eIF5 stimulates the CUG initiation of RAN translation of poly-GA dipeptide repeat protein (DPR) in C9orf72 FTLD/ALS.

Tandem GGGGCC repeat expansion in C9orf72 is a genetic cause of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Transcribed repeats are translated into dipeptide repeat proteins via repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. However, the regulatory mechanism of RAN translation remains unclear. Here, we reveal a GTPase-activating protein, eukaryotic initiation factor 5 (eIF5), which allosterically facilitates the conversion of eIF2-bound GTP into GDP upon start codon recognition, as a novel modifier of C9orf72 RAN translation. Compared to global translation, eIF5, but not its inactive mutants, preferentially stimulates poly-GA RAN translation. RAN translation is increased during integrated stress response, but the stimulatory effect of eIF5 on poly-GA RAN translation was additive to the increase of RAN translation during integrated stress response, with no further increase in phosphorylated eIF2α. Moreover, an alteration of the CUG near cognate codon to CCG or AUG in the poly-GA reading frame abolished the stimulatory effects, indicating that eIF5 primarily acts through the CUG-dependent initiation. Lastly, in a Drosophila model of C9orf72 FTLD/ALS that expresses GGGGCC repeats in the eye, knockdown of endogenous eIF5 by two independent RNAi strains significantly reduced poly-GA expressions, confirming in vivo effect of eIF5 on poly-GA RAN translation. Together, eIF5 stimulates the CUG initiation of poly-GA RAN translation in cellular and Drosophila disease models of C9orf72 FTLD/ALS.

Therapeutic reduction of GGGGCC repeat RNA levels by hnRNPA3 suppresses neurodegeneration in Drosophila models of C9orf72-linked ALS/FTD.

The abnormal expansion of GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeats within the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The accumulation of GGGGCC repeat-containing RNAs as RNA foci, and the deposition of dipeptide repeat proteins (DPR) produced from these repeat RNAs by unconventional translation are major pathological hallmarks of C9orf72-linked ALS/FTD (C9-ALS/FTD), and are both thought to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Because GGGGCC repeat RNA is likely to be the most upstream therapeutic target in the pathogenic cascade of C9-ALS/FTD, lowering the cellular level of GGGGCC repeat RNA is expected to mitigate repeat RNA toxicity, and will therefore be a disease-modifying therapeutic strategy for the treatment of C9-ALS/FTD. In this study, we demonstrated using a Drosophila model of C9-ALS/FTD that elevated expression of a subset of human RNA-binding proteins that bind to GGGGCC repeat RNA, including hnRNPA3, IGF2BP1, hnRNPA2B1, hnRNPR and SF3B3, reduces the level of GGGGCC repeat RNA, resulting in the suppression of neurodegeneration. We further showed that hnRNPA3-mediated reduction of GGGGCC repeat RNA suppresses disease pathology, such as RNA foci and DPR accumulation. These results demonstrate that hnRNPA3 and other RNA-binding proteins negatively regulate the level of GGGGCC repeat RNA, and mitigate repeat RNA toxicity in vivo, indicating the therapeutic potential of the repeat RNA-lowering approach mediated by endogenous RNA-binding proteins for the treatment of C9-ALS/FTD.

The RNA exosome complex degrades expanded hexanucleotide repeat RNA in C9orf72 FTLD/ALS.

Nucleotide repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene cause frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Transcribed repeat RNA accumulates within RNA foci and is also translated into toxic dipeptide repeat proteins (DPR). The mechanism of repeat RNA accumulation, however, remains unclear. The RNA exosome complex is a multimeric ribonuclease involved in degradation of defective RNA. Here, we uncover the RNA exosome as a major degradation complex for pathogenic C9orf72-derived repeat RNA. Knockdown of EXOSC10, the catalytic subunit of the complex, enhanced repeat RNA and DPR protein expression levels. RNA degradation assays confirmed that EXOSC10 can degrade both sense and antisense repeats. Furthermore, EXOSC10 reduction increased RNA foci and repeat transcripts in patient-derived cells. Cells expressing toxic poly-GR or poly-PR proteins accumulate a subset of small nucleolar RNA precursors, which are physiological substrates of EXOSC10, as well as excessive repeat RNA, indicating that arginine-rich DPR proteins impair the intrinsic activity of EXOSC10. Collectively, arginine-rich DPR-mediated impairment of EXOSC10 and the RNA exosome complex compromises repeat RNA metabolism and may thus exacerbate C9orf72-FTLD/ALS pathologies in a vicious cycle.

