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The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry Sep 2020 Along with cognitive decline, 90% of patients with dementia experience behavioral and psychological symptoms, such as psychosis, aggression, agitation, and... (Review)
Review
Along with cognitive decline, 90% of patients with dementia experience behavioral and psychological symptoms, such as psychosis, aggression, agitation, and depression. Dementia-related psychosis (DRP), which includes delusions and hallucinations, contributes to institutionalization, cognitive decline, and caregiver burden. Delusions and hallucinations tend to increase with the duration and severity of the disease, but there are also individual fluctuations. While a variety of symptoms can occur in all types of dementia, visual hallucinations are particularly common in the Lewy body dementias (dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson disease dementia). Mechanisms behind DRP are multifactorial, including different neurobiological factors as well as environmental, social, and psychological factors. This report examines the frequency, symptoms, and pathophysiology of DRP and communication about psychotic symptoms with patients with dementia (if possible) and their care partners.
Topics: Aged; Caregivers; Dementia; Humans; Psychotic Disorders
PubMed: 32936544
DOI: 10.4088/JCP.AD19038BR1C -
Journal of the International... Oct 2017Although dementia has been described in ancient texts over many centuries (e.g., "Be kind to your father, even if his mind fail him." - Old Testament: Sirach 3:12), our... (Review)
Review
Although dementia has been described in ancient texts over many centuries (e.g., "Be kind to your father, even if his mind fail him." - Old Testament: Sirach 3:12), our knowledge of its underlying causes is little more than a century old. Alzheimer published his now famous case study only 110 years ago, and our modern understanding of the disease that bears his name, and its neuropsychological consequences, really only began to accelerate in the 1980s. Since then we have witnessed an explosion of basic and translational research into the causes, characterizations, and possible treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias. We review this lineage of work beginning with Alzheimer's own writings and drawings, then jump to the modern era beginning in the 1970s and early 1980s and provide a sampling of neuropsychological and other contextual work from each ensuing decade. During the 1980s our field began its foundational studies of profiling the neuropsychological deficits associated with AD and its differentiation from other dementias (e.g., cortical vs. subcortical dementias). The 1990s continued these efforts and began to identify the specific cognitive mechanisms affected by various neuropathologic substrates. The 2000s ushered in a focus on the study of prodromal stages of neurodegenerative disease before the full-blown dementia syndrome (i.e., mild cognitive impairment). The current decade has seen the rise of imaging and other biomarkers to characterize preclinical disease before the development of significant cognitive decline. Finally, we suggest future directions and predictions for dementia-related research and potential therapeutic interventions. (JINS, 2017, 23, 818-831).
Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Cognitive Dysfunction; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Neuropsychological Tests
PubMed: 29198280
DOI: 10.1017/S135561771700100X -
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and... Jan 2016The prevalence of dementia is increasing in our aging population at an alarming rate. Because of the heterogeneity of clinical presentation and complexity of disease... (Review)
Review
The prevalence of dementia is increasing in our aging population at an alarming rate. Because of the heterogeneity of clinical presentation and complexity of disease neuropathology, dementia classifications remain controversial. Recently, the National Plan to address Alzheimer’s Disease prioritized Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias to include: Alzheimer’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, and mixed dementias. While each of these dementing conditions has their unique pathologic signature, one common etiology shared among all these conditions is cerebrovascular dysfunction at some point during the disease process. The goal of this comprehensive review is to summarize the current findings in the field and address the important contributions of cerebrovascular, physiologic, and cellular alterations to cognitive impairment in these human dementias. Specifically, evidence will be presented in support of small-vessel disease as an underlying neuropathologic hallmark of various dementias, while controversial findings will also be highlighted. Finally, the molecular mechanisms shared among all dementia types including hypoxia, oxidative stress, mitochondrial bioenergetics, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and blood–brain barrier permeability responsible for disease etiology and progression will be discussed.
