the advancement of knowledge on neurodegenerative diseases.

COVID-19 vaccine uptake among family caregivers of people with dementia: The role of attitudes toward vaccination, perceived social support and personality traits.

People with dementia have an increased risk of contracting severe forms of COVID-19. Although in worldwide vaccination programs priority has been given to older people, having taken the vaccine does not totally eliminate the risk of contracting COVID-19 when one is in close contact with unvaccinated people. Thus, family caregivers' choices to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 could have potentially lethal consequences for their relatives. To our knowledge, this study represents the first attempt within the international literature to analyze COVID-19 vaccine uptake among family caregivers of people with dementia and to identify some of the psychological factors, related to COVID-19 and vaccination behavior, that could facilitate or hinder vaccine uptake. Contact information for family caregivers was obtained from five different centers and associations throughout the Italian territory. Data were collected from 179 respondents during July-September 2021 using a cross-sectional web-based survey design. More than 75% of the respondents indicated that had been vaccinated against COVID-19 and reported receiving vaccine information mainly from print or electronic newspapers (86%), followed by TV (81%) and families (64.2%). In multivariable logistic regression analyses, worries about unforeseen future effects was significantly related to COVID-19 vaccine uptake, indicating that family caregivers concerned about potential side effects of vaccines were less likely to have been vaccinated against COVID-19 (OR = 0.60, CI = 0.40-0.89). Openness to experience was also related to COVID-19 vaccine uptake, with family caregivers higher on this trait being less likely to have been vaccinated against COVID-19 (OR = 0.83, CI = 0.71-0.98). Implications for targeting of vaccine-related messages are discussed.

Neuropsychiatric or Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD): Focus on Prevalence and Natural History in Alzheimer's Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia.

Neuropsychiatric or behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) represent a heterogeneous group of non-cognitive symptoms that are virtually present in all patients during the course of their disease. The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence and natural history of BPSD in a large cohort of patients with behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in three stages: (i) pre-T0 (before the onset of the disease); (ii) T0 or manifested disease (from the onset to 5 years); (iii) T1 or advanced (from 5 years onwards). Six hundred seventy-four clinical records of patients with bvFTD and 1925 with AD, from 2006 to 2018, were studied. Symptoms have been extracted from Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and from a checklist of BPSD for all periods observed. In our population, BPSD affect up to 90% of all dementia subjects over the course of their illness. BPSD profiles of the two dementia groups were similar but not identical. The most represented symptoms were apathy, irritability/affective lability, and agitation/aggression. Considering the order of appearance of neuropsychiatric symptoms in AD and bvFTD, mood disorders (depression, anxiety) come first than the other BPSD, with the same prevalence. This means that they could be an important "red flag" in detection of dementia. With the increase of disease severity, aberrant motor behavior and wandering were significantly more present in both groups. Differences between BPSD in AD and bvFTD resulted only in prevalence: Systematically, in bvFTD, all the symptoms were more represented than in AD, except for hallucinations, depression, anxiety, and irritability. Given their high frequency and impact on management and overall health care resources, BPSD should not be underestimated and considered as an additional important diagnostic and therapeutic target both in patients with AD and bvFTD.

Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease: Implications for Diagnosis and Treatment.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the most frequent type of dementia in elderly people. There are two major forms of the disease: sporadic (SAD)-whose causes are not completely understood-and familial (FAD)-with clear autosomal dominant inheritance. The two main hallmarks of AD are extracellular deposits of amyloid-beta (Aß) peptide and intracellular deposits of the hyperphosphorylated form of the tau protein (P-tau). An ever-growing body of research supports the infectious hypothesis of sporadic forms of AD. Indeed, it has been documented that some pathogens, such as herpesviruses and certain bacterial species, are commonly present in AD patients, prompting recent clinical research to focus on the characterization of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in this pathology. The literature also demonstrates that Aß can be considered itself as an AMP; thus, representing a type of innate immune defense peptide that protects the host against a variety of pathogens. Beyond Aß, other proteins with antimicrobial activity, such as lactoferrin, defensins, cystatins, thymosin ß4, LL37, histatin 1, and statherin have been shown to be involved in AD. Here, we summarized and discussed these findings and explored the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of AMPs in AD.

Accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) among the Italian Dementia Centers: a study by the Italian DLB study group (DLB-SINdem).

INTRODUCTION: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) may represent a diagnostic challenge, since its clinical picture overlaps with other dementia. Two toolkits have been developed to aid the clinician to diagnose DLB: the Lewy Body Composite Risk Score (LBCRS) and the Assessment Toolkit for DLB (AT-DLB). We aim to evaluate the reliability of these two questionnaires, and their ability to enhance the interpretation of the international consensus diagnostic criteria. METHODS: LBCRS and AT-DLB were distributed to 135 Italian Neurological Centers for Cognitive Decline and Dementia (CDCDs), with the indication to administer them to all patients with dementia referred within the subsequent 3 months. We asked to subsequently apply consensus criteria for DLB diagnosis, to validate the diagnostic accuracy of the two toolkits. RESULTS: A total of 23 Centers joined the study; 1854 patients were enrolled. We found a prevalence of possible or probable DLB of 13% each (26% total), according to the consensus criteria. LBCRS toolkit showed good reliability, with a Cronbach alpha of 0.77, stable even after removing variables from the construct. AT-DLB toolkit Cronbach alpha was 0.52 and, after the subtraction of the "cognitive fluctuation" criterion, was only 0.31. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were higher for LBCRS vs. AT-DLB. However, when simultaneously considered in the logistic models, AT-DLB showed a better performance (p < 0.001). Overall, the concordance between LBCRS positive and AT-DLB possible/probable was of 78.02% CONCLUSIONS: In a clinical setting, the LBCRS and AT-DLB questionnaires have good accuracy for DLB diagnosis.

A Comparison of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) and BPSD Sub-Syndromes in Early-Onset and Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) have a large impact on the quality of life of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Few studies have compared BPSD between early-onset (EOAD) and late-onset (LOAD) patients, finding conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to: 1) characterize the presence, overall prevalence, and time of occurrence of BPSD in EOAD versus LOAD; 2) estimate the prevalence over time and severity of each BPSD in EOAD versus LOAD in three stages: pre-T0 (before the onset of the disease), T0 (from onset to 5 years), and T1 (from 5 years onwards); 3) track the manifestation of BPSD sub-syndromes (i.e., hyperactivity, psychosis, affective, and apathy) in EOAD versus LOAD at T0 and T1. METHODS: The sample includes 1,538 LOAD and 387 EOAD diagnosed from 1996 to 2018. Comprehensive assessment batteries, including the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), were administered at the first medical assessment and at different follow-up period. RESULTS: The overall prevalence for the most of BPSD was significantly higher in EOAD compared to LOAD whereas most BPSD appeared significantly later in EOAD patients. Between the two groups, from pre-T0 to T1 we recorded a different pattern of BPSD prevalence over time as well as for BPSD sub-syndromes at T0 and T1. Results on severity of BPSD did not show significant differences. CONCLUSION: EOAD and LOAD represent two different forms of a single entity not only from a neuropathological, cognitive, and functional level but also from a psychiatric point of view.

A Novel Mutation (D395A) in Valosin-Containing Protein Gene Is Associated With Early Onset Frontotemporal Dementia in an Italian Family.

Inclusion body myopathy (IBM) with Paget's disease of bone (PDB) and/or frontotemporal dementia (FTD) (IBMPFD) was recently identified as rare autosomal dominant disorder due to mutations in VCP gene. However, VCP mutations have also been documented in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2 (CMT2) disease, and hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), underlining the heterogeneity of the phenotypes due to VCP mutations. In this study, we reported a novel missense heterozygous variant c.1184A > C (p.D395A) in exon 10 of VCP gene identified in three patients (two sisters and one brother) belonging to an Italian family. The patients underwent a detailed clinical evaluation including medical history, neurological examination, and neuropsychological assessment. Brain's morphologic and functional analysis was also performed. The whole picture was consistent with the criteria of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) without IBM and PBD. Our report confirms the high degree of heterogeneity of VCP disease. A VCP analysis should be considered for the genetic screening of familial bvFTD with an early onset also in absence of IBM or PDB signs.

