The Human Figure Drawing test as a screen for dementia in the elderly: a community-based study.

The Human Figure Drawing (HFD) test is a non-verbal test, mainly based on visuo-spatial and constructional abilities. In screening for dementia, the HFD test can be hypothesised as a good complement to Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which is inherently limited by its verbal nature. In order to test this hypothesis, both MMSE and HFD tests were administered to 461 individuals recruited from a community-based study of the elderly (the Kungsholmen project).

A comparative empirical study of autonomy in nursing homes in Sweden and Florida, USA.

This study seeks to comparatively examine how autonomy is evaluated by a sample of nursing staff in both Sweden and Florida, USA. In both cultures support for patient autonomy was generally greater from an individual point of view than from the anticipated institutional perspective. Comparisons between the cultures revealed that individual staff members in the Swedish nursing homes generally gave higher priority to patient preference than did their American counterparts.

Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for disease stage and intensity in cognitively impaired patients.

Biomarkers to monitor the degenerative process in Alzheimer's disease would be of great value. We examined the relation between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) total tau (T-tau), phospho-tau (P-tau) and Abeta42 and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of brain atrophy. CSF was taken at baseline and MRI at baseline and at 16 months follow-up.

Variation in cerebrospinal fluid levels of neuropeptide Y, cholecystokinin and substance P in patients with neurological disorders.

Neuropeptide Y, cholecystokinin (tetra- and octasulphated peptides) and substance P were measured in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid obtained from patients with various neurologic disorders such as Parkinson's disease, cerebrovascular disorders, multiple sclerosis, tuberculous meningitis and aseptic meningitis. These results are statistically compared with healthy results. The results accumulated showed that the data collected can provide the vital information necessary for designing drug therapy.

Growth-associated protein GAP-43 in the frontal cortex and in the hippocampus in Alzheimer's disease: an immunohistochemical and quantitative study.

We studied the growth-associated protein, GAP-43 (also called neuromodulin and B-50) in post-mortem brain tissue using immunohistochemistry and quantitative Western blotting, from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and age-matched control subjects. By immunohistochemistry, we found a clear reduction of GAP-43 in the frontal cortex, while in the hippocampus, there was a marked reduction in some areas (dentate molecular layer, stratum moleculare and radiale of CA1 and CA4), while not in other areas (stratum lacunosum, pyramidale and oriens of CA1). Moreover, in the hippocampus, neuritic staining was prominent, and was often associated with senile plaques.

Monoamine compounds in cerebrospinal fluid of healthy subjects punctured without preceding strict bed rest: a pilot study.

The interpretation of data on compounds in the lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is limited by several confounding factors, e.g. motor activity for which strict bed rest prior to lumbar puncture is recommended for standardisation.

White matter lesions impair initiation of FAS flow.

Word fluency performance is known to rely on left frontal cortical regions and has also been shown to be affected by lesions in the white matter, which may be seen as white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on magnetic resonance imaging. However, word fluency may be divided into two independent components, initial and late performance, separated in time [J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 1998;20:137-143]. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between the two components of FAS fluency performance and WMH.

Cerebrospinal fluid levels of monoamine compounds and cholecystokinin peptides after exposure to standardized barometric pressure.

Background: Connections between mood changes and weather have been described throughout the ages, and in more recent years, there have been reports on a relationship between atmospheric pressure and neurotransmitter levels in cerebrospinal fluid.

Methods: To further investigate this issue under strictly standardized conditions, we have lumbar-punctured 8 healthy males under low (963 hPa) and high (1064 hPa) barometric pressure, using a pressure chamber.

Results: Under high pressure, the tyrosine concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were lower, while the cholecystokinin tetrapeptide (CCK-4) levels were higher.

The interplay of institution and family caregiving: relations between patient hassles, nursing home hassles and caregivers' burnout.

This population-based study investigated the relationship between stresses (hassles) and burnout for 30 family caregivers and their institutionalized demented elderly. The Burnout Measure, the Patient Hassles Scales and the Nursing Home Hassles Scale were used. Hassles included: patient hassles (cognitive, behavior, basic ADL) and nursing home hassles (caregiver - staff, patient - staff, practical/logistical).

Memantine in severe dementia: results of the 9M-Best Study (Benefit and efficacy in severely demented patients during treatment with memantine).

Objectives: To assess clinical efficacy and safety of memantine--an uncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist--in moderately severe to severe primary dementia.

Materials And Methods: Dementia was defined by DSM-III-R criteria and severity was assessed by the Global Deterioration Scale (stages 5-7) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (< 10 points). Primary endpoints were the Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGI-C) rated by the physician, and the Behavioural Rating Scale for Geriatric Patients (BGP), subscore 'care dependence', rated by the nursing staff.

