Combination of white matter hyperintensities and Aß burden is related to cognitive composites domain scores in subjective cognitive decline: the FACEHBI cohort.

BACKGROUND: To explore whether the combination of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and amyloid-beta (Aß) deposition is associated with worse cognitive performance on cognitive composites (CCs) domain scores in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). METHODS: Two hundred participants from the FACEHBI cohort underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 18F-florbetaben positron emission tomography (FBB-PET), and neuropsychological assessment. WMHs were addressed through the Fazekas scale, the Age-Related White Matter Changes (ARWMC) scale, and the FreeSurfer pipeline. Eight CCs domain scores were created using the principal component analysis (PCA). Age, sex, education, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) were used as adjusting variables. RESULTS: Adjusted multiple linear regression models showed that FreeSurfer (B - .245; 95% CI - .1.676, - .393, p = .016) and ß burden (SUVR) (B - .180; 95% CI - 2.140, - .292; p = .070) were associated with face-name associative memory CCs domain score, although the latest one was not statistically significant after correction for multiple testing (p = .070). There was non-significant interaction of these two factors on this same CCs domain score (p = .54). However, its cumulative effects on face-name associative performance indicated that those individuals with either higher WMH load or higher Aß burden showed the worst performance on the face-name associative memory CCs domain score. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that increased WMH load and increased Aß are independently associated with poorer episodic memory performance in SCD individuals, indicating a cumulative effect of the combination of these two pathological conditions in promoting lower cognitive performance, an aspect that could help in terms of treatment and prevention.

[Utility of early imaging of myocardial innervation scintigraphy in the diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia]. / Utilidad de la imagen precoz de la gammagrafía de inervación miocárdica en el diagnóstico de la demencia con cuerpos de Lewy.

UNLABELLED: The importance of accurate and early diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) lies in its pharmacological management. Delayed imaging of cardiac (123)I-MIBG scintigraphy allows differentiation between DLB and other neurodegenerative diseases with cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of early imaging of cardiac (123)I-MIBG scintigraphy for differentiating DLB from others neurodegenerative disease with cognitive impairment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We assess retrospectively 106 patients (51 men, mean age 78 years) with cognitive impairment that underwent a cardiac (123)I-MIBG study. Planar images were acquired in anterior view of the thorax 15min (early) and 4h (delayed) after tracer administration. The heart-to-mediastinum ratios (HMR) at 15m (HMR15m) and at 4h (HMR4h) were obtained. RESULTS: After four years, 52 patients were diagnosed of DLB.HMR15m and HMR4h were significantly inferior in DLB respect to the others neurodegenerative diseases (1,27±0,15 vs 1,76±0,15,p<0,05) and (1,14±0,13 vs 1,68±0,19,p<0.01), respectively. The ROC analysis showed a HMR15m cut off point of 1.56 to differentiated DLB from the other dementias with a sensitivity and a specificity of 98%. CONCLUSIONS: Early imaging of cardiac (123)I-MIBG scintigraphy can help to differentiate DLB from other neurodegenerative diseases with cognitive impairment.

Cardiac sympathetic impairment parallels nigrostriatal degeneration in Probable Dementia with Lewy Bodies.

AIM: Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) must be distinguished from other types of dementia because of important differences in patient management and outcome. Both reduction in cardiac 123I-metaiodobenzilguanidine (MIBG) uptake and decreased 123I-FP-CIT binding in basal ganglia have been described in DLB. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between cardiac sympathetic activity and nigrostriatal degeneration in patients with probable DLB. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (15 males; mean age 77 years, range 64-88 years) with clinical international criteria of probable DLB were included in the study. All patients underwent a cardiac MIBG scintigraphy and a FP-CIT SPECT. Global cardiac MIBG uptake was semiquantified by means of heart-to-mediastinum ratio (HMR) (normal >1.56). FP-CIT binding in basal ganglia was calculated and compared with an age-matched control group. The relation between cardiac MIBG uptake and FP-CIT uptake in basal ganglia, and the relationship of these two techniques with distinctive symptoms of DLB, features of past medical history and data from the neuropsychological examination were assessed. RESULTS: Cardiac MIBG uptake was decreased in 23 of 28 patients (HMR=1.32, range 0.95-1.85). The FP-CIT binding in basal ganglia was significantly lower than in control group (2.01±0.5 vs 2.62±0.2, P<0.05). All patients with reduced cardiac HMR showed decreased FP-CIT binding in basal ganglia. There was a positive correlation between the HMR and specific binding ratio of striatum (P<0.01). A high correlation between FP-CIT SPECT and the presence of parkinsonism also was found. No correlation between cardiac MIBG uptake and demographic, clinical or neuropsychological data was found. CONCLUSION: In probable DLB cardiac MIBG uptake and FP-CIT binding in basal ganglia are reduced. The positive correlation between both measures suggests that cardiac sympathetic degeneration and nigrostriatal degeneration parallel similarly in patients with probable DLB.