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International Psychogeriatrics Feb 2024We aim to analyze the efficacy and safety of TMS on cognition in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's disease (AD), AD-related dementias, and nondementia... (Review)
Review
Efficacy and safety of transcranial magnetic stimulation on cognition in mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's disease-related dementias, and other cognitive disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE
We aim to analyze the efficacy and safety of TMS on cognition in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's disease (AD), AD-related dementias, and nondementia conditions with comorbid cognitive impairment.
DESIGN
Systematic review, Meta-Analysis.
SETTING
We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane database, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus from January 1, 2000, to February 9, 2023.
PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS
RCTs, open-label, and case series studies reporting cognitive outcomes following TMS intervention were included.
MEASUREMENT
Cognitive and safety outcomes were measured. Cochrane Risk of Bias for RCTs and MINORS (Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies) criteria were used to evaluate study quality. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022326423).
RESULTS
The systematic review included 143 studies ( = 5,800 participants) worldwide, encompassing 94 RCTs, 43 open-label prospective, 3 open-label retrospective, and 3 case series. The meta-analysis included 25 RCTs in MCI and AD. Collectively, these studies provide evidence of improved global and specific cognitive measures with TMS across diagnostic groups. Only 2 studies (among 143) reported 4 adverse events of seizures: 3 were deemed TMS unrelated and another resolved with coil repositioning. Meta-analysis showed large effect sizes on global cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination (SMD = 0.80 [0.26, 1.33], = 0.003), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (SMD = 0.85 [0.26, 1.44], = 0.005), Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (SMD = -0.96 [-1.32, -0.60], < 0.001)) in MCI and AD, although with significant heterogeneity.
CONCLUSION
The reviewed studies provide favorable evidence of improved cognition with TMS across all groups with cognitive impairment. TMS was safe and well tolerated with infrequent serious adverse events.
PubMed: 38329083
DOI: 10.1017/S1041610224000085 -
Maturitas Jul 2024The association between cognitive disorders and orthostatic hypotension (OH) has been empirically explored, but the results have been divergent, casting doubt on the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The association between cognitive disorders and orthostatic hypotension (OH) has been empirically explored, but the results have been divergent, casting doubt on the presence and direction of the association. The objective of this meta-analysis was to systematically review and quantitatively synthesize the association of OH and cognitive function, specifically mean score on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), cognitive impairment and incident dementia. A Medline search was conducted in May 2022 with no date limit, using the MeSH terms "orthostatic hypotension" OR "orthostatic intolerance" OR "hypotension" combined with the Mesh terms "cognitive dysfunction" OR "Alzheimer disease" OR "dementia" OR "cognition disorder" OR "neurocognitive disorder" OR "cognition" OR "neuropsychological test". Of the 746 selected studies, 15 longitudinal studies met the selection criteria, of which i) 5 studies were eligible for meta-analysis of mean MMSE score comparison, ii) 5 studies for the association of OH and cognitive impairment, and iii) 6 studies for the association between OH and incident dementia. The pooled effect size in fixed-effects meta-analysis was: i) -0.25 (-0.42; -0.07) for the mean MMSE score, which indicates that the MMSE score was lower for those with OH; ii) OR (95 % CI) = 1.278 (1.162; 1.405), P < 0.0001, indicating a 28 % greater risk of cognitive impairment for those with OH at baseline; and iii) HR (95 % CI) = 1.267 (1.156; 1.388), P < 0.0001, indicating a 27 % greater risk of incident dementia for those with OH at baseline. Patients with OH had a lower MMSE score and higher risk of cognitive impairment and incident dementia in this meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. This study confirmed the presence of an association between OH and cognitive disorders in older adults.
Topics: Humans; Hypotension, Orthostatic; Cognitive Dysfunction; Dementia; Longitudinal Studies; Mental Status and Dementia Tests
PubMed: 38604094
DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2023.107866 -
The American Journal of Psychiatry Mar 2024The authors evaluated whether treatment of late-life depression (LLD) with antidepressants leads to changes in cognitive function. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
The authors evaluated whether treatment of late-life depression (LLD) with antidepressants leads to changes in cognitive function.
METHODS
A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies of antidepressant pharmacotherapy for adults age 50 or older (or mean age of 65 or older) with LLD was conducted. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycInfo were searched through December 31, 2022. The primary outcome was a change on cognitive test scores from baseline to after treatment. Secondary outcomes included the effects of specific medications and the associations between changes in depressive symptoms and cognitive test scores. Participants with bipolar disorder, psychotic depression, dementia, or neurological disease were excluded. Findings from all eligible studies were synthesized at a descriptive level, and a random-effects model was used to pool the results for meta-analysis.
