Current Alzheimer Research - Volume 6, Issue 1, 2009

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Background: The current study aimed to compare the effects of different cholinesterase inhibitors on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activities and protein levels, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients. Methods and Findings: AD patients aged 50-85 years were randomized to open-label treatment with oral rivastigmine, donepezil or galantamine for 13 weeks. Read More

The role of cholesterol as a susceptibility factor or a protective agent in neurodegeneration and, more generally, in amyloid-induced cytotoxicity is still controversial. Epidemiological studies on the hypercholesterolemia-AD risk relation and some reports indicating a beneficial effect of statin therapy suggest cholesterol as a susceptibility factor in AD. The ApoE4 genotype as a prevalent genetic risk factor for AD and the functi Read More

While anesthetics are indispensable clinical tools generally safe and effective, in some situations there is grown concern about selective neurotoxicity of these agents; the clinical significance is unclear as of yet. The mechanisms for inhalational anesthetics mediated cell damage are still not clear, although a role for calcium dysregulation has been suggested. For example, the inhaled anesthetic isoflurane decreases e Read More

The vast majority of the studies performed so far and aimed at elucidating DNA repair mechanisms has been performed in mitotic cells, such as transformed or cancer cell lines. Therefore, our understanding of DNA repair mechanisms in post-mitotic cells, such as neurons, remains one of the most exciting areas for future investigations. Markers of DNA damage, particularly oxidative DNA damage, have been largely found in br Read More

Objective: To determine if a direct measure of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale designed for use with dementia patients can detect differences between persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and normal elderly control subjects (NC). Methods: This study used cross-sectional and longitudinal IADL scale data from MCI and NC subjects followed at an Alzheimer's Disease Center. Results: On a 52-point sc Read More

We obtained brain MRIs, plasma homocysteine levels and apolipoprotein E genotyping for 11 American Indian Alzheimer disease (AD) subjects and 10 Indian controls. We calculated white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV), whole brain volume (WBV), and ratio of white matter hyperintensity volume to whole brain volume (WMHV/WBV). There were no significant differences between AD subjects and controls in gender, history Read More

Recent research findings provide evidence for Alzheimer's disease-related changes in brain diseases, such as normal pressure hydrocephalus and traumatic brain injury, and in glaucoma at the level of the retinal ganglion cells. This is a group of diseases that affect central nervous system tissue and are characterized by elevation of intracranial or intraocular pressure and/or local shear stress and strain. This strengthens the possi Read More

Investigations of alterations in brain asymmetry often focus on the planum temporale of patients with schizophrenia. Data also suggest changes in laterality of demented patients associated with a more marked impairment of the left hemisphere. Our study was performed on autoptic brain tissue of 84 patients, out of which there were 25 non-demented non-psychotic controls, 50 demented patients (34 Alzheimer disease, 9 Read More

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Commercial priorities have been identified as negative factors in drug development. We trace the problem to inattention to sound clinical pharmacology practices. When properly applied, clinical pharmacology and associated drug development sciences can, hand in hand, facilitate success in commercial drug development.

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