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Mitochondrion May 2024Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia around the globe. The disease's genesis is multifaceted, and its pathophysiology is complicated. Malfunction of... (Review)
Review
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia around the globe. The disease's genesis is multifaceted, and its pathophysiology is complicated. Malfunction of mitochondria has been regarded as one of the intracellular events that are substantially damaged in the onset of AD and are likely a common trait of other neurodegenerative illnesses. Several mitochondrial characteristics begin to diminish with age, eventually reaching a state of significant functional failure concurrent with the beginning of neurodegenerative diseases, however, the exact timing of these processes is unknown. Mitochondrial malfunction has a multitude of negative repercussions, including reduced calcium buffering and secondary excitotoxicity contributing to synaptic dysfunction, also free radical production, and activation of the mitochondrial permeability transition. Hence mitochondria are considered a therapeutic target in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's. Traditional medicinal systems practiced in different countries employing various medicinal plants postulated to have potential role in the therapy and management of memory impairment including amnesia, dementia as well as AD. Although, the preclinical and clinical studies using these medicinal plants or plant products have demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy for AD, the precise mechanism of action is still obscure. Therefore, this review discusses the contribution of mitochondria towards AD pathogenesis and considering phytotherapeutics as a potential therapeutic strategy.
Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Humans; Mitochondria; Phytotherapy; Animals; Plants, Medicinal
PubMed: 38462158
DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2024.101868 -
Narra J Aug 2023Hypocalcemia and transient ischemic attack (TIA) are different medical disorders; however, limited evidence suggests a possible link between the two. The underlying...
Hypocalcemia and transient ischemic attack (TIA) are different medical disorders; however, limited evidence suggests a possible link between the two. The underlying pathomechanisms by which hypocalcemia may cause cerebrovascular damage are difficult to comprehend. The aim of the study was to present an individual experiencing TIA that possibly due to severe hypocalcemia that associated with hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy; and to explore the available evidence of its cause-effect relationship through available literature. A 68-year-old man presented to Dr. Zainoel Abidin Hospital, Banda Aceh, Indonesia with complaints of weakness, especially in the right limbs that had worsened in the last week. The patient experienced unconsciousness for an hour before the admission; disorientation and anterograde amnesia over the time of recovering of consciousness. Other complaints included frequent muscle cramps, numbness in both arms and legs, dizziness, swallowing difficulty, nausea, and vomiting. The patient had a history of total thyroidectomy for a large struma diffuse 18 years ago and was prescribed several medications. However, the patient was overwhelmed by forgetfulness which had become more frequent in recent months resulting in medication nonadherence. The vital sign was stable and Chovsteck's sign was positive. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) revealed impairment in the visuospatial/executive component and delayed memory. Laboratory tests revealed severe hypocalcemia, altered thyroid function, hypomagnesemia, elevated D-dimer and fibrinogen, and vitamin D deficiency. TIA and severe hypocalcemia were proposed as the diagnosis. Prompt initiation of appropriate treatment, including calcium supplementation, anticoagulation, and neuroprotective agents, led to significant clinical improvement. Evidence from available literature suggests that there is a possible link between severe hypocalcemia and TIA that occurred in this patient. However, more studies are warrant to establish this cause-effect relationship.
PubMed: 38450273
DOI: 10.52225/narra.v3i2.228 -
Ugeskrift For Laeger Feb 2024This case report describes a 29-year-old man, who was admitted to a psychiatric hospital due to a severe depressive episode without psychotic symptoms. After two weeks...
This case report describes a 29-year-old man, who was admitted to a psychiatric hospital due to a severe depressive episode without psychotic symptoms. After two weeks he developed acute retrograde autobiographical amnesia. No organic cause was identified, and the patient was therefore diagnosed with dissociative amnesia. The depressive symptoms ceased as the amnesia developed. After five months of follow-up in the outpatient clinic, his amnesia for the time preceding its outbreak remained unchanged. He patient managed to resume a functional daily life.
Topics: Male; Humans; Adult; Amnesia; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Depressive Disorder; Disease Outbreaks; Hospitalization
PubMed: 38445321
DOI: 10.61409/V08230513 -
Cortex; a Journal Devoted To the Study... Apr 2024Evidence suggests that some patients with isolated hippocampal damage appear to present with selective preservation of unfamiliar face recognition relative to other...
