The impact of depression on language function in individuals with Alzheimer's disease: a pre/post-treatment design.

BACKGROUND: It is uncertain whether depression might affect cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Most of studies on the effect of depression treatment on cognitive function in AD were briefly evaluated by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). MMSE is poor sensitive to detect cognitive change. This study examined the cognitive response to depression treatment in AD via multi-domain assessment. In addition, we explored whether effect of depression treatment in AD is different those of late-life depression (LLD). METHODS: This study include AD patients with depression (AD + D) and without depression (AD - D), LLD patients (LLD), and healthy controls (HC). The patients were treated according to their diagnosis for 16 weeks: acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for AD + D, AChEIs for AD - D, and SSRIs for LLD. The cognitive changes from pre- to post-treatment were compared between AD + D and AD - D or LLD and HC. An independent sample t test was performed to compare the degree of change between the groups. Paired t tests were used to determine cognitive function changes in each depression treatment responder group. RESULTS: At baseline, AD + D had more impairment in language function compared to AD - D, and LLD had greater deficit in executive function than HC. After depression treatment, more impaired cognitive domains at baseline were improved in AD + D and LLD, respectively. Moreover, AD + D showed an improvement in the global cognitive function (MMSE). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that language function was influenced by depression in AD, which is first evidence for specific cognitive domain related to depression in AD. Our finding indicates that depression could negatively impact cognitive function, and depression treatment may have beneficial cognitive effect in both AD and LLD. This study suggests the importance of early detection and treatment of depression in AD and LLD. Trial registration Clinical Research Information Service, CRIS, ID#: KCT0004041, Registered 5 June 2019, retrospectively registered after first patient enrollment date (4 March 2014) https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do?seq=14140&status=5&seq_group=14140&search_page=M .

Differential associations between depression and cognitive function in MCI and AD: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the possibility that cognitive deficits associated with depression may have different patterns depending on the level of neurocognitive impairment, there remains no clear evidence of this. This study aimed to investigate the differential association between depression and cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was performed of data from 1,724 patients with MCI and 1,247 patients with AD from the Clinical Research Center for Dementia in Korea. Depression was assessed using the Korean form of the Geriatric Depression Scale, and cognition was measured using the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery, which includes five domains (attention, language and related function, visuospatial function, memory, and frontal/executive function). RESULTS: Significant differences were found between the two groups (non-depressed vs. depressed) in visuospatial, memory, and executive function domains in the MCI group, as well as in the attention domain in the AD group. The association between depressive symptoms and cognitive function was significantly greater in patients with MCI than in those with AD. These associations were more pronounced in memory and executive function. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the association between depression and decreased cognitive function is more pronounced in MCI than AD.

The moderating effect of religiosity on caregiving burden and depressive symptoms in caregivers of patients with dementia.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored whether religiosity/spirituality has a protective role against negative caregiving outcomes, in a large multicenter nationwide sample of caregivers of patients with dementia in South Korea. Additionally, this study was the first to examine whether religiosity/spirituality could affect caregiving outcomes according to the various religious affiliations of caregivers. METHODS: The study was conducted on a sample of 476 caregivers of patients with dementia participated in the Clinical Research Center for Dementia of South Korea (CREDOS). We examined the moderating effect of each of the three dimensions of religiosity/spirituality (organizational religious activity, ORA; non-organizational religious activity, NORA; intrinsic religiosity, IR) on the relationship between activities of daily living (ADL) of patients with dementia and caregiving burden and depressive symptoms of caregivers, using a series of hierarchical regression analyses. In addition, these analyses were conducted according to the religious affiliations of the caregivers. RESULTS: ORA, NORA, and IR of religiosity/spirituality alleviated the effect of ADL of patients on caregiving burden. ORA and IR moderated the relationship between ADL of patients and depressive symptoms of caregivers. These moderating effects of religiosity on caregiving outcomes were different according to various religious groups. CONCLUSION: We have identified religiosity/spirituality as a protective factor for caregivers of patients with dementia. The sub-dimensions of religiosity as moderators were different by religious affiliations of caregivers. Further studies are needed to investigate the specific religiosity-related factors which could positively impact the mental health of the caregivers of patients with dementia by religions.

The Moderating Effect of Religion on the Relationship Between Depression and Suicidal Ideation in the Elderly.

