Emmanuelle Duron

Vascular risk factors, cognitve decline, and dementia

Dementia is one of the most important neurological disorders in the elderly. Aging is associated with a large increase in the prevalence and incidence of degenerative (Alzheimer’s disease) and vascular dementia, leading to a devastating loss of autonomy. In view of the increasing longevity of populations worldwide, prevention of dementia has turned into a major public health challenge. In the past decade, several vascular risk factors have been found to be associated with vascular dementia but also Alzheimer’s disease. Some longitudinal studies, have found significant associations between hypertension, diabetus mellitus, and metabolic syndrome, assessed at middle age, and dementia. Studies assessing the link between hypercholesterolemia, atrial fibrillation, smoking, and dementia have given more conflicting results. Furthermore, some studies have highlighted the possible protective effect of antihypertensive therapy on cognition and some trials are evaluating the effects of statins and treatments for insulin resistance. Vascular risk factors and their treatments are a promising avenue of research for prevention of dementia, and further long-term, placebo-controlled, randomized studies, need to be performed.

Renal Function in Older Hospital Patients Is More Accurately Estimated Using the Cockcroft-Gault Formula Than the Modification Diet in Renal Disease Formula

OBJECTIVES: To compare the accuracy of the two most popular creatinine clearance (CrCl) estimation formulae (Cockcroft‐Gault (CG) and Modification Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD)) in older hospitalized patients.

Somatostatin, Alzheimer's disease and cognition: An old story coming of age?

In mammalian brain, the somatostatin (SRIF: somatotropin release-inhibiting factor) family is composed of two peptides: SRIF and cortistatin (CST), which interact with five different receptor subtypes, sst(1-5). This review summarizes the properties of these receptors, the involvement of somatostatinergic systems in Alzheimers disease (SRIF/acetylcholine (Ach), SRIF/amyloid beta peptides, and SRIF/tau interactions) and their role in cognition from early studies using cysteamine as an SRIF depleting substance to the use of subtype selective analogues and knockout mice, and modulation of synaptic plasticity. The current SRIF story illustrates how cognition and emotion are intimately integrated in brain function.

Antihypertensive Treatments, Cognitive Decline, and Dementia

Chronic hypertension is associated with an increased risk of both vascular dementia and Alzheimers disease (AD). In this context, the role of anti-hypertensive therapy for the prevention and delay of cognitive decline and dementia is of central importance. Most longitudinal studies have shown a significant inverse association between anti-hypertensive therapies and dementia incidence and for some of these, particularly in AD. Seven randomized, double blind placebo-controlled trials have evaluated the benefit of antihypertensive treatments on cognition. Three of them found positive results in term of prevention of dementia (SYST-EUR) or cognitive decline (PROGRESS, HOPE). Others disclosed non-significant results (MRC, SHEP, SCOPE, HYVET-COG). This discrepancy emphasizes the difficulty to perform such trials: the follow-up has to be long enough to disclose a benefit, a large number of patients is needed for these studies, and because of ethical reasons some anti-hypertensive treatments are often prescribed in the placebo group. Results of the two more recent meta-analyses are inconsistent, possibly due to methodological issues. Antihypertensive treatments could be beneficial to cognitive function by lowering blood pressure and/or by specific neuroprotective effect. Three main antihypertensive subclasses have been associated with a beneficial effect on cognitive function beyond blood pressure reduction (calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, angiotensin-AT1-receptor-blockers). Further long-term randomized trials, designed especially to assess a link between antihypertensive therapy and cognitive decline or dementia are therefore needed with cognition as the primary outcome. A low blood pressure threshold that could be deleterious for cognitive function should also be determined.

