Objective: Specialist services for dementia are seeing an increasing number of patients. We investigated whether interactional and linguistic features in the communication behavior of patients with memory problems could help distinguish between those with problems secondary to neurological disorders (ND) and those with functional memory disorder (FMD).
Methods: In part 1 of this study, a diagnostic scoring aid (DSA) was developed encouraging linguists to provide quantitative ratings for 14 interactional features. An optimal cut-off differentiating ND and FMD was established by applying the DSA to 30 initial patient-doctor memory clinic encounters. In part 2, the DSA was tested prospectively in 10 additional cases analyzed independently by 2 conversation analysts blinded to medical information.
Results: In part 1, the median score of the DSA was +5 in ND and -5 in FMD (P<0.001). The optimal numeric DSA cut-off (+1) identified patients with ND with a sensitivity of 86.7% and a specificity of 100%. In part 2, DSA scores of rater 1 correctly predicted 10/10 and those of rater 2 predicted 9/10 diagnoses.
Conclusions: This study indicates that interactional and linguistic features can help distinguish between patients developing dementia and those with FMD and could aid the stratification of patients with memory problems.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/WAD.0000000000000231 | DOI Listing |
Neurology
February 2025
Genomics of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Aging, Human Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC location VUmc, the Netherlands.
Background And Objectives: Identifying genetic causes of dementia in patients visiting memory clinics is important for patient care and family planning. Traditional clinical selection criteria for genetic testing may miss carriers of pathogenic variants in dementia-related genes. This study aimed identify how many carriers we are missing and to optimize criteria for selecting patients for genetic counseling in memory clinics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2025
Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7030, Norway.
Replication and the reported crises impacting many fields of research have become a focal point for the sciences. This has led to reforms in publishing, methodological design and reporting, and increased numbers of experimental replications coordinated across many laboratories. While replication is rightly considered an indispensable tool of science, financial resources and researchers' time are quite limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsychol Rev
January 2025
Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego.
It has long been hypothesized that episodic memory supports adaptive decision making by enabling mental simulation of future events. Yet, attempts to characterize this process are surprisingly rare. On one hand, memory research is often carried out in settings that are far removed from ecological contexts of decision making.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Biol
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is recognized as a pivotal cortical region involved in the perception of pain. The retrosplenial cortex (RSC), located posterior to the ACC, is known to play a significant role in navigation and memory processes. Although the projections from the RSC to the ACC have been found, the specifics of the synaptic connections and the functional implications of the RSC-ACC projections remain less understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Biol
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
The role of epigenetics and chromatin in the maintenance of postmitotic neuronal cell identities is not well understood. Here, we show that the histone methyltransferase Trithorax (Trx) is required in postmitotic memory neurons of the Drosophila mushroom body (MB) to enable their capacity for long-term memory (LTM), but not short-term memory (STM). Using MB-specific RNA-, ChIP-, and ATAC-sequencing, we find that Trx maintains homeostatic expression of several non-canonical MB-enriched transcripts, including the orphan nuclear receptor Hr51, and the metabolic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (Ldh).
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