Publications by authors named "Qian-hua Zhao"
Article Synopsis
- This study focused on creating machine learning models to identify predictive features of dementia in older adults who initially showed normal cognition.
- Four models were developed and tested, with the random forest model showing the highest accuracy (93%) using factors like memory test results, education, and follow-up time.
- The findings suggest that this machine learning approach can effectively predict dementia in primary healthcare settings, helping to track cognitive changes and enable early intervention.
Background: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) commonly exhibits a complex neuropathology, sharing characteristics with Alzheimer's disease (AD), including tau aggregates. However, studies using the F-AV-1451 tau tracer have shown inconsistent findings regarding both the extent and topographical distribution of tau pathology in DLB.
Objectives: Our aim was to elucidate the topographical patterns of tau deposition in DLB and to investigate the in vivo pathological distinction between DLB and AD in virtue of the F-Florzolotau positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.
Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies ancestry-specific loci for Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimers Dement
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) has complex genetics largely studied in European populations, but this study involved a GWAS with 6,878 Chinese and 63,926 European individuals to explore new genetic links to AD.
- The research identified three new susceptibility loci (KIAA2013, SLC52A3, and TCN2) in Chinese participants and highlighted a unique variant (rs1815157) within EGFR.
- The findings suggest that including diverse populations is key for understanding AD's genetic basis and show that high mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration could offer some protection against the disease.
Introduction: The objective of this study is to investigate the incremental value of amyloid positron emission tomography (Aβ-PET) in a tertiary memory clinic setting in China.
Methods: A total of 1073 patients were offered Aβ-PET using F-florbetapir. The neurologists determined a suspected etiology (Alzheimer's disease [AD] or non-AD) with a percentage estimate of their confidence and medication prescription both before and after receiving the Aβ-PET results.
Genetic and Neuroimaging Analysis of SIGMAR1 for Frontotemporal Dementia.
J Alzheimers Dis
September 2023
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the role of SIGMAR1 gene variants in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) independently of the C9orf72 pathogenic repeat expansions, which have been linked to some FTD cases.
- - Researchers sequenced the SIGMAR1 gene in 82 sporadic FTD patients and 417 controls, finding a rare variant in a male patient with semantic dementia and notable brain imaging results.
- - The findings suggest that the identified SIGMAR1 variant may influence disease progression by affecting RNA splicing, potentially contributing to the semantics-related symptoms of dementia.
Background: Pharmacological treatments are very common to be used for alleviating neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in dementia. However, decision on drug selection is still a matter of controversy.
Aims: To summarise the comparative efficacy and acceptability of currently available monotherapy drug regimens for reducing NPS in dementia.
Background: Plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has emerged as a promising biomarker in neurological disorders, but further evidence is required in relation to its usefulness for diagnosis and prediction of Alzheimer disease (AD).
Methods: Plasma GFAP was measured in participants with AD, non-AD neurodegenerative disorders, and controls. Its diagnostic and predictive value were analyzed alone or combined with other indicators.
Background: Recent development in tau-sensitive tracers has sparkled significant interest in tracking tauopathies using positron emission tomography (PET) biomarkers. However, the ability of F-florzolotau PET imaging to topographically characterize tau pathology in corticobasal syndrome (CBS) remains unclear. Further, the question as to whether disease-level differences exist with other neurodegenerative tauopathies is still unanswered.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Dementia and cognitive impairment can be attributed to genetic and modifiable factors. Considerable evidence emerged in modifiable factors and urgently requires standardized evaluation. We conducted an umbrella review to evaluate the strength and validity of the existing evidence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsychotic symptoms of dementia are highly prevalent and lead to poor medical outcomes and substantial dysfunction. To date, which drug to use remains controversial without a summary of all direct or indirect comparisons of pharmacotherapy. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review with pairwise and network meta-analysis to examine efficacy and tolerability outcomes of pharmacological treatments in dementia patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The heritability of familial late-onset Alzheimer's disease (FLOAD) is largely uncertain, with limited genetic profiles available; a study examined 90 FLOAD cases compared to 101 normal controls within the Chinese Han population.
- Targeted sequencing revealed lower mutation rates in the APP and PSEN genes, while the ε4 genetic risk factor was found to be more prevalent in FLOAD cases.
- Notably, novel pathogenic mutations, particularly frame-shift and nonsense mutations, were linked to FLOAD, impacting ACE protein levels without altering APP processing, supported by data from the Alzheimer's disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database.
Background: Retinal changes may reflect the pathophysiological processes in the central nervous system and can be assessed by imaging modalities non-invasively. We aim to localize candidate retinal biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and preclinical AD.
Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to January 2021 for observational studies that investigated retinal imaging and electrophysiological markers in AD, MCI, and preclinical AD.
