All WMH are not of purely vascular origin: existence of AD‐related WMH.

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are highly prevalent in aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and typically attributed to vascular damage and cerebral small vessel disease. Yet, several lines of evidence from the literature emphasize the heterogeneity in the mechanisms leading to WMH, notably in AD, suggesting that WMH may be partly attributable to AD. Thus, firstly, neuropathological studies demonstrate heterogeneity in WMH histology, with indications of a link between tau pathology, Wallerian degeneration, and WMH severity.

Assessing the prevalence of anticholinergic and sedative medications to avoid in older adults from the French Health Data System.

Background: In older people, medications with anticholinergic or sedative properties are associated with falls, frailty, and functional and cognitive impairment. These medications are often described as a subset of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). We examined the prevalence of anticholinergic or sedative medications to avoid in older people in France in 2023.

Reliability of the assessment of the clinical dementia rating scale from the analysis of medical records in comparison with the reference method.

Background: The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale allows to detect the presence of dementia and to assess its severity, however its evaluation requires a significant time (45 min). We evaluated the agreement between two methods of collection of the CDR: face-to-face interview or based on the information available in the patient's medical record.

Methods: The CLIMER study was conducted among patients attending a memory center.

Association between treatment with sacubitril/valsartan and the risk of Alzheimer's disease: a clinical update.

Since 2014, sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto) is widely prescribed for heart failure. Despite neprilysin inhibition's benefits in heart failure, concerns about potential amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation and Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk have persisted. This narrative review, a decade post-approval, evaluates the risk of amyloid pathology and neurocognitive disorders in long-term sacubitril/valsartan use.

Identification of profiles associated with conversions between the Alzheimer's disease stages, using a machine learning approach.

Background: The identification of factors involved in the conversion across the different Alzheimer's disease (AD) stages is crucial to prevent or slow the disease progression. We aimed to assess the factors and their combination associated with the conversion across the AD stages, from mild cognitive impairment to dementia, at a mild, moderate or severe stage and to identify profiles associated with earliest/latest conversion across the AD stages.

Methods: In this study conducted on the real-life MEMORA cohort data collected from January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2019, three cohorts were selected depending on the baseline neurocognitive stage from a consecutive sample of patients attending a memory center, aged between 50 and 90 years old, with a diagnosis of AD during the follow-up, and with at least 2 visits at 6 months to 1 year of interval.

Impact of cumulative exposure to anticholinergic and sedative drugs on cognition in older adults: a memory clinic cohort study.

Background: Long-term exposure to anticholinergic and sedative drugs could be a modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline. The objective of this study was to measure the association between previous cumulative anticholinergic and sedative drug exposure (Drug Burden Index) and cognitive decline.

Methods: A cohort study (MEMORA cohort) was conducted in a French memory clinic for patients attending a consultation between November 2014 and December 2020, with at least 2 Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) measurements (≥ 6 months apart) and available medication data from the local Primary Health Insurance Fund database (n = 1,970).

Clinical impact of an individualised clinical pharmacy programme into the memory care pathway of older people: an observational study.

Background: In older patients, medication exposure [i.e. polypharmacy, potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), medications with anticholinergic and/or sedative properties] is a modifiable risk factor associated with cognitive iatrogenic risk and dementia.

[Impact of animal-assisted therapy on well-being in patients with Alzheimer's disease (ELIAUT study)].

The development of non-pharmacological interventions, including animal-assisted therapy (AAT), is an encouraging method for the care of people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). A single-center, randomized, single-blind, controlled intervention study was proposed to compare immediate well-being measured by a visual analog scale (EVIBE) as primary outcome between the intervention group (AAT combined with cognitive stimulation) and the control group (cognitive stimulation only) in AD patients. Secondary outcomes were explored, such as well-being after intervention (also with the EVIBE), cognitive performance (measured by Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale, cognitive part GRECO version), behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Behavioral Scale-Nursing Home Version), current depressive symptomatology (with the 30 items Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS 30]) and anxiety (by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory).

Managing Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: Need for a Change of Mindset.

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) refers to a complex brain disorder characterized by ventricular enlargement and the classic Hakim's triad of gait and balance difficulties, urinary incontinence, and cognitive impairment. It predominantly affects older patients in the absence of an identified cause. As the elderly population continues to increase, iNPH becomes a growing concern in the complex spectrum of neuro-geriatric care, with significant socio-economic implications.

White matter hyperintensities in Alzheimer's disease: Beyond vascular contribution.

White matter hyperintensities (WMH), frequently seen in older adults, are usually considered vascular lesions, and participate in the vascular contribution to cognitive impairment and dementia. However, emerging evidence highlights the heterogeneity of WMH pathophysiology, suggesting that non-vascular mechanisms could also be involved, notably in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This led to the alternative hypothesis that in AD, part of WMH may be secondary to AD-related processes.

Performance evaluation of automated white matter hyperintensity segmentation algorithms in a multicenter cohort on cognitive impairment and dementia.

Background: White matter hyperintensities (WMH), a biomarker of small vessel disease, are often found in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their advanced detection and quantification can be beneficial for research and clinical applications. To investigate WMH in large-scale multicenter studies on cognitive impairment and AD, appropriate automated WMH segmentation algorithms are required. This study aimed to compare the performance of segmentation tools and provide information on their application in multicenter research.

[Not Available].

Résumé L'état confusionnel aigu (ECA) est fréquent chez les patients âgés hospitalisés induisant de graves conséquences cliniques. Malgré sa prévalence élevée, l'ECA est souvent sous-diagnostiqué. Un repérage précoce de l'ECA permettrait une prise en charge optimisée, et une diminution de l'incidence des complications.

Vascular Health Is Associated With Functional Connectivity Decline in Higher-Order Networks of Older Adults.

Background: Poor vascular health may impede brain functioning in older adults, thus possibly increasing the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The emerging link between vascular risk factors (VRF) and longitudinal decline in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) within functional brain networks needs replication and further research in independent cohorts.

Method: We examined 95 non-demented older adults using the IMAP+ cohort (Caen, France).

Role of Cardiovascular Risk Factors on the Association Between Physical Activity and Brain Integrity Markers in Older Adults.

Background And Objectives: Physical activity has been associated with a decreased risk for dementia, but the mechanisms underlying this association remain to be determined. Our objective was to assess whether cardiovascular risk factors mediate the association between physical activity and brain integrity markers in older adults.

Methods: At baseline, participants from the Age-Well study completed a physical activity questionnaire and underwent cardiovascular risk factors collection (systolic blood pressure, body mass index [BMI], current smoker status, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and insulin levels) and multimodal neuroimaging (structural MRI, diffusion MRI, FDG-PET, and florbetapir PET).