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BACKGROUND: In patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) without clinical seizures, up to half have epileptiform discharges on long-term in-patient electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. Long-term in-patient monitoring is obtrusive, and expensive as compared to outpatient monitoring. No studies have so far investigated if long-term outpatient EEG monitoring is able to identify epileptiform discharges in AD. Our aim is to investigate if epileptiform discharges as measured with ear-EEG are more common in patients with AD compared to healthy elderly controls (HC). METHODS: In this longitudinal observational study, 24 patients with mild to moderate AD and 15 age-matched HC were included in the analysis. Patients with AD underwent up to three ear-EEG recordings, each lasting up to two days, within 6 months. RESULTS: The first recording was defined as the baseline recording. At baseline, epileptiform discharges were detected in 75.0% of patients with AD and in 46.7% of HC (p-value = 0.073). The spike frequency (spikes or sharp waves/24 h) was significantly higher in patients with AD as compared to HC with a risk ratio of 2.90 (CI: 1.77-5.01, p < 0.001). Most patients with AD (91.7%) showed epileptiform discharges when combining all ear-EEG recordings. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term ear-EEG monitoring detects epileptiform discharges in most patients with AD with a three-fold increased spike frequency compared to HC, which most likely originates from the temporal lobes. Since most patients showed epileptiform discharges with multiple recordings, elevated spike frequency should be considered a marker of hyperexcitability in AD.
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Doença de Alzheimer , Pacientes Ambulatoriais , Humanos , Idoso , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico , Eletroencefalografia , Convulsões , Monitorização AmbulatorialRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) have a higher probability of seizures than in normal aging and in other types of neurodegenerative disorders. Depositions of α-synuclein, a pathological hallmark of DLB, can induce network excitability, which can escalate into seizure activity. Indicator of seizures are epileptiform discharges as observed using electroencephalography (EEG). However, no studies have so far investigated the occurrence of interictal epileptiform discharges (IED) in patients with DLB. OBJECTIVES: To investigate if IED as measured with ear-EEG occurs with a higher frequency in patients with DLB compared to healthy controls (HC). METHODS: In this longitudinal observational exploratory study, 10 patients with DLB and 15 HC were included in the analysis. Patients with DLB underwent up to three ear-EEG recordings, each lasting up to 2 days, over a period of 6 months. RESULTS: At baseline, IED were detected in 80% of patients with DLB and in 46.7% of HC. The spike frequency (spikes or sharp waves/24 hours) was significantly higher in patients with DLB as compared to HC with a risk ratio of 2.52 (CI, 1.42-4.61; P-value = 0.001). Most IED occurred at night. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term outpatient ear-EEG monitoring detects IED in most patients with DLB with an increased spike frequency compared to HC. This study extends the spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders in which epileptiform discharges occurs at an elevated frequency. It is possible that epileptiform discharges are, therefore, a consequence of neurodegeneration. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Encéfalo , Doença por Corpos de Lewy , Humanos , Eletroencefalografia , Corpos de Lewy , Doença por Corpos de Lewy/complicações , Doença por Corpos de Lewy/diagnóstico , Convulsões , Estudos LongitudinaisRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is associated with an increased risk of further cognitive decline, partly depending on demographics and biomarker status. The aim of the present study was to survey the clinical practices of physicians in terms of biomarker counseling, management, and follow-up in European expert centers diagnosing patients with MCI. METHODS: An online email survey was distributed to physicians affiliated with European Alzheimer's disease Consortium centers (Northern Europe: 10 centers; Eastern and Central Europe: 9 centers; and Southern Europe: 15 centers) with questions on attitudes toward biomarkers and biomarker counseling in MCI and dementia. This included postbiomarker counseling and the process of diagnostic disclosure of MCI, as well as treatment and follow-up in MCI. RESULTS: The response rate for the survey was 80.9% (34 of 42 centers) across 20 countries. A large majority of physicians had access to biomarkers and found them useful. Pre- and postbiomarker counseling varied across centers, as did practices for referral to support groups and advice on preventive strategies. Less than half reported discussing driving and advance care planning with patients with MCI. CONCLUSIONS: The variability in clinical practices across centers calls for better biomarker counseling and better training to improve communication skills. Future initiatives should address the importance of communicating preventive strategies and advance planning.
