Procjena vrijednosti testa skrivenoga objekta u ranoj dijagnostici Alzheimerove bolesti [Evaluation of the hidden goal test in early diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease ]

Episodic memory impairment and spatial navigation deficit are often considered to be the first symptoms of impairment due to neurodenerative changes in the structures of the medial temporal lobeparticularly due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). As AD is a growing public health issue, there is a great need for development of highly sensitive and specific tests or biomarkers that would allow preclinical diagnosis of AD. This would also allow for a timely pharmaceutical intervention. Hidden Goal Test (HGT) has been developed and used for detection of spatial navigation deficit in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients. Subjects were instructed to find an invisible goal using its relation to the starting position and/or the orientation cues. Between group differences in the average error measured in allocentric (allo), egocentric (ego) and combined allocentric-egocentric (allo-ego) subtests were statistically significant for MCI patients and healthy controls. There was significant difference in errors measured in allo, ego and allo-ego HGT between MCI patients with MMSE values greater than or equal to 26 points and those below 26 points. In conclusion, HGT proved to be a good screening tool, but also a good confirmatory diagnostic test. Used in combination with other biomarkers, HGT can improve the early identification of MCI patients who will convert to AD

Cerebral sinuvenous thrombosis: a rare complication of Lyme neuroborreliosis

Association between neuroborreliosis and cerebral sinuvenous thrombosis is rare, and it can be made only when other, more common predisposing conditions are excluded. In the case of increased intracranial pressure and confirmed neuroborreliosis, early magnetic resonance venography and combination of antibacterial therapy with anticoagulation provide better long-term outcome. We present a case of a patient with cerebral sinuvenous thrombosis who was first treated for neuroborreliosis

The effect of delayed anti-NMDAR encephalitis recognition on disease outcome

Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis is an acute form of brain inflammation that is potentially lethal but has a high probability for recovery with treatment. Although the clinical picture of anti-NMDAR encephalitis is usually recognizable due to its relatively well-known symptoms, the disorder can sometimes present itself in an unpredictable and atypical way. In this case report, we wish to present the influence of different delay times prior to the establishment of diagnosis. Thus, our first patient was diagnosed with anti-NMDAR encephalitis 4 years after the initial symptoms, the second one after 8 years, and the third one after 13 months. The outcomes of the three presented patients indicate the importance of being aware of many clinical presentations of this disorder, as its early diagnosis greatly affects the outcome and may reduce permanent damage, especially in cognitive functions

Tau Protein Hyperphosphorylation and Aggregation in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Tauopathies, and Possible Neuroprotective Strategies

Acknowledgments This work was supported by The Croatian Science Foundation grant No. IP-2014-09-9730 (“Tau protein hyperphosphorylation, aggregation, and trans-synaptic transfer in Alzheimer’s disease: cerebrospinal fluid analysis and assessment of potential neuroprotective compounds”) and European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action CM1103 (“Stucture-based drug design for diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases: dissecting and modulating complex function in the monoaminergic systems of the brain”). PRH is supported in part by NIH grant P50 AG005138. We also thank Mate Babić for help in preparation of schematics.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Monoaminergic Neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease

Acknowledgments This work was supported by The Croatian Science Foundation grant. no. IP-2014-09-9730 (“Tau protein hyperphosphorylation, aggregation, and trans-synaptic transfer in Alzheimer’s disease: cerebrospinal fluid analysis and assessment of potential neuroprotective compounds”) and European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action CM1103 (“Stucture-based drug design for diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases: dissecting and modulating complex function in the monoaminergic systems of the brain”). PRH is supported in part by NIH grant P50 AG005138.Peer reviewedPostprin

Evaluation of the hidden goal test in early diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease

Oštećenje epizodičkoga pamćenja i poremećaj prostorne orijentacije ubrajaju se u najranije znakove neurodegenerativnih bolesti koje zahvaćaju strukture medijalnog dijela sljepoočnog reţnja. Posebnu predilekciju za nastanak patoloških promjena u tim dijelovima mozga pokazuje Alzheimerova bolest (AB). S obzirom na činjenicu da je AB jedan od vodećih javnozdravstvenih problema, postojivelika potreba za iznalaţenjem visoko osjetljivih i specifičnih bioloških biljega koji bi omogućili postavljanje dijagnoze AB u pretkliničkoj fazi bolesti.Tada bi i terapijska intervencija imala najveći učinak. U pokušaju što ranijeg otkrivanja poremećaja prostorne orijentacije kod osoba s blagim spoznajnim poremećajem (BSP) u ovom je istraţivanju upotrebljen test skrivenog objekta (TSO). Ispitanici su imali zadatak pronaći cilj koji nije vidljiv, a za orijentaciju su se morali posluţiti ranije zapamćenom pozicijom cilja u odnosu na početnu poziciju i/ili distalne orijentire. Uspoređivanjem skupine ispitanika s BSP s kontrolnom (skupina zdravih ispitanika) nađena je statistički značajna razlika u vrijednosti izmjerene prosječne pogreške u pojedinim podtestovima alocentričkog (alo), egocentričkog (ego) i alocentričko-egocentričkog (alo-ego) TSO. Vrijednosti izmjerenih pogrešaka u alo, ego i alo-ego testu su bile značajno različite između dvije skupine ispitanika s BSP (onima s MMSE vrijednostima ≤ 26 i > 26 bodova). Prema analiziranim podatcima zaključeno je da je TSO dobar test probira, ali jednako tako i dobar dijagnostički test koji bi u skupini ispitanika s BSP mogao, u kombinaciji s drugim biološkim biljezima, pospješiti predviđanje u kojih će osoba BSP dalje progredirati u veliki neurokognitivni poremećaj (sindrom demencije).Episodic memory impairment and spatial navigation deficit are often considered to be the first symptoms of impairment due to neurodenerative changes in the structures of the medial temporal lobeparticularly due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). As AD is a growing public health issue, there is a great need for development of highly sensitive and specific tests or biomarkers that would allow preclinical diagnosis of AD. This would also allow for a timely pharmaceutical intervention. Hidden Goal Test (HGT) has been developed and used for detection of spatial navigation deficit in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients. Subjects were instructed to find an invisible goal using its relation to the starting position and/or the orientation cues. Between group differences in the average error measured in allocentric (allo), egocentric (ego) and combined allocentric-egocentric (allo-ego) subtests were statistically significant for MCI patients and healthy controls. There was significant difference in errors measured in allo, ego and allo-ego HGT between MCI patients with MMSE values greater than or equal to 26 points and those below 26 points. In conclusion, HGT proved to be a good screening tool, but also a good confirmatory diagnostic test. Used in combination with other biomarkers, HGT can improve the early identification of MCI patients who will convert to AD

