Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: There is a strong genetic component to Alzheimer's disease (AD), as evidenced in genome-wide association studies (GWASs) that have identified new variants associated with the disease. This is particularly true for the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and its neighboring genes on chromosome 19q13.3.

Nano-Brush Structure for Rapid Label-Free Differentiation of Alzheimer's Disease Stages and Direct Capture of Neuron-Derived Exosomes from Human Blood Plasma.

The measurement of the neurofilament light chain (NFL) in human blood plasma/serum is a promising liquid biopsy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis, offering advantages over conventional neuroimaging techniques recommended in clinical guidelines. Here, a controllable nano-brush structure comprising upstanding silicon nanowires coated with indium tin oxide was employed as the sensing substrate. This nano-brush structure was modified with an NFL antibody (NFLAb) via silane coupling and then further connected as the extended gate in a field-effect transistor (EGFET).

Neuropsychiatric symptoms and mortality among patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia due to Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) could increase mortality risk in people with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, whether NPS affects mortality risk in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and whether any specific syndrome of NPS influences this risk are still unclear.

Methods: In total, 984 participants with dementia due to AD, 338 with MCI, and 365 controls were enrolled.

Predictors of caregiver burden in aged caregivers of demented older patients.

Background: Dementia in the oldest-old is projected to increase exponentially as is the burden of their caregivers who may experience unique challenges and suffering. Thus, we aim to investigate which factors are associated with older caregivers' burden in caring demented outpatients in a multicenter cohort.

Methods: Patients and their caregivers, both aged ≧65 years, in the National Dementia Registry Study in Taiwan (T-NDRS) were included in this study.

Genetics of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease: A 1-year follow-up study.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between candidate gene variants and domains of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and the changes in these associations over a 1-year period.

Methods: Seven hundred and ninety-three Taiwanese participants (47.8% female) with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were enrolled.

Reliability and validity of the severe impairment battery in Taiwanese patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.

Background: The severe impairment battery (SIB) was developed to evaluate cognitive functions in moderate to severe dementia patients. We aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the Taiwanese version of the SIB (T-SIB) in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: AD patients with clinical dementia rating (CDR) stage 2 (n = 79) or 3 (n = 21) and scores <15 on the Taiwanese version of mini mental state examination (T-MMSE) were recruited from six hospitals in Taiwan.

Impact of physiological noise in characterizing the functional MRI default-mode network in Alzheimer's disease.

The functional connectivity of the default-mode network (DMN) monitored by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients has been found weaker than that in healthy participants. Since breathing and heart beating can cause fluctuations in the fMRI signal, these physiological activities may affect the fMRI data differently between AD patients and healthy participants. We collected resting-state fMRI data from AD patients and age-matched healthy participants.

Evaluating Mild Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients with Parkinson's Disease in Clinical Practice in Taiwan.

Our study aimed to examine the contribution of commonly used tools, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and develop a formula for conversion of these tests in the Chinese population. We also create a predictive model for the detection of Chinese patients' mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We recruited 168 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) from 12 medical centres or teaching hospitals in Taiwan, and each participant received a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment.

Plasma Transthyretin as a Predictor of Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment Conversion to Dementia.

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a prodromal stage of dementia, with a higher incidence of these patients progressing to Alzheimer's disease (AD) than normal aging people. A biomarker for the early detection and prediction for this progression is important. We recruited MCI subjects in three teaching hospitals and conducted longitudinal follow-up for 5 years at one-year intervals.

Summative Effects of Vascular Risk Factors on the Progression of Alzheimer Disease.

Objectives: To investigate the summative effects of vascular risk factors (VRFs) on the progression of Alzheimer disease (AD).

Design: Longitudinal follow-up cohort study.

Setting: AD patients from two teaching hospitals in Taiwan with 3-year follow-ups.

Persistence and adherence to rivastigmine in patients with dementia: Results from a noninterventional, retrospective study using the National Health Insurance research database of Taiwan.

Introduction: The objective of the study was to assess adherence and persistence of patients treated with rivastigmine versus donepezil.

Methods: Persistence was calculated as the time from the first prescription date of rivastigmine/donepezil until discontinuation/medication switch/end of available data, whichever occurred first. Adherence was calculated as proportion of days covered and medication possession ratio.

The prognostic predictors of six-month mortality for residents with advanced dementia in long-term care facilities in Taiwan: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Although hospice or palliative care for patients with advanced dementia has been implemented for more than 30 years, few studies have investigated the prognostic predictors of 6-month mortality in these patients. Prognostication has been a major obstacle, and 6-month prognostic predictors for patients with advanced dementia are still considered elusive.