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Doença de Alzheimer , Disfunção Cognitiva , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico , Biomarcadores , Disfunção Cognitiva/diagnóstico , Aconselhamento , Revelação , Progressão da Doença , Europa (Continente) , Seguimentos , Humanos , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Dementia biomarkers that are accessible and easily applicable in nonspecialized clinical settings are urgently needed. Quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) is a good candidate, and the statistical pattern recognition (SPR) method has recently provided promising results. We tested the diagnostic value of qEEG-SPR in comparison to cognition, structural imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. METHODS: A total of 511 individuals were recruited from the multicenter NORD EEG study [141 healthy controls, 64 subjective cognitive decline, 124 mild cognitive impairment, 135 Alzheimer's disease (AD), 15 dementia with Lewy bodies/Parkinson's disease with dementia (DLB/PDD), 32 other dementias]. The EEG data were recorded in a standardized way. Structural imaging data were visually rated using scales of atrophy in the medial temporal, frontal, and posterior cortex. RESULTS: qEEG-SPR outperformed structural imaging, cognition, and CSF biomarkers in DLB/PDD diagnosis, outperformed structural imaging in AD diagnosis, and improved the differential diagnosis of AD. In addition, qEEG-SPR allowed differentiation of two clinically different AD subtypes. CONCLUSION: Adding qEEG to the diagnostic workup substantially increases the detection of AD pathology even in pre-dementia stages and improves differential diagnosis. EEG could serve as a good complement to currently established dementia biomarkers since it is cheap, noninvasive, and extensively applied outside academic centers.
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Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico , Córtex Cerebral , Eletroencefalografia , Doença de Parkinson/diagnóstico , Idoso , Doença de Alzheimer/psicologia , Atrofia , Biomarcadores/análise , Córtex Cerebral/diagnóstico por imagem , Córtex Cerebral/patologia , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Eletroencefalografia/métodos , Eletroencefalografia/normas , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Testes de Estado Mental e Demência , Doença de Parkinson/psicologia , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , SuéciaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Cognitive complaints occur frequently in elderly people and may be a risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline. Results from studies on subjective cognitive decline are difficult to compare due to variability in assessment methods, and little is known about how different methods influence reports of cognitive decline. METHODS: The Subjective Memory Complaints Scale (SMC) and The Memory Complaint Questionnaire (MAC-Q) were applied in 121 mixed memory clinic patients with mild cognitive symptoms (mean MMSE = 26.8, SD 2.7). The scales were applied independently and raters were blinded to results from the other scale. Scales were not used for diagnostic classification. Cognitive performances and depressive symptoms were also rated. We studied the association between the two measures and investigated the scales' relation to depressive symptoms, age, and cognitive status. RESULTS: SMC and MAC-Q were significantly associated (r = 0.44, N = 121, p = 0.015) and both scales had a wide range of scores. In this mixed cohort of patients, younger age was associated with higher SMC scores. There were no significant correlations between cognitive test performances and scales measuring subjective decline. Depression scores were significantly correlated to both scales measuring subjective decline. Linear regression models showed that age did not have a significant contribution to the variance in subjective memory beyond that of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Measures for subjective cognitive decline are not interchangeable when used in memory clinics and the application of different scales in previous studies is an important factor as to why studies show variability in the association between subjective cognitive decline and background data and/or clinical results. Careful consideration should be taken as to which questions are relevant and have validity when operationalizing subjective cognitive decline.
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Cognição/fisiologia , Disfunção Cognitiva/complicações , Demência/diagnóstico , Transtornos da Memória/complicações , Escalas de Graduação Psiquiátrica/estatística & dados numéricos , Idoso , Envelhecimento , Estudos de Coortes , Demência/psicologia , Análise Fatorial , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Transtornos da Memória/psicologia , Memória Episódica , Testes Neuropsicológicos , Avaliação de Resultados em Cuidados de Saúde , Psicometria , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Knowledge about the feasibility and effects of exercise programs to persons with Alzheimer's disease is lacking. This study investigated the effect of aerobic exercise on physical performance in community-dwelling persons with mild Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: The single blinded multi-center RCT (ADEX) included 200 patients, median age 71 yrs (50-89). The intervention group received supervised moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise 1 hour × 3/week for 16 weeks. Assessments included cardiorespiratory fitness, single-task physical performance, dual-task performance and exercise self-efficacy. RESULTS: Significant between-group differences in change from baseline (mean [95%CI]) favored the intervention group for cardiorespiratory fitness (4.0 [2.3-5.8] ml/kg/min, P <0.0001) and exercise self-efficacy (1.7 [0.5-2.8] points, P =0.004). Furthermore, an exercise attendance of ≥66.6% resulted in significant positive effects on single-task physical performance and dual-task performance. DISCUSSION: Aerobic exercise has the potential to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, single-task physical performance, dual-task performance and exercise self-efficacy in community-dwelling patients with mild Alzheimer's disease.
