BrainBlog

The British Psychological Society's (BPS) Research Digest blog has an interesting post about a study that concerns itself with giving route directions: link

de Jong LW, van der Hiele K, Veer IM, Houwing JJ, Westendorp RG, Bollen EL, de Bruin PW, Middelkoop HA, van Buchem MA, & van der Grond J. Strongly reduced volumes of putamen and thalamus in Alzheimer's disease: An MRI study. Brain. 2008 Nov 20. Department of Radiology, Section Neuropsychology of the Department of Neurology, Department of Medical Statistics, Department of Geriatrics and Department of Neurology of the Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. Atrophy is regarded a sensitive marker of neurodegenerative pathology. In addition to confirming the well-known presence of decreased global grey matter and hippocampal volumes in Alzheimer's disease, this study investigated whether deep grey matter structure also suffer degeneration in Alzheimer's disease, and whether such degeneration is associated with cognitive deterioration. In this cross-sectional correlation study, two groups were compared on volumes of seven subcortical regions: 70 memory...

From an NIH press release earlier today: Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) Study Fails To Show Benefit in Preventing Dementia in the Elderly The dietary supplement Ginkgo biloba was found to be ineffective in reducing the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older people, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association1. Researchers led by Stephen T. DeKosky, M.D., formerly of the University of Pittsburgh, vice president and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, conducted the trial known as the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study at four clinical sites over the course of 8 years. GEM is the largest clinical trial ever to evaluate ginkgo's effect on the occurrence of dementia. This research was co-funded by five components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM); National Institute on Aging (NIA); National Heart, Lu...

Pratt LA, Weeks JD, & Goulding MR. Measures of cognitive functioning in the 1994-2000 Second Longitudinal Study of Aging . National Health Statistics Reports. 2008 Jul 7; (2): 1-15. US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD 20782, USA. OBJECTIVES: This report describes in detail the measures of cognitive functioning administered in the Second Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA II) and proposes a three-category cognitive impairment variable for analysts' use that is derived from the individual measures. METHODS: LSOA II self-respondents completed an 11-question cognitive functioning measure based on the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status (TICS) instrument. Proxy respondents answered nine questions drawn from the short Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE). Using cut points provided in the literature as a guide, a single three-level categorical...

"Neuroscience 2008" --- The 38th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience , is scheduled for 15-19 November 2008 in Washington, D.C. The location is the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Conference website .

Becker RE & Greig NH. Alzheimer's disease drug development in 2008 and beyond: Problems and opportunities. Current Alzheimer Research . 2008 Aug; 5(4): 346-357. Drug Design & Development Section, Laboratory of Neurosciences, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. Recently, a number of Alzheimer's disease (AD) multi-center clinical trials (CT) have failed to provide statistically significant evidence of drug efficacy. To test for possible design or execution flaws we analyzed in detail CTs for two failed drugs that were strongly supported by preclinical evidence and by proven CT AD efficacy for other drugs in their class. Studies of the failed commercial trials suggest that methodological flaws may contribute to the failures and that these flaws lurk within current drug development practices ready to impact other AD drug development [1]. To identify and counter risks we considered the relevance...

A press release from the NIH earlier today: NIA and McKnight Brain Research Foundation Join Forces to Support Cognitive Aging Research The Research Partnership in Cognitive Aging is a newly launched public-private effort to support current and emerging research on age-related changes in the brain and cognition. Jointly funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the McKnight Brain Research Foundation , through the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), this effort is expected to award an estimated $20 million in research grants over the next five years. The research partnership is aimed at expanding understanding of how we think, learn and remember with age and at developing interventions to maintain cognitive health as we grow older. Read the full release

Christodoulou C, Junghaenel DU, Dewalt DA, Rothrock N, & Stone AA. Cognitive interviewing in the evaluation of fatigue items: Results from the patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS). Quality of Life Research. 2008 Oct 12. [Epub ahead of print] Department of Neurology, HSC T12-028, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8121. OBJECTIVES: Cognitive Interviewing (CI) is a technique increasingly used to obtain respondent feedback on potential items during questionnaire development. No standard guidelines exist by which to incorporate CI feedback in deciding to retain, revise, or eliminate potential items. We used CI in developing fatigue items for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Roadmap initiative. Our aims were to describe the CI process, formally evaluate the utility of decisions made on the basis of CI, and offer suggestions for future research. METHODS: Participants were ...

