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Panzavolta A, Cerami C, Caffarra P, De Vita D, Dodich A, Fonti C, L'Abbate F, Laganà V, Lavorgna L, Marra C, Papagno C, Pellegrini FF, Stracciari A, Trojano L, Iaquinta T, Ravizza A, Sternini F, Pandolfi R, Sanzone S, Calore M, Cappa SF. A digital teleneuropsychology platform for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment: from concept to certification as a medical device. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:3125-3135. [PMID: 38378904 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-024-07403-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Innovative digital solutions are shaping a new concept of dementia care, opening additional venues for prevention, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. Hereby, we report the development of a tablet-based teleneuropsychology platform (Tenèpsia®), from concept to certification as Medical Device (MD) Class IIA, as per new MD regulation 745/2017. METHODS The platform was designed for the remote cognitive evaluation and created thanks to the effort of a collaborative working group including experts from three Italian scientific societies and Biogen Italia S.r.l. (hereafter "Biogen"), and developers from Xenia Reply and Inside AI. The development strategy was guided by converting traditional paper-and-pencil tests into digital versions while maintaining comparable neuropsychological features and optimizing patient accessibility and user experience. The experts focused on the choice and adaptation of traditional neuropsychology measures for a 45-min teleneuropsychology assessment. RESULTS The developers created a web and a mobile interface, respectively, for the professional (neuropsychologist) and non-professional (patient and caregiver) use. Recording of voice, drawing and typing information was enabled. Instant dashboards provide a quick overview of the patient's condition. Simulation activities were performed to obtain MD certification, valid across Europe. CONCLUSION Neuropsychology services will benefit from the implementation in clinics of harmonized digital tools with adequate scientific and technological standards. The use of digital cognitive testing for the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment is expected to enhance patient and clinician outcomes through simplified, digital objective data collection, sparing of time and resources, with a positive impact on healthcare costs and access to treatments, reducing inequalities and delays in diagnosis and cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Panzavolta
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, Scuola Universitaria Di Studi Superiori IUSS, Piazza Della Vittoria 15, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Chiara Cerami
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, Scuola Universitaria Di Studi Superiori IUSS, Piazza Della Vittoria 15, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
- Dementia Research Center, Mondino Foundation IRCCS, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Paolo Caffarra
- Membro esperto Tavolo permanente sulle demenze del Ministero della Salute, Rome, Italy
| | - Dalila De Vita
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dodich
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Cristina Fonti
- IRCCS, Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Federica L'Abbate
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Laganà
- Associazione Per La Ricerca Neurogenetica Odv, Lamezia Terme, Italy
| | - Luigi Lavorgna
- Clinica Neurologica I, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Costanza Papagno
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Stracciari
- Membro esperto Tavolo permanente sulle demenze del Ministero della Salute, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Trojano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | | | | | - Federico Sternini
- InsideAI, Bologna, Italy
- PolitoBIOMed Lab, Politecnico Di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Stefano F Cappa
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, Scuola Universitaria Di Studi Superiori IUSS, Piazza Della Vittoria 15, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Dementia Research Center, Mondino Foundation IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
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Gallée J, Volkmer A, Whitworth A, Hersh D, Cartwright J. Applications of the R.A.I.S.E. Assessment Framework to Support the Process of Assessment in Primary Progressive Aphasia. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38896883 DOI: 10.1044/2024_ajslp-24-00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To establish the extent to which person-centered processes are integrated in assessment procedures, the Relationship, Assessment, Inclusion, Support, Evolve (R.A.I.S.E.) Assessment framework was used to evaluate measures that are typically used when assessing people living with primary progressive aphasia (PPA). METHOD Forty-five assessment tools were evaluated through the lens of the five R.A.I.S.E. principles: building the client-clinician Relationship, Assessment choices, Including the client and care partners, providing Support, and Evolving procedures to match client capability and progression. The principles were operationalized as questions for raters to evaluate whether a measure met this aspect of the R.A.I.S.E. Assessment framework. RESULTS Ten measures commonly used in the assessment of people living with PPA met all R.A.I.S.E. principles. These measures centered upon the elicitation of naturalistic discourse, conversation, client self-report, and clinician ratings. Thirteen measures did not meet any of the criteria, and represented standardized evaluation procedures do not provide the opportunity to connect to the client, elicit or provide feedback or support, nor to adapt in response to need or performance. CONCLUSIONS Whether using standardized or informal assessment tools, a relational and qualitative approach to providing assessment is paramount to promote client success and therapeutic engagement. We provide guidance through the R.A.I.S.E. framework on practices to cultivate person-centered processes of assessment in the care of people living with PPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Gallée
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA
| | - Anna Volkmer
- Division of Psychology and Language Science, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Whitworth
- School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia
| | - Deborah Hersh
- Speech Pathology, Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia
| | - Jade Cartwright
- School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia
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Mazzeo S, Morinelli C, Polito C, Giacomucci G, Moschini V, Ingannato A, Balestrini J, Frigerio D, Emiliani F, Galdo G, Crucitti C, Piazzesi D, Bagnoli S, Padiglioni S, Berti V, Sorbi S, Nacmias B, Bessi V. Data-driven subtypes of mixed semantic-logopenic primary progressive aphasia: Linguistic features, biomarker profiles and brain metabolic patterns. J Neurol Sci 2024; 460:122998. [PMID: 38615405 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2024.122998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Mixed primary progressive aphasia (mPPA) accounts for a substantial proportion of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) cases. However, the lack of a standardised definition of this condition has resulted in misclassification of PPA cases. In this study, we enrolled 55 patients diagnosed with PPA, comprising 12 semantic variant (svPPA), 23 logopenic variant (lvPPA), and 20 mPPA cases with linguistic characteristics consistent with both svPPA and lvPPA (s/lvPPA). All patients underwent language assessments, evaluation of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers (via cerebrospinal fluid analysis or Amyloid-PET), and 18F-FDG-PET brain scans. An agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) analysis based on linguistic characteristics revealed two distinct clusters within the s/lvPPA group: cluster k1 (n = 10) displayed an AD-like biomarker profile, with lower levels of Aβ42 and Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, along with higher levels of t-tau and p-tau compared to cluster k2 (n = 10). Interestingly, k1 exhibited linguistic features that were similar to those of svPPA. Both clusters exhibited extensive temporoparietal hypometabolism. These findings support the hypothesis that a subgroup of s/lvPPA may represent a clinical manifestation of AD-related PPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Mazzeo
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Italy; Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Carmen Morinelli
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Giacomucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Italy
| | - Valentina Moschini
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Assunta Ingannato
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Italy
| | - Juri Balestrini
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Italy
| | - Daniele Frigerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Italy
| | - Filippo Emiliani
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Galdo
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Italy
| | - Chiara Crucitti
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Italy
| | - Diletta Piazzesi
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Bagnoli
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Italy
| | - Sonia Padiglioni
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy; Regional Referral Centre for Relational Criticalities, 50139 Tuscany Region, Italy
| | - Valentina Berti
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Italy
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Benedetta Nacmias
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Valentina Bessi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Italy; Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
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Aiello EN, Pucci V, Diana L, Corvaglia A, Niang A, Mattiello S, Preti AN, Durante G, Ravelli A, Consonni L, Guerra C, Ponti AD, Sangalli G, Difonzo T, Scarano S, Perucca L, Zago S, Appollonio I, Mondini S, Bolognini N. The Telephone Language Screener (TLS): standardization of a novel telephone-based screening test for language impairment. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:1989-2001. [PMID: 38010584 PMCID: PMC11021315 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07149-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed at developing and standardizing the Telephone Language Screener (TLS), a novel, disease-nonspecific, telephone-based screening test for language disorders. METHODS The TLS was developed in strict pursuance to the current psycholinguistic standards. It comprises nine tasks assessing phonological, lexical-semantic and morpho-syntactic components, as well as an extra Backward Digit Span task. The TLS was administered to 480 healthy participants (HPs), along with the Telephone-based Semantic Verbal Fluency (t-SVF) test and a Telephone-based Composite Language Index (TBCLI), as well as to 37 cerebrovascular/neurodegenerative patients-who also underwent the language subscale of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-L). An HP subsample was also administered an in-person language battery. Construct validity, factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability were tested. Norms were derived via Equivalent Scores. The capability of the TLS to discriminate patients from HPs and to identify, among the patient cohort, those with a defective TICS-L, was also examined. RESULTS The TLS was underpinned by a mono-component structure and converged with the t-SVF (p < .001), the TBCLI (p < .001) and the in-person language battery (p = .002). It was internally consistent (McDonald's ω = 0.67) and reliable between raters (ICC = 0.99) and at retest (ICC = 0.83). Age and education, but not sex, were predictors of TLS scores. The TLS optimally discriminated patients from HPs (AUC = 0.80) and successfully identified patients with an impaired TICS-L (AUC = 0.92). In patients, the TLS converged with TICS-L scores (p = 0.016). DISCUSSION The TLS is a valid, reliable, normed and clinically feasible telephone-based screener for language impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
| | - Veronica Pucci
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
- Human Inspired Technology Research Centre (HIT), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Diana
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Corvaglia
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Aida Niang
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Mattiello
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
| | - Alice Naomi Preti
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Giorgia Durante
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
| | - Adele Ravelli
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
| | - Lucia Consonni
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
| | - Carolina Guerra
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
| | - Adriana Delli Ponti
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gaia Sangalli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Scarano
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Perucca
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Ildebrando Appollonio
- Neurology Section, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Sara Mondini
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
- Human Inspired Technology Research Centre (HIT), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
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5
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Telesca A, Soldini E, Devigili G, Cazzato D, Dalla Bella E, Grazzi L, Usai S, Lauria G, Consonni M. Cognitive, behavioral, and psychological phenotypes in small fiber neuropathy: A case-control study. Cortex 2024; 173:208-221. [PMID: 38422856 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is a well-defined chronic painful condition causing severe individual and societal burden. While mood disorders have been described, cognitive and behavioral profiles of SFN patients has not been investigated. METHODS Thirty-four painful SFN patients underwent comprehensive cognitive, behavioral, psychological, quality of life (QoL), and personality assessment using validated questionnaires. As control samples, we enrolled 36 patients with painful peripheral neuropathy (PPN) of mixed etiology and 30 healthy controls (HC). Clinical measures of neuropathic pain, duration, frequency, and intensity of pain at the time of assessment were recorded. Between-group and correlation analyses were performed and corrected for multiple comparisons. RESULTS No differences in clinical measures were found between SFN and PPN, and all groups had similar cognitive profiles. SFN patients showed higher levels of anxiety and alexithymia (p < .005) compared to PPN and HC, considering also pain intensity. Maladaptive coping strategies characterized both patient groups, but only SFN revealed higher levels of acceptance of pain (p < .05). Pain intensity and neuropathic symptoms were associated with mood, low QoL and catastrophism (p < .001), particularly, the higher the perceived pain intensity, the higher the use of maladaptive coping strategies (p < .001). The personality assessment revealed significant feelings of worthlessness and somatization traits both in SFN and PPN (p < .002 vs HC). DISCUSSIONS our results suggest that SFN patients had a normal-like cognitive profile, while their behavioral profile is characterized by mood disorders, alexithymia, maladaptive coping strategies, and poor QoL, as other chronic pain conditions, possibly related to pain intensity. Personality assessment suggests that somatization and feelings of worthlessness, which may worsen the neuropsychological profile, deserve clinical attention when considering patients' therapeutic approaches. At the same time, the high level of acceptance of pain is promising for therapeutic approaches based on psychological support.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Telesca
- Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy; Neuroalgology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - E Soldini
- Neuroalgology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - G Devigili
- Neuroalgology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy; Movement Disorders Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta", Milan, Italy
| | - D Cazzato
- Neuroalgology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy; Neurophysiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta", Milan, Italy
| | - E Dalla Bella
- Neuroalgology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - L Grazzi
- Neuroalgology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - S Usai
- Neuroalgology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - G Lauria
- Neuroalgology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy; Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - M Consonni
- Neuroalgology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
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Santi GC, Conca F, Esposito V, Polito C, Caminiti SP, Boccalini C, Morinelli C, Berti V, Mazzeo S, Bessi V, Marcone A, Iannaccone S, Kim SK, Sorbi S, Perani D, Cappa SF, Catricalà E. Heterogeneity and overlap in the continuum of linguistic profile of logopenic and semantic variants of primary progressive aphasia: a Profile Analysis based on Multidimensional Scaling study. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:49. [PMID: 38448894 PMCID: PMC10918940 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01403-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) diagnostic criteria underestimate the complex presentation of semantic (sv) and logopenic (lv) variants, in which symptoms partially overlap, and mixed clinical presentation (mixed-PPA) and heterogenous profile (lvPPA +) are frequent. Conceptualization of similarities and differences of these clinical conditions is still scarce. METHODS Lexical, semantic, phonological, and working memory errors from nine language tasks of sixty-seven PPA were analyzed using Profile Analysis based on Multidimensional Scaling, which allowed us to create a distributed representation of patients' linguistic performance in a shared space. Patients had been studied with [18F] FDG-PET. Correlations were performed between metabolic and behavioral data. RESULTS Patients' profiles were distributed across a continuum. All PPA, but two, presented a lexical retrieval impairment, in terms of reduced production of verbs and nouns. svPPA patients occupied a fairly clumped space along the continuum, showing a preponderant semantic deficit, which correlated to fusiform gyrus hypometabolism, while only few presented working memory deficits. Adjacently, lvPPA + presented a semantic impairment combined with phonological deficits, which correlated with metabolism in the anterior fusiform gyrus and posterior middle temporal gyrus. Starting from the shared phonological deficit side, a large portion of the space was occupied by all lvPPA, showing a combination of phonological, lexical, and working memory deficits, with the latter correlating with posterior temporo-parietal hypometabolism. Mixed PPA did not show unique profile, distributing across the space. DISCUSSION Different clinical PPA entities exist but overlaps are frequent. Identifying shared and unique clinical markers is critical for research and clinical practice. Further research is needed to identify the role of genetic and pathological factors in such distribution, including also higher sample size of less represented groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Chiara Santi
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Carmen Morinelli
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Valentina Berti
- Department of Biomedical Experimental and Clinical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Salvatore Mazzeo
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Valentina Bessi
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandra Marcone
- Department of Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Sandro Iannaccone
- Department of Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Se-Kang Kim
- Department of Paediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniela Perani
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano F Cappa
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy.
