Effect of yokukansan on the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of yokukansan (YKS) on the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: Fifteen patients with AD (mean age: 80.2+/-4.

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory.

Objective: To assess the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI).

Method: One hundred thirty-five participants with physical injury resulting from motor vehicle accidents were consecutively recruited in this cross-sectional study, from Aug. 18, 2005, to Jan.

Duration effect of obsessive-compulsive disorder on cognitive function: a functional MRI study.

Background: The inconsistency of previous reports examining cognitive function in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) suggests its heterogeneity. In this study, we examined the effect of illness duration on cognitive function in OCD.

Methods: We examined the cognitive function of 32 OCD patients and 16 healthy volunteers by neuropsychological tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging while they performed the Stroop and N-back tasks to assess attention and nonverbal memory.

Working memory dysfunction in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a neuropsychological and functional MRI study.

Previous neuropsychological studies indicate that OCD subtypes such as checking rituals might be associated with a working memory deficit. On the other hand, functional neuroimaging studies found functional abnormalities of the frontal cortex and subcortical structures in OCD. Combined with functional imaging method, we applied neuropsychological batteries to demonstrate a working memory deficit in OCD by comparison with normal controls.

Incidence and survival of dementia in a general population of Japanese elderly: the Hisayama study.

Objective: To estimate the incidence and survival rates of total and cause specific dementia in a general Japanese population.

Methods: A total of 828 subjects without dementia, aged 65 years or over, were followed-up prospectively for 17 years. Dementia was subdivided into cause specific subtypes: namely, Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), combined dementia and other types of dementia.

High prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.

Purpose: To assess anxiety and depression in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Design: Multicenter prospective case-control study.

Participants: Two hundred thirty patients with POAG and 230 sex-matched and age-matched reference subjects with no chronic ocular conditions except cataracts.

Functional MRI study of brain activation alterations in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder after symptom improvement.

Dysfunction of the frontal-subcortical circuits has been the most common finding in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and recent neuropsychological studies have shown cognitive impairments in OCD. To clarify the pathophysiology of OCD without the confounding effects of medication, we investigated the alterations of brain function in OCD patients and changes after clinical improvement due solely to behavior therapy. The participants were 11 outpatients with OCD and 19 normal controls.

Auditory sensory gating to the human voice: a preliminary MEG study.

The ability of the brain to suppress incoming irrelevant sensory input is termed 'sensory gating,' and auditory sensory gating is often indexed by the auditory evoked response. We recorded the auditory evoked magnetic fields to the human voice, using the conditioning-testing paradigm, to investigate whether or not healthy subjects show less activation to the second voice stimulus. Seventeen healthy adults (mean age 27.

Are patients after severe injury who drop out of a longitudinal study at high risk of mental disorder?

In longitudinal studies of traumatic stress, it is particularly important to examine the data for any differences between those who drop out and those who continue to participate, because reluctance to participate might reflect symptoms of avoidance frequently seen in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, whether those who drop out are at high risk of PTSD remains unclear. Over a 25-month period, 188 consecutive patients with motor vehicle accident (MVA)-related injuries admitted emergently were enrolled and followed for 4 to 6 weeks.

Abnormal neural oscillatory activity to speech sounds in schizophrenia: a magnetoencephalography study.

Schizophrenia impairs many cognitive functions, and abnormalities in language processing have been proposed as one of the bases for this disorder. Previously, it was reported that different magnetoencephalography (MEG) patterns of the evoked oscillatory activity (eOA) of 20-45 Hz to speech and nonspeech sounds were evidence of a fast mechanism for the representation and identification of speech sounds in humans. The current study tested the hypothesis that the schizophrenics would show abnormal neural oscillatory activity, as measured by eOA, to speech and nonspeech sounds.

Clinicopathological outline of dementia with Lewy bodies applying the revised criteria: the Hisayama study.

To explore the validity of the criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) revised in 2005, we examined community based consecutive autopsy cases. 10.3% of the non-demented subjects and 31.

Inhibitory effects of aripiprazole on interferon-gamma-induced microglial activation via intracellular Ca2+ regulation in vitro.

