Neuropsychological profiles and neural correlates in typical and atypical variants of Alzheimer disease: A systematic qualitative review

Introduction: Neuropsychological symptoms and cortical atrophy patterns show similarities between typical Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and its variants. Thus, correct diagnosis is difficult, leading to errors in the therapeutic process. Indeed, the challenge in cognitive neuroscience focuses on identifying key features of cognitive-linguistic profiles and improving the knowledge of neural correlates for accurate differential diagnosis between the heterogeneous profiles of typical and atypical AD. Aim: This systematic review aims to describe different AD profiles, considering their neuropsychological symptoms and neural correlates. Methods: The present study followed the PRISMA guidelines and included studies from the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, published between 2011 and 2021. Results: Thirty-one articles were included in this systematic review for critical analysis. Results suggest significant declines in episodic and working memory and executive function. Likewise, in all groups, verbal fluency and visuospatial/visuoconstructive skills declined. However, these symptoms overlap between typical AD, logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia, posterior cortical atrophy, behavioural/dysexecutive or frontal variant AD, and corticobasal syndrome. On the other hand, the neural correlate showed a pattern of atrophy in frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital areas, even compromising the cuneus and precuneus. Conclusion: Spontaneous language and semantic and phonological verbal fluency could be an important biomarker for differential diagnosis between typical AD and its atypical variants. Likewise, clinical assessment should consider using advanced neuroimaging techniques to establish early associations between brain dysfunction and neuropsychological performance, with particular attention to brain areas such as the cuneus and precuneus

Diseño de herramientas informáticas para la mejora en las prácticas de laboratorio de la asignatura de fisicoquímica farmacéutica

Desarrollo de herramientas informáticas que faciliten el análisis y la comprensión de las prácticas de laboratorio de diagrama de fases ternario y volumen molar parcial, lo que implica una mejora en el aprendizaje de la asignatura

Frequency, risk factors, and outcomes of hospital readmissions of COVID-19 patients

To determine the proportion of patients with COVID-19 who were readmitted to the hospital and the most common causes and the factors associated with readmission. Multicenter nationwide cohort study in Spain. Patients included in the study were admitted to 147 hospitals from March 1 to April 30, 2020. Readmission was defined as a new hospital admission during the 30 days after discharge. Emergency department visits after discharge were not considered readmission. During the study period 8392 patients were admitted to hospitals participating in the SEMI-COVID-19 network. 298 patients (4.2%) out of 7137 patients were readmitted after being discharged. 1541 (17.7%) died during the index admission and 35 died during hospital readmission (11.7%, p = 0.007). The median time from discharge to readmission was 7 days (IQR 3-15 days). The most frequent causes of hospital readmission were worsening of previous pneumonia (54%), bacterial infection (13%), venous thromboembolism (5%), and heart failure (5%). Age [odds ratio (OR): 1.02; 95% confident interval (95% CI): 1.01-1.03], age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index score (OR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.06-1.21), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.26-2.69), asthma (OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.04-2.22), hemoglobin level at admission (OR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.86-0.99), ground-glass opacification at admission (OR: 0.86; 95% CI:0.76-0.98) and glucocorticoid treatment (OR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.00-1.66) were independently associated with hospital readmission. The rate of readmission after hospital discharge for COVID-19 was low. Advanced age and comorbidity were associated with increased risk of readmission

Polymorphisms associated with the risk of lung cancer in a healthy Mexican Mestizo population: Application of the additive model for cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in Mexico and worldwide. In the past decade, there has been an increase in the number of lung cancer cases in young people, which suggests an important role for genetic background in the etiology of this disease. In this study, we genetically characterized 16 polymorphisms in 12 low penetrance genes (AhR, CYP1A1, CYP2E1, EPHX1, GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTPI, XRCC1, ERCC2, MGMT, CCND1 and TP53) in 382 healthy Mexican Mestizos as the first step in elucidating the genetic structure of this population and identifying high risk individuals. All of the genotypes analyzed were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, but different degrees of linkage were observed for polymorphisms in the CYP1A1 and EPHX1 genes. The genetic variability of this population was distributed in six clusters that were defined based on their genetic characteristics. The use of a polygenic model to assess the additive effect of low penetrance risk alleles identified combinations of risk genotypes that could be useful in predicting a predisposition to lung cancer. Estimation of the level of genetic susceptibility showed that the individual calculated risk value (iCRV) ranged from 1 to 16, with a higher iCRV indicating a greater genetic susceptibility to lung cancer

Prevalence of anemia and deficiency of iron, folic acid, and zinc in children younger than 2 years of age who use the health services provided by the Mexican Social Security Institute

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Mexico, as in other developing countries, micronutrient deficiencies are common in infants between 6 and 24 months of age and are an important public health problem. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and of iron, folic acid, and zinc deficiencies in Mexican children under 2 years of age who use the health care services provided by the Mexican Institute for Social Security (IMSS).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A nationwide survey was conducted with a representative sample of children younger than 2 years of age, beneficiaries, and users of health care services provided by IMSS through its regular regimen (located in urban populations) and its Oportunidades program (services offered in rural areas). A subsample of 4,955 clinically healthy children was studied to determine their micronutrient status. A venous blood sample was drawn to determine hemoglobin, serum ferritin, percent of transferrin saturation, zinc, and folic acid. Descriptive statistics include point estimates and 95% confidence intervals for the sample and projections for the larger population from which the sample was drawn.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twenty percent of children younger than 2 years of age had anemia, and 27.8% (rural) to 32.6% (urban) had iron deficiency; more than 50% of anemia was not associated with low ferritin concentrations. Iron stores were more depleted as age increased. Low serum zinc and folic acid deficiencies were 28% and 10%, respectively, in the urban areas, and 13% and 8%, respectively, in rural areas. The prevalence of simultaneous iron and zinc deficiencies was 9.2% and 2.7% in urban and rural areas. Children with anemia have higher percentages of folic acid deficiency than children with normal iron status.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Iron and zinc deficiencies constitute the principal micronutrient deficiencies in Mexican children younger than 2 years old who use the health care services provided by IMSS. Anemia not associated with low ferritin values was more prevalent than iron-deficiency anemia. The presence of micronutrient deficiencies at this early age calls for effective preventive public nutrition programs to address them.</p