BrainBlog

New pharmacological strategies for treatment of Alzheimer's disease: focus on disease-modifying drugs British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 2011 Oct 28; Salomone S, Caraci F, Leggio GM, Fedotova J, Drago F Abstract Current approved drug treatments for Alzheimer disease (AD) include cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine) and the NMDA receptor antagonist memantine. These drugs provide symptomatic relief but poorly affect the progression of the disease. Drug discovery has been directed, in the last ten years, to develop "disease-modifying drugs" hopefully able to counteract the progression of AD. Because in a chronic, slow progressing pathological process, such as AD, an early start of treatment enhances the chance of success, it is crucial to have biomarkers for early detection of AD-related brain dysfunction, usable before clinical onset. Reliable early biomarkers need therefore to be prospectively tested for predictive accuracy, with specifi...

Predictive value of APOE-ε4 allele for progression from MCI to AD-type dementia: A meta-analysis Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 2011 Oct; 82(10): 1149-1156. Elias-Sonnenschein LS, Viechtbauer W, Ramakers IH, Verhey FR, Visser PJ Abstract BACKGROUND: The identification of subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at high risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is important for prognosis and early intervention. The APOE-ε4 allele is the strongest known genetic risk factor for AD. The authors performed a meta-analysis to establish the predictive accuracy of the APOE-ε4 allele for progression from MCI to AD-type dementia. METHODS: The authors included 35 prospective cohort studies of subjects with MCI, including 6095 subjects, of whom 1236 progressed to AD-type dementia after 2.9 years of follow-up. Pooled estimates of the OR, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), and positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-) were ...

Nitration of tyrosine 10 critically enhances amyloid β aggregation and plaque formation Neuron . 2011 Sep 8; 71(5): 833-844. Kummer MP, Hermes M, Delekarte A, Hammerschmidt T, Kumar S, Terwel D, Walter J, Pape HC, König S, Roeber S, Jessen F, Klockgether T, Korte M, Heneka MT Abstract Part of the inflammatory response in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the upregulation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) resulting in increased NO production. NO contributes to cell signaling by inducing posttranslational protein modifications. Under pathological conditions there is a shift from the signal transducing actions to the formation of protein tyrosine nitration by secondary products like peroxynitrite and nitrogen dioxide. We identified amyloid β (Aβ) as an NO target, which is nitrated at tyrosine 10 (3NTyr(10)-Aβ). Nitration of Aβ accelerated its aggregation and was detected in the core of Aβ plaques of APP/PS1 mice and AD brains. NOS2 deficiency or oral treatment with the NOS2 inh...

There have been a number of excellent papers published over the past month in a number of different journals on the topic of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Looking forward to reading this new paper: An exploration of subgroups of mild cognitive impairment based on cognitive, neuropsychiatric and functional features: analysis of data from the national Alzheimer's coordinating center American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry . 2011 Nov; 19(11): 940-950. Hanfelt JJ, Wuu J, Sollinger AB, Greenaway MC, Lah JJ, Levey AI, Goldstein FC Abstract OBJECTIVES: : To empirically expand the existing subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by incorporating information on neuropsychiatric and functional features, and to assess whether cerebrovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are associated with any of these subgroups. DESIGN: : Latent class analysis using 1,655 patients with MCI. SETTING: : Participants in the Uniform Data Set (UDS) from 29 National Institutes of Health-supported Alzheimer...

Everyday verbal memory and pediatric epilepsy Epilepsy and Behavior. 2011 Jul; 21(3): 285-290. Chapieski L, Evankovich K, Hiscock M, Collins R Abstract This study addressed the reliability and validity of reports of everyday verbal memory with a sample of 132 pediatric patients with epilepsy. Each patient and one parent completed a questionnaire on everyday verbal memory comprising two scales assessing learning/retrieval and prospective memory. Each patient was also administered tests of memory, attention, and academic skills. Information about attention, mood, and academic performance was obtained from parent and teacher report, as well as self-report. Memory test scores were correlated with children's reports of learning and retrieval in everyday activities, but were not significantly associated with reports of prospective memory. Reports of everyday memory were found to be reliable and predictive of academic performance. Performance on tests of memory, conversely, was unrelated...

