An ultra-sensitive immunoassay detects and quantifies soluble Aβ oligomers in human plasma.

Introduction: Evidence strongly suggests that soluble oligomers of amyloid beta protein (oAβ) help initiate the pathogenic cascade of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To date, there have been no validated assays specific for detecting and quantifying oAβ in human blood.

Methods: We developed an ultrasensitive oAβ immunoassay using a novel capture antibody (71A1) with N-terminal antibody 3D6 for detection that specifically quantifies soluble oAβ in the human brain, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and plasma.

Improving clinical cognitive testing: report of the AAN Behavioral Neurology Section Workgroup.

Objective: To evaluate the evidence basis of single-domain cognitive tests frequently used by behavioral neurologists in an effort to improve the quality of clinical cognitive assessment.

Methods: Behavioral Neurology Section members of the American Academy of Neurology were surveyed about how they conduct clinical cognitive testing, with a particular focus on the Neurobehavioral Status Exam (NBSE). In contrast to general screening cognitive tests, an NBSE consists of tests of individual cognitive domains (e.

Subjective cognitive concerns, amyloid-β, and neurodegeneration in clinically normal elderly.

Objective: To determine whether neuroimaging biomarkers of amyloid-β (Aβ) and neurodegeneration (ND) are associated with greater self-reported subjective cognitive concerns (SCC) in clinically normal older individuals.

Methods: A total of 257 participants underwent Pittsburgh compound B PET, PET with fluorodeoxyglucose (18)F, and structural MRI, as well as a battery of neuropsychological measures including several questionnaires regarding SCC. Individuals were classified into 4 biomarker groups: biomarker negative (Aβ-/ND-), amyloidosis alone (Aβ+/ND-), amyloidosis plus ND (Aβ+/ND+), and ND alone (Aβ-/ND+).

Neuropsychological and psychiatric outcomes in poorly controlled idiopathic generalized epilepsy.

The neuropsychological and psychiatric outcomes of patients with poorly controlled idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) have not been well characterized. The current study aimed to compare these outcomes to a group of patients with medically refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). A retrospective review of patients admitted to the epilepsy monitoring unit identified 19 patients with IGE and 23 patients with TLE who underwent neuropsychological and psychiatric evaluations.

The role of sleep in forgetting in temporal lobe epilepsy: a pilot study.

The purpose of this study was to examine how sleep impacts memory function in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Patients with TLE (n=7) and control subjects (n=9) underwent training and overnight testing on (1) a motor sequence task known to undergo sleep-dependent enhancement in healthy subjects, and (2) the selective reminding test, a verbal memory task on which patients with TLE have shown impaired performance 24 hours after training. Sleep data were collected by polysomnography.

Subjective evaluations of alcohol expectancies and their relevance to drinking game involvement in female college students.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test whether subjective evaluations of alcohol expectancies mediate the association between perceived drinking expectancies and participation in drinking games (DGs). Participation in DGs facilitates heavy drinking; therefore, we also examined the association between DG participation and alcohol-related problems.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 187 female athletes from an all-women's college in the Northeastern United States.