Blood pro-inflammatory cytokines in Alzheimer's disease in relation to the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.

Objective: A potential anti-inflammatory role for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) has been supported by animal studies. As very limited data exist from individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), the aim of this study was to assess the potential influence of AChEIs on blood pro-inflammatory cytokines. We hypothesized that pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations were lower in individuals with AD stabilized on AChEIs.

Low 25OH vitamin D2 levels found in untreated Alzheimer's patients, compared to acetylcholinesterase-inhibitor treated and controls.

Following contradictory reports, the aim of this study was to apply our highly specific novel assay to delineate the relationship between vitamin D forms and Alzheimer's disease. The study incorporated patients, both untreated and treated with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, along with controls. Patients were grouped as A: untreated (n=26) and B: treated with donepezil, rivastigmine or galantamine (n=44).

Antioxidant enzymatic activities in Alzheimer's disease: the relationship to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.

The mode of action of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is mainly by potentiating neuronal transmission. Animal studies have also consistently described a role for AChEIs in enhancement of antioxidants and attenuation of oxidative stress. The influence of AChEIs on blood antioxidants in AD patients has not been established before.

Chronic cognitive impairment in users of 'ecstasy' and cannabis.

MDMA use is commonly accompanied by use of other substances, most notably cannabis. Both MDMA and cannabis have probable effects on cognition. This paper reviews research into long-term effects on cognition which are likely to represent neurotoxicity.

Mismatch negativity potentials and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.

Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia is an important predictor of clinical and social outcome. In this preliminary study, the correlation between cognitive status and deficits in mismatch negativity (MMN) generation was explored. The MMN response to tone duration deviants was recorded using a new stimulation protocol with continuously changing ('roving') standard stimuli in order to measure the effect of standard repetitions on MMN (memory trace effect).

Impairment in frontal but not temporal components of mismatch negativity in schizophrenia.

Impairment in mismatch negativity (MMN) potentials is a robust finding in schizophrenia. While previous studies suggested that MMN in man is generated by a single dipole source bilaterally in the primary auditory cortex, more recent data modified this assumption by showing differential modulation of MMN components over the frontal and temporal scalp. Here we used a roving standard experiment to record mismatch potentials to tone duration deviants with the aim to detect robust temporal and frontal mismatch components.