Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Participatory research or patient and public involvement refer to the process of actively involving people with lived experience into the research process to improve its relevance, quality, and impact. In the PART project we aim to establish a sustainable structure to include underrepresented patient groups with neurodegenerative diseases into a patient advisory board for research. As one of our milestones, we conducted a systematic literature review with the aim of examining the impact of participatory research on people involved, such as those with cognitive impairment, caregivers, and researchers.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Driven by (bio-)medical and technical developments, advanced non-invasive methods for estimating the risk of Alzheimer's dementia (ADD) are increasingly emerging. In the future, such methods could eventually become available for individuals in asymptomatic and preclinical stages of Alzheimer's disease (e.g.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Environmental factors account for a considerable percentage of dementia cases. Studies in animal models have shown that environmental enrichment (EE; i.e.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: The number of people with dementia increases worldwide. Previous studies have shown that social integration and high-quality social relationships are beneficial for reducing dementia risk and improving symptoms. Our project aimed at identifying characteristics of the social environment of people with dementia (PWD) and their relevance for PWDs' wellbeing, and at determining facilitators and barriers of the PWD's social integration.

Technology and Dementia Preconference.

Background: Timely diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is crucial for early interventions, but its implementation is often challenging due to the complexity and time burden of required cognitive assessments. Remote unsupervised self-testing of cognition can potentially addres this health care challenge. We conducted the to date largest evaluation of feasibility and experienced added value of unsupervised digital remote assessment in primary and specialized health care in Germany.

The Role of Atrial Fibrillation and Oral Anticoagulation Status in Health-Related Quality of Life 12 Months After Ischemic Stroke or TIA.

Aims: Atrial fibrillation (AF) accounts for about 20% of all ischemic strokes worldwide. It is known that AF impairs health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in the general population, but data on HRQOL in stroke patients with newly diagnosed AF are sparse.

Methods: Post hoc analysis of the prospective, investigator-initiated, multicenter MonDAFIS study (NCT02204267) to analyze whether AF-related oral anticoagulation (OAC), and/or AF-symptom severity are associated with HRQOL after ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Molecular insights into myelomeningocele via proteomic analysis of amniotic fluid.

Despite numerous studies on fetal therapy for myelomeningoceles (MMC), the pathophysiology of this malformation remains poorly understood. This study aimed to analyze the biochemical profile and proteome of amniotic fluid (AF) supernatants from MMC fetuses to explore the prenatal pathophysiology. Biochemical analysis of 61 AF samples from MMC fetuses was compared with 45 healthy fetuses' samples.

Are oligodendrocytes bystanders or drivers of Parkinson's disease pathology?

The major pathological feature of Parkinson 's disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disease and most common movement disorder, is the predominant degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, a part of the midbrain. Despite decades of research, the molecular mechanisms of the origin of the disease remain unknown. While the disease was initially viewed as a purely neuronal disorder, results from single-cell transcriptomics have suggested that oligodendrocytes may play an important role in the early stages of Parkinson's.

Environmental enrichment is associated with favorable memory-related functional brain activity patterns in older adults.

Background: In humans, environmental enrichment (EE), as measured by the engagement in a variety of leisure activities, has been associated with larger hippocampal structure and better memory function. The present cross-sectional study assessed whether EE during early life (13-30 years) and midlife (30-65 years) is associated with better preserved memory-related brain activity patterns in older age.

Methods: In total, 372 cognitively unimpaired older adults (aged ≥60 years old) of the DZNE-Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (DELCODE; DRKS00007966) were investigated.

Decoding Salience: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Investigation of Reward and Contextual Unexpectedness in Memory Encoding and Retrieval.

The present study investigated the neuromodulatory substrates of salience processing and its impact on memory encoding and behaviour, with a specific focus on two distinct types of salience: reward and contextual unexpectedness. 46 Participants performed a novel task paradigm modulating these two aspects independently and allowing for investigating their distinct and interactive effects on memory encoding while undergoing high-resolution fMRI. By using advanced image processing techniques tailored to examine midbrain and brainstem nuclei with high precision, our study additionally aimed to elucidate differential activation patterns in subcortical nuclei in response to reward-associated and contextually unexpected stimuli, including distinct pathways involving in particular dopaminergic modulation.

Macrophage-induced enteric neurodegeneration leads to motility impairment during gut inflammation.

Current studies pictured the enteric nervous system and macrophages as modulators of neuroimmune processes in the inflamed gut. Expanding this view, we investigated the impact of enteric neuron-macrophage interactions on postoperative trauma and subsequent motility disturbances, i.e.

Addressing inter individual variability in CSF levels of brain derived proteins across neurodegenerative diseases.

