Association between Dementia and Clinical Outcome after COVID-19: A Nationwide Cohort Study with Propensity Score Matched Control in South Korea.

Objective: Despite a high prevalence of dementia in older adults hospitalized with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection (SARS-CoV-2), or so called COVID-19, research investigating association between preexisting diagnoses of dementia and prognosis of COVID-19 is scarce. We aimed to investigate treatment outcome of patients with dementia after COVID-19.

Methods: We explored a nationwide cohort with a total of 2,800 subjects older than 50 years who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between January and April 2020.

Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Cognitive Function, Brain Functional Segregation, and Integration in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment According to Amyloid-Beta Deposition and ε4-Allele: A Pilot Study.

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (anodal-tDCS) is known to improve cognition and normalize abnormal network configuration during resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We aimed to evaluate the impact of sequential anodal-tDCS on cognitive functions, functional segregation, and integration parameters in patients with MCI, according to high-risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD): amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition and ε4-allele status. In 32 patients with MCI ([ F] flutemetamol-: = 10, [ F] flutemetamol+: = 22; ε4-: = 13, ε4+: = 19), we delivered anodal-tDCS (2 mA/day, five times/week, for 2 weeks) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and assessed the neuropsychological test battery and resting-state fMRI measurements before and after 2 weeks stimulation.

A Comparative Study on the Predictive Value of Different Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Parameters in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease.

Diverse resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) studies showed that rs-fMRI might be able to reflect the earliest detrimental effect of cerebral beta-amyloid (Aβ) pathology. However, no previous studies specifically compared the predictive value of different rs-fMRI parameters in preclinical AD. A total of 106 cognitively normal adults (Aβ+ group = 66 and Aβ- group = 40) were included.

Default mode network dissociation linking cerebral beta amyloid retention and depression in cognitively normal older adults.

Cerebral beta amyloid (Aβ) deposition and late-life depression (LLD) are known to be associated with the trajectory of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, their neurobiological link is not clear. Previous studies showed aberrant functional connectivity (FC) changes in the default mode network (DMN) in early Aβ deposition and LLD, but its mediating role has not been elucidated.

Pre-transplant Dementia is Associated with Poor Survival After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Nationwide Cohort Study with Propensity Score Matched Control.

Objective: No previous study examined impact of dementia in the outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We aimed to investigate overall survival (OS) of patients with dementia after receiving HSCT.

Methods: Among 8,230 patients who underwent HSCT between 2002 and 2018, 5,533 patients younger than 50 years were first excluded.

Differential Impact of Education on Gray Matter Volume According to Sex in Cognitively Normal Older Adults: Whole Brain Surface-Based Morphometry.

The effect of educational status on brain structural measurements depends on demographic and clinical factors in cognitively healthy older adults. The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of interaction between years of education and sex on gray matter volume and to investigate whether cortical volume has a differential impact on cognitive function according to sex. One hundred twenty-one subjects between 60 and 85 years old were included in this study.

Development of Random Forest Algorithm Based Prediction Model of Alzheimer's Disease Using Neurodegeneration Pattern.

Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia and the prevalence rapidly increased as the elderly population increased worldwide. In the contemporary model of AD, it is regarded as a disease continuum involving preclinical stage to severe dementia. For accurate diagnosis and disease monitoring, objective index reflecting structural change of brain is needed to correctly assess a patient's severity of neurodegeneration independent from the patient's clinical symptoms.

Differential Effects of the Interaction Between the Education and APOE ε4 Allele on Amyloid-beta Retention and Memory Performances in Cognitively Normal Older Adults and Alzheimer's Disease Patients.

Background: Despite the effect of education and APOE ε4 allele on amyloid-beta (Aβ) retention and memory, previous studies have not dealt with an interaction between two factors on Aβ deposition and memory function in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective: To evaluate education by APOE ε4 allele interactions for Aβ retention and neuropsychological test scores in cognitively normal older adults without Aβ deposition [CN(Aβ-), n=45] and Alzheimer's disease patients with Aβ retention [AD(Aβ+), n=33].

Methods: Multiple regression analyses (adjusted for age, gender) were conducted to examine the effects of education, APOE ε4 allele, and the interaction between the two factors on global, regional Aβ load quantified using [18F]flutemetamol standardized uptake value ratio with the pons as a reference region, and on neuropsychological test scores in each group.

