Neuropsychiatric symptoms and associated caregiver stress in geriatric patients with Parkinson’s disease

Objectives: In Parkinson´s disease, researchers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to include the assessment of behavioural and psychological symptoms as important outcome measures in clinical trials. Besides, clinicians are starting to recognise the need to identify and manage these symptoms in addition to the motor ones. Our objective is to explore the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in geriatric patients with Parkinson and the associated distress in their caregivers. Methods: 100 patients with PD ageing 75 years old or more (50 PD without dementia and 50 PD Dementia (PDD) were assessed using the 10-item Neuropsychiatric Inventory-questionnaire (NPI-Q), and the NPI Caregiver Distress Scale (NPI-D). Results: The mean total NPI score was 12.9. At least one neuropsychiatric symptom was present in more than 80% of participants. Within PDD patients about 89% suffered at least one NPI symptom, 70% suffered at least 2 symptoms and one of those symptoms had an intensity scoring 4 of higher in more than 50%. Numbers in PD patients without dementia were significantly lower, though more than 50% of patients had at least 2 symptoms. The most frequent symptom was depression, followed by apathy, anxiety, depression and hallucinations. Antiparkinsonian agents can exacerbate psychotic symptoms. Nearly 60% of caregivers reported suffering a moderate to severe level of stress due to these symptoms. Symptoms causing more stress were agitation/aggression followed by hallucinations and irritability/lability. Conclusions: Neuropsychiatric symptoms are frequent in geriatric patients with PD –specially in patients with PDD– and lead to moderate to severe caregiver distress

Hand immobilization causes changes in cortical areas: qEEG alpha band absolute power study

Hand immobilization has been associated with changes in neural networks of primary somatosensory cortex and primary motor areas. Electrophysiologically, alpha band absolute power may indicate how cerebral cortex processes information. This study aimed to analyze changes in alpha band absolute power on frontal, central, parietal and occipital derivations when hand-movement of subjects was restricted for 48 hours. Fifteen healthy volunteers (20 to 30 years old), were recorded using electroencephalography (qEEG), while exposition to visual stimulus linked to a motor task before and after hand immobilization. Statistical analysis revealed that hand immobilization caused changes in frontal, central and parietal areas of cerebral cortex. In summary, after hand immobilization alpha band absolute power increased in these areas, revealing a lower activation. Contrarily, at C4 there was a decreased alpha band absolute power correlated to more activation. These findings can be due adaptive plasticity to supply less activation at C3, considering the inactivity of right hand due to the immobilization. Further studies are needed to better understand the complex processes involved in this type of task

Effects Of Modafinil And Bromazepam On Decision-Making: A P300 Analysis

Drug influence on the decision making process has been scarcely studied. Researchers have driven the hypothesis that drugs might cause interference on cortical circuits. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the electrophysiological and behavioral changes occurring in the P300 after ingestion of modafinil (200mg), bromazepam (6mg) and placebo in healthy subjects exposed to a sensorimotor task based on the oddball paradigm. The sample for this study consisted of 10 subjects of both sexes, with ages ranging between 20 and 45, who were submitted to a quantitative electroencephalography. The experimental procedure was carried out in three visits, before and after drug ingestion. The results demonstrated a significant increase in the P300 latency and amplitude for the target condition, when compared to the non-target condition, for all analyzed electrodes. No significant difference was found for group or moment. A statistically significant difference was found for the group variable in the behavioral analysis. Such results suggest that the P300 is a measure, which is not sensitive to drug ingestion. On the other hand, the measure presented certain level of sensitivity when the subjects faced two different conditions in the decision making process orientation

Metadatos y audiovisual : iniciativas, esquemas y estándares

Se presentan las más destacadas iniciativas, esquemas y estándares de metadatos relacionados con el ámbito de la gestión documental, haciendo especial hincapié en aquellos que pudiera ser útiles para ser adaptados en los archivos audiovisuales televisivos. Se enumeran y describen las iniciativas modelo IFLA-FRBR, INDECS, SMEF, Ontología ABC, Video Active, ECHO, Open Video Digital Library. Igualmente se analizan los estándares AAF, Dublin Core, Lista de datos mínimos de la FIAT-IFA, METS, MPEG, MXF, P-FRA, P-Meta, SMIL, SMPTE, TV-ANYTIME y UMID. | It presents the most important initiatives, schemes a nd metadata standards related to the area of document management, with particular emphasis on those that might be useful to be adapted into television audiovisual archives. It lists and describes the IFLA-FRBR model initiatives, INDECS, SMEF, Ontology ABC, Video Active, ECHO, Open Video Digital Librar y. Also discussed AAF standards, Dublin Core, Minimum Data List FIAT-IFA, METS, MPEG, MXF, P-FRA, P-Meta, SMIL, SMPTE, TV-Anytime and UMID

ASSESSMENT OF in vitro PATOGENICITY OF Purpureocillium lilacinum ON Globodera rostochiensis

Due to the high density of the golden nematode of Potato Globodera rostochiensis in the mountainous region of the Cofre de Perote, parasitic fungi in the different stages of this pest are being searched for. The aim of the study was to isolate fungi associated to the second juvenile stage (J2) of Globodera rostochiensis on potato, sown in the Cofre de Perote region of Veracruz, Mexico and to evaluate the pathogenicity in vitro of one of the strains on eggs as well as J1 and J2 juveniles of G. rostochiensis. J2 of the golden nematode specimens were extracted from 10 soil samples (500 cc) by the Baerman method. Individually 300 J2 were placed on 8 mm discs with agar and malt extract to allow the growth of the fungi. A total of 16 fungi strains were obtained (5.3%) associated to J2. The isolated fungi were Aureobasidium (3), Cladosporium (2), Fusarium (3), Pestalotiopsis (3), Penicillium (4) and Purpureocillium lilacinum (1). This last one was selected to study the infection process and evaluate its pathogenicity on the eggs and J1 and J2 juveniles of the golden nematode. Germination spores of P. lilacinum were observed 12 hours after inoculation. The development of the mycelium on the inside and outside of the J2 after 72 hours and the formation of conidiophores at 96 hours were observed

Transcytosis in the bloodâcerebrospinal fluid barrier of the mouse brain with an engineered receptor/ligand system

Crossing the bloodâbrain and the bloodâcerebrospinal fluid barriers (BCSFB) is one of the fundamental challenges in the development of new therapeutic molecules for brain disorders because these barriers prevent entry of most drugs from the blood into the brain. However, some large molecules, like the protein transferrin, cross these barriers using a specific receptor that transports them into the brain. Based on this mechanism, we engineered a receptor/ligand system to overcome the brain barriers by combining the human transferrin receptor with the cohesin domain from Clostridium thermocellum, and we tested the hybrid receptor in the choroid plexus of the mouse brain with a dockerin ligand. By expressing our receptor in choroidal ependymocytes, which are part of the BCSFB, we found that our systemically administrated ligand was able to bind to the receptor and accumulate in ependymocytes, where some of the ligand was transported from the blood side to the brain side