Subacute meningoencephalitis in a subset of patients with AD after Abeta42 immunization.

Background: AD is characterized by cerebral deposition of beta-amyloid plaques with amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) 42 as the major peptide constituent, along with neurofibrillary tangles and neuronal loss. In transgenic mice, active immunization against Abeta42 removes these plaques and improves cognitive function. A Phase I study in AD patients demonstrated good safety and tolerability of multiple injections of aggregated Abeta42 (AN1792) with QS-21 as adjuvant.

Efficacy and safety of memantine in patients with mild to moderate vascular dementia: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial (MMM 300).

Background And Purpose: Based on the hypothesis of glutamate-induced neurotoxicity (excitotoxicity) in cerebral ischemia, this study examined the efficacy and tolerability of memantine, an uncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist, in the treatment of mild to moderate vascular dementia.

Methods: In this multicenter, 28-week trial carried out in France, 321 patients received 10 mg/d memantine or placebo twice a day; 288 patients were valid for intent-to-treat analysis. Patients had to meet the criteria for probable vascular dementia and have a Mini-Mental State (MMSE) score between 12 and 20 at inclusion.

Advantages and disadvantages of neurological scales.

The neurological features demonstrated by a patient form a valid measurement for the level of impairment experienced following a stroke. These features can be assessed using neurological scores, which assign values to the many deficits exhibited by such patients and allow a prognosis to be made on patient outcome. Several stroke scales have been produced, most of which are based on normative scaling.