Alzheimer Disease: Park S

Schneider LS, Katz IR, Park S, Napolitano J, Martinez RA, Azen SP. · University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA. · Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. · Pubmed #12837670 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The authors evaluated the efficacy of risperidone in reducing psychotic and aggressive symptoms in a subgroup of patients who fulfilled operationalized criteria for psychosis of dementia. METHODS: Authors conducted a subgroup analysis of patients in the risperidone database arising from a previous double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. In the primary study, patients age 55 or older, with a DSM-IV diagnosis of Alzheimer disease and/or vascular dementia were randomized to placebo or 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, or 2.0 mg/day of risperidone. For this analysis, patients were selected who fulfilled operationalized criteria for psychosis of dementia. These criteria were then validated. The primary outcome measures were the newly developed Psychosis and Aggression Severity Indices, derived from Parts 1 and 2 of the BEHAVE-AD rating scale. RESULTS: At Week 12 and endpoint, patients with psychosis of dementia receiving 1 mg or 2 mg/day of risperidone showed significantly more improvement on the Psychosis Severity and Aggressiveness Severity Indices than those receiving placebo. CONCLUSIONS: The construct of psychosis of dementia was validated, and the severity of both psychosis and aggressiveness was reduced with risperidone treatment in a robust and dose-related way, with a continuing response over the 12-week trial period.

Kim TS, Lim HK, Lee JY, Kim DJ, Park S, Lee C, Lee CU. · Department of Psychiatry, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, 505 Banpo-Dong, Seocho-Gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea. · Neurosci Lett. · Pubmed #18378084 No free full text.

Abstract: Soluble fractalkine plays a distinctive role in the inflammatory processes of the nervous system; however, the role of soluble fractalkine in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has not yet been investigated. In the present study, we evaluated the levels of plasma soluble fractalkine in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), patients with AD and healthy controls. We also investigated the changes in the levels of plasma soluble fractalkine in patients with AD. A total of 102 patients with cognitive impairment, including 51 patients with MCI, 51 patients with AD, and 57 healthy control subjects, were enrolled in this study. The Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) was used to evaluate the severity of cognitive impairment in patients with MCI and AD. The levels of plasma soluble fractalkine were measured using a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. There were significant group differences in the levels of plasma soluble fractalkine between the MCI, AD, and control groups. Post hoc analyses revealed significant differences between the MCI and control groups, the AD and control groups, and the MCI and AD groups. The level of plasma soluble fractalkine was significantly greater in the patients with mild to moderate AD than in the patients with severe AD. In addition, there was a positive correlation between MMSE score and plasma soluble fractalkine level in the patients with AD. This study provides preliminary evidence that soluble fractalkine is involved in the pathogenesis of AD.