RESULTS
Twenty-two studies were included. Thirteen of 19 studies showed an improvement on at least one cognitive test after antidepressant pharmacotherapy, with the most robust evidence for the memory and learning (nine of 16 studies) and processing speed (seven of 10 studies) domains and for sertraline (all five studies). Improvements in depressive symptoms were associated with improvement in cognitive test scores in six of seven relevant studies. The meta-analysis (eight studies; N=493) revealed a statistically significant overall improvement in memory and learning (five studies: effect size=0.254, 95% CI=0.103-0.404, SE=0.077); no statistically significant changes were seen in other cognitive domains. The evaluated risk of publication bias was low.
CONCLUSION
Antidepressant pharmacotherapy of LLD appears to improve certain domains of cognitive function, particularly memory and learning. This effect may be mediated by an improvement in depressive symptoms. Studies comparing individuals receiving pharmacotherapy with untreated control participants are needed.
Topics: Aged; Humans; Middle Aged; Antidepressive Agents; Cognition; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 38321915
DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230392 -
Neuropsychology Review Sep 2023The current diagnostic criteria for the behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) foresee a relative sparing of long-term memory. Although bvFTD patients... (Review)
Review
Genuine Memory Deficits as Assessed by the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT) in the Behavioural Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Study.
The current diagnostic criteria for the behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) foresee a relative sparing of long-term memory. Although bvFTD patients were thought to report secondary memory deficits associated with prefrontal dysfunctions, some studies indicated the presence of a "genuine memory deficit" related to mesial temporal lobe dysfunctions. Among various neuropsychological tests, the Free and Cue Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT) has been recommended to distinguish genuine from apparent amnesia. We conducted a systematic review and a random effect Bayesian meta-analysis to evaluate the nature and severity of memory deficit in bvFTD. Our objective was to determine whether the existing literature offers evidence of genuine or apparent amnesia in patients with bvFTD, as assessed via the FCSRT. On 06/19/2021, we conducted a search across four databases (PMC, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed). We included all studies that evaluated memory performance using the FCSRT in patients with bvFTD, as long as they also included either cognitively unimpaired participants or AD groups. We tested publication bias through the Funnel plot and Egger's test. To assess the quality of studies, we used the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale adapted for cross-sectional studies. We included 16 studies in the meta-analysis. The results showed that bvFTD patients perform better than AD patients (pooled effects between 0.95 and 1.14), as their memory performance stands between AD and control groups (pooled effects between - 2.19 and - 1.25). Moreover, patients with bvFTD present both genuine and secondary memory disorders. As a major limitation of this study, due to our adoption of a rigorous methodology and stringent inclusion criteria, we ended up with just 16 studies. Nonetheless, our robust findings can contribute to the ongoing discussion on international consensus criteria for bvFTD and the selection of appropriate neuropsychological tools to facilitate the differential diagnosis between AD and bvFTD.
PubMed: 37736861
DOI: 10.1007/s11065-023-09613-3 -
IBRO Neuroscience Reports Jun 2024Neurocognitive deficits in bipolar disorder (BD) have a negative impact on the quality of life, even during the euthymic phase. And many studies conducted to improve... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Neurocognitive deficits in bipolar disorder (BD) have a negative impact on the quality of life, even during the euthymic phase. And many studies conducted to improve cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder. This systematic review aims to summarize studies on cognitive rehabilitation (CR) conducted in bipolar patients and evaluate its impact on neurocognitive deficits. The primary objective is to explore how CR interventions can enhance cognitive functioning, treatment outcomes, and overall quality of life in this population.
METHODS
A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Embase, and PsycINFO databases from 1950 to 2023, following the 2015 PRISMA-P guidelines, using search terms related to BD and CR.
RESULTS
The initial search yielded 371 titles across the five databases. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria through screening, a total of 23 articles were included in the study. The selected articles evaluated verbal memory, attention, executive functions, and social cognition.
CONCLUSION
The findings suggest that CR can be an effective treatment approach for bipolar patients, aimed at enhancing their cognitive abilities, treatment outcomes, and overall quality of life. The primary finding of this study indicates that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) protocols, skill training, and homework exercises, which offer a daily structure, social support, and opportunities for exchanging coping strategies, are more effective in enhancing cognitive functions. However, it is important to acknowledge the notable limitations of this review. Firstly, we did not assess the methodological rigor of the included studies. Additionally, there was a lack of detailed analysis regarding specific cognitive rehabilitation approaches that adhere to core CR principles, resulting in increased heterogeneity within the reviewed studies.