SLITRK2, an X-linked modifier of the age at onset in C9orf72 frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

The G4C2-repeat expansion in C9orf72 is the most common cause of frontotemporal dementia and of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The variability of age at onset and phenotypic presentations is a hallmark of C9orf72 disease. In this study, we aimed to identify modifying factors of disease onset in C9orf72 carriers using a family-based approach, in pairs of C9orf72 carrier relatives with concordant or discordant age at onset. Linkage and association analyses provided converging evidence for a locus on chromosome Xq27.3. The minor allele A of rs1009776 was associated with an earlier onset (P = 1 × 10-5). The association with onset of dementia was replicated in an independent cohort of unrelated C9orf72 patients (P = 0.009). The protective major allele delayed the onset of dementia from 5 to 13 years on average depending on the cohort considered. The same trend was observed in an independent cohort of C9orf72 patients with extreme deviation of the age at onset (P = 0.055). No association of rs1009776 was detected in GRN patients, suggesting that the effect of rs1009776 was restricted to the onset of dementia due to C9orf72. The minor allele A is associated with a higher SLITRK2 expression based on both expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) databases and in-house expression studies performed on C9orf72 brain tissues. SLITRK2 encodes for a post-synaptic adhesion protein. We further show that synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 and synaptophysin, two synaptic vesicle proteins, were decreased in frontal cortex of C9orf72 patients carrying the minor allele. Upregulation of SLITRK2 might be associated with synaptic dysfunctions and drives adverse effects in C9orf72 patients that could be modulated in those carrying the protective allele. How the modulation of SLITRK2 expression affects synaptic functions and influences the disease onset of dementia in C9orf72 carriers will require further investigations. In summary, this study describes an original approach to detect modifier genes in rare diseases and reinforces rising links between C9orf72 and synaptic dysfunctions that might directly influence the occurrence of first symptoms.

Evolution of genetic testing supports precision medicine for caring Alzheimer's disease patients.

Genetic testing for Alzheimer's disease offers a molecular diagnosis to patients and their relatives and provides information on personal risk, reproductive choices, clinical trial eligibility, and treatment options. In the past, molecular testing was limited to detecting single variations in single genes. Currently, with the advent of next-generation sequencing, simultaneous analysis of more than 100 genes using the same DNA sample is possible. This approach allows the determination of gene mutations, genetic risk factors, genotypes at many pharmacogenomic loci, and the determination of a polygenic risk scores for stratification of risk. This article reviews the diagnostic genetic testing of Alzheimer's disease, from the first molecular approaches to recent advances in NGS, focusing on a precision medicine approach.

Global Prevalence of Young-Onset Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: Reliable prevalence estimates are lacking for young-onset dementia (YOD), in which symptoms of dementia start before the age of 65 years. Such estimates are needed for policy makers to organize appropriate health care. Objective: To determine the global prevalence of YOD. Data Sources: The PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycInfo databases were systematically searched for population-based studies on the prevalence of YOD published between January 1, 1990, and March 31, 2020. Study Selection: Studies containing data on the prevalence of dementia in individuals younger than 65 years were screened by 2 researchers for inclusion in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Prevalence estimates on 5-year age bands, from 30 to 34 years to 60 to 64 years, were extracted. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted to pool prevalence estimates. Results were age standardized for the World Standard Population. Heterogeneity was assessed by subgroup analyses for sex, dementia subtype, study design, and economic status based on the World Bank classification and by meta-regression. Main Outcomes and Measures: Prevalence estimates of YOD for 5-year age bands. Results: A total of 95 unique studies were included in this systematic review, of which 74 with 2 760 379 unique patients were also included in 5-year age band meta-analyses. Studies were mostly conducted in Europe and in older groups in Asia, North America, and Oceania. Age-standardized prevalence estimates increased from 1.1 per 100 000 population in the group aged 30 to 34 years to 77.4 per 100 000 population in the group aged 60 to 64 years. This gives an overall global age-standardized prevalence of 119.0 per 100 000 population in the age range of 30 to 64 years, corresponding to 3.9 million people aged 30 to 64 years living with YOD in the world. Subgroup analyses showed prevalence between men and women to be similar (crude estimates for men, 216.5 per 100 000 population; for women, 293.1 per 100 000 population), whereas prevalence was lower in high-income countries (crude estimate, 663.9 per 100 000 population) compared with upper-middle-income (crude estimate, 1873.6 per 100 000 population) and lower-middle-income (crude estimate, 764.2 per 100 000 population) countries. Meta-regression showed that age range (P < .001), sample size (P < .001), and study methodology (P = .02) significantly influenced heterogeneity between studies. Conclusions and Relevance: This systematic review and meta-analysis found an age-standardized prevalence of YOD of 119.0 per 100 000 population, although estimates of the prevalence in low-income countries and younger age ranges remain scarce. These results should help policy makers organize sufficient health care for this subgroup of individuals with dementia. Study Registration: PROSPERO CRD42019119288.

