Application of Choynowski's Memory Scale in assessment of patients with dementia.

Introduction: Neuropsychological assessment of patients with dementia necessitates the use of varied memory tasks designed to measure different memory processes, including information memorization, retention and retrieval. A valid memory battery should be demonstrated to discriminate between demented and non-demented subjects and its scores should be related to the degree of intellectual impairment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential usefulness of Choynowski's Memory Scale in assessment of patients with dementia.

PIN1 gene variants in Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Peptidyl-prolyl isomerase, NIMA-interacting 1 (PIN1) plays a significant role in the brain and is implicated in numerous cellular processes related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative conditions. There are confounding results concerning PIN1 activity in AD brains. Also PIN1 genetic variation was inconsistently associated with AD risk.

[Dementive patients' caregivers--psychological aspect of their needs].

Patients with dementia, especially with dementia in the course of Alzheimer's disease require long-time care. In Poland, 92% of patients with Alzheimer's disease stay at home--mostly because of lack of qualified, easy-available care centers. An informal care is usually provided by patients' close relatives.

Antigen-antibody dissociation in Alzheimer disease: a novel approach to diagnosis.

With the ever-increasing population of aged individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), there is an urgent need for a sensitive, specific, non-invasive, and diagnostic standard. The majority of efforts have focused on auto-antibodies against amyloid-beta (Abeta) protein, both as a potential treatment, and a reliable biomarker of AD pathology. Naturally occurring antibodies against Abeta are found in the CSF and plasma of patients with AD as well as healthy control subjects.

Intimate partner violence by men abusing and non-abusing alcohol in Poland.

Alcohol use is to one of the most of risk factors for intimate partner violence. The aim of this study was to check the difference of demographic characteristics and type of violence between of the perpetrators with a history of alcohol abuse (A) versus the perpetrators without a history of alcohol abuse (N). Data were obtained from the survey conducted in the office of the Association for Violence Prevention in the city of Lublin, Poland.

Co-existance of toxoplasmosis and neuroborreliosis - a case report.

The 53-year-old woman was initially diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, despite the fact that she did not really meet the clinical criteria. Her only symptoms were clumsiness and weakness of the right extremities. Being a veterinary research worker she had been exposed to infectious material.

[Chronic fatigue syndrome following tick-borne diseases].

The chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by a feeling of tiredness persisting for over 6 months, associated with a number of other symptoms including headaches, myalgia and arthralgia, memory and concentration impairment. Its cause is unknown, there are neither objective diagnostic methods, nor causal treatment of the condition. In view of hypotheses suggesting a relationship between CFS and infections, 86 patients with a history of borreliosis or tick-borne encephalitis were examined.

Mutations in presenilin 1, presenilin 2 and amyloid precursor protein genes in patients with early-onset Alzheimer's disease in Poland.

Mutations in three causative genes have been identified in patients with an autosomal-dominant form of early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD). To determine the spectrum of mutations in a group consisting of 40 Polish patients with clinically diagnosed familial EOAD and 1 patient with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and family history of AD, we performed a screening for mutations in the presenilin 1 (PSEN1), presenilin 2 (PSEN2) and amyloid precursor protein (APP) genes. Four previously recognized pathogenic mutations in PSEN1 gene (H163R, M139V) and APP gene (T714A, V715A), and three novel putative mutations in PSEN1 gene (P117R and I213F) and PSEN2 gene (Q228L) were identified.

Mutation screening of the MAPT and STH genes in Polish patients with clinically diagnosed frontotemporal dementia.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder and is connected with about 10% of all dementias. In approximately half of all FTD cases, a positive family history has been reported. To date, several mutations at the tau protein gene (MAPT) were identified causing familial and sporadic FTD.

Nociceptin, OP4 receptor ligand in different models of experimental epilepsy.

The anticonvulsive activity of nociceptin, endogenous OP4 receptors agonist was investigated in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), N-methyl D-aspartic acid (NMDA), bicucculine (BCC) and electrically evoked seizure models of experimental epilepsy. Nociceptin, at the dose of 10 nmol, suppressed the clonic seizures induced by PTZ, NMDA and BCC. [Phe1(psi)(CH2-NH)Gly2]nociceptin-(1-13)-NH2 which has been proposed to be selective antagonist OP4 receptors, did not prevent the action of nociceptin.