The Role of Cerebrovascular Disease on Cognitive and Functional Status and Psychosis in Severe Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Kim, Julia | Schweizer, Tom A. | Fischer, Corinne E. | Munoz, David G.
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: Background: The pathophysiology behind psychosis in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains unknown. Recently, vascular risk factors have been recognized as important modifiers of the clinical presentation of AD. Objective: The purpose of our study is to investigate the mechanism through which vascular risk factors mediate psychosis and whether or not it involves cerebrovascular lesions. Methods: Data was provided by the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Centre. The Uniform Data Set was used to collect information on subject-reported history of vascular risk factors, clinician-reported state of cognitive performance, and presence of psychosis based on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q). The Neuropathology Data …Set was used to evaluate the presence of vascular lesions and the severity of AD pathology. Subjects with high probability of AD based on the NIA/AA Reagan criteria were included in the analysis. Results: We identified 1,459 patients with high probability of AD and corresponding NPI-Q scores. We confirmed the association between hypertension and diabetes on psychosis, specifically in delusions and the co-occurrence of delusions and hallucinations. Furthermore, the presence of white matter rarefaction based on pathological evaluation was associated with hallucinations. A history of vascular risk factors was positively associated with vascular lesions. However, vascular lesions in the presence of vascular risk factors did not increase the likelihood of psychosis. Furthermore, vascular lesions were not associated with greater cognitive or functional impairments in this group with severe AD pathology. Conclusion: Vascular risk factors and vascular lesions are independently associated with psychosis in patients with severe AD. However, vascular lesions are not the mechanism through which vascular risk factors mediate psychosis. Show more
Keywords: Cerebrovascular diseases, delusions, dementia, hallucinations, infarction, neuropathology, pathology, risk factors, vascular
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-160506
Citation: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 381-389, 2017
BiLAT: A Game-Based Environment for Practicing Negotiation in a Cultural Context
Authors: Kim, Julia M. | Hill, Jr., Randall W. | Durlach, Paula J. | Lane, H. Chad | Forbell, Eric | Core, Mark | Marsella, Stacy | Pynadath, David | Hart, John
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: Negotiation skills are essential in everyday life, whether in a professional or personal context. Negotiation enables two parties to address misunderstandings and avoid conflicts through an exchange that depends as much on the interpersonal skills of the negotiators as the tactics employed. Acquiring these skills requires not only sound conceptual knowledge but also practice and mentoring. This paper describes the BiLAT game-based simulation and tutoring system developed to provide students, initially United States Army soldiers, with an environment to practice preparing for and conducting bilateral negotiations. We describe the models that were created to implement BiLAT, with a particular focus …on the challenge of designing for and tutoring in the ill-defined domain of negotiation. An initial assessment of the training effectiveness of the system indicates significant situation-judgment gains by novices. Show more
Keywords: negotiation, intercultural communication, ill-defined domains, intelligent tutoring systems, evaluation, narrative-based learning environments, pedagogical agents
Citation: International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 289-308, 2009
Hippocampal and Clinical Trajectories of Mild Cognitive Impairment with Suspected Non-Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology
Authors: Chung, Jun Ku | Plitman, Eric | Nakajima, Shinichiro | Caravaggio, Fernando | Iwata, Yusuke | Gerretsen, Philip | Kim, Julia | Takeuchi, Hiroyoshi | Shinagawa, Shunichiro | Patel, Raihaan | Chakravarty, M. Mallar | Graff-Guerrero, Ariel | for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: Suspected non-Alzheimer’s disease pathology (SNAP) characterizes individuals showing neurodegeneration (e.g., hypometabolism) without amyloid-β (Aβ). Findings from previous studies regarding clinical and structural trajectories of SNAP are inconsistent. Using data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were categorized into four groups: amyloid positive with hypometabolism (Aβ+ND+), amyloid only (Aβ+ND–), neither amyloid nor hypometabolism (Aβ–ND–), and SNAP (Aβ–ND+). Aβ+ND+(n = 33), Aβ+ND–(n = 32), and Aβ–ND–(n = 36) were matched to SNAP for age, gender, apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) genotype, and scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Elderly controls (n = 40) were also matched to SNAP for age, gender, …and apoE4 genotype. Longitudinal changes were compared across groups in terms of hippocampal volume, clinical symptoms, daily functioning, and cognitive functioning over a 2-year period. At baseline, no difference in cognition and functioning was observed between SNAP and Aβ+groups. SNAP showed worse clinical symptoms and impaired functioning at baseline compared to Aβ–ND–and controls. Two years of follow-up showed no differences in hippocampal volume changes between SNAP and any of the comparison groups. SNAP showed worse functional deterioration in comparison to Aβ–ND–and controls. However, Aβ+ND+ showed more severe changes in clinical symptoms in comparison to SNAP. Thus, patients with MCI and SNAP showed 1) more severe functional deterioration compared to Aβ–ND–and controls, 2) no differences with Aβ+ND–, and 3) less cognitive deterioration than Aβ+ND+. Future studies should investigate what causes SNAP, which is different from typical AD pathology and biomarker cascades. Show more
Keywords: Functional decline, hippocampus, mild cognitive impairment, suspected non-Alzheimer’s pathology
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-170201
Citation: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 58, no. 3, pp. 747-762, 2017
The Effects of Cortical Hypometabolism and Hippocampal Atrophy on Clinical Trajectories in Mild Cognitive Impairment with Suspected Non-Alzheimer’s Pathology: A Brief Report
Authors: Chung, Jun Ku | Plitman, Eric | Nakajima, Shinichiro | Caravaggio, Fernando | Shinagawa, Shunichiro | Iwata, Yusuke | Gerretsen, Philip | Kim, Julia | Takeuchi, Hiroyoshi | Patel, Raihaan | Chakravarty, M. Mallar | Strafella, Antonio | Graff-Guerrero, Ariel | for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Article Type: Short Communication
Abstract: The clinical and structural trajectories of suspected non-Alzheimer’ pathology (SNAP) remain elusive due to its heterogeneous etiology. Baseline and longitudinal clinical (global cognition, daily functioning, symptoms of dementia, and learning memory) and hippocampal volume trajectories over two years were compared between patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) with SNAP with reduced hippocampal volumes (SNAP+HIPPO) and aMCI patients with SNAP without reduced hippocampal volumes. SNAP+HIPPO showed overall worse baseline cognitive functions. Longitudinally, SNAP+HIPPO showed faster deterioration of clinical symptoms of dementia. Having both hippocampal atrophy and cortical hypometabolism without amyloid pathology may exacerbate symptoms of dementia in aMCI.
Keywords: Functional decline, hippocampus, mild cognitive impairment, suspected non-Alzheimer’s pathology
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-170098
Citation: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 60, no. 2, pp. 341-347, 2017