Efficacy and safety of donepezil in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies: results from a 12-week multicentre, randomised, double-blind, and placebo-controlled phase IV study.

Background: Donepezil has been approved in Japan for the treatment of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) based on clinical trials showing its beneficial effects on cognitive impairment. This phase IV study evaluated the efficacy of donepezil by focusing on global clinical status during a 12-week double-blind phase.

Methods: Patients with probable DLB were randomly assigned to the placebo (n = 79) or 10 mg donepezil (n = 81) groups.

A simple method to evaluate the pentagon copy test of the Mini-Mental State Examination for the differentiation of dementia with Lewy bodies.

There are many commonalities between the clinical symptoms of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and those of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The accurate differentiation of these two diseases is an important neuropsychological issue. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is often used as a screening test for dementing disorders.

The Bender Gestalt Test is useful for clinically diagnosing dementia with Lewy bodies: Analysis of its sensitivity, specificity, and clinical characteristics of the figure copy.

A previous study that evaluated the ability of the Bender Gestalt Test (BGT) to discriminate between dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) suggested that a total score of 98 is the optimal cutoff value for discriminating between these two diseases and that DLB tends to exhibit unique errors; i.e., "element deformation" and "gestalt destruction.

The Cingulate Island Sign on FDG-PET vs. IMP-SPECT to Assess Mild Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease vs. Dementia with Lewy Bodies.

Background And Purpose: The cingulate island sign (CIS) on F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET); ie, the relative preservation of mid-posterior cingulate cortex metabolism, is a supportive biomarker in the diagnostic criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). However, limited information is currently available on the diagnostic value of the CIS on FDG-PET or I-iodoamphetamine single-photon emission computed tomography (IMP-SPECT) for differentiating between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) (MCI-AD) and MCI due to DLB (MCI-DLB).

Methods: We examined the CIS ratio in 9 AD patients, 9 DLB patients, 8 patients with MCI-AD, and 9 patients with MCI-DLB using FDG-PET and IMP-SPECT.

Evaluating depression in cognitively healthy elderly people by using Mini-Mental State Examination.

Aim: We examined a method for evaluating depression with the Mini-Mental State Examination in cognitively healthy elderly people and employed the projective perspective.

Methods: In MMSE three groups-normal, depressed tendency, and depressed-completed the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a Japanese version of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. The Mini-Mental State Examination evaluated individuals' writing based on a sentence, the number of written words, and sentence content; it also assessed their copying of drawn figures.

The cingulate island sign in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies or Alzheimer's disease: A direct comparison between F-FDG PET and I-IMP SPECT.

The cingulate island sign (CIS) on F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET); i.e., the relative preservation of mid-posterior cingulate cortex metabolism, is a supportive biomarker in the diagnostic criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

Characteristics of dementia patients who described or did not describe the relationship between two people on the COGNISTAT speech sample.

Speech sample of Cognitive Status Examination (COGNISTAT) is a task in which examinees freely talk about what is happening in a presented picture. We investigated whether there are differences in the characteristics between patients who described or did not describe the relationship between two people in the speech sample based on age, gender, cognitive dysfunction, and type of dementia (Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies). The participants were 60-year-old or older patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies who undertook the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and COGNISTAT at a general hospital specialized in care for the elderly.

The Use of Short Versions of the Japanese WAIS-III to Aid in Differentiation Between Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies.

Objective: We examined the cognitive characteristics of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) using the Wechsler Adult Intelligent Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III). In addition, the utility of short versions of WAIS-III for estimating IQ scores and index scores were examined.

Methods: The subjects were 83 patients with probable AD, 33 patients with probable DLB, and 83 cognitively normal individuals.

Differences in responses to the Rorschach test between patients with dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease -from the perspective of visuoperceptual impairment.

Patients with Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) tend to perform worse in tasks on visuoperception than patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The Rorschach inkblot test has its utility for assessing perceptual and visuospatial abilities. In this study, we examined the differences in responses to the Rorschach test between patients with DLB and those with AD in terms of visuoperception, and investigated the utility of the test for assessing visuoperceptual impairment in DLB.

Characteristics of mild cognitive impairment tending to convert into Alzheimer's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies: A follow-up study in a memory clinic.

Aim: To determine characteristics of MCI that can predict whether patients will go on to develop AD or DLB.

Methods: Ninety-three patients diagnosed with MCI underwent neuropsychological and neuroimaging examinations, and were followed-up for a mean of 44.9±19.

I-FP-CIT SPECT findings and its clinical relevance in prodromal dementia with Lewy bodies.

Purpose: Evidence for the prodromal stage of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is very limited. To address this issue, we investigate the I-FP-CIT SPECT measure of dopamine transporter binding finding and its clinical relevance.

Methods: We enrolled subjects into a prodromal DLB group (PRD-DLB) (n = 20) and clinical DLB group (CLIN-DLB) (n = 18) and compared these groups with an Alzheimer's disease control group (AD) (n = 10).

Accumulated α-synuclein affects the progression of GM2 gangliosidoses.

