David J. Gill

The Montreal cognitive assessment as a screening tool for cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease.

Cognitive impairment is common in Parkinsons disease (PD) and can occur early in the disease course. No effective screening test exists for detection of early or mild cognitive impairment in PD. We examined the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a screening tool for cognitive dysfunction in PD. The test–retest intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.79 and the interrater intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.81. The correlation coefficient between the MoCA and a neuropsychologic battery was 0.72. The MoCA is reliable and valid in the PD population and warrants further study as a screening tool for cognitive dysfunction.

Dementia care: mental health effects, intervention strategies, and clinical implications

Caring for elderly people with dementia is associated with well-documented increases in burden, distress, and decrements in mental health and wellbeing. More severe behavioural, cognitive, and functional impairments in a patient are associated with higher levels of burden and distress. Distress increases with care hours per week, number of tasks, and declining coping and support resources. Demographic factors also affect levels of burden and distress. Promising, evidence-based interventions exist, but substantial economic and policy barriers preclude their widespread dissemination. Health-care policy makers should consider addressing these barriers; clinicians and families must campaign for reimbursement; and clinical researchers must develop more potent preventive interventions. In this article we review how dementia care affects the mental health of the carer and identify interventions that might be useful in mitigating carer burden and distress.

Measuring mild cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease.

We examined the frequency of Parkinson disease with mild cognitive impairment (PD‐MCI) and its subtypes and the accuracy of 3 cognitive scales for detecting PD‐MCI using the new criteria for PD‐MCI proposed by the Movement Disorders Society. Nondemented patients with Parkinsons disease completed a clinical visit with the 3 screening tests followed 1 to 3 weeks later by neuropsychological testing. Of 139 patients, 46 met Level 2 Task Force criteria for PD‐MCI when impaired performance was based on comparisons with normative scores. Forty‐two patients (93%) had multi‐domain MCI. At the lowest cutoff levels that provided at least 80% sensitivity, specificity was 44% for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and 33% for the Scales for Outcomes in Parkinsons Disease‐Cognition. The Mini‐Mental State Examination could not achieve 80% sensitivity at any cutoff score. At the highest cutoff levels that provided specificity of at least 80%, sensitivities were low (≤44%) for all tests. When decline from estimated premorbid levels was considered evidence of cognitive impairment, 110 of 139 patients were classified with PD‐MCI, and 103 (94%) had multi‐domain MCI. We observed dramatic differences in the proportion of patients who had PD‐MCI using the new Level 2 criteria, depending on whether or not decline from premorbid level of intellectual function was considered. Recommendations for methods of operationalizing decline from premorbid levels constitute an unmet need. Among the 3 screening tests examined, none of the instruments provided good combined sensitivity and specificity for PD‐MCI. Other tests recommended by the Task Force Level 1 criteria may represent better choices, and these should be the subject of future research.

Lithium therapy for human immunodeficiency virus type 1–associated neurocognitive impairment

The objective of this study was to assess lithium safety and tolerability and to explore its impact on cognition, function, and neuroimaging biomarkers in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects with cognitive impairment. Fifteen cognitively impaired HIV-infected subjects were enrolled in this 10-week open-label study of lithium 300 mg twice daily. Neuroimaging was performed at baseline and following 10 weeks of treatment and included magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and functional MRI (fMRI). Thirteen of the 14 subjects (93%) that complied with the study visits were able to complete the study on lithium and 11 out of 13 (79%) completed the study at the originally assigned dose of 300 mg twice daily. There were no significant changes in CD4+ lymphocyte cell count and plasma HIV RNA. Cognitive performance and depressive mood did not improve significantly after the 10-week lithium treatment; however, neuroimaging revealed a decrease in the glutamate+glutamine (Glx) peak in the frontal gray matter, increased fractional anisotropy, and decreased mean diffusivity in several brain areas, and changes in brain activation patterns, suggestive of improvement. These results suggest that lithium can be used safely in HIV-infected individuals with cognitive impairment. Furthermore, the neuroimaging results suggest that lithium may improve HIV-associated central nervous system (CNS) injury; thus, further investigations of lithium as an adjunctive treatment for HIV-associated cognitive impairment are warranted.

Impact of Mild Cognitive Impairment on Health-Related Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease

Background/Aims: To assess the impact of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or cognitive decline on health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) in Parkinsons disease (PD). Methods: HR-QOL measured by the Parkinson Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (PDQ-39), MCI according to Movement Disorder Society Task Force criteria and cognitive decline from premorbid baseline were assessed in non-demented PD patients at 6 movement disorder clinics. Results: Among 137 patients, after adjusting for education, gender, disease duration, and Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinsons Disease Rating Scale total score, MCI was associated with worse scores within the PDQ-39 dimension of communication (p = 0.008). Subjects were divided into tertiles of cognitive decline from premorbid level. Scores in the dimension of stigma were worst in the second tertile of cognitive decline (p = 0.03). MCI was associated with worse social support scores in the second tertile of cognitive decline (p = 0.008). Conclusion: MCI and cognitive decline from premorbid baseline are associated with reduced HR-QOL in communication, stigma, and social support domains. The cognitive decline from premorbid baseline modifies the association between MCI and HR-QOL in PD and knowing both will allow a better appreciation of difficulties patients face in daily life.