This article aimed to compare the level of suicidal ideation in the religiously affiliated and nonaffiliated groups and identify the moderating effect of religion variables on the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation. The sample in this study was 1180 residents who were older than 60 years and who resided in Gangwon Province, South Korea. We studied the cross-sectional relationships among religions and studied variables including organizational religious activity (ORA), non-ORA (NORA), intrinsic religiosity (IR), depression, well-being, and suicidal ideation. After controlling for sociodemographic variables, the depression, well-being, and suicidal ideation level in the religiously affiliated group were not significantly different from that of the religiously nonaffiliated group and the variables also were not significantly different between Christians and Buddhists. The effect of depression on suicidal ideation was significantly moderated by ORA and IR, and the effect showed different patterns by religion; ORA was a moderator only among the Buddhist group, and IR only moderated the relationships among the Christians.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the common cold.

BACKGROUND: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been widely used for the treatment of pain and fever associated with the common cold. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of NSAIDs versus placebo (and other treatments) on signs and symptoms of the common cold, and to determine any adverse effects of NSAIDs in people with the common cold. SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL (2015, Issue 4, April), (January 1966 to April week 3, 2015), EMBASE (January 1980 to April 2015), CINAHL (January 1982 to April 2015) and ProQuest Digital Dissertations (January 1938 to April 2015). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of NSAIDS in adults or children with the common cold. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Four review authors extracted data. We subdivided trials into placebo-controlled RCTs and head-to-head comparisons of NSAIDs. We extracted and summarised data on global analgesic effects (such as reduction of headache and myalgia), non-analgesic effects (such as reduction of nasal symptoms, cough, sputum and sneezing) and side effects. We expressed dichotomous outcomes as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and continuous data as mean differences (MD) or standardised mean differences (SMD). We pooled data using the fixed-effect and random-effects models. MAIN RESULTS: We included nine RCTs with 1069 participants, describing 37 comparisons: six were NSAIDs versus placebo and three were NSAIDs versus NSAIDs. The overall risk of bias in the included studies was mixed. In a pooled analysis, NSAIDs did not significantly reduce the total symptom score (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -1.03 to 0.24, three studies, random-effects model), or duration of colds (MD -0.23, 95% CI -1.75 to 1.29, two studies, random-effects model). For respiratory symptoms, cough did not improve (SMD -0.05, 95% CI -0.66 to 0.56, two studies, random-effects model) but the sneezing score significantly improved (SMD -0.44, 95% CI -0.75 to -0.12, two studies, random-effects model). For outcomes related to the analgesic effects of NSAIDs (headache, ear pain, and muscle and joint pain) the treatment produced significant benefits. The risk of adverse effects was not high with NSAIDs (RR 2.94, 95% CI 0.51 to 17.03, two studies, random-effects model) but it is difficult to conclude that such drugs are no different from placebo. The quality of the evidence may be estimated as 'moderate' because of imprecision. The major limitations of this review are that the results of the studies are quite diverse and the number of studies for one result is quite small. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: NSAIDs are somewhat effective in relieving the discomfort caused by a cold but there is no clear evidence of their effect in easing respiratory symptoms. The balance of benefit and harms needs to be considered when using NSAIDs for colds.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the common cold.

BACKGROUND: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been widely used for the treatment of pain and fever associated with the common cold. However, there is no systematic review to assess the effects of NSAIDs in treating the common cold. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of NSAIDs versus placebo (and other treatments) on signs and symptoms of the common cold, and to determine any adverse effects of NSAIDs in people with the common cold. SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2013, Issue 1), MEDLINE (January 1966 to April week 4, 2013), EMBASE (January 1980 to April 2013), CINAHL (January 1982 to April 2013) and ProQuest Digital Dissertations (January 1938 to April 2013). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of NSAIDS in adults or children with the common cold. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Four review authors extracted data. We subdivided trials into placebo-controlled RCTs and head-to-head comparisons of NSAIDs. We extracted and summarised data on global efficacies of analgesic effects (such as reduction of headache and myalgia), non-analgesic effects (such as reduction of nasal symptoms, cough, sputum and sneezing) and side effects. We expressed dichotomous outcomes as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and continuous data as mean differences (MD) or standardised mean differences (SMD). We pooled data using the fixed- and random-effects models. MAIN RESULTS: We included nine RCTs with 1069 participants, describing 37 comparisons: six were NSAIDs versus placebo and three were NSAIDs versus NSAIDs. The overall risk of bias in the included studies was mixed. In a pooled analysis, NSAIDs did not significantly reduce the total symptom score (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -1.03 to 0.24, three studies, random-effects model), or duration of colds (MD -0.23, 95% CI -1.75 to 1.29, two studies, random-effects model). For respiratory symptoms, cough did not improve (SMD -0.05, 95% CI -0.66 to 0.56, two studies, random-effects model) but the sneezing score significantly improved (SMD -0.44, 95% CI -0.75 to -0.12, two studies, random-effects model). For outcomes related to the analgesic effects of NSAIDs (headache, ear pain, and muscle and joint pain) the treatment produced significant benefits. The risk of adverse effects was not high with NSAIDs (RR 2.94, 95% CI 0.51 to 17.03, two studies, random-effects model) and it is difficult to conclude that such drugs are not different from placebo. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: NSAIDs are somewhat effective in relieving discomfort caused by a cold but there is no clear evidence of their effect in easing respiratory symptoms. The balance of benefit and harms needs to be considered when using NSAIDs for colds.