Today is election day in Canada. Vote! Here is a discussion of one of the health care issues in Canada: a shortage in the number of physicians: From The CBC: Why MDs are scarce and what can be done about it Read the article

From The BBC: Internet use 'good for the brain' Read the full article [snip] Lead researcher Professor Gary Small said: "The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults. "Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function." The latest study was based on 24 volunteers aged between 55 and 76. Half were experienced internet users, the rest were not. Each volunteer underwent a brain scan while performing web searches and book-reading tasks. Both types of task produced evidence of significant activity in regions of the brain controlling language, reading, memory and visual abilities. However, the web search task produced significant additional activity in separate areas of the brain which control decision-making and complex reasoning - but only in those who were experienced web users. The researchers ...

Tinetti ME, McAvay GJ, Fried TR, Allore HG, Salmon JC, Foody JM, Bianco L, Ginter S, & Fraenkel L. Health outcome priorities among competing cardiovascular, fall injury, and medication-related symptom outcomes. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2008 Aug; 56(8): 1409-1416. Epub 2008 Jul 24. Department of Internal Medicine and Epidemiology, New Haven, Connecticut 06504, USA. OBJECTIVES: To determine the priority that older adults with coexisting hypertension and fall risk give to optimizing cardiovascular outcomes versus fall- and medication symptom-related outcomes. DESIGN: Interview. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred twenty-three cognitively intact persons aged 70 and older with hypertension and fall risk. MEASUREMENTS: Discrete choice task was used to elicit the relative importance placed on reducing the risk of three outcomes: cardiovascular events, serious fall injuries, and medication symptoms. Risk estimates with and without antihypertensive medication...

From the Nobel Prize website: Announcement of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The names of the year's Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine are announced during a press conference at the Nobel Forum, Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. The announcement is webcast live here at Nobelprize.org ! The 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine will be announced on Monday, October 6, 11:30 a.m. CET (at the earliest).

From a company press release : September 30, 2008 Media Contact: Greg Kelley, Feinstein Kean Healthcare (+++) +++-++++ Link Medicine Completes $40 million Series C Financing to Accelerate Development of First Disease-Modifying Treatments for Neurodegenerative Disorders Co-led by Clarus Ventures and SV Life Sciences,the Financing will Advance Preclinical and Clinical Programs CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Link Medicine Corporation , a privately held biotechnology company advancing novel approaches for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, announced today that it has obtained $40 million of Series C equity financing to help move its lead preclinical programs into human clinical testing. The round was funded by two leading biotechnology investors - Clarus Ventures and SV Life Sciences. Link Medicine, founded in March 2005, is focused on developing the first disease-modifying therapies for the treatment of several neurodegenerative diseases - including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Hunting...

Llambí L, Margolis A, Toews J, Dapueto J, Esteves E, Martínez E, Forster T, López A, & Lockyer J. Distance education for physicians: Adaptation of a Canadian experience to Uruguay. Journal of Continuing Education for Health Professionals. 2008 Spring; 28(2): 79-85. EviMed, Montevideo, Uruguay. INTRODUCTION: The production of online high-quality continuing professional development is a complex process that demands familiarity with effective program and content design. Collaboration and sharing across nations would appear to be a reasonable way to improve quality, increase access, and reduce costs. METHODS: In this case report, the process of adapting and modifying a course to improve the management of Alzheimer's disease developed for the Canadian context for use in Uruguay is described. RESULTS: Both quantitative and qualitative data on the process are shown. The original course was developed by the University of Calgary in the 1990s, and taught initially face to face and la...

Benzion Beilin; Dan Hoofien; Ravit Poran; Inbal Gral; Galina Grinevich; Berta Butin; Eduard Mayburd; & Yehuda Shavit. Comparison of two patient-controlled analgesia techniques on neuropsychological functioning in the immediate postoperative period. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, Volume 30, Issue 6, August 2008, 674-682. Pain may contribute to cognitive decline, which is a common complication in the early postoperative period. We compared the effects of two common pain management techniques, intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA-IV) and patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA), on cognitive functioning in the immediate postoperative period. Patients hospitalized for elective surgery were randomly assigned to one of the treatment groups (30 patients per group). A battery of objective, standardized neuropsychological tests was administered preoperatively and 24 hours after surgery. Pain intensity was also evaluated. Nonoperated volunteers se...

