A simple counting of verbal fluency errors discriminates between normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

For this observational cross-sectional study, different modalities of verbal fluency tasks (VFTs) were compared between 143 participants: 35 cognitively healthy controls (CHCs), 71 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 37 mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Binomial logistic regression models were defined to identify VFT variables associated with MCI and AD, with respect to CHC. The results showed that the best errors/repetitions variable associated with MCI and AD was the phonemic task, and with every error the odds of being in the MCI group increased 9.

Swallowing in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia.

Background: Swallowing and feeding problems may occur with the progression of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and can impair the anticipatory and oral preparatory phases of swallowing.

Objective: To characterize swallowing problems and the feeding situation of patients with bvFTD and to correlate the swallowing problems with functionality, executive functions, cognitive and behavioral features.

Methods: Consecutive outpatients with bvFTD in mild, moderate and severe dementia stages were recruited along with their caregivers.

A Hypothetical Link Between Verbal Fluency and Functionality in Aging: A Systematic-Review and Paths for Future Research.

Background: Verbal Fluency (VF) tasks are known as multimodal measures clinically useful for monitoring cognitive decline during the aging process. Considering that the executive control observed along VF tasks calls for a set of functions directing the behavior toward a general goal, it may be assumed that there is a correspondence between VF ability and Functional Capacity (FC).

Methods: With this assumption in mind, the author aimed at performing a literature research on VF ability and FC within aging.

Quanti-qualitative components of the semantic verbal fluency test in cognitively healthy controls, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia subtypes.

This study is aimed to evaluating the underlying cognitive strategies used during Semantic Verbal Fluency (SVF) performance and comparing the differences between cognitively healthy controls (CHC), amnestic and amnestic-multiple domain mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI and a-md-MCI), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). The cross-sectional study comprised 236 participants involving 78 CHC individuals, 33 a-MCI and 48 a-md-MCI, 39 AD, 22 LBD, and 16 bvFTD patients. Scores differed significantly when comparing CHC with dementia groups, showing medium to large variances.

Lifestyle Patterns as a Modifiable Risk Factor for Late-life Cognitive Decline: A Narrative Review Regarding Dementia Prevention.

Background: Dementias due to neurodegenerative disorders and more specifically, Alzheimer's disease (AD) are the most frequent of all diseases within the industrialized world. Besides this alarming fact, it is noted too that almost three-quarter of people with AD reside in low or middle- income nations. In recent years, cognitive and behavioral neuroscientists have focused on a possible correlation between environmental agents and genetic risk factors for these dementias.

Swallowing in primary progressive aphasia.

Background: Few studies have described characteristics of swallowing in primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and its variants.

Objective: To describe and characterize swallowing and eating behaviors of patients with PPA, as well as their correlates with neuropsychiatric symptoms and patterns of communication.

Methods: We studied 16 patients with PPA and 16 their caregivers.

Culture as a variable in neuroscience and clinical neuropsychology: A comprehensive review.

Culture is a dynamic system of bidirectional influences among individuals and their environment, including psychological and biological processes, which facilitate adaptation and social interaction. One of the main challenges in clinical neuropsychology involves cognitive, behavioral and functional assessment of people with different sociocultural backgrounds. In this review essay, examining culture from a historical perspective to ethical issues in cross-cultural research, including the latest significant and publications, the authors sought to explore the main features related to cultural variables in neuropsychological practice and to debate the challenges found regarding the operational methods currently in use.

Correlations among cognitive and behavioural assessments in patients with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease.

Aims: Primarily, we sought to verify correlations among assessments for cognition, behaviour and functional independence in a sample of patients with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Secondarily, impacts of education, APOE haplotypes, length of dementia, age and alcohol use over the neuropsychiatric assessment were estimated.

Methods: Patients with AD were assessed for demographic features, neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognitive test scores, functional impairment, caregiver burden and APOE haplotypes.

Is there correlation between cognition and functionality in severe dementia? the value of a performance-based ecological assessment for Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: Besides significant cognitive decline, patients in later stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) also present global functional impairment, usually reported by their caregivers. This study searched for preserved activities of daily living by investigating correlations among specific instruments for severe dementia with a performance-based functional scale.

Method: A sample of 95 moderate to severe AD patients and their caregivers underwent a neuropsychological battery consisting of screening tools, the Functional Assessment Staging Test (FAST), the Severe Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSEsev) and a performance-based ecological scale, the Performance Test of Activities of Daily Living (PADL).

Educational bias in the assessment of severe dementia: Brazilian cutoffs for severe Mini-Mental State Examination.

Unlabelled: Cognitive assessment in advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is limited by the imprecision of most instruments.

Objective: To determine objective cognitive responses in moderate and severe AD patients by way of the Severe Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE), and to correlate performances with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores.

Method: Consecutive outpatients in moderate and severe stages of AD (Clinical Dementia Rating 2.

Brief cognitive assessment of Alzheimer's disease in advanced stages: Proposal for a Brazilian version of the Short Battery for Severe Impairment (SIB-8).

Unlabelled: The measurement of cognitive abilities of patients with severe dementia can serve a wide range of methodological and clinical needs.

Objective: To validate a proposed severe impairment battery SIB-8 for a Brazilian population sample as part of the neuropsychological assessment of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in advanced stages.

Methods: After a systematic process of translation and back-translation, the SIB-8 was applied to 95 patients with AD at different stages; moderate, moderately severe and severe according to FAST subdivisions (5, 6 and 7), with scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) of between 5 and 15 and followed by the Division of Behavioral Neurology and the Center for Aging Brain of the Federal University of São Paulo - UNIFESP.

Intelectual demand and formal education as cognitive protection factors in Alzheimer's disease.

Unlabelled: To investigate the possible association between educational level and previous professional occupation, and objective cognitive and functional evaluation in a sample of elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: Through retrospective analysis of medical files, 174 patients with probable Alzheimer disease were randomly selected, classified and submitted to analysis according to previous professional occupation and years of formal education.

Results: Subjects with lower education and less intellectually-demanding occupations performed worse than higher educated subjects in all cognitive subtests and on the functional scale.

Comparison between neuropsychological evaluation instruments for severe dementia.

Objective: To study the correlation between two tools for cognitive evaluation, Mini-Mental State Examination-severe (MMSE-s) and Severe Impairment Battery (SIB), and the Bristol Daily Activities Functional Scale.

Method: 50 patients from the Behavioral Neurology Section--EPM-UNIFESP--were evaluated. Mean age was 76.