The Associations between Polysomnographic Parameters and Memory Impairment among Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A 10-Year Hospital-Based Longitudinal Study.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with cognitive decline via several mechanisms, including intermittent hypoxemia, sleep fragmentation, and neuroinflammation. The neurological consequences of OSA have evolved into a major biopsychosocial concern in the elderly, especially memory impairment. We aimed to identify the polysomnographic (PSG) parameters capable of predicting memory impairment among OSA patients at or over age 50 with OSA.

Long-Term High-Fat Diet Consumption Depletes Glial Cells and Tyrosine Hydroxylase-Containing Neurons in the Brain of Middle-Aged Rats.

Epidemiologic studies have indicated that dyslipidemia may facilitate the progression of neuronal degeneration. However, the effects of chronic dyslipidemia on brain function, especially in older individuals, remain unclear. In this study, middle-aged 37-week-old male Wistar-Kyoto rats were fed a normal diet (ND) or a 45% high-fat diet (HFD) for 30 weeks (i.

Electronegative very-low-density lipoprotein induces brain inflammation and cognitive dysfunction in mice.

Epidemiologic studies have indicated that dyslipidemia may facilitate the progression of cognitive dysfunction. We previously showed that patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) had significantly higher plasma levels of electronegative very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) than did healthy controls. However, the effects of electronegative-VLDL on the brain and cognitive function remain unclear.

Intermittent Hypoxia Activates N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptors to Induce Anxiety Behaviors in a Mouse Model of Sleep-Associated Apnea.

Sleep apnea disrupts physiologic homeostasis and causes neuronal dysfunction. In addition to signs of mental disorders and cognitive dysfunction, patients with sleep apnea have a higher anxiety rate. Here, we examined the mechanisms underlying this critical health issue.

Association of early-onset Alzheimer's disease with germline-generated high affinity self-antigen load.

Self-antigen presentation outside the central nervous system has crucial role regarding self-proteins tolerance and autoimmunity, leading to neuroinflammation. Self-antigen with strong-binding affinity is considered to be pathogenic. We aim to investigate whether strong-binding affinity self-antigen load is associated with early/late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Immunoregulatory effects of very low density lipoprotein from healthy individuals and metabolic syndrome patients on glial cells.

Epidemiological studies have reported that elderly patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) are significantly more likely to develop neuronal degenerative diseases than those without MetS. Our previous study showed that patients with MetS had significantly higher levels of negatively charged very low density lipoproteins (VLDLs) in the plasma than healthy controls. Highly electronegative VLDL is a key risk factor for endothelial dysfunction and atrial fibrillation.

Apolipoprotein E e4 allele is associated with extrapyramidal symptoms in Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) are not uncommon in Alzheimer's disease (AD). As apolipoprotein E(APOE) e4 allele is a major risk factor for late-onset AD, we intend to examine the association between APOE genotype and the development of EPS in AD.

Method: This study describes two hundred and fifty-five clinically diagnosed AD patients aged 72 to 80 years from 2010 to 2014.

Factors of post-stroke dementia: A nationwide cohort study in Taiwan.

Aim: We investigated the long-term risk of dementia for up to 10 years in patients with stroke and broadened the correlates.

Methods: We carried out a case-control study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research database in 2000 with a sampled population of 1 million. The study cohort comprised 8236 patients with stroke and no dementia history.

Galantamine plasma concentration and cognitive response in Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Galantamine has been approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, there are few studies which have reported the association between cognitive responses and galantamine plasma concentration. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between galantamine plasma concentration and the subsequent cognitive response following treatment in AD patients.

White Matter Changes in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Associated Factors.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is traditionally thought of as a neurodegenerative disease. Recent evidence shows that beta amyloid-independent vascular changes and beta amyloid-dependent neuronal dysfunction both equally influence the disease, leading to loss of structural and functional connectivity. White matter changes (WMCs) in the brain are commonly observed in dementia patients.

rs3796529 Genotype and Rate of Functional Deterioration in Alzheimer's Disease.

Recently, (RE1-silencing transcription factor) gene has been shown to be lost in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and a missense minor allele rs3796529-T has been shown to reduce the rate of hippocampal volume loss. However, whether the rs3796529 genotype is associated with the rate of functional deterioration in AD is unknown. A total of 584 blood samples from Taiwanese patients with AD were collected from January 2002 to December 2013.

