Recommendations for the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease and other disorders associated with dementia: EFNS guideline

The aim of this international guideline on dementia was to present a peer-reviewed evidence-based statement for the guidance of practice for clinical neurologists, geriatricians, psychiatrists, and other specialist physicians responsible for the care of patients with dementia. It covers major aspects of diagnostic evaluation and treatment, with particular emphasis on the type of patient often referred to the specialist physician. The main focus is Alzheimer's disease, but many of the recommendations apply to dementia disorders in general. The task force working group considered and classified evidence from original research reports, meta-analysis, and systematic reviews, published before January 2006. The evidence was classified and consensus recommendations graded according to the EFNS guidance. Where there was a lack of evidence, but clear consensus, good practice points were provided. The recommendations for clinical diagnosis, blood tests, neuroimaging, electroencephalography (EEG), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, genetic testing, tissue biopsy, disclosure of diagnosis, treatment of Alzheimer's disease, and counselling and support for caregivers were all revised when compared with the previous EFNS guideline. New recommendations were added for the treatment of vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies, for monitoring treatment, for treatment of behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia, and for legal issues. The specialist physician plays an important role together with primary care physicians in the multidisciplinary dementia teams, which have been established throughout Europe. This guideline may contribute to the definition of the role of the specialist physician in providing dementia health care.

[Cognitive enhancement effect of piracetam in patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia]

Effectiveness and tolerability of two piracetam-containing drugs were compared in the frame of an open, multicentre, Phase-IV, prospective study with group and self control carried out in 9 Hungarian centres in 1998. Patients with cognitive decline from Alzheimer's disease and/or cerebrovascular origin have received the drug, in the first 4 weeks in 4800, later 2400 mg daily doses. One hundred four patients finished the study. No relevant difference with statistically significant degree was registered between the two groups. Based on this fact in this study data of the 104 patients were examined together. Authors examined two problems. The first: on which cognitive function is more effective the drug. Five factors of the modified Mini-Mental State Examination were separated and compared. Nearly all of them significantly increased especially the factors of memory, and concentration-psychomotor speed. The second examined field: are there certain subgroups with prognostic value about the effectiveness of piracetam treatment. Neither the duration of the illness, nor etiologic diagnosis, severity of cognitive decline, or former treatment with piracetam did influence significantly the efficacy. In case of depressive symptoms such connection was established: the more pronounced the severity of these symptoms the higher improvement can be expected in cognitive functions. This was also stressed by the logistic regression analysis. Authors described an original evaluation method of the trail-making test, which could widen the application of this popular test in psychopharmacologic studies. Final conclusions: the cognitive enhancer effect of piracetam appeared in a few weeks. This treatment could be effective even in Alzheimer's disease, in case of more pronounced cognitive decline, longer duration of the illness, and in case of former piracetam treatment as well. The degree of cognitive improvement was most pronounced in patients with comorbid depressive symptoms.

Diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease and other disorders associated with dementia. The role of neurologists in Europe. European Federation of Neurological Societies

In 1998 a task force to develop guidelines for diagnostic evaluation and treatment of dementia was initiated by the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) scientist panel on dementia. The aims of the task force were to provide evidence-based recommendations and to highlight the role of the neurologist in the management of patients with Alzheimer's disease and other disorders associated with dementia. We based our recommendations on a review of available evidence-based guidelines supplemented with further literature reviews. The recommendations were derived from consensus meetings and relate to individual patient management, as there are inadequate data on the cost-effectiveness of different diagnostic evaluations and treatments for dementia. Their specific applications will depend upon available resources. The particular contributions of the neurologist include: early identification and differential diagnosis of rare and common brain disorders causing cognitive and behavioural symptoms, referral for and interpretation of ancillary investigations, and identification and treatment of vascular and other concurrent diseases. A review of the management of dementia in Europe revealed considerable variation. In some countries neurologists have taken the lead in the management of patients with dementia, while in other countries the neurologist is rarely involved. We recommend that neurologists should have a clear role in the management of dementia in the whole of Europe. They should be involved in the diagnostic evaluation of dementia and facilitate the development of multidisciplinary teams for evaluation and management of patients with cognitive disturbances. The increasing role of neurology in the management of patients with dementia has important implications for training and education.