Gene-gene functional relationships in Alzheimer's disease: CELF1 regulates KLC1 alternative splicing.

The causes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are poorly understood, although many genes are known to be involved in this pathology. To gain insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms, it is essential to identify the relationships between individual AD genes. Previous work has shown that the splice variant E of KLC1 (KLC1_vE) promotes AD, and that the CELF1 gene, which encodes an RNA-binding protein involved in splicing regulation, is at a risk locus for AD. Here, we identified a functional link between CELF1 and KLC1 in AD pathogenesis. Transcriptomic data from human samples from different ethnic groups revealed that CELF1 mRNA levels are low in AD brains, and the splicing pattern of KLC1 is strongly correlated with CELF1 expression levels. Specifically, KLC1_vE is negatively correlated with CELF1. Depletion and overexpression experiments in cultured cells demonstrated that the CELF1 protein down-regulates KLC1_vE. In a cross-linking and immunoprecipitation sequencing (CLIP-seq) database, CELF1 directly binds to KLC1 RNA, following which it likely modulates terminal exon usage, hence KLC1_vE formation. These findings reveal a new pathogenic pathway where a risk allele of CELF1 is associated with reduced CELF1 expression, which up-regulates KLC1_vE to promote AD.

Oxytocin-induced increases in cytokines and clinical effect on the core social features of autism: Analyses of RCT datasets.

Although oxytocin may provide a novel therapeutics for the core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), previous results regarding the efficacy of repeated or higher dose oxytocin are controversial, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The current study is aimed to clarify whether repeated oxytocin alter plasma cytokine levels in relation to clinical changes of autism social core feature. Here we analyzed cytokine concentrations using comprehensive proteomics of plasmas of 207 adult males with high-functioning ASD collected from two independent multi-center large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs): Testing effects of 4-week intranasal administrations of TTA-121 (A novel oxytocin spray with enhanced bioavailability: 3U, 6U, 10U, or 20U/day) and placebo in the crossover discovery RCT; 48U/day Syntocinon or placebo in the parallel-group verification RCT. Among the successfully quantified 17 cytokines, 4 weeks TTA-121 6U (the peak dose for clinical effects) significantly elevated IL-7 (9.74, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 3.59 to 15.90, False discovery rate corrected P (PFDR) < 0.001), IL-9 (56.64, 20.46 to 92.82, PFDR < 0.001) and MIP-1b (18.27, 4.96 to 31.57, PFDR < 0.001) compared with placebo. Inverted U-shape dose-response relationships peaking at TTA-121 6U were consistently observed for all these cytokines (IL-7: P < 0.001; IL-9: P < 0.001; MIP-1b: P = 0.002). Increased IL-7 and IL-9 in participants with ASD after 4 weeks TTA-121 6U administration compared with placebo was verified in the confirmatory analyses in the dataset before crossover (PFDR < 0.001). Furthermore, the changes in all these cytokines during 4 weeks of TTA-121 10U administration revealed associations with changes in reciprocity score, the original primary outcome, observed during the same period (IL-7: Coefficient = -0.05, -0.10 to 0.003, P = 0.067; IL-9: -0.01, -0.02 to -0.003, P = 0.005; MIP-1b: -0.02, -0.04 to -0.007, P = 0.005). These findings provide the first evidence for a role of interaction between oxytocin and neuroinflammation in the change of ASD core social features, and support the potential role of this interaction as a novel therapeutic seed. Trial registration: UMIN000015264, NCT03466671/UMIN000031412.