Low Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Predicts Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease

BACKGROUND The relationship between the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) system and Alzheimers disease (AD) is mostly based on transversal studies. It remains, however, to demonstrate whether IGF-I is associated with cognitive decline over time in AD. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to analyze the course of cognitive decline of AD subjects over a 24-month period in relation to serum IGF-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) measured at baseline. METHODS Data are from the SIGAL follow-up study. IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were measured in AD subjects who performed a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) every 6 months for 2 years. MMSE course was analyzed using a mixed model with random intercept and slope function. RESULTS Among the 200 AD participants, 146 (mean age = 81.1 (standard deviation (SD) = 5.9) years, 62.6% of women) had at least one follow-up visit. Mean IGF-I at baseline was 147.8 (74.2) ng/mL. Hundred forty-six participants (62.6%) had at least one follow-up visit. Mean MMSE was 21.7 (4.7)/30 and dropped on average by 2.28 points per year. MMSE decline was steeper among participants with lower IGF-I. For each decrease of 1 SD of IGF-I, subjects lost an additional 0.63 points per year in MMSE, e.g., participants with IGF-I level of 74 ng/mL lost 2.91 MMSE points per year whereas participants with IGF-I of 222 ng/mL lost 1.65 MMSE points per year. There was no association between IGFBP-3 and cognitive decline. CONCLUSION Lower baseline serum IGF-I was associated with faster cognitive decline in AD over a 2-year period.

Relationships between personality traits, medial temporal lobe atrophy, and white matter lesion in subjects suffering from mild cognitive impairment

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a heterogeneous cognitive status that can be a prodromal stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is particularly relevant to focus on prodromal stages of AD such as MCI, because patho-physiological abnormalities of AD start years before the dementia stage. Medial temporal lobe (MTL) atrophy resulting from AD lesions and cerebrovascular lesions [i.e., white matter lesions (WML), lacunar strokes, and strokes] are often revealed concurrently on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in MCI subjects. Personality changes have been reported to be associated with MCI status and early AD. More specifically, an increase in neuroticism and a decrease in conscientiousness have been reported, suggesting that higher and lower scores, respectively, in neuroticism and conscientiousness are associated with an increased risk of developing the disease. However, personality changes have not been studied concomitantly with pathological structural brain alterations detected on MRI in patients suffering from MCI. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to assess the relationship between MTL atrophy, WML, lacunar strokes, and personality traits in such patients. The severity of WML was strongly associated with lower levels of conscientiousness and higher levels of neuroticism. Conversely, no association was detected between personality traits and the presence of lacunar strokes or MTL atrophy. Altogether, these results strongly suggest that personality changes occurring in a MCI population, at high risk of AD, are associated with WML, which can induce executive dysfunctions, rather than with MTL atrophy.

Fibrillation atriale et fonctions cognitives

Atrial fibrillation (AF), which prevalence increases with age, is a growing public health problem and a well known risk factor for stroke. On the other hand, dementia is one of the most important neurological disorders in the elderly, and with aging of the population in developed countries, the number of demented patients will increase in absence of prevention. In the past decade, several vascular risk factors (hypertension, obesity and metabolic syndrome, hypercholesterolemia) have been found, with various degree of evidence, to be associated with vascular dementia but also, surprisingly, with Alzheimers disease. This review is devoted to the links between atrial fibrillation, cognitive decline and dementia. Globally, transversal studies showed a significant association between atrial fibrillation, cognitive decline and dementia. However, these studies are particularly sensitive to various biases. In this context, recent longitudinal studies of higher level of evidence have been conducted to assess the link between AF and dementia. One study disclosed a high incidence of dementia among patients suffering from atrial fibrillation during a 4.6 years follow-up. Similarly another study showed that atrial fibrillation was significantly associated with conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia during a 3 years follow-up. Nevertheless two other longitudinal studies did not find any significant association between AF and dementia, but this discrepancy should be interpreted taking into account that the comparability of all these studies is moderate because they were using different methodologies (population, cognitive testing, and mean follow-up). Possible explanatory mechanisms for the association between AF and the risk of dementia are proposed, such as thrombo-embolic ischemic damage and cerebral hypo perfusion due to fluctuations in the cardiac output. Thus, there is some evidence that FA could be associated with cognitive decline and dementia but this link should be supported by more powerful long term longitudinal studies.

Arterial stiffness and medial temporal lobe atrophy in elders with memory disorders.

Objectives: Hypertension is a risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia. Arterial stiffness could be involved in the mechanisms of vascular cognitive impairment and in Alzheimers disease. We examined the association between arterial stiffness, assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), and medial temporal lobe (MTL) atrophy, a biomarker of Alzheimers disease. Methods: Elderly community-dwelling study participants (n = 149) with memory complaints were diagnosed with Alzheimers disease (n = 62) or mild cognitive impairment (n = 87) at a memory clinic. PWV, peripheral and central blood pressure (SBP), and pulse pressure (PP) were measured. MTL was graded on MRI according to the Scheltens’ scale. Results: Mean age was 79.5 (SD = 5) years old, 36% of study participants were men. MTL was absent or discrete in 23.5%, moderate in 53.0% and severe in 23.5% of study participants. PWV was 9.3 (2.2) m/s in none or discrete, 11.1 (2.8) in moderate and 13.5 (4.0) in severe MTL atrophy (P < 0.0001). PWV, central SBP, and central PP were overall associated with MTL atrophy after adjustment for age, sex, antihypertensive treatments and white matter lesions, and further adjusted for mean BP for PWV, whereas peripheral SBP and PP were not associated with MTL atrophy. PWV was significantly associated with severe MTL atrophy [odds ratio = 3.69 (95% confidence interval = 1.69–8.05), P = 0.001] and marginally associated with moderate MTL atrophy [1.80 (0.92–3.53), P = 0.09]. Furthermore PWV was significantly associated with severe MTL atrophy in Alzheimers disease and mild cognitive impairment study participants separately. Conclusion: The result of this study suggests a role of arterial stiffness in the pathogenesis of Alzheimers disease.

Insulin-Like Growth Factor I, Insulin-like Growth factor Binding Protein 3, and Atrial Fibrillation in the Elderly

BACKGROUND Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) are involved in oxidative stress and atherosclerosis; however, the relationship between the IGF-I system and atrial fibrillation (AF) is not known. The objective of this analysis was to assess, the relationship between IGF-I and IGFBP-3 serum levels and AF among elderly participants. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 719 participants (mean age [SD] years: 78.2 [6.8]; 31.8% men) were evaluated during an outpatient geriatric assessment. AF was determined by electrocardiogram or medical record. Participants were classified into two groups: Participants with AF (n = 91) or without AF (n = 628). IGF-I and IGFBP-3 serum levels were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS After adjusting for age and sex, the mean IGF-I and IGFBP-3 serum levels were significantly lower among AF participants than among non-AF participants (mean IGF-I ng/mL [SD] = 133.8 [66.6] vs 157.9 [80.0], p = .02; mean IGFBP-3 ng/mL [SD] = 3,653 [1,393] vs 4,151 [1,583], p = .03, respectively). After adjusting for confounding factors (age, gender, beta blocker medication, heart rate, hypertension, stroke, and chronic heart failure), low IGF-I serum level (OR [95% CI] = 0.66 [0.49-0.87]) and low IGFBP-3 serum level (0.71 [0.54-0.93]) remained independent determinants of AF. CONCLUSIONS Low IGF-I and low IGFBP-3 serum levels were independently associated with AF in this elderly population. This result should be confirmed in a longitudinal study to evaluate whether IGF-I and/or IGFBP-3 serum levels are predictive of incident AF.

Gliomatosis cerebri presenting as rapidly progressive dementia and parkinsonism in an elderly woman: a case report.

IntroductionDementia is one of the most important neurological disorders in the elderly. Dementia of tumoral origin is rare and parkinsonism of neoplastic origin is unusual. We herein report a case of gliomatosis cerebri, a very rare brain tumor seldom affecting the elderly, which presented as rapidly progressive dementia and parkinsonism.Case presentationAn 82-year-old woman very rapidly developed progressive dementia and akineto-rigid parkinsonism. Brain CT scan was normal. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium injection highlighted a diffuse tumor-related infiltration involving both lobes, the putamen, the pallidum, the substantia nigra, and the brainstem, corresponding to the specific description and definition of gliomatosis cerebri.ConclusionThis atypical presentation of a gliomatosis cerebri, and the infiltration of the substantia nigra by the tumor, merits attention.