PubMed: 38645887
DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.04.001 -
Behavioural Neurology 2023Dementia is a severe neurodegenerative disorder and it is a group of acquired symptoms associated with impaired cognitive functions. In low-income settings particularly... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Dementia is a severe neurodegenerative disorder and it is a group of acquired symptoms associated with impaired cognitive functions. In low-income settings particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), it is often seen as part of normal aging. Environmental, behavioral, and lifestyle interventions have the potential to alter the disease course of dementia.
OBJECTIVE
This study is aimed to synthesize the literature/evidence(s) on the management practice and treatment outcomes of dementia in SSA.
METHOD
Comprehensive literature was searched in PubMed database, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Eligibility has been set, and based on the criteria, initially, a total of 442 results were obtained, and from those around 183 articles were duplicated. After examining titles and abstracts of records 26 articles were identified. Finally, five randomized clinical trials (RCT) and three prospective cohort studies that were reported on the management practice and treatment outcome of dementia in SSA were eligible for analysis. RCT and prospective cohort studies were used to strengthen the quality of evidence. The quality of the included RCT studies was assessed by using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.
RESULT
A total of 2781 patient data were included in the final analysis. Of these, 2354 patients were obtained from 5 RCTs and 427 patients from 3 prospective cohort studies, which were conducted in SSA countries. RCT studies were done on the feasibility and clinical effectiveness of cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) showed improvements in language memory domains and physical health. In addition, studies that focus on the management of human immunodeficiency virus-associated dementia (HIVAD) were reported to improve neurocognitively.
CONCLUSION
CST is applicable in low-resource settings and it shows improvements in cognitive function and quality of life. Early initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited settings has been associated with improvement in the cognitive function of HIVAD.
Topics: Humans; Cognition; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Treatment Outcome; Quality of Life; Dementia
PubMed: 37533682
DOI: 10.1155/2023/2307443 -
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Dec 2023The effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on cognition has been investigated in recent years to determine the therapeutic potential of this cannabinoid for a broad gamut of... (Review)
Review
The effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on cognition has been investigated in recent years to determine the therapeutic potential of this cannabinoid for a broad gamut of medical conditions, including neuropsychiatric disorders. The aim of the present study was to perform a systematic review of studies that analyzed the effects of the acute and chronic administration of CBD on cognition in humans and animals both to assess the cognitive safety of CBD and to determine a beneficial potential of CBD on cognition. The PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were searched in December of 2022 for relevant articles using the following combinations of keywords: ("cannabidiol" OR "CBD") AND ("cognition" OR "processing cognitive" OR "memory" OR "language" OR "attention" OR "executive function" OR "social cognition" OR "perceptual motor ability" OR "processing speed"). Fifty-nine articles were included in the present review (36 preclinical and 23 clinical trials). CBD seems not to have any negative effect on cognitive processing in rats. The clinical trials confirmed these findings in humans. One study found that repeated dosing with CBD may improve cognitive in people who use cannabis heavily but not individuals with neuropsychiatric disorders. Considering the context of neuropsychiatric disorders in animal models, CBD seems to reverse the harm caused by the experimental paradigms, such that the performance of these animals becomes similar to that of control animals. The results demonstrate that the chronic and acute administration of CBD seems not to impair cognition in humans without neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition, preclinical studies report promising results regarding the effects of CBD on the cognitive processing of animals. Future double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trials with larger, less selective samples, with standardized tests, and using different doses of CBD in outpatients are of particular interest to elucidate the cognitive effects of CBD.