Post hoc analysis of the characteristics and treatment needs of patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and their caregivers and their physicians' awareness of those treatment needs according to the duration after diagnosis of DLB.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the differences in patient/caregiver characteristics, their treatment needs, and the attending physician's understanding of those treatment needs according to the duration after diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). METHODS: This was a post hoc analysis of a multicenter, cross-sectional, questionnaire survey study. A total of 263 patient-caregiver pairs were reclassified into two groups according to the median duration after diagnosis of DLB as follows: short (<24 months; S-group) and long (≥24 months; L-group) post-DLB diagnosis duration. Treatment need was defined as the symptom domain that caused the patient or caregiver the most distress. Concordance rates between patient-physician and caregiver-physician were calculated for physicians' understanding of treatment needs. RESULTS: In this analysis, 126 pairs (32 physicians) and 137 pairs (34 physicians) were classified as the S- and L-groups, respectively. Patient and caregiver characteristics were broadly similar between groups (mean age for patients 78.7 ± 6.6 vs. 79.8 ± 6.7, for caregivers 64.7 ± 12.9 vs. 64.9 ± 12.8; number of male/female for patients 61/65 vs. 67/70, for caregivers 34/92 vs. 38/99), but the prevalence of parkinsonism (82.5% vs. 66.7%) and autonomic dysfunction (49.6% vs. 33.3%), severity of parkinsonism (MDS-UPDRS Part III total scores, 29.2 ± 22.6 vs. 18.0 ± 16.4; Part II total score, 14.6 ± 12.0 vs. 7.6 ± 7.9), and caregiver burden (J-ZBI_8 score, 9.1 ± 6.7 vs. 7.5 ± 5.8) were higher in the L-group than the S-group. Regarding treatment needs, the invalid answer rates for patients were 34.9% and 46.8%, and those for caregivers were 28.6% and 34.9% in the S- and L groups, respectively. Patients' treatment needs did not significantly differ (p = 0.056), but S-group patients were more likely to select cognitive impairment (p = 0.045) as their treatment need, whereas L-group patients were more likely to select parkinsonism (p = 0.003). Caregivers' treatment needs significantly differed (p = 0.032) between groups. S-group caregivers were more likely to select cognitive impairment (p = 0.001), whereas L-group caregivers were more likely to select other symptom domains such as parkinsonism (S-group vs. L-group: 10.3% vs. 16.7%), psychiatric symptoms (20.6% vs. 24.6%), sleep-related disorder (4.0% vs. 7.1%), and autonomic dysfunction (4.8% vs. 9.5%). Concordance rates between patient-physician and caregiver-physician were low in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: There were some differences in characteristics according to the duration after diagnosis of DLB. Cognitive dysfunction may be a particular concern for patients and caregivers soon after diagnosis of DLB. Treatment needs of patients and caregivers for parkinsonism, psychiatric symptoms, sleep-related disorder, or autonomic dysfunction were different according to the duration after diagnosis of DLB. Physicians' perception of patients'/caregivers' treatment needs was poor regardless of the duration after diagnosis of DLB. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000041844).

Eating problems in people with dementia with Lewy bodies: Associations with various symptoms and the physician's understanding.

OBJECTIVES: Eating problems frequently occur in people with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), but few studies have investigated the clinical background of this phenomenon. This study examined the relationship between eating problems and various symptoms of DLB and the relation between the treatment needs for DLB people with eating problems and the understanding of their eating problems by caregivers and physicians. DESIGN, MEASUREMENTS, AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a subanalysis of a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey study. Two hundred sixty-one subjects with DLB were divided into subjects with or without eating problems. Logistic or linear regression analysis was used to investigate the factors influencing eating problems. The treatment needs of DLB people for their eating problems and the understanding of these needs by caregivers and physicians were calculated as participant-caregiver and participant-physician kappa coefficient. RESULTS: Of the 261 participants, 27% suffered from eating problems. The presence of eating problems in participants with DLB was related to depression (p = 0.01, OR : 2.19, 95% CI: 1.23-3.91) and apathy (p = 0.01, OR 2.15, 95% CI: 1.20-3.87), while the worsening of eating problems was related to dysphagia (ß = 0.24, p = 0.03), apathy (ß = 0.23, p = 0.05), and nighttime behavior (ß = 0.24, p = 0.04). The participant-physician kappa coefficient for physician understanding of constipation, weight loss, dysphagia, weight gain, and increase in appetite was significantly lower than the corresponding participant-caregiver kappa coefficient (p-value of five symptoms < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Physicians need to pay more attention to eating problems and their neuropsychiatric background in the long-term support and management of DLB subjects.

