[DOES SCREENING FOR DEPRESSION AS A QUALITY MEASUREMENT IMPACT DIAGNOSIS RATE OF DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING REHABILITATION FOLLOWING A STROKE].

Background: The Israeli National Program for Quality Measures determined the need for screening for depression during rehabilitation following stroke as a quality measure in the elderly; this is in order to better diagnose and treat post-stroke depression. The study's goal was to investigate whether adding screening for depression had an effect on the rate of diagnosis. Depression is a culture-dependent phenomenon, therefore the change in the rate of diagnosis of depression in the Arab population and the Jewish population was examined separately.

The clock-drawing test: normative data in adult and elderly Israeli Arabs.

Aim: Despite the widespread use of the clock-drawing test (CDT), normative data and information regarding the influence of sociodemographic factors on test performance by adult and elderly Israeli Arabs are lacking. The current study aimed to establish normative data for this population group by exploring the impact of sociodemographic factors such as age, education, and gender on CDT performance. In addition, this study examined the association between CDT performance and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores.

Effect of rivastigmine on mobility of patients with higher-level gait disorder: a pilot exploratory study.

Background: Higher-level gait disorder (HLGD) in older adults is characterized by postural instability, stepping dysrhythmicity, recurrent falls and progressive immobility. Cognitive impairments are frequently associated with HLGD.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare gait and cognitive performance before and after the use of rivastigmine in patients with HLGD, free from cognitive impairment or Parkinsonism.

Wandering in a dementia special care unit: behavioral aspects and the risk of falling.

Background: Wandering is a common phenomenon among patients with dementia. While traditionally considered to be a behavioral problem, it also includes fundamental aspects of motor performance (e.g.

Cognitive and behavioural impairment in Parkinson's disease.

Although Parkinson's disease (PD) has been considered to primarily affect motor abilities, increasing emphasis is being placed on cognitive and behavioural impairment in this disorder. Depression, dementia, psychosis and impulse control disorders have a major impact on quality of life for both patients and families. This article reviews cognitive and behavioural disturbances in PD and their relation to affective and motor symptoms, treatment of dementia associated with PD, and treatment approaches to psychosis in PD.

Dopamine dysregulation syndrome, addiction and behavioral changes in Parkinson's disease.

Degeneration of the dopaminergic system in Parkinson's disease and longstanding exposure to dopaminergic drugs may cause reward system malfunction. This may manifest as addiction to l-dopa and behavioral disturbances associated with the impulse control system. These disturbances include: gambling, excessive spending (shopping), hypersexuality and binge eating.

Rater-blinded, prospective comparison: quetiapine versus clozapine for Parkinson's disease psychosis.

Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of quetiapine versus clozapine for the treatment of psychosis in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: Twenty-seven patients with PD and recent-onset psychosis were randomly allocated to 2 arms of 22 weeks' treatment with quetiapine or clozapine after 2 weeks of adjustment of antiparkinsonian medications. Assessment was done by a blinded neuropsychologist using the Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC) questionnaire and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI).

"Brain Screen": A self-referral, screening program for strokes, falls and dementia risk factors.

Background: Falls, strokes and dementia can be predicted and their occurrence can be delayed or even prevented by treatment of risk factors. The value of screening self-referred adults is unknown.

Objectives: To assess whether a screening program of self-referred adults provides new and valuable medical information on risk factors for falls, stroke and dementia.

Induction of neuron-specific enolase promoter and neuronal markers in differentiated mouse bone marrow stromal cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells in the adult bone marrow are differentiated to connective tissue, muscle, bone, cartilage, and fat cells. Recent studies in cultures, animal models, and humans demonstrated the plasticity of these cells and their capacity to express neuronal markers. However, questions were raised as to whether the neuronal phenotypes reflect transient changes or even fusion with neurons.

Waiting for ON: a major problem in patients with Parkinson disease and ON/OFF motor fluctuations.

The authors compared the two portions of the OFF period in patients with Parkinson disease and response fluctuations: time to ON (the latency from levodopa intake to turning ON) and wearing off (time from termination of the beneficial dose effect until the time when the next dose was taken). Time to ON was more than twice the duration of wearing off. Although underrecognized, time to ON is the major component of total daily OFF.

Effect of late initiation of levodopa treatment in patients with long-standing Parkinson's disease.

The time of initiation of levodopa therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is still debatable, as is the hypothesis of levodopa toxicity Some researchers argue that late initiation of treatment will delay the appearance of response fluctuations. In the present study, 11 patients in whom treatment with low doses of levodopa was delayed for a mean of 7.9 +/- 3.