Evidence suggests that some patients with isolated hippocampal damage appear to present with selective preservation of unfamiliar face recognition relative to other kinds of visual test stimuli (e.g., words). Bird and Burgess (2008) formulated a review and secondary analysis of a group of 10 cases all tested on a clinical assessment of word and face recognition memory (RMT, Warrington, 1984), which confirmed the key memory dissociation at the group level. The current work provides an updated secondary analysis of such cases with a larger published sample (N = 52). In addition to group-level analyses, we also re-evaluate evidence using a single case statistical approach (Crawford & Garthwaite, 2005), enabling us to determine how many would make criteria for a 'classical dissociation' (Crawford, Garthwaite, & Gray, 2003). Overall, group-level analyses indicated the key pattern of significant differences confined to words was limited to small control sample comparisons. When using the large control sample provided by Bird and Burgess (2008), hippocampal cases as a group were significantly poorer for both classes of items. Furthermore, our single-case approach indicated few had a performance pattern of a relative difference across face > word categories that would meet statistical significance; namely within individual differences across categories that would warrant a significant 'classical dissociation'. Moreover, these analyses also found several cases with a 'classical dissociation' in the reverse direction: namely preserved recognition of words. Such analyses serve to demonstrate the need for a more conservative statistical approach to be undertaken when reporting selective 'preservation' of a category in recognition memory. Whilst material specificity has important implications for understanding the role of the hippocampus in memory, our results highlight the need for statistical methods to be unquestionably rigorous before any claims are made. Lastly, we highlight other methodological issues critical to group analyses and make suggestions for future work.
Topics: Humans; Facial Recognition; Recognition, Psychology; Amnesia; Hippocampus; Individuality; Pattern Recognition, Visual
PubMed: 38442567
DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.01.009 -
The American Journal of Case Reports Mar 2024BACKGROUND Acute ischemic stroke in the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) territory can lead to persistent disabling deficits. The PCA is divided into 4 segments. The P2...
BACKGROUND Acute ischemic stroke in the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) territory can lead to persistent disabling deficits. The PCA is divided into 4 segments. The P2 segment begins at the posterior communicating artery and curves around the midbrain and above the tentorium cerebelli. This report is of a 61-year-old man with acute ischemic stroke involving the left hippocampus treated with direct thrombectomy of the P2 segment of the PCA. CASE REPORT A 61-year-old white man presented with transient amnesia, aphasia, right-sided hemianopia, dizziness, and persistent acute memory deficits. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a left hippocampal acute ischemic stroke with left PCA occlusion in the P2 segment. Despite a low National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and the already-formed lesion in the hippocampus, successful stent retriever thrombectomy was performed due to a considerable perfusion-diffusion mismatch and a persistent potentially disabling neurocognitive deficit. Due to partial thrombus dislocation, occlusion of the common origin of the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) and anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) occurred and was immediately treated by thrombectomy to prevent severe cerebellar infarction. His clinical symptoms completely resolved and a neuropsychological exam showed no residual deficits. CONCLUSIONS Thrombectomy of the P2 segment of the PCA is feasible and can be considered to treat patients with acute occlusion at risk for persistent disabling deficits, based on clinical estimation of the impact of such deficits and the presence of potentially salvageable brain tissue. Potential procedural complications should be sought out and immediately treated, if technically feasible.
Topics: United States; Male; Humans; Middle Aged; Posterior Cerebral Artery; Ischemic Stroke; Brain Ischemia; Stroke; Dura Mater
PubMed: 38439524
DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.941441 -
Heliyon Feb 2024Amnesia is a major health problem prevalent in almost every part of the world specifically in old age peoples. Vanillin analogues have played an important role in the...
Amnesia is a major health problem prevalent in almost every part of the world specifically in old age peoples. Vanillin analogues have played an important role in the field medicines. Some of them have been documented to be promising inhibitors of cholinesterases and could therefore, be used as antidepressant, anti-Alzheimer and as neuroprotective drugs. In this connection, the present study was designed to synthesize new vanillin analogues ( to ) of varied biological potentials. The synthesized compounds were investigated as inhibitors against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes and as scavengers of DPPH and ABTS free radicals followed by behavioural antiamnesic evaluation in mice. The compounds; , , and more potently inhibited AChE with IC values of 0.078, 0.157, 0.108, and 0.014 μM respectively. The BChE was more potently inhibited by with IC of 0.057 μM. Moreover, all of the tested compounds exhibited strong antioxidant potentials with promising results of against DPPH with IC of 0.305 μM, while was most active against ABTS with IC of 0.190 μM. The studies revealed the improvement in memory deficit caused by scopolamine. Y-Maze and new object recognition test showed a considerable decline in cognitive dysfunctions. In Y-Maze test the spontaneous alteration of 69.44 ± 1% and 84.88 ± 1.35% for and 68.92 ± 1% and 80.89 ± 1% for at both test doses were recorded while during the novel object recognition test the Discrimination Index percentage of was more pronounced as compared to standard drug. All compounds were found to be potent inhibitors of AChE, BChE, DPPH, and ABTS however, and were comparatively more potent. was also more active in reclamation of memory deficit caused by scopolamine. and may be considered as excellent drug candidates for treating amnesia subjected to toxicological evaluations in other animal models.