[Molecular genetic markers of Alzheimer dementia]

Alzheimer's dementia (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which is one of the most common forms of dementia in the above 65 years old age group. Diagnosis is based upon evaluation of cognitive skills, elimination of other dementia associated diseases and on cranial CT examination. However, definitive diagnosis is proved only by neurohistological findings. The etiology of the disease is unknown and effective treatment is not available. Intensive research into the pathomechanism of the disease revealed a connection between increased frequency of apolipoprotein E4 allele and later onset of AD. The aim of the author's research was to characterize apolipoprotein E polymorphisms in AD patients and to examine immunological factors which could play an important role in the development of the disease such as the polymorphism of complement and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] alleles previously had not been investigated. 35 AD patients (26 female, 9 male) were examined (mean age 66.4 years +/- 8.7 SD). 18 of these patients showed late onset of the disease. The E4 allele was significantly more frequent in both early and late onset groups compared to controls (0.29 vs. 0.14 and 0.33 vs 0.09). The high frequency of apo E4 found in the early onset group in this study differs from other international data. Serum lipid, lipoproteins, Lp(a) concentrations and Lp(a) phenotype distribution showed no significant difference compared to controls. Furthermore, it was found that the frequency of complement C4AQ0 (null) and Bf F alleles was higher in the late onset AD group compared to controls (0.35 vs 0.139 and 0.305 vs. 0.225) suggesting an active involvement of the complement system in the pathogenesis of this disease.

Clinical subtypes of Alzheimer's disease

The authors summarize the data of 60 patients of the Memory Clinic of the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology between 6 January 1992 and 6 June 1994 where the probable Alzheimer's disease (NINCDS-ADRDA) was diagnosed. It was examined whether it was possible to isolate homogenous subtypes based on clinical data. Interesting differences of tendency level could be demonstrated in the groups formed on the basis of data published in the literature. Differences of statistical significance level were as follows: occurrence of depression in the groups created on the basis of the patient age at the time of onset of the disease (early-late onset), and of alexia and autotopagnosia in the groups created on the basis of progression rate (slow - quick). The absence of epileptic seizures is extremely interesting. The authors' final conclusion is the following: the clinical symptoms unfortunately do not give sufficient possibility to form homogenous subtypes in the general frame of Alzheimer's disease.

[Clinical symptoms of Alzheimer disease]

Data of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and checked out in the special unit named Memory Clinic functioning from 1992 in the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology are summarized. Age average of the 60 patients was 63 years, the first symptoms of the disease had appeared in 57 p.c. before the age of 65, so the classical presenile form of the ailment is represented too in the material. Predominance of multifocal cortical function disturbances in the symptomatology is characteristic, association of the depression is outstandingly frequent. The atypical features, or those characteristic in diseases of cerebrovascular origin are not infrequently seen (headache, dizziness, slight symptoms of pyramidal lesions). The absence of epileptic seizures It was interesting even in considering the data of the literature too. The main points of clinical diagnostics and differential diagnostics are demonstrated with the aid of case reports. The author's material is the first Hungarian publication in the topics of clinical symptoms of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease that had been investigated with up-to-date methods. Occurrence of the disease of very great frequency could be supposed to occur at general practitioners, the importance of differential diagnostics and planning of the complex longlasting therapy is extremely great.

[Memory clinic: a new special unit, basic principles and first experiences of its function]

Memory Clinic is a special unit of the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Hungary since January, 1992. Authors describe the methods of clinical investigation and the frames of therapy. In the first year 315 patients were examined, that underlines the authority of establishing such a special centre. A high proportion of the patients were in their active working period (age average were 55 years in the outpatient, and 56 in hospitalized patients). In the etiologic spectrum the organic cerebral lesions were the most frequent, but were not the only reasons. Depression was a very frequently observed associated symptom. The function of the new unit has interdisciplinary characteristics: modern organic examinations joined with psychotherapy-oriented therapeutic regime. There seems to have a chance for collaboration with other establishing Memory Clinics in the world.

[Reality orientation training: a method of group therapy of patients with dementia. Problems and possibilities of evaluating the effect of treatment of patients with various forms of dementia]

Authors describe a method called reality orientation training, a possibility of group treatment for patients suffering from dementia. They summarize the main statements of the literature and give account of their own battery for diagnostic classification and treatment. They outline the practical difficulties in the measurement of the effectivity of the treatment employed in demented patients.