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Eleonora Catricalà
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy
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7
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Benussi A, Mattioli I, Silvestri C, Libri I, Zampini S, Cosseddu M, Turrone R, Amolini C, Caratozzolo S, Borroni B, Marengoni A, Padovani A. Defining the Role of Frailty in the Transition from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Dementia and in Dementia Progression. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2024; 53:57-65. [PMID: 38417404 DOI: 10.1159/000535789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neurodegenerative diseases are a growing concern in an aging global population. Frailty, often conceptualized as a state of diminished physiological reserve and increased susceptibility to stressors, emerges as a pivotal factor in this context. While frailty may be modified, it is essential to recognize its frequently irreversible nature, necessitating a careful approach when considering its role and influence in the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia and within dementia progression. METHODS A retrospective study including 1,284 participants, attending a Cognitive Disturbances and Dementia unit from January 2021 to May 2023, was conducted. Frailty was assessed using the clinical frailty scale (CFS) score. Multilevel univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were developed to determine the contributions of patient characteristics, including frailty, to disease progression. RESULTS Frailty significantly increased with higher global clinical dementia rating (CDR) subgroups, suggesting escalating frailty burden with disease progression. Age, CFS, and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores were significant predictors of progression from MCI to dementia and to more severe dementia stages, even when considering the independence from variables contributing to frailty. Patients transitioning to a higher CDR group exhibited higher CFS scores. Age, education, anticholinergic burden, cumulative illness rating scale - geriatric, MMSE, and neuropsychiatric inventory scores significantly contributed to frailty. CONCLUSIONS Frailty plays a critical role in the transition from MCI to dementia and within dementia progression. Age, cognitive impairment, and frailty were identified as significant predictors of disease progression. The CFS is a clinically applicable tool for frailty assessment. Regular frailty assessments may be valuable in early detection and management of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Benussi
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Department of Continuity of Care and Frailty, AOU Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Irene Mattioli
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy,
| | - Chiara Silvestri
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Ilenia Libri
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Silvio Zampini
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Maura Cosseddu
- Neurology Unit, Department of Continuity of Care and Frailty, AOU Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Rosanna Turrone
- Neurology Unit, Department of Continuity of Care and Frailty, AOU Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Claudia Amolini
- Geriatrics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Geriatrics Unit, Department of Continuity of Care and Frailty, AOU Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Salvatore Caratozzolo
- Neurology Unit, Department of Continuity of Care and Frailty, AOU Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Barbara Borroni
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Department of Continuity of Care and Frailty, AOU Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Marengoni
- Geriatrics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Geriatrics Unit, Department of Continuity of Care and Frailty, AOU Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Padovani
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Department of Continuity of Care and Frailty, AOU Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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8
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Cecchetti G, Basaia S, Canu E, Cividini C, Cursi M, Caso F, Santangelo R, Fanelli GF, Magnani G, Agosta F, Filippi M. EEG Correlates in the 3 Variants of Primary Progressive Aphasia. Neurology 2024; 102:e207993. [PMID: 38165298 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000207993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The 3 clinical presentations of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) reflect heterogenous neuropathology, which is difficult to be recognized in vivo. Resting-state (RS) EEG is promising for the investigation of brain electrical substrates in neurodegenerative conditions. In this study, we aim to explore EEG cortical sources in the characterization of the 3 variants of PPA. METHODS This is a cross-sectional, single-center, memory center-based cohort study. Patients with PPA and healthy controls were consecutively recruited at the Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute (Milan, Italy). Each participant underwent an RS 19-channel EEG. Using standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography, EEG current source densities were estimated at voxel level and compared among study groups. Using an RS functional MRI-driven model of source reconstruction, linear lagged connectivity (LLC) values within language and extra-language brain networks were obtained and analyzed among groups. RESULTS Eighteen patients with logopenic PPA variant (lvPPA; mean age = 72.7 ± 6.6; % female = 52.4), 21 patients with nonfluent/agrammatic PPA variant (nfvPPA; mean age = 71.7 ± 8.1; % female = 66.6), and 9 patients with semantic PPA variant (svPPA; mean age = 65.0 ± 6.9; % female = 44.4) were enrolled in the study, together with 21 matched healthy controls (mean age = 69.2 ± 6.5; % female = 57.1). Patients with lvPPA showed a higher delta density than healthy controls (p < 0.01) and patients with nfvPPA (p < 0.05) and svPPA (p < 0.05). Patients with lvPPA also displayed a greater theta density over the left posterior hemisphere (p < 0.01) and lower alpha2 values (p < 0.05) over the left frontotemporal regions than controls. Patients with nfvPPA showed a diffuse greater theta density than controls (p < 0.05). LLC was altered in all patients relative to controls (p < 0.05); the alteration was greater at slow frequency bands and within language networks than extra-language networks. Patients with lvPPA also showed greater LLC values at theta band than patients with nfvPPA (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION EEG findings in patients with PPA suggest that lvPPA-related pathology is associated with a characteristic disruption of the cortical electrical activity, which might help in the differential diagnosis from svPPA and nfvPPA. EEG connectivity was disrupted in all PPA variants, with distinct findings in disease-specific PPA groups. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE This study provides Class IV evidence that EEG analysis can distinguish PPA due to probable Alzheimer disease from PPA due to probable FTD from normal aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giordano Cecchetti
- From the Neurology Unit (G.C., F.C., R.S., G.M., F.A., M.F.), Neurophysiology Service (G.C., M.C., R.S., G.F.F., M.F.), and Neuroimaging Research Unit (G.C., S.B., E.C., C.C., F.A., M.F.), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (G.C., F.A., M.F.); and Neurorehabilitation Unit (M.F.), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Basaia
- From the Neurology Unit (G.C., F.C., R.S., G.M., F.A., M.F.), Neurophysiology Service (G.C., M.C., R.S., G.F.F., M.F.), and Neuroimaging Research Unit (G.C., S.B., E.C., C.C., F.A., M.F.), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (G.C., F.A., M.F.); and Neurorehabilitation Unit (M.F.), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Canu
- From the Neurology Unit (G.C., F.C., R.S., G.M., F.A., M.F.), Neurophysiology Service (G.C., M.C., R.S., G.F.F., M.F.), and Neuroimaging Research Unit (G.C., S.B., E.C., C.C., F.A., M.F.), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (G.C., F.A., M.F.); and Neurorehabilitation Unit (M.F.), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Camilla Cividini
- From the Neurology Unit (G.C., F.C., R.S., G.M., F.A., M.F.), Neurophysiology Service (G.C., M.C., R.S., G.F.F., M.F.), and Neuroimaging Research Unit (G.C., S.B., E.C., C.C., F.A., M.F.), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (G.C., F.A., M.F.); and Neurorehabilitation Unit (M.F.), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Cursi
- From the Neurology Unit (G.C., F.C., R.S., G.M., F.A., M.F.), Neurophysiology Service (G.C., M.C., R.S., G.F.F., M.F.), and Neuroimaging Research Unit (G.C., S.B., E.C., C.C., F.A., M.F.), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (G.C., F.A., M.F.); and Neurorehabilitation Unit (M.F.), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Caso
- From the Neurology Unit (G.C., F.C., R.S., G.M., F.A., M.F.), Neurophysiology Service (G.C., M.C., R.S., G.F.F., M.F.), and Neuroimaging Research Unit (G.C., S.B., E.C., C.C., F.A., M.F.), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (G.C., F.A., M.F.); and Neurorehabilitation Unit (M.F.), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Santangelo
- From the Neurology Unit (G.C., F.C., R.S., G.M., F.A., M.F.), Neurophysiology Service (G.C., M.C., R.S., G.F.F., M.F.), and Neuroimaging Research Unit (G.C., S.B., E.C., C.C., F.A., M.F.), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (G.C., F.A., M.F.); and Neurorehabilitation Unit (M.F.), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanna F Fanelli
- From the Neurology Unit (G.C., F.C., R.S., G.M., F.A., M.F.), Neurophysiology Service (G.C., M.C., R.S., G.F.F., M.F.), and Neuroimaging Research Unit (G.C., S.B., E.C., C.C., F.A., M.F.), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (G.C., F.A., M.F.); and Neurorehabilitation Unit (M.F.), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Magnani
- From the Neurology Unit (G.C., F.C., R.S., G.M., F.A., M.F.), Neurophysiology Service (G.C., M.C., R.S., G.F.F., M.F.), and Neuroimaging Research Unit (G.C., S.B., E.C., C.C., F.A., M.F.), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (G.C., F.A., M.F.); and Neurorehabilitation Unit (M.F.), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Agosta
- From the Neurology Unit (G.C., F.C., R.S., G.M., F.A., M.F.), Neurophysiology Service (G.C., M.C., R.S., G.F.F., M.F.), and Neuroimaging Research Unit (G.C., S.B., E.C., C.C., F.A., M.F.), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (G.C., F.A., M.F.); and Neurorehabilitation Unit (M.F.), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Filippi
- From the Neurology Unit (G.C., F.C., R.S., G.M., F.A., M.F.), Neurophysiology Service (G.C., M.C., R.S., G.F.F., M.F.), and Neuroimaging Research Unit (G.C., S.B., E.C., C.C., F.A., M.F.), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (G.C., F.A., M.F.); and Neurorehabilitation Unit (M.F.), IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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9
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Cammisuli DM, Tuena C, Riva G, Repetto C, Axmacher N, Chandreswaran V, Isella V, Pomati S, Zago S, Difonzo T, Pavanello G, Prete LA, Stramba-Badiale M, Mauro A, Cattaldo S, Castelnuovo G. Exploring the Remediation of Behavioral Disturbances of Spatial Cognition in Community-Dwelling Senior Citizens with Mild Cognitive Impairment via Innovative Technological Apparatus (BDSC-MCI Project): Protocol for a Prospective, Multi-Center Observational Study. J Pers Med 2024; 14:192. [PMID: 38392625 PMCID: PMC10890288 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14020192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial navigation (SN) has been reported to be one of the first cognitive domains to be affected in Alzheimer's disease (AD), which occurs as a result of progressive neuropathology involving specific brain areas. Moreover, the epsilon 4 isoform of apolipoprotein-E (APOE-ε4) has been associated with both sporadic and familial late-onset AD, and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD are more likely to progressively deteriorate. Spatial navigation performance will be examined on a sample of 76 community-dwelling senior citizens (25 healthy controls; 25 individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD); and 26 patients with MCI due to AD) via a virtual computer-based task (i.e., the AppleGame) and a naturalistic task (i.e., the Detour Navigation Test-modified version) for which a wearable device with sensors will be used for recording gait data and revealing physiological parameters that may be associated with spatial disorientation. We expect that patients with MCI due to AD and APOE-ε4 carriers will show altered SN performances compared to individuals with SCD and healthy controls in the experimental tasks, and that VR testing may predict ecological performance. Impaired SN performances in people at increased risk of developing AD may inform future cognitive rehabilitation protocols for counteracting spatial disorientation that may occur during elders' traveling to unfamiliar locations. The research protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Istituto Auxologico Italiano. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals and discussed in national and international congresses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cosimo Tuena