Vortioxetine Treatment for Depression in Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study.

Objective: Vortioxetine, a new antidepressant, has been demonstrated to have effects on depression and cognitive function. This study aimed to investigate the anti-depressive efficacy of vortioxetine through a well-designed double- blind, placebo-controlled study in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, and to confirm the presence of secondary benefits, including the improvement of cognitive function and activities of daily living (ADL). Methods: The present study included 100 AD patients with depression who were assigned randomly to 12 weeks of daily treatment with either vortioxetine or placebo. The primary efficacy measure was the change in the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia score from baseline to 12 weeks. Several secondary efficacy measures were evaluated, including the Korean version of the Short form of Geriatric Depression Scale and several cognitive function domains. The safety and tolerability of vortioxetine were also assessed. We performed modified intention-to-treat analysis using mixed modeling (the Mixed Models for Repeated Measures). Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of depressive symptoms, cognitive functions, and ADL. Further, the percentage of adverse events and drug discontinuation between the vortioxetine and placebo groups was similar. Conclusion: Our results suggest that vortioxetine might not be effective in reducing depressive symptoms or cognitive impairment in AD patients with depression. However, general drug tolerance and patient safety were similar to those of placebo. Thus, additional studies are needed to replicate the effectiveness and tolerability of vortioxetine in AD patients with depression.

Transient cerebral ischemia induces active astrocytosis without distinct neuronal death in the gerbil main olfactory bulb: a long-term analysis.

In the present study, we examined ischemia-induced neuronal and glial changes in the gerbil MOB at various time points during 60 days after 5 min of transient cerebral ischemia. The number of neuronal neuclei-immunoreactive neurons was not changed after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Myelin basic protein immunoreaction was well preserved after I/R. Five days after I/R, reactive form of GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes began to increase in the external plexiform layer and granule cell layer: These reactive astrocytes peaked 10 days after I/R, thereafter, they decreased with time after I/R. Iba-1-immunoreactive microglia were ubiquitously distributed in all layers of the MOB. After I/R, significant changes in their morphology and immunoreactivity were not detected. The results of western blot analyses for GFAP, Iba-1 and MBP were similar to the immunohistochemical data. In addition, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (a marker for DNA damage) immunoreactivity and SOD1, an antioxidant, protein levels were not changed in the ischemic MOB. These results indicate that neurons in the MOB are resistant to ischemic insult, showing that astrocytes are activated late in the ischemic MOB.

Central or peripheral norepinephrine depletion enhances MK-801-induced plasma corticosterone level in mice.

To investigate the involvement of central or peripheral catecholaminergic systems in the MK-801-induced increase in plasma corticosterone and interleukin-6 levels, we pretreated mice either intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) or intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) which depletes catecholamines. Pretreatment of animals with 6-OHDA (50 microg i.c.v. or 100 mg/kg i.p.) significantly enhanced the MK-801 (1 microg i.c.v.)-induced increase in plasma corticosterone level. On the other hand, pretreatment of mice with 6-OHDA (50 microg i.c.v. or 100 mg/kg i.p.) did not affect the MK-801 (1 microg i.c.v.)-induced increase in plasma IL-6 level. These results suggest that central and peripheral catecholaminergic systems are involved in the suppressive regulation of MK-801-induced plasma corticosterone level.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the common cold.

