Regional differences in glucose metabolic decline and tau deposition in the Alzheimer's continuum brain.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-β and tau proteins, leading to neurofibrillary tangles. A biomarker-based diagnostic method called the ATN system categorizes AD pathology into amyloid-β (A), tau (T), and neurodegeneration (N). The relationship between regional tau deposition and reduced glucose metabolism in the preclinical AD stage is not well understood.

Gesture imitation performance in community-dwelling older people: assessment of a gesture imitation task in the screening and diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Background: Gesture imitation, a simple tool for assessing visuospatial/visuoconstructive functions, is reportedly useful for screening and diagnosing dementia. However, gesture imitation performance in healthy older adults is largely unknown, as are the factors associated with lower performance. To address these unknowns, we examined the gesture imitation performance of a large number of community-dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years in Arao City, Kumamoto Prefecture (southern Japan).

Clinical features of behavioral symptoms in patients with semantic dementia: Does semantic dementia cause autistic traits?

Objective: To investigate the behavioral characteristics of semantic dementia (SD) using an instrument originally developed for patients with autism spectrum disorder.

Methods: The behavioral symptoms of 20 patients with SD and 20 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in both the preclinical state and the dementia state were evaluated using the Pervasive Developmental Disorders Autism Society Japan Rating Scale (PARS).

Results: The SD group showed high prevalence in four behaviors related to stereotypy and social impairment: eating very few food items, selfishness, difficulty in recognizing others' feeling and thoughts, and interpreting language literally.

Augmented malondialdehyde production by platelets from patients with cerebrovascular disorders.

A basic study was conducted on the method for the determination of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) produced by platelets. Some modifications were introduced which enabled a precise semimicrodetermination. The average values of platelet TBARS production in hypertensives and in patients with cerebral infarction were higher than that in healthy controls.