Characteristics of very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis classified with the biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the association between very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis (VLOSLP), a schizophrenia spectrum disorder with an onset of ≥60 years, and Alzheimer's disease (AD) using biomarkers. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING: Neuropsychology clinic of Osaka University Hospital in Japan. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-three participants were classified into three groups: eight AD biomarker-negative VLOSLP (VLOSLP-AD), nine AD biomarker-positive VLOSLP (VLOSLP+AD), and sixteen amnestic mild cognitive impairment due to AD without psychosis (aMCI-P+AD) participants. MEASUREMENTS: Phosphorylated tau levels in the cerebrospinal fluid and 18F-Florbetapir positron emission tomography results were used as AD biomarkers. Several scales (e.g. the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) Logical Memory (LM) I and II, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI)-plus) were conducted to assess clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Those in both VLOSLP-AD and +AD groups scored higher than those in aMCI-P+AD in WMS-R LM I. On the other hand, VLOSLP+AD participants scored in between the other two groups in the WMS-R LM II, with only VLOSLP-AD participants scoring significantly higher than aMCI-P+AD participants. There were no significant differences in sex distribution and MMSE scores among the three groups or in the subtype of psychotic symptoms between VLOSLP-AD and +AD participants. Four VLOSLP-AD and five VLOSLP+AD participants harbored partition delusions. Delusion of theft was shown in two VLOSLP-AD patients and five VLOSLP+AD patients. CONCLUSION: Some VLOSLP patients had AD pathology. Clinical characteristics were different between AD biomarker-positive and AD biomarker-negative VLOSLP, which may be helpful for detecting AD pathology in VLOSLP patients.

Validation of the Japanese version of the Social Functioning in Dementia scale and COVID-19 pandemic's impact on social function in mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to psychometrically evaluate and validate a Japanese version of the Social Functioning in Dementia scale (SF-DEM-J) and investigate changes in social function in people with dementia during the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. DESIGN: We interviewed people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild dementia and their caregivers during June 2020-March 2021 to validate patient- and caregiver-rated SF-DEM-J and compared their scores at baseline (April 2020 to May 2020) and at 6-8 months (January 2021 to March 2021) during a time of tighter COVID-19 restrictions. SETTING: The neuropsychology clinic in the Department of Psychiatry at Osaka University Hospital and outpatient clinic in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at Daini Osaka Police Hospital, Japan. PARTICIPANTS: 103 dyads of patients and caregivers. MEASUREMENTS: SF-DEM-J, Mini-Mental State Examination, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Apathy Evaluation Scale. RESULTS: The scale's interrater reliability was excellent and test-retest reliability was substantial. Content validity was confirmed for the caregiver-rated SF-DEM-J, and convergent validity was moderate. Caregiver-rated SF-DEM-J was associated with apathy, irritability, loneliness, and cognitive impairment. The total score of caregiver-rated SF-DEM-J and the score of Section 2, "communication with others," significantly improved at 6-8 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The SF-DEM-J is acceptable as a measure of social function in MCI and mild dementia. Our results show that the social functioning of people with dementia, especially communicating with others, improved during the COVID-19 pandemic, probably as a result of adaptation to the restrictive life.

Donepezil for dementia with Lewy bodies: meta-analysis of multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II, III, and, IV studies.

BACKGROUND: Current evidence for the management of symptoms associated with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) using donepezil is limited. We conducted a meta-analysis of three randomised controlled trials of donepezil in patients with DLB to investigate the overall efficacy of donepezil on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change-plus Caregiver Input (CIBIC-plus). METHODS: A meta-analysis was performed using the data of 312 patients administered placebo or 10 mg donepezil. Overall mean score differences for MMSE, NPI-2, and NPI-10 from baseline to week 12 and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. For CIBIC-plus, which was transformed from a seven-point grade to a dichotomous outcome (improvements/no improvements), odds ratio (OR) and its 95% CI were estimated. Random-effects models were used, and heterogeneity was evaluated using the Cochrane's Q test and I2 statistic. RESULTS: Heterogeneity was suspected for NPI-2 (P < 0.05; I2 = 87.2%) and NPI-10 (P < 0.05; I2 = 67.7%) while it was not suspected for MMSE (P = 0.23; I2 = 32.4%) and CIBIC-plus (P = 0.26; I2 = 19.8%). The overall mean MMSE score difference (mean difference: 1.50; 95% CI, 0.67-2.34) and the overall odds of improving CIBIC-plus (OR: 2.20; 95% CI, 1.13-4.26) from baseline to week 12 were higher in the donepezil group than in the placebo group. CONCLUSION: Results of our meta-analysis indicated overall efficacy of donepezil on cognitive impairment and global clinical status in patients with DLB.

