Mini Nutritional Assessment May Identify a Dual Pattern of Perturbed Plasma Amino Acids in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: A Window to Metabolic and Physical Rehabilitation?

Conflicting results about alterations of plasma amino acid (AA) levels are reported in subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The current study aimed to provide more homogeneous AA profiles and correlations between AAs and cognitive tests. Venous plasma AAs were measured in 54 fasting patients with AD (37 males, 17 females; 74.63 ± 8.03 yrs; 3.2 ± 1.9 yrs from symptom onset). Seventeen matched subjects without neurodegenerative symptoms (NNDS) served as a control group (C-NNDS). Patients were tested for short-term verbal memory and attention capacity and stratified for nutritional state (Mini Nutritional Assessment, MNA). Compared to C-NNDS, patients exhibited lower plasma levels of aspartic acid and taurine (p < 0.0001) and higher 3-methylhistidine (p < 0.0001), which were independent of patients' MNA. In comparison to normonourished AD, the patients at risk of and with malnutrition showed a tendency towards lower ratios of Essential AAs/Total AAs, Branched-chain AAs/Total AAs, and Branched-chain AAs/Essential AAs. Serine and histidine were positively correlated with verbal memory and attention capacity deficits, respectively. Total AAs negatively correlated with attention capacity deficits. Stratifying patients with AD for MNA may identify a dual pattern of altered AAs, one due to AD per se and the other linked to nutritional state. Significant correlations were observed between several AAs and cognitive tests

It's all a matter of time

One of the most precious values of the modern age is time. Despite the increasing life expectancy achieved by medicine and by the time-saving automation technologies, for most of us, time is never enough. Beside manifold upheavals and psychological consequences (1), the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent quarantine have impacted on our subjective perception of “time”, opening a frightening Pandora’s box. The healthcare emergency has thrown the population into a surreal novel where the time perception may be shrunk and, simultaneously, expanded or suddenly frozen without control and full awareness. Individuals are waved by events like leaves lashed out by an unexpected wind which brings unpredictable changes. Thus, our existence is no more like before: the rhythm of our days has changed, and nothing could be the same in our next future as the pandemic has left indelible marks in habits and perspectives

Neuropsychological and executive screening in obstructive sleep apnea: Early effect of ventilatory therapy

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is often associated with clinical, psychological and neuropsychological comorbidities such as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). This study evaluated changes in clinical, psychosocial, Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and neuropsychological profile in OSA subjects after ventilatory therapy, making comparison with normative data. The aim of the study was to verify the suitability of the HRQoL and neuropsychological screening tests in detecting variations in OSA subjects. METHODS: At baseline, 32 OSA subjects underwent the following assessment: EuroQol (EQ-5D-3L) and EQ VAS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). After the ventilatory titration, 31 OSA subjects repeated the EQ VAS, MoCA and FAB assessment. RESULTS: The analyzed subjects (77% male, 58.97±10.06 years old and 47.34±26.67 AHI [ev*hr-1]) showed low emotive distress, a lower perception of HRQoL than normative data and 35.48% of them exhibited executive deficits, too. MCI was detected in 3.2% and 48.4% of subjects after normative Italian and international correction, respectively. Subsequently the ventilatory therapy and the rehabilitative interdisciplinary treatment, subjects improved in EQ VAS (68.23±18.73 vs. 87.13±10.80, P=0.0001), FAB scores (15,30±2.03 vs. 16,65±1,40, P=0.007) and MoCA memory subtest scores (2.16±1.34 vs. 3.06±1.63, P=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Ventilatory therapy provided during a rehabilitative and interdisciplinary program increased subjects' HRQoL, executive functions and verbal memory

COPD patients&rsquo; self-reported adherence, psychosocial factors and mild cognitive impairment in pulmonary rehabilitation

Antonia Pierobon,1 Elisa Sini Bottelli,1 Laura Ranzini,1 Claudio Bruschi,2 Roberto Maestri,3 Giorgio Bertolotti,4 Marinella Sommaruga,5 Valeria Torlaschi,1 Simona Callegari,1 Anna Giardini1 1Psychology Unit, 2Department of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, 3Department of Biomedical Engineering, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Montescano, 4Psychology Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Tratate, 5Clinical Psychology and Social Support Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, IRCCS, Camaldoli, Italy Abstract: In addition to clinical comorbidities, psychological and neuropsychological problems are frequent in COPD and may affect pulmonary rehabilitation delivery and outcome. The aims of the study were to describe a COPD population in a rehabilitative setting as regards the patients depressive symptoms, anxiety, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and self-reported adherence and to analyze their relationships; to compare the COPD sample MCI scores with normative data; and to investigate which factors might predict adherence to prescribed physical exercise. This was a multicenter observational cross-sectional study. Of the 117 eligible stable COPD inpatients, 84 were enrolled according to Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria (mainly in Stage III&ndash;IV). The assessment included Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), anxiety, depression and self-reported pharmacological and nonpharmacological adherence. From the MMSE, 3.6% of patients were found to be impaired, whereas from the MoCA 9.5% had a likely MCI. Patients referred had mild-severe depression (46.7%), anxiety (40.5%), good pharmacological adherence (80.3%) and difficulties in following prescribed diet (24.1%) and exercise (51.8%); they struggled with disease acceptance (30.9%) and disease limitations acceptance (28.6%). Most of them received good family (89%) or social (53%) support. Nonpharmacological adherence, depression, anxiety and MCI showed significant relations with 6-minute walking test, body mass index (BMI) and GOLD. Depression was related to autonomous long-term oxygen therapy modifications, disease perception, family support and MCI. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, higher BMI, higher depression and lower anxiety predicted lower adherence to exercise prescriptions (P=0.0004, odds ratio&nbsp;=0.796, 95% CI&nbsp;=0.701, 0.903; P=0.009, odds ratio&nbsp;=0.356, 95% CI&nbsp;=0.165, 0.770; and P=0.05, odds ratio&nbsp;=2.361, 95% CI&nbsp;=0.995, 5.627 respectively). In COPD patients, focusing on pharmacological and nonpharmacological adherence enhance the possibility of tailored pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Keywords: depression, anxiety, mild cognitive impairment, adherence, COPD, pulmonary rehabilitatio

The patient–caregiver dyad: the impact of cognitive and functional impairment

This study evaluates the cognitive impairment impact on the caregiver’s burden and quality of life. Patient–caregiver dyads admitted to dementia Diagnostic-Therapeutic Care Pathway underwent a psychological and neuropsychological assessment. Overall, 30 caregivers (age 58.97 ± 14.68) of patients with dementia and 28 caregivers (age 58.57 ± 12.22) of patients with MCI were recruited. Caregiver’s burden is positively correlated to the number (r =.37, p =.003) and severity (r =.37, p =.003) of neuropsychiatric patient’s symptoms and with the caregiver’s distress (r =.36, p =.004). It is also negatively related to good quality of life perception (r = −.52, p = <.0001), to lower cognitive impairment (r = −.26, p =.05), to higher patient’s residual functional abilities in daily living (r = −.32, p =.010) and to positive perception of the physician’s communication (r = −.28, p =.026). Moreover, the caregiver’s burden is significantly predicted by the patient’s low level of instrumental activity of daily living (β = −.74; p =.043) and by the number of neuropsychiatric symptoms (β =.74; p =.029). Thus, this study suggests that the autonomy and neuropsychiatric symptoms may determine the caregiver’s burden