A paper about temporal integration and the psychological present, available as a free download: Wittmann, M. (2011). Moments in time. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. published: 18 October 2011 doi: 10.3389/fnint.2011.00066 Free download pdf

This post, and all others on BrainBlog, are written by Anthony Risser for his blog BrainBlog. The appearance of this entry, and others, on different websites, framed under different websites, or not at the BrainBlog URL do not have my permission. All rights retained. Wendy Williams Kraken: The curious, exciting, and slightly disturbing science of squid NY: Abrams Image (2011) ISBN 978-0-8109-8465-3 My guess is that, unlike biology students, many psychology students exposed to their first courses in biopsychology and neuroscience have little idea about cephalopods and their role played in our knowledge about the nervous system and behavior. (Hint: You are likely to have found squid in your textbook, in that diagram which shows the recording of electrical activity from a generic single neuron and its axon.) Wendy Williams’ new book, Kraken , is a curious book that gives credit to the cephalopods and to the scientists who respect them and learn from them. It is a brief book with a nicely ...

From EurekaAlert: UCSF-Pfizer partnership yields projects aimed at clinical trials 26 October 2011 Read the full article

From the Scientific American blog: The 2011 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize: Honoring Dr. Brenda Milner for her pioneering work in cognitive neuroscience By Jeanne Garbarino October 26, 2011 | Read the blog post about the award

An NIH Public Access Author Manuscript: Richard J. O’Brien and Philip C. Wong Amyloid Precursor Protein Processing and Alzheimer’s Disease Published in final edited form as: Annu Rev Neurosci. 2011 ; 34: 185–204. doi:10.1146/annurev-neuro-061010-113613. Download the free-access pdf here This looks like a fine overview of our current knowledge.

Landscape test for assessing visual memory in Alzheimer's disease Rev Neurol . 2011 Jul 1; 53(1): 1-7 Valls-Pedret C, Olives J, Bosch B, Caprile C, Castellví M, Molinuevo JL, Rami L Abstract INTRODUCTION: Visual episodic memory is affected in the early phases of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AIMS: To design a visual memory test free of any verbal content, to offer its normative values in the elderly population in Spain, to validate the test in a group of patients with mild AD and to determine its capacity to discriminate between subjects with AD and controls. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study involved a sample of 263 subjects (137 controls and 126 patients with AD) over 50 years of age. The landscape test consists of a first part in which participants are shown 25 photographs of landscapes. Five minutes later, the previous 25 photos are shown again together with 25 new pictures, and the subject must recognise the ones that have already been seen. The statistical analysis was performe...

A good read from today, an entry at the Wellcome Trust blog: Craters, blisters and Pringles: Do small irregularities on the brain surface give us clues about its functions? 26 October 2011 Read the blog post

This week's All in the Mind podcast from BBC Radio 4: Visit the show's webpage to listen or to download the episode From the webpage: "How can a good night's sleep improve your memory? Why does the answer to a crossword clue suddenly appear first thing in the morning after a night's rest? In this week's programme Claudia Hammond talks to psychologist, Kimberly Fenn about what happens in the brain when we sleep and why it can significantly improve our memory. Hysteria or conversion disorder is surprisingly, not confined to medical history. Nearly 1 in 5 patients seen by neurologists will have symptoms like paralysis, fits or loss of vision which can't be explained neurologically. Claudia talks to neurologist, Mark Edwards and psychiatrist, Richard Kanaan about the history of conversion disorder, how common it is today, the best way to treat it and its complex causes. Also in the programme, Claudia meets the carers getting involved in mental health research...

A discussion about ADHD and medication was held today as a Private Members' Debate at Westminster. Set by Pat McFadden MP (pictured above), the debate includes response by the Minister of State, Department of Health. Available for streaming at Parliament TV Go to the 25th of October, Westminster Hall at advance to 1330 hrs. Background resource: The 2008 NICE guideline about ADHD .

The cortical neuroanatomy of neuropsychological deficits in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: A surface-based morphometric analysis Neuropsychologia. 2011 Oct 15; Ahn HJ, Seo SW, Chin J, Suh MK, Lee BH, Kim ST, Im K, Lee JM, Lee JH, Heilman KM, Na DL Abstract Patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the amnesic form of mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) often demonstrate several types of neuropsychological deficits. These deficits are often related to cortical atrophy, induced by neuronal degradation. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether different anatomic patterns of cortical atrophy are associated with specific neuropsychological deficits. The participants were 170 patients with AD and 99 patients with aMCI. All participants underwent the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB), which includes tests that assess attention, language, visuospatial functions, verbal and visual memory, and frontal/executive functions. Cortical at...

