Diagnostic Performance of Automated MRI Volumetry by icobrain dm for Alzheimer's Disease in a Clinical Setting: A REMEMBER Study.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become important in the diagnostic work-up of neurodegenerative diseases. icobrain dm, a CE-labeled and FDA-cleared automated brain volumetry software, has shown potential in differentiating cognitively healthy controls (HC) from Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia (ADD) patients in selected research cohorts.

Objective: This study examines the diagnostic value of icobrain dm for AD in routine clinical practice, including a comparison to the widely used FreeSurfer software, and investigates if combined brain volumes contribute to establish an AD diagnosis.

Practices and opinions about disclosure of the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease to patients with MCI or dementia: a survey among Belgian medical experts in the field of dementia.

Previous surveys revealed that only a minority of clinicians routinely disclosed the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) to their patients. Many health professionals fear that the disclosure could be harmful to the patient. Recent advances in the development of biomarkers and new diagnostic criteria allow for an earlier diagnosis of AD at the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage.

Dementia, End of Life, and Euthanasia: A Survey Among Dementia Specialists Organized by the Belgian Dementia Council.

Background: Palliative care and Advance Care Planning (ACP) are increasingly recommended for an optimal management of late-stage dementia. In Belgium, euthanasia has been decriminalized in 2002 for patients who are "mentally competent" (interpreted as non-demented). It has been suggested that advance directives for euthanasia (ADE) should be made possible for dementia patients.

Factors Associated with the Caregivers' Desire to Institutionalize Persons with Dementia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/aims: Dementia is one of the main reasons for institutionalization among the elderly. Few studies have explored factors associated with the caregivers' (CG) desire to institutionalize (DTI) a person with dementia (PWD). The objective of this study is to identify modifiable and non-modifiable psychosocial and sociodemographic factors associated with a caregiver's DTI.

Vulnerability of caregivers of people with a neurodegenerative disease: a synthesis.

The aging of the population and the increasing of the neurodegenerative pathologies encourage the current policies in health to further promote the home maintenance for dependent elderly people. Therefore, informal caregivers provide a substantial assistance to the medical team by monitoring home care. These volunteer caregivers who play an essential role in the survival of our health system however may expose to dangers of systematic assistance.

A Retrospective Belgian Multi-Center MRI Biomarker Study in Alzheimer's Disease (REMEMBER).

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition/processing techniques assess brain volumes to explore neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective: We examined the clinical utility of MSmetrix and investigated if automated MRI volumes could discriminate between groups covering the AD continuum and could be used as a predictor for clinical progression.

Methods: The Belgian Dementia Council initiated a retrospective, multi-center study and analyzed whole brain (WB), grey matter (GM), white matter (WM), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), cortical GM (CGM) volumes, and WM hyperintensities (WMH) using MSmetrix in the AD continuum.

Alzheimer's disease and driving: review of the literature and consensus guideline from Belgian dementia experts and the Belgian road safety institute endorsed by the Belgian Medical Association.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a highly prevalent condition and its prevalence is expected to further increase due to the aging of the general population. It is obvious that the diagnosis of AD has implications for driving. Finally, driving discussions are also emotionally charged because driving is associated with independence and personal identity.

POLG2 deficiency causes adult-onset syndromic sensory neuropathy, ataxia and parkinsonism.

Objective: Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders such as ataxia and Parkinson's disease. We describe an extended Belgian pedigree where seven individuals presented with adult-onset cerebellar ataxia, axonal peripheral ataxic neuropathy, and tremor, in variable combination with parkinsonism, seizures, cognitive decline, and ophthalmoplegia. We sought to identify the underlying molecular etiology and characterize the mitochondrial pathophysiology of this neurological syndrome.

Clinical utility and applicability of biomarker-based diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease: a BeDeCo survey.

We conducted a survey regarding the medical care of patients with dementia in expert settings in Belgium. Open, unrestricted and motivated answers were centralized, blindly interpreted and structured into categories. The report of the results was then submitted to the participants in subsequent plenary meetings and through email.

Symptoms of depression and anxiety after the disclosure of the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease.

Background And Purpose: Many people fear that the disclosure of the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD) to patients will prompt depressive symptoms or catastrophic reactions. We aimed to prospectively evaluate the modification of anxiety and depressive symptoms 3 months after the disclosure of the diagnosis of AD.

Methods: A total of 100 consecutive newly diagnosed patients with AD (mild or moderate stage) and their caregivers were included.

Dissociation between numerosity and duration processing in aging and early Parkinson's disease.

Numerosity and duration processing have been shown to be underlain by a single representational mechanism, namely an accumulator, and to rely on a common cerebral network located principally in areas around the right intraparietal sulcus. However, recent neuropsychological findings reveal a dissociation between numerosity and duration processing, which suggests the existence of partially distinct mechanisms. In this study, we tested the idea of partially common and distinct mechanisms by investigating, for the first time, both numerical and temporal processing abilities in non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) patients known to suffer from duration impairment and in healthy elderly adults known to have impaired performance in duration tasks.

Validity of the five-word test for the evaluation of verbal episodic memory and dementia in a memory clinic setting.

Background: The five-word test (FWT) uses semantic clues to optimize the encoding and retrieval of 5 items. Our objective was to assess the validity of the FWT as a measure of episodic memory when compared with the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT), and its ability to distinguish participants with any dementia and especially Alzheimer disease (AD) from those with only subjective complaints.

Methods: Two hundred participants with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) >15 were prospectively evaluated.