The association between subjective memory complaint and objective cognitive function in older people with previous major depression.

The goal of this study is to investigate associations between subjective memory complaint and objective cognitive performance in older people with previous major depression-a high-risk sample for cognitive impairment and later dementia. A cross-sectional study was carried out in people aged 60 or over with previous major depression but not fulfilling current major depression criteria according to DSM-IV-TR. People with dementia or Mini-Mental State Examination score less than 17 were excluded. Subjective memory complaint was defined on the basis of a score ≧4 on the subscale of Geriatric Mental State schedule, a maximum score of 8. Older people aged equal or over 60 without any psychiatric diagnosis were enrolled as healthy controls. Cognitive function was evaluated using a series of cognitive tests assessing verbal memory, attention/speed, visuospatial function, verbal fluency, and cognitive flexibility in all participants. One hundred and thirteen older people with previous major depression and forty-six healthy controls were enrolled. Subjective memory complaint was present in more than half of the participants with depression history (55.8%). Among those with major depression history, subjective memory complaint was associated with lower total immediate recall and delayed verbal recall scores after adjustment. The associations between subjective memory complaint and worse memory performance were stronger in participants with lower depressive symptoms (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score<7). The results suggest subjective memory complaint may be a valid appraisal of memory performance in older people with previous major depression and consideration should be given to more proactive assessment and follow-up in these clinical samples.

Methionine synthase 2756AA polymorphism is associated with the risk of cognitive impairment in patients with late-life depression.

BACKGROUNDS: Apolipoprotein E epsilon-4 (APOE ε4) allele, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T), and methionine synthase (MTR A2756G) were tested their associations with cognitive impairment in people with late-life depression (LLD). METHODS: People with LLD were assessed by mini-mental state examination and were examined the distribution of APOE ε4 allele, MTHFR, and MTR polymorphisms. RESULTS: Odds ratio of MTR 2756 AA to MTR 2756 AG and GG genotypes for the risk of cognitive impairment was 5.80 (95% confidence interval = 1.18-28.50; P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: People with LLD carrying MTR2756 AA genotype have higher risk of cognitive impairment than those carrying G allele.

Lead time of carcinoembryonic antigen elevation in the postoperative follow-up of colorectal cancer did not affect the survival rate after recurrence.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The role of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the early detection of recurrence during the postoperative follow-up of colorectal cancer remains unclear. We hypothesize that the tumor with longer lead time of CEA elevation to the definite recurrence may have a better prognosis because of its slower growth rate and closer observation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1995 to 2003, 4,841 consecutive patients who received curative resection of localized colorectal adenocarcinoma were enrolled from a prospective database. The patients with persisting CEA elevation after operation had been already excluded. Postoperative follow-up, including physical examination, imaging, and CEA test, were performed according to a surveillance program. A CEA >/=5 ng/mL was defined as elevated. The definition of the CEA lead time was the period between CEA elevation and detection of recurrence. All statistical analyses were performed by SPSS package for Windows (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA). RESULTS: The postoperative median follow-up time for the 4,841 patients was 68 months. A total of 999 patients (20.6%) had CEA elevation and recurrence. Among these patients, recurrence was confirmed in 727 patients (72.8%)before, at the same time, or within 3 months of CEA elevation and thus had a short lead time of CEA elevation (SLT group). In 272 patients (27.2%), recurrence was confirmed after more than 3 months of CEA elevation and thus had a longer lead time of CEA elevation (LLT group). The recurrence pattern showed similarities in these two groups. A total of 193 patients (193/999, 19.3%) received a second radical operation, and 806 patients (80.7%) were inoperable. The re-resection rate between the SLT group (146 patients, 20.1%) and the LLT group (47 patients, 17.3%) was not significantly different. The overall survival rate after recurrence showed no difference between these two groups (P = 0.123). CONCLUSION: Most cases of recurrence were detected at nearly the same time when the CEA level was elevated. Therefore, a more sensitive test is needed for early detection. The relationship between the lead time of CEA and the clinical outcome was not statistically significant. A more aggressive approach to the patient who has CEA elevation and is highly suspect of recurrence may be needed.

Phosphorescence color tuning by ligand, and substituent effects of multifunctional iridium(III) cyclometalates with 9-arylcarbazole moieties.

The synthesis, isomeric studies, and photophysical characterization of a series of multifunctional cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes containing a fluoro- or methyl-substituted 2-[3-(N-phenylcarbazolyl)]pyridine molecular framework are presented. All of the complexes are thermally stable solids and highly efficient electrophosphors. The optical, electrochemical, photo-, and electrophosphorescence traits of these iridium phosphors have been studied in terms of the electronic nature and coordinating site of the aryl or pyridyl ring substituents. The correlation between the functional properties of these phosphors and the results of density functional theory calculations was made. Arising from the propensity of the electron-rich carbazolyl group to facilitate hole injection/transport, the presence of such a moiety can increase the highest-occupied molecular orbital levels and improve the charge balance in the resulting complexes relative to the parent phosphor with 2-phenylpyridine ligands. Remarkably, the excited-state properties can be manipulated through ligand and substituent effects that allow the tuning of phosphorescence energies from bluish green to deep red. Electrophosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with outstanding device performance can be fabricated based on these materials, which show a maximum current efficiency of approximately 43.4 cd A(-1), corresponding to an external quantum efficiency of approximately 12.9 % ph/el (photons per electron) and a power efficiency of approximately 33.4 Lm W(-1) for the best device. The present work provides a new avenue for the rational design of multifunctional iridium-carbazolyl electrophosphors, by synthetically tailoring the carbazolyl pyridine ring that can reveal a superior device performance coupled with good color-tuning versatility, suitable for multicolor-display technology.