DNAJC13 p.Asn855Ser mutation screening in Parkinson's disease and pathologically confirmed Lewy body disease patients

BACKGROUND

Recently, a novel mutation in exon 24 of DNAJC13 gene (p.Asn855Ser, rs387907571) has been reported to cause autosomal dominant Parkinson's disease (PD) in a multi-incident Mennonite family.

METHODS

In the present study the mutation containing exon of the DNAJC13 gene has been sequenced in a Caucasian series consisting of 1938 patients with clinical PD and 838 with pathologically diagnosed Lewy body disease (LBD).

RESULTS

Our sequence analysis did not identify any coding variants in exon 24 of DNAJC13. Two previously described variants in intron 23 (rs200204728 and rs2369796) were observed.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that the region surrounding the DNAJC13 p.Asn855Ser substitution is highly conserved and mutations in this exon are not a common cause of PD or LBD among Caucasian populations.

EFNS-ENS Guidelines on the diagnosis and management of disorders associated with dementia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The last version of the EFNS dementia guidelines is from 2007. In 2010, the revised guidelines for Alzheimer's disease (AD) were published. The current guidelines involve the revision of the dementia syndromes outside of AD, notably vascular cognitive impairment, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, dementia with Lewy bodies, corticobasal syndrome, progressive supranuclear palsy, Parkinson's disease dementia, Huntington's disease, prion diseases, normal-pressure hydrocephalus, limbic encephalitis and other toxic and metabolic disorders. The aim is to present a peer-reviewed evidence-based statement for the guidance of practice for clinical neurologists, geriatricians, psychiatrists and other specialist physicians responsible for the care of patients with dementing disorders. It represents a statement of minimum desirable standards for practice guidance.

METHODS

The task force working group reviewed evidence from original research articles, meta-analyses and systematic reviews, published by June 2011. The evidence was classified (I, II, III, IV) and consensus recommendations graded (A, B, or C) according to the EFNS guidance. Where there was a lack of evidence, but clear consensus, good practice points were provided.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

New recommendations and good practice points are made for clinical diagnosis, blood tests, neuropsychology, neuroimaging, electroencephalography, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, genetic testing, disclosure of diagnosis, treatment of behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia, legal issues, counselling and support for caregivers. All recommendations were revised as compared with the previous EFNS guidelines. The specialist neurologist together with primary care physicians play an important role in the assessment, interpretation and treatment of symptoms, disability and needs of dementia patients.

Dementia after DBS Surgery: A Case Report and Literature Review

We report the case history of a 75-year-old woman with Parkinson's disease who developed severe cognitive problems after deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the bilateral subthalamic nuclei (STN). After a brief cognitive improvement, the patient gradually deteriorated until she developed full-blown dementia. We discuss the case with respect to the cognitive effects of STN DBS and the possible risk factors of dementia after STN DBS surgery.

Functional neuroanatomy of vocalization in patients with Parkinson's disease

In Parkinson's disease (PD) both speech production and self-monitoring of voiced speech are altered.

METHODS

In our previous study we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine which brain areas are involved in overt reading in nine female PD patients (mean age 66.0 ± 11.6 years) compared with eight age-matched healthy female controls (mean age 62.2 years ± 12.3). Here we performed the post-hoc seed-based functional connectivity analysis of our data to assess the functional connectivity between the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG; i.e. the core subcortical structure involved in human vocalization) and other brain regions in the same groups of PD patients and controls.

RESULTS

In PD patients as compared with controls we observed increased connectivity between PAG and basal ganglia, posterior superior temporal gyrus, supramarginal and fusiform gyri and inferior parietal lobule on the right side. In the PD group, the connectivity strength in the right putamen and the right sypramarginal gyrus was correlated with variability of pitch while the connectivity strength in the right posterior superior temporal gyrus and in the right inferior parietal lobule was correlated with speech loudness.

CONCLUSION

We observed functional reorganization in PD patients as compared with controls in both the motor basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuitry and cortical areas known to be engaged in-auditory and somatosensory feedback control of voiced speech. These changes were hemisphere-specific and might either reflect effects of dopaminergic treatment or at least partially successful compensatory mechanisms involved in early-stage PD.

Instrumental activities of daily living in Parkinson's disease dementia as compared with Alzheimer's disease: relationship to motor disability and cognitive deficits: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to assess which clinical factors contribute most to the impairment of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in patients with dementia in Parkinson's disease (PDD) as compared to age- and dementia duration-matched patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

METHODS

Eighteen consecutive subjects (16 men, 2 women) with PDD and 30 age- and dementia duration-matched subjects with AD (13 men, 17 women) were recruited. The groups were not matched for their Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score. Neuropsychiatric, cognitive and motor data were collected in a routine clinical setting using the MMSE, four brief tests of the seven minute screen (i.e. the Benton Temporal Orientation, Grober and Buschke's enhanced cued recall, verbal fluency, and the clock drawing test), the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, a modified version of the Hoehn and Yahr scale and a Czech modified version of Lawton's IADL questionnaire. The IADL scores were correlated with clinical variables in each group.