BACKGROUND: Although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been widely used for the treatment of pain and fever associated with the common cold, there is no systematic review to assess the effects of NSAIDs in patients with the common cold. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of NSAIDs versus placebo and other treatments on the signs and symptoms of the common cold. To determine any adverse effects of NSAIDs in patients treated with NSAIDs for the common cold. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2009, issue 1) which includes the Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) Group's Specialized Register; MEDLINE (January 1966 to March 2009); EMBASE (January 1980 to March 2009); CINAHL (January 1982 to March 2009); ProQuest Digital Dissertations (January 1938 to March 2009); KoreaMed (January 1958 to March 2009) and KMbase (January 1949 to March 2009). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) studying treatment of the common cold with NSAIDs in adults or children. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Four review authors extracted data (SYK, YSM, YJC, YWH). We subdivided trials into placebo-controlled RCTs and NSAIDs versus NSAIDs RCTs. We extracted and summarized data on global efficacies: analgesic effects such as reduction of headache and myalgia; non-analgesic effects such as reduction of nasal symptoms, cough, sputum and sneezing; and side effects. MAIN RESULTS: This review includes nine RCTs, describing 37 comparisons: six were NSAIDs versus placebo, and three were NSAIDs versus NSAIDs. A total of 1064 patients with the common cold were included. In a pooled analysis, NSAIDs did not significantly reduce the total symptom score, or duration of colds.However, for outcomes related to the analgesic effects of NSAIDs (headache, ear pain, and muscle and joint pain) NSAIDs produced significant benefits, and malaise showed a borderline benefit, although throat irritation was not improved. Chills showed mixed results. For respiratory symptoms, cough and nasal discharge scores were not improved, but the sneezing score significantly improved. We found no evidence of increased frequency of adverse effects in the NSAID treatment groups. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The authors recommend NSAIDs for relieving discomfort or pain caused by the common cold. Further research is needed to investigate the effect of NSAIDs in relieving respiratory symptoms such as cough and nasal discharge.

Specific Association Between Religiosity and Cognitive Functions in Alzheimer's Disease.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the specific relationship between subdomains of religious variables and cognitive functions in outpatients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: We recruited 325 patients with AD from a psychiatry outpatient clinic. The Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease and the Duke University Religion Index were used to assess cognitive functions and religiosity. We performed structural equation modeling and partial correlation analysis after controlling for demographic data. RESULTS: The model in which religiosity beneficially affects cognitive functions showed acceptable model fit (root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.076, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.921, comparative fit index = 0.947). In the partial correlation analysis, organizational religious activity demonstrated positive relationships with memory ( r = 0.144, P = .010), language ( r = 0.149, P = .007), and constructional ability ( r = 0.191 P = .001). Nonorganizational religious activity and intrinsic religiosity were positively associated with memory ( r = 0.115, P = .040; r = 0.140, P = .012) and constructional ability ( r = 0.207, P = .000; r = 0.136, P = .015). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that religiosity positively affects cognitive functions and that each religious variable is related differently to the subdomains of cognitive functions in patients with AD.

The Relationship between Serum Endocan Levels and Depression in Alzheimer's Disease.

OBJECTIVES: Growing evidence suggests that angiogenic vascular factors may be involved in the pathogenic mechanism of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and recently endocan has been proposed as an angiogenic biomarker. The aim of this study was to measure serum endocan levels according to the presence of depression in AD and to investigate the association among the serum endocan levels, cognitive function, and depression in these patients. METHODS: Serum endocan levels were measured in 26 AD patients with depression, 29 AD patients without depression, and 29 healthy controls using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The Mini-Mental State Examination-Korean version (MMSE-KC) and the Korean version of the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (SGDS-K) were used to evaluate cognitive function and depressive symptoms, respectively. RESULTS: Serum endocan levels were significantly lower in AD patients with depression than in AD patients without depression or healthy controls. Serum endocan levels were negatively correlated with SGDS-K scores but not with MMSE-KC scores in AD patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that serum endocan levels might be associated with depression in AD. Future studies are needed to investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms or the role of endocan in AD with depression.

