Associations of plasma SMOC1 and soluble IL6RA levels with the progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia.

Despite the central role attributed to neuroinflammation in the etiology and pathobiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the direct link between levels of inflammatory mediators in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compartments, as well as their potential implications for AD diagnosis and progression, remains inconclusive. Moreover, there is debate on whether inflammation has a protective or detrimental effect on disease onset and progression. Indeed, distinct immunological mechanisms may govern protective and damaging effects at early and late stages, respectively.

Changes in choroidal thickness quantified by Optical Coherence Tomography across cognitive impairment: data from the NORFACE cohort.

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables high-resolution imaging of ocular structures in health and disease. Choroid thickness (CT) is a key vascular retinal parameter that can be assessed by OCT and might be relevant in the evaluation of the vascular component of cognitive decline. We aimed to investigate CT changes in a large cohort of individuals cognitive unimpaired (CU), with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's (MCI-AD), mild cognitive impairment due to cerebrovascular disease (MCI-Va), Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD), and vascular dementia (VaD).

Attitudes toward pre-symptomatic screening for Alzheimer's dementia in five European countries: a comparison of family members of people with Alzheimer's dementia non-family members.

Pre-symptomatic screening is getting more attention in healthcare as it detects the risk for developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is very useful for treatment or prevention. AD screening could play an important role in individuals with at least one affected first-degree relative, but also without family history. As the demand for screening is rising worldwide, it is important to consider possible cross-cultural differences in attitudes toward pre-symptomatic screening in order to tailor healthcare services to the needs of each country.