Expressed emotion mediates the association between caregiver relationship closeness and psychological symptoms in people with dementia.

Aim: This study examines whether expressed emotion (EE) mediates the association between caregiver relationship closeness and behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).

Methods: We recruited 64 families with dementia in Osaka and collected data for 3 months. Caregiver-patient relationship closeness was assessed using the Relationship Closeness Scale (RCS), and BPSD was measured with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q).

Screening of Aβ and phosphorylated tau status in the cerebrospinal fluid through machine learning analysis of portable electroencephalography data.

Diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD) through pathological markers is typically costly and invasive. This study aims to find a noninvasive, cost-effective method using portable electroencephalography (EEG) to detect changes in AD-related biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). A total of 102 patients, both with and without AD-related biomarker changes (amyloid beta and phosphorylated tau), were recorded using a 2-minute resting-state portable EEG.

Motor involvement in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa type C.

The degeneration of pyramidal tracts has been reported in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 (TAR DNA-binding protein 43) pathology (FTLD-TDP) type C. Herein, we examined the detailed pathology of the primary motor area and pyramidal tracts in the central nervous system in four autopsy cases of FTLD-TDP type C, all of which were diagnosed by neuropathological, biochemical, and genomic analyses. Three patients showed right dominant atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes, while the other patient showed left dominant atrophy.

Anterograde amnesia recurrence in temporal lobe epilepsy with amygdala-enlargement.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) can cause different types of memory impairments. Here, we report a case of immediate improvement of memory impairment following antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment in a patient with TLE with amygdala enlargement (TLE-AE), who rapidly developed recurrence. The patient was a man in his 60s whose family members complained of his amnesia.

Performance of ChatGPT-4o on the Japanese Medical Licensing Examination: Evalution of Accuracy in Text-Only and Image-Based Questions.

This study evaluated the performance of ChatGPT with GPT-4 Omni (GPT-4o) on the 118th Japanese Medical Licensing Examination. The study focused on both text-only and image-based questions. The model demonstrated a high level of accuracy overall, with no significant difference in performance between text-only and image-based questions.

A multisite observational real-world study on the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for patients with treatment-resistant depression in Japan.

The objective of this study was to reveal the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for Japanese patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in clinical practice, based on real-world data from a nationwide multicenter observational study in Japan. Clinical data of patients with TRD treated with rTMS (NeuroStar TMS treatment system) under public insurance coverage were retrospectively collected from 21 institutes nationwide between June 2019 and December 2023. Depression severity was assessed by the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17).

Hidden cases of epilepsy in cognitive impairment clinics: Exploring the use of a portable device for simplified electroencephalography testing.

Late-onset epilepsy, particularly focal impaired awareness seizures, often present without convulsions and can cause memory impairment. This can lead patients to initially seek consultation at memory clinics, potentially delaying referral to epilepsy specialists. We report on three patients, aged 40s to 70s, admitted for cognitive evaluation who were finally diagnosed with epileptic seizures as the underlying cause of their symptoms.

Exploring expressed emotion and its influencing factors among family caregivers of dementia people: a 3-month study in Japan.

Background: Family caregivers of dementia patients face significant challenges, including managing their own emotional responses. Understanding factors influencing expressed emotion (EE) is crucial for effective support interventions. The aim of this study was to explore and describe changes in EE among family caregivers of dementia and its associated factors at different time points over 3 months.

A case with temporal spikes on electroencephalography induced by over 80 sessions of electroconvulsive therapy.

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is widely recognized as one of the most effective treatments for various psychiatric disorders and is generally considered safe. However, a few reports have mentioned that multiple ECT sessions could induce electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities and epileptic seizures, a serious side effect of ECT. We experienced a case with EEG abnormalities after multiple ECT sessions and aimed to share our insights on conducting ECT safely.

Female sex and age-based advantage of simulated electric field in TMS to the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia and mood disorders.

This study investigates computational models of electric field strength for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) based on individual MRI data of patients with schizophrenia (SZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BP), and healthy controls (HC). In addition, it explores the association of electric field intensities with age, gender and intracranial volume. The subjects were 23 SZ (12 male, mean age = 45.