This new video about Alzheimer's disease is getting some coverage in the media today: It comes from TheVisualMD.com View the video

The Alzheimer’s Association Annual Research Seminar Burke Rehabilitation Hospital White Plains, NY 04 November 2011 Read news article [snippet] "The annual seminar focuses on the latest research as well as treatment options for the disease. Barry Jordan, M.D., Director of the ADAC and Director of the Memory Evaluation and Treatment Service (METS) at Burke, will speak on “Differential Diagnosis of Dementia.” According to Dr. Jordan, “This type of program is an important forum for researchers, families and the public to share information about the latest in Alzheimer’s research,” he said. “Burke is proud to have hosted this event for the past several years,” he added." [snippet]

The current (October 2011) issue of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry has free-download access to two review articles dealing with Alzheimer's disease. One deals with drug treatment, whilst the other addresses non-pharmacolgic treatments. An editiorial by Serge Gauthier (also a free download) introduces the issue. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry

From the FDA: FDA NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release: Oct. 24, 2011 FDA approves Onfi to treat severe type of seizures On Oct. 21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Onfi tablets (clobazam) for use as an adjunctive (add-on) treatment for seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in adults and children 2 years of age and older. As Onfi is intended to treat a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States, it was granted orphan drug designation by the FDA. “Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy that causes debilitating seizures,” said Russell Katz, M.D., director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This is a difficult condition to treat, and it will be helpful to have an additional treatment option.” Read the full release

Training-induced neural plasticity in golf novices Journal of Neuroscience. 2011 Aug 31; 31(35): 12444-8. Authors: Bezzola L, Mérillat S, Gaser C, Jäncke L Abstract Previous neuroimaging studies in the field of motor learning have shown that learning a new skill induces specific changes of neural gray and white matter in human brain areas necessary to control the practiced task. Former longitudinal studies investigating motor skill learning have used strict training protocols with little ecological validity rather than physical leisure activities, although there are several retrospective and cross-sectional studies suggesting neuroprotective effects of physical leisure activities. In the present longitudinal MRI study, we used voxel-based morphometry to investigate training-induced gray matter changes in golf novices between the age of 40 and 60 years, an age period when an active life style is assumed to counteract cognitive decline. As a main result, we demonstrate that 40 h of golf ...

Returning to a fav topic of mine, here is a new research study: The right hemisphere in esthetic perception Front Hum Neurosci. 2011;5:109 Bromberger B, Sternschein R, Widick P, Smith W, Chatterjee A Abstract Little about the neuropsychology of art perception and evaluation is known. Most neuropsychological approaches to art have focused on art production and have been anecdotal and qualitative. The field is in desperate need of quantitative methods if it is to advance. Here, we combine a quantitative approach to the assessment of art with modern voxel-lesion-symptom-mapping methods to determine brain-behavior relationships in art perception. We hypothesized that perception of different attributes of art are likely to be disrupted by damage to different regions of the brain. Twenty participants with right hemisphere damage were given the Assessment of Art Attributes, which is designed to quantify judgments of descriptive attributes of visual art. Each participant rated 24 paintings on...

American cowboy singer, Glen Campbell, is touring the UK in a farewell tour. He has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Here is a commentary from The Independent from the 21st of October: " Letter from Simon Kelner: A poignant farewell to the Wichita Lineman " UPDATE: A review of his performance, from The Telegraph : Read the article here .

The Cambridge Car Memory Test: A task matched in format to the Cambridge Face Memory Test, with norms, reliability, sex differences, dissociations from face memory, and expertise effects Behav Res Methods . 2011 Oct 20; Dennett HW, McKone E, Tavashmi R, Hall A, Pidcock M, Edwards M, Duchaine B Abstract Many research questions require a within-class object recognition task matched for general cognitive requirements with a face recognition task. If the object task also has high internal reliability, it can improve accuracy and power in group analyses (e.g., mean inversion effects for faces vs. objects), individual-difference studies (e.g., correlations between certain perceptual abilities and face/object recognition), and case studies in neuropsychology (e.g., whether a prosopagnosic shows a face-specific or object-general deficit). Here, we present such a task. Our Cambridge Car Memory Test (CCMT) was matched in format to the established Cambridge Face Memory Test, requiring recognition...