Efficacy and safety of donepezil in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies: results from a 12-week multicentre, randomised, double-blind, and placebo-controlled phase IV study.

BACKGROUND: Donepezil has been approved in Japan for the treatment of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) based on clinical trials showing its beneficial effects on cognitive impairment. This phase IV study evaluated the efficacy of donepezil by focusing on global clinical status during a 12-week double-blind phase. METHODS: Patients with probable DLB were randomly assigned to the placebo (n = 79) or 10 mg donepezil (n = 81) groups. The primary endpoint was changes in global clinical status, assessed using the Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change plus Caregiver Input (CIBIC-plus). We also assessed four CIBIC-plus domains (general condition, cognitive function, behaviour, and activities of daily living) and changes in cognitive impairment and behavioural and neuropsychiatric symptoms measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), respectively. RESULTS: Although donepezil's superiority was not shown in the global clinical status, a significant favourable effect was detected in the cognitive domain (P = 0.006). MMSE scores improved in the donepezil group after adjustments in post hoc analysis (MMSE mean difference, 1.4 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.42-2.30), P = 0.004). Improvements in NPIs were similar between the groups (NPI-2: -0.2 (95% CI, -1.48 to 1.01), P = 0.710; NPI-10: 0.1 (95% CI, -3.28 to 3.55), P = 0.937). CONCLUSION: The results support the observation that the efficacy of 10 mg donepezil in improving cognitive function is clinically meaningful in DLB patients. The evaluation of global clinical status might be affected by mild to moderate DLB patients enrolled in this study. No new safety concerns were detected.

Gesture imitation performance in community-dwelling older people: assessment of a gesture imitation task in the screening and diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

BACKGROUND: Gesture imitation, a simple tool for assessing visuospatial/visuoconstructive functions, is reportedly useful for screening and diagnosing dementia. However, gesture imitation performance in healthy older adults is largely unknown, as are the factors associated with lower performance. To address these unknowns, we examined the gesture imitation performance of a large number of community-dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years in Arao City, Kumamoto Prefecture (southern Japan). METHODS: The examiner presented the participants with eight gesture patterns and considered it a success if they could imitate them within 10 s. The success rate of each gesture imitation was calculated for three diagnostic groups: cognitively normal (CN) (n = 1184), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (n = 237), and dementia (n = 47). Next, we reorganised the original gesture imitation battery by combining six selected gestures with the following scoring method: if the participants successfully imitated the gestures, immediately or within 5 s, two points were assigned. If they succeeded within 5-10 s, one point was assigned. The sensitivity and specificity of the battery were investigated to detect the dementia and MCI groups. Factors associated with gesture imitation battery scores were examined. RESULTS: Except one complex gesture, the success rate of imitation in the CN group was high, approximately 90%. The sensitivity and specificity of the gesture imitation battery for discriminating between the dementia and CN groups and between the MCI and CN groups were 70%/88%, and 45%/75%, respectively. Ageing, male sex, and a diagnosis of dementia or MCI were associated with lower scores on the gesture imitation battery. CONCLUSION: Gesture imitation tasks alone may not be sufficient to detect MCI. However, by combining gestures with set time limits, gesture imitation tasks can be a low-burden and effective method for detecting dementia, even in community medicine, such as during health check-ups.