Impact of individual factors and personality trait on psychological problems of family members living with staff of a COVID-19 frontline hospital: A cross-sectional self-administered anonymous questionnaire survey.

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the association between individual factors/personality traits and depression and anxiety in family members living with staff working on the frontline of COVID-19 care.

Methods: The subjects were family members over the age of 15 years living with staff members of a COVID-19 frontline hospital. Between March 27 and April 11, 2021, 204 self-administered anonymous questionnaires were distributed, and 149 responses were received.

Utilizing portable electroencephalography to screen for pathology of Alzheimer's disease: a methodological advancement in diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.

Background: The current biomarker-supported diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is hindered by invasiveness and cost issues. This study aimed to address these challenges by utilizing portable electroencephalography (EEG). We propose a novel, non-invasive, and cost-effective method for identifying AD, using a sample of patients with biomarker-verified AD, to facilitate early and accessible disease screening.

Real-world outcome of rTMS treatment for depression within the Japanese public health insurance system: Registry data from Kansai TMS network.

This study registered consecutive cases to elucidate the efficacy of rTMS treatment for depression within the Japanese public health insurance system. Of the 102 patients with depression who received rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, 44 (43.1 %) patients reached remission and 14 (13.

Effect of Thyrocervical Artery Embolization for Mediastinal Hemangioma with Pleural Effusion.

A 72-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of breathlessness. Computed tomography revealed a tumor with intense early enhancement and pleural effusion. Although the pleural effusion was not bloody, the tumor showed a hypervascular area on angiography.

Correlation between frailty and reduction in cortical thickness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Physical inactivity and cognitive impairment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can lead to frailty and poor prognoses. However, little is known regarding the association between frailty and the human brain. We hypothesized that the brain structure could change according to frailty in patients with COPD and focused on cortical thickness.

Aberrant brain dynamics of large-scale functional networks across schizophrenia and mood disorder.

Introduction: The dynamics of large-scale networks, which are known as distributed sets of functionally synchronized brain regions and include the visual network (VIN), somatomotor network (SMN), dorsal attention network (DAN), salience network (SAN), limbic network (LIN), frontoparietal network (FPN), and default mode network (DMN), play important roles in emotional and cognitive processes in humans. Although disruptions in these large-scale networks are considered critical for the pathophysiological mechanisms of psychiatric disorders, their role in psychiatric disorders remains unknown. We aimed to elucidate the aberrant dynamics across large-scale networks in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and mood disorders.

Utility of the Japanese version of the Clinical Dementia Rating® plus National Alzheimer's Coordinating Centre Behaviour and Language Domains for sporadic cases of frontotemporal dementia in Japan.

Background: We aimed to validate the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR®) dementia staging instrument plus the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Centre Behaviour and Language Domains (CDR® plus NACC FTLD) for use in clinical settings in Japan and in the Japanese language.

Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled 29 patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and 21 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia from the Departments of Psychiatry at Osaka University Hospital and Asakayama General Hospital and the Brain Function Centre at Nippon Life Hospital. CDR® plus NACC FTLD, CDR®, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Western Aphasia Battery (WAB), Neuropsychiatric Inventory-plus (NPI-plus), Stereotypy Rating Inventory (SRI), and frontal behavioural symptom scores obtained from items of NPI-plus and SRI, were conducted to assess inter- and intra-rater reliability, validity, and responsiveness.

A heterozygous splicing variant IVS9-7A > T in intron 9 of the MAPT gene in a patient with right-temporal variant frontotemporal dementia with atypical 4 repeat tauopathy.

Right temporal variant frontotemporal dementia, also called right-predominant semantic dementia, often has an unclear position within the framework of the updated diagnostic criteria for behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia or primary progressive aphasia. Recent studies have suggested that this population may be clinically, neuropathologically, and genetically distinct from those with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia or left-predominant typical semantic variant primary progressive aphasia. Here we describe a Japanese case of right temporal variant frontotemporal dementia with novel heterozygous MAPT mutation Adenine to Thymidine in intervening sequence (IVS) 9 at position -7 from 3' splicing site of intron 9/exon 10 boundary (MAPT IVS9-7A > T).