WBUR Boston has, this week, run a series of presentations about Alzheimer's disease. Here is the WBUR webpage that described their programming: WBUR Boston "Fade to Darkness" webpage

Estimating Decision-Relevant Comparative Effects Using Instrumental Variables Stat Biosci. 2011 Sep;3(1):6-27 Basu A Abstract Instrumental variables methods (IV) are widely used in the health economics literature to adjust for hidden selection biases in observational studies when estimating treatment effects. Less attention has been paid in the applied literature to the proper use of IVs if treatment effects are heterogeneous across subjects. Such a heterogeneity in effects becomes an issue for IV estimators when individuals' self-selected choices of treatments are correlated with expected idiosyncratic gains or losses from treatments. We present an overview of the challenges that arise with IV estimators in the presence of effect heterogeneity and self-selection and compare conventional IV analysis with alternative approaches that use IVs to directly address these challenges. Using a Medicare sample of clinically localized breast cancer patients, we study the impact of breast-con...

There is a growing research literature in neuropsychology examining the SenseCam, a relatively long-time Microsoft project. Microsoft's research project: SenseCam Here is another example: The neural correlates of everyday recognition memory Brain and Cognition. 2011 Aug;76(3):369-81 Milton F, Muhlert N, Butler CR, Benattayallah A, Zeman AZ Abstract We used a novel automatic camera, SenseCam, to create a recognition memory test for real-life events. Adapting a 'Remember/Know' paradigm, we asked healthy undergraduates, who wore SenseCam for 2 days, in their everyday environments, to classify images as strongly or weakly remembered, strongly or weakly familiar or novel, while brain activation was recorded with functional MRI. Overlapping, widely distributed sets of brain regions were activated by recollected and familiar stimuli. Within the medial temporal lobes, 'Remember' responses specifically elicited greater activity in the right anterior and posterior parahippoc...

This is an open-access, free-download article from the PLoS journal: Caselli L, Chelazzi L (2011) Does the Macaque Monkey Provide a Good Model for Studying Human Executive Control? A Comparative Behavioral Study of Task Switching. PLoS ONE 6(6): e21489. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0021489 Article pdf

A report from Fierce BioTech : Third Rock Ventures Launches SAGE Therapeutics to Address CNS Disorders with Critical Unmet Needs Posted October 18, 2011 [snippet] "Third Rock Ventures, LLC today announced the formation of SAGE Therapeutics. The company was launched with a $35 million Series A financing. SAGE's efforts focus on advancing a broad pipeline of new, critically needed treatments for some of the most disabling central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, pain and traumatic brain injury (TBI). SAGE Therapeutics is founded on a proprietary Positive and Negative Allosteric Modulator (PANAM) chemistry platform that will enable the rapid development of a novel class of allosteric receptor modulators. Steven Paul, M.D., the former executive vice president for science and technology and president of Lilly Research Laboratories and a former scientific director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and Douglas Covey, Ph.D., professor o...

ADHD: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents American Academy of Pediatrics pdf download Upon release, the new guideline resulted in a good deal of commentary, analysis, and media coverage. Here is an example, from the Pharmalot blog: Read the blog entry here .

Perinatal cortical growth and childhood neurocognitive abilities Neurology . 2011 Oct 12; Rathbone R, Counsell SJ, Kapellou O, Dyet L, Kennea N, Hajnal J, Allsop JM, Cowan F, Edwards AD Abstract OBJECTIVE:This observational cohort study addressed the hypothesis that after preterm delivery brain growth between 24 and 44 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) is related to global neurocognitive ability in later childhood. METHODS:Growth rates for cerebral volume and cortical surface area were estimated in 82 infants without focal brain lesions born before 30 weeks PMA by using 217 magnetic resonance images obtained between 24 and 44 weeks PMA. Abilities were assessed at 2 years using the Griffiths Mental Development Scale and at 6 years using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R), the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment (NEPSY), and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC). Analysis was by generalized least-squares regression. RESULTS:Mean t...

A new study has been funded to examine the use of olfactory testing in the earlier detection of Alzheimer's disease, one of my interests in neuropsychological assessment. The study is being funded and run is Australia. Here is a news report, from The Australian : Research funding boost for Alzheimer's SUE DUNLEVY October 17, 2011 12:00AM [snippet] "We are interested in developing a test that picks up Alzheimer's disease in the earliest stages, even before problems with cognition appear," he told The Australian. Adapting the strategy of the cardiac stress test that picks up heart disease in its early stages, Professor Schofield wants to see whether a smell test can identify people who later go on to develop Alzheimer's. Participants in the trial would be asked to scratch, sniff and identify 20 smells embedded in a piece of paper, then they would be given a chemical in their left nostril that interfered with the part of the olfactory system affected by Alzheimer...