RESULTS

There were no differences in IADL abilities between both groups. A significant association was found between IADL and cognitive impairment as measured by screening tests in the AD group. In the PDD group, IADL scores were particularly correlated with PD duration (r=-0.73, p<0.01) and the Hoehn and Yahr score (r=-0.59, p<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Our pilot study results show that motor deficits remain the major contributor to IADL impairment in PDD.

EFNS guidelines for the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

In 2008 a task force was set up to develop a revision of the European Federation of the Neurological Societies (EFNS) guideline for the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other disorders associated with dementia, published in early 2007. The aim of this revised international guideline was to present a peer-reviewed evidence-based statement for the guidance of practice for clinical neurologists, geriatricians, psychiatrists, and other specialist physicians responsible for the care of patients with AD. Mild cognitive impairment and non-Alzheimer dementias are not included in this guideline.

METHODS

The task force working group reviewed evidence from original research articles, meta-analysis, and systematic reviews, published before May 2009. The evidence was classified and consensus recommendations graded (A, B, or C) according to the EFNS guidance. Where there was a lack of evidence, but clear consensus, good practice points were provided.

RESULTS

The recommendations for clinical diagnosis, blood tests, neuropsychology, neuroimaging, electroencephalography, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, genetic testing, disclosure of diagnosis, treatment of AD, behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia, legal issues, counselling and support for caregivers were all revised as compared with the previous EFNS guideline.

CONCLUSION

A number of new recommendations and good practice points are made, namely in CSF, neuropsychology, neuroimaging and reviewing non-evidence based therapies. The assessment, interpretation, and treatment of symptoms, disability, needs, and caregiver stress during the course of AD require the contribution of many different professionals. These professionals should adhere to these guideline to improve the diagnosis and management of AD.

Neurocognitive Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Patients with Cerebrovascular Disease Without Dementia

Aims: The results of our pilot study suggested that one session of high frequency rTMS applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) might induce measurable positive effects on executive functioning in patients with mild cognitive impairment of the vascular type without dementia (MCI-V). The aims of the current study were to replicate the results of our pilot study using a frameless stereotaxy as opposed to the standard and routinely used procedure. We also studied the effects of low frequency rTMS. Patients and method: Seven patients with MCI-V participated in a randomized, controlled, blind study with a crossover design. Each patient received 10 Hz and 1 Hz stimulation over the left DLPFC (an active stimulation site) or the motor cortex (MC; a control stimulation site). Frameless stereotaxy was used to target the DLPFC. The order of sites and frequencies was randomized. A short battery of neuropsychological tests was performed to evaluate executive function, working memory, and psychomotor speed. Results: One session of both high and low frequency rTMS was well tolerated and safe in terms of the cognitive after-effects in patients with MCI-V. We did not observe any significant frequency dependent or stimulation site-dependent cognitive effects of rTMS. Conclusion: We found neither positive nor negative significant effect of either low or high frequency rTMS applied over the DLPFC or the MC, while a mild positive site-specific effect of 10 Hz rTMS was observed in our pilot study on the Stroop interference results. These results suggested that MCI-V is a heterogeneous and poorly defined entity and, thus, rTMS might be useful in a subpopulation of this group of patients.

Anterior opercular syndrome in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-only immunoreactive neuronal changes

This paper presents for the first time an anterior opercular syndrome in association with a gait disorder, dropped head syndrome, dysphagia, and sialorrhea in a neuropathologically proven case of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin inclusions.

Cognitive functioning after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with cerebrovascular disease without dementia: a pilot study of seven patients

AIMS

Examine whether one session of high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) would induce any measurable cognitive changes in patients with cerebrovascular disease and mild cognitive deficits.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

Seven patients with cerebrovascular disease and mild executive dysfunction entered the randomised, controlled, blinded study with a crossover design. rTMS was applied either over the left DLPFC (an active stimulation site) or over the left motor cortex (MC; a control stimulation site) in one session. Each patient participated in both stimulation sessions (days 1 and 4) and the order of stimulation sites (DLPFC or MC) was randomised. A short battery of neuropsychological tests was performed by a blinded psychologist prior to and after each rTMS session. Psychomotor speed, executive function, and memory were evaluated.

RESULTS

The only mild but significant stimulation site-specific effect of rTMS was observed in the Stroop interference results (i.e. improvement) after the stimulation of DLPFC but not MC in comparison with the baseline scores (Wilcoxon, Z=-2.03, p=0.04). Patients improved in the digit symbols subtest of the Wechsler adult intelligence scale-revised after both rTMS sessions regardless of the stimulation site (DLPFC or MC; Z=-2.06, p=0.04 and Z=-2.06, p=0.04, respectively). There was no measurable effect of rTMS in any other neuropsychological test.

CONCLUSION

Our pilot study results showed that one session of the high frequency rTMS applied over the left DLPFC was safe in patients with cerebrovascular disease and mild executive deficits, and may induce measurable positive effects on executive functioning.