The annual meeting of the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) occurs next month in midtown Manhattan. Here is the conference's webpage: Link

From the CBC : Brain banks: Crucial for research, clamouring for donors Last Updated: Monday, September 22, 2008 | 7:56 AM ET By Gloria Troyer CBC News Read the full article [snip] Brain banks. The work they do is not widely publicized — most people who consider signing donor cards think along the lines of organs such as the hearts and kidneys for transplant — but it's crucial for many researchers trying to understand the causes and characteristics of myriad diseases. "Brain donations and brain banks are absolutely essential to neurological and psychiatric research," says Dr. Margaret Fahnestock, professor of neuroscience in the department of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences at McMaster University in Hamilton. "One of the main reasons is that there are few to no good cellular or animal models of most neuropsychiatric conditions — schizophrenia and autism, for example," she says. "This is because we currently have a poor understanding of the cellular...

Frings L, Wagner K, Maiwald T, Carius A, Schinkel A, Lehmann C, & Schulze-Bonhage A. Early detection of behavioral side effects of antiepileptic treatment using handheld computers. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2008 Aug; 13(2) :402-406. Epilepsy Center, University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. OBJECTIVE: Treatment-emergent side effects are frequent events, particularly during the uptitration of antiepileptic drugs. So far, monitoring of such adverse events in outpatients has often been limited to intervals of weeks or months. We here report the application of a new device for temporally fine-grained assessment of objective well-being and cognitive performance using personal digital assistants (PDAs). METHODS: Twenty adult patients with epilepsy participated in this pilot study. Ten received add-on treatment with levetiracetam. Ten patients with constant medication served as a control group. Differences between groups with respect to self-rated cognitive condition, psychophysi...

Today is World Alzheimer's Day .

Public release date: 21-Sep-2008 American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Quality assurance programs improve clinical trials Boston – Quality assurance programs like the one at the Quality Assurance Review Center (QARC) in Worcester, Mass. , strengthen the quality of clinical trials, including cooperative groups conducting National Cancer Institute-supported clinical trials, thereby improving the standard of care in cancer patients, according to a study presented September 21, 2008, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 50th Annual Meeting in Boston . The Quality Assurance Program, provided by QARC at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, was founded in 1980. The program's services include site credentialing to ensure that those looking to conduct clinical trials have the expertise, equipment and tools necessary to properly participate in research trials. The Quality Assurance Program also establishes benchmarks to monitor the...

A new podcast weekly: http://www.aan.com/rss/?event=feed&channel=1

Dr. Robert Katzman dies at 82; neuroscientist identified Alzheimer's disease as a 'major killer' By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Los Angeles Times September 20, 2008 Link Dr. Robert Katzman, the UC San Diego neuroscientist who pushed Alzheimer's disease into the public consciousness as a "major killer" and who co-founded the activist Alzheimer's Assn., died Tuesday at his home in La Jolla after a long illness. He was 82. Katzman played a major role in making San Diego one of the major centers for Alzheimer's research in the United States, if not the world, bringing prominent neuroscientists and major funding to a program that had been virtually nonexistent before his arrival in 1984. "His pioneering and, really, revolutionary work in Alzheimer's disease for more than three decades paved the way for clinical trials of potential treatments to delay the onset or progression of the disease being done today," said neuros...

A press release from the University of Pennsylvania: Penn Announces $50 Million Penn Integrates Knowledge Neurosciences Initiative September 18, 2008 PHILADELPHIA –- The University of Pennsylvania will make a major investment in neuroscience, the interdisciplinary study of brain/behavior relationships and nervous-system diseases, with a $50 million contribution from Penn’s Health System to endow five new Penn Integrates Knowledge (PIK) professorships. A portion of this contribution will supply start-up funds for each PIK professorship in neuroscience and will support interdisciplinary neuroscience initiatives involving the School of Medicine and other schools of the University. The announcement was made by Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Ronald Daniels. “This landmark contribution by the Health System represents an extraordinary commitment toward strengthening Penn’s academic programs.” Gutmann said. “With our commitment to integrating knowledge and our formidable teaching and ...