Melbourne Brain Centre opens 9News 17:22 AEST Mon Oct 17 2011 Read the report

A press release from the BBC: Radio 4 presents season of programmes on the brain Date: 30.09.2011 Category: Radio 4 Starting on 7 November, BBC Radio 4 presents a new season of programmes about the brain. The season includes: a major 10-part series about the history of the brain; an exploration of what the latest discoveries in neuroscience might mean for the way we live our lives; an interview with one of Britain's leading brain experts and the slaying of common myths about the brain and its workings; and a new radio science website. The season starts with Dr Geoff Bunn's 10-part A History Of The Brain series which takes listeners on a journey through 5,000 years of our understanding of the most complex thing in the known universe. Moving from Neolithic times to the present day, Geoff journeys through the many and varied ideas about what the brain is for and how it fulfils its functions. This ground-breaking series, written and presented by Dr Geoff Bunn, can be heard on week...

Amyloid-beta levels are significantly reduced and spatial memory defects are rescued in a novel neuroserpin-deficient Alzheimer's disease transgenic mouse model J Neurochem. 2011 Sep; 118(5): 928-38 Authors: Fabbro S, Schaller K, Seeds NW Abstract Amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Several proteases including plasmin are thought to promote proteolytic cleavage and clearance of Aβ from brain. The activity of both plasmin and tissue plasminogen activator are reduced in Alzheimer's disease brain, while the tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor neuroserpin is up-regulated. Here, the relationship of tissue plasminogen activator and neuroserpin to Aβ levels is explored in mouse models. Aβ(1-42) peptide injected into the frontal cortex of tissue plasminogen activator knockout mice is slow to disappear compared to wildtype mice, whereas neuroserpin knockout mice show a rapid clearance of Aβ(1-42). The relationship of neuroserpin and tissue plasminoge...

The SIST-M: Predictive Validity of a Brief Structured Clinical Dementia Rating Interview Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders. 2011 Oct 6; Okereke OI, Pantoja-Galicia N, Copeland M, Hyman BT, Wanggaard T, Albert MS, Betensky RA, Blacker D Abstract BACKGROUND:: We have previously established the reliability and cross-sectional validity of the SIST-M (Structured Interview and Scoring Tool-Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center), a shortened version of an instrument shown to predict progression to Alzheimer disease (AD), even among persons with very mild cognitive impairment (vMCI). OBJECTIVE:: To test the predictive validity of the SIST-M. METHODS:: Participants were 342 community-dwelling, nondemented older adults in a longitudinal study. Baseline Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) ratings were determined by either (1) clinician interviews or (2) a previously developed computer algorithm based on 60 questions (of a possible 131) extracted from clinician interviews. We ...

Norms for CERAD Constructional Praxis Recall Clinical Neuropsychol. 2011 Oct 13 Fillenbaum GG, Burchett BM, Unverzagt FW, Rexroth DF, Welsh-Bohmer K Abstract Recall of the four-item constructional praxis measure was a later addition to the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) neuropsychological battery. Norms for this measure, based on cognitively intact African Americans age ≥70 (Indianapolis-Ibadan Dementia Project, N = 372), European American participants age ≥66 (Cache County Study of Memory, Health and Aging, N = 507), and European American CERAD clinic controls age ≥50 (N = 182), are presented here. Performance varied by site; by sex, education, and age (African Americans in Indianapolis); education and age (Cache County European Americans); and only age (CERAD European American controls). Performance declined with increased age, within age with less education, and was poorer for women. Means, standard deviations, and percentiles are presented s...

The Brain Study blog published an interesting posting earlier in the week about this important contemporary issue in neuropsychology: Brain Study posting about Reality Monitoring A good read!

A new online open-access journal: Brain and Behavior Wiley Volume 1, Issue 1 Table of Contents From the website: "With the launch of this open access, multidisciplinary journal, we offer a broad scientific community a forum for rapid publication of original contributions, covering all aspects of neurology, neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry. By offering quality assurance through stringent peer review and delivering content quickly, broadly, and effectively, we aim for Brain and Behavior to become both your regular source for neurology, neuroscience, psychology and psychiatry research, as well as a platform by which you will offer your best science to the broadest community possible."