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Riva
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145 Milan, Italy
- Human Technology Lab, Catholic University, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Repetto
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Nikolai Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Varnan Chandreswaran
- Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Valeria Isella
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Milan Center for Neurosciences, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Pomati
- Neurology Unit, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Giada Pavanello
- School of Specialization in Clinical Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Augusto Prete
- School of Specialization in Clinical Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Stramba-Badiale
- Department of Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Medicine, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mauro
- "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, "San Giuseppe" Hospital, 33081 Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Stefania Cattaldo
- Clinic Neurobiology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, "San Giuseppe" Hospital, 33081 Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
- Clinical Psychology Research Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20149 Milan, Italy
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10
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Belder CRS, Marshall CR, Jiang J, Mazzeo S, Chokesuwattanaskul A, Rohrer JD, Volkmer A, Hardy CJD, Warren JD. Primary progressive aphasia: six questions in search of an answer. J Neurol 2024; 271:1028-1046. [PMID: 37906327 PMCID: PMC10827918 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-12030-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Here, we review recent progress in the diagnosis and management of primary progressive aphasia-the language-led dementias. We pose six key unanswered questions that challenge current assumptions and highlight the unresolved difficulties that surround these diseases. How many syndromes of primary progressive aphasia are there-and is syndromic diagnosis even useful? Are these truly 'language-led' dementias? How can we diagnose (and track) primary progressive aphasia better? Can brain pathology be predicted in these diseases? What is their core pathophysiology? In addition, how can primary progressive aphasia best be treated? We propose that pathophysiological mechanisms linking proteinopathies to phenotypes may help resolve the clinical complexity of primary progressive aphasia, and may suggest novel diagnostic tools and markers and guide the deployment of effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R S Belder
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Charles R Marshall
- Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Jessica Jiang
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Salvatore Mazzeo
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Anthipa Chokesuwattanaskul
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand
- Cognitive Clinical and Computational Neuroscience Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Anna Volkmer
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Chris J D Hardy
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jason D Warren
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, 8 - 11 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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11
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Polito C, Conca F, Santi GC, Esposito V, Caminiti SP, Boccalini C, Berti V, Morinelli C, Mazzeo S, Marcone A, Iannaccone S, Bessi V, Sorbi S, Perani D, Cappa SF, Catricalà E. Comparing two picture naming tasks in primary progressive aphasia: Insights from behavioural and neural results. Cortex 2023; 166:1-18. [PMID: 37295234 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Picture naming tests are widely used to evaluate language impairments in neurodegenerative diseases, especially in Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). The available tests differ for many factors affecting the performance, e.g. format of stimuli and their psycholinguistic properties. We aim to identify the most appropriate naming test to be used on PPA according to the clinical and research demands. We investigated the behavioural characteristics, i.e. proportion of correct responses and error type, and their neural correlates in two Italian naming tests, CaGi naming (CaGi) and naming subtest of the Screening for Aphasia in NeuroDegeneration battery (SAND), administered to 52 PPA patients who underwent an FDG-PET scan. We analysed the effectiveness of the tests in distinguishing PPA versus controls and among PPA variants, considering the psycholinguistic variables affecting performance. We explored the brain metabolic correlates of behavioural performance in the tests. SAND, differently from CaGi, has time limits for the response and its items are less frequent and acquired later. SAND and CaGi differed in terms of number of correct responses and error profile, suggesting a higher difficulty to name SAND items compared to CaGi. Semantic errors predominated in CaGi, while anomic and semantic errors were equally frequent in SAND. Both tests distinguished PPA from controls, but SAND outperformed CaGi in discriminating among PPA variants. FDG-PET imaging revealed a shared metabolic involvement of temporal areas associated with lexico-semantic processing, encompassing anterior fusiform, temporal pole, and extending to posterior fusiform in sv-PPA. Concluding, a picture naming test with response time limit and items which are less frequent and acquired later in life, as SAND, may be effective at highlighting subtle distinctions between PPA variants, improving the diagnosis. Conversely, a naming test without time limit for the response, as CaGi, may be useful for a better characterization of the nature of the naming impairment at the behavioural level, eliciting more naming errors than anomia, possibly helping in the development of rehabilitation protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gaia C Santi
- ICoN Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Institute for Advanced Studies, IUSS, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Silvia P Caminiti
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy; In Vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy; Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Hospital, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Cecilia Boccalini
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy; In Vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Berti
- Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Italy
| | - Carmen Morinelli
- SOD Neurologia 1, Dipartimento Neuromuscolo-Scheletrico e Degli Organi di Senso, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Salvatore Mazzeo
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy; NEUROFARBA, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandra Marcone
- Department of Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Sandro Iannaccone
- Department of Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Bessi
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy; SOD Neurologia 1, Dipartimento Neuromuscolo-Scheletrico e Degli Organi di Senso, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy; NEUROFARBA, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy; SOD Neurologia 1, Dipartimento Neuromuscolo-Scheletrico e Degli Organi di Senso, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy; NEUROFARBA, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniela Perani
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132, Milan, Italy; In Vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy; Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Hospital, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano F Cappa
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy; ICoN Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Institute for Advanced Studies, IUSS, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Eleonora Catricalà
- ICoN Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Institute for Advanced Studies, IUSS, Pavia, Italy
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12
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Mazzeo S, Lassi M, Padiglioni S, Vergani AA, Moschini V, Scarpino M, Giacomucci G, Burali R, Morinelli C, Fabbiani C, Galdo G, Amato LG, Bagnoli S, Emiliani F, Ingannato A, Nacmias B, Sorbi S, Grippo A, Mazzoni A, Bessi V. PRedicting the EVolution of SubjectIvE Cognitive Decline to Alzheimer's Disease With machine learning: the PREVIEW study protocol. BMC Neurol 2023; 23:300. [PMID: 37573339 PMCID: PMC10422810 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-023-03347-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are becoming a reality, there is an urgent need to select cost-effective tools that can accurately identify patients in the earliest stages of the disease. Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) is a condition in which individuals complain of cognitive decline with normal performances on neuropsychological evaluation. Many studies demonstrated a higher prevalence of Alzheimer's pathology in patients diagnosed with SCD as compared to the general population. Consequently, SCD was suggested as an early symptomatic phase of AD. We will describe the study protocol of a prospective cohort study (PREVIEW) that aim to identify features derived from easily accessible, cost-effective and non-invasive assessment to accurately detect SCD patients who will progress to AD dementia. METHODS We will include patients who self-referred to our memory clinic and are diagnosed with SCD. Participants will undergo: clinical, neurologic and neuropsychological examination, estimation of cognitive reserve and depression, evaluation of personality traits, APOE and BDNF genotyping, electroencephalography and event-related potential recording, lumbar puncture for measurement of Aβ42, t-tau, and p-tau concentration and Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio. Recruited patients will have follow-up neuropsychological examinations every two years. Collected data will be used to train a machine learning algorithm to define the risk of being carriers of AD and progress to dementia in patients with SCD. DISCUSSION This is the first study to investigate the application of machine learning to predict AD in patients with SCD. Since all the features we will consider can be derived from non-invasive and easily accessible assessments, our expected results may provide evidence for defining cost-effective and globally scalable tools to estimate the risk of AD and address the needs of patients with memory complaints. In the era of DMTs, this will have crucial implications for the early identification of patients suitable for treatment in the initial stages of AD. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER (TRN) NCT05569083.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Mazzeo
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, Florence, 50134, Italy
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Michael Lassi
- The BioRobotics Institute and Department of Excellence in Robotics and AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sonia Padiglioni
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
- Regional Referral Centre for Relational Criticalities - Tuscany Region, Florence, Italy
| | - Alberto Arturo Vergani
- The BioRobotics Institute and Department of Excellence in Robotics and AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Valentina Moschini
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Giacomucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, Florence, 50134, Italy
| | | | - Carmen Morinelli
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Galdo
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, Florence, 50134, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Gaetano Amato
- The BioRobotics Institute and Department of Excellence in Robotics and AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Bagnoli
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, Florence, 50134, Italy
| | - Filippo Emiliani
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, Florence, 50134, Italy
| | - Assunta Ingannato
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, Florence, 50134, Italy
| | - Benedetta Nacmias
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, Florence, 50134, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, Florence, 50134, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Alberto Mazzoni
- The BioRobotics Institute and Department of Excellence in Robotics and AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Valentina Bessi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, Florence, 50134, Italy.
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.