Background: Subtle cognitive decline (SCD) may represent a very early stage of objective cognitive impairment before mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with less neuronal damage and more functional reservation. Detecting individuals with SCD is imperative for dementia prevention and treatment. In this study, we aimed to compare the validations of three cognitive screening tests, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Chinese Version (MoCA-CV), and Memory and Executive Screening (MES), in identifying subtle cognitive decline.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Identifying risk factors and mortality of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) could have important implications for the clinical management of AD.
Objective: This pilot study aimed to examine the overall mortality of AD patients over a 10-year surveillance period in Shanghai, China. This study is an extension of our previous investigation on mortality of neurodegenerative diseases.
This study was designed to examine the feasibility of a caregiving self-management support program developed for caregivers of relatives with dementia in Shanghai. A total of 41 caregivers were recruited for a quasi-experimental study. The experimental group of 26 participants attended six bi-weekly social support group sessions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOur aim was to compare the utility and accuracy of the Chinese Version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic (MoCA-BC) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Beijing Version (MoCA-BJ) in the identification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) under different education levels. A sample of individuals with MCI ( = 295), Alzheimer's disease (AD; = 254), and normal controls (NC; = 259) at 2 Memory Clinics and communities was administered the MoCA-BC, MoCA-BJ, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and other neuropsychological tests. The discriminant validity of the MoCA-BC and MoCA-BJ as diagnostic instruments was ascertained.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCausative mutations in the genes encoding amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PSEN1), or presenilin 2 (PSEN2) account for a majority of cases of familial Alzheimer disease (FAD) inherited in an autosomal-dominant pattern. For the sake of characterizing mutations, index patients from 148 families with FAD were enrolled from mainland China. Sanger sequencing of the genes APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 was performed to characterize the mutation spectrum of the Chinese population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In addition to the increasing evidence for a molecular mechanism of rho kinase 1 () in Alzheimer's disease (AD), there are several published studies regarding the relationship between gene polymorphisms and neurological diseases. However, it is unknown whether there is an association between the polymorphisms of and AD. We sought to identify the potential association between gene polymorphisms and AD in the Chinese Han population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To revise an abbreviated version of the Silhouettes subtest of the Visual Object and Space Perception (VOSP) battery in order to recognize mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and determine the optimal cutoffs to differentiate among cognitively normal controls (NC), MCI, and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in the Chinese elderly.
Design: A cross-sectional validation study.
Setting: Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Objectives: To find out whether the Chinese version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic (MoCA-BC) and its subtests could be applied in discrimination among cognitively normal controls (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), mild and moderate Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and furthermore, to determine the optimal cutoffs most sensitive to distinguish between them.
Design: A cross-sectional validation study.
Setting: Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Article Synopsis
- CHCHD2 is a multifunctional protein linked to mitochondrial metabolism and has been identified as a gene associated with Parkinson's disease (PD).
- The study sequenced the CHCHD2 gene in 150 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, 84 frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients, and 417 controls.
- Four rare variants of the CHCHD2 gene were found in the AD and FTD patient groups, indicating that this gene may also play a significant role in other neurodegenerative disorders.
Caregivers' attitude toward disclosure of Alzheimer's disease diagnosis in Urban China.
Int Psychogeriatr
November 2017
Background: Disclosing the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) to a patient is controversial. There is significant stigma associated with a diagnosis of AD or dementia in China, but the attitude of the society toward disclosure of such a diagnosis had not been formally evaluated prior to our study. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the attitude toward disclosing an AD diagnosis to patients in China with cognitive impairment from their caregivers, and the factors that may affect their attitude.
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- This study examines the genetic factors associated with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in Chinese patients, focusing on mutations in the MAPT, GRN, C9orf72, and CHCHD10 genes.
- Researchers analyzed samples from 82 sporadic FTD patients using direct sequencing and repeat-primed PCR, comparing findings with 400 control subjects.
- They identified one known pathogenic variant and several novel mutations in MAPT, GRN, and CHCHD10, suggesting that these genes may play a significant role in the genetic causes of FTD among the Chinese population, with 4.9% of patients showing identifiable genetic mutations.
Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic (MoCA-BC) as a screening tool for detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Chinese elderly adults.
Design: Cross-sectional.
Setting: Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Objective: To explore the effect of APOE polymorphisms on patients with cognitive impairments in The Chinese Han population.
Materials And Methods: A total of 1027 cases with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 40 cases with vascular dementia (VaD), 28 cases with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), 54 cases with semantic dementia (SD), 44 cases with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), 583 cases with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 32 cases with vascular cognitive impairment no dementia (VCIND) were recruited consecutively from memory disorders clinics in Huashan Hospital between January 2010 and December 2014. The 1149 cognitively normal controls were recruited from the community epidemiologic investigations.