Space Fortress game training and executive control in older adults: A pilot intervention Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn . 2011 Oct 12; Stern Y, Blumen HM, Rich LW, Richards A, Herzberg G, Gopher D Abstract ABSTRACT We investigated the feasibility of using the Space Fortress (SF) game, a complex video game originally developed to study complex skill acquisition in young adults, to improve executive control processes in cognitively healthy older adults. The study protocol consisted of 36 one-hour game play sessions over 3 months with cognitive evaluations before and after, and a follow-up evaluation at 6 months. Sixty participants were randomized to one of three conditions: Emphasis Change (EC) - elders were instructed to concentrate on playing the entire game but place particular emphasis on a specific aspect of game play in each particular game; Active Control (AC) - game play with standard instructions; Passive Control (PC) - evaluation sessions without game play. Pri...

Glen Campbell, a US cowboy-music entertainer was diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease earlier on 2011. He and his spouse have appeared on a number of television and radio shows, including BBC's Today show. Today, they appear on The Ellen Show, on US television.

Brain regions with mirror properties: A meta-analysis of 125 human fMRI studies Neuroscience Biobehavioral Rev . 2011 Jul 18. [Epub ahead of print] Molenberghs P, Cunnington R, Mattingley JB. Abstract Mirror neurons in macaque area F5 fire when an animal performs an action, such as a mouth or limb movement, and also when the animal passively observes an identical or similar action performed by another individual. Brain-imaging studies in humans conducted over the last 20 years have repeatedly attempted to reveal analogous brain regions with mirror properties in humans, with broad and often speculative claims about their functional significance across a range of cognitive domains, from language to social cognition. Despite such concerted efforts, the likely neural substrates of these mirror regions have remained controversial, and indeed the very existence of a distinct subcategory of human neurons with mirroring properties has been questioned. Here we used activation likelihood estimat...

Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury: Evaluating the Evidence Institute of Medicine Released: 11 October 2011 For more information, click here

The Cochrane Collaboration Supports Free Access to all Data from all Clinical Trials 05 October 2011 Read the full statement

Revealing the Functional Neuroanatomy of Intrinsic Alertness Using fMRI: Methodological Peculiarities PLoS One. 2011; 6(9): e25453 Clemens B, Zvyagintsev M, Sack A, Heinecke A, Willmes K, Sturm W Abstract Clinical observations and neuroimaging data revealed a right-hemisphere fronto-parietal-thalamic-brainstem network for intrinsic alertness, and additional left fronto-parietal activity during phasic alertness. The primary objective of this fMRI study was to map the functional neuroanatomy of intrinsic alertness as precisely as possible in healthy participants, using a novel assessment paradigm already employed in clinical settings. Both the paradigm and the experimental design were optimized to specifically assess intrinsic alertness, while at the same time controlling for sensory-motor processing. The present results suggest that the processing of intrinsic alertness is accompanied by increased activity within the brainstem, thalamus, anterior cingulate gyrus, right insula, and right...

Model-based economic evaluation in Alzheimer's disease: a review of the methods available to model Alzheimer's disease progression Value Health . 2011 Jul-Aug;14(5):621-30 Green C, Shearer J, Ritchie CW, Zajicek JP Abstract OBJECTIVE: To consider the methods available to model Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression over time to inform on the structure and development of model-based evaluations, and the future direction of modelling methods in AD. METHODS: A systematic search of the health care literature was undertaken to identify methods to model disease progression in AD. Modelling methods are presented in a descriptive review. RESULTS: The literature search identified 42 studies presenting methods or applications of methods to model AD progression over time. The review identified 10 general modelling frameworks available to empirically model the progression of AD as part of a model-based evaluation. Seven of these general models are statistical models predicting progressio...

Executive functions in Parkinson's disease: Systematic review and meta-analysis Movement Disorders. 2011 Oct 3; Kudlicka A, Clare L, Hindle JV Abstract Impairment of executive function (EF) is commonly reported as a feature of PD. However, the exact pattern of executive impairment remains unclear. Also, there is an ongoing discussion surrounding the definition and conceptualization of EF, which might affect the clarity of research evidence on cognition in PD. The aim of this systematic review was to describe the pattern of executive impairment in early-stage PD emerging from the research literature and to identify critical issues for improving consistency in this field. The PsychInfo, MEDLINE, Science Direct, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases were searched using the term "Parkinson's disease" combined with each of 14 cognitive abilities defined as representing aspects of EF. The review was limited to studies that investigated EF as the central variable in early-...

