Current Alzheimer Research - Volume 14, Issue 6, 2017

Background: The APOE4 allele is the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been associated with an accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain, which is produced through the sequential cleavage of the amyloid-β precursor protein (AβPP) by β - and γ-secretases. Alternatively, AβPP is also cleaved by α -secretases such as A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase Domain-containing Protein 10 (ADAM10) Read More

Background: Gangliosides are enriched in the neuronal membranes. Gangliosides are shown to interact with amyloid-β proteins, leading to formation of amyloid fibrils in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains. Several earlier studies indicated that the alterations of ganglioside metabolism could contribute the pathogenesis of AD. Methods: Gangliosides were isolated from the frontal lobes in five patients with AD and three control Read More

Background: Phospholipids and their metabolisms are closely allied to nosogenesis and aggravation of Type 2 diabetes mellitus and cognitive impairment. The aim of this study is to characterize the plasma levels of phospholipids in type 2 diabetes patients and type 2 diabetes patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and to identify potential biomarkers of type 2 diabetes patients with MCI. Methods: In this cross-section Read More

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and clinical usability of a Dutch translation of the Test Your Memory (TYM) test in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia as compared to the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), in the setting of the memory clinic of a general hospital. Methods: Fourty-two participants referred to the memory clinic with memory problems and fourty-t Read More

Background: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other forms of dementia. However, much heterogeneity concerning neuropsychological measures, prevalence and progression rates impedes distinct diagnosis and treatment implications. Objective: Aim of the present study was the identification of specific tests providing a high certainty for stable MCI and factors that preci Read More

Objective: To study the prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia in communitydwelling Malays from Singapore; and to examine differences in prevalence among Chinese and Malays. Methods: Subjects (≥ 60 years) - drawn from the Malay component of the on-going multiethnic Epidemiology of Dementia in Singapore study - were screened using locally validated Abbreviated Mental Test and Progressiv Read More

Background: Impaired functional connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) is supposedly involved in Alzheimers disease (AD) progression. The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) might be an imaging marker for monitoring AD progression. Objective: To investigate the alterations in the directed functional connectivity between the PCC and whole brain in patients with AD, patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Read More

Background: DNA topoisomerase IIβ (topo IIβ) plays a crucial role in neural differentiation and axonogenesis. Inhibition of topo IIβ activity in vitro and in vivo results in shorter axons and increased DNA damage. These molecular events also involve in Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the role of topo IIβ in the pathogenesis of AD remains to be elucidated. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the role of topo IIβ association with Read More

Background: Whether exercise could delay the cognitive function decline and structural changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are not fully understood. Methods: 6-month-old male APP/PS1 double transgenic mice ran four months and then the effects of exercise on the cognitive function and the white matter of AD were investigated. Results: The mean escape latency of the excercised group was significantly shortened wh Read More

Background: Immunization against beta-amyloid (Aβ) reduces cerebral Aβ deposits and improves cognitive capacities in transgenic mouse models, and thus has been considered a promising disease-modifying therapeutic approach for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although clinical trials in AD patients have yielded evidence for clearance of parenchymal Aβ plaques, Aβ increases in blood vessels of treated patients. We hypothes Read More

Background: Amyloid peptide precursor (APP) as the precursor protein of peptide betaamyloid (β-amyloid, Aβ), which is thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), also has an important effect on the development and progression of AD. Through knocking-in APP gene in animals, numerous transgenic AD models have been set up for the investigation of the mechanisms behind AD pathogenesi Read More

Background: Alzheimer´s disease (AD) is a serious and complex neurodegenerative disease. Currently, there are about 44 million people suffering from AD all over the world and this number is expected to rapidly grow due to demographic changes. The disease can be treated both pharmacologically and non-pharmacologically. Unfortunately, it cannot be cured yet. Nevertheless, the drugs for the treatment of AD ar Read More

Many stroke patients have pre-existing cognitive impairment. Plasma amyloid β peptides (Aβ) - possible biomarkers of Alzheimer’s pathology - induce vascular dysfunction. Our objective was to evaluate factors influencing plasma Aβ 1-40 and Aβ 1-42 peptides in a cohort of stroke patients. In the Biostroke study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00763217), we collected vascular risk factors, neuroimaging features and biologic Read More