PubMed: 38420420
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26657 -
Cognitive Neuroscience Apr 2024Learning regularities in the environment is a fundament of human cognition, which is supported by a network of brain regions that include the hippocampus. In two...
Learning regularities in the environment is a fundament of human cognition, which is supported by a network of brain regions that include the hippocampus. In two experiments, we assessed the effects of selective bilateral damage to human hippocampal subregion CA3, which was associated with autobiographical episodic amnesia extending ~50 years prior to the damage, on the ability to recognize complex, deterministic event sequences presented either in a spatial or a non-spatial configuration. In contrast to findings from related paradigms, modalities, and homologue species, hippocampal damage did not preclude recognition memory for an event sequence studied and tested at four spatial locations, whereas recognition memory for an event sequence presented at a single location was at chance. In two additional experiments, recognition memory for novel single-items was intact, whereas the ability to recognize novel single-items in a different location from that presented at study was at chance. The results are at variance with a general role of the hippocampus in the learning and recognition of complex event sequences based on non-adjacent spatial and temporal dependencies. We discuss the impact of the results on established theoretical accounts of the hippocampal contributions to implicit sequence learning and episodic memory.
Topics: Humans; Recognition, Psychology; Male; Female; CA3 Region, Hippocampal; Middle Aged; Learning; Memory, Episodic; Aged; Adult; Neuropsychological Tests
PubMed: 38384107
DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2024.2315818 -
Cureus Jan 2024The prevalence of dementia is escalating significantly, posing a substantial societal burden. Currently, there exists a dearth of comprehensive health data about...
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of dementia is escalating significantly, posing a substantial societal burden. Currently, there exists a dearth of comprehensive health data about dementia patients in Saudi Arabia, particularly within Al-Baha City.
METHODS
A retrospective case-series study was undertaken to ascertain the prevalence of dementia within the populace of the Al-Baha region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This investigation utilized hospital-based records encompassing individuals exhibiting symptoms or diagnosed with dementia and its related forms across the Al-Baha region. Furthermore, the study aimed to evaluate the burden of comorbidities among dementia patients and document the pharmacological therapeutic interventions administered to manage dementia and its associated concurrent health conditions.
RESULTS
Our investigation explored the prevalence rates of various forms of dementia and the accompanying comorbidities among affected individuals. The study spanned from August 2020 to August 2023. Our study encompassed 407 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease, vascular dementia (VaD), or other forms of dementia who were either admitted to or attended tertiary hospitals in Al-Baha. Assessment of the comorbidity burden was conducted using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Our findings revealed that among these patients, 13.3% presented with AD, 23.6% with VaD, 33.4% with Parkinson's disease, 15.75% with amnesia, and 14.0% with other types of dementia. The spectrum of comorbidities observed among dementia patients encompassed various conditions, with diabetes mellitus emerging as the predominant comorbidity (19.1%), followed by hypertension (16.4%). Additionally, manifestations of depression were noted in 14% of patients, while 9.82% suffered from paralysis. Chronic conditions such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), and cervical spondylosis were also observed among individuals afflicted with dementia and its varied forms. Statistically significant correlations were established between gender, age, nationality, comorbidities, and the prevalence of dementia. Therapeutic interventions in the form of pharmacological treatments were prescribed for dementia patients with comorbidities. Commonly administered medications included Amlod (6.3%), Amlodipine (6.6%), Amlor (5.8%), Aspirin (10.5%), chemotherapeutic drugs (4.4%), Glipizide (8.5%), Lantus (11.3%), Levodopa (23.5%), Metformin (7.8%), acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (6.8%), and Pulmicort (7.86%). These medications aimed to alleviate symptoms associated with dementia and its accompanying comorbidities.
CONCLUSIONS
Our investigation underscores the substantial burden of comorbidities experienced by dementia patients. These findings offer crucial insights into the overall health status of individuals grappling with dementia, serving as a catalyst for increased awareness among clinicians and policymakers. Such awareness can drive improvements in medical care and support frameworks tailored to the specific needs of dementia patients.
PubMed: 38371043
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52507