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Wu X, Yan Y, Hu P, Wang L, Wu Y, Wu P, Geng Z, Xiao G, Zhou S, Ji G, Qiu B, Wei L, Tian Y, Liu H, Wang K. Effects of a periodic intermittent theta burst stimulation in Alzheimer's disease. Gen Psychiatr 2024; 37:e101106. [PMID: 38274292 PMCID: PMC10806514 DOI: 10.1136/gpsych-2023-101106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Previous studies have demonstrated that excitatory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can improve the cognitive function of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) is a novel excitatory rTMS protocol for brain activity stimulation with the ability to induce long-term potentiation-like plasticity and represents a promising treatment for AD. However, the long-term effects of iTBS on cognitive decline and brain structure in patients with AD are unknown. Aims We aimed to explore whether repeating accelerated iTBS every three months could slow down the cognitive decline in patients with AD. Methods In this randomised, assessor-blinded, controlled trial, iTBS was administered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of 42 patients with AD for 14 days every 13 weeks. Measurements included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, and the grey matter volume (GMV) of the hippocampus. Patients were evaluated at baseline and after follow-up. The longitudinal pipeline of the Computational Anatomy Toolbox for SPM was used to detect significant treatment-related changes over time. Results The iTBS group maintained MoCA scores relative to the control group (t=3.26, p=0.013) and reduced hippocampal atrophy, which was significantly correlated with global degeneration scale changes. The baseline Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, apolipoprotein E genotype and Clinical Dementia Rating were indicative of MoCA scores at follow-up. Moreover, the GMV of the left (t=0.08, p=0.996) and right (t=0.19, p=0.977) hippocampus were maintained in the active group but significantly declined in the control group (left: t=4.13, p<0.001; right: t=5.31, p<0.001). GMV change in the left (r=0.35, p=0.023) and right (r=0.36, p=0.021) hippocampus across the intervention positively correlated with MoCA changes; left hippocampal GMV change was negatively correlated with global degeneration scale (r=-0.32, p=0.041) changes. Conclusions DLPFC-iTBS may be a feasible and easy-to-implement non-pharmacological intervention to slow down the progressive decline of overall cognition and quality of life in patients with AD, providing a new AD treatment option. Trial registration number NCT04754152.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingqi Wu
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yibing Yan
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Panpan Hu
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yue Wu
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Department of Psychology and Sleep Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Pan Wu
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zhi Geng
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Guixian Xiao
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Department of Psychology and Sleep Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Shanshan Zhou
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Gongjun Ji
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Bensheng Qiu
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Ling Wei
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yanghua Tian
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Department of Psychology and Sleep Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hesheng Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, Anhui, China
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Alves M, Pinheiro Ramos C, Durães D, Mendes S, Gamito A. Neurosyphilis-Induced Folie À Deux: A Case of Prolonged Psychosis. Cureus 2023; 15:e46375. [PMID: 37920639 PMCID: PMC10619995 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46375] [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] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurosyphilis presentations can include psychiatric symptoms such as psychosis, mania, depression, or changes in personality. Therefore, it can lead to a misdiagnosis with psychiatric disorders. The diagnosis is particularly difficult in a subset of patients whose psychotic symptoms are developed as a manifestation of the disease later in life. With the aim to highlight the importance of considering neurosyphilis in the differential diagnosis of late psychosis, it is presented the clinical case of a folie à deux from a Portuguese 69-year-old man, who presented symptoms of psychosis in the emergency room, ultimately diagnosed with neurosyphilis. A selective review of the literature was made using the Pubmed database, with "neurosyphilis", "psychosis", "syphilis", and "folie à deux" as keywords. Patient consent was obtained for the use of clinical data. Neurosyphilis represents the most severe consequence of an untreated syphilis infection and there is a need in the scientific community to establish tools to enhance the precision of diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Alves
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Setúbal Hospital Centre, Setúbal, PRT
| | - Cátia Pinheiro Ramos
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Setúbal Hospital Centre, Setúbal, PRT
| | - Diana Durães
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Setúbal Hospital Centre, Setúbal, PRT
| | - Susana Mendes
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Setúbal Hospital Centre, Setúbal, PRT
| | - António Gamito
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Setúbal Hospital Centre, Setúbal, PRT
