Cerebrospinal fluid irisin and lipoxin A4 are reduced in elderly Brazilian individuals with depression: Insight into shared mechanisms between depression and dementia.

INTRODUCTION: Depression is frequent among older adults and is a risk factor for dementia. Identifying molecular links between depression and dementia is necessary to shed light on shared disease mechanisms. Reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neuroinflammation are implicated in the pathophysiology of depression and dementia. The exercise-induced hormone, irisin, increases BDNF and improves cognition in animal models of Alzheimer's disease. Lipoxin A4 is a lipid mediator with anti-inflammatory activity. However, the roles of irisin and lipoxin A4 in depression remain to be determined. METHODS: In the present study, blood and CSF were collected from 61 elderly subjects, including individuals with and without cognitive impairment. Screening for symptoms of depression was performed using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). RESULTS: CSF irisin and lipoxin A4 were positively correlated and reduced, along with a trend of BDNF reduction, in elderly individuals with depression, similar to previous observations in patients with dementia. DISCUSSION: Our findings provide novel insight into shared molecular signatures connecting depression and dementia.

Age-linked suppression of lipoxin A4 associates with cognitive deficits in mice and humans.

Age increases the risk for cognitive impairment and is the single major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia in the elderly. The pathophysiological processes triggered by aging that render the brain vulnerable to dementia involve, at least in part, changes in inflammatory mediators. Here we show that lipoxin A4 (LXA4), a lipid mediator of inflammation resolution known to stimulate endocannabinoid signaling in the brain, is reduced in the aging central nervous system. We demonstrate that genetic suppression of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), the enzyme mediating LXA4 synthesis, promotes learning impairment in mice. Conversely, administration of exogenous LXA4 attenuated cytokine production and memory loss induced by inflammation in mice. We further show that cerebrospinal fluid LXA4 is reduced in patients with dementia and positively associated with cognitive performance, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and AD-linked amyloid-ß. Our findings suggest that reduced LXA4 levels may lead to vulnerability to age-related cognitive disorders and that promoting LXA4 signaling may comprise an effective strategy to prevent early cognitive decline in AD.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Neurotransmitters, Cytokines, and Chemokines in Alzheimer's and Lewy Body Diseases.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Lewy body disease (LBD) are complex neurodegenerative disorders that have been associated with brain inflammation and impaired neurotransmission. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine concentrations of multiple cytokines, chemokines, and neurotransmitters previously associated with brain inflammation and synapse function in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from AD and LBD patients. METHODS: We examined a panel of 50 analytes comprising neurotransmitters, cytokines, chemokines, and hormones in CSF in a cohort of patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), AD, LBD, or non-demented controls (NDC). RESULTS: Among neurotransmitters, noradrenaline (NA) was increased in AD CSF, while homovanillic acid (HVA), a dopamine metabolite, was reduced in both AD and LBD CSF relative to NDC. Six cytokines/chemokines out of 30 investigated were reliably detected in CSF. CSF vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was significantly reduced in LBD patients relative to NDC. CONCLUSIONS: CSF alterations in NA, HVA, and VEGF in AD and LBD may reflect pathogenic features of these disorders and provide tools for improved diagnosis. Future studies are warranted to replicate current findings in larger, multicenter cohorts.

What are the boundaries of legal guardianship in Alzheimer's disease? An evidence-based update in the context of the Brazilian Civil Code.

The Brazilian Civil Code, which came into force in 2002, established a functional criterion for guardianship proceedings and introduced the concept of "limited guardianship," applied to cases in which incapacity to exercise civil rights is partial. With population aging and the growth in the number of older people with cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), the need to invoke legal remedies against elder abuse increased; however, difficulties in assessing capacity still lead to a majority of decisions in favor of plenary guardianship. The present article compiled data on capacity in AD subjects. The varying degrees of decision-making impairment at different stages of AD might be compatible with limited guardianship in milder cases of the disease.

What are the boundaries of legal guardianship in Alzheimer's disease? An evidence-based update in the context of the Brazilian Civil Code

The Brazilian Civil Code, which came into force in 2002, established a functional criterion for guardianship proceedings and introduced the concept of “limited guardianship,” applied to cases in which incapacity to exercise civil rights is partial. With population aging and the growth in the number of older people with cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the need to invoke legal remedies against elder abuse increased; however, difficulties in assessing capacity still lead to a majority of decisions in favor of plenary guardianship. The present article compiled data on capacity in AD subjects. The varying degrees of decision-making impairment at different stages of AD might be compatible with limited guardianship in milder cases of the disease.

CAMCOG - valores das subescalas em idosos normais com níveis diferentes de escolaridade. Aspectos preliminares / CAMCOG – Subscales values in normal elderly with different educational levels – Preliminary aspects

Introdução: O Exame Cognitivo Cambridge (CAMCOG) é um instrumento breve para avaliação cognitiva. É composto por subescalas que representam diversos domínios cognitivos (orientação, linguagem, memória, atenção, praxia, percepção, cálculo e pensamento abstrato). Escores totais adequados permitem definir comprometimento em nível de demência. Entretanto, tais escores totais nem sempre representam o desempenho real de um indivíduo, pois é possível obter escores baixos em determinado(s) domínio(s) e ainda manter um escore total dentro da variação normal. Objetivo: Obter valores do CAMCOG total e das subescalas de indivíduos idosos normais com diferentes níveis de escolaridade. O interesse crescente na definição de estágios pré-demência é uma razão importante do presente estudo. Métodos: Foram avaliados com CAMCOG idosos normais residindo na comunidade, divididos em três grupos de acordo com o nível de escolaridade. Foi realizada análise estatística para comparar a significância dos escores (total e subescalas) entre os grupos. Resultados: Os valores médios do CAMCOG total mostraram aumento com a escolaridade, o mesmo tendo sido observado em relação aos escores das subescalas. Conclusão: As subescalas do CAMCOG relacionados com os níveis de escolaridade são necessárias para identificar indivíduos que apresentam diminuição de valores em um ou mais domínios cognitivos, apesar de apresentar o escore total dentro da variação da normalidade, o que pode caracterizar um estado de comprometimento cognitivo pré-demência...

Introduction: The Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG) is a brief tool for cognitive assessment. It is composed of subscales that represent various cognitivedomains (orientation, language, memory, attention, praxis, perception, calculation and abstract thinking). Appropriate total scores permit to define impairment in the dementia level. However, such total scores do not always represent the real performance of the subject as it is possible to obtain low scores in certain domain(s) yet maintaining a total score in the normal range. Objective: To obtain data of CAMCOG total and subscales scores of normal elderly subjects with different educational levels. The growing interest in defining pre-dementia stages is an important reason of the present study. Methods: Community living normal elderly, divided in three groups according to their education level were assessed with CAMCOG. Statistic analysis was performed to compare significance of the scores (total and subscales) among the groups. Results: Total CAMCOG mean values increased with education, and the same was observed in relation to the subscales scores. Conclusion: CAMCOG subscales related to education levels are necessary to identify subjects who present decreased values on one or more cognitive domain despite total scores within normal range, which may characterize a pre-dementia cognitive impairment state...