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13
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Solca F, Aiello EN, Torre S, Carelli L, Ferrucci R, Verde F, Ticozzi N, Silani V, Monti A, Poletti B. Prevalence and determinants of language impairment in non-demented amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. Eur J Neurol 2023; 30:606-611. [PMID: 36445001 PMCID: PMC10108014 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study aimed at estimating the prevalence of language impairment (LI) in a large, clinic-based cohort of non-demented amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and assessing its underpinnings at motor and non-motor levels. METHODS Non-demented ALS patients (N = 348) underwent the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS), as well as an assessment of behavioural/psychiatric and motor-functional features. The prevalence of LI was estimated based on the proportion of patients showing a performance below the age- and education-adjusted cut-off on the ECAS-Language. Multiple regression models were run to assess the determinants of language functioning and impairment. RESULTS The prevalence of LI was 22.7%. 46.6% of the variance of ECAS-Language scores remained unexplained, with only the ECAS-Executive positively predicting them (p < 0.001; η2 = 0.07). Similarly, only a lower score on the ECAS-Executive predicted a higher probability of a below cut-off ECAS-Language performance (p < 0.001). Spelling and Naming tasks were the major drivers of ECAS-Language performance. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that, in non-demented ALS patients, LI occurs in ≈23% of cases, is significantly driven by executive dysfunction but, at the same time, partially independent of it and is not associated with other motor or non-motor features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Solca
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Silvia Torre
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Carelli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Ferrucci
- Aldo Ravelli Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Department of Health Sciences, International Medical School, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
- ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, San Paolo University Hospital, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Ca' Granda Foundation Maggiore Policlinico Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Verde
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, 'Dino Ferrari Center', Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, 'Dino Ferrari Center', Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, 'Dino Ferrari Center', Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Monti
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa di Cura del Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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14
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Giacomucci G, Polito C, Berti V, Padiglioni S, Galdo G, Mazzeo S, Bergamin E, Moschini V, Morinelli C, Nuti C, De Cristofaro MT, Ingannato A, Bagnoli S, Nacmias B, Sorbi S, Bessi V. Differences and Similarities in Empathy Deficit and Its Neural Basis between Logopenic and Amnesic Alzheimer's Disease. J Pers Med 2023; 13:jpm13020208. [PMID: 36836442 PMCID: PMC9966635 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13020208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The aims of the study were to assess empathy deficit and neuronal correlates in logopenic primary progressive aphasia (lv-PPA) and compare these data with those deriving from amnesic Alzheimer's disease (AD). Eighteen lv-PPA and thirty-eight amnesic AD patients were included. Empathy in both cognitive and affective domains was assessed by Informer-rated Interpersonal Reactivity Index (perspective taking, PT, and fantasy, FT, for cognitive empathy; empathic concern, EC, and personal distress, PD, for affective empathy) before (T0) and after (T1) cognitive symptoms' onset. Emotion recognition was explored through the Ekman 60 Faces Test. Cerebral FDG-PET was used to explore neural correlates underlying empathy deficits. From T0 to T1, PT scores decreased, and PD scores increased in both lv-PPA (PT z = -3.43, p = 0.001; PD z = -3.62, p < 0.001) and in amnesic AD (PT z = -4.57, p < 0.001; PD z = -5.20, p < 0.001). Delta PT (T0-T1) negatively correlated with metabolic disfunction of the right superior temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus (MFG) in amnesic AD and of the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), insula, MFG, and bilateral superior frontal gyrus (SFG) in lv-PPA (p < 0.005). Delta PD (T0-T1) positively correlated with metabolic disfunction of the right inferior frontal gyrus in amnesic AD (p < 0.001) and of the left IPL, insula, and bilateral SFG in lv-PPA (p < 0.005). Lv-PPA and amnesic AD share the same empathic changes, with a damage of cognitive empathy and a heightening of personal distress over time. The differences in metabolic disfunctions correlated with empathy deficits might be due to a different vulnerability of specific brain regions in the two AD clinical presentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Giacomucci
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Berti
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Sonia Padiglioni
- Regional Referral Centre for Relational Criticalities—Tuscany Region, 50134 Florence, Italy
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, AOU Careggi, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Galdo
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Salvatore Mazzeo
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, 50143 Florence, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Moschini
- SOD Neurologia I, Dipartmento Neuromuscolo-Scheletrico e degli Organi di Senso, AOU Careggi, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Carmen Morinelli
- SOD Neurologia I, Dipartmento Neuromuscolo-Scheletrico e degli Organi di Senso, AOU Careggi, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | | | | | - Assunta Ingannato
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Bagnoli
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Benedetta Nacmias
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, 50143 Florence, Italy
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, 50143 Florence, Italy
| | - Valentina Bessi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-05-7948660; Fax: +39-05-7947484
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15
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Spinosa V, Vitulli A, Logroscino G, Brattico E. A Review on Music Interventions for Frontotemporal Aphasia and a Proposal for Alternative Treatments. Biomedicines 2022; 11:biomedicines11010084. [PMID: 36672592 PMCID: PMC9855720 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11010084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease, characterized by behavioral and language impairments. Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is the linguistic variant of this heterogeneous disorder. To date, there is a lack of consensus about which interventions are effective in these patients. However, several studies show that music-based interventions are beneficial in neurological diseases. This study aims, primarily, to establish the state of the art of music-based interventions designed for PPA due to FTD and, secondarily, to inform the planning of PPA-dedicated future interventions for Italian neurological institutions. The first aim is fulfilled by a review which critically screens the neurological studies examining the effects of music- and/or rhythm-based interventions, especially, on language rehabilitation in aphasic FTD. We found that only two papers fulfilled our criteria and concerned specifically aphasic patients due to FTD. Of those, one paper reported a study conducted in an Italian institution. Most of the reviewed studies focused, instead, on aphasia in post-stroke patients. The results of our review invite further studies to investigate the role of music as a valuable support in the therapy for neurodegenerative patients with language problems and in particular to PPA due to FTD. Moreover, based on this initial work, we can delineate new music-based interventions dedicated to PPA for Italian institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittoria Spinosa
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico, 73039 Tricase, Italy
- Department of Basic Medicine, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Alessandra Vitulli
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico, 73039 Tricase, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Logroscino
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico, 73039 Tricase, Italy
- Department of Basic Medicine, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Elvira Brattico
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
- Correspondence:
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16
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Characterization of the logopenic variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev 2022; 82:101760. [PMID: 36244629 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The linguistic and anatomical variability of the logopenic variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia (lv-PPA) as defined by current diagnostic criteria has been the topic of an intense debate. The present review and meta-analysis aims at characterizing the profile of lv-PPA, by a comprehensive analysis of the available literature on the neuropsychological, neuroimaging, electrophysiological, pathological, and genetic features of lv-PPA. We conducted a systematic bibliographic search, leading to the inclusion of 207 papers. Of them, 12 were used for the Anatomical Likelihood Estimation meta-analysis on grey matter revealed by magnetic resonance imaging data. The results suggest that the current guidelines outline a relatively consistent syndrome, characterized by a core set of linguistic and, to a lesser extent, non-linguistic deficits, mirroring the involvement of left temporal and parietal regions typically affected by Alzheimer Disease pathology. Variations of the lv-PPA profile are discussed in terms of heterogeneity of the neuropsychological instruments and the diagnostic criteria adopted.
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17
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Comprehensive qualitative characterization of linguistic performance profiles in primary progressive aphasia: a multivariate study with FDG-PET. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 120:137-148. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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18
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Premi E, Cotelli M, Gobbi E, Pagnoni I, Binetti G, Gadola Y, Libri I, Mattioli I, Pengo M, Iraji A, Calhoun VD, Alberici A, Borroni B, Manenti R. Neuroanatomical correlates of screening for aphasia in NeuroDegeneration (SAND) battery in non-fluent/agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:942095. [PMID: 36389058 PMCID: PMC9660243 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.942095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Non-fluent/agrammatic variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia (avPPA) is primarily characterized by language impairment due to atrophy of the inferior frontal gyrus and the insula cortex in the dominant hemisphere. The Screening for Aphasia in NeuroDegeneration (SAND) battery has been recently proposed as a screening tool for PPA, with several tasks designed to be specific for different language features. Applying multivariate approaches to neuroimaging data and verbal fluency tasks, Aachener Aphasie Test (AAT) naming subtest and SAND data may help in elucidating the neuroanatomical correlates of language deficits in avPPA. Objective To investigate the neuroanatomical correlates of language deficits in avPPA using verbal fluency tasks, AAT naming subtest and SAND scores as proxies of brain structural imaging abnormalities. Methods Thirty-one avPPA patients were consecutively enrolled and underwent extensive neuropsychological assessment and MRI scan. Raw scores of verbal fluency tasks, AAT naming subtest, and SAND subtests, namely living and non-living picture naming, auditory sentence comprehension, single-word comprehension, words and non-words repetition and sentence repetition, were used as proxies to explore structural (gray matter volume) neuroanatomical correlates. We assessed univariate (voxel-based morphometry, VBM) as well as multivariate (source-based morphometry, SBM) approaches. Age, gender, educational level, and disease severity were considered nuisance variables. Results SAND picture naming (total, living and non-living scores) and AAT naming scores showed a direct correlation with the left temporal network derived from SBM. At univariate analysis, the left middle temporal gyrus was directly correlated with SAND picture naming (total and non-living scores) and AAT naming score. When words and non-words repetition (total score) was considered, a direct correlation with the left temporal network (SBM) and with the left fusiform gyrus (VBM) was also evident. Conclusion Naming impairments that characterize avPPA are related to specific network-based involvement of the left temporal network, potentially expanding our knowledge on the neuroanatomical basis of this neurodegenerative condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Premi
- Stroke Unit, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Spedali Civili Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Maria Cotelli
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Elena Gobbi
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Ilaria Pagnoni
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giuliano Binetti
- MAC Memory Clinic and Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Yasmine Gadola
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Owensboro, Italy
| | - Ilenia Libri
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Owensboro, Italy
| | - Irene Mattioli
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Owensboro, Italy
| | - Marta Pengo
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Owensboro, Italy
| | - Armin Iraji
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Departments of Psychology and Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Departments of Psychology and Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Antonella Alberici
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Owensboro, Italy
| | - Barbara Borroni
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Owensboro, Italy
| | - Rosa Manenti
- Neuropsychology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
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19
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Conca F, Esposito V, Rundo F, Quaranta D, Muscio C, Manenti R, Caruso G, Lucca U, Galbussera AA, Di Tella S, Baglio F, L'Abbate F, Canu E, Catania V, Filippi M, Mattavelli G, Poletti B, Silani V, Lodi R, De Matteis M, Stanzani Maserati M, Arighi A, Rotondo E, Tanzilli A, Pace A, Garramone F, Cavaliere C, Pardini M, Rizzetto C, Sorbi S, Perri R, Tiraboschi P, Canessa N, Cotelli M, Ferri R, Weintraub S, Marra C, Tagliavini F, Catricalà E, Cappa SF. Italian adaptation of the Uniform Data Set Neuropsychological Test Battery (I-UDSNB 1.0): development and normative data. Alzheimers Res Ther 2022; 14:113. [PMID: 35982477 PMCID: PMC9389755 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-022-01056-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuropsychological testing plays a cardinal role in the diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease. A major concern is represented by the heterogeneity of the neuropsychological batteries currently adopted in memory clinics and healthcare centers. The current study aimed to solve this issue. METHODS Following the initiative of the University of Washington's National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC), we presented the Italian adaptation of the Neuropsychological Test Battery of the Uniform Data Set (I-UDSNB). We collected data from 433 healthy Italian individuals and employed regression models to evaluate the impact of demographic variables on the performance, deriving the reference norms. RESULTS Higher education and lower age were associated with a better performance in the majority of tests, while sex affected only fluency tests and Digit Span Forward. CONCLUSIONS The I-UDSNB offers a valuable and harmonized tool for neuropsychological testing in Italy, to be used in clinical and research settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Francesco Rundo