For Immediate Release Contact: Jenni Brewer August 26, 2008 ... PIONEERING NEUROSCIENCES INSTITUTE SETS DATE FOR DEDICATION OF NEW FACILITY AND FIRST-EVER INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON MEMORY AND MEMORY DISORDERS ON OCTOBER 16 WORLD-RENOWNED SCIENTISTS WILL CONVENE TO SHARE CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, MEMORY AND AGING Morgantown, W.Va. - On October 16th, 2008, the new $30 million Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute (BRNI) located on the campus on West Virginia University and founded in honor of U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller's mother, will play host to prominent international scientists who are advancing research on Alzheimer's disease and other memory disorders. The first-ever International Forum on Memory and Memory Disorders will highlight the work of nine celebrated scientists whose research have led to breakthrough advances for the aging brain, Alzheimer's disease, and patients suffering from memory loss and memory disorders. The next day, on O...

From the website, MedGadget: : A Wheelchair with Ears and Brain http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2008/09/a_wheelchair_with_ears_and_brain.html

Jensen MP, Mardekian J, Lakshminarayanan M, & Boye ME. Validity of 24-h recall ratings of pain severity: Biasing effects of "Peak" and "End" pain. Pain. 2008 Jul 15; 137(2): 422-427. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Box 356490, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195-6490, USA. Despite the frequent use of pain recall ratings in clinical research, there remains doubt about the ability of individuals to accurately recall their pain. In particular, previous research indicates the possibility that the most pain experienced during a recall period and the most recent pain experienced (known as peak and end effects, respectively) might bias recall ratings. The current study used data from a published clinical trial to determine the relative validity of a 24-h recall rating of average post-operative pain and the nature and extent of any biasing influence of peak and end effects on nine separate 24-h recall ratings. The results supported a...

Landis BN & Burkhard PR. Phantosmias and Parkinson disease. Archives of Neurology . 2008 Sep; 65(9): 1237-1239. BACKGROUND: Impaired olfaction is a common, nonmotor manifestation of Parkinson disease (PD). However, to our knowledge, qualitative olfactory disturbances, such as odor distortions, have not been extensively reported in this condition. OBJECTIVE: To describe 2 patients who reported positive olfactory symptoms preceding typical PD, which were consistent with olfactory hallucinations (phantosmias) in the absence of major smell deficit. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: University hospital. Patients We describe 2 patients, both seen in 2007, who reported pleasant olfactory hallucinations for several years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Iodine I 123-labeled ioflupane single-photon emission computed tomography and olfactometric testing results. RESULTS: The (123)I-labeled ioflupane single-photon emission computed tomography showed reduced radiotracer uptake in both striatum more marked...

The Alzheimer's Association ICAD 2008 conference begins today and continues through the 31st of July. The conference takes place in Chicago at McCormick Place. Details available at the conference website: ICAD website .

Nutter-Upham KE, Saykin AJ, Rabin LA, Roth RM, Wishart HA, Pare N, Flashman LA. Verbal fluency performance in amnestic MCI and older adults with cognitive complaints. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology . 2008 May; 23(3): 229-241. Neuropsychology Program, Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Medical School/DHMC, Lebanon, NH, USA. Verbal fluency tests are employed regularly during neuropsychological assessments of older adults, and deficits are a common finding in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Little extant research, however, has investigated verbal fluency ability and subtypes in preclinical stages of neurodegenerative disease. We examined verbal fluency performance in 107 older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n=37), cognitive complaints (CC, n=37) despite intact neuropsychological functioning, and demographically matched healthy controls (HC, n=33). Participants completed fluency tasks with letter, semantic category, and semantic switching constrain...

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Memory and Aging Center has recently revised their website and has launched a YouTube channel dedicated to educating patients, caregivers, and health professionals about neurodegenerative diseases and the dementias. The Center has also launched a Facebook webpage. The website can be examined at UCSF website . The YouTube channel - the first one I've heard of dedicated to these topics - can be found at YouTube channel link . As noted by a UCSF contact: "Through the YouTube channel, we also hope to support the caregiver and the caregiver’s loved ones to help them cope with these illnesses. "The channel features UCSF’s renowned clinical-researchers discussing disease characteristics – which are often subtle and not well known, even among members of the medical community. Personal stories of patients and family members are also featured, together with practical advice and coping strategies from healthcare professi...