Topics: Blood-Brain Barrier; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Dementia; Humans; Lewy Bodies; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Neurogenic Inflammation; Prevalence; Risk Factors
PubMed: 26174330
DOI: 10.1038/jcbfm.2015.164 -
Brain : a Journal of Neurology Mar 2021The association between hearing impairment and dementia has emerged as a major public health challenge, with significant opportunities for earlier diagnosis, treatment... (Review)
Review
The association between hearing impairment and dementia has emerged as a major public health challenge, with significant opportunities for earlier diagnosis, treatment and prevention. However, the nature of this association has not been defined. We hear with our brains, particularly within the complex soundscapes of everyday life: neurodegenerative pathologies target the auditory brain, and are therefore predicted to damage hearing function early and profoundly. Here we present evidence for this proposition, based on structural and functional features of auditory brain organization that confer vulnerability to neurodegeneration, the extensive, reciprocal interplay between 'peripheral' and 'central' hearing dysfunction, and recently characterized auditory signatures of canonical neurodegenerative dementias (Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body disease and frontotemporal dementia). Moving beyond any simple dichotomy of ear and brain, we argue for a reappraisal of the role of auditory cognitive dysfunction and the critical coupling of brain to peripheral organs of hearing in the dementias. We call for a clinical assessment of real-world hearing in these diseases that moves beyond pure tone perception to the development of novel auditory 'cognitive stress tests' and proximity markers for the early diagnosis of dementia and management strategies that harness retained auditory plasticity.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease; Auditory Perception; Brain; Cognitive Dysfunction; Comorbidity; Dementia; Frontotemporal Dementia; Hearing; Hearing Loss; Humans; Lewy Body Disease; Middle Aged
PubMed: 33351095
DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa429 -
Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.) Jun 2022This article provides an overview of the neuropathology of common age-related dementing disorders, focusing on the pathologies that underlie Alzheimer disease (AD) and... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
This article provides an overview of the neuropathology of common age-related dementing disorders, focusing on the pathologies that underlie Alzheimer disease (AD) and related dementias, including Lewy body dementias, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, limbic-predominant age-related transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) encephalopathy (LATE), and mixed-etiology dementias. This article also discusses the underlying proteinopathies of neurodegenerative diseases (eg, amyloid-β, paired helical filament tau, α-synuclein, and TDP-43 pathology) and vascular pathologies, including tissue injury (eg, infarcts, hemorrhages) with or without vessel disease.
RECENT FINDINGS
New criteria for AD pathologic diagnosis highlight amyloid-β as the sine qua non of AD; they require molecular markers of amyloid and establish a minimum threshold of Braak neurofibrillary tangle stage 3. Pathologic diagnosis is separated from clinical disease (ie, pathologic diagnosis no longer requires dementia). TDP-43 pathology, a major pathology in a frontotemporal dementia subtype, was found as a central pathology in LATE, a newly named amnestic disorder. Multiple pathologies (often co-occurring with AD) contribute to dementia and add complexity to the clinical picture. Conversely, Lewy body, LATE, and vascular dementias often have accompanying AD pathology. Pathology and biomarker studies highlight subclinical pathologies in older people without cognitive impairment. This resilience to brain pathology is common and is known as cognitive reserve.
SUMMARY
The pathologies of dementia in aging are most commonly amyloid, tangles, Lewy bodies, TDP-43, hippocampal sclerosis, and vascular pathologies. These pathologies often co-occur (mixed pathologies), which may make specific clinical diagnoses difficult. In addition, dementia-related pathologies are often subclinical, suggesting varying levels of resilience in older people.
Topics: Aged; Alzheimer Disease; Brain; DNA-Binding Proteins; Humans; Lewy Body Disease
PubMed: 35678405
DOI: 10.1212/CON.0000000000001137 -
Revista de Neurologia Jun 2018Dementia is a clinical syndrome resulting from a number of causations and which is usually accompanied by progressive and diffuse brain dysfunction. The different... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Dementia is a clinical syndrome resulting from a number of causations and which is usually accompanied by progressive and diffuse brain dysfunction. The different subtypes are characterised by a clinical picture with common symptoms that differ in terms of their aetiology, age, clinical presentation, clinical course and associated disorders.
AIM
To present an update on the information available about the descriptive epidemiology of dementia and its main subtypes.
DEVELOPMENT
The main data on prevalence, incidence and mortality were extracted from a literature review. Alzheimer's disease is the most frequent subtype and accounts for 60-80% of all the cases, followed by vascular dementia and other neurodegenerative dementias, such as dementia due to Lewy bodies, the dementia-Parkinson complex and frontotemporal dementia. Other subtypes of dementias present frequencies below 1%, and the epidemiological indicators available are not very robust.
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence and incidence of dementia increase exponentially from the age of 65 onwards. As a consequence of the progressive ageing of the population and the increase in life expectancy, the number of cases of dementia will rise in the coming decades. Recent studies point to a slight drop in the accumulated risk of dementia adjusted by age groups and sex over the last few decades in some countries. It is possible that by means of primary prevention strategies implemented upon the known risk factors for dementia the burden of dementia on public health will diminish in the future.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease; Dementia; Developed Countries; Developing Countries; Female; Global Health; Humans; Incidence; Life Expectancy; Male; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Population Dynamics; Prevalence; Risk Factors
PubMed: 29790571
DOI: No ID Found -
Seminars in Neurology Sep 2013Young-onset dementia is a neurologic syndrome that affects behavior and cognition of patients younger than 65 years of age. Although frequently misdiagnosed, a... (Review)
Review
Young-onset dementia is a neurologic syndrome that affects behavior and cognition of patients younger than 65 years of age. Although frequently misdiagnosed, a systematic approach, reliant upon attainment of a detailed medical history, a collateral history, neuropsychological testing, laboratory studies, and neuroimaging, may facilitate earlier and more accurate diagnosis with subsequent intervention. The differential diagnosis of young-onset dementia is extensive and includes early-onset forms of adult neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementias, Huntington's disease, and prion disease. Late-onset forms of childhood neurodegenerative conditions may also present as young-onset dementia and include mitochondrial disorders, lysosomal storage disorders, and leukodystrophies. Potentially reversible etiologies including inflammatory disorders, infectious diseases, toxic/metabolic abnormalities, transient epileptic amnesia, obstructive sleep apnea, and normal pressure hydrocephalus also represent important differential diagnostic considerations in young-onset dementia. This review will present etiologies, diagnostic strategies, and options for management of young-onset dementia with comprehensive summary tables for clinical reference.
