Normative data for the Boston Naming Test and the Pyramids and Palm Trees Test in the elderly Spanish population.

The objective of this study was to obtain normative data for naming and semantic memory (SM) tests in the elderly Spanish population. A total of 121 Spanish-speaking senior citizens were assessed with the Boston Naming Test (BNT). Of these, 79 were assessed with the Semantic Fluency Test (Sem-Flu) and 72 with the Pyramids and Palm Trees Test (PPT).

Brain structure and function related to cognitive reserve variables in normal aging, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

Cognitive reserve (CR) is the brain's capacity to cope with cerebral damage to minimize clinical manifestations. The 'passive model' considers head or brain measures as anatomical substrates of CR, whereas the 'active model' emphasizes the use of brain networks effectively. Sixteen healthy subjects, 12 amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 16 cases with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) were included to investigate the relationships between proxies of CR and cerebral measures considered in the 'passive' and 'active' models.

First osmium-catalysed ketamination of alkenes.

Conditions for a first oxidative conversion of alkenes into 2-amino ketones are described, which yield racemic products within a direct oxidation pathway and 2-amino ketones with up to 99% enantiomeric excess from the corresponding enantiopure amino alcohols.

Memantine: an antiglutamatergic option for dementia.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in occidental countries. Currently approved treatments for AD provide mainly symptomatic benefits without clear evidence of neuroprotection. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists have therapeutic potential in several central nervous system disorders, including neuroprotective treatment in chronic neurodegenerative diseases, and symptomatic treatment in other neurologic diseases.