Difficulties in disengaging attentional resources from self-generated thoughts moderate the link between dysphoria and maladaptive self-referential thinking Cogn Emot. 2011 Oct 5; Rochat L, Billieux J, Van der Linden M Abstract Negative emotions increase self-focused attention, a core feature of depression and anxiety-related disorders. However, the cognitive mechanisms associated with the tendency to self-focus-and, conversely, with the ability to voluntarily disengage attentional resources from the self and direct them towards the external environment-remain poorly understood. Thus, this study aimed to examine whether a specific cognitive control mechanism that directs attention between self-generated thoughts and external information might moderate the relationship between dysphoria and maladaptive self-referential thinking. Results showed that dysphoria increases the frequency of rumination, self-blame, and catastrophising, especially for participants who have more difficulty in s...

A fine read from the Pharmalot blog: All Trial Data Must Be Disclosed: Rogawski Explains By Ed Silverman October 5th, 2011 - 9:36 am Read the full blog posting

Effects of a 6-Month Cognitive Intervention on Brain Metabolism in Patients with Amnestic MCI and Mild Alzheimer's Disease. Journal of Alzheimers Disease . 2011 Jan 1;26(0):337-48 Authors: Förster S, Buschert VC, Teipel SJ, Friese U, Buchholz HG, Drzezga A, Hampel H, Bartenstein P, Buerger K Abstract The effect of cognitive intervention on brain metabolism in AD is largely unexplored. Therefore, we aimed to investigate cognitive parameters and 18FDG PET to test for effects of a cognitive intervention in patients with aMCI or mild AD. Patients with aMCI (N = 24) or mild AD (N = 15) were randomly assigned either to cognitive intervention groups (IGs), receiving weekly sessions of group-based multicomponent cognitive intervention, or active control groups (CGs), receiving pencil-paper exercises for self-study. We obtained resting-state FDG-PET scans and neuropsychological testing at baseline and after six-months. Normalized FDG-PET images were analyzed using voxel-based SPM5 approache...

Slower gait, slower information processing and smaller prefrontal area in older adults Age Ageing . 2011 Sep 28; Rosano C, Studenski SA, Aizenstein HJ, Boudreau RM, Longstreth WT, Newman AB Abstract BACKGROUND: slower gait in older adults is related to smaller volume of the prefrontal area (PFAv). The pathways underlying this association have not yet been explored. Understanding slowing gait could help improve function in older age. We examine whether the association between smaller PFAv and slower gait is explained by lower performance on numerous neuropsychological tests.Hypothesis: we hypothesise that slower information processing explains this association, while tests of language or memory will not. METHODS: data on brain imaging, neuropsychological tests (information processing speed, visuospatial attention, memory, language, mood) and time to walk 15 feet were obtained in 214 adults (73.3 years, 62% women) free from stroke and dementia. Covariates included central (white matter h...

A press release from the FDA: FDA outlines plans for an outside network of scientific experts Network will help quickly address regulatory concerns, broaden staff knowledge of new and emerging technologies 04 October 2011 "FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) is soliciting comment on a plan to create a network of outside scientific experts who would provide staff with rapid access to specific specialized knowledge about emerging technology, as well as other topics. To further enrich this comment period, CDRH will also conduct a 12-week pilot of the network through Dec. 30, 2011. "CDRH has a world-class scientific staff that includes scientists, engineers, and clinicians. Nevertheless, there are times when staff must turn to external sources to further enhance their scientific understanding, given the rapid advancements in certain scientific fields, the development of pioneering technologies and increasingly complex medical devices. "The CDRH Network o...

Cognitive and behavioural predictors of survival in Alzheimer disease: Results from a sample of treated patients in a tertiary-referral memory clinic Int J Geriatr Psychiatry . 2011 Sep 29; Russ TC, Batty GD, Starr JM Abstract OBJECTIVE: This study examined the influence of cognitive and non-cognitive factors at the time of diagnosis on the survival of patients with treated probable Alzheimer Disease (AD). METHODS: Consecutive patients seen at a regional, tertiary-referral clinic completed a battery of cognitive tests and assessments of activities of daily living and neuropsychiatric symptoms. These clinic data were linked with death certificate data for all individuals and survival from diagnosis was calculated. Cox regression models were constructed using the baseline covariates. RESULTS: The sample comprised 653 patients (459 women), mean age 77.1 years (SD 7.6, range 48-94 years), diagnosed with probable AD and treated with a cholinesterase inhibitor. In the survival analysis, age ...

