Publicación Oficial de la Sociedad Ecuatoriana de Neurología, de la Liga Ecuatoriana Contra la Epilepsia y de la Sociedad Iberoamericana de Enfermedad Cerebrovascular

Enfermedad de Alzheimer

 

Escala de Conocimiento de la Enfermedad de Alzheimer: Adaptación y Análisis de las Propiedades Psicométricas en Estudiantes Universitarios Ecuatorianos. Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale: Adaptation and Analysis of Psychometric Properties in Ecuadorian University Students

The aim of this study was to develop a linguistic adaptation of the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS), and to provide evidence on the reliability and validity of the adapted test. The ADKS is a self-administered instrument that examines knowledge about risk factors, assessment and diagnosis, symptoms, course, impact on life, care and treatment and management of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Methods: An instrumental study was implemented. The ADKS items were adapted to the Ecuadorian use of the Spanish language through an iterative process of translation by experts. Next, a sample of 523 university students completed the adapted scale together with a set of other instruments to analyze the fiability and criterion validity of the scale.

Results: ADKS Ecuador showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=.78), adequate test-retest reliability, p > .05, and convergent and discriminatory evidence of validity when related to other variables.

Conclusion: ADKS Ecuador is an adequate instrument to assess general knowledge about AD in young highlgy educated Ecuadorian population with low dom ain knowledge.

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Marcadores cognitivos, biológicos, anatómicos y conductuales del deterioro cognitivo leve y la enfermedad de Alzheimer. Una revisión sistemática. Cognitive, biological, anatomical and behavioral markers of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. A systematic review

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects 50% of people over 85 years of age and is one of the most common in adulthood and the most common cause of dementia in developed countries. The objective was to determine which have been the most studied cognitive, biological, anatomical and behavioral markers of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD in the last 10 years. Observational studies were searched in the Scopus, Pubmed and Sciencedirect databases. 187 articles were identified, of which 23 with full text were finally selected. The studies corresponded to cognitive (15 studies), biological (8 studies), anatomical (3 studies) and behavioral (2 studies) markers. The identified markers will help guide the design of early detection programs and future interventions that reduce neuropathological effects and significant alterations in quality of life.

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Calambres musculares relacionados con uso de donepezilo. Donepezil-related muscular cramps

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Bacterias, Endotoxinas y Neuroinflamación Crónica: ¿Una Etiopatogenia Para las Enfermedad de Alzheimer? Bacteria, Endotoxins And Chronic Neuroinflammation: An Etiopathogenesis For Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease represents one of the main health problems in advanced countries. Actually, we do not have an effective therapy for disease and its cause remains unknown. For several decades, research has focused on amyloidogenesis as the primary cause of disease. However, clearly satisfactory results have not been obtained in this line of research. In recent years there has been growing evidence about the role of neuroinflammation in AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. The role of ß-Amyloid as an element of the innate immune response places it in a new position in the pathophysiology of the disease. Alterations of intestinal and oral microbiota could have a role in the generation of neuroinflammatory changes, either directly by pathogens or by bacterial endotoxins. Endotoxins are polysaccharides of gram-negative bacteria that produce a potent immune reaction. Recently, there is evidence that gingipains have a role in production of neurotoxicity and amyloidogenesis. Gingipains are endotoxins produced by a pathogen associated with chronic periodontitis, Porphyromonas gingivalis. Gingipains generate direct neurotoxicity and its effect could be reversed with various molecules that are currently under development.

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Capacidad Diagnóstica y Validación Preliminar del Test del Reloj, Versión de Cacho a la Orden, para Enfermedad de Alzheimer de Grado Leve en Población Chilena

Background: To perform a study with discriminant power and validity using the Clock drawing Test by instruction (CDTI) in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease (MAD).
Materials and Methods: Phase I diagnostic test study. We included a healthy control arm of 58 elderly people and 40 cases with mild Alzheimer’s disease. All participants were examined and diagnosed by clinical consensus. The MMSE, CDTI and clinical record were obtained.
Results: There were significant differences between the study groups regarding cognitive tests’ performance when comparing age and education, but no differences were found when comparing gender. ANCOVA test showed no significant effect exerted by the demographic variables on cognitive performance in any group. The sensitivity (CTO=84% vs MMSE=79,3%), specificity (92,5% vs
82,5%) and diagnostic utility of the CDTO were higher than one’s resulting form the MMSE (=0,90, p=0,000). The combined use of both
instruments increased diagnostic capacity. The best cutoff point for the diagnosis of mild dementia was ≤6 points in CDTO and ≤23 in
MMSE. Both instruments correlated statistically.
Conclusions: The CTO is a useful test and can discriminate between cognitively healthy subjects and patients with EAL when appliying the “to order” criteria from Cacho’s version.

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Influencia de la Reserva Cognitiva en la Función Ejecutiva en Sujetos Sanos y con enfermedad tipo Alzheimer de Inicio Tardío en una Muestra Portuguesa.

The Cognitive Reserve concept, generally understood as the acquired protective effect, is considered by many authors as an active mechanism that is based on the application of previously learned resources, due to a good education, profession and/or premorbid intelligence. The Stroop Test has been used in the neuropsychological assessment of executive functions in aging-related disease, such as Alzheimer’s Disease.

Objectives: We intend to study the influence of cognitive reserve in executive functions in subjects with late onset Alzheimer´s disease, and in healthy subjects in a Portuguese sample.

Method: We used two samples, one consisting of 91 healthy subjects and a second sample of 32 subjects diagnosed with senile dementia of the Alzheimer type.

Results: The group of healthy subjects showed better performance on the test, than the pathologic group. Significative differences were found in the healthy group between high and low cognitive reserve subgroups.

Conclusions: The Stroop Test, shows a high sensitivity in determining alterations in executive functions and the influence of cognitive reserve in that function.

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Adaptación del Test de Colores y Palabras de Stroop: Su Importancia en la Detección Precoz de los Déficits en las Funciones Ejecutivas.

Neuropsychological assessment is increasingly used as complementary diagnostic test for different brain pathologies, and Portugal is not an exception. Therefore urges that the instruments used for the evaluation present adequate psychometric criteria and normative data adjusted to the same population. Aging is a dynamic and progressive process, leading to greater vulnerability and incidence of pathological processes. Within these processes included neurodegenerative diseases, the most common, Alzheimer’s Disease.1 Executive functions seem to be the most involved in the overall functioning of the individual and the Stroop Test, is frequently used to evaluate these functions. We present a study of adaptation of this instrument in a Portuguese sample, trying to verify the importance of sociodemographic variables on test performance and whether there were significant differences between healthy subjects and with neuropathology. The results have allowed verifying the importance of adaptation of populations where tests are used. Thus, the Stroop Test seems a test to take into account when establishing a neuropsychological evaluation protocol, as well unlike the patterns of performance between normative and pathological aging.

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El Estrés Crónico, ¿Factor de Riesgo para la Enfermedad de Alzheimer?

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, with epidemiological importance due to the high prevalence of people affected worldwide. Over time, various hypotheses have been raised in the pathophysiology and etiology of the disease and now the study of this disorder, is tackled from a multi-causal perspective, taking into account different etiological factors, among which are: genetics, oxidative stress, intracellular calcium dynamics, vascular effects, inflammation and stress, among others. The following literature review, aims to show studies that correlate stress as a risk factor in AD, recognizing the pathophysiological findings of AD, due to augmentation on glucocorticoids by chronic stress and the subsequent alteration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Critical view of these findings according to the literature.

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Demencia y el Vaso Sanguíneo

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