Telehealth memory clinics in primary healthcare: real-world experiences from low-resource settings in Greece.

Background: The role of primary healthcare is pivotal in the management of the surge of dementia prevalence particularly in low-resource areas. In this study, two telehealth-based memory clinics in primary healthcare operating within the frames of the INTegRated InterveNtion of pSychogerIatric Care (INTRINSIC) are presented.

Methods: The first clinic, which is led by a general practitioner, operates at a primary healthcare center in a semi-mountainous area and closely collaborates with the geriatric psychiatry outpatient clinic of the Patras University General Hospital via a telehealth medicine platform.

Brain health and value diversity: A new implementation field for values-based practice?

Brain health has recently emerged as an overarching concept encompassing cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioural and motor aspects of brain functioning, enabling individuals to achieve their potential for both health and wellbeing over their life course, independent of the presence or absence of disease.1 It is contingent on a continuous, complex interplay between interconnected determinants related to physical health, healthy environments, safety and security, learning and social connection, and access to quality services. Even though responsibility for optimizing brain health can be taken at an individual level, brain health is in fact heavily influenced by determinants far beyond the control of individuals and their families.

Association of Blood MicroRNA Expression and Polymorphisms with Cognitive and Biomarker Changes in Older Adults.

Background: Identifying individuals before the onset of overt symptoms is key in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objectives: Investigate the use of miRNA as early blood-biomarker of cognitive decline in older adults.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Depressive symptoms in the entire spectrum of cognitive ageing in Greece: evidence from the Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet (HELIAD).

Objectives: To study (i) the prevalence of mild and moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms in the entire spectrum of cognitive ageing in Greece and (ii) the relationship between these symptoms and demographic and clinical data.

Methods: The study was based on the randomly selected cohort of the Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet (HELIAD). Depressive symptoms were assessed with the 15-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale.

Cognitive function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a cross-sectional and prospective pragmatic clinical study with review of the literature.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can present with either bulbar or spinal symptoms, and in some cases, both types of symptoms may be present. In addition, cognitive impairment has been observed in ALS. The study aimed to evaluate the frontal and general cognitive performance in ALS not only cross-sectionally but also longitudinally.

Alström's Syndrome, Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, or Retinitis Pigmentosa? A Case of Misdiagnosis.

A case of a patient with the Alström syndrome (AS) that was misdiagnosed as Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy or retinitis pigmentosa for 13 years is presented. AS is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the gene. AS may lead to abnormal ciliary formation and function.

Association of Chronic Pain with Biomarkers of Neurodegeneration, Microglial Activation, and Inflammation in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Impaired Cognitive Function.

Objective: Debate surrounds the role of chronic pain as a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. This study aimed at examining the association of chronic pain with biomarkers of neurodegeneration using data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.

Methods: Participants were classified using the ATN (amyloid, tau, neurodegeneration) classification.

Low cognitive functioning and depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis: a clinical study.

Background: Recently, cognitive deficits occurring in rheumatic diseases have attracted scientific attention. Cognitive symptoms in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) have not been thoroughly studied. This study aimed to assess cognitive function and its relationship with depressive symptoms in RA and SSc and compare it to mild neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease (MiND) and to individuals without cognitive impairment.

Validation of the test for finding word retrieval deficits (WoFi) in detecting Alzheimer's disease in a naturalistic clinical setting.

Background: Detecting impaired naming capacity contributes to the detection of mild (MildND) and major (MajorND) neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). The Test for Finding Word retrieval deficits (WoFi) is a new, 50-item, auditory stimuli-based instrument.

Objective: The study aimed to adapt WoFi to the Greek language, to develop a short version of WoFi (WoFi-brief), to compare the item frequency and the utility of both instruments with the naming subtest of the widely used Addenbrooke's cognitive examination III (ACEIIINaming) in detecting MildND and MajorND due to AD.

Old-age mental telehealth services at primary healthcare centers in low- resource areas in Greece: design, iterative development and single-site pilot study findings.

Background: Even though communities in low-resource areas across the globe are aging, older adult mental and cognitive health services remain mainly embedded in tertiary- or secondary hospital settings, and thus not easily accessible by older adults living in such communities. Here, the iterative development of INTegRated InterveNtion of pSychogerIatric Care (INTRINSIC) services addressing the mental and cognitive healthcare needs of older adults residing in low-resource areas of Greece is depicted.

Methods: INTRINSIC was developed and piloted in three iterative phases: (i) INTRINSIC initial version conceptualization; (ii) A 5-year field testing in Andros island; and (iii) Extending the services.

Age-Related Differences in Ocular Features of a Naturalistic Free-Ranging Population of Rhesus Macaques.

