This study aimed to elucidate the long-term progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) within a comprehensive longitudinal dataset, distinguish it from healthy aging, explore the influence of a dementia subtype on this progression, and identify potential contributing factors. Patients with prodromal and preclinical cases underwent regular neuropsychological assessments utilizing various tools. The study included a total of 140 participants with MCI, categorized into Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and non-AD subtypes. Our dataset revealed an overall progression rate of 92.8% from MCI to the clinical stage of dementia during the follow-up period, with an annual rate of 15.7%. Notably, all prodromal cases of Lewy body dementia/Parkinson’s disease (LBD/PDD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) advanced to clinical stages, whereas 7% of vascular dementia (VaD) cases and 8.4% of AD cases remained in the prodromal stage throughout follow-up. Furthermore, we observed a faster progression rate in MCI-AD cases compared to non-AD sufferers (53.9% vs. 35.5%, Entropy: 0.850). This study revealed significant cognitive changes in individuals with MCI over time. The mini-mental state examination (MMSE), global deterioration scale (GDS), and calculation tests were the most effective tests for evaluation of MCI. These findings may offer valuable insights for the development of personalized interventions and management strategies for individuals with MCI.
Background: Neuropsychiatric cases require a multidisciplinary approach for effective management. This paper presented case-based discussions on migraine, dementia, epilepsy, mood disorders, neuralgia, and psychosis from the perspectives of a family physician, neurologist, and psychiatrist. The goal was to highlight the importance of collaboration between healthcare providers in managing these complex cases. Methods: The paper was based on the proceedings of the Mediterranean Neuropsychiatry Symposium, where experts from family medicine, neurology, and psychiatry came together for comprehensive case-based discussions. The CARE framework (Case Report, Appraisal, Research, and Education) was developed to guide reporting and evaluation of case reports in clinical practice. Results: Six cases were presented and discussed, highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in managing neuropsychiatric cases. The cases included chronic migraine with medication overuse, memory dysfunction with language and behavioral problems, refractory epileptic seizures with subjective sensory symptoms, bipolar affective disorder with normal pressure hydrocephalus, postherpetic neuralgia in a case with bipolar affective disorder, and psychosis with recurrent attacks with the abuse of several substances. Conclusion: A biopsychosocial multidisciplinary approach is essential for managing neuropsychiatric cases effectively on behalf of the patients and public health of the country. The CARE framework can guide the reporting and evaluation of case reports in clinical practice, ensuring that patients receive comprehensive and effective care. Healthcare providers should collaborate to provide the best possible care for patients with complex and multifaceted needs.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease with a rapidly increasing incidence and prevalence. Although it affects more than 6 million people worldwide, it is predicted to be doubled by 2040. Current criteria used in the diagnosis of PD include the presence of bradykinesia as well as the presence of rest tremor and/or rigidity, but the clinic is multifaceted and includes many non-motor symptoms. Non-motor symptoms may occur in the prodromal period, years before clinically evident Parkinson’s disease. During this period, diagnosing the disease will likely be even more important when disease-modifying treatments are available. Currently, there is no single biomarker that can be used in the diagnosis of PD and no disease-modifying treatment is available. Identification of biomarkers in early diagnosis will enable the most effective use of disease-modifying therapies and will shed light on possible underlying pathologies, studies in this area have gained momentum in recent years. Molecular imaging methods, genetic studies, salivary gland and skin biopsies, metabolomics, lysosomal pathway are some of them. In this article, besides the current diagnosis and treatment methods of the disease, biomarkers and treatments that are expected to be better understood in the near future will be mentioned.
The Westphal variant of Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by a rigid-hypokinetic syndrome rather than choreiform movements. This variant is a distinct clinical entity of HD and is often associated with a juvenile onset of the disease. We present the case of a 13-year-old patient diagnosed with the Westphal variant with an onset at approximately 7 years of age and primarily exhibited developmental delay and psychiatric symptoms. In the light of findings from both physical and clinical examinations, possible difficulties in the diagnosis and treatment of juvenile HD are discussed in here.
12 February 2024 in Experimental and Applied Medical Science
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP); is a neurodegenerative disorder involved in atypical parkinsonism syndromes. The classical clinical presentation is postural instability, falls, downward paralysis, frontal dementia, and symmetric akinetic-rigid parkinsonism. The atrophy of the mesencephalon in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important marker in diagnosing the disease. Recently, a few PSP cases reported the “eye of the tiger” sign on MRI. The “eye of the tiger” sign, in globus pallidus, is a sign that bilaterally symmetrically located low signal intensity and central longitudinal hyperintensity are observed. While previously a specific finding for the pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN), it is no longer considered specific because of the reported cases of non-PKAN with the “eye of the tiger” sign such as neuropherritinopathy, multi-system atrophy, corticobasal degeneration. In this report, we aimed to contribute to the literature by presenting two PSP cases in which the “eye of the tiger” sign was observed.
Purpose: This study evaluated the prevalence and impact of premonitory symptoms (PS) in people with migraine, assessing their influence on disability, cognitive function, and quality of life. Methods: In a cross-sectional analysis at Mersin University Hospital, 186 migraine patients were interviewed to identify the presence of PS, using a structured questionnaire that included measures of disability (Migraine Disability Assessment Scale or MIDAS), quality of life (European Health Impact Scale or EUROHIS-8), and cognition (Migraine Attack Related Subjective Cognitive Scale or Mig-SCOG). Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, the t-test, and the Mann-Whitney U-test, with a significance threshold set at p<0.05. Results: Among participants, 74.7% reported one or more PS, with the most common being neck stiffness (64.7%), photophobia (56.8%), fatigue (52.8%), and phonophobia (50.3%). Patients with PS demonstrated significantly lower quality of life scores (EUROHIS-8, p<0.001) and higher cognitive impairment scores (Mig-SCOG, p<0.001) than those without PS, despite similar levels of migraine disability (MIDAS, p=0.050). Conclusion: The high prevalence of PS in people with migraine and their association with greater cognitive impairment and reduced quality of life indicate that more targeted interventions are necessary in this subgroup. PS may be either a driver of cognitive and quality of life burden or just a marker of it, and disambiguating these possibilities will be a critical area for future research and clinical focus. More optimized and standardized prospective studies are needed to clarify the prevalence of PS.