An experimental approach to detecting dementia in Down syndrome: a paradigm for Alzheimer's disease

Measures developed from animal models of aging may detect dementia of the Alzheimer's type in a population at-risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although, by middle age, individuals with Down syndrome (DS) show an extraordinarily high prevalence of AD-type pathology, their severe idiopathic cognitive deficits tend to confound the clinical diagnosis of AD. The current study was designed to improve detection of AD in DS by using measures of learning and memory derived from animal models of aging. Adults with DS (N=34) were assessed and reassessed (n=19) approximately one year later using stimulus-response (S-R) test methods derived from experimental literature, as well as standardized informant-based tests. Results demonstrated high validity and reliability of select tests. The implication of early symptom detection in a population at-risk for AD-type dementia was discussed in terms of potential brain regions of interest.     

The original risk: overtheologizing ethics and undertheologizing sin.

The project of articulating a theological ethics on the basis of liturgical anthropology is bound to fail if the necessary consequence is that one has to quit the forum of critical modern rationality. The risk of Engelhardt's approach is to limit rationality to a narrow vision of reason. Sin is not to be understood as the negation of human holiness, but as the negation of divine holiness. The only way to renew theological ethics is to understand sin as the anthropological and ethical expression of the biblical message of the justification by faith only. Sin is therefore a secondary category, which can only by interpreted in light of the positive manifestation of liberation, justification, and grace. The central issue of Christian ethics is not ritual purity or morality, but experience, confession and recognition of our own injustice in our dealing with God and men.     

Factors Associated with Functional Dependence in Alzheimer's Disease

The purpose of this study was to determine whether common geriatric conditions, family function, and nutritional problems have independent associations with functional dependence beyond the effect of cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer's disease. It was found that some common geriatric conditions affecting patients with Alzheimer's disease appear to have multiple and differential relationships with specific instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) dependency. These results have implications for medical care. Preventing one condition may not be sufficient to prevent further IADL dependences because the conditions are independently related to individual outcome variables. Thus, multiple conditions may need to be managed concurrently if further functional dependence is to be expected.     

“人类所有的疾病都是基因病”吗

人类基因组图谱（HGP）研究大大加深了人们对疾病的理解。然而,作为人体这个复杂系统的一种非常态特征,疾病的发生不仅受遗传因素的影响,还受到身体内部其他因素以及自然环境、社会环境等外部因素的影响。所以,并不能简单地将所有的疾病都归结为基因病。     

双语(或多语)是否有利抵御老年痴呆症？

近50年来的语言神经科学研究确认了双(多)语经验的认知效应。就10年来双(多)语经验抵御老年痴呆症(特别是阿尔茨海默症, AD)的研究成果进行了深入探讨, 并基于认知储备(cognitive reserve)理论, 从功能和结构两方面探讨了双语(多语)经验抵御AD的神经机制。从外语的类型、熟悉程度、开始习得年龄, 以及研究方法等角度提出了要解决的问题, 旨在推动外语学习和教学, 并为老年化疾病和跨学科语言学研究提供新的思路。     

空间参照框架的产生机制及与认知机能的关系

空间参照框架是个体表征空间方位的方式, 按照表征中心的不同分为自我中心和环境中心两种参照框架。长期对某一参照框架的持续激活可以形成对该空间参照框架的偏好, 不仅会影响个体的神经元结构, 还会对认知机能产生重要影响。偏好环境中心参照框架会增加海马及其附近脑区的灰质, 而偏好自我中心参照框架会增加尾状核的灰质。海马灰质体积增大会增强正常人的空间记忆能力。持续激活环境中心参照框架的个体会增加海马灰质体积, 从而降低患老年痴呆的风险。未来研究应关注, 地域差异、城乡差异等环境差异在空间参照框架与认知机能关系中的影响机制, 并进一步收集空间参照框架训练在老年痴呆病人中干预效果的实证证据。     

An Ethical Argument in Favor of Nano-enabled Diagnostics in Livestock Disease Control