Accurate diagnosis and monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases require reliable biomarkers. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins are promising candidates for reflecting brain pathology; however, their diagnostic utility may be compromised by natural variability between individuals, weakening their association with disease. Here, we measured the levels of 69 pre-selected proteins in cerebrospinal fluid using antibody-based suspension bead array technology in a multi-disease cohort of 499 individuals with neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, primary progressive aphasias, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), corticobasal syndrome, primary supranuclear palsy, along with healthy controls.

Synaptoneurolipidomics: lipidomics in the study of synaptic function.

The brain is an exceptionally lipid-rich organ with a very complex lipid composition. Lipids are central in several neuronal processes, including membrane formation and fusion, myelin packing, and lipid-mediated signal transmission. Lipid diversity is associated with the evolution of higher cognitive abilities in primates, is affected by neuronal activity, and is instrumental for synaptic plasticity, illustrating that lipids are not static components of synaptic membranes.

Facing the new diagnostic and treatment options of Alzheimer's disease: The necessity of informed consent.

With advances in biomarker-based detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and new treatment options with disease-modifying treatments (DMTs), we are heading toward a new conceptualization of diagnostics and therapy in the early stages of AD. Yet consensus guidelines on best clinical practices in predictive AD diagnostics are still developing. Currently, there is a knowledge gap regarding counseling and disclosure practices in early symptomatic disease stages, its implications for dementia risk estimation, and DMTs with associated risks and benefits.

Detection of focal cortical dysplasia: Development and multicentric evaluation of artificial intelligence models.

Objective: Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a common cause of drug-resistant focal epilepsy but can be challenging to detect visually on magnetic resonance imaging. Three artificial intelligence models for automated FCD detection are publicly available (MAP18, deepFCD, MELD) but have only been compared on single-center data. Our first objective is to compare them on independent multicenter test data.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Friedreich Ataxia Using Mobility Assistive Technologies: Limited Fit of the EQ-5D-3L Mobility Dimension.

Introduction: Friedreich Ataxia (FA) is a multisystem neurodegenerative disease. Affected individuals rely on mobility assistive technologies (MAT) (e.g.

Dietary changes following a lifestyle-based intervention for dementia risk reduction - results from the AgeWell.de study.

Purpose: We investigated the effects of a multidomain lifestyle intervention conducted in older adults at increased risk for dementia on participants' diet.

Methods: Secondary analyses of the cluster-randomized AgeWell.de-trial, testing a multidomain intervention (optimization of nutrition and medication, enhancement of physical, social and cognitive activity) in older adults at increased dementia risk.

Blood-based biomarkers and plasma Aβ assays in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia.

Introduction: The differentiation between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) can be complicated in the initial phase by shared symptoms and pathophysiological traits. Nevertheless, advancements in understanding AD's diverse pathobiology suggest the potential for establishing blood-based methods for differential diagnosis.

Methods: We devised a novel assay combining immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry (IP-MS) to quantify Amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides in plasma.

Distinct regulation of Tau Monomer and aggregate uptake and intracellular accumulation in human neurons.

Background: The prion-like spreading of Tau pathology is the leading cause of disease progression in various tauopathies. A critical step in propagating pathologic Tau in the brain is the transport from the extracellular environment and accumulation inside naïve neurons. Current research indicates that human neurons internalize both the physiological extracellular Tau (eTau) monomers and the pathological eTau aggregates.

Increasing hub disruption parallels dementia severity in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease.

Hub regions in the brain, recognized for their roles in ensuring efficient information transfer, are vulnerable to pathological alterations in neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Computational simulations and animal experiments have hinted at the theory of activity-dependent degeneration as the cause of this hub vulnerability. However, two critical issues remain unresolved.

Cognitive decline and neuroinflammation in a mouse model of obesity: An accelerating role of ageing.

Obesity, a pandemic, worldwide afflicts almost one billion people. Obesity and ageing share several pathological pathways leading to neurological disorders. However, due to a lack of suitable animal models, the long-term effects of obesity on age-related disorders- cognitive impairment and dementia have not yet been thoroughly investigated.

The cellular and extracellular proteomic signature of human dopaminergic neurons carrying the LRRK2 G2019S mutation.

Background: Extracellular vesicles are easily accessible in various biofluids and allow the assessment of disease-related changes in the proteome. This has made them a promising target for biomarker studies, especially in the field of neurodegeneration where access to diseased tissue is very limited. Genetic variants in the LRRK2 gene have been linked to both familial and sporadic forms of Parkinson's disease.

Pericytes and Extracellular Vesicle Interactions in Neurovascular Adaptation to Chronic Arterial Hypertension.

Background: Chronic arterial hypertension restructures the vascular architecture of the brain, leading to a series of pathological responses that culminate in cerebral small-vessel disease. Pericytes respond dynamically to vascular challenges; however, how they manifest under the continuous strain of hypertension has not been elucidated.

Methods And Results: In this study, we characterized pericyte behavior alongside hypertensive states in the spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rat model, focusing on their phenotypic and metabolic transformation.