Evaluation of the methoxy-X04 derivative BSC4090 for diagnosis of prodromal and early Alzheimer's disease from bioptic olfactory mucosa.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology precedes the onset of clinical symptoms by several decades. Thus, biomarkers are required to identify prodromal disease stages to allow for the early and effective treatment. The methoxy-X04-derivative BSC4090 is a fluorescent ligand which was designed to target neurofibrillary tangles in AD. BSC4090 staining was previously detected in post-mortem brains and olfactory mucosa derived from AD patients. We tested BSC4090 as a potential diagnostic marker of prodromal and early AD using olfactory mucosa biopsies from 12 individuals with AD, 13 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 10 cognitively normal (CN) controls. Receiver-operating curve analysis revealed areas under the curve of 0.78 for AD versus CN and of 0.86 for MCI due to AD versus MCI of other causes. BSC4090 labeling correlated significantly with cerebrospinal fluid levels of tau protein phosphorylated at T181. Using NMR spectroscopy, we find that BSC4090 binds to fibrillar and pre-fibrillar but not to monomeric tau. Thus, BSC4090 may be an interesting candidate to detect AD at the early disease stages.

[Recommendations for the diagnostic and therapy of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)].

INTRODUCTION: The «Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD)¼ were developed in parallel with the Swiss National Dementia Strategy 2014-2019 under the auspices of the Swiss Society for Geriatric Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (SGAP) and mark the beginning of a series of recommendations for geriatric psychiatric disorders. They depict the evidence-based state of knowledge about diagnostics and therapy, based on the clinical experience of the experts, and are designed for interprofessional and interdisciplinary use. The non-pharmacological intervention options and pharmacotherapy are discussed in detail. This paper is the revised version of the 2014 publication and compiles the development in this area for everyday clinical practice.

Evidence-oriented teaching of geriatric psychiatry: a narrative literature synthesis and pilot evaluation of a clerkship seminar.

Introduction: The field of geriatric psychiatry has in recent decades developed into an independent discipline, incorporating elements of psychiatry, neurology and internal medicine. In view of demographic changes, this field is becoming increasingly relevant for primary care and undergraduate medical training. So far, however, there is little educational guidance for instructional design of geriatric psychiatry in undergraduate medical education. Project description: A narrative literature review of medical education studies in the field of geriatric psychiatry was conducted. Student evaluations of a geriatric psychiatry clerkship seminar were analyzed, followed by a target group analysis. Results informed the iterative development of new clerkship seminar content and structure. This was implemented and evaluated over several academic cycles. Learning material was made available via the open-source learning management system "ILIAS". Results: A total of 29 medical education articles were identified and evaluated. The previous seminar in geriatric psychiatry at our university hospital was rated below average (Likert item overall rating of 4.3/6 compared to other seminars with an average overall rating of 5.2, p<0.001). An evidence-oriented revision of the content and instructional design was implemented. Activation of learners, self-reference effect, and audience questioning were used during the lecture. Additionally, two geriatric psychiatry case scenarios were adapted for discussion. We saw continuous improvement of student evaluations of the revised course, reaching a rating improvement of 5.3 out of 6 (p<0.01, U=135.5 Cohen's d=1.28). Conclusion: A systematic approach was used to develop a geriatric psychiatry clerkship seminar, based on medical education evidence, for undergraduate medical students, resulting in better student evaluations. The teaching materials can be adapted for local implementation at other teaching hospitals. Future studies should also explore effects regarding higher learning outcomes.