Olfactory cortex degeneration in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND Olfactory deficits are prevalent in patients with Alzheimers disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). These symptoms precede clinical onset of cognitive and memory deficits and coincide with AD pathology preferentially in the central olfactory structures, suggesting a potential biomarker for AD early detection and progression. OBJECTIVE Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that structural degeneration of the primary olfactory cortex (POC) could be detected in AD as well as in MCI patients and would be correlated with olfactory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) alterations, reflecting loss of olfactory cortex activity. METHODS Total structural volumes and fMRI activation volumes of the POC and hippocampus were measured along with olfactory and cognitive behavioral tests in 27 cognitively normal (CN), 21 MCI, and 15 AD subjects. RESULTS Prominent atrophy in the POC and hippocampus was found in both AD and MCI subjects and correlated with behavioral measurements. While behavioral and volumetric measurements showed a gradual decline from CN to MCI to AD, olfactory activation volume in the POC and hippocampus showed a steeper decline in the MCI group compared to corresponding tissue volume, resembling the AD group. CONCLUSIONS Decline in olfactory activity was correlated with the AD structural degeneration in the POC. A more prominent olfactory activity deficit than that of behavioral and tissue volume measurements was shown in the MCI stage. Olfactory fMRI may thus provide an earlier and more sensitive measure of functional neurodegeneration in AD and MCI patients.

An intervention for delirium superimposed on dementia based on cognitive reserve theory

Delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD) accelerates the trajectory of functional decline and results in prolonged hospitalization, re-hospitalization, premature nursing home placement, and death. In this article we propose a theory-based intervention for DSD that is derived from the literature on cognitive reserve and neuroplasticity. We begin by defining cognitive reserve, the guiding framework for our hypothesis. We review the pathophysiology and neuropsychology of delirium noting the similarities with dementia–these two conditions reflecting acute and chronic reductions in cognitive reserve, respectively. We then review the evidence for activity-dependent plasticity as a possible mechanism for sparing cognitive reserve in dementia and its potential for addressing DSD. Cognitive training (CT) in the form of stimulating activities has been shown to evoke cognitive processing and facilitate plasticity in dementia. Because of the similarities between dementia and delirium, the use of recreational activities as a vehicle for supporting attentional capacity, and delivering cognitive stimulation, may hold promise for the resolution of DSD. Based on integrated evidence from the literature, we hypothesize that engagement in cognitively stimulating recreational activities will help reduce delirium severity and duration in persons with dementia while providing improved quality of life and reduced costs of care.

Roles of Education and IQ in Cognitive Reserve in Parkinson's Disease-Mild Cognitive Impairment

Background/Aims: The role of cognitive reserve in Parkinson’s disease (PD)-mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is incompletely understood. Methods: The relationships between PD-MCI, years of education, and estimated premorbid IQ were examined in 119 consecutive non-demented PD patients using logistic regression models. Results: Higher education and IQ were associated with reduced odds of PD-MCI in univariate analysis. In multivariable analysis, a higher IQ was associated with a significantly decreased odds of PD-MCI, but education was not. Conclusion: The association of higher IQ and decreased odds of PD-MCI supports a role for cognitive reserve in PD, but further studies are needed to clarify the interaction of IQ and education and the impact of other contributors such as employment and hobbies.

Residency Training The neurology resident case log A national survey of neurology residents

Beginning in July 2004, the Neurology Residency Review Committee (NRRC) of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) required neurology residents to enter patient encounters into a Web-based data entry system. This system was meant to document actual resident experience for informational purposes1 (Robert Pascuzzi, MD, personal communication) as the ACGME believed the current institutional databases were inadequate and a national Web-based system was needed.2 To assess the burden from and compliance with the case log system, the Graduate Education Subcommittee (GES) of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) created an anonymous resident survey. The preliminary results of this survey were made available to the NRRC in May 2005. Citing inefficiencies in the current system, the NRRC made entry of the data voluntary on June 1, 2005.3 Here we present the full results of the survey. Members of the GES and the Consortium of Neurology Residents and Fellows …

The pill questionnaire in a nondemented Parkinson's disease population

We assessed the Pill Questionnaire as a screen for mild cognitive impairment in nondemented Parkinsons disease patients.