Objectives: To better understand the dying trajectories of patients with advanced dementia, we performed a longitudinal prospective cohort study to investigate the predictors of 6-month mortality for residents with advanced dementia in long-term care facilities in Taiwan.

Plasma biomarkers are associated with agitation and regional brain atrophy in Alzheimer's disease.

This study investigated the relationships among plasma biomarkers, regional brain atrophy, and clinical symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 177), mild cognitive impairment (MCI; N = 60) and controls (n = 108). The Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) subscales were administered to subjects. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed and medial temporal atrophy (MTA) and posterior atrophy (PA) were assessed visually.

Cognitive impairment and hippocampal atrophy in chronic kidney disease.

Background: Cognition impairment is well known in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The relationship between brain structure and cognitive performance in CKD patients is still under investigation. The study aimed to quantitatively assess the relationship between brain structure and cognitive performance in patients with CKD.

Language background in early life may be related to neuropsychiatry symptoms in patients with Alzheimer disease.

Background: The relationship between early life experience and the occurrence of neuropsychiatry symptoms (NPSs) in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) is unclear.

Methods: From 2012 to 2014, we prospectively recruited 250 patients with probable AD from the memory clinic of Taipei Veterans General Hospital. All patients underwent standard assessments, including brain magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography, neuropsychological tests, neuropsychiatry inventory (NPI-Q) and related blood tests.

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension complicated by malignancyinduced disseminated intravascular coagulation: A case report.

Purpose: Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a rare type of headache. The association of SIH with malignancy and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) has not previously been reported.

Case Report: A 60-year-old woman had orthostatic headache for more than one month before admission.

PDD-5S: A useful screening tool for Parkinson's disease dementia.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) contributes to poor quality of life and increases the mortality risk. Early detection and diagnosis of PDD are essential for clinical care.

Methods: We recruited patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), who underwent clinical assessments and neuropsychological tests, at 12 teaching hospitals in Taiwan.

Posterior Atrophy and Medial Temporal Atrophy Scores Are Associated with Different Symptoms in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Background: Whether the occurrence of posterior atrophy (PA) and medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) was correlated with cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients are unclear.

Methods: Patients with probable AD and MCI from a medical center outpatient clinic received attention, memory, language, executive function evaluation and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE). The severity of dementia was rated by the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Sum of Box (CDR-SB).

Intellectual and physical activities, but not social activities, are associated with better global cognition: a multi-site evaluation of the cognition and lifestyle activity study for seniors in Asia (CLASSA).

Background: population ageing will lead to a leap in the dementia population in Asia. However, information about potentials for low-cost and low-risk interventions is limited.

Objectives: to study the associations between lifestyle activities and global cognition from the Cognitive and Lifestyle Activity Study for Seniors in Asia (CLASSA).

The reliability, validity, sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of the Chinese version of the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale.

Aims And Objectives: The purpose of this study was to translate the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale into Chinese and to evaluate the psychometric properties (reliability and validity) and the diagnostic properties (sensitivity, specificity and predictive values) of the Chinese version of the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale.

Background: The accurate detection of early dementia requires screening tools with favourable cross-cultural linguistic and appropriate sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values, particularly for Chinese-speaking populations.

Design: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study.

Depression of Family Caregivers Is Associated with Disagreements on Life-Sustaining Preferences for Treating Patients with Dementia.

Background: Family caregivers may not agree with patients with dementia regarding attitudes toward end-of-life preferences, and the effects of this type of disagreement are not well understood. This study sought to identify such a disagreement and its predictors.

Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 84 family caregivers and patients with dementia was recruited from memory clinics.

Comparison of activities of daily living impairments in Parkinson's disease patients as defined by the Pill Questionnaire and assessments by neurologists.

Objectives: To compare the clinical judgment of experienced neurologists after interviewing Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and their caregivers with the use of the Pill Questionnaire to determine the presence of impairments on activities of daily living (ADL).

Background: ADL impairment is a criterion for the diagnosis of dementia associated with PD. The Pill Questionnaire has been recommended as a screening tool to assess ADL impairment in PD patients, but its usefulness and validity have not been fully investigated.

Differences in brain metabolism associated with agitation and depression in Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: Agitation and depression are among the commonest behavioural and psychological symptoms exhibited by Alzheimer's disease patients. However, their pathophysiology remains unclear. We therefore investigated the relationship between the brain metabolism in the posterior cingulate gyrus and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and agitation and depression in patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.