Topics: Humans; Rats; Animals; Cannabidiol; Cognition; Cannabinoids; Hallucinogens; Executive Function; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 37792394
DOI: 10.1089/can.2023.0086 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2023The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and its short form, the AUDIT-C, the main clinical instruments used to identify unhealthy drinking behaviors, are... (Review)
Review
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and its short form, the AUDIT-C, the main clinical instruments used to identify unhealthy drinking behaviors, are influenced by memory bias and under-reporting. In recent years, phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in blood has emerged as a marker of unhealthy alcohol use. This systematic review aims to investigate the molecular characteristics of PEth and summarize the last ten years of published literature and its use compared to structured questionnaires. A systematic search was performed, adhering to PRISMA guidelines, through "MeSH" and "free-text" protocols in the databases PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science. The inclusion criteria were as follows: PEth was used for detecting unhealthy alcohol consumption in the general population and quantified in blood through liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, with full texts in the English language. Quality assessment was performed using the JBI critical appraisal checklist. Twelve papers were included (0.79% of total retrieved records), comprising nine cross-sectional studies and three cohort studies. All studies stratified alcohol exposure and quantified PEth 16:0/18:1 through liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) in liquid blood or dried blood spots (DBS) with lower limits of quantitation (LLOQ) ranging from 1.7 ng/mL to 20 ng/mL. A correlation between blood PEth level and the amount of alcohol ingested in the previous two weeks was generally observed. PEth interpretative cut-offs varied greatly among the included records, ranging from 4.2 ng/mL to 250 ng/mL, with sensitivity and specificity in the ranges of 58-100% and 64-100%, respectively. Although the biomarker seems promising, further research elucidating the variability in PEth formation and degradation, as well as the molecular mechanisms behind that variability, are necessary.
Topics: Humans; Alcoholism; Cross-Sectional Studies; Alcohol Drinking; Glycerophospholipids; Ethanol; Biomarkers
PubMed: 37569551
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512175 -
Applied Clinical Informatics Jan 2024People with memory disorders have difficulty adhering to treatments. With technological advances, it remains important to investigate the potential of health information...
BACKGROUND
People with memory disorders have difficulty adhering to treatments. With technological advances, it remains important to investigate the potential of health information technology (HIT) in supporting medication adherence among them.
OBJECTIVES
This review investigates the role of HIT in supporting adherence to medication and therapies among patients with memory issues. It also captures the factors that impact technology adherence interventions.
METHODS
We searched the literature for relevant publications published until March 15, 2023, using technology to support adherence among patients with memory issues (dementia, Alzheimer's, amnesia, mild cognitive impairment, memory loss, etc.). The review was reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We conducted a quality assessment of the papers following the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.
RESULTS
Fifteen studies were included after carefully reviewing the 3,773 articles in the search. Methodological quality, as appraised, ranged from 80 to 100% with eight studies rated 100%. The studies overall did not have a high risk of bias. Thus, all of the 15 studies were included. Technologies investigated were classified into four groups based on their impact: therapeutic patient education, simplifying treatment regimens, early follow-up visits and short-term treatment goals, and reminder programs. Different technologies were used (automatic drug dispensers or boxes, mobile health-based interventions, game-based interventions, e-health-based interventions, patient portals, and virtual reality). The factors impacting patients' adherence to technology-based treatment and medication were clustered into human-computer interaction and integration challenges.
CONCLUSION
This study contributes to the literature by classifying the technologies that supported medication adherence among patients with memory issues in four groups. It also explores and presents the possible limitations of existing solutions to drive future research in supporting care for people with memory disorders.
Topics: Humans; Medication Adherence; Memory Disorders
PubMed: 38295858
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1776792 -
PloS One 2023Fibromyalgia (FM) is a form of chronic pain disorder accompanied by several tender points, fatigue, sleeping and mood disturbances, cognitive dysfunction, and memory... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a form of chronic pain disorder accompanied by several tender points, fatigue, sleeping and mood disturbances, cognitive dysfunction, and memory problems. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is also a mediator of neurotrophin for many activity-dependent processes in the brain. Despite numerous research studies investigating BDNF in FM, contradictory results have been reported. Thus, we investigated the overall effect shown by studies to find the association between peripheral BDNF concentrations and its gene polymorphisms with FM.
METHODS
A systematic search in online international databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, the Web of Science, and Scopus was performed. Relevant studies assessing BDNF levels or gene polymorphism in patients with FM and comparing them with controls were included. Case reports, reviews, and non-English studies were excluded. We conducted the random-effect meta-analysis to estimate the pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) or odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).
RESULTS
Twenty studies were found to be included composed of 1,206 FM patients and 1,027 controls. The meta-analysis of 15 studies indicated that the circulating BDNF levels were significantly higher in FM (SMD 0.72, 95% CI 0.12 to 1.31; p-value = 0.02). However, no difference between the rate of Val/Met carrier status at the rs6265 site was found (p-value = 0.43). Using meta-regression, the sample size and age variables accounted for 4.69% and 6.90% of the observed heterogeneity of BDNF level analysis, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Our meta-analysis demonstrated that FM is correlated with increased peripheral BDNF levels. This biomarker's diagnostic and prognostic value should be further investigated in future studies.
Topics: Humans; Biomarkers; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; Cognitive Dysfunction; Fibromyalgia; Polymorphism, Genetic
PubMed: 38127937
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296103