Utility of the Japanese version of the Clinical Dementia Rating® plus National Alzheimer's Coordinating Centre Behaviour and Language Domains for sporadic cases of frontotemporal dementia in Japan.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to validate the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR®) dementia staging instrument plus the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Centre Behaviour and Language Domains (CDR® plus NACC FTLD) for use in clinical settings in Japan and in the Japanese language. METHODS: This prospective observational study enrolled 29 patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and 21 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia from the Departments of Psychiatry at Osaka University Hospital and Asakayama General Hospital and the Brain Function Centre at Nippon Life Hospital. CDR® plus NACC FTLD, CDR®, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Western Aphasia Battery (WAB), Neuropsychiatric Inventory-plus (NPI-plus), Stereotypy Rating Inventory (SRI), and frontal behavioural symptom scores obtained from items of NPI-plus and SRI, were conducted to assess inter- and intra-rater reliability, validity, and responsiveness. We performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to evaluate the discriminating power of the Behaviour/Comportment/Personality (BEHAV) and Language (LANG) domains of the CDR® plus NACC FTLD and the MEMORY domain of the CDR® in patients AD dementia and FTD. RESULTS: The CDR® plus NACC FTLD showed good inter- and intra-rater reliabilities. In patients with FTD, the BEHAV domain of the CDR® plus NACC FTLD was significantly correlated with all clinical measures except for the SRI total score, while the LANG domain of the CDR® plus NACC FTLD was significantly correlated with the MMSE and the WAB-Aphasia quotient. In addition, the CDR® plus NACC FTLD sum of boxes significantly changed after 6 months and after 1 year. ROC curve analysis showed that the BEHAV and LANG domains of the CDR® plus NACC FTLD distinguished between patients with AD dementia and FTD better than the MEMORY domain of the CDR®. CONCLUSIONS: This study validated the Japanese version of the CDR® plus NACC FTLD with good reliability, validity, and responsiveness.

Aspects of degradation and translation of the expanded C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat RNA.

An hexanucleotide repeat expansion mutation in the non-coding region of C9orf72 gene causes frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This mutation is estimated to be the most frequent genetic cause of these currently incurable diseases. Since the mutation causes autosomal dominantly inherited diseases, disease cascade essentially starts from the expanded DNA repeats. However, molecular disease mechanism is inevitably complex because possible toxic entity for the disease is not just functional loss of translated C9ORF72 protein, if any, but potentially includes bidirectionally transcribed expanded repeat containing RNA and their unconventional repeat-associated non-AUG translation products in all possible reading frames. Although the field learned so much about the disease since the identification of the mutation in 2011, how the expanded repeat causes a particular type of fronto-temporal lobe dominant neurodegeneration and/or motor neuron degeneration is not yet clear. In this review, we summarize and discuss the current understandings of molecular mechanism of this repeat expansion mutation with focuses on the degradation and translation of the repeat containing RNA transcripts.

Precise Discrimination for Multiple Etiologies of Dementia Cases Based on Deep Learning with Electroencephalography.

INTRODUCTION: It is critical to develop accurate and universally available biomarkers for dementia diseases to appropriately deal with the dementia problems under world-wide rapid increasing of patients with dementia. In this sense, electroencephalography (EEG) has been utilized as a promising examination to screen and assist in diagnosing dementia, with advantages of sensitiveness to neural functions, inexpensiveness, and high availability. Moreover, the algorithm-based deep learning can expand EEG applicability, yielding accurate and automatic classification easily applied even in general hospitals without any research specialist. METHODS: We utilized a novel deep neural network, with which high accuracy of discrimination was archived in neurological disorders in the previous study. Based on this network, we analyzed EEG data of healthy volunteers (HVs, N = 55), patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD, N = 101), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB, N = 75), and idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH, N = 60) to evaluate the discriminative accuracy of these diseases. RESULTS: High discriminative accuracies were archived between HV and patients with dementia, yielding 81.7% (vs. AD), 93.9% (vs. DLB), 93.1% (vs. iNPH), and 87.7% (vs. AD, DLB, and iNPH). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the EEG data of patients with dementia were successfully discriminated from HVs based on a novel deep learning algorithm, which could be useful for automatic screening and assisting diagnosis of dementia diseases.

Effect of a novel nasal oxytocin spray with enhanced bioavailability on autism: a randomized trial.