On the New York Times website: Earlier diagnosis giving Alzheimer's a new voice By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: June 2, 2008 Filed at 4:26 p.m. ET "WASHINGTON (AP) -- Don Hayen has a handy way of deflecting the instant pity that comes when he reveals his Alzheimer's disease: "But I haven't lost my keys all day," he quickly jokes. Hayen is part of a growing new movement in Alzheimer's: Patients diagnosed early enough to still be articulate and demand better care and better research. They are giving a voice to a disease whose victims until now have remained largely silent, and powerless. It's a shift with big ramifications." [ ... Read the full article ... ]

Just finished reading three excellent books with neuro themes, one a work of fiction and the other two are narrative accounts: "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova (available in paperback by iUniverse Press), is a very accurate dramatic fictional account of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. "Insomniac" by Gayle Greene is a great account of the world of insomnia, from the vantage point of individuals living with sleep disorders (including the author) and from the vantage point of the clinical researchers who study the condition and who work on drug development and other facets of diagnosis, understanding, and treatment. Finally, "Can't Remember What I Forgot" by Sue Halpern , self described as a "behind-the-scenes foray into the world of cutting-edge memory research." It lives up to that description and does so in a very readable manner. "Insomniac" is published by the University of California Press and "Can't Remember ......

The Ultimate Cure by David Ewing Duncan CondeNast Portfolio May 2008 "The neurotech industry is engaged in a $2 trillion race to fix your brain. Many players will fail, but the payoff will be huge for those who succeed." [snip] "Neurotech’s returns are already enormous. In 2006, the industry brought in more than $120 billion—about $101 billion from drugs and the rest from neurodevices ($4.5 billion) and neurodiagnostics ($15 billion)—up 10 percent from the previous year, reports NeuroInsights, a market research and investment advisory firm. But industry analysts insist that this figure hardly begins to suggest the potential. For Alzheimer’s, a disease currently without an effective treatment for about 4.5 million sufferers in the U.S., 40 companies—including behemoths like Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, and Wyeth, as well as Targacept and a gaggle of similar upstarts—are testing 48 new drugs in human trials in a quest for the Prozac of dementia. The push has brought many ...

An interesting feature article in tomorrow's New York Times Sunday Magazine : The Sergeant Lost Within By DANIEL BERGNER Published: May 25, 2008 "Roadside bombs have caused hundreds of dire brain injuries to soldiers in Iraq. One of them is Shurvon Phillip, and a team of specialists has worked avidly trying to reach him." A good deal of the article deals with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) . [ ... Read the full article ... ]

Yep - another fine New York Times interview about neuro gymnastics: Boomers, Exercise Your Brains, or Else You’ll...Uh... By KATIE HAFNER Published: May 3, 2008 "The fear of a decaying brain has inspired a mini-industry of products from dietary supplements to computer games." [ ... Read the full article ... ]

The annual meeting of the APS takes place next week in Florida. Visit the conference homepage for details: Link . From the conference homepage: Conference Purpose and Objectives "The 27th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society will offer current information about the diagnosis, treatment, and management of acute pain, chronic cancer and noncancer pain, and recurrent pain. In-depth workshops are planned and are designed to enhance research or clinical skills pertinent to the management of pain; they will feature content appropriate for professionals at several experience levels. "Each year the APS Scientific Program Committee carefully reviews attendees’ evaluations in order to organize a scientific program which addresses a broad range of topics related to pain research and treatment. "Designed for a diverse group of scientists, pain clinicians, and other professionals, the 27th Annual Scientific Meeting features a prominent faculty presenting basic, tran...

In tomorrow's New York Times Sunday Magazine : Total Recall By GARY MARCUS Published: April 13, 2008 "How much would you pay to have a small memory chip implanted in your brain if that chip would double the capacity of your short-term memory? Or guarantee that you would never again forget a face or a name?" [... Read the full article ...]

The AAN conference takes place this week. Look for some interesting reports of dementia pharmaceutical clinical trials. Visit the conference website: [ Link ].