Effect of Zen Meditation on serum nitric oxide activity and lipid peroxidation.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of Zen Meditation on serum nitric oxide activity (NO) and oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation). The experimental group included 20 subjects who had practiced the Zen Meditation program in Meditation Center located in Seoul, South Korea. The control group included 20 subjects who did not practice any formal stress management technique and were age and sex matched with experimental group. To provide an assessment of nitric oxide production, the serum level of nitrate/nitrite was determined using the Griess reagent. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was measured as a convenient index of lipid peroxidation by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method. Meditation group showed a significant higher level of serum nitrate+nitrite concentration and a significant reduced level of serum malondialdehyde (MDA) than control group. A comprehensive randomized controlled trial should be performed to prove the causal relationship between meditation and level of nitric oxide or oxidative stress in reducing cardiovascular risk factors.

Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels and components of the metabolic syndrome in obese adolescents.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) seems to be increased in obese subjects, suggesting its role as a proinflammatory cytokine to insulin resistance and metabolic abnormalities in obesity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum TNF-alpha, soluble TNF-alpha receptor 1 (sTNF-R1), TNF-alpha receptor 2 (sTNF-R2), and metabolic syndrome (MS) components and anthropometric indices in obese and non-obese adolescents. A cross-sectional study was performed on obese and non-obese adolescents. We studied 71 adolescents (age, 15 to 16 years old); 39 were obese (obese group; 14 males and 25 females) and 32 were non-obese adolescents (non-obese lean group; 12 males and 20 females). The body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were determined in each subject. The serum TNF-alpha, sTNF-R1, sTNF-R2, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and lipid profile were also measured. The mean serum TNF-alpha, sTNF-R1, and sTNF-R2 were significantly higher in the obese than the non-obese group (TNF-alpha, 18.15 v 5.88 pg/mL, P < .001; sTNF-R1, 2.01 v 1.40 ng/mL, P < .001; sTNF-R2, 6.06 v 3.70 pg/mL, P < .001). The serum TNF-alpha concentrations were positively correlated with the BMI (TNF-alpha, r = 0.346, P < .05; sTNF-R1, r = 0.624, P < .001; sTNF-R2, r = 0.482, P < .001, respectively) and WC (TNF-alpha, r = 0.525, P < .05; sTNF-R1, r = 0.700, P < .001; sTNF-R2, r = 0.669, P < .001, respectively). The serum TNF-alpha was positively correlated with triglyceride (TG) and DBP, and negatively with high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLC). The sTNF-R1 and sTNF-R2 were correlated with TG and DBP, and TG, respectively. Obese compared with non-obese adolescents exhibited higher concentrations of TNF-alpha and its soluble receptors, and the higher TNF-alpha concentrations were associated with several components of MS in obese adolescents.

Effects of ginseng saponin administered intraperitoneally on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in mice.

Intraperitoneal injection of ginseng total saponin (GTS; 5 and 20 mg/kg) raised plasma corticosterone levels in mice. However, interestingly, pretreatment of animals with the same doses of GTS (5 and 20 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the immobilization stress-induced increase in plasma corticosterone levels. Of the ginsenosides Rb(1), Rb(2), Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg(1), 20(S)-Rg(3), and 20(R)-Rg(3) injected intraperitoneally at doses of 0.1-2 mg/kg, Rc (2 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the immobilization stress-induced increase in plasma corticosterone levels. GTS and Rc administered intraperitoneally did not affect the immobilization stress-induced elevation of plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level. Pretreatment with GTS and Rc significantly attenuated the increase in plasma corticosterone levels induced by intraperitoneal injection of ACTH (30 microg/kg). These results suggest that GTS and Rc inhibit the immobilization stress-induced increase in plasma corticosterone levels by blocking ACTH action in the adrenal gland. Ginseng may be proposed to be useful for treatment of stress related disorders.

The inhibitory effect of ginseng saponins on the stress-induced plasma interleukin-6 level in mice.

The effect of ginseng saponins on plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) in non-stressed and immobilization-stressed mice were investigated. Ginseng total saponins, ginsenosides Rb2, Rg1 and Rd administered intraperitoneally attenuated the immobilization stress-induced increase in plasma IL-6 level. But, intracerebroventricular injection of each ginsenoside did not affect plasma IL-6 level induced by immobilization stress. Ginsenosides Rb2, Rd and Rg1 significantly decreased norepinephrine and/or epinephrine-induced increase of IL-6 level in macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7). Thus, it can be suggested that the inhibitory action of ginseng saponins against the immobilization stress-induced increase of plasma IL-6 level would be in periphery; at least in part, mediated by blocking norepinephrine- and/or epinephrine-induced increase of IL-6 level in macrophage rather than in the brain. Ginseng saponins might be proposed as a possible candidate in the research or therapeutic modulation of stress-related disorders.