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Doença de Alzheimer/terapia , Aptidão Cardiorrespiratória/fisiologia , Exercício Físico/fisiologia , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Vida Independente , Masculino , Qualidade de VidaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: In epilepsy, the ictal phase leads to cerebral hyperperfusion while hypoperfusion is present in the interictal phases. Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have an increased prevalence of epileptiform discharges and a study using intracranial electrodes have shown that these are very frequent in the hippocampus. However, it is not known whether there is an association between hippocampal hyperexcitability and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF). The objective of the study was to investigate the association between rCBF in hippocampus and epileptiform discharges as measured with ear-EEG in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Our hypothesis was that increased spike frequency may be associated with increased rCBF in hippocampus. METHODS: A total of 24 patients with AD, and 15 HC were included in the analysis. Using linear regression, we investigated the association between rCBF as measured with arterial spin-labelling MRI (ASL-MRI) in the hippocampus and the number of spikes/sharp waves per 24 h as assessed by ear-EEG. RESULTS: No significant difference in hippocampal rCBF was found between AD and HC (p-value = 0.367). A significant linear association between spike frequency and normalized rCBF in the hippocampus was found for patients with AD (estimate: 0.109, t-value = 4.03, p-value < 0.001). Changes in areas that typically show group differences (temporal-parietal cortex) were found in patients with AD, compared to HC. CONCLUSIONS: Increased spike frequency was accompanied by a hemodynamic response of increased blood flow in the hippocampus in patients with AD. This phenomenon has also been shown in patients with epilepsy and supports the hypothesis of hyperexcitability in patients with AD. The lack of a significant difference in hippocampal rCBF may be due to an increased frequency of epileptiform discharges in patients with AD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04436341).
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Doença de Alzheimer , Epilepsia , Humanos , Doença de Alzheimer/complicações , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico por imagem , Hipocampo/diagnóstico por imagem , Lobo Temporal , Circulação Cerebrovascular , Epilepsia/diagnóstico por imagemRESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) is a brief cognitive screening test that was developed to detect dementia in multicultural populations. The RUDAS has not previously been validated in multicultural populations outside of Australia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the RUDAS in a multicultural sample of patients referred to Danish memory clinics. METHODS: Data were collected from 137 consecutive patients (34 with an immigrant background) in three Danish memory clinics. All patients were given the RUDAS as a supplement to the standard diagnostic workup. RESULTS: Diagnostic accuracy for the RUDAS [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.838] was similar to that of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; AUC = 0.840). The cutoff score with the best balance of sensitivity, specificity and accuracy was <24/30 for the RUDAS (sensitivity 0.69, specificity 0.80) and <25/30 for the MMSE (sensitivity 0.76, specificity 0.83). In contrast to the MMSE, regression analyses revealed that the RUDAS was unaffected by factors related to the patients' immigrant backgrounds. CONCLUSION: The RUDAS showed high specificity and proved to be less affected by cultural and linguistic factors than the MMSE, making it a particularly valuable tool when screening for cognitive impairment in elderly multicultural patient populations.
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Demência/diagnóstico , Avaliação Geriátrica , Testes Neuropsicológicos/normas , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Estudos Transversais , Diversidade Cultural , Dinamarca , Feminino , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Curva ROC , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
Introduction: Aerobic exercise has been shown to modify Alzheimer pathology in animal models, and in patients with multiple sclerosis to reduce neurofilament light (NfL), a biomarker of neurodegeneration. Objective: To investigate whether a 16-week aerobic exercise program was able to reduce serum NfL in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: This is a secondary analysis of data from the multi-center Preserving Cognition, Quality of Life, Physical Health, and Functional Ability in Alzheimer's disease: The Effect of Physical Exercise (ADEX) study. Participants were randomized to 16 weeks of moderate intensity aerobic exercise or usual care. Clinical assessment and measurement of serum NfL was done at baseline and after the intervention. Results: A total of 136 participants were included in the analysis. Groups were comparable at baseline except for APOEε4 carriership which was higher in the usual care group (75.3 versus 60.2%; p = 0.04). There was no effect of the intervention on serum NfL [intervention: baseline NfL (pg/mL) 25.76, change from baseline 0.87; usual care: baseline 27.09, change from baseline -1.16, p = 0.09]. Conclusion: The findings do not support an effect of the exercise intervention on a single measure of neurodegeneration in AD. Further studies are needed using other types and durations of exercise and other measures of neurodegeneration. Clinical trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT01681602.
