NIH PubMed latest 20 review articles on Alzheimer's

Dysfunctions of neuronal and glial intermediate filaments in disease.

Liem RK, Messing A

Dysfunctions of neuronal and glial intermediate filaments in disease.

J Clin Invest. 2009 Jul;119(7):1814-24

Authors: Liem RK, Messing A

Intermediate filaments (IFs) are abundant structures found in most eukaryotic cells, including those in the nervous system. In the CNS, the primary components of neuronal IFs are alpha-internexin and the neurofilament triplet proteins. In the peripheral nervous system, a fifth neuronal IF protein known as peripherin is also present. IFs in astrocytes are primarily composed of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), although vimentin is also expressed in immature astrocytes and some mature astrocytes. In this Review, we focus on the IFs of glial cells (primarily GFAP) and neurons as well as their relationship to different neurodegenerative diseases.

PMID: 19587456 [PubMed - in process]

The cost of dementia in europe: a review of the evidence, and methodological considerations.

Jönsson L, Wimo A

The cost of dementia in europe: a review of the evidence, and methodological considerations.

Pharmacoeconomics. 2009;27(5):391-403

Authors: Jönsson L, Wimo A

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of disability in the elderly, leading to a high burden on caregivers and costs to society. This article describes the current level of data availability regarding the costs of AD in Europe, summarizes and compares findings from previous studies in different countries, and discusses the applicability of available data for modelling purposes. A literature review was conducted for papers in any language reporting data on costs of care for patients with diagnosed dementia or possible/probable AD. Only papers reporting patient-level data on costs were included. A total of 16 studies were identified: from the Nordic region (4), the UK (3), Spain (3), France (2), Italy (2), Belgium (1) and Germany (1). There is large variation in total cost estimates, depending on, for example, differences in study methodology, setting, type and severity of patients included, range of costs assessed and the choice of principle for valuing informal care. The median value for total annual care costs in all studies was &euro28 000 (range &euro6614-&euro64 426) [year 2005 values]. Few studies assessed aspects of disease severity other than cognitive function. The costs of AD in Europe are substantial and increase with disease severity. Methodological differences between studies make comparison across countries and healthcare systems difficult, and there is a need to standardize methods for assessing and valuing informal care. Patient-level information on resource use is required to analyse determinants of care costs and predict the impact of therapeutic interventions. More data are needed to support future economic evaluations of therapies for AD.

PMID: 19586077 [PubMed - in process]

Imaging in Alzheimer's disease.

Scheltens P

Imaging in Alzheimer's disease.

Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2009;11(2):191-9

Authors: Scheltens P

Neuroimaging in the early differential diagnosis of dementia has gained considerable interest over the last decade. From being used for exclusive purposes only, neuroimaging is now in the forefront of aiding in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, and and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). With the exception of dopamine transporter single photon-emission computed tomography imaging in DLB, imaging has not yet been incorporated into the diagnostic criteria for the various dementia syndromes, but that will soon change. The recently formulated research criteria for early AD recently formulated by Dubois et al explicitly mention magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography for AD, and are an example of a new diagnostic process developing. In this review, the various imaging techniques will be highlighted, with an emphasis on their ability to diagnose Alzheimer's disease and separate it from other entities.

PMID: 19585954 [PubMed - in process]

Biological markers for early detection and pharmacological treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Hampel H, Broich K, Hoessler Y, Pantel J

Biological markers for early detection and pharmacological treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2009;11(2):141-57

Authors: Hampel H, Broich K, Hoessler Y, Pantel J

The introduction of biological markers in the clinical management of Alzheimer's disease (AD) will not only improve diagnosis relating to early detection of neuropathology with underlying molecular mechanisms, but also provides tools for the assessment of objective treatment benefits. In this review, we identify a number of in vivo neurochemistry and neuroimaging techniques, which can reliably assess aspects of physiology, pathology, chemistry, and neuroanatomy of AD, and hold promise as meaningful biomarkers in the early diagnostic process, as well as for the tracking of disease-modifying pharmacological effects. These neurobiological measures appear to relate closely to pathophysiological, neuropathological, and clinical data, such as hyperphosphorylation of tau, abeta metabolism, lipid peroxidation, pattern and rate of atrophy, loss of neuronal integrity, and functional and cognitive decline, as well as risk of future decline. As a perspective, the important role of biomarkers in the development of innovative drug treatments for AD and the related regulatory process is discussed.

PMID: 19585950 [PubMed - in process]

Novel strategies for the prevention of dementia from Alzheimer's disease.

Shineman DW, Fillit HM

Novel strategies for the prevention of dementia from Alzheimer's disease.

Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2009;11(2):129-34

Authors: Shineman DW, Fillit HM

As the world's population continues to age, Alzheimer's disease presents a looming public health crisis that, left unchecked, threatens to overwhelm health care systems throughout the developed world. In order to significantly tackle the most catastrophic and devastating symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD)--dementia--we must be able to detect the disease prior to the onset of clinical symptoms, and be able to offer patients preventative treatments that block or significantly slow disease progression. This review summarizes a variety of the most promising early detection methods for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that could be used to identify those at high risk of developing the disease and used for monitoring disease progression and response to investigational treatments. In addition, treatment research programs that could be developed into disease-modifying treatments that significantly delay the development of dementia are highlighted. These potential treatments target many different pathways, and may one day be dosed in combination to increase efficacy and prevent cognitive deterioration in patients with AD. While we still face numerous challenges, AD researchers have made great progress in understanding disease mechanisms. As we have seen in the treatment of heart disease, even modest preventative treatments can have hugely significant clinical outcomes and drastically reduce disease prevalence on a population scale. Therefore, there is hope that the development of prophylactic treatments, combined with improved early detection methods, will provide dramatic relief for millions of aging individuals threatened by the specter of Alzheimer's disease.

PMID: 19585948 [PubMed - in process]

Amyloid imaging with PET: methodological issues and correlative studies.

Lucignani G

Amyloid imaging with PET: methodological issues and correlative studies.

Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2009 Jun;36(6):1009-14

Authors: Lucignani G

PMID: 19319525 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Current status of cognition-based interventions in Alzheimer's disease]

Buschert VC, Teipel SJ, Hampel H, Bürger K

[Current status of cognition-based interventions in Alzheimer's disease]

Nervenarzt. 2009 Mar;80(3):273-87

Authors: Buschert VC, Teipel SJ, Hampel H, Bürger K

At present more than 1 million patients in Germany suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). This number is expected to double by 2050. The effectiveness of presently approved specific antidementive drugs for symptomatic treatment of AD is still not satisfactory. The question arises whether cognition-based nonpharmacologic measures may constitute an effective intervention in AD and its prodromal stages. The paper at hand defines theoretical general principles of cognitive training and gives an overview of recent findings that provide evidence of its effectiveness. We finally present recommendations for future studies and establishment of cognitive training.

PMID: 19229510 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]