The accumulation of α-synuclein (ASyn) has been observed in several lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) but it remains unclear if ASyn accumulation contributes to LSD pathology. ASyn also accumulates in the neurons of Sandhoff disease (SD) patients and SD model mice (Hexb-/- ASyn+/+ mice). SD is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by the absence of a functional β-subunit on the β-hexosaminidase A and B enzymes, which leads to the accumulation of ganglioside in the central nervous system.

A family with hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with spheroids caused by a novel c.2442+2T>C mutation in the CSF1R gene.

Clinical phenotypes of hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with spheroids (HDLS), a familial progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting the white matter of the brain, are heterogenous and may include behavioral and personality changes, memory impairment, parkinsonism, seizure, and spasticity. Thus, HDLS is frequently unrecognized and misdiagnosed. Heterozygous mutations located within the kinase domain of the gene encoding the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), a cell surface receptor with key roles in development and innate immunity, have been shown in HDLS.

Early differential diagnosis between Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies: Comparison between (18)F-FDG PET and (123)I-IMP SPECT.

Both (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and (123)I-iodoamphetamine (IMP) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) have been used for the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Less information is available, however, regarding the differential diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD and MCI due to DLB. We examined nine AD patients (AD group), nine DLB patients (DLB group), eight MCI due to AD patients (MCI-AD group), and nine MCI due to DLB patients (MCI-DLB group) with FDG PET and IMP SPECT using a well-characterized normal database and a stereotactic extraction estimation method.

Prediction of later clinical course by a specific glucose metabolic pattern in non-demented patients with probable REM sleep behavior disorder admitted to a memory clinic: A case study.

The present study is a follow-up study of 11 non-demented patients with probable rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) at our memory clinic. During the follow-up period (mean±SD of 46.7±6.

Adequacy of Using Consensus Guidelines for Diagnosis of Dementia with Lewy Bodies in Clinical Trials for Drug Development.

Background/aims: To evaluate the adequacy of using the consensus diagnostic criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) to recruit patients with homogeneous characteristics in future clinical trials, where multiple departments of multinational centres are expected to participate with a long enrolment period, and additionally, to contribute to the possible future criteria revision.

Methods: Using data from 2 trials of donepezil for DLB, conducted 3 years apart, characteristics in patients with probable DLB were analysed and compared between studies and between psychiatric and neurological centres.

Results: In 273 patients (phase II: 135, phase III: 138; psychiatric: 73, neurological: 184), clinical characteristics overall were very similar between studies, and between specialty centres, excluding distinctive parkinsonism in the neurological versus psychiatric centres: incidence of parkinsonism (91.

[Assessment of Inspection Technology of Dopamine Transporter Imaging with ¹²³I-Ioflupane].

Imaging start time of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan is recommended between 3 hours and 6 hours after injection of ¹²³I-ioflupane in Ioflupane clinical practice guidelines. But image includes the effect of physiological actions of the human body and the attenuation at 13.27 hours physical half-life of ¹²³I.

Characteristics of depression in community-dwelling elderly people as indicated by the tree-drawing test.

Background: The tree-drawing test (TDT) is a typical projective method, but previous studies have paid little attention to it for elderly people. We investigated the characteristics of depression in community-dwelling elderly people as indicated by the TDT.

Methods: This study was a complete enumeration survey of elderly people conducted through home visits.

Safety and pharmacokinetics of bapineuzumab in a single ascending-dose study in Japanese patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Aim: To evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of bapineuzumab after a single intravenous injection in Japanese patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: Participants received either a placebo (n = 8), or bapineuzumab 0.15 (n = 6), 0.

Impaired heart rate variability in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies: Efficacy of electrocardiogram as a supporting diagnostic marker.

Objective: It has been suggested that impaired heart rate variability (HRV) may be an early sign of Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to determine whether HRV can be employed in order to differentiate between dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: We examined HRV in 30 probable DLB patients (16 men and 14 women; mean age, 79.

Visuoperceptual assessments for differentiating dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease: illusory contours and other neuropsychological examinations.

We examined the utility of illusory contours (ICs) for the differentiation of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thirty-five probable DLB patients, 35 probable AD patients controlled by age, years of education, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, and 30 cognitively normal subjects controlled by age and years of education underwent visuoperceptual examinations including ICs, pentagon copying in MMSE, overlapping figures, clock drawing test, cube copying, and line orientation. Four items in ICs (ICs-4) were found to be significantly impaired in DLB compared with AD, and a sensitivity and a specificity of total score of ICs-4 were 88.

Cognitive dysfunction in patients with very mild Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment showing hemispheric asymmetries of hypometabolism on ¹⁸F-FDG PET.

Objective: We investigated cognitive dysfunction in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) who present hemispheric asymmetries of cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMRglc) decrease on (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.

Methods: Based on the hemispheric asymmetries of CMRglc decrease in the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and parietotemporal cortex, the patients were divided into three groups (a left-dominant hypometabolism group, a right-dominant hypometabolism group, and a non-dominant hypometabolism group). CMRglc decrease in the whole brain was controlled among the three groups.