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Djukic M, Eiffert H, Lange P, Giotaki I, Seele J, Nau R. Serological testing for syphilis in the differential diagnosis of cognitive decline and polyneuropathy in geriatric patients. BMC Geriatr 2023; 23:274. [PMID: 37147588 PMCID: PMC10161663 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-03981-4] [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: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the 19th century, neurosyphilis was the most frequent cause of dementia in Western Europe. Now dementia caused by syphilis has become rare in Germany. We studied whether routine testing of patients with cognitive abnormalities or neuropathy for antibodies against Treponema pallidum has therapeutic consequences in geriatric patients. METHODS A Treponema pallidum electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (TP-ECLIA) is routinely performed in all in-patients treated at our institution with cognitve decline or neuropathy and no or insufficient previous diagnostic workup. Patients with a positive TP-ECLIA treated from October 2015 to January 2022 (76 months) were retrospectively evaluated. In cases of positive TP-ECLIA, further specific laboratory investigations were performed to assess whether antibiotic therapy was indicated. RESULTS In 42 of 4116 patients (1.0%), TP-ECLIA detected antibodies directed against Treponema in serum. Specifity of these antibodies was ensured by immunoblot in 22 patients (11 × positiv, 11 × borderline values). Treponema-specific IgM was detectable in the serum of one patient, in 3 patients the Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) test, a modified Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test (VDRL), in serum was positiv. CSF analysis was performed in 10 patients. One patient had CSF pleocytosis. In 2 other patients, the Treponema-specific IgG antibody index was elevated. 5 patients received antibiotic therapy (4 × ceftriaxone 2 g/d i.v., 1 × doxycycline 300 mg/d p.o.). CONCLUSION In approx. 1‰ of patients with previously undiagnosed or not sufficiently diagnosed cognitive decline or neuropathy, the diagnostic workup for active syphilis resulted in a course of antibiotic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Djukic
- Institute of Neuropathology, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Geriatrics, Protestant Hospital Göttingen-Weende, An der Lutter 24, Göttingen, 37075, Germany
| | - Helmut Eiffert
- Institute of Neuropathology, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Amedes MVZ for Laboratory Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Infectiology, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter Lange
- Department of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ioanna Giotaki
- Department of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jana Seele
- Institute of Neuropathology, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Geriatrics, Protestant Hospital Göttingen-Weende, An der Lutter 24, Göttingen, 37075, Germany
| | - Roland Nau
- Institute of Neuropathology, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of Geriatrics, Protestant Hospital Göttingen-Weende, An der Lutter 24, Göttingen, 37075, Germany.
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Milano C, Hoxhaj D, Del Chicca M, Pascazio A, Paoli D, Tommasini L, Vergallo A, Pizzanelli C, Tognoni G, Nuti A, Ceravolo R, Siciliano G, Hampel H, Baldacci F. Alzheimer's Disease and Neurosyphilis: Meaningful Commonalities and Differences of Clinical Phenotype and Pathophysiological Biomarkers. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 94:611-625. [PMID: 37334599 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230170] [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] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurosyphilis-associated cognitive and behavioral impairment- historically coined as "general paralysis of the insane"- share clinical and neuroradiological features with the neurodegenerative disease spectrum, in particular Alzheimer's disease (AD). Anatomopathological similarities have been extensively documented, i.e., neuronal loss, fibrillary alterations, and local amyloid-β deposition. Consequently, accurate classification and timely differential diagnosis may be challenging. OBJECTIVE To describe clinical, bio-humoral, brain MRI, FDG-PET, and amyloid-PET features in cases of neurosyphilis with an AD-like phenotypical presentation, as well as clinical outcome in terms of response to antibiotic therapy. METHODS We selected the studies comparing patients with AD and with neurosyphilis associated cognitive impairment, to investigate candidate biomarkers classifying the two neurological diseases. RESULTS The neuropsychological phenotype of general paralysis, characterized by episodic memory impairment and executive disfunction, substantially mimics clinical AD features. Neuroimaging often shows diffuse or medial temporal cortical atrophy, thus contributing to a high rate of misdiagnosis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-based analysis may provide supportive diagnostic value, since increased proteins or cells are often found in neurosyphilis, while published data on pathophysiological AD candidate biomarkers are controversial. Finally, psychometric testing using cross-domain cognitive tests, may highlight a wider range of compromised functions in neurosyphilis, involving language, attention, executive function, and spatial ability, which are atypical for AD. CONCLUSION Neurosyphilis should be considered a potential etiological differential diagnosis of cognitive impairment whenever imaging, neuropsychological or CSF features are atypical for AD, in order to promptly start antibiotic therapy and delay or halt cognitive decline and disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Milano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Domeniko Hoxhaj
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marta Del Chicca
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessia Pascazio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Davide Paoli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Luca Tommasini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Vergallo
- Sorbonne University, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Chiara Pizzanelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gloria Tognoni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Angelo Nuti
- Division of Neurology, Versilia Hospital, Lido di Camaiore, Italy
| | - Roberto Ceravolo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Siciliano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Harald Hampel
- Sorbonne University, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Filippo Baldacci
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Sorbonne University, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
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