Evaluation of the hidden goal test in early diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease

Oštećenje epizodičkoga pamćenja i poremećaj prostorne orijentacije ubrajaju se u najranije znakove neurodegenerativnih bolesti koje zahvaćaju strukture medijalnog dijela sljepoočnog reţnja. Posebnu predilekciju za nastanak patoloških promjena u tim dijelovima mozga pokazuje Alzheimerova bolest (AB). S obzirom na činjenicu da je AB jedan od vodećih javnozdravstvenih problema, postojivelika potreba za iznalaţenjem visoko osjetljivih i specifičnih bioloških biljega koji bi omogućili postavljanje dijagnoze AB u pretkliničkoj fazi bolesti.Tada bi i terapijska intervencija imala najveći učinak. U pokušaju što ranijeg otkrivanja poremećaja prostorne orijentacije kod osoba s blagim spoznajnim poremećajem (BSP) u ovom je istraţivanju upotrebljen test skrivenog objekta (TSO). Ispitanici su imali zadatak pronaći cilj koji nije vidljiv, a za orijentaciju su se morali posluţiti ranije zapamćenom pozicijom cilja u odnosu na početnu poziciju i/ili distalne orijentire. Uspoređivanjem skupine ispitanika s BSP s kontrolnom (skupina zdravih ispitanika) nađena je statistički značajna razlika u vrijednosti izmjerene prosječne pogreške u pojedinim podtestovima alocentričkog (alo), egocentričkog (ego) i alocentričko-egocentričkog (alo-ego) TSO. Vrijednosti izmjerenih pogrešaka u alo, ego i alo-ego testu su bile značajno različite između dvije skupine ispitanika s BSP (onima s MMSE vrijednostima ≤ 26 i > 26 bodova). Prema analiziranim podatcima zaključeno je da je TSO dobar test probira, ali jednako tako i dobar dijagnostički test koji bi u skupini ispitanika s BSP mogao, u kombinaciji s drugim biološkim biljezima, pospješiti predviđanje u kojih će osoba BSP dalje progredirati u veliki neurokognitivni poremećaj (sindrom demencije).Episodic memory impairment and spatial navigation deficit are often considered to be the first symptoms of impairment due to neurodenerative changes in the structures of the medial temporal lobeparticularly due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). As AD is a growing public health issue, there is a great need for development of highly sensitive and specific tests or biomarkers that would allow preclinical diagnosis of AD. This would also allow for a timely pharmaceutical intervention. Hidden Goal Test (HGT) has been developed and used for detection of spatial navigation deficit in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients. Subjects were instructed to find an invisible goal using its relation to the starting position and/or the orientation cues. Between group differences in the average error measured in allocentric (allo), egocentric (ego) and combined allocentric-egocentric (allo-ego) subtests were statistically significant for MCI patients and healthy controls. There was significant difference in errors measured in allo, ego and allo-ego HGT between MCI patients with MMSE values greater than or equal to 26 points and those below 26 points. In conclusion, HGT proved to be a good screening tool, but also a good confirmatory diagnostic test. Used in combination with other biomarkers, HGT can improve the early identification of MCI patients who will convert to AD

The Interconnection between Carotid Intima–Media Thickness and Obesity: Anthropometric, Clinical and Biochemical Correlations

Background and Objectives: Carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT) and obesity are considered independent determinants of cardio- and cerebrovascular events. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of obesity on CIMT and to define which traditional cardiovascular risk factors correlate the most with CIMT values in patients with obesity. Materials and Methods: Anthropometric measurements were collected for the whole study group, as well as body composition and blood pressure data, and biochemical blood analyses were also performed. Results: Although our study group was significantly older according to vascular compared with chronological age, the mean CIMT values were lower when compared with the reference values. We found a statistically significant correlation of CIMT with chronological and vascular age, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference, body muscle mass and skeletal muscle mass index. Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) risk assessment and SCORE (Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation) showed significant positive correlations, but there was only a weak correlation of ASCVD with CIMT. Conclusions: To deduce, since no diagnostic tool currently includes body weight as an individual risk factor, further trials are highly needed to determine if SCORE, SCORE2, ASCVD risk assessment or CIMT would be the most accurate and relevant diagnostic tool for prediction of risk for future CV events in patients with obesity