Kranick SM, & Duda JE. Olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. Neurosignals. 2008; 16(1): 35-40. Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Prior to the onset of the cardinal motor features of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), other manifestations of neurodegeneration such as olfactory dysfunction are often apparent. Characterizing these potential biomarkers of preclinical PD is particularly important in identifying individuals who will go on to develop disabling symptoms, and thus be good candidates for new neuroprotective strategies. As shown by the Braak neuropathologic staging of PD, the olfactory system is among the first neuronal populations to display Lewy body pathology. Clinically, loss of smell can be easily tested in the office using several validated techniques and is often helpful to the physician in distinguishing idiopathic PD from other forms of parkinsonism. Recent findings have indicated that a...

Pagonabarraga J, Kulisevsky J, Llebaria G, García-Sánchez C, Pascual-Sedano B, & Gironell A. Parkinson's disease-cognitive rating scale: A new cognitive scale specific for Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders. 2008 Mar 31 [Epub ahead of print]. Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Department, Sant Pau Hospital, Autonomous University of Barcelona, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain. Cognitive defects associated with cortical pathology may be a marker of dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD). There is a need to improve the diagnostic criteria of PD dementia (PDD) and to clarify the cognitive impairment patterns associated with PD. Current neuropsychological batteries designed for PD are focused on fronto-subcortical deficits but are not sensitive for cortical dysfunction. We developed a new scale, the Parkinson's Disease-Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS), that was designed to cover the full spectrum of...

Wittenberg D, Possin KL, Rascovsky K, Rankin KP, Miller BL, & Kramer JH. The Early Neuropsychological and Behavioral Characteristics of Frontotemporal Dementia. Neuropsychological Review. 2008 Feb 29 [Epub ahead of print] Memory and Aging Center, University of California—San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) represent a constellation of disorders that may be overlooked or misdiagnosed, despite being fairly common presenile neurodegenerative diseases. Although the cognitive disorder can be difficult to document, particularly early in the dementia course, neuropsychological evaluation can assist in the diagnosis. Neuropsychologists are in an excellent position to draw from related disciplines like personality theory and social psychology to better assess the types of changes that characterize the prodromal and early phases of the disease. This review summarizes the current state of the field in the diagnosis of FTLD and disc...

Bondi MW, Jak AJ, Delano-Wood L, Jacobson MW, Delis DC, & Salmon DP. Neuropsychological Contributions to the Early Identification of Alzheimer's Disease. Neuropsychological Review. 2008 Mar 18. A wealth of evidence demonstrates that a prodromal period of Alzheimer's disease (AD) exists for some years prior to the appearance of significant cognitive and functional declines required for the clinical diagnosis. This prodromal period of decline is characterized by a number of different neuropsychological and brain changes, and reliable identification of individuals prior to the development of significant clinical symptoms remains a top priority of research. In this review we provide an overview of those neuropsychological changes. In particular, we examine specific domains of cognition that appear to be negatively affected during the prodromal period of AD, and we review newer analytic strategies designed to examine cognitive asymmetries or discrepancies between higher-order ...

From today's New York Times : A Daring Treatment, a Little Girl’s Survival By DENISE GRADY Published: March 18, 2008 Melanie Joy McDaniel is a study subject but also a reminder of how medical research can change lives. [ ... Read the full article ... ]

Karas G, Sluimer J, Goekoop R, van der Flier W, Rombouts S, Vrenken H, Scheltens P, Fox N, & Barkhof F. Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: Structural MR Imaging Findings Predictive of Conversion to Alzheimer Disease. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 2008 Feb 22 [Epub ahead of print]. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Image Analysis Center, Alzheimer Center, and Department of Clinical Neurology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Dementia Research Group, Department of Clinical Neurology, Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Department of Physics and Medical Technology, Alzheimer Center, VU University Medical Center and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands; and Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered by many to be a prodromal phase of Alzheime...

