The Cingulate Island Sign is Useful for a Differential Diagnosis of Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies: A 99mTc-ECD SPECT Study.

Introduction: Early-onset dementia is fast-progressing compared with late-onset dementia, with major clinical characteristics including prominent focal cerebral symptoms. Given its economic and psychological implications, proper diagnosis and treatment at an early stage is essential. In the present study, the authors conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the usefulness of various numerical indices (including CIScore calculated by eZIS, cerebral blood flow SPECT analysis software) in the differential diagnosis of early-onset dementia.

Effect of Probiotic Bifidobacterium breve in Improving Cognitive Function and Preventing Brain Atrophy in Older Patients with Suspected Mild Cognitive Impairment: Results of a 24-Week Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background: Probiotics have been reported to ameliorate cognitive impairment.

Objective: We investigated the effect of the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium breve MCC1274 (A1) in enhancing cognition and preventing brain atrophy of older patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods: In this RCT, 130 patients aged from 65 to 88 years old with suspected MCI received once daily either probiotic (B.

I-FP-CIT SPECT findings and its clinical relevance in prodromal dementia with Lewy bodies.

Purpose: Evidence for the prodromal stage of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is very limited. To address this issue, we investigate the I-FP-CIT SPECT measure of dopamine transporter binding finding and its clinical relevance.

Methods: We enrolled subjects into a prodromal DLB group (PRD-DLB) (n = 20) and clinical DLB group (CLIN-DLB) (n = 18) and compared these groups with an Alzheimer's disease control group (AD) (n = 10).

A patient with schizophrenia presenting with post-lobotomy catatonia treated with olanzapine: a case report.

A 79-year-old Japanese woman with schizophrenia was hospitalized because of idiopathic duodenal stenosis. Three days after discontinuing ingestion, including the administration of psychotropic drugs, the patient demonstrated incoherent behaviour and strong general muscle tension, and was unable to engage in conversation. Computed tomography indicated bilateral regions of low density in the frontal lobes, subsequent to which she was diagnosed with post-lobotomy catatonia.

Serum insulin-like growth factor-I and amyloid beta protein in Alzheimer's disease: relationship with cognitive function.

Aims: Previous studies have suggested that insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) deficiency may lead to cognitive deficits in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. The present study aimed to investigate the possible relationship between cognitive function and concentration of IGF-I or amyloid beta protein (Aβ) in serum in Alzheimer's patients.

Methods: A total of 81 Japanese patients were enrolled in this study.

Safety and pharmacokinetics of bapineuzumab in a single ascending-dose study in Japanese patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Aim: To evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of bapineuzumab after a single intravenous injection in Japanese patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: Participants received either a placebo (n = 8), or bapineuzumab 0.15 (n = 6), 0.

Safety and tolerability of immune globulin intravenous (human), 10% solution in Japanese subjects with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Immune globulin intravenous (IGIV), 10% is a donor-derived polyclonal human immunoglobulin G antibody mixture that has potent immune modulatory properties and contains conformation selective anti-amyloid antibodies. We evaluated the safety and tolerability of multiple doses of IGIV, 10% in Japanese patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: Among the 16 subjects, 12 subjects were assigned to the IGIV group and 4 subjects to the placebo group.

Clinical evaluation of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube feeding in Japanese patients with dementia.

Aim: The aim of this study was to clinically evaluate percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube feeding of elderly Japanese patients with dementia.

Method: The records of the 155 patients with dementia who underwent PEG in Juntendo Tokyo Koto Geriatric Medical Center were reviewed for pertinent clinical data, including diagnosis of dementia, place of stay before and after hospitalization, as well as survival rate, albumin levels, and incidence of aspiration pneumonia (AP) before and 6 months after PEG feeding. The latter three data of these patients were compared with those of 106 patients with dementia fed through a nasogastric (NG) tube.

Effect of Rikkunshi-to on appetite loss found in elderly dementia patients: a preliminary study.

Background: Functional gastrointestinal symptoms are frequently found in elderly dementia patients. In such a case, we attempt treatment by the administration of antidepressants or second-generation antipsychotics. However, these medications have a risk of side-effects.

[Limbic encephalitis caused by herpes simplex virus infection after vaccination against the influenza virus].

Various causative factors, including viral infection, autoimmunity, and paraneoplasia, are considered to be involved in the pathomechanism of limbic encephalitis. We encountered a patient who developed limbic encephalitis after vaccination against the influenza virus. In Japan, an influenza epidemic occurs every winter, and vaccination against the influenza virus is recommended.

Clinical effects of high oral dose of donepezil for patients with Alzheimer's disease in Japan.

Background: Donepezil 10 mg/day gained approval in Japan in August 2007 for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in advanced Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: We evaluated the efficacy and adverse effects of donepezil when the dose was increased to 10 mg/day in 61 Japanese patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Revised Hasegawa Dementia Scale and mini-mental state examination at the day before starting, and at 4, 8 and 24 weeks after starting donepezil 10 mg/day.

Development of quantitative neuropsychological tests for diagnosis of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis patients and establishment of diagnostic criteria-multicenter collaborative study in Japanese.

At present, there are no generally accepted diagnostic criteria or methods for subclinical hepatic encephalopathy (SHE) associated with liver cirrhosis. We therefore developed an easily conducted computer-aided quantitative neuropsychiatric function test system for use in routine medical practice. We established normal values in healthy Japanese subjects and determined differences between healthy persons and liver cirrhosis patients without clinical encephalopathy in a multi-center clinical trial.