- Department of Neurology IC, Oasi Research Institute - IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | - Davide Quaranta
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Muscio
- Present address: ASST Bergamo Ovest, Treviglio, Italy
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Rosa Manenti
- IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giulia Caruso
- Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Ugo Lucca
- Laboratory of Geriatric Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Antonella Galbussera
- Laboratory of Geriatric Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Federica L'Abbate
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Canu
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Catania
- Unit of Psychology I.C., Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Neurorehabilitation Unit, and Neurophysiology Service, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Mattavelli
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON) Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Palazzo del Broletto, Piazza Vittoria 15, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Pavia Institute, Pavia, Italy
| | - Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Aldo Ravelli Research Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Università degli studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaele Lodi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea Arighi
- Fondazione IRCSS ca' Granda, Ospedale Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Tanzilli
- Neuro-Oncology Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Pace
- Neuro-Oncology Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Matteo Pardini
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Cristiano Rizzetto
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, ONLUS, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Perri
- Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Canessa
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON) Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Palazzo del Broletto, Piazza Vittoria 15, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Pavia Institute, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maria Cotelli
- IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Raffaele Ferri
- Department of Neurology IC, Oasi Research Institute - IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | - Sandra Weintraub
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Camillo Marra
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Eleonora Catricalà
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON) Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Palazzo del Broletto, Piazza Vittoria 15, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stefano Francesco Cappa
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON) Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Palazzo del Broletto, Piazza Vittoria 15, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
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Fastame MC, Mulas I, Putzu V, Asoni G, Viale D, Mameli I, Pau M. The efficiency of activities of daily living (ADLs) skills in late adulthood: A mediational approach. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2022:1-12. [PMID: 35981564 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2022.2111261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The term "Activities of Daily Living" (ADLs) refers to a set of fundamental tasks (i.e., toileting, bathing, personal care, eating, grooming, and getting dressed) considered necessary for living and being autonomous in everyday life. Although in the clinical setting ADLs efficiency is a marker to diagnose dementia, limited evidence on the mechanism implicating muscular function and cognitive alterations in ADLs skills in late adulthood exists. This study primarily intended to determine the extent to which executive functions mediate between muscular strength, as assessed through handgrip strength (HGS) measurement, and ADLs skills of older community-dwellers. A further goal was to explore the impact of gender and cognitive status on ADLs and HGS scores, using education as a covariate. Three hundred and thirty-four older participants, 199 females and 135 males (Mage = 77.5 years, SD = 5.6 years, age range = 63-93 years) completed a battery of tests assessing ADLs, HGS, and executive functions. The results showed that 34-56% of the variance in the ADLs condition was explained by HGS and executive functioning. Furthermore, cognitively healthy participants exhibited better ADLs skills, whereas cognitively impaired individuals, both males and females, exhibited poorer HGS efficiency. In conclusion, in clinical settings, the concurrent evaluation of ADLs skills, motor, and higher-order cognitive processes should be encouraged to detect individuals needing a person-tailored intervention to boost their quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chiara Fastame
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Ilaria Mulas
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Valeria Putzu
- Center for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia, ASSL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Gesuina Asoni
- Center for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia, ASSL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Daniela Viale
- Center for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia, ASSL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Irene Mameli
- Center for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia, ASSL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Pau
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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21
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Cerami C, Perdixi E, Meli C, Marcone A, Zamboni M, Iannaccone S, Dodich A. Early Identification of Different Behavioral Phenotypes in the Behavioral Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia with the Aid of the Mini-Frontal Behavioral Inventory (mini-FBI). J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 89:299-308. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-220173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background: The Frontal Behavioral Inventory (FBI) is a questionnaire designed to quantify behavioral changes in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Literature showed heterogeneous FBI profiles in FTD versus Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with variable occurrence of positive and negative symptoms. Objective: In this study, we constructed a short FBI version (i.e., mini-FBI) with the aim to provide clinicians with a short tool for the identification of early behavioral changes in behavioral variant of FTD (bvFTD), also facilitating the differential diagnosis with AD. Methods: 40 bvFTD and 33 AD patients were enrolled. FBI items were selected based on internal consistency and exploratory factor analysis. Convergent validity of mini-FBI was also assessed. A behavioral index (i.e., B-index) representing the balance between positive and negative mini-FBI symptoms was computed in order to analyze its distribution in bvFTD through a cluster analysis and to compare performance among patient groups. Results: The final version of the mini-FBI included 12 items, showing a significant convergent validity with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory scores (rp = 0.61, p < 0.001). Cluster analysis split patients in four clusters. bvFTD were included in three different clusters characterized by prevalent positive symptoms, both positive and negative symptoms, or prevalent negative behavioral alterations, similar to a subset of AD patients. A fourth cluster included only AD patients showing no positive symptoms. Conclusion: The mini-FBI is a valuable easily administrable questionnaire able to early identify symptoms effectively contributing to the bvFTD behavioral syndrome, aiding clinician in diagnosis and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Cerami
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience ICoN Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Cognitive Computational Neuroscience Research Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Elena Perdixi
- Department of Neurology, IRCCS Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milano, Italy
| | - Claudia Meli
- Center for Neurocognitive Rehabilitation - CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto (TN), Italy
| | - Alessandra Marcone
- Department of Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Zamboni
- Department of Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Sandro Iannaccone
- Department of Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dodich
- Center for Neurocognitive Rehabilitation - CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto (TN), Italy
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22
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Boccalini C, Carli G, Tondo G, Polito C, Catricalà E, Berti V, Bessi V, Sorbi S, Iannaccone S, Esposito V, Cappa SF, Perani D. Brain metabolic connectivity reconfiguration in the semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia. Cortex 2022; 154:1-14. [PMID: 35717768 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Functional network-level alterations in the semantic variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia (sv-PPA) are relevant to understanding the clinical features and the neural spreading of the pathology. We assessed the effect of neurodegeneration on brain systems reorganization in early sv-PPA, using advanced brain metabolic connectivity approaches. Forty-four subjects with sv-PPA and forty-four age-matched healthy controls (HC) were included. We applied two multivariate approaches to [18F]FDG-PET data - i.e., sparse inverse covariance estimation and seed-based interregional correlation analysis - to assess the integrity of (i) the whole-brain metabolic connectivity and (ii) the connectivity of brain regions relevant for cognitive and behavioral functions. Whole-brain analysis revealed a global-scale connectivity reconfiguration in sv-PPA, with widespread changes in metabolic connections of frontal, temporal, and parietal regions. In comparison to HC, the seed-based analysis revealed a) functional isolation of the left anterior temporal lobe (ATL), b) decreases in temporo-occipital connections and contralateral homologous regions, c) connectivity increases to the dorsal parietal cortex from the spared posterior temporal cortex, d) a disruption of the large-scale limbic brain networks. In sv-PPA, the severe functional derangement of the left ATL may lead to an extensive connectivity reconfiguration, encompassing several brain regions, including those not yet affected by neurodegeneration. These findings support the hypothesis that in sv-PPA the focal vulnerability of the core region (i.e., ATL) can potentially drive the widespread cerebral connectivity changes, already present in the early phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Boccalini
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; In Vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Carli
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; In Vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Tondo
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; In Vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Polito
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Berti
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Valentina Bessi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Sandro Iannaccone
- Department of Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefano F Cappa
- University School for Advanced Studies (IUSS), Pavia, Italy; IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Daniela Perani
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; In Vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy.
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23
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Loss of speech and functional impairment in Alzheimer's disease-related primary progressive aphasia: predictive factors of decline. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 117:59-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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24
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Petrillo SM, Del Mauro M, Lambro BE, Occhigrossi C, Piccirilli M. Italian translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Progressive Aphasia Severity Scale. Neurol Sci 2021; 43:3065-3070. [PMID: 34859332 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05651-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by a progressive decline in language and speech as the first clinical manifestation, which mostly spares other cognitive functions. However, the linguistic impairment of PPA shows different features than that resulting from cerebrovascular diseases. The major difference between the linguistic manifestations of PPA and the traditional classification of aphasias has led to the development of new, more specific methods of language assessment. Among the currently available tools, there has been great interest in the Progressive Aphasia Severity Scale (PASS). This quick and easy-to-use clinical tool allows to collect significant information from caregivers about the communicative, linguistic, and functional difficulties of patients affected by PPA. In addition to monitoring the severity and progression of deficits in 13 different language domains, this scale integrates the classic "clinically reported" assessment with a "caregiver-reported" analysis of the daily experience of the patient, which provides a better understanding of how the disease affects the quality of life of both the patient and the caregiver. In the present contribution, the PASS was translated and adapted into Italian according to the international guidelines for the cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures. This version of the PASS can help clinicians and researchers in the diagnosis of PPA in Italian clinical populations. Furthermore, it could be particularly useful for the long-term evaluation of the disease, in order to monitor its evolution, and might represent an optimal means to verify the efficacy of speech/language therapy in delaying the progression of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania M Petrillo
- Speech and Language Therapy Degree, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Marianna Del Mauro
- Speech and Language Therapy Degree, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Benedetta E Lambro
- Speech and Language Therapy Degree, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Chiara Occhigrossi
- Speech and Language Therapy Degree, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Massimo Piccirilli
- Speech and Language Therapy Degree, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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25