From this week's New Yorker : Numbers Guy Are our brains wired for math? by Jim Holt March 3, 2008 [ ... Read the full article ... ]

From Sunday's New York Times : Daring to Think Differently About Schizophrenia By ALEX BERENSON Published: February 24, 2008 "A new drug aimed at treating schizophrenia turns its focus away from dopamine and instead on the effects of glutamate, another powerful neurotransmitter." [ ... Read the article ... ]

Hill SK, Sweeney JA, Hamer RM, Keefe RS, Perkins DO, Gu H, McEvoy JP, & Lieberman JA. Efficiency of the CATIE and BACS neuropsychological batteries in assessing cognitive effects of antipsychotic treatments in schizophrenia. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. 2008 Mar; 14(2): 209-221. Center for Cognitive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Efficient and reliable assessments of cognitive treatment effects are essential for the comparative evaluation of procognitive effects of pharmacologic therapies. Yet, no studies have addressed the sensitivity and efficiency with which neurocognitive batteries evaluate cognitive abilities before and after treatment. Participants were primarily first episode schizophrenia patients who completed baseline (n = 367) and 12-week (n = 219) assessments with the BACS (Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia) and CATIE (Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effe...

A press release rom the NIH: Genetic Tags Reveal Secrets of Memories’ Staying Power in Mice A better understanding of how memory works is emerging from a newfound ability to link a learning experience in a mouse to consequent changes in the inner workings of its neurons. Researchers, supported in part by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), have developed a way to pinpoint the specific cellular components that sustain a specific memory in genetically-engineered mice. "Remarkably, this research demonstrates a way to untangle precisely which cells and connections are activated by a particular memory," said NIMH Director Thomas Insel, M.D. "We are actually learning the molecular basis of learning and memory." For a memory to last long-term, the neural connections holding it need to be strengthened by incorporating new proteins triggered by the learning. Yet, it's been a mystery how these new proteins — born deep inside...

2008 Center for Bioethics Seminar Series “Ethics and Public Health Emergencies: How Should We Prepare for Pandemic Flu?” Friday, February 8, 2008 12:15–1:30 pm, 3-100 Mayo, University of Minnesota Campus Presented by Debra DeBruin, PhD Director of Education and Assistant Professor, Center for Bioethics; Department of Medicine University of Minnesota Medical School Dr. DeBruin has served as a health policy fellow for the United States Senate, and worked as a consultant to the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine and the National Bioethics Advisory Commission. She has also been a member of a number of working groups relevant to public health, including the Minnesota Privacy and Security Project Solutions Workgroup, the Minnesota Privacy and Security Project Legal Workgroup, the Minnesota Center for Healthcare Ethics’ Pandemic Influenza Ethics Work Group, and the State of Minnesota Department of Administration’s Work Group on Genetic Information. Currently, she is leading...

36th Annual International Neuropsychological Society (INS) Meeting February 6, 2008 to February 9, 2008 Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA Hilton Waikoloa Village Meeting webpage

Baldo JV, Klostermann EC, & Dronkers NF. It's either a cook or a baker: Patients with conduction aphasia get the gist but lose the trace. Brain and Language . 2008 Feb 1 [Epub ahead of print] VA Northern California Health Care System, Center for Aphasia and Related Disorders, 150 Muir Road (126s), Martinez, CA 94553, USA. Patients with conduction aphasia have been characterized as having a short-term memory deficit that leads to relative difficulty on span and repetition tasks. It has also been observed that these same patients often get the gist of what is said to them, even if they are unable to repeat the information verbatim. To study this phenomenon experimentally, patients with conduction aphasia and left hemisphere-injured controls were tested on a repetition recognition task that required them to listen to a sentence and immediately point to one of three sentences that matched it. On some trials, the distractor sentences contained substituted words that were semantica...

From today's New York Times : A Medical Mystery Unfolds in Minnesota By DENISE GRADY Published: February 5, 2008 [snip] By then, November 2007, other cases had begun to turn up. Ultimately, there were 12 — 6 men and 6 women, ranging in age from 21 to 51. Doctors and the plant owner, realizing they had an outbreak on their hands, had already called in the Minnesota Department of Health, which, in turn, sought help from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though the outbreak seemed small, the investigation took on urgency because the disease was serious, and health officials worried that it might indicate a new risk to other workers in meatpacking. “It is important to characterize this because it appears to be a new syndrome, and we don’t truly know how many people may be affected throughout the U.S. or even the world,” said Dr. Jennifer McQuiston, a veterinarian from the disease centers. In early November, Dr. Aaron DeVries, a health department epidemiologist, vi...

