Vidovich, Mandy R., Lautenschlager, Nicola T., Flicker, Leon, Clare, Linda, McCaul, Kieran, Almeida, Osvaldo P.

Objective: The role of cognition-focused interventions in reducing cognitive decline in older people remains uncertain. This study aimed to clarify whether a group cognitive activity (CA) strategy-training program would decrease the 2-year rate of cognitive decline of people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).; Design: Randomized controlled trial.; Setting: One study site.; Participants: 160 older adults […]

Reeves, S., Brown, R., Matthews, D., Howard, R., Grasby, P.

Objective: Work in experimental animals suggests that an interaction with dopaminergic networks might explain some of the therapeutic effects of the cholinesterase inhibitor class of drugs. This study aimed to test whether acute (single 5 mg) or 4–8 weeks (5–10 mg) of treatment with oral donepezil would elicit measurable striatal dopamine (DA) release in patients […]

Diamond, Keri, Mowszowski, Loren, Cockayne, Nicole, Norrie, Louisa, Paradise, Matthew, Hermens, Daniel F., Lewis, Simon J. G., Hickie, Ian B., Naismith, Sharon L.

Background: With the rise in the ageing population and absence of a cure for dementia, cost-effective prevention strategies for those ‘at risk’ of dementia including those with depression and/or mild cognitive impairment are urgently required. Objective: This study evaluated the efficacy of a multifaceted Healthy Brain Ageing Cognitive Training (HBA-CT) program for older adults ‘at […]

Weber, Kerstin, Meiler-Mititelu, Corina, Herrmann, François Robert, Delaloye, Christophe, Giannakopoulos, Panteleimon, Canuto, Alessandra

Objective: Behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) of dementia are associated with more rapid cognitive deterioration as well as increased caregiver stress. The effectiveness of psychiatric day hospital care for this condition remains disputed. We report here the assessment of a psychotherapeutic day hospital program in a series of elderly people with dementia and concomitant BPSD.; […]

Pardini, M., Emberti Gialloreti, L., Mascolo, M., Benassi, F., Abate, L., Guida, S., Viani, E., Dal Monte, O., Schintu, S., Krueger, F., Cocito, L.

Objective: Recent data suggest that theory of mind (ToM) deficits represent an early symptom of the behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). However, longitudinal data on the natural history of subjects presenting with isolated ToM deficits are lacking. The aim of the study was to verify if isolated ToM deficits represent an at-risk state for […]

Mowszowski, Loren, Hermens, Daniel F., Diamond, Keri, Norrie, Louisa, Cockayne, Nicole, Ward, Philip B., Hickie, Ian B., Lewis, Simon J. G., Batchelor, Jennifer, Naismith, Sharon L.

Background: With predicted increases in dementia incidence, interventions targeting neuroplasticity and neuroprotection are required. Cognitive Training (CT) is an intervention which has been shown to improve aspects of cognition, but the pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to its efficacy are unknown. Objective:We aimed to explore the neurobiological correlates of CT using Mismatch Negativity (MMN), a neurophysiological marker […]

Klekociuk, S. Z., Summers, J. J., Vickers, J. C., Summers, M. J.

Background and purpose Longitudinal studies of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) report that a sizeable proportion of MCI cases revert to normal levels of functioning over time. The rate of recovery from MCI indicates that existing MCI diagnostic criteria result in an unacceptably high rate of false positive diagnoses and lack adequate sensitivity and specificity. Methods […]

Bondi, Mark W., Edmonds, Emily C., Jak, Amy J., Clark, Lindsay R., Delano-Wood, Lisa, McDonald, Carrie R., Nation, Daniel A., Libon, David J., Au, Rhoda, Galasko, Douglas, Salmon, David P.

We compared two methods of diagnosing mild cognitive impairment (MCI): conventional Petersen/Winblad criteria as operationalized by the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and an actuarial neuropsychological method put forward by Jak and Bondi designed to balance sensitivity and reliability. 1,150 ADNI participants were diagnosed at baseline as cognitively normal (CN) or MCI via ADNI criteria […]