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Aiello EN, Rimoldi S, Bolognini N, Appollonio I, Arcara G. Psychometrics and diagnostics of Italian cognitive screening tests: a systematic review. Neurol Sci 2021; 43:821-845. [PMID: 34816316 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05683-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive screening tests (CSTs) are crucial to neuropsychological diagnostics, and thus need to be featured by robust psychometric and diagnostic properties. However, CSTs happen not to meet desirable statistical standards, negatively affecting their level of recommendations and applicability. This study aimed at (a) providing an up-to-date compendium of available CSTs in Italy, (b) report their psychometric and diagnostic properties, and (c) address related limitations. METHODS This review was implemented by consulting Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and pre-registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. Standardization and usability studies focusing on norms, validity, reliability, or sensitivity/specificity (and derived metrics) in adults were considered for eligibility. Quality assessment was performed by means of an ad hoc checklist collecting information on sampling, psychometrics/diagnostics, norming, and feasibility. RESULTS Sixty studies were included out of an initial N = 683. Identified CSTs (N = 40) were classified into general, domain-, and disease-specific (N = 17, 7, and 16, respectively), the latter being less statistically robust than remaining categories. Validity and reliability evidence was provided for 29 and 26 CSTs, respectively, sensitivity/specificity for 20 and norms for 33. Prevalence- and post-test-based diagnostic metrics were seldomly represented; factorial structures, ceiling/floor effects, and acceptability rarely investigated; content, face, and ecological validity never assessed. DISCUSSION Although available Italian CSTs overall met basic psychometric/diagnostic requirements, their statistical profile often proved to be poor on several properties that are desirable for clinical applications, with a few exceptions among general and domain-specific ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
| | - Sara Rimoldi
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy.,Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milano, Italy
| | - Ildebrando Appollonio
- Neurology Section, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
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26
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Cuoco S, Carotenuto I, Cappiello A, Scannapieco S, Russillo MC, Andreozzi V, Forino L, Amboni M, Picillo M, Erro R, Barone P, Pellecchia MT. Relationship Between Orthostatic Hypotension and Cognitive Functions in Multiple System Atrophy: A Longitudinal Study. Front Neurol 2021; 12:711358. [PMID: 34539557 PMCID: PMC8446504 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.711358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of orthostatic hypotension (OH) on cognitive functions in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) followed over time. Methods: Thirty-two MSA patients were enrolled and underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological battery; at baseline (T0) 15 out of 32 patients presented OH, assessed by means of orthostatic standing test. All patients underwent a follow-up (T1) evaluation 12 months after baseline. Thirteen out of 32 patients also underwent a second follow-up (T2) evaluation at 24 months. Changes over time on different neuropsychological tasks were compared between patients with and without OH by means of Mann-Whitney's U-test. Moreover, clinical categories of normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia were determined, and changes at T1 and T2 in global cognitive status were compared between patients with and without OH. Results: At T0, patients with OH had better performance on words/non-words repetition task (p = 0.02) compared to patients without OH. Compared to patients without OH, patients with OH performed worse on semantic association task (p < 0.01) at T1 and on Stroop test-error effect (p = 0.04) at T2. The percentage of patients with worsened cognitive status at T1 was higher among patients with OH than among patients without OH (93 vs. 59%, p = 0.03). OH (β = -4.67, p = 0.01), education (β = 0.45, p = 0.02), age (β = 0.19, p = 0.03), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment battery (MOCA) score at T0 (β = -0.26, p = 0.04) were significant predictors of global cognitive status worsening at T1. Discussion: We found that global cognitive status worsened at 1-year follow-up in 93% of patients with OH, and OH, along with age, education, and MOCA score, predicted cognitive worsening over time. To clarify the relationship between OH and cognitive dysfunction in MSA, we suggest the use of clinical categories of normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia in further longitudinal studies on MSA patients with and without OH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Cuoco
- Center for Neurodegenerative diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Immacolata Carotenuto
- Center for Neurodegenerative diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Arianna Cappiello
- Center for Neurodegenerative diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Sara Scannapieco
- Center for Neurodegenerative diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Maria Claudia Russillo
- Center for Neurodegenerative diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Valentina Andreozzi
- Center for Neurodegenerative diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Forino
- Center for Neurodegenerative diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Marianna Amboni
- Center for Neurodegenerative diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Marina Picillo
- Center for Neurodegenerative diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Roberto Erro
- Center for Neurodegenerative diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Paolo Barone
- Center for Neurodegenerative diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Pellecchia
- Center for Neurodegenerative diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Neuroscience section, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
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27
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Ingannato A, Bagnoli S, Mazzeo S, Bessi V, Matà S, Del Mastio M, Lombardi G, Ferrari C, Sorbi S, Nacmias B. Neurofilament Light Chain and Intermediate HTT Alleles as Combined Biomarkers in Italian ALS Patients. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:695049. [PMID: 34539331 PMCID: PMC8446383 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.695049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To study the possible implication of the two biomarkers, intermediate alleles (IAs) of the Huntingtin (HTT) gene and neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in plasma, in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. Methods We analyzed IAs in a cohort of 106 Italian ALS patients and measured the plasma NfL levels in 20% of the patients of the cohort. We correlated the two biomarkers with clinical phenotypes. Results Intermediate alleles were present in 7.5% of the patients of our cohort, a frequency higher than that reported in general population. Plasma NfL levels increased with age at onset (p < 0.05). Patients with bulbar onset (BO) had higher plasma NfL concentration (CI −0.61 to −0.06, p = 0.02) and a later age at onset of the disease (CI −24.78 to −4.93, p = 0.006) with respect to the spinal onset (SO) form. Additionally, two of the patients, with IAs and plasma NfL concentration lower with respect to normal alleles’ carriers, presented an age at onset higher than the mean of the entire cohort. Conclusion According to our findings, plasma NfL and IAs of HTT gene may represent potential biomarkers in ALS, providing evidence of a possible implication in clinical phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silvia Bagnoli
- NEUROFARBA Department, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Bessi
- NEUROFARBA Department, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sabrina Matà
- SOD Neurologia 1, Dipartimento Neuromuscolo-Scheletrico e Degli Organi di Senso, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Monica Del Mastio
- SOD Neurologia 1, Dipartimento Neuromuscolo-Scheletrico e Degli Organi di Senso, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Camilla Ferrari
- NEUROFARBA Department, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- NEUROFARBA Department, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Benedetta Nacmias
- NEUROFARBA Department, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
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28
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Lombardi G, Pupi A, Bessi V, Polito C, Padiglioni S, Ferrari C, Lucidi G, Berti V, De Cristofaro MT, Piaceri I, Bagnoli S, Nacmias B, Sorbi S. Challenges in Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostic Work-Up: Amyloid Biomarker Incongruences. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 77:203-217. [PMID: 32716357 DOI: 10.3233/jad-200119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Discordance among amyloid biomarkers is a challenge to overcome in order to increase diagnostic accuracy in dementia. OBJECTIVES 1) To verify that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio (AβR) better agrees with Amyloid PET (Amy-PET) results compared to CSF Aβ42; 2) to detect differences among concordant positive, concordant negative, and discordant cases, basing the concordance definition on the agreement between CSF AβR and Amy-PET results; 3) to define the suspected underlying pathology of discordant cases using in vivo biomarkers. METHOD We retrospectively enrolled 39 cognitively impaired participants in which neuropsychological tests, apolipoprotein E genotype determination, TC/MRI, FDG-PET, Amy-PET, and CSF analysis had been performed. In all cases, CSF analysis was repeated using the automated Lumipulse method. In discordant cases, FDG-PET scans were evaluated visually and using automated classifiers. RESULTS CSF AβR better agreed with Amy-PET compared to CSF Aβ42 (Cohen's K 0.431 versus 0.05). Comparisons among groups did not show any difference in clinical characteristics except for age at symptoms onset that was higher in the 6 discordant cases with abnormal CSF AβR values and negative Amy-PET (CSF AβR+/AmyPET-). FDG-PET and all CSF markers (Aβ42, AβR, p-Tau, t-Tau) were suggestive of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in 5 of these 6 cases. CONCLUSION 1) CSF AβR is the CSF amyloid marker that shows the better level of agreement with Amy-PET results; 2) The use of FDG-PET and CSF-Tau markers in CSFAβR+/Amy-PET-discordant cases can support AD diagnosis; 3) Disagreement between positive CSF AβR and negative Amy-PET in symptomatic aged AD patients could be due to the variability in plaques conformation and a negative Amy-PET scan cannot be always sufficient to rule out AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Lombardi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,Fondazione Filippo Turati, Pistoia, Italy
| | | | | | - Cristina Polito
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio", Nuclear Medicine Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sonia Padiglioni
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Camilla Ferrari
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Berti
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio", Nuclear Medicine Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Irene Piaceri
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Bagnoli
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Benedetta Nacmias
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,Fondazione IRCCS Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,Fondazione IRCCS Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
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29
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Clinical Characterization of Atypical Primary Progressive Aphasia in a 3-Year Longitudinal Study: A Case Report. Cogn Behav Neurol 2021; 34:233-244. [PMID: 34473676 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA) is the most recent variant of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) to be identified; thus far, it has been poorly investigated. Despite being typically associated with Alzheimer disease (AD), lvPPA has recently been linked to frontotemporal lobe degeneration (FTLD), with distinctive cognitive and neural features that are worthy of further investigation. Here, we describe the neuropsychological and linguistic profile, as well as cerebral abnormalities, of an individual exhibiting PPA and carrying a pathogenetic variant in the GRN gene, from a 3-year longitudinal perspective. The individual's initial profile resembled lvPPA because it was characterized by word-finding difficulties and phonological errors in spontaneous speech in addition to sentence repetition and phonological short-term memory impairments. The individual's structural and metabolic imaging data demonstrated left temporal and bilateral frontal atrophy and hypometabolism, respectively. On follow-up, as the pathology progressed, dysprosody, stereotypical speech patterns, agrammatism, and orofacial apraxia appeared, suggesting an overlap with the nonfluent variant of PPA (nfvPPA). Severe sentence comprehension impairment also became evident. Our longitudinal and multidisciplinary diagnostic approach allowed us to better characterize the progression of a GRN-positive lvPPA profile, providing neuropsychological and imaging indicators that might be helpful to improve classification between different PPA variants and to address a nosological issue. Finally, we discuss the importance of early diagnosis of PPA given the possible overlap between different PPA variants during the progression of the pathology.
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30
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Cuoco S, Picillo M, Carotenuto I, Erro R, Catricalà E, Cappa S, Pellecchia MT, Barone P. The language profile in multiple system atrophy: an exploratory study. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2021; 128:1195-1203. [PMID: 34216238 PMCID: PMC8322009 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-021-02372-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Background The evidence about the language performance profile of multiple system atrophy (MSA) is limited, but its definition may lead to a more comprehensive characterization of the disorder and contribute to clarify the involvement of the basal ganglia in language abilities. Objective The objectives of the study were: (1) to evaluate the reliability of the Screening for Aphasia in NeuroDegeneration (SAND) in MSA patients; (2) compare the linguistic profiles among MSA and Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients and healthy controls (HC), and (3) assess relationships between language impairment and cognitive status and MSA motor subtypes. Methods and results Forty patients with a diagnosis of MSA, 22 HC and 17 patients with PD were enrolled in the present study. By excluding the writing task that showed a poor acceptability, we showed that the MSA-tailored SAND Global Score is an acceptable, consistent and reliable tool to screen language disturbances in MSA. MSA patients performed worse than HC, but not than PD, in MSA-tailored SAND Global Score, repetition, reading and semantic association tasks. We did not find significant differences between MSA phenotypes. MSA patients with mild cognitive impairment-multiple domain presented worse language performances as compared to MSA patients with normal cognition and mild cognitive impairment-single domain. Conclusion The MSA-tailored SAND Global Score is a consistent and reliable tool to screen language disturbances in MSA. Language disturbances characterize MSA patients irrespective of disease phenotype, and parallel the decline of global cognitive functions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00702-021-02372-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Cuoco
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), University of Salerno, 84131, Salerno, Italy
| | - Marina Picillo
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), University of Salerno, 84131, Salerno, Italy
| | - Immacolata Carotenuto
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), University of Salerno, 84131, Salerno, Italy
| | - Roberto Erro
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), University of Salerno, 84131, Salerno, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Cappa
- University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Mondino, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Pellecchia
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), University of Salerno, 84131, Salerno, Italy.