From the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on 31 January 2008: Investigation of Progressive Inflammatory Neuropathy Among Swine Slaughterhouse Workers --- Minnesota, 2007---2008 [snip] "This report summarizes an ongoing investigation of PIN, a syndrome that appears to be associated with swine slaughterhouse workers who process pig heads. Several clinical and laboratory features of this illness and the distinctive epidemiology associated with patients appear unique. Pigs slaughtered at plant A have passed inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the investigation has not identified any foodborne risk to the general population. "The investigation in Minnesota indicates that PIN appears associated with having worked at the head table, where a compressed-air device was used to extract pig brains. In the process of blowing compressed air into the pig skull, brain material might have been splattered or even aeros...

Unverzagt FW, Sujuan Gao , Lane KA, Callahan C, Ogunniyi A, Baiyewu O, Gureje O, Hall KS, & Hendrie HC. Mild cognitive dysfunction: An epidemiological perspective with an emphasis on African Americans. Geriatrics Psychiatry & Neurology. 2007 Dec; 20(4): 215-226. Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. This review begins with a historical accounting of the evolution of the concept of mild cognitive dysfunction, including nomenclature and criteria from Kral to Petersen. A critical analysis of the main elements relating to assessment and diagnosis of mild cognitive dysfunction is provided. Methodological limitations in design, measurement, and characterization, especially as they relate to older African Americans, are identified. Data from a 15-year longitudinal study of community-dwelling African Americans in Indianapolis, Indiana, indicate a 23% prevalence of all-cause mild cognitive dysfunction, with approximately 25% pr...

In continued postings here about Away From Her , I note that Julie Christie and Sarah Polley have just been nominated in Academy Award categories Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay, respectively. The screenplay was adapted from a short story written by Alice Munro.

Fleisher AS, Sun S, Taylor C, Ward CP, Gamst AC, Petersen RC, Jack CR, Aisen PS, & Thal LJ. Volumetric MRI vs clinical predictors of Alzheimer disease in mild cognitive impairment. Neurology. 2008 Jan 15; 70(3): 191-199. OBJECTIVE: To compare volumetric MRI of whole brain and medial temporal lobe structures to clinical measures for predicting progression from amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer disease (AD). METHODS: Baseline MRI scans from 129 subjects with amnestic MCI were obtained from participants in the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study group's randomized, placebo-controlled clinical drug trial of donepezil, vitamin E, or placebo. Measures of whole brain, ventricular, hippocampal, and entorhinal cortex volumes were acquired. Participants were followed with clinical and cognitive evaluations until formal criteria for AD were met, or completion of 36 months of follow-up. Logistic regression modeling was done to assess the predictive value of all ...

Today's Science Times section of The New York Times has a good feature article about the daily work of an Occupational Therapist working with patients who have sustained severe traumatic brain injuries. Link to full text of article

Salter KL, Teasell RW, Foley NC, & Jutai JW. Outcome assessment in randomized controlled trials of stroke rehabilitation. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2007 Dec ;86(12): 1007-1012. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, St. Joseph's Healthcare London, London, Canada. The lack of a unified approach to outcome assessment in stroke rehabilitation limits our ability to interpret evidence provided by randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The purpose of this review was to identify outcomes and assessment tools reported in RCTs of stroke rehabilitation interventions as a first step toward consistent assessment of outcomes. Given that the validity of research is linked to reliability and validity of measurement, the relationship between the use of previously developed outcome measures and the methodological quality of RCTs was explored.Electronic literature searches identified RCTs examining stroke rehabilitation therapies from 1968 to 2005. Th...

In continued postings here about Away From Her , I note that yesterday Julie Christie won a Golden Globe award as Best Actress for her performance in the movie. Golden Globe Winners

Okay, sitting in a coffeehouse right now, how could I not choose this abstract! West O, & Roderique-Davies G. Development and initial validation of a caffeine craving questionnaire. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2008 Jan; 22(1):80-91. Department of Psychology, HaSS, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, CF37 1DL, UK. Craving for caffeine has received little empirical attention, despite considerable research into the potential for caffeine dependence. The main aim of this study was to develop, and initially validate, a multi-item, multidimensional instrument to measure cravings for caffeine. Participants were 189 caffeine consumers who completed the Questionnaire of Caffeine Cravings, which was based on the Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU), in one of five naturally occurring periods of abstinence; 1-15 min; 16-120 mins; 3-7 h; 12-48 h and +48 h. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a three-factor solution best described the data; Factor 1 reflected strong desires, intention...