The patient as 'teacher': learning in the care of elderly persons with dementia.

In 1996 HM Queen Silvia of Sweden started a non-governmental education programme with an integrated day-care unit devoted to elderly persons with dementia. A total of 18 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) from various parts of Sweden took part in the year theoretical and practical education in dementia care. The purpose was to develop specialized skills in the particular field and more generally to develop mentor capabilities.

Inhalation of low concentrations of toluene induces persistent effects on a learning retention task, beam-walk performance, and cerebrocortical size in the rat.

The organic solvent toluene is widely used in industry. The threshold limit value for extended occupational exposure to toluene is presently set to 200 ppm in the United States. We have investigated the effect of an inhalation exposure of 80 ppm for 4 weeks (6 h/day, 5 days/week), followed by a postexposure period of at least 4 weeks, on behavior and brain features in the rat.

Impact of management change and an intervention program on health care personnel.

Background: There has been a major shift in the organization and responsibility for the provision of geriatric care in Sweden. This was believed to be stressful. We therefore decided to launch a controlled intervention program on health care personnel aimed at enhancing their adaptation and ability to cope.

Mortality in nondemented subjects with cognitive impairment: the influence of health-related factors.

Nondemented older subjects with cognitive impairment are at higher risk of death than are mentally intact persons. It is unknown whether the effect of cognitive impairment on mortality is independent or mediated by poorer health or other factors. To address this issue, the authors used a prospective population-based cohort study with 8 years of follow-up started in 1987 in the urban district of Kungsholmen, Stockholm, Sweden.

A follow-up study of the family with the Swedish APP 670/671 Alzheimer's disease mutation.

Objective: To study the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) at a very early stage and to evaluate clinical markers of presymptomatic AD.

Setting: Longitudinal study at a university hospital.

Subjects: A Swedish family harboring a double mutation at codons 670/671 of the APP gene on chromosome 21 was followed longitudinally for 3 years.

Decreased plasma insulin-like growth factor-I level in familial Alzheimer's disease patients carrying the Swedish APP 670/671 mutation.

The plasma insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) level was determined in family members carrying the Swedish amyloid precursor protein (APP) 670/671 mutation with or without Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in age-matched controls from the same family. Plasma growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) levels were also determined. Measurement of the plasma IGF-I level by radioimmunoassay revealed a significant reduction only in the family members with AD compared to age-matched controls.

Anxiogenic-like action of galanin after intra-amygdala administration in the rat.

The neuropeptide galanin is expressed in brain structures implicated in regulation of emotionality. The amygdala is known to play a central role in mechanisms of fear and anxiety. We therefore examined the effects of galanin (0.

Effects of environmental enrichment on cognitive function and hippocampal NGF in the non-handled rats.

In this study we examine whether exposure to differential housing after weaning would counteract the effects of postnatal handling (H) or nonhandling (NH) treatment by affecting learning and memory processes in young rats. In addition, we seek to determine if experience in enriched environment would alter hippocampal nerve growth factor (NGF) levels which is one of the factors known to be involved in the regulation of the survival and differentiation of developing basal forebrain neurones. Rats were either exposed to handling treatment, or left undisturbed starting day 1 after birth through day 21.

Immunohistochemical localization of interleukin-1beta, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and interleukin-1beta converting enzyme/caspase-1 in the rat brain after peripheral administration of kainic acid.

The temporal and anatomical distribution of members of the interleukin-1 system in the rat brain following intraperitoneal kainic acid administration was studied in relation to neurodegeneration as detected with in situ end labelling. Kainic acid administration (10 mg/kg, i.p.

Visual assessment of medical temporal lobe atrophy in demented and healthy control subjects: correlation with volumetry.

The present study evaluated the validity of visual rating of medial temporal lobe atrophy on coronal magnetic resonance imaging scans in a population of demented and non-demented individuals. Medial temporal lobe atrophy in 194 subjects was visually rated from hard copies, using a 0-4 rating scale, and a comparison was made with the absolute volumes (ccm) of the medial temporal lobe as estimated with volumetry, using a stereological method. We found a highly significant correlation between the estimated and stereologically measured volumes.

Inhibition of [3H]forskolin binding by Gpp[NH]p may reflect adenylate cyclase coupling to Gi.

The effect of the GTP analogue guanylyl-5'-imidodiphosphate (Gpp[NH]p) on [3H]forskolin binding was studied in rat brain using autoradiography. In the striatum the presence of 100 microM Gpp[NH]p produced a 40% increase in binding, whereas a decrease of about 30% was observed with low Gpp[NH]p concentrations (0.1 microM).