Differential Risk of Incident Fractures Depending on Intensity and Frequency of Physical Activity According to Cognitive Status: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study.

Previous studies have demonstrated an increased risk of fractures in subjects with various degrees of cognitive impairments. Recently, there has been growing recognition of the vital effect of physical activity (PA) on delay and prevention of fractures in older adults. This study aimed to evaluate the optimal intensity and frequency of PA needed to prevent fractures in cognitively preserved older adults (CP), participants with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), and dementia patients using a large-scale nationwide cohort study.

Differences in cortical structure between cognitively normal East Asian and Caucasian older adults: a surface-based morphometry study.

There is a growing literature on the impact of ethnicity on brain structure and function. Despite the regional heterogeneity in age-related changes and non-uniformity across brain morphometry measurements in the aging process, paucity of studies investigated the difference in cortical anatomy between the East Asian and Caucasian older adults. The present study aimed to compare cortical anatomy measurements, including cortical thickness, volume and surface area, between cognitively normal East Asian (n = 171) and Caucasian (n = 178) older adults, using surface-based morphometry and vertex-wise group analysis of high-dimensional structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data.

Association of Alcohol Intake and Fracture Risk in Elderly Varied by Affected Bones: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study.

Objective: Previous studies investigating association of alcohol intake and fracture risk in elderly yielded conflicting results. We first examined the association between alcohol intake and total fracture risk in elderly subjects and further analyzed whether the association varied by fracture locations.

Methods: This is a nationwide population-based cohort study which included all people aged 66 (n=1,431,539) receiving the National Screening Program during 2009-2014.

Pre-transplant depression decreased overall survival of patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a nationwide cohort study.

Studies investigating association of depression with overall survival (OS) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) yielded conflicting results. A nationwide cohort study, which included all adult patients [n = 7,170; depression group, 13.3% (N = 956); non-depression group, 86.

Differential Impact of Cigarette Smoking on Fracture Risks in Subjective Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study.

Objective: We aimed to explore the differential impact of cigarette smoking on fracture risks in SCD and dementia.

Methods: A nationwide population-based cohort study design was used. Out of all the people aged 66 (n=1,555,103) who went through the National Screening Program from 2009-2014, 968,240 participants with eligible data were included in the study.

Agomelatine for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Despite multiple drugs available, a large proportion of patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) do not show adequate response and remission. Thus, additional novel pharmacological agents are needed to increase treatment option for GAD. We aimed to investigate efficacy and safety of agomelatine in the treatment of GAD by conducting a meta-analysis.

Effects of Moderate Intensity Exercise on the Cortical Thickness and Subcortical Volumes of Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease Patients: A Pilot Study.

Objective: We aimed to explore the impact of moderate intensity exercise on the cortical thickness and subcortical volumes of preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.

Methods: Sixty-three preclinical AD patients with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 18-florbetaben positron emission tomography (PET) data were enrolled in the study. Information on demographic characteristics, cognitive battery scores, self-reported exercise habits were attained.

Relationship between Delusion of Theft and Cognitive Functions in Patients with Mild Alzheimer's Disease.

Although delusion of theft (DT) is the most frequent type of delusion in Alzheimer's disease (AD), its relationship to cognitive functions remains unclear. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the relationship between DT and cognitive functions in mild AD. Two hundred eighty-nine mild AD patients were enrolled in this study.

Serotonin Transporter and COMT Polymorphisms as Independent Predictors of Health-related Quality of Life in Patients with Panic Disorder.

There is growing evidence of poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with panic disorder (PD). However, little is known about the factors affecting HRQOL in patients with PD. The authors examined whether 5-HTTLPR tri-allelic approach and Cathechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val(158)Met polymorphism can predict HRQOL in patients with PD controlling for sociodemographic factors and disorder-related symptom levels.

Relationship between Personality and Insomnia in Panic Disorder Patients.

Objective: Panic disorder (PD) is frequently comorbid with insomnia, which could exacerbate panic symptoms and contribute to PD relapse. Research has suggested that characteristics are implicated in both PD and insomnia. However, there are no reports examining whether temperament and character affect insomnia in PD.

The genetic basis of panic disorder.

Panic disorder is one of the chronic and disabling anxiety disorders. There has been evidence for either genetic heterogeneity or complex inheritance, with environmental factor interactions and multiple single genes, in panic disorder's etiology. Linkage studies have implicated several chromosomal regions, but no research has replicated evidence for major genes involved in panic disorder.