Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Mar 2004
Fluctuating cognition in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease is qualitatively distinct.
To document and illustrate qualitative features of fluctuating cognition as described by care givers of patients with probable dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). To determine whether the quality of the fluctuations differs between DLB and AD. To examine the clinical utility of two recently developed rating scales. ⋯ Fluctuations occurring in DLB have particular characteristics that are distinguishable from fluctuations occurring in AD. Interpretation and application of the fluctuation criterion continues to limit the diagnostic sensitivity of the consensus criteria for DLB. Findings suggest that explicit documentation and a wider appreciation of these distinctions could improve the reliability with which less experienced clinicians identify this core diagnostic feature in the clinical setting.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Mar 2004
Association of polymorphisms in the Tau and Saitohin genes with Parkinson's disease.
The Saitohin gene has recently been identified in intron 9 of the Tau gene. Because an association between Parkinson's disease and Tau has been described, Saitohin represents a candidate gene for Parkinson's disease. ⋯ The data suggest that there is a functional polymorphism at this locus involved in Parkinson's disease.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Mar 2004
Female preclinical presenilin-1 mutation carriers unaware of their genetic status have higher levels of depression than their non-mutation carrying kin.
To study depressive symptoms in preclinical presenilin-1 (PS1) related Alzheimer's disease. ⋯ Depressive symptoms can occur early in the course of PS1 related Alzheimer's disease, at least in women. This supports the hypothesis that depression may occur as a direct result of the neuropathology underlying Alzheimer's disease.
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A proposal that an endogenous benzodiazepine-like agent named endozepine-4 might be responsible for presentations of recurrent stupor has gained wide acceptance. A case of recurrent stupor over two decades is presented with many similarities to previous cases of "endozepine stupor". This case, however, was caused by exogenous benzodiazepine administration and serves as a warning to clinicians to beware of this diagnosis.