Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2023
Evoked mid-frontal activity predicts cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease.
Cognitive dysfunction is a major feature of Parkinson's disease (PD), but the pathophysiology remains unknown. One potential mechanism is abnormal low-frequency cortical rhythms which engage cognitive functions and are deficient in PD. We tested the hypothesis that mid-frontal delta/theta rhythms predict cognitive dysfunction in PD. ⋯ These data demonstrate that cue-evoked mid-frontal delta/theta rhythms directly relate to cognition in PD. Our results provide insight into the nature of low-frequency frontal rhythms and suggest that PD-related cognitive dysfunction results from decreased delta/theta activity. These findings could facilitate the development of new biomarkers and targeted therapies for cognitive symptoms of PD.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2023
Systematic druggable genome-wide Mendelian randomisation identifies therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia. Currently, there are no effective disease-modifying treatments for AD. Mendelian randomisation (MR) has been widely used to repurpose licensed drugs and discover novel therapeutic targets. Thus, we aimed to identify novel therapeutic targets for AD and analyse their pathophysiological mechanisms and potential side effects. ⋯ This study provides genetic evidence supporting the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting the three druggable genes for AD treatment, which will be useful for prioritising AD drug development.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2023
Familial α-synucleinopathy spectrum features in patients with psychiatric REM sleep behaviour disorder.
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is one of the earliest and most specific prodromes of the α-synucleinopathies including Parkinson's disease (PD). It remains uncertain whether RBD occurring in the context of psychiatric disorders (psy-RBD), although very common, is merely a benign epiphenomenon of antidepressant treatment, or whether it harbours an underlying α-synucleinopathy. We hypothesised that patients with psy-RBD demonstrate a familial predisposition to an α-synucleinopathy. ⋯ Patients with psy-RBD are familially predisposed to α-synucleinopathy. The occurrence of RBD with major depression may signify a subtype of major depressive disorders with underlying α-synucleinopathy neurodegeneration.