| | - Paolo Barone
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), University of Salerno, 84131, Salerno, Italy
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31
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Assogna M, Casula EP, Borghi I, Bonnì S, Samà D, Motta C, Di Lorenzo F, D'Acunto A, Porrazzini F, Minei M, Caltagirone C, Martorana A, Koch G. Effects of Palmitoylethanolamide Combined with Luteoline on Frontal Lobe Functions, High Frequency Oscillations, and GABAergic Transmission in Patients with Frontotemporal Dementia. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 76:1297-1308. [PMID: 32623398 DOI: 10.3233/jad-200426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a presenile neurodegenerative disease for which there is no effective pharmacological treatment. Recently, a link has been proposed between neuroinflammation and FTD. OBJECTIVE Here, we aim to investigate the effects of palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) combined with luteoline (PEA-LUT), an endocannabinoid with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, on behavior, cognition, and cortical activity in a sample of FTD patients. METHODS Seventeen patients with a diagnosis of probable FTD were enrolled. Cognitive and neurophysiological evaluations were performed at baseline and after 4 weeks of PEA-LUT 700 mg×2/day. Cognitive effects were assessed by Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Mini-Mental State Examination, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Screening for Aphasia in Neurodegeneration, Activities of Daily Living-Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, and Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration-modified Clinical Dementia Rating scale. To investigate in vivo neurophysiological effects of PEA-LUT, we used repetitive and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocols assessing LTP-like cortical plasticity, short-interval intracortical inhibition, long-interval intracortical inhibition (LICI), and short-latency afferent inhibition. Moreover, we used TMS combined with EEG to evaluate the effects on frontal lobe cortical oscillatory activity. RESULTS Treatment with PEA-LUT was associated with an improvement in NPI and FAB scores. Neurophysiological evaluation showed a restoration of LICI, in particular at ISI 100 ms, suggesting a modulation of GABA(B) activity. TMS-EEG showed a remarkable increase of TMS-evoked frontal lobe activity and of high-frequency oscillations in the beta/gamma range. CONCLUSION PEA-LUT could reduce behavioral disturbances and improve frontal lobe functions in FTD patients through the modulation of cortical oscillatory activity and GABA(B)ergic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Assogna
- Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Tor Vergata Policlinic, Rome, Italy
| | - Elias Paolo Casula
- Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, University College London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Giacomo Koch
- Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,eCampus University, Novedrate, Italy
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Epelbaum S, Saade YM, Flamand Roze C, Roze E, Ferrieux S, Arbizu C, Nogues M, Azuar C, Dubois B, Tezenas du Montcel S, Teichmann M. A Reliable and Rapid Language Tool for the Diagnosis, Classification, and Follow-Up of Primary Progressive Aphasia Variants. Front Neurol 2021; 11:571657. [PMID: 33469441 PMCID: PMC7813774 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.571657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Primary progressive aphasias (PPA) have been investigated by clinical, therapeutic, and fundamental research but examiner-consistent language tests for reliable reproducible diagnosis and follow-up are lacking. Methods: We developed and evaluated a rapid language test for PPA (“PARIS”) assessing its inter-examiner consistency, its power to detect and classify PPA, and its capacity to identify language decline after a follow-up of 9 months. To explore the reliability and specificity/sensitivity of the test it was applied to PPA patients (N = 36), typical amnesic Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients (N = 24) and healthy controls (N = 35), while comparing it to two rapid examiner-consistent language tests used in stroke-induced aphasia (“LAST”, “ART”). Results: The application duration of the “PARIS” was ~10 min and its inter-rater consistency was of 88%. The three tests distinguished healthy controls from AD and PPA patients but only the “PARIS” reliably separated PPA from AD and allowed for classifying the two most frequent PPA variants: semantic and logopenic PPA. Compared to the “LAST” and “ART,” the “PARIS” also had the highest sensitivity for detecting language decline. Conclusions: The “PARIS” is an efficient, rapid, and highly examiner-consistent language test for the diagnosis, classification, and follow-up of frequent PPA variants. It might also be a valuable tool for providing end-points in future therapeutic trials on PPA and other neurodegenerative diseases affecting language processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Epelbaum
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for "PPA and rare dementias", Institute for Memory and Alzheimer's Disease, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France.,Institut du Cerveau, ICM, INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,Inria, Aramis-project team, 'APHP-INRIA collaboration', Paris, France
| | - Yasmina Michel Saade
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for "PPA and rare dementias", Institute for Memory and Alzheimer's Disease, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Constance Flamand Roze
- Centre Hospitalier Sud-Francilien, Université Paris Sud, Corbeil-Essonnes, Service de Neurologie et Unité Neurovasculaire, Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | - Emmanuel Roze
- Institut du Cerveau, ICM, INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,Department of Neurology, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Ferrieux
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for "PPA and rare dementias", Institute for Memory and Alzheimer's Disease, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Céline Arbizu
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for "PPA and rare dementias", Institute for Memory and Alzheimer's Disease, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Marie Nogues
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for "PPA and rare dementias", Institute for Memory and Alzheimer's Disease, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Carole Azuar
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for "PPA and rare dementias", Institute for Memory and Alzheimer's Disease, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France.,Institut du Cerveau, ICM, INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Bruno Dubois
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for "PPA and rare dementias", Institute for Memory and Alzheimer's Disease, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France.,Institut du Cerveau, ICM, INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Tezenas du Montcel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Pitié Salpêtrière - Charles Foix, Paris, France
| | - Marc Teichmann
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for "PPA and rare dementias", Institute for Memory and Alzheimer's Disease, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France.,Institut du Cerveau, ICM, INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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Rossini PM, Cappa SF, Lattanzio F, Perani D, Spadin P, Tagliavini F, Vanacore N. The Italian INTERCEPTOR Project: From the Early Identification of Patients Eligible for Prescription of Antidementia Drugs to a Nationwide Organizational Model for Early Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 72:373-388. [PMID: 31594234 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder and its burden on patients, families, and society grows significantly with lifespan. Early modifications of risk-enhancing lifestyles and treatment initiation expand personal autonomy and reduce management costs. Many clinical trials with potentially disease-modifying drugs are devoted to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) prodromal-to-Alzheimer's disease. The identification of biomarkers for early diagnosis may thus be crucial for early intervention and identification of high-risk subjects, the most appropriate target of new drugs as soon as they will be discovered. INTERCEPTOR is a strategic project by the Italian Ministry of Health and the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), aiming to validate the best combination (highly accurate, non-invasive, available on the whole national territory and financially sustainable) of biomarkers and organizational model for early diagnosis. 500 MCI subjects will be enrolled at baseline and followed-up for 3 years for at least 400 of them in order to define a "hub & spoke" nationwide model with recruiting (spokes) centers for MCI identification and expert (hubs) centers for risk diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Maria Rossini
- Area of Neuroscience, University Policlinic A. Gemelli Foundation-IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano F Cappa
- University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,IRCCS St. John of God, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Daniela Perani
- Nuclear Medicine Unit and Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Spadin
- President "Associazione Italiana Malattia di Alzheimer" - AIMA, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Vanacore
- National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
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Linguistic profiles, brain metabolic patterns and rates of amyloid-β biomarker positivity in patients with mixed primary progressive aphasia. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 96:155-164. [PMID: 33010672 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We aimed to detail language profiles, brain metabolic patterns and proportion of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in a cohort of patients with mixed primary progressive aphasia (mPPA). We considered 58 patients with PPA: 10 with non-fluent/agrammatic variant (nfvPPA), 16 with semantic variant (svPPA), 21 with logopenic variant (lvPPA) and 9 with mPPA. Patients with mPPA were further classified as 4 nf/lvPPA (with prevailing features for nfvPPA and lvPPA) and 5 s/lvPPA (with prevailing features for svPPA and lvPPA). Nf/lvPPA patients were characterized by higher proportion of Naming impairment compared to nfvPPA and more frequent Grammatical Errors and Phonologic Errors than lvPPA. S/lvPPA had higher proportion of impairment in Sentences Repetition compared to svPPA and in Single-word Comprehension compared to lvPPA. 100% of nf/lvPPA and 40% of s/lvPPA had Aβ positive biomarkers. Brain hypometabolic pattern in Nf/lvPPA was consistent with lvPPA, while s/lvPPA had a brain metabolism resembling svPPA. We concluded that nf/lvPPA patients might be considered as PPA variant due to Alzheimer's disease and s/lvPPA group mainly included patients with svPPA.
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Connected speech in progressive supranuclear palsy: a possible role in differential diagnosis. Neurol Sci 2020; 42:1483-1490. [PMID: 32851538 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-020-04635-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is an atypical Parkinsonism characterized by motor and neuropsycological disorders. Language could be impaired in PSP patients, also in Richardson variant (PSP-RS). The analysis of connected speech is used in neurodegenerative disorder to investigate different levels of language organization, including phonetic, phonological, lexico-semantic, morpho-syntactic, and pragmatic processing. OBJECTIVE In our study, we aimed to investigate the language profile, especially connected speech, in early-stage PSP-RS and Parkinson's disease (PD) patients without predominant speech or language disorders. METHODS Language was assessed using the Screening for Aphasia in NeuroDegeneration (SAND); connected speech analysis was conducted from the picture description subtest. RESULTS We enrolled 48 patients, 22 PD and 26 PSP (18 PSP-RS and 8 non-RS). PSP-RS patients presented an impairment in language domain, particularly regarding connected speech. PSP-RS patients presented worse performances than PD in different scores. The output of PSP-RS patients was characterized by a reduction in number of sentences and subordinates with respect to PD; PSP presented also more repaired sequences and phonological and lexico-semantic errors than PD. Number of sentences and number of subordinates of the picture description task were identified as predictors of PSP diagnosis. CONCLUSION In summary, the SAND scale is able to identify language impairment in PSP patients. The analysis of connected speech could highlight some important aspects of language impairment in PSP-RS patients, and it could be helpful in the differential diagnosis with PD.
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Bilingualism in Primary Progressive Aphasia: A Retrospective Study on Clinical and Language Characteristics. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2020; 33:47-53. [PMID: 30640254 DOI: 10.1097/wad.0000000000000288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive deterioration of language. Being rare, reports of PPA in multilingual individuals are scarce, despite more than half of the world population being multilingual. METHODS We describe clinical characteristics of 33 bilingual patients with PPA, including symptom presentation and language deficits pattern in their first (L1) and second language (L2), through a systematic literature review and new cases retrospectively identified in 5 countries. RESULTS In total, 14 patients presented with nonfluent/agrammatic variant, 6 with semantic variant, and 13 with logopenic variant, with a median symptom onset of 2 years. Word-finding difficulties was the first symptom in 65% of all cases, initially noticed in L2, and not always the dominant language. Our group had 22 different languages as L1, and 9 as L2. At the whole-group level there was a tendency for parallel impairment in both languages, in line with the shared bilingual neural substrate hypothesis, but each PPA variant showed some heterogeneity. DISCUSSION Each PPA variant showed heterogeneity, showing the need for comprehensive language and cognitive assessment across languages, as well as further clarification on the role of language mediators.
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Weekes BSH. Aphasia in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias (ADOD): Evidence From Chinese. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen 2020; 35:1533317520949708. [PMID: 33040568 PMCID: PMC10624002 DOI: 10.1177/1533317520949708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Speech and language impairments (aphasia) are typical of patients with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias (ADOD) and in some pathologies are diagnostic e.g. Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). One question concerns the reliability and validity of symptomatology across typologically different languages. A review of aphasia in ADOD across languages suggests a similar pattern of word comprehension, naming and word finding difficulties but also evidence of language specific features in symptomatology e.g. processing of tone in Chinese languages. Given differences in linguistic impairments across languages, it is recommended that screening for aphasia in community and epidemiological studies use a Short ScreeningTest (SST) that can be delivered across dialects and languages in indigenous languages and also multilingual populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Stuart Hackett Weekes
- University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
- University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Lombardi G, Polito C, Berti V, Bagnoli S, Nacmias B, Pupi A, Sorbi S. Contribution of Bilingualism to Cognitive Reserve of an Italian Literature Professor at High Risk for Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 66:1389-1395. [PMID: 30475769 DOI: 10.3233/jad-180736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Bilingualism is an independent component of cognitive reserve that permits to delay dementia onset up to 5 years. We describe a case of a bilingual Italian man affected by mild cognitive impairment with high cognitive reserve that, despite the presence of multiple risk factors (ApoE ɛ4/ɛ4 genotype, older age, untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome, AD-like biomarker alterations) did not convert to Alzheimer's disease up to 5 years follow-up. The present case confirms the role of bilingualism as a strong protective factor for dementia, even in the occurrence of multiple risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Lombardi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Cristina Polito
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio", Nuclear Medicine Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Valentina Berti
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio", Nuclear Medicine Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Bagnoli
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Benedetta Nacmias
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alberto Pupi
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio", Nuclear Medicine Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
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Dodich A, Cerami C, Inguscio E, Iannaccone S, Magnani G, Marcone A, Guglielmo P, Vanoli G, Cappa SF, Perani D. The clinico-metabolic correlates of language impairment in corticobasal syndrome and progressive supranuclear palsy. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2019; 24:102009. [PMID: 31795064 PMCID: PMC6978212 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
CBS and PSP patients show heterogeneous language profiles. Patients with nfvPPA profile show the typical nfvPPA hypometabolic pattern. Parietal hypometabolism characterizes CBS cases with undefined language deficits. Frontal hypometabolism characterizes PSP cases with undefined language deficits. Patients without language deficit show a predominant right hemisphere involvement.
Purpose To assess the clinical-metabolic correlates of language impairment in a large sample of patients clinically diagnosed as corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome (PSPs). Methods We included 70 patients fulfilling current criteria for CBS (n = 33) or PSPs (n = 37). All subjects underwent clinical-neuropsychological and FDG-PET assessments at the time of diagnosis. The whole patient's cohort was grouped into three subgroups according to the language characteristics, i.e., (a) nfv-PPA; (b) subtle language impairments, LANG-; (c) no language deficits, NOL-. FDG-PET data were analysed using an optimized voxel-based SPM method at the single-subject and group levels in order to evaluate specific hypometabolic patterns and regional dysfunctional FDG-PET commonalities in subgroups. Results 21 patients had a nfvPPA diagnosis (i.e., nfv-PPA/CBS = 12 and nfv-PPA/PSPs = 9), while 20 patients had a subtle language impairment LANG- (i.e., CBS = 12 and PSPs = 8), not fulfilling the criteria for a nfv-PPA diagnosis. The remaining sample (i.e., 9/33 CBS and 20/37 PSPs patients) did not show any language deficit. FDG-PET results in individuals with a nfv-PPA diagnosis were consistent with the typical nfv-PPA pattern of hypometabolism (i.e., left fronto-insular and superior medial frontal cortex involvement), both in CBS and PSPs. The LANG-CBS and LANG-PSPs subjects had different FDG-PET hypometabolic patterns involving, respectively, parietal and frontal regions. As expected, NOL-CBS and NOL-PSPs showed a predominant right hemisphere involvement, with selective functional metabolic signatures typical of the two syndromes. Conclusions Language impairments, fulfilling the nfv-PPA criteria, are associated with both CBS and PSPs clinical presentations early in the disease course. Subtle language deficits may be present in an additional proportion of patients not fulfilling the nfv-PPA criteria. The topography of brain hypometabolism is a major dysfunctional signature of language deficits in CBS and PSPs clinical phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Dodich
- NIMTlab, Neuroimaging and Innovative Molecular Tracers Laboratory, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Chiara Cerami
- Neurorehabilitation Unit and Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Sandro Iannaccone
- Clinical Neuroscience Department, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Stefano F Cappa
- Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori, Pavia, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Mondino, Pavia, Italy
| | - Daniela Perani
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
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Clinical use of SAND battery to evaluate language in patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223621. [PMID: 31603934 PMCID: PMC6788681 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) patients present language disturbances in tasks like naming, repetition, reading, word comprehension and semantic association compared to Parkinson’s disease (PD) and healthy controls (HC). Objective In the present study we sought to validate a Screening for Aphasia in NeuroDegeneration (SAND) battery version specifically tailored on PSP patients and to describe language impairment in relation to PSP disease phenotype and cognitive status. Methods and results Fifty-one PSP [23 with Richardson’s syndrome (PSP-RS), 10 with predominant parkinsonism (PSP-P) and 18 with the other variant syndromes of PSP (vPSP)], 28 PD and 30 HC were enrolled in the present study. By excluding the tasks with poor acceptability (i.e., writing and picture description tasks) and increasing the items related to the remaining tasks, we showed that the PSP-tailored SAND Global Score is an acceptable, consistent and reliable tool to screen language disturbances in PSP. However, we failed to detect major differences in language involvement according to disease phenotype. Differently, we showed that patients with dementia present worse language performances. Conclusions Taking into account specific disease features, the combination of the SAND subscores included in the PSP-tailored SAND better represents language abilities in PSP. Furthermore, we showed that language disturbances feature PSP patients irrespective of disease phenotype, but parallels the deterioration of the global cognitive function.
