Concordance between PCR-based extraction-free saliva and nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 testing.

: Saliva represents a less invasive alternative to nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detection. SalivaDirect is a nucleic acid extraction-free method for detecting SARS-CoV2 in saliva specimens. Studies evaluating the concordance of gold standard NPS and newly developed SalivaDirect protocols are limited.

Co-Occurrence of Language and Behavioural Change in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.

Background/objectives: We aimed to evaluate the co-occurrence of language and behavioural impairment in patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) spectrum pathology.

Methods: Eighty-one dementia patients with pathological confirmation of FTLD were identified. Anonymized clinical records from patients' first assessment were rated for language and behavioural features from frontotemporal dementia consensus criteria, primary progressive aphasia (PPA) criteria and 1998 FTLD criteria.

Distinct clinical and pathological phenotypes in frontotemporal dementia associated with MAPT, PGRN and C9orf72 mutations.

Our objective was to compare the clinical and pathological characteristics of frontotemporal dementia patients with MAPT, GRN and C9orf72 gene mutations. We carried out a cross-sectional comparative study of 74 gene-positive patients (15 MAPT, 17 GRN and 42 C9orf72). Thirty had post mortem pathological data permitting clinico-pathological correlation.

Cognitive-behavioural features of progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome overlap with frontotemporal dementia.

Cognitive impairment is common in patients with the neurodegenerative tauopathy progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Although a pattern of 'subcortical' cognitive impairment is considered prototypical in PSP, pathological and clinical observations suggest an overlap with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Our objective was to evaluate behavioural and cognitive symptoms in a retrospective study of patients with PSP syndrome (PSPS) and their relationship to features seen in behavioural variant FTD.

18F-florbetapir PET in patients with frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer disease.

Unlabelled: Pathologic deposition of amyloid β (Aβ) protein is a key component in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD) but not a feature of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). PET ligands for Aβ protein are increasingly used in diagnosis and research of dementia syndromes. Here, we report a PET study using (18)F-florbetapir in healthy controls and patients with AD and FTD.

Plasma levels of progranulin and interleukin-6 in frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

We have measured plasma progranulin and interleukin-6 in 230 patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), 104 patients with Alzheimer's disease, and 161 control subjects. We have replicated previous findings of decreased levels of progranulin protein in FTLD because of mutations in GRN and show this is not observed in FTLD cases because of other causes. interleukin-6 levels were increased in FTLD overall, but these did not discriminate between clinical and genetic subtypes.

p62/SQSTM1 analysis in frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

Mutations in the gene p62/SQSTM1 have been reported as a relatively rare cause of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). To establish whether this was the case for cases of FTLD from the United Kingdom, we sequenced the sequenced the entire open reading frame of this gene in a large cohort of patients. We identified 3 novel mutations in p62/SQSTM1 in 4 patients.

Do NIA-AA criteria distinguish Alzheimer's disease from frontotemporal dementia?

Background: Clinical criteria are important for improving diagnostic accuracy and ensuring comparability of patient cohorts in research studies.

Objective: The aim was to assess the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia in AD and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD).

Methods: Two hundred twelve consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed AD or FTLD who were clinically assessed in a specialist cognitive unit were identified.

Exome sequencing identifies 2 novel presenilin 1 mutations (p.L166V and p.S230R) in British early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) represents 1%-2% of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases, and it is generally characterized by a positive family history and a rapidly progressive symptomatology. Rare coding and fully penetrant variants in amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PSEN1), and presenilin 2 (PSEN2) are the only causative mutations reported for autosomal dominant AD. Thus, in this study we used exome sequencing data to rapidly screen rare coding variability in APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, in a British cohort composed of 47 unrelated EOAD cases and 179 elderly controls, neuropathologically proven.

Respiratory disease and particulate air pollution in Santiago Chile: contribution of erosion particles from fine sediments.

Air pollution in Santiago is a serious problem every winter, causing thousands of cases of breathing problems within the population. With more than 6 million people and almost two million vehicles, this large city receives rainfall only during winters. Depending on the frequency of storms, statistics show that every time it rains, air quality improves for a couple of days, followed by extreme levels of air pollution.

Classification and pathology of primary progressive aphasia.

Objective: We aimed to determine the extent to which patients with progressive language impairment conform to 2011 primary progressive aphasia (PPA) classification and to examine clinicopathologic correlations within PPA variants.

Methods: Sixty-two consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed dementia who presented clinically with aphasia were identified. Patients with insufficient clinical information were excluded.

History of a suspected delirium is more common in dementia with Lewy bodies than Alzheimer's disease: a retrospective study.

Background: Delirium is common and is associated with an increased risk of dementia. However, it is not clear whether delirium confers increased risk of any particular type of dementia. We performed a retrospective study of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) to ascertain whether a suspected episode of preceding delirium was more common prior to diagnosis in either type of dementia.

Fear of crime and the environment: systematic review of UK qualitative evidence.

Background: The fear of crime may have negative consequences for health and wellbeing. It is influenced by factors in the physical and social environment. This study aimed to review and synthesize qualitative evidence from the UK on fear of crime and the environment.

Environmental interventions to reduce fear of crime: systematic review of effectiveness.

Background: Fear of crime is associated with negative health and wellbeing outcomes, and may mediate some impacts of the built environment on public health. A range of environmental interventions have been hypothesized to reduce the fear of crime.

Methods: This review aimed to synthesize the literature on the effectiveness of interventions in the built environment to reduce the fear of crime.

Sensitivity and specificity of FTDC criteria for behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia.

Objective: We aimed to assess sensitivity and specificity of the updated criteria for behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) based on a large autopsy-confirmed cohort of patients with dementia.

Methods: Two hundred thirty-nine consecutive pathologically confirmed dementia patients, clinically assessed in a specialist cognitive unit were identified. Patients with predominant aphasia, motor disorders, or insufficient clinical information were excluded.

Frontotemporal dementia with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a clinical comparison of patients with and without repeat expansions in C9orf72.

Repeat expansions in C9orf72 are a major cause of frontotemporal dementia with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD-ALS). Not all FTD-ALS patients show expansions. The study examined whether there are clinical differences between FTD-ALS patients with and without expansions in C9orf72.