Route-dependent effects of the non-NMDA receptor antagonist CNQX on plasma corticosterone levels in mice.

A non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (non-NMDA) receptor antagonist, 6-cyano-7-nitro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX), administered intracerebroventricularly (0.1-0.5 microg), significantly inhibited the immobilization stress-induced plasma corticosterone levels in a dose-dependent manner. However, CNQX administered intraperitoneally (1-10 mg/kg) showed a dose-dependent increase of basal plasma corticosterone levels in nonstressed mice and an additive increase of plasma corticosterone levels at the dose of 10 mg/kg in 1 h immobilization-stressed mice. The results suggest that the central and peripheral non-NMDA receptors may be differently involved in the regulation of plasma corticosterone levels in non- and immobilization-stressed mice.

Protection against beta-amyloid peptide-induced memory impairment with long-term administration of extract of Angelica gigas or decursinol in mice.

We investigated the effect of long-term oral administration of ethanolic extract of Angelica gigas Nakai (Umbelliferae) (EAG) or decursinol, a coumarin isolated from A. gigas, on beta-amyloid peptide 1-42 (Abeta(1-42))-induced memory impairment in mice. Mice were allowed free access to drinking water (control) or water containing different concentrations of EAG. After 4 weeks, Abeta(1-42) (410 pmol) was administered via intracerebroventricular injection. Pretreatment of mice with EAG (0.1%) for 4 weeks significantly blocked the Abeta(1-42)-induced impairment in passive avoidance performance. Next, mice were fed with chow mixed with various doses of decursinol for 4 weeks before intracerebroventricular injection of Abeta(1-42) (410 pmol). Pretreatment of mice with decursinol (0.001%, 0.002%, and 0.004%) for 4 weeks significantly attenuated the Abeta(1-42)-induced impairment in passive avoidance performance. Decursinol (0.004%) also significantly blunted the Abeta(1-42)-induced decrease in alternation behavior (spatial working memory) in the Y-maze test without change in general locomotor activity. These findings suggest that EAG or decursinol may have preventive effect against memory impairment related with Abeta of Alzheimer's disease.

Correlates of quality of life after stroke.

The relationship between lesion location and quality of life (QOL) in stroke patients has not yet been clearly revealed. The present study was undertaken to investigate the clinical and anatomical correlates which can predict future QOL in stroke patients. The study subjects consisted of 69 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke who were followed up 2 months after the stroke event at the stroke unit. Quality of life was evaluated during the 2-month follow up period after the stroke. Baseline information or data including clinical and anatomical correlates (Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Barthel's Index, MRI data) at the time of the stroke event were collected by performing a review of each patient's chart and research data files. Severe subcortical gray matter lesion and depressive symptoms in the acute phase of stroke were of importance in predicting low QOL 2 months after stroke.

The relationship of the Korean version of the WHO Five Well-Being Index with depressive symptoms and quality of life in the community-dwelling elderly.

BACKGROUND: Depression in the geriatric population is becoming markedly more prevalent. Quality of life has been linked with the development of depression. A screening tool for assessing both geriatric depression and quality of life is needed. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of the Korean version of the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) in evaluating geriatric depression and quality of life as compared to the widely used Short Geriatric Depression Scale of Korean version (SGDS-K). METHODS: Two hundred and forty four elderly people (>60-years-of-age) living in the Yanggu and Inje areas of Gangwon Province, Korea, were interviewed and responded to scales including WHO-5, SGDS-K, Mini Mental Status Examination in the Korean version of the CERAD assessment packet (MMSE-KC), and Geriatric Quality of Life-Dementia (GQOL-D). A total WHO-5 score<13 indicated low well-being. RESULTS: The SGDS-K score showed a reverse correlation with the WHO-5, MMSE-KC, and GQOL-D scores. The WHO-5 score reversely correlated with the SGDS-K score and positively correlated with GQOL-D, but showed no significant correlation with MMSE-KC score. Subjects ranked as having poor well-being (WHO-5 score<13) had a significantly lower GQOL-D score and a significantly higher SGDS-K score. In multiple regression analysis, WHO-5 was significantly associated with GQOL-D and SGDS-K. CONCLUSION: The Korean version of WHO-5 is useful in evaluating both depressive symptoms and quality of life of community-dwelling elderly.