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BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that epileptiform activity may be detectible in nearly half of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) on long-term electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings. However, such recordings can be uncomfortable, expensive, and difficult. Ear-EEG has shown promising results for long-term EEG monitoring, but it has not been used in patients with AD. OBJECTIVE: To investigate if ear-EEG is a feasible method for long-term EEG monitoring in patients with AD. METHODS: In this longitudinal, single-group feasibility study, ten patients with mild to moderate AD were recruited. A total of three ear-EEG recordings of up to 48 hours three months apart for six months were planned. RESULTS: All patients managed to wear the ear-EEG for at least 24 hours and at least one full night. A total of 19 ear-EEG recordings were performed (self-reported recording, mean: 37.15 hours (SD: 8.96 hours)). After automatic pre-processing, a mean of 27.37 hours (SD: 7.19 hours) of data with acceptable quality in at least one electrode in each ear was found. Seven out of ten participants experienced mild adverse events. Six of the patients did not complete the study with three patients not wanting to wear the ear-EEG anymore due to adverse events. CONCLUSION: It is feasible and safe to use ear-EEG for long-term EEG monitoring in patients with AD. Minor adjustments to the equipment may improve the comfort for the participants.
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Doença de Alzheimer , Humanos , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico , Estudos de Viabilidade , Eletroencefalografia/métodos , Monitorização Fisiológica , EletrodosRESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Diagnostic evaluation of dementia for ethnic minority patients may be challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of diagnostic evaluation of dementia for patients from ethnic minorities in Denmark. METHODS: The Danish national hospital registers were used to identify patients from the main ethnic minority groups in Denmark, who were diagnosed with dementia in the period 2005-2007. Three raters independently reviewed the patients' medical records. Data were compared to data from a previous similar study in the general Danish population. RESULTS: Fifty-seven medical records were reviewed. An acceptable diagnostic workup was documented in only 23% of the patients. Dementia diagnosis was confirmed in 35%. Significant differences in the quality of the diagnostic evaluation were found between patients from ethnic minorities and the general population. CONCLUSION: There are significant ethnic disparities in the quality of diagnostic evaluations and outcome of dementia in the secondary healthcare sector.
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Demência/diagnóstico , Grupos Minoritários , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Demência/epidemiologia , Demência/psicologia , Dinamarca , Etnicidade , Medicina Baseada em Evidências , Feminino , Guias como Assunto , Disparidades em Assistência à Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Prontuários Médicos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Exame Neurológico , Testes Neuropsicológicos , Paquistão/etnologia , Qualidade da Assistência à Saúde , Sistema de Registros , Migrantes , Turquia/etnologia , Adulto Jovem , Iugoslávia/etnologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The two biomarkers 2-[18F]FDG-PET and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers are both recommended to support the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. However, there is a lack of knowledge for the comparison of the two biomarkers in a routine clinical setting. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to compare the clinical impact of 2-[18F]FDG-PET and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers on diagnosis, prognosis, and patient management in patients suspected of Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: Eighty-one patients clinically suspected of Alzheimer's disease were retrospectively included from the Copenhagen Memory Clinic. As part of the clinical work-up all patients had a standard diagnostic program examination including MRI and ancillary investigations with 2-[18F]FDG-PET and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. An incremental study design was used to evaluate the clinical impact of the biomarkers. First, the diagnostic evaluation was based on the standard diagnostic program, then the diagnostic evaluation was revised after addition of either cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers or 2-[18F]FDG-PET. At each diagnostic evaluation, two blinded dementia specialists made a consensus decision on diagnosis, prediction of disease course, and change in patient management. Confidence in the decision was measured on a visual analogue scale (0-100). After 6 months, the diagnostic evaluation was performed with addition of the other biomarker. A clinical follow-up after 12 months was used as reference for diagnosis and disease course. RESULTS: The two biomarkers had a similar clinical value across all diagnosis when added individually to the standard diagnostic program. However, for the correctly diagnosed patient with Alzheimer's disease cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers had a significantly higher impact on diagnostic confidence (mean scores±SD: 88±11 vs. 82±11, p = 0.046) and a significant reduction in the need for ancillary investigations (23 vs. 18 patients, p = 0.049) compared to 2-[18F]FDG-PET. CONCLUSION: The two biomarkers had similar clinical impact on diagnosis, but cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers had a more significant value in corroborating the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease compared to 2-[18F]FDG-PET.
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Doença de Alzheimer/líquido cefalorraquidiano , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico por imagem , Fluordesoxiglucose F18/administração & dosagem , Tomografia por Emissão de Pósitrons , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Biomarcadores/líquido cefalorraquidiano , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
Valid diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is essential to establish appropriate treatment and care. However, the diagnostic accuracy is complicated by clinical and pathological overlap with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cingulate island sign (CIS), defined as sparing of posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) relative to precuneus and cuneus on 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET), is included in the revised diagnostic DLB criteria. There are no guidelines for the visual grading of CIS, although visual rating is a fast-applicable method in a clinical setting. The objective was to develop a robust visual CIS scale and evaluate the performance in differentiating DLB with and without amyloid beta pathology (Aß+/-), and AD. 18F-FDG-PET scans from 35 DLB patients, 36 AD patients, and 23 healthy controls were rated according to a visual CIS scale based on specific reading criteria. The visual CIS scale was validated against a quantitative CIS ratio derived from a region of interest analysis of PCC, precuneus, and cuneus. DLB patients had a significantly higher visual CIS score compared to AD patients, and controls. A cut-off visual CIS score of 4 significantly differentiated DLB Aß- patients from DLB Aß+ patients. In conclusion, the visual CIS scale is clinically useful to differentiate DLB from AD. The degree of CIS may be related to Aß pathology in DLB patients.
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Doença de Alzheimer , Doença por Corpos de Lewy , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico por imagem , Peptídeos beta-Amiloides , Fluordesoxiglucose F18 , Humanos , Doença por Corpos de Lewy/diagnóstico por imagem , Tomografia por Emissão de PósitronsRESUMO
Lifestyle factors have been shown to increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) later in life. Specifically, an unfavorable cholesterol profile, and insulin resistance are associated with increased risk of developing AD. One way to non-pharmacologically affect the levels of plasma lipids is by exercise, which has been shown to be beneficial in cognitively healthy individuals. In this randomized controlled trial y, we therefore aimed to clarify the effect of physical exercise on the lipid profile, insulin and glucose in patients with AD. In addition, we investigated the effect of apolipoproteinE genotype on total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) in plasma from patients with AD. Plasma samples from 172 patients who underwent 16 weeks of moderate-to-high intensity exercise (n = 90) or treatment as usual (n = 82) were analyzed change from baseline for the levels of total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG, glucose, and insulin. In addition, we analyzed those from the exercise group who adhered to the protocol with an attendance of 2/3 or more of the exercise session and who followed the protocol of an intensity of 70% of the maximum heart rate. We found a significant increase in plasma HDL-C levels between the "high exercise sub-group" compared to control group. After intervention HDL-C was increased by 4.3% in the high-exercise group, and decreased by 0.7% in the control group, after adjustment for statin use. In conclusion, short term physical activity may be beneficial on the cholesterol profile in patients with AD.
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Cholinergic dysfunction is central in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). The electroencephalography-based acetylcholine index (EEG-Ach index) has been proposed as a biomarker of cholinergic dysfunction. However, it is unclear how the EEG-Ach index relates to amyloid-beta pathology and neurodegeneration. We investigated the association between the EEG-Ach index and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid-beta, CSF total tau, cortical thickness, and hippocampal volume from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and cognition. A total of 127 patients with different neurodegenerative diseases were studied. The EEG-Ach index was calculated from quantitative EEG using statistical pattern recognition. The EEG-Ach index was associated with hippocampal volume and cortical thickness in frontal, temporal, and occipital cortices. Cross-sectional sub-analyses based on a small sample suggests that the EEG-Ach index increases the closest to AD dementia, downstream to amyloid-beta pathology, CSF total tau, and hippocampal volume. We conclude that cholinergic dysfunction correlates with atrophy in brain areas important for AD pathogenesis, and this association is more prominent in the dementia stage. These results together with previous studies from this project suggest that the EEG-Ach index may be a useful biomarker for cholinergic dysfunction, with value for differential diagnosis of dementia and monitoring patients at the dementia stage.
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Doença de Alzheimer/fisiopatologia , Córtex Cerebral/diagnóstico por imagem , Eletroencefalografia , Hipocampo/diagnóstico por imagem , Doença por Corpos de Lewy/fisiopatologia , Acetilcolina , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Doença de Alzheimer/líquido cefalorraquidiano , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico por imagem , Doença de Alzheimer/patologia , Peptídeos beta-Amiloides/líquido cefalorraquidiano , Atrofia , Biomarcadores/líquido cefalorraquidiano , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Encéfalo/patologia , Córtex Cerebral/patologia , Antagonistas Colinérgicos , Cognição , Estudos Transversais , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Feminino , Hipocampo/patologia , Humanos , Doença por Corpos de Lewy/líquido cefalorraquidiano , Doença por Corpos de Lewy/diagnóstico por imagem , Doença por Corpos de Lewy/patologia , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Masculino , Testes de Estado Mental e Demência , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Doenças Neurodegenerativas/líquido cefalorraquidiano , Doenças Neurodegenerativas/diagnóstico por imagem , Doenças Neurodegenerativas/patologia , Doenças Neurodegenerativas/fisiopatologia , Tamanho do Órgão , Escopolamina , Proteínas tau/líquido cefalorraquidianoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: We conducted a nationwide registry-based study of the quality of diagnostic evaluation for dementia in the secondary health care sector. METHOD: Two hundred patients were randomly selected from the patient population (4,682 patients) registered for the first time with a dementia diagnosis in the nationwide hospital registries during the last 6 months of 2003. Through medical record review, we evaluated the completeness of the work-up on which the dementia diagnosis was based, using evidence-based dementia guidelines as reference standards. RESULTS: Satisfactory or acceptable completion of the basic dementia work-up was documented in 51.3% of the patients. Only 11.5% of those with unsatisfactory work-up were referred to follow-up investigations. Dementia syndrome was confirmed in 88.5% of the cases, but correct subtypes were diagnosed in only 35.1%. CONCLUSION: The adherence to clinical guidelines concerning dementia work-up is inadequate in the secondary health care sector. Our findings call for improvement in the organization of clinical dementia care, for education of specialists and for changes in attitude towards making a diagnosis of dementia.
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Atenção à Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Demência/diagnóstico , Idoso , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico , Doença de Alzheimer/epidemiologia , Doença de Alzheimer/psicologia , Cognição/fisiologia , Demência/epidemiologia , Demência/psicologia , Dinamarca/epidemiologia , Guias como Assunto , Humanos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Prontuários Médicos , Testes Neuropsicológicos , Padrões de Referência , Sistema de Registros , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Especialização/estatística & dados numéricos , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios XRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Quantitative EEG power has not been as effective in discriminating between healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease as conventional biomarkers. But EEG coherence has shown promising results in small samples. The overall aim was to evaluate if EEG connectivity markers can discriminate between Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, and healthy aging and to explore the early underlying changes in coherence. METHODS: EEGs were included in the analysis from 135 healthy controls, 117 patients with mild cognitive impairment, and 117 patients with Alzheimer's disease from six Nordic memory clinics. Principal component analysis was performed before multinomial regression. RESULTS: We found classification accuracies of above 95% based on coherence, imaginary part of coherence, and the weighted phase-lag index. The most prominent changes in coherence were decreased alpha coherence in Alzheimer's disease, which was correlated to the scores of the 10-word test in the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease battery. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic accuracies for EEG connectivity measures are higher than findings from studies investigating EEG power and conventional Alzheimer's disease biomarkers. Furthermore, decreased alpha coherence is one of the earliest changes in Alzheimer's disease and associated with memory function. SIGNIFICANCE: EEG connectivity measures may be useful supplementary diagnostic classifiers.