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Canu E, Agosta F, Imperiale F, Ferraro PM, Fontana A, Magnani G, Mesulam MM, Thompson CK, Weintraub S, Moro A, Cappa SF, Filippi M. Northwestern Anagram Test-Italian (Nat-I) for primary progressive aphasia. Cortex 2019; 119:497-510. [PMID: 31527011 PMCID: PMC6785992 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To test the ability of the Northwestern Anagram Test-Italian (NAT-I) to distinguish between the non-fluent/agrammatic (nfv-) and phonological/logopenic (lv-) variants of primary progressive aphasia (PPA), and to determine the relationship between NAT-I variables and brain integrity in PPA patients. METHODS 13 nfvPPA and 8 lvPPA patients underwent the 44-item-version of NAT-I and brain MRI. The NAT-I was also administered to six patients with the semantic variant (sv) PPA to sample performance in cases with no grammatical deficits. Performances were recorded and compared between patient groups. Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis assessed the ability of NAT-I to discriminate nfvPPA and lvPPA. The correlation between anatomical changes and NAT-I variables were assessed. A shortened (22-item)-version of NAT-I was also tested for classification ability. RESULTS Participants with NfvPPA performed more poorly than lvPPA patients on canonical and non-canonical sentences. NAT-I non-canonical sentence and total scores achieved the highest diagnostic accuracy in discriminating the two patient groups (area under the curve: .93 and .91, respectively). SvPPA participants showed performances similar to lvPPA. NAT-I variables correlated with the integrity of the left inferior frontal gyrus and the body of the corpus callosum. The NAT-I 22-item-version total and non-canonical sentences scores reached diagnostic accuracy comparable to the full version. CONCLUSIONS The NAT-I, in particular the measure of non-canonical syntax, is an effective tool for distinguishing nfvPPA and lvPPA patients and correlated with the integrity of crucial brain regions implicated in syntactic processing. The 22-item-brief version of NAT-I is suitable for clinical practice and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Canu
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Agosta
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Imperiale
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Pilar M Ferraro
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Fontana
- Unit of Biostatistics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Magnani
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Marek-Marsel Mesulam
- Mesulam Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Cynthia K Thompson
- Mesulam Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Neurology, Northwestern University, Evanston/Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sandra Weintraub
- Mesulam Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Stefano F Cappa
- IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy; IRCCS S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
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Battista P, Capozzo R, Rizzo G, Zecca C, Anastasia A, De Blasi R, Logroscino G. Early pathological gambling in co-occurrence with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia: a case report. Clin Interv Aging 2019; 14:727-733. [PMID: 31114177 PMCID: PMC6497882 DOI: 10.2147/cia.s197484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
We have comprehensively documented a case of semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia (sv-PPA) presenting with early-onset pathological gambling (PG). While a growing number of studies have shown the presence of behavioral alterations in patients with sv-PPA, PG has been observed only in the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bv-FTD). To date, no case of PG with the co-occurrence of prominent semantic deficits at the onset of the disease has been reported in the literature. Impulse disorders at onset may wrongly lead to a misdiagnosis (ie, psychiatric disorders). Therefore, a wider characterization of cognitive/aphasia symptoms in patients presenting impulse disorders and predominant language dysfunctions is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petronilla Battista
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri-SPA SB. I.R.C.C.S. Institute of Cassano Murge, Bari, Italy
- Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, “Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico”, Tricase, Italy
| | - Rosa Capozzo
- Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, “Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico”, Tricase, Italy
| | - Giovanni Rizzo
- UOC Clinica Neurologica, IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Chiara Zecca
- Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, “Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico”, Tricase, Italy
| | - Antonio Anastasia
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Pia Fondazione di Culto e Religione “Card.G.Panico”, Tricase, Italy
| | - Roberto De Blasi
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Pia Fondazione di Culto e Religione “Card.G.Panico”, Tricase, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Logroscino
- Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, “Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico”, Tricase, Italy
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
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Catricalà E, Boschi V, Cuoco S, Galiano F, Picillo M, Gobbi E, Miozzo A, Chesi C, Esposito V, Santangelo G, Pellecchia MT, Borsa VM, Barone P, Garrard P, Iannaccone S, Cappa SF. The language profile of progressive supranuclear palsy. Cortex 2019; 115:294-308. [PMID: 30884283 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A progressive speech/language disorder, such as the non fluent/agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia and progressive apraxia of speech, can be due to neuropathologically verified Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). The prevalence of linguistic deficits and the linguistic profile in PSP patients who present primarily with a movement disorder is unknown. In the present study, we investigated speech and language performance in a sample of clinically diagnosed PSP patients using a comprehensive language battery, including, besides traditional language tests, a detailed analysis of connected speech (picture description task assessing 26 linguistic features). The aim was to identify the most affected linguistic levels in seventeen PSP with a movement disorder presentation, compared to 21 patients with Parkinson's disease and 27 healthy controls. Machine learning methods were used to detect the most relevant language tests and linguistic features characterizing the language profile of PSP patients. Our results indicate that even non-clinically aphasic PSP patients have subtle language deficits, in particular involving the lexical-semantic and discourse levels. Patients with the Richardson's syndrome showed a lower performance in the word comprehension task with respect to the other PSP phenotypes with predominant frontal presentation, parkinsonism and progressive gait freezing. The present findings support the usefulness of a detailed language assessment in all patients in the PSP spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sofia Cuoco
- Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, Italy
| | | | - Marina Picillo
- Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Elena Gobbi
- IRCCS San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Miozzo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Cristiano Chesi
- NEtS Center, School of Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Valentina Esposito
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Santangelo
- Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Pellecchia
- Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Virginia M Borsa
- NEtS Center, School of Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy; NEUROFARBA - Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Psicologia, Area del Farmaco e Salute del Bambino, Università di Firenze, Florence, Italy
| | - Paolo Barone
- Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Neuroscience Section, University of Salerno, Italy
| | - Peter Garrard
- Neuroscience Research Centre, St George's-University of London, London, UK
| | - Sandro Iannaccone
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano F Cappa
- NEtS Center, School of Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, Pavia, Italy; IRCCS San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
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Siciliano M, Chiorri C, Passaniti C, Sant'Elia V, Trojano L, Santangelo G. Comparison of alternate and original forms of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA): an Italian normative study. Neurol Sci 2019; 40:691-702. [PMID: 30637545 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-019-3700-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a screening test widely used in clinical practice and suited for detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment. Alternate forms of the MoCA were developed to avoid "learning effect" in serial assessments, and the present study aimed at investigating inter-form parallelism and at providing normative values for the Italian versions of MoCAs 2 and 3. METHOD Three separate convenience samples were recruited: the first (n = 78) completed three alternate MoCA versions for ascertaining inter-form parallelism; the second (n = 302) and the third (n = 413) samples were administered MoCA 2 or 3 to compute normative data. RESULTS A three-step procedure complemented by confirmatory factor analysis and a mixed factorial ANOVA suggested that the three MoCA versions are not strictly parallel. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age and education significantly influenced MoCA 2 and 3 total scores. No significant effect of sex was found. From the derived linear equation, correction grids for MoCA 2 and 3 raw scores were built and equivalent scores computed. Inferential cutoff for adjusted scores, estimated using a non-parametric technique, were 17.49 for MoCA 2 and 18.34 for MoCA 3. Correlation analysis showed strong correlations of MoCA 2 (r = 0.69, p < .001) and MoCA 3 (r = 0.61, p < .001) adjusted total scores with MMSE adjusted scores. CONCLUSION The three MoCA forms are not strictly parallel. Specifically developed normative data must be adopted for using MoCA in serial cognitive assessments for clinical and research studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Siciliano
- Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences - MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138, Naples, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Carlo Chiorri
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Carla Passaniti
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Valeria Sant'Elia
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Luigi Trojano
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
| | - Gabriella Santangelo
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy
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45
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Regression-based normative data and equivalent scores for Trail Making Test (TMT): an updated Italian normative study. Neurol Sci 2018; 40:469-477. [DOI: 10.1007/s10072-018-3673-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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46
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Montembeault M, Brambati SM, Gorno-Tempini ML, Migliaccio R. Clinical, Anatomical, and Pathological Features in the Three Variants of Primary Progressive Aphasia: A Review. Front Neurol 2018; 9:692. [PMID: 30186225 PMCID: PMC6110931 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary progressive aphasias (PPA) are neurodegenerative diseases clinically characterized by an early and relatively isolated language impairment. Three main clinical variants, namely the nonfluent/agrammatic variant (nfvPPA), the semantic variant (svPPA), and the logopenic variant (lvPPA) have been described, each with specific linguistic/cognitive deficits, corresponding anatomical and most probable pathological features. Since the discovery and the development of diagnostic criteria for the PPA variants by the experts in the field, significant progress has been made in the understanding of these diseases. This review aims to provide an overview of the literature on each of the PPA variant in terms of their clinical, anatomical and pathological features, with a specific focus on recent findings. In terms of clinical advancements, recent studies have allowed a better characterization and differentiation of PPA patients based on both their linguistic and non-linguistic profiles. In terms of neuroimaging, techniques such as diffusion imaging and resting-state fMRI have allowed a deeper understanding of the impact of PPA on structural and functional connectivity alterations beyond the well-defined pattern of regional gray matter atrophy. Finally, in terms of pathology, despite significant advances, clinico-pathological correspondence in PPA remains far from absolute. Nonetheless, the improved characterization of PPA has the potential to have a positive impact on the management of patients. Improved reliability of diagnoses and the development of reliable in vivo biomarkers for underlying neuropathology will also be increasingly important in the future as trials for etiology-specific treatments become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Montembeault
- INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, and Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), FrontLab, Paris, France.,Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Simona M Brambati
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Maria Luisa Gorno-Tempini
- Memory and Aging Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Raffaella Migliaccio
- INSERM U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, and Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), FrontLab, Paris, France.,Department of Neurology, Institut de la Mémoire et de la Maladie d'Alzheimer (IM2A), Paris, France
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47
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News on the journal Neurological Sciences in 2017. Neurol Sci 2018; 39:15-21. [PMID: 29327225 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-017-3241-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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