The activation of the inflammatory/immunological response system is suggested to be related to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Aripiprazole is a novel atypical antipsychotic, which is a high-affinity dopamine D(2) receptor partial agonist. Atypical antipsychotics, all of which have dopamine D(2) receptor antagonism, have recently reported to have significantly inhibitory effects on interferon (IFN)-gamma-induced microglial activation in vitro.

The effect of atypical antipsychotics, perospirone, ziprasidone and quetiapine on microglial activation induced by interferon-gamma.

An accumulating body of evidences point to the significance of neuroinflammation and immunogenetics in schizophrenia, characterized by increased serum concentration of several pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the central nervous system (CNS), the microglial cells are the major immunocompetent cells which release pro-inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species to mediate the inflammatory process. In the present study, we investigated whether or not atypical antipsychotics, namely perospirone, quetiapine and ziprasidone, would have anti-inflammatory effects on the activated microglia which may potentiate neuroprotection.

A neurotoxic dose of methamphetamine induces gene expression of Homer 1a, but not Homer 1b or 1c, in the striatum and nucleus accumbens.

Homer proteins, which regulate the signaling pathway of metabotropic glutamate receptors, may contribute to the glutamatergic modulation of dopamine neurons in the basal ganglia. This study examined whether the induction of Homer 1 genes is or not associated with the methamphetamine-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity in the discrete brain regions of rats. Basal levels of Homer 1a and 1c mRNAs in the forebrain regions were higher than those in the substantia nigra, whereas Homer 1b mRNA levels were higher in the substantia nigra than those in the forebrain regions examined.

Antidepressants inhibit interferon-gamma-induced microglial production of IL-6 and nitric oxide.

Circumstantial evidence has suggested that activated microglia may be associated with the pathogenesis of depression. Pro-inflammatory cytokines may also be involved. Therefore, we examined the effects of various types of antidepressants, as well as the mood-stabilizer lithium chloride, on interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-induced microglial production of the pro-inflammatory mediators interleukin-6 (IL-6) and nitric oxide (NO).

Effectiveness of kamishoyosan for premenstrual dysphoric disorder: open-labeled pilot study.

The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the efficacy of kamishoyosan (TJ-24), a traditional Japanese herbal formula (kampo), for outpatients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) as an alternative treatment. Thirty patients with PMDD were treated with TJ-24 for six menstrual cycles. Nineteen patients (63.

Altered expression of COX-2 in subdivisions of the hippocampus during aging and in Alzheimer's disease: the Hisayama Study.

Background: It has been reported that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX), COX-2, an inducible form of COX, may be involved in the pathology of AD in association with the arachidonic acid cascade. In addition, it has been suggested that alterations in the balance of polyunsaturated fatty acids are associated with brain dysfunctions such as neurodegerative pathologies of the aging brain.

The new GRID Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression demonstrates excellent inter-rater reliability for inexperienced and experienced raters before and after training.

The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) is the de facto international gold standard for the assessment of depression. There are some criticisms, however, especially with regard to its inter-rater reliability, due to the lack of standardized questions or explicit scoring procedures. The GRID-HAMD was developed to provide standardized explicit scoring conventions and a structured interview guide for administration and scoring of the HAMD.

Risperidone significantly inhibits interferon-gamma-induced microglial activation in vitro.

Microglia has recently been regarded to be a mediator of neuroinflammation via the release of proinflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the central nervous system (CNS). Microglia has thus been reported to play an important role in the pathology of neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). The pathological mechanisms of schizophrenia remain unclear while some recent neuroimaging studies suggest even schizophrenia may be a kind of neurodegenerative disease.

Phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine-containing liposomes inhibit amyloid beta and interferon-gamma-induced microglial activation.

There is increasing evidence that microglial activation is one of the major pathogenic factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the inhibition of the inflammatory activation of the microglia thus appears to be neuroprotective and a potentially useful treatment for AD. Phospholipids such as phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) have been reported to modulate the immune function of phagocytes. In addition, PS has been reported to be a nootropics that can be used as nonprescription memory or cognitive enhancers.

Mapping of subcortical white matter abnormality in Alzheimer's disease using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

Rationale And Objectives: White matter (WM) abnormality in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been less well characterized than cortical damage. We studied the spatial distribution of the subcortical WM abnormality using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI).

Materials And Methods: Twenty-one AD patients and seven healthy, elderly subjects were included.