Livestock production has been confronted with several epidemics over the last decades. The morality of common animal disease strategies—stamping out and vaccination—is being debated and provokes controversies among farmers, authorities and the broader public. Given the complexity and controversy of choosing an appropriate control strategy, this article explores the potential of nano-enabled diagnostics in future livestock production. At first glance, these applications offer promising opportunities for better animal disease surveillance. By significantly shortening the reaction time from diagnosis to appropriate control, they could complement the current disease management strategies. Although nano-enabled diagnostics will not make livestock disease eradication strategies redundant or completely free of the culling of infected animals, these diagnostics could significantly reduce the number of culled animals and animal suffering. This article aims to demonstrate that the ethical assessment of advanced diagnostics can build on the experiences with decision making in biomedical ethics where nonmaleficence, beneficence, autonomy and justice serve as important benchmarks. Nano-enabled diagnostics may be an ethically sound solution if it can resolve the dilemma between stamping out and vaccination in favor of the latter and if it can balance the autonomy–paternalism dilemma between farmers and authorities. The technology should allow to be switched on and off by farmers, whilst simultaneously allowing for a weak paternalism on behalf of authorities in order to benefit the farmer and broader society and to protect them from harm.

5HT antagonists attenuate MK801-impaired radial arm maze performance in rats

Glutamatergic hypofunction occurs in Alzheimer's disease (AD). MK801, a noncompetitive blocker of glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, was used to disrupt the cognitive performance of rats trained on a delayed nonmatching to sample radial maze task. Drugs which act by blocking serotonin (5-HT) receptors were evaluated for their ability to reduce the cognitive impairment produced by MK801. Specifically, WAY-100635, a selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, buspirone, a 5-HT1A partial agonist, ritanserin, a 5-HT2 antagonist, and ondansetron, a 5-HT3 antagonist, were assessed. In addition, the muscarinic agonist arecoline was evaluated for its potential cognitive benefit in this model. It was found that WAY-100635 significantly reduced the cognitive impairment induced by MK801. Treatment with single doses of ritanserin, ondansetron, or arecoline in combination with MK801 did not result in a cognitive impairment, indicating that these drugs attenuated the MK801 impairment. The combination of buspirone and MK801 resulted in an inability of the animals to complete the task. These results suggest that interactions between 5-HT and glutamate may mediate the beneficial effects of reducing cognitive impairment and that 5-HT antagonists, especially selective 5-HT1A antagonists, may be useful in treating AD. Further, it is indicated that the MK801 model of cognitive impairment may add to the armamentarium of tools available to predict treatment efficacy in AD.     

Exercise Training for Persons with Alzheimer's Disease and Caregivers: A Review of Dyadic Exercise Interventions

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and the prevalence will increase dramatically in the next decades. Although exercise has shown benefits for people with dementia due to AD as well as their caregivers, the impact of a dyadic exercise intervention including both groups as study participants remains to be determined. The authors review the current clinical evidence for dyadic exercise interventions, which are exercise regimens applied to both the person with dementia and the caregiver. A total of 4 controlled trials were reviewed. This review shows that dyadic exercise interventions are feasible and may produce a positive effect on functional independence and caregiver burden. However, there was insufficient evidence to support a benefit of dyadic exercise intervention on cognitive performance and on behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms in participants with dementia due to AD. A dyadic exercise intervention improves functional independence and caregiver burden. However, there is a need for well-designed randomized controlled clinical trials to confirm these benefits and to investigate several important points such as the effects of a dyadic exercise intervention on cognitive and noncognitive outcomes of AD, the optimal intensity of exercise training, and the cost effectiveness of such a program.     

术语和俗语对疾病风险认知的影响

本研究采用混合实验设计,探讨疾病术语和俗语对疾病风险认知的影响,结果发现:对疾病严重性和患病率估计存在锚定效应,疾病名称和熟悉度主效应显著,熟悉度和疾病名称存在交互作用。研究表明:对疾病严重性估计术语高于俗语,对患病率估计俗语高于术语。Bootstrap法分析表明,疾病名称可直接影响严重性估计,也可通过患病率估计影响严重性估计。术语导致严重性高估,但若通过患病率估计再评估严重性时,俗语导致患病率高估,进而对严重性高估。