Topics: Age of Onset; Dementia; Humans; Neurodegenerative Diseases
PubMed: 24234358
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1359320 -
Psychiatrike = Psychiatriki 2019Τhe rate of patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment or any type of dementia has been constantly on the rise. Considering that no effective treatment of... (Review)
Review
Τhe rate of patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment or any type of dementia has been constantly on the rise. Considering that no effective treatment of dementia has been discovered to date and that drug use can have numerous side effects, there is an urgent need for the application of alternative, non-pharmacological interventions. To this end, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of physical activity on the cognitive impairment of the elderly, and its use as a form of non-pharmacological intervention for the treatment of dementia. Taking a review of the relevant literature, as its data collection method, this study examined peer-reviewed papers published between 2010 and 2018 that met the criteria for their inclusion. The articles were drawn from three electronic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect and Web of Science), and were examined with regard to the populations under consideration, research design, type of intervention programs and assessment tools applied. The vast majority of these research papers tend to support that physical activity offers significant benefits to people suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. Specifically, it helps stabilize and improve cognitive function as well as reduce and delay the onset of severe neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, confusion, apathy, etc. In addition, physical exercise plays an important role in improving the executive functioning of patients with dementia, increasing autonomy in their everyday activities and reducing the risk of falls. In conclusion, recent research shows physical activity to be a promising intervention for the prevention and non-pharmacological treatment of dementia in that it contributes to the improvement of patients' quality of life. However, results vary according to the particularly characteristics of the exercise under review, such as type, intensity, frequency, and duration. It is therefore important to gain both awareness and understanding of the specific factors that give physical activity its therapeutic potential leading to the development of exercise programs designed specially to treat dementia.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease; Cognition; Dementia; Exercise; Exercise Therapy; Humans; Quality of Life
PubMed: 31425142
DOI: 10.22365/jpsych.2019.302.142 -
Alzheimer's Research & Therapy Jan 2019Alcohol use has been identified as a risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline. However, some patterns of drinking have been associated with beneficial effects.
BACKGROUND
Alcohol use has been identified as a risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline. However, some patterns of drinking have been associated with beneficial effects.
METHODS AND RESULTS
To clarify the relationship between alcohol use and dementia, we conducted a scoping review based on a systematic search of systematic reviews published from January 2000 to October 2017 by using Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO. Overall, 28 systematic reviews were identified: 20 on the associations between the level of alcohol use and the incidence of cognitive impairment/dementia, six on the associations between dimensions of alcohol use and specific brain functions, and two on induced dementias. Although causality could not be established, light to moderate alcohol use in middle to late adulthood was associated with a decreased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. Heavy alcohol use was associated with changes in brain structures, cognitive impairments, and an increased risk of all types of dementia.
CONCLUSION
Reducing heavy alcohol use may be an effective dementia prevention strategy.
Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Brain; Cognitive Dysfunction; Dementia; Humans; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Systematic Reviews as Topic
PubMed: 30611304
DOI: 10.1186/s13195-018-0453-0 -
Nature Reviews. Neurology Aug 2017The most definitive classification systems for dementia are based on the underlying pathology which, in turn, is categorized largely according to the observed... (Review)
Review
The most definitive classification systems for dementia are based on the underlying pathology which, in turn, is categorized largely according to the observed accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates in neurons and glia. These aggregates perturb molecular processes, cellular functions and, ultimately, cell survival, with ensuing disruption of large-scale neural networks subserving cognitive, behavioural and sensorimotor functions. The functional domains affected and the evolution of deficits in these domains over time serve as footprints that the clinician can trace back with various levels of certainty to the underlying neuropathology. The process of phenotyping and syndromic classification has substantially improved over decades of careful clinicopathological correlation, and through the discovery of in vivo biomarkers of disease. Here, we present an overview of the salient features of the most common dementia subtypes - Alzheimer disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia and related syndromes, Lewy body dementias, and prion diseases - with an emphasis on neuropathology, relevant epidemiology, risk factors, and signature signs and symptoms.
Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Dementia, Vascular; Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration; Humans; Lewy Body Disease; Prion Diseases
PubMed: 28708131
DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2017.96