Measurement and characterization of distinctive clinical phenotypes using the Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Module (FTLD-MOD).

INTRODUCTION: The Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Module (FTLD-MOD) was designed as a research neuropsychological battery to evaluate clinical symptoms associated with FTLD. This study investigated whether the FTLD-MOD could differentiate between primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), two distinct FTLD-related syndromes. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was conducted on data collected from the initial visit of 165 subjects with PPA, 268 with bvFTD, and 251 cognitively normal controls from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. Generalized linear models were used to compare group performance patterns on FTLD-MOD tasks of language, behavior, and memory. RESULTS: PPA participants showed significantly poorer performances on all language tasks whereas bvFTD participants demonstrated poorer performances on most behavioral measures. There were no differences in memory performances. Descriptive data on participant groups are provided for reference. DISCUSSION: Findings from this multi-center sample suggest that the FTLD-MOD can differentiate between distinctive clinical phenotypes commonly associated with FTLD.

Renal T cell infiltration occurs despite attenuation of development of hypertension with hydralazine in Envigo's female Dahl rat maintained on a low-Na+ diet.

Many studies have suggested that renal T cell infiltration contributes to the pathogenesis of salt-sensitive hypertension. To investigate this mechanism further, we determined T cell profiles in the kidney and lymphoid tissues as a function of blood pressure in the female Envigo Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rat maintained on low-Na+ (LS) diet. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were measured by telemetry in SS rats from 1 mo old (juvenile) to 4 mo old. Normotensive salt-resistant (SR) rats were included as controls. Frequencies of T helper (CD4+) cells were greater in the kidney, lymph nodes, and spleen in 4-mo-old hypertensive SS rats compared with normotensive SR animals and SS juvenile rats, suggesting that renal T cell infiltration contributes to hypertension in the SS rat on a LS diet. At 1.5 mo, half of the SS rats were treated with vehicle (Veh), and the rest received hydralazine (HDZ; 25 mg·kg-1·day-1) for 11 wk. HDZ impeded the development of hypertension compared with Veh-treated control rats [mean arterial pressure: 157 ± 4 mmHg in the Veh-treated group (n = 6) vs. 133 ± 3 mmHg in the HDZ-treated group (n = 7), P < 0.001] without impacting T helper cell frequencies in the tissues, suggesting that HDZ can overcome mechanisms of hypertension driven by renal T cell infiltration under the LS diet. Renal frequencies of CD4+CD25+ and CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells were significantly higher in 4-mo-old hypertensive rats compared with normotensive SR rats and SS juvenile rats, suggesting that these T cell subpopulations play a compensatory role in the development of hypertension. Greater understanding of these T cell populations could lead to new therapeutic targets for treating inflammatory diseases associated with hypertension.

Neurocognitive change over the course of a multiday external lumbar drain trial in patients with suspected normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Objective: To characterize neurocognitive response to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion during a multiday external lumbar drainage (ELD) trial in patients with suspected normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). Methods: Inpatients (N = 70) undergoing an ELD trial as part of NPH evaluation participated. Cognition and balance were assessed using standardized measures before and after a three-day ELD trial. Cognitive change pre- to post-ELD trial was assessed in relation to change in balance, baseline neuroimaging findings, NPH symptoms, demographics, and other disease-relevant clinical parameters. Results: Multiday ELD resulted in significant cognitive improvement (particularly on measures of memory and language). This improvement was independent of demographics, test-retest interval, number of medical and psychiatric comorbidities, NPH symptom duration, estimated premorbid intelligence, baseline level of cognitive impairment, cerebrovascular disease burden, degree of ventriculomegaly, or other NPH-related morphological brain alterations. Balance scores evidenced a greater magnitude of improvement than cognitive scores and were weakly, but positively correlated with cognitive change scores. Conclusions: Findings suggest that cognitive improvement associated with a multiday ELD trial can be sufficiently captured with bedside neurocognitive testing. These findings support the utility of neuropsychological consultation, along with balance assessment, in informing clinical decision-making regarding responsiveness to temporary CSF diversion for patients undergoing elective NPH evaluation. Implications for the understanding of neuroanatomical and cognitive underpinnings of NPH are discussed.