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1. Being the Family Caregiver of a Patient With Dementia During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Lockdown

Author

Zucca, M., Isella, V., Lorenzo, R. D., Marra, Camillo, Cagnin, A., Cupidi, C., Bonanni, L., Lagana, V., Rubino, E., Vanacore, N., Agosta, F., Caffarra, P., Sambati, R., Quaranta, Davide, Guglielmi, Valeria, Appollonio, I. M., Logroscino, G., Filippi, M., Tedeschi, G., Ferrarese, C., Rainero, I., Bruni, A. C., Gallo, E., Grassini, A., Marcinno, A., Roveta, F., Martino, P. D., Frangipane, F., Puccio, G., Colao, R., Mirabelli, M., Martellacci, N., Lino, F., Mozzetta, S., Busse, C., Camporese, G., Sacco, S., Lechiara, M. C., Carrarini, Claudia, Russo, M., Casalena, A., Sucapane, P., Tiraboschi, P., Caroppo, P., Redaelli, V., Fede, G. D., Coppa, D., Peluso, L., Insarda, P., Bartolo, M. D., Esposito, S., Iavarone, A., Orsini, A. V. M., Salvatore, E., Criscuolo, C., Sambati, L., Santoro, R., Gragnaniello, D., Pedriali, I., Ludovico, L., Chiari, A., Fabbo, A., Bevilacqua, P., Galli, C., Magarelli, S., Perini, M., Spalletta, G., Banaj, N., Porcari, D. E., Caruso, G., Cipollini, V., Casini, A. R., Ursini, F., Bruno, G., Rozzini, R., Brambilla, M., Magnani, G., Caso, F., Spinelli, E. G., Ramusino, M. C., Perini, G., Luzzi, S., Cacchio, G., Ciccola, A., Cionfrini, L., Giuli, C., Fabi, K., Guidi, M., Paci, C., Castellano, A., Petrucci, R., Accogli, M., Carapelle, E., Calabrese, G., Trevisi, G. N., Coluccia, B., Giuliano, A. V., Caggiula, M., Impagnatiello, V., Beretta, F., Milia, A., Pilia, G., Mascia, M. G., Putzu, V., Piccoli, T., Cuffaro, L., Monastero, R., Battaglia, A., Blandino, V., Lupo, F., Cumbo, E., Luca, A., Caravaglios, G., Vezzosi, A., Bessi, V., Tognoni, G., Calsolaro, V., Mossello, E., Amici, S., Trequattrini, A., Pezzuto, S., Mecocci, P., Fichera, G., Pradelli, S., Formilan, M., Coin, A., Togni, L. D., Sala, F., Nicolosi, V., Gallucci, M., Mazzarolo, A. P., Bergamelli, C., Zucca M., Isella V., Lorenzo R.D., Marra C., Cagnin A., Cupidi C., Bonanni L., Lagana V., Rubino E., Vanacore N., Agosta F., Caffarra P., Sambati R., Quaranta D., Guglielmi V., Appollonio I.M., Logroscino G., Filippi M., Tedeschi G., Ferrarese C., Rainero I., Bruni A.C., Gallo E., Grassini A., Marcinno A., Roveta F., Martino P.D., Frangipane F., Puccio G., Colao R., Mirabelli M., Martellacci N., Lino F., Mozzetta S., Busse C., Camporese G., Sacco S., Lechiara M.C., Carrarini C., Russo M., Casalena A., Sucapane P., Tiraboschi P., Caroppo P., Redaelli V., Fede G.D., Coppa D., Peluso L., Insarda P., Bartolo M.D., Esposito S., Iavarone A., Orsini A.V.M., Salvatore E., Criscuolo C., Sambati L., Santoro R., Gragnaniello D., Pedriali I., Ludovico L., Chiari A., Fabbo A., Bevilacqua P., Galli C., Magarelli S., Perini M., Spalletta G., Banaj N., Porcari D.E., Caruso G., Cipollini V., Casini A.R., Ursini F., Bruno G., Rozzini R., Brambilla M., Magnani G., Caso F., Spinelli E.G., Ramusino M.C., Perini G., Luzzi S., Cacchio G., Ciccola A., Cionfrini L., Giuli C., Fabi K., Guidi M., Paci C., Castellano A., Petrucci R., Accogli M., Carapelle E., Calabrese G., Trevisi G.N., Coluccia B., Giuliano A.V., Caggiula M., Impagnatiello V., Beretta F., Milia A., Pilia G., Mascia M.G., Putzu V., Piccoli T., Cuffaro L., Monastero R., Battaglia A., Blandino V., Lupo F., Cumbo E., Luca A., Caravaglios G., Vezzosi A., Bessi V., Tognoni G., Calsolaro V., Mossello E., Amici S., Trequattrini A., Pezzuto S., Mecocci P., Fichera G., Pradelli S., Formilan M., Coin A., Togni L.D., Sala F., Nicolosi V., Gallucci M., Mazzarolo A.P., Bergamelli C., Zucca, M, Isella, V, Di Lorenzo, R, Marra, C, Cagnin, A, Cupidi, C, Bonanni, L, Laganà, V, Rubino, E, Vanacore, N, Agosta, F, Caffarra, P, Sambati, R, Quaranta, D, Guglielmi, V, Appollonio, I, Logroscino, G, Filippi, M, Tedeschi, G, Ferrarese, C, Rainero, I, Bruni, A, Gallo, E, Grassini, A, Marcinnò, A, Roveta, F, De Martino, P, Frangipane, F, Puccio, G, Colao, R, Mirabelli, M, Martellacci, N, Lino, F, Mozzetta, S, Bussè, C, Camporese, G, Sacco, S, Lechiara, M, Carrarini, C, Russo, M, Casalena, A, Sucapane, P, Tiraboschi, P, Caroppo, P, Redaelli, V, Di Fede, G, Coppa, D, Peluso, L, Insarda, P, De Bartolo, M, Esposito, S, Iavarone, A, Orsini, A, Salvatore, E, Criscuolo, C, Sambati, L, Santoro, R, Gragnaniello, D, Pedriali, I, Ludovico, L, Chiari, A, Fabbo, A, Bevilacqua, P, Galli, C, Magarelli, S, Perini, M, Spalletta, G, Banaj, N, Porcari, D, Caruso, G, Cipollini, V, Casini, A, Ursini, F, Bruno, G, Rozzini, R, Brambilla, M, Magnani, G, Caso, F, Spinelli, E, Cotta Ramusino, M, Perini, G, Luzzi, S, Cacchiò, G, Ciccola, A, Cionfrini, L, Giuli, C, Fabi, K, Guidi, M, Paci, C, Castellano, A, Petrucci, R, Accogli, M, Carapelle, E, Calabrese, G, Trevisi, G, Coluccia, B, Vasquez Giuliano, A, Caggiula, M, Impagnatiello, V, Beretta, F, Milia, A, Pilia, G, Mascia, M, Putzu, V, Piccoli, T, Cuffaro, L, Monastero, R, Battaglia, A, Blandino, V, Lupo, F, Cumbo, E, Luca, A, Caravaglios, G, Vezzosi, A, Bessi, V, Tognoni, G, Calsolaro, V, Mossello, E, Amici, S, Trequattrini, A, Pezzuto, S, Mecocci, P, Fichera, G, Pradelli, S, Formilan, M, Coin, A, De Togni, L, Sala, F, Nicolosi, V, Gallucci, M, Mazzarolo, A, Bergamelli, C, Zucca, Milena, Isella, Valeria, Lorenzo, Raffaele Di, Marra, Camillo, Cagnin, Annachiara, Cupidi, Chiara, Bonanni, Laura, Laganà, Valentina, Rubino, Elisa, Vanacore, Nicola, Agosta, Federica, Caffarra, Paolo, Sambati, Renato, Quaranta, Davide, Guglielmi, Valeria, Appollonio, Ildebrando M., Logroscino, Giancarlo, Filippi, Massimo, Tedeschi, Gioacchino, Ferrarese, Carlo, Rainero, Innocenzo, and Bruni, Amalia C.

Subjects
Aging, medicine.medical_specialty, Cognitive Neuroscience, Population, Psychological intervention, Protective factor, Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, burden, 03 medical and health sciences, stress, 0302 clinical medicine, stre, medicine, Dementia, caregiver, COVID-19, dementia, Psychiatry, education, Original Research, MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, education.field_of_study, 030214 geriatrics, burden, caregiver, COVID-19, dementia, stress, Family caregivers, business.industry, medicine.disease, Mental health, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Anxiety, Caregiver stress, M-PSI/08 - PSICOLOGIA CLINICA, medicine.symptom, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Neuroscience, RC321-571
Abstract

Background: Family caregivers of patients with dementia are at high risk of stress and burden, and quarantine due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have increased the risk of psychological disturbances in this population. The current study was carried out during the national lockdown declared in March 2020 by the Italian government as a containment measure of the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic and is the first nationwide survey on the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the mental health of dementia informal caregivers.Methods: Eighty-seven dementia centers evenly distributed on the Italian territory enrolled 4,710 caregiver–patient pairs. Caregivers underwent a telephone interview assessing classical symptoms of caregiver stress and concern for the consequences of COVID-19 infection on patient’s health. We calculated prevalence of symptoms and regressed them on various potential stress risk factors: caregivers’ sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle, patients’ clinical features, and lockdown-related elements, like discontinuity in medical care.Results: Approximately 90% of caregivers reported at least one symptom of stress, and nearly 30% reported four or more symptoms. The most prevalent symptoms were concern for consequences of COVID-19 on patient’s health (75%) and anxiety (46%). The main risk factors for stress were identified as a conflicting relationship with the patient and discontinuity in assistance, but caregiver’s female sex, younger age, lower education, and cohabitation with the patient also had an impact. Availability of help from institutions or private individuals showed a protective effect against sense of abandonment but a detrimental effect on concern about the risk for the patient to contract COVID-19. The only protective factor was mild dementia severity, which was associated with a lower risk of feeling isolated and abandoned; type of dementia, on the other hand, did not affect stress risk.Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the large prevalence of stress in family caregivers of patients with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic and have identified both caregivers and situations at a higher risk of stress, which should be taken into account in the planning of interventions in support of quarantined families and patients.

Published
2021

4. The Impact of COVID-19 Quarantine on Patients With Dementia and Family Caregivers: A Nation-Wide Survey

Author

Rainero, I, Bruni, A, Marra, C, Cagnin, A, Bonanni, L, Cupidi, C, Lagana, V, Rubino, E, Vacca, A, Di Lorenzo, R, Provero, P, Isella, V, Vanacore, N, Agosta, F, Appollonio, I, Caffarra, P, Busse, C, Sambati, R, Quaranta, D, Guglielmi, V, Logroscino, G, Filippi, M, Tedeschi, G, Ferrarese, C, Gallo, E, Grassini, A, Marcinnò, A, Roveta, F, De Martino, P, Frangipane, F, Puccio, G, Colao, R, Mirabelli, M, Terracciano, C, Lino, F, Mozzetta, S, Gazzola, G, Camporese, G, Sacco, S, Lechiara, M, Carrarini, C, Russo, M, Casa Lena, A, Sucapane, P, Tiraboschi, P, Caroppo, P, Redaelli, V, Di Fede, G, Coppa, D, Peluso, L, Insarda, P, De Bartolo, M, Esposito, S, Iavarone, A, Fuschillo, C, Salvatore, E, Criscuolo, C, Sambati, L, Santoro, R, Gragnaniello, D, Pedriali, I, Ludovico, L, Chiari, A, Fabbo, A, Bevilacqua, P, Galli, C, Magarelli, S, Spalletta, G, Banaj, N, Caruso, G, Porcari, E, Giubilei, F, Casini, A, Ursini, F, Bruno, G, Boffelli, S, Brambilla, M, Magnani, G, Caso, F, Spinelli, E, Sinforiani, E, Costa, A, Luzzi, S, Cacchiò, G, Perini, M, Angeloni, R, Giuli, C, Fabi, K, Guidi, M, Paci, C, Castellano, A, Carapelle, E, Petrucci, R, Accogli, M, Trevisi, G, Renna, S, Vasquez Giuliano, A, Da Re, F, Milia, A, Pilia, G, Mascia, M, Putzu, V, Piccoli, T, Cuffaro, L, Monastero, R, Battaglia, A, Blandino, V, Lupo, F, Cumbo, E, Luca, A, Caravaglios, G, Vezzosi, A, Bessi, V, Tognoni, G, Calsolaro, V, Lucarelli, G, Amici, S, Trequattrini, A, Pezzuto, S, Mecocci, P, Caironi, G, Boselli, B, Formilan, M, Coin, A, De Togni, L, Sala, F, Sandri, G, Gallucci, M, Mazzarolo, A, Bergamelli, C, Passoni, S, Bruni, AC, Lechiara, MC, Porcari, ED, Casini, AR, Spinelli, EG, Trevisi, GN, Mascia, MG, Mazzarolo, AP, Rainero, I, Bruni, A, Marra, C, Cagnin, A, Bonanni, L, Cupidi, C, Lagana, V, Rubino, E, Vacca, A, Di Lorenzo, R, Provero, P, Isella, V, Vanacore, N, Agosta, F, Appollonio, I, Caffarra, P, Busse, C, Sambati, R, Quaranta, D, Guglielmi, V, Logroscino, G, Filippi, M, Tedeschi, G, Ferrarese, C, Gallo, E, Grassini, A, Marcinnò, A, Roveta, F, De Martino, P, Frangipane, F, Puccio, G, Colao, R, Mirabelli, M, Terracciano, C, Lino, F, Mozzetta, S, Gazzola, G, Camporese, G, Sacco, S, Lechiara, M, Carrarini, C, Russo, M, Casa Lena, A, Sucapane, P, Tiraboschi, P, Caroppo, P, Redaelli, V, Di Fede, G, Coppa, D, Peluso, L, Insarda, P, De Bartolo, M, Esposito, S, Iavarone, A, Fuschillo, C, Salvatore, E, Criscuolo, C, Sambati, L, Santoro, R, Gragnaniello, D, Pedriali, I, Ludovico, L, Chiari, A, Fabbo, A, Bevilacqua, P, Galli, C, Magarelli, S, Spalletta, G, Banaj, N, Caruso, G, Porcari, E, Giubilei, F, Casini, A, Ursini, F, Bruno, G, Boffelli, S, Brambilla, M, Magnani, G, Caso, F, Spinelli, E, Sinforiani, E, Costa, A, Luzzi, S, Cacchiò, G, Perini, M, Angeloni, R, Giuli, C, Fabi, K, Guidi, M, Paci, C, Castellano, A, Carapelle, E, Petrucci, R, Accogli, M, Trevisi, G, Renna, S, Vasquez Giuliano, A, Da Re, F, Milia, A, Pilia, G, Mascia, M, Putzu, V, Piccoli, T, Cuffaro, L, Monastero, R, Battaglia, A, Blandino, V, Lupo, F, Cumbo, E, Luca, A, Caravaglios, G, Vezzosi, A, Bessi, V, Tognoni, G, Calsolaro, V, Lucarelli, G, Amici, S, Trequattrini, A, Pezzuto, S, Mecocci, P, Caironi, G, Boselli, B, Formilan, M, Coin, A, De Togni, L, Sala, F, Sandri, G, Gallucci, M, Mazzarolo, A, Bergamelli, C, Passoni, S, Bruni, AC, Lechiara, MC, Porcari, ED, Casini, AR, Spinelli, EG, Trevisi, GN, Mascia, MG, and Mazzarolo, AP

Abstract

Introduction: Previous studies showed that quarantine for pandemic diseases is associated with several psychological and medical effects. The consequences of quarantine for COVID-19 pandemic in patients with dementia are unknown. We investigated the clinical changes in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and evaluated caregivers’ distress during COVID-19 quarantine. Methods: The study involved 87 Italian Dementia Centers. Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), and Vascular Dementia (VD) were eligible for the study. Family caregivers of patients with dementia were interviewed by phone in April 2020, 45 days after quarantine declaration. Main outcomes were patients’ changes in cognitive, behavioral, and motor symptoms. Secondary outcomes were effects on caregivers’ psychological features. Results: 4913 patients (2934 females, 1979 males) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Caregivers reported a worsening in cognitive functions in 55.1% of patients, mainly in subjects with DLB and AD. Aggravation of behavioral symptoms was observed in 51.9% of patients. In logistic regression analysis, previous physical independence was associated with both cognitive and behavioral worsening (odds ratio 1.85 [95% CI 1.42–2.39], 1.84 [95% CI 1.43–2.38], respectively). On the contrary, pandemic awareness was a protective factor for the worsening of cognitive and behavioral symptoms (odds ratio 0.74 [95% CI 0.65–0.85]; and 0.72 [95% CI 0.63–0.82], respectively). Approximately 25.9% of patients showed the onset of new behavioral symptoms. A worsening in motor function was reported by 36.7% of patients. Finally, caregivers reported a high increase in anxiety, depression, and distress. Conclusion: Our study shows that quarantine for COVID-19 is associated with an acute worsening of clinical symptoms in patients with dementia as well as increase of caregivers’ burden. Our findings emphasize the importance to imp

Published
2021

5. Modulating Long Term Memory at Late-Encoding Phase: An rTMS Study

Author

Giglia, G, Gambino, G, Cuffaro, L, Aleo, F, Sardo, P, Ferraro, G, Blandino, V, Brighina, F, Gangitano, M, Piccoli, T, Giglia Giuseppe, Gambino Giuditta, Cuffaro Luca, Aleo Fabio, Sardo Pierangelo, Ferraro Giuseppe, Blandino Valeria, Brighina Filippo, Gangitano Massimo, Piccoli T, Giglia, G, Gambino, G, Cuffaro, L, Aleo, F, Sardo, P, Ferraro, G, Blandino, V, Brighina, F, Gangitano, M, Piccoli, T, Giglia Giuseppe, Gambino Giuditta, Cuffaro Luca, Aleo Fabio, Sardo Pierangelo, Ferraro Giuseppe, Blandino Valeria, Brighina Filippo, Gangitano Massimo, and Piccoli T

Abstract

Despite a huge effort of the scientific community, the functioning of Long-Term Memory (LTM) processes is still debated and far from being elucidated. Functional and neurophysiological data point to an involvement of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) in both encoding and retrieval phases. However, the recently proposed Explicit/Implicit Memory Encoding and Retrieval (EIMER) model proposes that LTM at the encoding phase consists of anatomically and chronologically different sub-phases. On this basis, we aimed to investigate the role of right DLPFC during a late-encoding phase by means of low-frequency rTMS. Thirty right-handed healthy subjects were divided into three experimental groups. Inhibitory rTMS was applied over right-DLPFC immediately after the encoding phase (Late-Encoding Group) or before recognition phase (Pre-Recognition Group), 24 h after, of an LTM task. Both groups also received sham stimulation during the non-target phase, while the third group (Sham Group) received only sham stimulation in both phases. The Late-Encoding Group collected a lower number of correct responses compared with Sham Group (p = 0.00), while Pre-Retrieval Group increased accuracy as compared to the Sham Group (p = 0.0). rTMS-inhibition of the right DLPFC seems able to interfere with LTM memory performances when delivered at a late stage of the encoding phase, with opposite effects at the pre-retrieval phase.

Published
2021

6. Being the Family Caregiver of a Patient With Dementia During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Lockdown

Author

Zucca, M, Isella, V, Di Lorenzo, R, Marra, C, Cagnin, A, Cupidi, C, Bonanni, L, Laganà, V, Rubino, E, Vanacore, N, Agosta, F, Caffarra, P, Sambati, R, Quaranta, D, Guglielmi, V, Appollonio, I, Logroscino, G, Filippi, M, Tedeschi, G, Ferrarese, C, Rainero, I, Bruni, A, Gallo, E, Grassini, A, Marcinnò, A, Roveta, F, De Martino, P, Frangipane, F, Puccio, G, Colao, R, Mirabelli, M, Martellacci, N, Lino, F, Mozzetta, S, Bussè, C, Camporese, G, Sacco, S, Lechiara, M, Carrarini, C, Russo, M, Casalena, A, Sucapane, P, Tiraboschi, P, Caroppo, P, Redaelli, V, Di Fede, G, Coppa, D, Peluso, L, Insarda, P, De Bartolo, M, Esposito, S, Iavarone, A, Orsini, A, Salvatore, E, Criscuolo, C, Sambati, L, Santoro, R, Gragnaniello, D, Pedriali, I, Ludovico, L, Chiari, A, Fabbo, A, Bevilacqua, P, Galli, C, Magarelli, S, Perini, M, Spalletta, G, Banaj, N, Porcari, D, Caruso, G, Cipollini, V, Casini, A, Ursini, F, Bruno, G, Rozzini, R, Brambilla, M, Magnani, G, Caso, F, Spinelli, E, Cotta Ramusino, M, Perini, G, Luzzi, S, Cacchiò, G, Ciccola, A, Cionfrini, L, Giuli, C, Fabi, K, Guidi, M, Paci, C, Castellano, A, Petrucci, R, Accogli, M, Carapelle, E, Calabrese, G, Trevisi, G, Coluccia, B, Vasquez Giuliano, A, Caggiula, M, Impagnatiello, V, Beretta, F, Milia, A, Pilia, G, Mascia, M, Putzu, V, Piccoli, T, Cuffaro, L, Monastero, R, Battaglia, A, Blandino, V, Lupo, F, Cumbo, E, Luca, A, Caravaglios, G, Vezzosi, A, Bessi, V, Tognoni, G, Calsolaro, V, Mossello, E, Amici, S, Trequattrini, A, Pezzuto, S, Mecocci, P, Fichera, G, Pradelli, S, Formilan, M, Coin, A, De Togni, L, Sala, F, Nicolosi, V, Gallucci, M, Mazzarolo, A, Bergamelli, C, Bruni, AC, Lechiara, MC, Orsini, AVM, Porcari, DE, Casini, AR, Spinelli, EG, Trevisi, GN, Mascia, MG, Mazzarolo, AP, Zucca, M, Isella, V, Di Lorenzo, R, Marra, C, Cagnin, A, Cupidi, C, Bonanni, L, Laganà, V, Rubino, E, Vanacore, N, Agosta, F, Caffarra, P, Sambati, R, Quaranta, D, Guglielmi, V, Appollonio, I, Logroscino, G, Filippi, M, Tedeschi, G, Ferrarese, C, Rainero, I, Bruni, A, Gallo, E, Grassini, A, Marcinnò, A, Roveta, F, De Martino, P, Frangipane, F, Puccio, G, Colao, R, Mirabelli, M, Martellacci, N, Lino, F, Mozzetta, S, Bussè, C, Camporese, G, Sacco, S, Lechiara, M, Carrarini, C, Russo, M, Casalena, A, Sucapane, P, Tiraboschi, P, Caroppo, P, Redaelli, V, Di Fede, G, Coppa, D, Peluso, L, Insarda, P, De Bartolo, M, Esposito, S, Iavarone, A, Orsini, A, Salvatore, E, Criscuolo, C, Sambati, L, Santoro, R, Gragnaniello, D, Pedriali, I, Ludovico, L, Chiari, A, Fabbo, A, Bevilacqua, P, Galli, C, Magarelli, S, Perini, M, Spalletta, G, Banaj, N, Porcari, D, Caruso, G, Cipollini, V, Casini, A, Ursini, F, Bruno, G, Rozzini, R, Brambilla, M, Magnani, G, Caso, F, Spinelli, E, Cotta Ramusino, M, Perini, G, Luzzi, S, Cacchiò, G, Ciccola, A, Cionfrini, L, Giuli, C, Fabi, K, Guidi, M, Paci, C, Castellano, A, Petrucci, R, Accogli, M, Carapelle, E, Calabrese, G, Trevisi, G, Coluccia, B, Vasquez Giuliano, A, Caggiula, M, Impagnatiello, V, Beretta, F, Milia, A, Pilia, G, Mascia, M, Putzu, V, Piccoli, T, Cuffaro, L, Monastero, R, Battaglia, A, Blandino, V, Lupo, F, Cumbo, E, Luca, A, Caravaglios, G, Vezzosi, A, Bessi, V, Tognoni, G, Calsolaro, V, Mossello, E, Amici, S, Trequattrini, A, Pezzuto, S, Mecocci, P, Fichera, G, Pradelli, S, Formilan, M, Coin, A, De Togni, L, Sala, F, Nicolosi, V, Gallucci, M, Mazzarolo, A, Bergamelli, C, Bruni, AC, Lechiara, MC, Orsini, AVM, Porcari, DE, Casini, AR, Spinelli, EG, Trevisi, GN, Mascia, MG, and Mazzarolo, AP

Abstract

Background: Family caregivers of patients with dementia are at high risk of stress and burden, and quarantine due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have increased the risk of psychological disturbances in this population. The current study was carried out during the national lockdown declared in March 2020 by the Italian government as a containment measure of the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic and is the first nationwide survey on the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the mental health of dementia informal caregivers. Methods: Eighty-seven dementia centers evenly distributed on the Italian territory enrolled 4,710 caregiver-patient pairs. Caregivers underwent a telephone interview assessing classical symptoms of caregiver stress and concern for the consequences of COVID-19 infection on patient's health. We calculated prevalence of symptoms and regressed them on various potential stress risk factors: caregivers' sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle, patients' clinical features, and lockdown-related elements, like discontinuity in medical care. Results: Approximately 90% of caregivers reported at least one symptom of stress, and nearly 30% reported four or more symptoms. The most prevalent symptoms were concern for consequences of COVID-19 on patient's health (75%) and anxiety (46%). The main risk factors for stress were identified as a conflicting relationship with the patient and discontinuity in assistance, but caregiver's female sex, younger age, lower education, and cohabitation with the patient also had an impact. Availability of help from institutions or private individuals showed a protective effect against sense of abandonment but a detrimental effect on concern about the risk for the patient to contract COVID-19. The only protective factor was mild dementia severity, which was associated with a lower risk of feeling isolated and abandoned; type of dementia, on the other hand, did not affect stress risk. Conclusion: Our re

Published
2021

7. The Impact of COVID-19 Quarantine on Patients With Dementia and Family Caregivers: A Nation-Wide Survey

Author

Rainero, I., Bruni, A. C., Marra, Camillo, Cagnin, A., Bonanni, L., Cupidi, C., Lagana, V., Rubino, E., Vacca, A., Lorenzo, R. D., Provero, P., Isella, V., Vanacore, N., Agosta, F., Appollonio, I., Caffarra, P., Busse, C., Sambati, R., Quaranta, D., Guglielmi, Valeria, Logroscino, G., Filippi, M., Tedeschi, G., Ferrarese, C., Gallo, E., Grassini, A., Marcinno, A., Roveta, F., De Martino, P., Frangipane, F., Puccio, G., Colao, R., Mirabelli, M., Terracciano, C., Lino, F., Mozzetta, S., Gazzola, G., Camporese, G., Sacco, S., Lechiara, M. C., Carrarini, C., Russo, M., Casa Lena, A., Sucapane, P., Tiraboschi, P., Caroppo, P., Redaelli, V., Di Fede, G., Coppa, D., Peluso, L., Insarda, P., De Bartolo, M., Esposito, S., Iavarone, A., Fuschillo, C., Salvatore, E., Criscuolo, C., Sambati, L., Santoro, R., Gragnaniello, D., Pedriali, I., Ludovico, L., Chiari, A., Fabbo, A., Bevilacqua, P., Galli, C., Magarelli, S., Spalletta, G., Banaj, N., Caruso, G., Estela Porcari, D., Giubilei, F., Casini, A. R., Ursini, F., Bruno, G., Boffelli, S., Brambilla, M., Magnani, G., Caso, F., Spinelli, E. G., Sinforiani, E., Costa, A., Luzzi, S., Cacchio, G., Perini, M., Angeloni, R., Giuli, C., Fabi, K., Guidi, M., Paci, C., Castellano, A., Carapelle, E., Petrucci, R., Accogli, M., Nicoletta Trevisi, G., Renna, S., Giuliano, A. V., Da Re, F., Milia, A., Pilia, G., Mascia, M. G., Putzu, V., Piccoli, T., Cuffaro, L., Monastero, R., Battaglia, A., Blandino, V., Lupo, F., Cumbo, E., Luca, A., Caravaglios, G., Vezzosi, A., Bessi, V., Tognoni, G., Calsolaro, V., Lucarelli, G., Amici, S., Trequattrini, A., Pezzuto, S., Mecocci, P., Caironi, G., Boselli, B., Formilan, M., Coin, A., De Togni, L., Sala, F., Sandri, G., Gallucci, M., Mazzarolo, A. P., Bergamelli, C., Passoni, S., Marra C. (ORCID:0000-0003-3994-4044), Guglielmi V., Rainero, I., Bruni, A. C., Marra, Camillo, Cagnin, A., Bonanni, L., Cupidi, C., Lagana, V., Rubino, E., Vacca, A., Lorenzo, R. D., Provero, P., Isella, V., Vanacore, N., Agosta, F., Appollonio, I., Caffarra, P., Busse, C., Sambati, R., Quaranta, D., Guglielmi, Valeria, Logroscino, G., Filippi, M., Tedeschi, G., Ferrarese, C., Gallo, E., Grassini, A., Marcinno, A., Roveta, F., De Martino, P., Frangipane, F., Puccio, G., Colao, R., Mirabelli, M., Terracciano, C., Lino, F., Mozzetta, S., Gazzola, G., Camporese, G., Sacco, S., Lechiara, M. C., Carrarini, C., Russo, M., Casa Lena, A., Sucapane, P., Tiraboschi, P., Caroppo, P., Redaelli, V., Di Fede, G., Coppa, D., Peluso, L., Insarda, P., De Bartolo, M., Esposito, S., Iavarone, A., Fuschillo, C., Salvatore, E., Criscuolo, C., Sambati, L., Santoro, R., Gragnaniello, D., Pedriali, I., Ludovico, L., Chiari, A., Fabbo, A., Bevilacqua, P., Galli, C., Magarelli, S., Spalletta, G., Banaj, N., Caruso, G., Estela Porcari, D., Giubilei, F., Casini, A. R., Ursini, F., Bruno, G., Boffelli, S., Brambilla, M., Magnani, G., Caso, F., Spinelli, E. G., Sinforiani, E., Costa, A., Luzzi, S., Cacchio, G., Perini, M., Angeloni, R., Giuli, C., Fabi, K., Guidi, M., Paci, C., Castellano, A., Carapelle, E., Petrucci, R., Accogli, M., Nicoletta Trevisi, G., Renna, S., Giuliano, A. V., Da Re, F., Milia, A., Pilia, G., Mascia, M. G., Putzu, V., Piccoli, T., Cuffaro, L., Monastero, R., Battaglia, A., Blandino, V., Lupo, F., Cumbo, E., Luca, A., Caravaglios, G., Vezzosi, A., Bessi, V., Tognoni, G., Calsolaro, V., Lucarelli, G., Amici, S., Trequattrini, A., Pezzuto, S., Mecocci, P., Caironi, G., Boselli, B., Formilan, M., Coin, A., De Togni, L., Sala, F., Sandri, G., Gallucci, M., Mazzarolo, A. P., Bergamelli, C., Passoni, S., Marra C. (ORCID:0000-0003-3994-4044), and Guglielmi V.

Abstract

Introduction: Previous studies showed that quarantine for pandemic diseases is associated with several psychological and medical effects. The consequences of quarantine for COVID-19 pandemic in patients with dementia are unknown. We investigated the clinical changes in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and evaluated caregivers’ distress during COVID-19 quarantine. Methods: The study involved 87 Italian Dementia Centers. Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), and Vascular Dementia (VD) were eligible for the study. Family caregivers of patients with dementia were interviewed by phone in April 2020, 45 days after quarantine declaration. Main outcomes were patients’ changes in cognitive, behavioral, and motor symptoms. Secondary outcomes were effects on caregivers’ psychological features. Results: 4913 patients (2934 females, 1979 males) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Caregivers reported a worsening in cognitive functions in 55.1% of patients, mainly in subjects with DLB and AD. Aggravation of behavioral symptoms was observed in 51.9% of patients. In logistic regression analysis, previous physical independence was associated with both cognitive and behavioral worsening (odds ratio 1.85 [95% CI 1.42–2.39], 1.84 [95% CI 1.43–2.38], respectively). On the contrary, pandemic awareness was a protective factor for the worsening of cognitive and behavioral symptoms (odds ratio 0.74 [95% CI 0.65–0.85]; and 0.72 [95% CI 0.63–0.82], respectively). Approximately 25.9% of patients showed the onset of new behavioral symptoms. A worsening in motor function was reported by 36.7% of patients. Finally, caregivers reported a high increase in anxiety, depression, and distress. Conclusion: Our study shows that quarantine for COVID-19 is associated with an acute worsening of clinical symptoms in patients with dementia as well as increase of caregivers’ burden. Our findings emphasize the importance to imp

Published
2021

8. Behavioral and psychological effects of coronavirus disease-19 quarantine in patients with dementia

Author

Cagnin, A., Di Lorenzo, R., Marra, C., Bonanni, L., Cupidi, C., Lagana, V., Rubino, E., Vacca, A., Provero, P., Isella, V., Vanacore, N., Agosta, F., Appollonio, I., Caffarra, P., Pettenuzzo, I., Sambati, R., Quaranta, D., Guglielmi, V., Logroscino, G., Filippi, M., Tedeschi, G., Ferrarese, C., Rainero, I., Bruni, A. C., Gallo, E., Grassini, A., Marcinno, A., Roveta, F., De Martino, P., Frangipane, F., Puccio, G., Colao, R., Mirabelli, M., Martellacci, N., Lino, F., Mozzetta, S., Busse, C., Camporese, G., Sacco, S., Lechiara, M. C., Carrarini, C., Russo, M., Casalena, A., Sucapane, P., Tiraboschi, P., Caroppo, P., Redaelli, V., Di Fede, G., Coppa, D., Peluso, L., Insarda, P., De Bartolo, M., Esposito, S., Iavarone, A., Orsini, A. V. M., Salvatore, E., Criscuolo, C., Sambati, L., Santoro, R., Gragnaniello, D., Pedriali, I., Ludovico, L., Chiari, A., Fabbo, A., Bevilacqua, P., Galli, C., Magarelli, S., Perini, M., Spalletta, G., Banaj, N., Porcari, D. E., Caruso, G., Cipollini, V., Casini, A. R., Ursini, F., Bruno, G., Rozzini, R., Brambilla, M., Magnani, G., Caso, F., Spinelli, E. G., Ramusino, M. C., Perini, G., Luzzi, S., Cacchio, G., Angeloni, R., Giuli, C., Fabi, K., Guidi, M., Paci, C., Castellano, A., Carapelle, E., Petrucci, R., Accogli, M., Calabrese, G., Trevisi, G. N., Coluccia, B., Giuliano, A. V., Caggiula, M., Da Re, F., Milia, A., Pilia, G., Mascia, M. G., Putzu, V., Piccoli, T., Cuffaro, L., Monastero, R., Battaglia, A., Blandino, V., Lupo, F., Cumbo, E., Antonina, L., Caravaglios, G., Vezzosi, A., Bessi, V., Tognoni, G., Calsolaro, V., Mossello, E., Amici, S., Trequattrini, A., Pezzuto, S., Mecocci, P., Fichera, G., Pradelli, S., Formilan, M., Coin, A., Detogni, L., Sala, F., Sandri, G., Gallucci, M., Mazzarolo, A. P., Bergamelli, C., Marra C. (ORCID:0000-0003-3994-4044), Cagnin, A., Di Lorenzo, R., Marra, C., Bonanni, L., Cupidi, C., Lagana, V., Rubino, E., Vacca, A., Provero, P., Isella, V., Vanacore, N., Agosta, F., Appollonio, I., Caffarra, P., Pettenuzzo, I., Sambati, R., Quaranta, D., Guglielmi, V., Logroscino, G., Filippi, M., Tedeschi, G., Ferrarese, C., Rainero, I., Bruni, A. C., Gallo, E., Grassini, A., Marcinno, A., Roveta, F., De Martino, P., Frangipane, F., Puccio, G., Colao, R., Mirabelli, M., Martellacci, N., Lino, F., Mozzetta, S., Busse, C., Camporese, G., Sacco, S., Lechiara, M. C., Carrarini, C., Russo, M., Casalena, A., Sucapane, P., Tiraboschi, P., Caroppo, P., Redaelli, V., Di Fede, G., Coppa, D., Peluso, L., Insarda, P., De Bartolo, M., Esposito, S., Iavarone, A., Orsini, A. V. M., Salvatore, E., Criscuolo, C., Sambati, L., Santoro, R., Gragnaniello, D., Pedriali, I., Ludovico, L., Chiari, A., Fabbo, A., Bevilacqua, P., Galli, C., Magarelli, S., Perini, M., Spalletta, G., Banaj, N., Porcari, D. E., Caruso, G., Cipollini, V., Casini, A. R., Ursini, F., Bruno, G., Rozzini, R., Brambilla, M., Magnani, G., Caso, F., Spinelli, E. G., Ramusino, M. C., Perini, G., Luzzi, S., Cacchio, G., Angeloni, R., Giuli, C., Fabi, K., Guidi, M., Paci, C., Castellano, A., Carapelle, E., Petrucci, R., Accogli, M., Calabrese, G., Trevisi, G. N., Coluccia, B., Giuliano, A. V., Caggiula, M., Da Re, F., Milia, A., Pilia, G., Mascia, M. G., Putzu, V., Piccoli, T., Cuffaro, L., Monastero, R., Battaglia, A., Blandino, V., Lupo, F., Cumbo, E., Antonina, L., Caravaglios, G., Vezzosi, A., Bessi, V., Tognoni, G., Calsolaro, V., Mossello, E., Amici, S., Trequattrini, A., Pezzuto, S., Mecocci, P., Fichera, G., Pradelli, S., Formilan, M., Coin, A., Detogni, L., Sala, F., Sandri, G., Gallucci, M., Mazzarolo, A. P., Bergamelli, C., and Marra C. (ORCID:0000-0003-3994-4044)

Abstract

Background: In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic due to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and several governments planned a national quarantine in order to control the virus spread. Acute psychological effects of quarantine in frail elderly subjects with special needs, such as patients with dementia, have been poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to assess modifications of neuropsychiatric symptoms during quarantine in patients with dementia and their caregivers. Methods: This is a sub-study of a multicenter nation-wide survey. A structured telephone interview was delivered to family caregivers of patients with diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and vascular dementia (VD), followed regularly at 87 Italian memory clinics. Variations in behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) were collected after 1 month since quarantine declaration and associations with disease type, severity, gender, and caregiver’s stress burden were analyzed. Results: A total of 4,913 caregivers participated in the survey. Increased BPSD was reported in 59.6% of patients as worsening of preexisting symptoms (51.9%) or as new onset (26%), and requested drug modifications in 27.6% of these cases. Irritability, apathy, agitation, and anxiety were the most frequently reported worsening symptoms and sleep disorder and irritability the most frequent new symptoms. Profile of BPSD varied according to dementia type, disease severity, and patients’ gender. Anxiety and depression were associated with a diagnosis of AD (OR 1.35, CI: 1.12–1.62), mild to moderate disease severity and female gender. DLB was significantly associated with a higher risk of worsening hallucinations (OR 5.29, CI 3.66–7.64) and sleep disorder (OR 1.69, CI 1.25–2.29), FTD with wandering (OR 1.62, CI 1.12–2.35), and change of appetite (OR 1.52, CI 1.03–2.25). Stress-related symptoms were experienced by two-thirds of caregiv

Published
2020

9. The Impact of COVID-19 Quarantine on Patients With Dementia and Family Caregivers: A Nation-Wide Survey

Author

Innocenzo Rainero, Amalia C. Bruni, Camillo Marra, Annachiara Cagnin, Laura Bonanni, Chiara Cupidi, Valentina Laganà, Elisa Rubino, Alessandro Vacca, Raffaele Di Lorenzo, Paolo Provero, Valeria Isella, Nicola Vanacore, Federica Agosta, Ildebrando Appollonio, Paolo Caffarra, Cinzia Bussè, Renato Sambati, Davide Quaranta, Valeria Guglielmi, Giancarlo Logroscino, Massimo Filippi, Gioacchino Tedeschi, Carlo Ferrarese, the SINdem COVID-19 Study Group, Erica Gallo, Alberto Grassini, Andrea Marcinnò, Fausto Roveta, Paola De Martino, Francesca Frangipane, Gianfranco Puccio, Rosanna Colao, Maria Mirabelli, Chiara Terracciano, Federica Lino, Stefano Mozzetta, Gianmarco Gazzola, Giulia Camporese, Simona Sacco, Maria Carmela Lechiara, Claudia Carrarini, Mirella Russo, Alfonsina Casa lena, Patrizia Sucapane, Pietro Tiraboschi, Paola Caroppo, Veronica Redaelli, Giuseppe Di Fede, Daniela Coppa, Lenino Peluso, Pasqualina Insarda, Matteo De Bartolo, Sabrina Esposito, Alessandro Iavarone, Carmine Fuschillo, Elena Salvatore, Chiara Criscuolo, Luisa Sambati, Rossella Santoro, Daniela Gragnaniello, Ilaria Pedriali, Livia Ludovico, Annalisa Chiari, Andrea Fabbo, Petra Bevilacqua, Chiara Galli, Silvia Magarelli, Gianfranco Spalletta, Nerisa Banaj, Giulia Caruso, Desirée Estela Porcari, Franco Giubilei, Anna Rosa Casini, Francesca Ursini, Giuseppe Bruno, Stefano Boffelli, Michela Brambilla, Giuseppe Magnani, Francesca Caso, Edoardo G. Spinelli, Elena Sinforiani, Alfredo Costa, Simona Luzzi, Gabriella Cacchiò, A.I.M.A. –sez Parma, Marta Perini, Rossano Angeloni, Cinzia Giuli, Katia Fabi, Marco Guidi, Cristina Paci, Annaelisa Castellano, Elena Carapelle, Rossella Petrucci, Miriam Accogli, Giovanna Nicoletta Trevisi, Serena Renna, Antonella Vasquez Giuliano, Fulvio Da Re, Antonio Milia, Giuseppina Pilia, Maria Giuseppina Mascia, Valeria Putzu, Tommaso Piccoli, Luca Cuffaro, Roberto Monastero, Antonella Battaglia, Valeria Blandino, Federica Lupo, Eduardo Cumbo, Antonina Luca, Giuseppe Caravaglios, Annalisa Vezzosi, Valentina Bessi, Gloria Tognoni, Valeria Calsolaro, Giulia Lucarelli, Serena Amici, Alberto Trequattrini, Salvatore Pezzuto, Patrizia Mecocci, Giulia Caironi, Barbara Boselli, Marino Formilan, Alessandra Coin, Laura De Togni, Francesca Sala, Giulia Sandri, Maurizio Gallucci, Anna Paola Mazzarolo, Cristina Bergamelli, Serena Passoni, Rainero, I., Bruni, A. C., Marra, C., Cagnin, A., Bonanni, L., Cupidi, C., Lagana, V., Rubino, E., Vacca, A., Di Lorenzo, R., Provero, P., Isella, V., Vanacore, N., Agosta, F., Appollonio, I., Caffarra, P., Busse, C., Sambati, R., Quaranta, D., Guglielmi, V., Logroscino, G., Filippi, M., Tedeschi, G., Ferrarese, C., Rainero, I, Bruni, A, Marra, C, Cagnin, A, Bonanni, L, Cupidi, C, Lagana, V, Rubino, E, Vacca, A, Di Lorenzo, R, Provero, P, Isella, V, Vanacore, N, Agosta, F, Appollonio, I, Caffarra, P, Busse, C, Sambati, R, Quaranta, D, Guglielmi, V, Logroscino, G, Filippi, M, Tedeschi, G, Ferrarese, C, Gallo, E, Grassini, A, Marcinnò, A, Roveta, F, De Martino, P, Frangipane, F, Puccio, G, Colao, R, Mirabelli, M, Terracciano, C, Lino, F, Mozzetta, S, Gazzola, G, Camporese, G, Sacco, S, Lechiara, M, Carrarini, C, Russo, M, Casa Lena, A, Sucapane, P, Tiraboschi, P, Caroppo, P, Redaelli, V, Di Fede, G, Coppa, D, Peluso, L, Insarda, P, De Bartolo, M, Esposito, S, Iavarone, A, Fuschillo, C, Salvatore, E, Criscuolo, C, Sambati, L, Santoro, R, Gragnaniello, D, Pedriali, I, Ludovico, L, Chiari, A, Fabbo, A, Bevilacqua, P, Galli, C, Magarelli, S, Spalletta, G, Banaj, N, Caruso, G, Porcari, E, Giubilei, F, Casini, A, Ursini, F, Bruno, G, Boffelli, S, Brambilla, M, Magnani, G, Caso, F, Spinelli, E, Sinforiani, E, Costa, A, Luzzi, S, Cacchiò, G, Perini, M, Angeloni, R, Giuli, C, Fabi, K, Guidi, M, Paci, C, Castellano, A, Carapelle, E, Petrucci, R, Accogli, M, Trevisi, G, Renna, S, Vasquez Giuliano, A, Da Re, F, Milia, A, Pilia, G, Mascia, M, Putzu, V, Piccoli, T, Cuffaro, L, Monastero, R, Battaglia, A, Blandino, V, Lupo, F, Cumbo, E, Luca, A, Caravaglios, G, Vezzosi, A, Bessi, V, Tognoni, G, Calsolaro, V, Lucarelli, G, Amici, S, Trequattrini, A, Pezzuto, S, Mecocci, P, Caironi, G, Boselli, B, Formilan, M, Coin, A, De Togni, L, Sala, F, Sandri, G, Gallucci, M, Mazzarolo, A, Bergamelli, C, Passoni, S, Rainero I., Bruni A.C., Marra C., Cagnin A., Bonanni L., Cupidi C., Lagana V., Rubino E., Vacca A., Lorenzo R.D., Provero P., Isella V., Vanacore N., Agosta F., Appollonio I., Caffarra P., Busse C., Sambati R., Quaranta D., Guglielmi V., Logroscino G., Filippi M., Tedeschi G., Ferrarese C., Gallo E., Grassini A., Marcinno A., Roveta F., De Martino P., Frangipane F., Puccio G., Colao R., Mirabelli M., Terracciano C., Lino F., Mozzetta S., Gazzola G., Camporese G., Sacco S., Lechiara M.C., Carrarini C., Russo M., Casa Lena A., Sucapane P., Tiraboschi P., Caroppo P., Redaelli V., Di Fede G., Coppa D., Peluso L., Insarda P., De Bartolo M., Esposito S., Iavarone A., Fuschillo C., Salvatore E., Criscuolo C., Sambati L., Santoro R., Gragnaniello D., Pedriali I., Ludovico L., Chiari A., Fabbo A., Bevilacqua P., Galli C., Magarelli S., Spalletta G., Banaj N., Caruso G., Estela Porcari D., Giubilei F., Casini A.R., Ursini F., Bruno G., Boffelli S., Brambilla M., Magnani G., Caso F., Spinelli E.G., Sinforiani E., Costa A., Luzzi S., Cacchio G., Perini M., Angeloni R., Giuli C., Fabi K., Guidi M., Paci C., Castellano A., Carapelle E., Petrucci R., Accogli M., Nicoletta Trevisi G., Renna S., Giuliano A.V., Da Re F., Milia A., Pilia G., Mascia M.G., Putzu V., Piccoli T., Cuffaro L., Monastero R., Battaglia A., Blandino V., Lupo F., Cumbo E., Luca A., Caravaglios G., Vezzosi A., Bessi V., Tognoni G., Calsolaro V., Lucarelli G., Amici S., Trequattrini A., Pezzuto S., Mecocci P., Caironi G., Boselli B., Formilan M., Coin A., De Togni L., Sala F., Sandri G., Gallucci M., Mazzarolo A.P., Bergamelli C., Passoni S., Lorenzo, R. D., Gallo, E., Grassini, A., Marcinno, A., Roveta, F., De Martino, P., Frangipane, F., Puccio, G., Colao, R., Mirabelli, M., Terracciano, C., Lino, F., Mozzetta, S., Gazzola, G., Camporese, G., Sacco, S., Lechiara, M. C., Carrarini, C., Russo, M., Casa Lena, A., Sucapane, P., Tiraboschi, P., Caroppo, P., Redaelli, V., Di Fede, G., Coppa, D., Peluso, L., Insarda, P., De Bartolo, M., Esposito, S., Iavarone, A., Fuschillo, C., Salvatore, E., Criscuolo, C., Sambati, L., Santoro, R., Gragnaniello, D., Pedriali, I., Ludovico, L., Chiari, A., Fabbo, A., Bevilacqua, P., Galli, C., Magarelli, S., Spalletta, G., Banaj, N., Caruso, G., Estela Porcari, D., Giubilei, F., Casini, A. R., Ursini, F., Bruno, G., Boffelli, S., Brambilla, M., Magnani, G., Caso, F., Spinelli, E. G., Sinforiani, E., Costa, A., Luzzi, S., Cacchio, G., Perini, M., Angeloni, R., Giuli, C., Fabi, K., Guidi, M., Paci, C., Castellano, A., Carapelle, E., Petrucci, R., Accogli, M., Nicoletta Trevisi, G., Renna, S., Giuliano, A. V., Da Re, F., Milia, A., Pilia, G., Mascia, M. G., Putzu, V., Piccoli, T., Cuffaro, L., Monastero, R., Battaglia, A., Blandino, V., Lupo, F., Cumbo, E., Luca, A., Caravaglios, G., Vezzosi, A., Bessi, V., Tognoni, G., Calsolaro, V., Lucarelli, G., Amici, S., Trequattrini, A., Pezzuto, S., Mecocci, P., Caironi, G., Boselli, B., Formilan, M., Coin, A., De Togni, L., Sala, F., Sandri, G., Gallucci, M., Mazzarolo, A. P., Bergamelli, C., and Passoni, S.

Subjects
Aging, Pediatrics, medicine.medical_specialty, Cognitive Neuroscience, lcsh:RC321-571, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, mental disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, BPSD, caregiver burden, COVID-19, dementia, quarantine, medicine, Dementia, BPSD, 030212 general & internal medicine, Vascular dementia, lcsh:Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, Alzheimer’s disease, caregiver burden, COVID-19, dementia, quarantine, Depression (differential diagnoses), Original Research, M-PSI/05 - PSICOLOGIA SOCIALE, MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Dementia with Lewy bodies, Family caregivers, business.industry, Odds ratio, medicine.disease, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Distress, MED/17 - MALATTIE INFETTIVE, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, Neuroscience, Frontotemporal dementia
Abstract

IntroductionPrevious studies showed that quarantine for pandemic diseases is associated with several psychological and medical effects. The consequences of quarantine for COVID-19 pandemic in patients with dementia are unknown. We investigated the clinical changes in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and evaluated caregivers’ distress during COVID-19 quarantine.MethodsThe study involved 87 Italian Dementia Centers. Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), and Vascular Dementia (VD) were eligible for the study. Family caregivers of patients with dementia were interviewed by phone in April 2020, 45 days after quarantine declaration. Main outcomes were patients’ changes in cognitive, behavioral, and motor symptoms. Secondary outcomes were effects on caregivers’ psychological features.Results4913 patients (2934 females, 1979 males) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Caregivers reported a worsening in cognitive functions in 55.1% of patients, mainly in subjects with DLB and AD. Aggravation of behavioral symptoms was observed in 51.9% of patients. In logistic regression analysis, previous physical independence was associated with both cognitive and behavioral worsening (odds ratio 1.85 [95% CI 1.42–2.39], 1.84 [95% CI 1.43–2.38], respectively). On the contrary, pandemic awareness was a protective factor for the worsening of cognitive and behavioral symptoms (odds ratio 0.74 [95% CI 0.65–0.85]; and 0.72 [95% CI 0.63–0.82], respectively). Approximately 25.9% of patients showed the onset of new behavioral symptoms. A worsening in motor function was reported by 36.7% of patients. Finally, caregivers reported a high increase in anxiety, depression, and distress.ConclusionOur study shows that quarantine for COVID-19 is associated with an acute worsening of clinical symptoms in patients with dementia as well as increase of caregivers’ burden. Our findings emphasize the importance to implement new strategies to mitigate the effects of quarantine in patients with dementia.

Published
2021

10. Behavioral and psychological effects of coronavirus disease-19 quarantine in patients with dementia

Author

Annachiara Cagnin, Raffaele Di Lorenzo, Camillo Marra, Laura Bonanni, Chiara Cupidi, Valentina Laganà, Elisa Rubino, Alessandro Vacca, Paolo Provero, Valeria Isella, Nicola Vanacore, Federica Agosta, Ildebrando Appollonio, Paolo Caffarra, Ilaria Pettenuzzo, Renato Sambati, Davide Quaranta, Valeria Guglielmi, Giancarlo Logroscino, Massimo Filippi, Gioacchino Tedeschi, Carlo Ferrarese, Innocenzo Rainero, Amalia C. Bruni, SINdem COVID-19 Study Group, Erica Gallo, Alberto Grassini, Andrea Marcinnò, Fausto Roveta, Paola De Martino, Francesca Frangipane, Gianfranco Puccio, Rosanna Colao, Maria Mirabelli, Noemi Martellacci, Federica Lino, Stefano Mozzetta, Cinzia Bussè, Giulia Camporese, Simona Sacco, Maria Carmela Lechiara, Claudia Carrarini, Mirella Russo, Alfonsina Casalena, Patrizia Sucapane, Pietro Tiraboschi, Paola Caroppo, Veronica Redaelli, Giuseppe Di Fede, Daniela Coppa, Lenino Peluso, Pasqualina Insarda, Matteo De Bartolo, Sabrina Esposito, Alessandro Iavarone, Anna Vittoria Marta Orsini, Elena Salvatore, Chiara Criscuolo, Luisa Sambati, Rossella Santoro, Daniela Gragnaniello, Ilaria Pedriali, Livia Ludovico, Annalisa Chiari, Andrea Fabbo, Petra Bevilacqua, Chiara Galli, Silvia Magarelli, Marta Perini, Gianfranco Spalletta, Nerisa Banaj, Desirée Estela Porcari, Giulia Caruso, Virginia Cipollini, Anna Rosa Casini, Francesca Ursini, