Awareness of the COVID-19 Outbreak and Resultant Depressive Tendencies in Patients with Severe Alzheimer's Disease.

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has substantially affected patients with dementia and their caregivers. However, we found not all Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients were afraid of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, we investigated the association between rate of awareness of COVID-19 and depressive tendency in AD.

Effects of 12-month exercise intervention on physical and cognitive functions of nursing home residents requiring long-term care: a non-randomised pilot study.

Aims: We performed a 12-month exercise intervention for 'nursing home for the elderly' residents requiring long-term care. We evaluated changes in their muscular strength, muscle mass, and cognitive function.

Methods: Thirty-seven nursing home residents (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): 14.

Positive Association Between Cognitive Function and Cerebrospinal Fluid Orexin A Levels in Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Recently, many studies have investigated the association between orexin A and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it remains to be determined whether the observed changes in orexin A levels are associated with pathological changes underlying AD, or cognitive function. In particular, a direct association between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) orexin A levels and cognitive function has not been reported to date.

Neuroimaging Characteristics of Frailty Status in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease.

Background/objective: Although frailty is closely linked to dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD), underlying pathophysiology of frailty associated with AD remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate differences in structural and functional brain imaging abnormalities between AD with and without frailty.

Methods: A total of 191 outpatients with probable AD (men: 91; women: 100; age: 80.

Ambulatory glucose profile in diabetes-related dementia.

Aim: Diabetes-related dementia (DrD), a dementia subgroup associated with specific diabetes mellitus (DM)-related metabolic abnormalities rather than Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology or cerebrovascular disease, is characterized by less well-controlled glycemia. We investigated the glucose level, variability and stability, and risk of hypoglycemia in DrD to determine characteristic ambulatory glucose profiles (AGP).

Methods: We obtained AGP for 14 days of 40 patients with AD associated with DM and 19 patients with DrD using a novel sensor-based flash glucose monitoring system (FreeStyle Libre Pro).

Sarcopenia and Muscle Functions at Various Stages of Alzheimer Disease.

Although sarcopenia is closely linked to dementia, particularly Alzheimer disease (AD), there are few studies examining the prevalence and associated factors of sarcopenia in subjects with AD. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia, factors associated with sarcopenia in elderly subjects with AD, and differences in muscle functions of the upper and lower extremities and gait speed at various stages of AD. We evaluated handgrip and knee extension strength, muscle mass, and gait speed in 285 elderly outpatients with probable AD (mean age 82.

Role of Neuroimaging as a Biomarker for Neurodegenerative Diseases.

It has recently been recognized that neurodegenerative diseases are caused by common cellular and molecular mechanisms including protein aggregation and inclusion body formation. Each type of neurodegenerative disease is characterized by the specific protein that aggregates. In these days, the pathway involved in protein aggregation has been elucidated.

Decreased Muscle Strength and Quality in Diabetes-Related Dementia.

Background/aims: Diabetes-related dementia (DrD), a dementia subgroup associated with specific diabetes mellitus (DM)-related metabolic abnormalities, is clinically and pathophysiologically different from Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular dementia. We determined whether skeletal muscle strength, quality, and mass decrease in individuals with DrD.

Methods: We evaluated grip and knee extension strength, muscle mass, and gait speed in 106 patients with probable AD and without type 2 DM (AD[-DM] group), 74 patients with probable AD and with DM (AD[+DM] group), and 36 patients with DrD (DrD group).

Correlation between clinical symptoms and striatal DAT uptake in patients with DLB.

Objective: It is widely known that there is low striatal I-FP-CIT dopamine transporter-single photon emission tomography (DAT-SPECT) uptake in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). We assessed the correlation between symptom and regional low DAT uptake in the striatum.

Methods: Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 95) and patients with DLB (n = 133) who underwent DAT-SPECT were enrolled.