From Dana Smith's Brain Study blog: Amazing aging discoveries: It’s in the blood 27 September 2011 "In a vote for coolest experiment of the year, scientists at Stanford University surgically created conjoined-twin mice of different age pairs to assess the impact of young versus old blood on the brain." - Introduction of the posting. Read the blog post

From the CBC: Montreal-born scientist dies before Nobel honour Nobel committee unaware of recipient's recent death CBC News Posted: Oct 3, 2011 5:54 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 3, 2011 10:20 AM ET "Montreal-born scientist Ralph Steinman was announced as the co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine on Monday, but the news was immediately overshadowed by word of his death on Friday. "Steinman and two other scientists were announced as winners of the Nobel in medicine. Nobel committee member Goran Hansson said the committee didn't know Steinman was dead when it chose him as a winner and was looking through its regulations. "The Rockefeller University is delighted that the Nobel Foundation has recognized Ralph Steinman for his seminal discoveries concerning the body's immune responses," Rockefeller University president Marc Tessier-Lavigne said in a statement. "But the news is bittersweet, as we also learned this morning from Ralph's family that he pas...

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of simvastatin to treat Alzheimer disease. Neurology . 2011 Aug 9;77(6):556-63 Sano M, Bell KL, Galasko D, Galvin JE, Thomas RG, van Dyck CH, Aisen PS Abstract BACKGROUND: Lowering cholesterol is associated with reduced CNS amyloid deposition and increased dietary cholesterol increases amyloid accumulation in animal studies. Epidemiologic data suggest that use of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) may decrease the risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) and a single-site trial suggested possible benefit in cognition with statin treatment in AD, supporting the hypothesis that statin therapy is useful in the treatment of AD. OBJECTIVE: To determine if the lipid-lowering agent simvastatin slows the progression of symptoms in AD. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of simvastatin was conducted in individuals with mild to moderate AD and normal lipid levels. Participants were...

The following paper is available as an open full-download from PLoS. It provides an interesting example of the use of stop-signal tasks in pursuing a better understanding of executive functioning and its neuroanatomical correlates: Full publication Rule-guided executive control of response inhibition: functional topography of the inferior frontal cortex. PLoS One . 2011;6(6):e20840 Cai W, Leung HC Abstract BACKGROUND: The human inferior frontal cortex (IFC) is a large heterogeneous structure with distinct cytoarchitectonic subdivisions and fiber connections. It has been found involved in a wide range of executive control processes from target detection, rule retrieval to response control. Since these processes are often being studied separately, the functional organization of executive control processes within the IFC remains unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted an fMRI study to examine the activities of the subdivisions of IFC during the presentation of a task cue (ru...

Are self-reported symptoms of executive dysfunction associated with objective executive function performance following mild to moderate traumatic brain injury? Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology . 2011 Jul;33(6):704-14 Schiehser DM, Delis DC, Filoteo JV, Delano-Wood L, Han SD, Jak AJ, Drake AI, Bondi MW Abstract Background and objective: We examined the relationship between self-reported pre- and post-injury changes in executive dysfunction, apathy, disinhibition, and depression, and performance on neuropsychological tests of executive function, attention/processing speed, and memory in relation to mood levels and effort test performance in individuals in the early stages of recovery from mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Method: Participants were 71 noncombat military personnel who were in a semiacute stage of recovery ( PMID: 21958432 [PubMed - in process]

Intensity of Aphasia Therapy: Evidence and Efficacy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep . 2011 Sep 30; Cherney LR, Patterson JP, Raymer AM Abstract Determining the optimal amount and intensity of treatment is essential to the design and implementation of any treatment program for aphasia. A growing body of evidence, both behavioral and biological, suggests that intensive therapy positively impacts outcomes. We update a systematic review of treatment studies that directly compares conditions of higher and lower intensity treatment for aphasia. We identify five studies published since 2006, review them for methodologic quality, and synthesize their findings with previous ones. For both acute and chronic aphasia, results at the language impairment and communication activity/participation levels tend to be more equivocal than previously demonstrated, with no clear differences between intensive and nonintensive treatment emerging across studies. Future research directions are discussed including rese...