COVID-19 Crisis Effects on Caregiver Distress in Neurocognitive Disorder.

Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have mental health implications for both people with neurocognitive disorder and their caregivers.

Objective: The study aimed to shed light on relations between caregiver mental reaction to the pandemic and caregiver distress related to neuropsychiatric symptoms, memory impairment progression, and functional impairment of people with neurocognitive disorder during the period of confinement in Greece.

Methods: The study included caregivers of patients with mild (N = 13) and major (N = 54) neurocognitive disorder.

Old age mental health services in Southern Balkans: Features, geospatial distribution, current needs, and future perspectives.

Background: Healthcare services are increasingly confronted with challenges related to old age mental disorders. The survey aimed to provide an overview of existing psychogeriatric services in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, and North Macedonia.

Methods: After identification of psychogeriatric units across the four countries, their head physicians were asked to provide data on their clinical, teaching, and research activity, as well as staff composition.

Acetyl Cholinesterase Inhibitors and Cell-Derived Peripheral Inflammatory Cytokines in Early Stages of Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Clinical and preclinical studies firmly support the involvement of the inflammation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) being widely used in AD patients, there is no conclusive evidence about their impact on the inflammatory response.

Methods: This study investigates peripheral proinflammatory cytokines (interferon gamma [IFN-γ], tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], and interleukins 1β [IL-1β] and 6 [IL-6]) by firstly comparing peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-derived secretion in drug-naïve and AChEI-treated AD patients versus healthy controls.

A systematic review of non-pharmacological treatments for apathy in dementia.

Objective: Apathy is one of the most frequent neuropsychiatric symptoms encountered in dementia. Early diagnosis and timely treatment of apathy in dementia are crucial because apathy has been associated with poor disease outcome, reduced daily functioning, and caregiver distress.

Design: Extensive electronic search from the databases included in the National Library of Medicine as well as PsychInfo and Google Scholar for studies which have investigated the effect of non-pharmacological treatments of apathy in dementia.

Pharmacological and Nonpharmacological Treatment for Apathy in Alzheimer Disease : A systematic review across modalities.

Objective: Apathy is one of the most frequent neuropsychiatric symptoms encountered in Alzheimer disease (AD). Early diagnosis and timely treatment of apathy in AD seem to be of great importance, since apathy has been associated with poor disease outcome, reduced daily functioning, and caregiver distress.

Design: Within this context, we conducted an extensive electronic search from the databases included in the National Library of Medicine as well as PsychInfo and Google Scholar for studies that have investigated the effect of pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments of apathy in AD.