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Ritmo alfa/fisiologia , Doença de Alzheimer/fisiopatologia , Encéfalo/fisiopatologia , Disfunção Cognitiva/fisiopatologia , Rede Nervosa/fisiopatologia , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico por imagem , Doença de Alzheimer/psicologia , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Disfunção Cognitiva/diagnóstico por imagem , Disfunção Cognitiva/psicologia , Demência/diagnóstico por imagem , Demência/fisiopatologia , Demência/psicologia , Eletroencefalografia/métodos , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Rede Nervosa/diagnóstico por imagem , Testes NeuropsicológicosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Determining the underlying etiology of dementia can be challenging. Computer- based Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) have the potential to provide an objective comparison of data and assist clinicians. OBJECTIVES: To assess the diagnostic impact of a CDSS, the PredictND tool, for differential diagnosis of dementia in memory clinics. METHODS: In this prospective multicenter study, we recruited 779 patients with either subjective cognitive decline (n=252), mild cognitive impairment (n=219) or any type of dementia (n=274) and followed them for minimum 12 months. Based on all available patient baseline data (demographics, neuropsychological tests, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, and MRI visual and computed ratings), the PredictND tool provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of the data with a likelihood index for five diagnostic groups; Alzheimer´s disease, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia and subjective cognitive decline. At baseline, a clinician defined an etiological diagnosis and confidence in the diagnosis, first without and subsequently with the PredictND tool. The follow-up diagnosis was used as the reference diagnosis. RESULTS: In total, 747 patients completed the follow-up visits (53% female, 69±10 years). The etiological diagnosis changed in 13% of all cases when using the PredictND tool, but the diagnostic accuracy did not change significantly. Confidence in the diagnosis, measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS, 0-100%) increased (ΔVAS=3.0%, p<0.0001), especially in correctly changed diagnoses (ΔVAS=7.2%, p=0.0011). CONCLUSION: Adding the PredictND tool to the diagnostic evaluation affected the diagnosis and increased clinicians' confidence in the diagnosis indicating that CDSSs could aid clinicians in the differential diagnosis of dementia.
Assuntos
Disfunção Cognitiva/diagnóstico , Sistemas de Apoio a Decisões Clínicas , Demência/diagnóstico , Idoso , Atitude do Pessoal de Saúde , Disfunção Cognitiva/etiologia , Demência/etiologia , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Masculino , Memória , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Médicos/psicologia , Estudos ProspectivosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Quantitative EEG (qEEG) power could potentially be used as a diagnostic tool for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and may further our understanding of the pathophysiology. However, the early qEEG power changes of AD are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the early changes in qEEG power and the possible correlation with memory function and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers. In addition, whether qEEG power could discriminate between AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and older healthy controls (HC) at the individual level. METHODS: Standard EEGs from 138 HC, 117 MCI, and 117 AD patients were included from six Nordic memory clinics. All EEGs were recorded consecutively before the diagnosis and were not used for the consensus diagnosis. Absolute and relative power was calculated for both eyes closed and open condition. RESULTS: At group level using relative power, we found significant increases globally in the theta band and decreases in high frequency power in the temporal regions for eyes closed for AD and, to a lesser extent, for MCI compared to HC. Relative theta power was significantly correlated with multiple neuropsychological measures and had the largest correlation coefficient with total tau. At the individual level, the classification rate for AD and HC was 72.9% for relative power with eyes closed. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the increase in relative theta power may be the first change in patients with dementia due to AD. At the individual level, we found a moderate classification rate for AD and HC when using EEGs alone.
Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer/complicações , Encéfalo/fisiopatologia , Transtornos Cognitivos/diagnóstico , Transtornos Cognitivos/etiologia , Ritmo Teta/fisiologia , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Mapeamento Encefálico , Eletroencefalografia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Testes Neuropsicológicos , Escalas de Graduação Psiquiátrica , Análise Espectral , Estatísticas não ParamétricasRESUMO
AIM: To examine diagnostic and prognostic potential of quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) analyzed by the statistical pattern recognition (SPR) method in patients with cognitive impairment. We compared the differential diagnostic ability of SPR to visual EEG analysis. Correlation between SPR findings and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Alzheimer disease (AD) biomarkers were evaluated. METHODS: It is a multicenter cohort study involving 129 patients, (mild cognitive impairment [MCI], AD, and healthy controls). Standardized EEG was performed at baseline. Patients were continuously clinically evaluated. RESULTS: Receiver Operating Characteristic curves showed a low discriminative ability of SPR and no ability to predict clinical progression in patients with MCI. Moderate correlation between SPR analysis and CSF AD biomarkers was found. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic and prognostic abilities of qEEG were low. The SPR method was superior to the visual EEG analysis. The qEEG method correlates well to CSF AD biomarkers, suggesting association with pathology in AD.