Objective: To compare the discriminant validity and inter-rater reliability of the two scoring systems for the Clock test that are most used in Spain.
Methodology: Two collections of clock drawings obtained in a clinical context (116 cases; 56.8% women, mean age 73.
Background: There are few updated studies on the prevalence and management of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which could be underdiagnosed or undertreated. The COVID-19 pandemic may have worsened the deficiencies in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients. Electronic medical records (EMR) offer an opportunity to assess the impact and management of medical processes and contingencies in the population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe prevalence of dementia is currently increasing worldwide. This syndrome produces a deterioration in cognitive function that cannot be reverted. However, an early diagnosis can be crucial for slowing its progress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Patients in neurology clinics are sometimes not aware of the reason for the consultation, and we have called this circumstance the "Don't know" sign (DKS). Our objective was to define this new sign and its modalities and to evaluate its prevalence and its diagnostic accuracy for cognitive impairment (CI) in comparison to other observation-based signs.
Design, Setting, And Participants: A cross-sectional prospective study included all new outpatients evaluated by the authors at neurology consultation.
Introduction: In the absence of a gold standard for in vivo Alzheimer disease (AD) diagnosis, AD biomarkers such as cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers (CSF-B) and PET-Amyloid are considered diagnostically useful in clinical practice guidelines and have consensual appropriate use criteria (AUC). However, little evidence has been published on their utilization in the clinical setting or on approaches to mismatched results. The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of AD biomarkers in clinical practice, focusing on the implementation of PET-Amyloid in cases of inconclusive CSF-B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo evaluate the use of amyloid-positron emission tomography (PET) in routine clinical practice, in a selected population with cognitive impairment that meets appropriate use criteria (AUC).A multicenter, observational, prospective case-series study of 211patients from 2 level-3 hospitals who fulfilled clinical AUC for amyloid-PET scan in a naturalistic setting. Certainty degree was evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale: 0 (very low probability); 1 (low probability); 2 (intermediate probability); 3 (high probability); and 4 (practically sure), before and after amyloid PET.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Semantic verbal fluency (SVF) is one of the most widely used tests for cognitive assessment due to its diagnostic utility (DU).
Objective: our objective is to evaluate the DU to detect cognitive impairment (CI) of a short version of the SVF applied in 30 seconds (SVF).
Methods: a prospective sample of consecutive patients evaluated in a Neurology Unit between December 2016 and December 2017 were assessed with the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), 30-second and 60-second SVF tests (animals), and the Fototest, which includes a fluency task of people's names.
Background: TMA-93 examines binding by images, an advantage for the less educated individuals.
Aim: To compare the discriminative validity of TMA-93 against the picture version of Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT) to distinguish patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) from normal controls (NCs) without excluding less educated individuals.
Design: Phase I diagnostic evaluation study.
Background: Biomarkers of neurodegeneration play a major role in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Information on both amyloid-β accumulation, e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVanishing white matter disease (VWM) was described by Van der Knaap in 1996. This association with premature ovarian failure is known as ovarioleukodystrophy. This is a rare entity caused by a mutation in one of the subunits of eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (EIF2B).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Evidence that periodontal disease is a possible risk factor for cognitive impairment may be explained by the inflammatory hypothesis. The aim of this study is to determine whether periodontitis is related to the amyloid β (Aβ) load in blood and the role of any such relationship in the association between Aβ and cognitive impairment.
Methods: A case-control study was performed in elderly people diagnosed with cognitive impairment with or without dementia (cases group) and cognitively healthy elderly people (control group); data were collected on the medical and dental history of participants, and blood samples were drawn to determine Aβ levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
The control of bacterial dental plaque through daily oral hygiene is essential to prevent oral diseases such as caries or periodontal disease, especially in at-risk populations, including the elderly with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. The aim of this study was to determine the association between different levels of cognitive impairment and dementia in an elderly population and their capacity to maintain adequate oral hygiene. A case-control study (elderly with versus without mild cognitive impairment or dementia) was performed in Granada, Spain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Apraxia is regarded as neurological disorder characterized by a loss of ability to execute and carry out skilled movements and gestures despite intact motor and sensory systems, coordination, and comprehension. As reflected in the specialized literature, there are currently few tests that provide a global evaluation of this syndrome. This research created and designed a test for the Evaluation of Upper Limb Apraxia (EULA), based on theoretical models of apraxia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Dementia is a multi-etiologic syndrome characterized by multiple cognitive deficits but not always by the presence of cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment is associated with multiple non-modifiable risk factors but few modifiable factors. Epidemiologic studies have shown an association between periodontitis, a potentially modifiable risk factor, and cognitive impairment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhototest is a simple, easy and very brief test with theoretical advantages over available dementia screening tests in Spain. The objective of this study was to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of the Phototest for cognitive impairment and dementia and to compare it with that of the MMSE and the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) in an Argentine population. A phase II cross-sectional study of diagnostic tests evaluation was performed in a sample of 30 controls, 61 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI), and 56 with mild Alzheimer type dementia (DAT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: The recently developed Phototest is a simple, easy and very brief test for detecting cognitive impairment or dementia.
Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the Phototest for detecting cognitive impairment or dementia.
Methods: We used a manually created database to search for studies evaluating the Phototest diagnostic yield and performed an initial meta-analysis to determine sensitivity (Sn) and specificity (Sp) of diagnostic parameters.
Objectives. To study the utility of the Mini-Cog test for detection of patients with cognitive impairment (CI) in primary care (PC). Methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy (DA) of the Mini-Mental State (MMS) for the detection of cognitive impairment (CI) in Primary Care (PC) and to determine the best conditions of use for that purpose.
Design: Pooled analysis of two prospective, double blind, studies on the evaluation of diagnostic tools with complete verification that were conducted in Madrid and Granada (Spain).
Setting: The MMS was administered in PC and the final cognitive diagnosis (gold standard) was made in Specialized Care.
Foreign accent syndrome (FAS) is a rare condition which is placed in the mildest end of the spectrum of speech disorders. The impairment, not severe enough to elicit phonological errors, is associated with various alterations in the fine execution of speech sounds which cause the impression of foreignness. There is a growing interest in the study of linguistic and paralinguistic components, psychosocial aftermaths, and neural basis of FAS, but there are not yet neuroscience-driven treatments for this condition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Illiteracy, a universal problem, limits the utilization of the most widely used short cognitive tests. Our objective was to assess and compare the effectiveness and cost for cognitive impairment (CI) and dementia (DEM) screening of three short cognitive tests applicable to illiterates.
Methods: Phase III diagnostic test evaluation study was performed during one year in four Primary Care centers, prospectively including individuals with suspicion of CI or DEM.
Background: To assess and compare the effectiveness and costs of Phototest, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Memory Impairment Screen (MIS) to screen for dementia (DEM) and cognitive impairment (CI).
Methods: A phase III study was conducted over one year in consecutive patients with suspicion of CI or DEM at four Primary Care (PC) centers. After undergoing all screening tests at the PC center, participants were extensively evaluated by researchers blinded to screening test results in a Cognitive-Behavioral Neurology Unit (CBNU).