Being the Family Caregiver of a Patient With Dementia During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Lockdown.

Background: Family caregivers of patients with dementia are at high risk of stress and burden, and quarantine due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have increased the risk of psychological disturbances in this population. The current study was carried out during the national lockdown declared in March 2020 by the Italian government as a containment measure of the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic and is the first nationwide survey on the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the mental health of dementia informal caregivers. Methods: Eighty-seven dementia centers evenly distributed on the Italian territory enrolled 4,710 caregiver-patient pairs. Caregivers underwent a telephone interview assessing classical symptoms of caregiver stress and concern for the consequences of COVID-19 infection on patient's health. We calculated prevalence of symptoms and regressed them on various potential stress risk factors: caregivers' sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle, patients' clinical features, and lockdown-related elements, like discontinuity in medical care. Results: Approximately 90% of caregivers reported at least one symptom of stress, and nearly 30% reported four or more symptoms. The most prevalent symptoms were concern for consequences of COVID-19 on patient's health (75%) and anxiety (46%). The main risk factors for stress were identified as a conflicting relationship with the patient and discontinuity in assistance, but caregiver's female sex, younger age, lower education, and cohabitation with the patient also had an impact. Availability of help from institutions or private individuals showed a protective effect against sense of abandonment but a detrimental effect on concern about the risk for the patient to contract COVID-19. The only protective factor was mild dementia severity, which was associated with a lower risk of feeling isolated and abandoned; type of dementia, on the other hand, did not affect stress risk. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the large prevalence of stress in family caregivers of patients with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic and have identified both caregivers and situations at a higher risk of stress, which should be taken into account in the planning of interventions in support of quarantined families and patients.

IP6K3 and IPMK variations in LOAD and longevity: Evidence for a multifaceted signaling network at the crossroad between neurodegeneration and survival.

Several studies reported that genetic variants predisposing to neurodegeneration were at higher frequencies in centenarians than in younger controls, suggesting they might favor also longevity. IP6K3 and IPMK regulate many crucial biological functions by mediating synthesis of inositol poly- and pyrophosphates and by acting non-enzymatically via protein-protein interactions. Our previous studies suggested they affect Late Onset Alzheimer Disease (LOAD) and longevity, respectively. Here, in the same sample groups, we investigated whether variants of IP6K3 also affect longevity, and variants of IPMK also influence LOAD susceptibility. We found that: i) a SNP of IP6K3 previously associated with increased risk of LOAD increased the chance to become long-lived, ii) SNPs of IPMK, previously associated with decreased longevity, were protective factors for LOAD, as previously observed for UCP4. SNP-SNP interaction analysis, including our previous data, highlighted phenotype-specific interactions between sets of alleles. Moreover, linkage disequilibrium and eQTL data associated to analyzed variants suggested mitochondria as crossroad of interconnected pathways crucial for susceptibility to neurodegeneration and/or longevity. Overall, data support the view that in these traits interactions may be more important than single polymorphisms. This phenomenon may contribute to the non-additive heritability of neurodegeneration and longevity and be part of the missing heritability of these traits.