Although intranasal oxytocin is expected to be a novel therapy for the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, which has currently no approved medication, the efficacy of repeated administrations was inconsistent, suggesting that the optimal dose for a single administration of oxytocin is not optimal for repeated administration. The current double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre, crossover trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03466671) was aimed to test the effect of TTA-121, a new formulation of intranasal oxytocin spray with an enhanced bioavailability (3.6 times higher than Syntocinon® spray, as assessed by area under the concentration-time curve in rabbit brains), which enabled us to test a wide range of multiple doses, on autism spectrum disorder core symptoms and to determine the dose-response relationship. Four-week administrations of TTA-121, at low dose once per day (3 U/day), low dose twice per day (6 U/day), high dose once per day (10 U/day), or high dose twice per day (20 U/day), and 4-week placebo were administered in a crossover manner. The primary outcome was the mean difference in the reciprocity score (range: 0-14, higher values represent worse outcomes) on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule between the baseline and end point of each administration period. This trial with two administration periods and eight groups was conducted at seven university hospitals in Japan, enrolling adult males with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Enrolment began from June 2018 and ended December 2019. Follow-up ended March 2020. Of 109 males with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder who were randomized, 103 completed the trial. The smallest P-value, judged as the dose-response relationship, was the contrast with the peak at TTA-121 6 U/day, with inverted U-shape for both the full analysis set (P = 0.182) and per protocol set (P = 0.073). The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule reciprocity score, the primary outcome, was reduced in the TTA-121 6 U/day administration period compared with the placebo (full analysis set: P = 0.118, mean difference = -0.5; 95% CI: -1.1 to 0.1; per protocol set: P = 0.012, mean difference = -0.8; 95% CI: -1.3 to -0.2). The per protocol set was the analysis target population, consisting of all full analysis set participants except those who deviated from the protocol. Most dropouts from the full analysis set to the per protocol set occurred because of poor adherence to the test drug (9 of 12 in the first period and 8 of 15 in the second period). None of the secondary clinical and behavioural outcomes were significantly improved with the TTA-121 compared with the placebo in the full analysis set. A novel intranasal spray of oxytocin with enhanced bioavailability enabled us to test a wide range of multiple doses, revealing an inverted U-shape dose-response curve, with the peak at a dose that was lower than expected from previous studies. The efficacy of TTA-121 shown in the current exploratory study should be verified in a future large-scale, parallel-group trial.

Cerebrospinal fluid amyloid beta and response of cognition to a tap test in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and tap test response to elucidate the effects of comorbidity of AD in idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Osaka University Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with possible iNPH underwent a CSF tap test. MEASUREMENTS: Concentrations of amyloid beta (Aß) 1-40, 1-42, and total tau in CSF were measured. The response of tap test was judged using Timed Up and Go test (TUG), 10-m reciprocation walking test (10MWT), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and iNPH grading scale. The ratio of Aß1-42 to Aß1-40 (Aß42/40 ratio) and total tau concentration was compared between tap test-negative (iNPH-nTT) and -positive (iNPH-pTT) patients. RESULTS: We identified 27 patients as iNPH-nTT and 81 as iNPH-pTT. Aß42/40 ratio was significantly lower (mean [SD] = 0.063 [0.026] vs. 0.083 [0.036], p = 0.008), and total tau in CSF was significantly higher (mean [SD] = 385.6 [237.2] vs. 293.6 [165.0], p = 0.028) in iNPH-nTT than in iNPH-pTT. Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that low Aß42/40 ratio was significantly associated with the negativity of the tap test. The response of cognition was significantly related to Aß42/40 ratio. The association between Aß42/40 ratio and tap test response, especially in cognition, remained after adjusting for disease duration and severity at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: A low CSF Aß42/40 ratio is associated with a poorer cognitive response, but not gait and urinary response, to a tap test in iNPH. Even if CSF biomarkers suggest AD comorbidity, treatment with iNPH may be effective for gait and urinary dysfunction.

Questionnaire survey of satisfaction with medication for five symptom domains of dementia with Lewy bodies among patients, their caregivers, and their attending physicians.