Effect of the Interaction Between Hypertension and Cerebral White Matter Changes on the Progression of Alzheimer Disease.

Background: Cerebrovascular pathologies and hypertension could play a vital role in Alzheimer disease (AD) progression. However, whether cerebrovascular pathologies and hypertension accelerate the AD progression through an independent or interaction effect is unknown.

Objective: To investigate the effect of the interactions of cerebrovascular pathologies and hypertension on AD progression.

Factors affecting therapeutic response to Rivastigmine in Alzheimer's disease patients in Taiwan.

Rivastigmine has been widely used in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the therapeutic response rate varies from 20 to 60%. A dose-dependent effect has been suggested, but the plasma concentration of rivastigmine and its metabolite, NAP 226-90, were not measured in previous studies. The influencing factors of therapeutic response are complicated and discordant in various studies among different ethnic groups.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphism and the longitudinal progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Aim: The angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (ACE) insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism is considered a biologically plausible gene for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in cross-sectional studies. The present study aimed to investigate the longitudinal effect of ACE I/D polymorphism on AD progression.

Methods: This 3-year observational study investigated the longitudinal effect of ACE I/D polymorphism on AD progression.

Cerebral White Matter Changes on Therapeutic Response to Rivastigmine in Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Rivastigmine has been approved in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients as it can inhibit acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterase and provide neuroprotective effects involving the synapses. White matter changes (WMCs) are frequently observed in AD, and clinical-pathological correlations imply their possible impacts on cognitive function by interference with cortical and subcortical neuronal pathways.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of rivastigmine in AD patients with cerebral WMCs.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphism is associated with cerebral white matter changes in Alzheimer's disease.

Aim: The presence of cerebral white matter changes (WMC) has been reported as an important predictor of the rapidity of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The association between the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and WMC in AD is yet to be elucidated. The present study aimed to examine the association between the ACE I/D polymorphism and WMC among AD patients in Taiwan.

Early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in Japan and Taiwan.

Aim: The effects of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are making a major impact on the socioeconomic status of older adults in society. The recognition of early symptoms and clinical presentation are crucial issues to foster early diagnosis and treatment in order to have better therapeutic outcomes.

Methods: We recruited clinically diagnosed AD patients at the very mild stage in the Clinical Dementia Rating scale 0.

Adjunct effect of music therapy on cognition in Alzheimer's disease in Taiwan: a pilot study.

Purpose: Music therapy (MT) reviews have found beneficial effects on behaviors and social interaction in Alzheimer's disease (AD) but inconsistent effects on cognition. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the adjunct effect of long-term and home-based MT in AD patients under pharmacological treatment.

Patients And Methods: Mild AD cases (clinical dementia rating =0.

Screening dementia in the outpatient department: patients at risk for dementia.

The targeted screening for individuals at the risks of having dementia would be crucial to the further public health issues for dementia. This study aimed to conduct a screening study in an outpatient department of a regional hospital to screen people who were at risk of developing comorbid dementia. Patients who visited Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital (KMTTH) clinics during the period from June 1, 2013, to May 31, 2014, were invited to participate in this screening voluntarily.

Clinical compliance of donepezil in treating Alzheimer's disease in taiwan.

Background/rationale: Adherence to cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) is associated with treatment effectiveness in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated the clinical adherence to donepezil in Taiwan.

Methods: This was a retrospective study.

Antiphospholipid syndrome presenting as progressive neuropsychiatric disorders: two case reports.

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a rare form of autoimmune coagulopathy. In this syndrome, the most common neurologic abnormality is transient ischemic attack. This can be easily overlooked if a patient presents with progressive neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression or dementia.

Concentration of donepezil to the cognitive response in Alzheimer disease.

Background: Donepezil has been approved, and higher dosages are recommended for the treatment of Alzheimer disease (AD). However, a few studies have reported different cognitive responses in patients with AD treated with donepezil without measuring the concentration.

Methods: We evaluated the relationships between the therapeutic responses and plasma concentrations of donepezil in various cognitive domains using the Cognitive Ability Screening Instrument among 37 patients with newly diagnosed mild stage AD taking donepezil 5 mg/d.