Purpose: Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) are the premier nonhuman primate model for studying human health and disease. We investigated if age was associated with clinically relevant ocular features in a large cohort of free-ranging rhesus macaques from Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico.

Methods: We evaluated 120 rhesus macaques (73 males, 47 females) from 0 to 29 years old (mean ± SD: 12.

Life Satisfaction in a Clinical and a Nonclinical Group of Older People: The Role of Self-Compassion and Social Support.

Despite the health-promoting role of life satisfaction, little is known about its determining factors in older people with mental health problems compared to nonclinical participants. This study provides preliminary data into the role of social support, self-compassion, and meaning in life on older people's life satisfaction within both clinical and non-clinical populations. In total, 153 older adults (age ≥60) completed the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), and questions for relational variables.

Under Pressure: Lamina Cribrosa Pore Path Tortuosity in Response to Acute Pressure Modulation.

Purpose: Lamina cribrosa (LC) deformation is hypothesized to play a major role in glaucoma pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to determine in vivo how varying intraocular pressure (IOP) under fixed intracranial pressure (ICP), and vice versa, deforms the pore paths throughout the LC volume.

Methods: Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography scans of the optic nerve head were acquired from healthy adult rhesus monkeys under different pressures.

The Differential Role of Executive Apathy in Alzheimer's Disease Dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Cognitive Ageing.

The objective of the present work was to compare the levels of executive, emotional, and initiation apathy in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), mild Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD), and cognitively intact healthy controls (HCs). Fifty-two patients with mild ADD, 40 individuals with MCI, and 37 cognitively intact individuals were included in the current study. The participants were consecutive visitors to the Outpatient Memory Clinic of "Nestor" Alzheimer's Center.

Naming ability assessment in neurocognitive disorders: a clinician's perspective.

Background: Detecting impaired naming capacity is valuable in diagnosing neurocognitive disorders (ND). A. clinical practice- oriented overview of naming tests validated in ND is not available yet.

Patient-reported Physical Function Is Associated With Survival After Lung Resection for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: We investigated the association between preoperative quality of life and long-term survival in patients undergoing surgical resection for non-small cell lung cancer.

Methods: Retrospective analysis was conducted on 388 consecutive patients who completed the quality of life assessment through the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 and lung cancer specific module (LC13), before anatomic lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer (2014-2018). Survival distribution was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method.

A standardised methodology for the extraction and quantification of cell-free DNA in cerebrospinal fluid and application to evaluation of Alzheimer's disease and brain cancers.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a source of diagnostic biomarkers for a range of neurological conditions. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is detected in CSF and differences in the concentration of cell-free mitochondrial DNA have been reported in studies of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the influence of pre-analytical steps has not been investigated for cfDNA in CSF and there is no standardised approach for quantification of total cfDNA (copies of nuclear genome or mitochondria-derived gene targets).

The Development and Clinical Application of Innovative Optical Ophthalmic Imaging Techniques.

The field of ophthalmic imaging has grown substantially over the last years. Massive improvements in image processing and computer hardware have allowed the emergence of multiple imaging techniques of the eye that can transform patient care. The purpose of this review is to describe the most recent advances in eye imaging and explain how new technologies and imaging methods can be utilized in a clinical setting.

Microstructural Deformations Within the Depth of the Lamina Cribrosa in Response to Acute In Vivo Intraocular Pressure Modulation.

Purpose: The lamina cribrosa (LC) is a leading target for initial glaucomatous damage. We investigated the in vivo microstructural deformation within the LC volume in response to acute IOP modulation while maintaining fixed intracranial pressure (ICP).

Methods: In vivo optic nerve head (ONH) spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans (Leica, Chicago, IL, USA) were obtained from eight eyes of healthy adult rhesus macaques (7 animals; ages = 7.

3D Microstructure of the Healthy Non-Human Primate Lamina Cribrosa by Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging.

Purpose: The lamina cribrosa (LC) has an important role in the pathophysiology of ocular diseases. The purpose of this study is to characterize in vivo, noninvasively, and in 3D the structure of the LC in healthy non-human primates (NHPs).

Methods: Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT; Leica, Chicago, IL) scans of the optic nerve head (ONH) were obtained from healthy adult rhesus macaques monkeys.

Alzheimer's disease research progress in the Mediterranean region: The Alzheimer's Association International Conference Satellite Symposium.

As research and services in the Mediterranean region continue to increase, so do opportunities for global collaboration. To support such collaborations, the Alzheimer's Association was due to hold its seventh Alzheimer's Association International Conference Satellite Symposium in Athens, Greece in 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held virtually, which enabled attendees from around the world to hear about research efforts in Greece and the surrounding Mediterranean countries.