BACKGROUND: The real-world status of satisfaction with medication for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) has not been elucidated. We assessed the satisfaction of patients with DLB, their caregivers, and their attending physicians (trios) with medication according to the clinical symptom domains of DLB. METHODS: This was a subanalysis of a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based, survey study of trios. The subanalysis set comprised analysis populations for cognitive impairment, parkinsonism, psychiatric symptoms, sleep-related disorders, and autonomic dysfunction (orthostatic hypotension, constipation, and dysuria). These analysis populations included trios of patients who had any symptom domain and took medication for each symptom domain, and for which all trio data on satisfaction with medication for the symptom domain were available. The degrees of satisfaction with medication were classified as 'satisfied', 'neutral', or 'dissatisfied'. RESULTS: The analysis set for this study included 110 trios for cognitive impairment, 62 for parkinsonism, 47 for psychiatric symptoms, 29 for sleep-related disorders, none for orthostatic hypotension, 11 for constipation, and seven for dysuria. There were no statistically significant differences in the degree of satisfaction with medication for symptom domains other than parkinsonism and dysuria between patients-caregivers, patients-physicians, and caregivers-physicians. Regarding satisfaction with medication for parkinsonism, significantly more physicians than patients answered 'satisfied' (75.8% vs. 51.6%), and significantly more patients than physicians answered 'neutral' (35.5% vs. 14.5%) (P = 0.013). Regarding satisfaction with medication for dysuria, significantly more caregivers than physicians answered 'satisfied' (100% vs. 28.6%, P = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: Satisfaction with medication for symptom domains other than parkinsonism and dysuria was similar among trios. Our results suggest that physicians should pay more attention to patients' satisfaction with medication for parkinsonism, and to caregivers' satisfaction with medication for dysuria to help prevent undermedication.

Effect of sleep report feedback using information and communication technology combined with health guidance on improving sleep indicators in community-dwelling older people: a pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the preliminary effect of an integrated novel intervention comprising visualised sleep report feedback using information and communication technology and periodic health guidance on improving sleep indicators among community-dwelling older people. METHODS: The intervention was implemented among 29 older people in Sakai City, Japan, in a 3 months pilot trial. Non-worn actigraph devices were placed under participants' bedding to continuously measure their sleep state, and they received monthly sleep reports in writing. Sleep efficiency, total sleep time, sleep latency, and the number of times away from bed were recorded. A trained nurse expertly interpreted participants' sleep data and provided telephone health guidance. The first month's data were used as the baseline (T1), the second month provided data for the first intervention (T2), and the third month provided data for the second intervention (T3). Friedman tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to examine differences in sleep outcomes between different time points. RESULTS: Participants' mean age was 78.97 ± 5.15 years, and 51.72% (15/29) were female. Comparison of T2 and T1 showed the intervention decreased participants' sleep latency at T2 (P = 0.038). Compared with T1, the intervention significantly decreased sleep latency (P = 0.004), increased total sleep time (P < 0.001), and improved sleep efficiency (P < 0.001) at T3. When T3 was compared with T2, only total sleep time was significantly increased (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the number of times away from bed across the three time points (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This visualised sleep report feedback and periodic health guidance intervention for community-dwelling older people showed promising, albeit small preliminary effects on sleep. A fully powered randomised controlled trial is required to verify the significance of this effect.

Comparison of caregiver burden between dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Caring for patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) would be more stressful for their caregivers than those with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we compared levels of caregiver burden and the possible influential factors on the caregiver burden between DLB and AD. METHODS: Ninety-three DLB patients and 500 AD patients were selected from the Kumamoto University Dementia Registry. Caregiver burden, neuropsychiatric symptoms, basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were assessed by the Japanese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (J-ZBI), the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), the Physical Self-Maintenance Scale (PSMS), and the Lawton IADL scale, respectively. RESULTS: Despite the comparable Mini-Mental State Examination score, the J-ZBI score was significantly higher in the DLB group than the AD group (P = 0.012). A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that IADL score (ß = -0.23, P = 0.049), PSMS score (ß = -0.31, P = 0.010), disinhibition (ß = 0.22, P = 0.008), and anxiety (ß = 0.19, P = 0.027) were significantly associated with J-ZBI score in DLB. In AD, caregiver's relationship with patient (child) (ß = 0.104, P = 0.005), caregiver's gender (female) (ß = 0.106, P = 0.004), IADL score (ß = -0.237, P < 0.001), irritability (ß = 0.183, P < 0.001), apathy (ß = 0.132, P = 0.001), agitation (ß = 0.118, P = 0.007), and aberrant motor behaviour (ß = 0.107, P = 0.010) were associated with caregiver burden. CONCLUSIONS: Caring for DLB patients caused a higher degree of caregiver burden than AD patients in the same level of cognitive decline. The factors responsible for the caregiver's burden were different between DLB and AD. The caregiver burden for DLB patients was associated with the disability of basic ADL, IADL impairment, anxiety and disinhibition.