Hana Vaňková

APOE E4 affects spatial working memory and attention in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment

6 3.8, namci-s: 179.6 6 11.2, namci-m: 143.6 6 19.9). There were significant differences on the scores of SNSB-D and several cognitive domains of language, visuospatial function, memory and frontal executive function among the subtypes of MCI. According to post-hoc analysis, the subtypes of amnestic and non-amnestic multi-domian MCI showed more deficits in all cognitive domains compared with other types of MCI. Conclusions: Our study shows characteristic and different pattern of cognitive deficits in patients with MCI, and these results may be helpful to predict the conversion tendency to dementia conditions according to subtypes of MCI.

Associations of polymorphisms in the candidate genes for Alzheimer’s disease BIN1, CLU, CR1 and PICALM with gestational diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, with a prevalence that is rising every year. AD is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and insulin resistance, and is therefore sometimes called “type 3 diabetes mellitus”. The aim of this study was to examine whether the variants of some candidate genes involved in the development of AD, namely BIN1 (rs744373), CLU (rs11136000), CR1 (rs3818361), and PICALM (rs3851179), are related to several disorders of glucose metabolism—gestational diabetes (GDM), T2DM and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Our study included 550 women with former GDM and 717 control women, 392 patients with T2DM and 180 non-diabetic controls, and 117 patients with IGT and 630 controls with normal glucose tolerance. Genotyping analysis was performed using specially-designed TaqMan assays. No significant associations of the genetic variants rs744373 in BIN1, rs11136000 in CLU, or rs3818361 in CR1 were found with GDM, T2DM or IGT, but rs3851179 in PICALM was associated with an increased risk of GDM. The frequency of the AD risk-associated C allele was significantly higher in the GDM group compared to controls: OR 1.21; 95% CI (1.03–1.44). This finding was not apparent in T2DM and IGT; conversely, the C allele of the PICALM SNP was protective for IGT: OR 0.67; 95% CI (0.51–0.89). This study demonstrates an association between PICALM rs3851179 and GDM as well as IGT. However, elucidation of the possible role of this gene in the pathogenesis of GDM requires further independent studies.

Practice of Competence Assessment in Dementia: Czech Republic

In Czechia, Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases causing dementia have been a topic of discussion only since last 10 years. Before, the syndrome of dementia was considered to be a consequence of atherosclerosis, or better to say, the component of atherosclerosis. In other instances, dementia was considered to be a part of normal ageing, not a disease. This situation has changed substantially which may be also due to the activity of the Czech Alzheimer Society which started its activity in 1997.