Right temporal variant of frontotemporal dementia (rtv-FTD) represents an uncommon and recently described frontotemporal dementia (FTD) entity presenting with symptoms in many ways comparable to ...those of the frontal or behavioral variant of FTD (bv-FTD). The aims of this study were to explore the timing of cognitive and behavioral symptoms of rtv-FTD, and to compare the distinct cognitive deficits including prosopagnosia and behavioral symptoms of rtv-FTD patients with those observed in bv-FTD patients. We reviewed the records of 105 patients clinically diagnosed with FTD. A total of 7 patients (5 men/2 women) with FTD and marked right temporal atrophy in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were detected. Clinical features were compared with those observed in a group of 22 age-matched patients (16 men/6 women) with FTD and predominant frontal lobe atrophy. The main presenting symptoms of rtv-FTD were prosopagnosia, apathy, and episodic memory impairment. In contrast, social awkwardness and compulsive behaviors were dominant in later stages of the disease together with disinhibition and loss of insight with a marked personality change. Although the cognitive and behavioral profiles of patients with right temporal or frontal lobes atrophy present substantial similarities, each subtype has a number of distinct characteristics. It appears that prosopagnosia, obsessive behaviors, and psychotic symptoms are more prominent in rtv-FTD patients.
Although hippocampal involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been consistently highlighted by postmortem studies, memory impairment remains under-recognized and the involvement of ...specific hippocampal subfields and their connectivity patterns are poorly characterized in vivo. A prospective multimodal neuroimaging study has been undertaken with 50 well-characterized ALS patients, 18 patients with Alzheimer's disease, and 40 healthy controls to evaluate their mesial temporal lobe profile. Patients with ALS and Alzheimer's disease have divergent hippocampal signatures. The cornu ammonis 2/3 subfield and the hippocampus-amygdala transition area are the most affected regions in ALS in contrast to Alzheimer's disease, where the presubiculum and subiculum are the most vulnerable regions. Tractography reveals considerable fornix and perforant pathway pathology in both patient groups. Mesial temporal lobe structures in ALS have a selective and disease-specific vulnerability profiles, and their white matter projections exhibit concomitant degeneration. Our combined gray and white matter analyses indicate a connectivity-based, network-defined involvement of interconnected temporal lobe structures as opposed to contiguous involvement of adjacent structures. Our findings underline the importance of screening for memory deficits and personalized management strategies in ALS.
•Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is associated with considerable hippocampal pathology.•Hippocampal subfields and their projections are selectively affected by ALS.•The imaging features of the hippocampus are consistent with postmortem findings in ALS.•The hippocampal profile of ALS is different from that of AD and healthy aging.•Memory deficits in ALS are notoriously under-recognized despite their clinical relevance.
A prospective, standardised neuroimaging protocol was implemented to characterise mesial temporal lobe pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and healthy controls focusing on ...the evaluation of interconnected white and grey matter structures. “Hippocampal pathology in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: selective vulnerability of subfields and their associated projections” 1. High-resolution diffusion tensor and structural imaging data were acquired on a 3 T MRI platform using standardised sequence parameters. The integrity of the fornix and the perforant pathway was assessed by tractography, to provide fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity and radial diffusivity measures. Quantitative structural imaging was used to estimate the total intracranial volume, total hippocampal volumes and hippocampal subfield volumes for each participant. Raw white- and grey-matter measures, demographic and clinical data are available online at ‘Mendeley Data’. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease exhibit divergent hippocampal profiles.
The COVID‐19 outbreak has affected cancer research and cancer care. European cancer charities need to reconsider strategies for safeguarding income and supporting cancer researchers, in times when ...sustaining cancer research funding is more crucial than ever.
SPECT and PET imaging in Alzheimer’s disease Valotassiou, Varvara; Malamitsi, Julia; Papatriantafyllou, John ...
Annals of nuclear medicine,
11/2018, Letnik:
32, Številka:
9
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia. Beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) of abnormal ...hyperphosphorylated tau protein are the pathological hallmarks of the disease, accompanied by other pathological processes such as microglia activation. Functional and molecular nuclear medicine imaging with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) techniques provides valuable information about the underlying pathological processes, many years before the appearance of clinical symptoms. Nuclear neuroimaging in AD has made great progress in the past two decades and has extended beyond the traditional role of brain perfusion and glucose metabolism evaluation. Intense efforts in radiopharmaceuticals research have led to the development of various probes able to detect Aβ deposits, tau protein accumulation, microglia activation and neuroinflammation. As a result, SPECT and PET have proposed to serve as biomarkers in recently revised diagnostic clinical criteria for the early diagnosis of AD and the prediction of progression to AD in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects.
Patients with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) living in remote and underserved areas often have limited access to specialized healthcare, while the feasibility and reliability of ...the video-based examination remains unclear. The aim of this narrative review is to examine which parts of remote neurological assessment are feasible and reliable in movement disorders. Clinical studies have demonstrated that most parts of the video-based neurological examination are feasible, even in the absence of a third party, including stance and gait—if an assistive device is not required—bradykinesia, tremor, dystonia, some ocular mobility parts, coordination, and gross muscle power and sensation assessment. Technical issues (video quality, internet connection, camera placement) might affect bradykinesia and tremor evaluation, especially in mild cases, possibly due to their rhythmic nature. Rigidity, postural instability and deep tendon reflexes cannot be remotely performed unless a trained healthcare professional is present. A modified version of incomplete Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)-III and a related equation lacking rigidity and pull testing items can reliably predict total UPDRS-III. UPDRS-II, -IV, Timed “Up and Go”, and non-motor and quality of life scales can be administered remotely, while the remote Movement Disorder Society (MDS)-UPDRS-III requires further investigation. In conclusion, most parts of neurological examination can be performed virtually in PD, except for rigidity and postural instability, while technical issues might affect the assessment of mild bradykinesia and tremor. The combined use of wearable devices may at least partially compensate for these challenges in the future.
We present an intriguing case of an incarcerated femoral hernia containing an inflamed appendix inside the sac, also known as a De Garengeot hernia. This type of hernia is a rare occurrence that was ...first described in 1731 by the French surgeon René-Jacque Croissant de Garengeot. A 64-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with a painful mass in the right groin region. Following a computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis to evaluate the mass, the diagnosis of a femoral hernia containing a strangulated appendix was established. Subsequently, a hybrid surgical approach was utilized, consisting of an open hernia repair and a laparoscopic appendectomy.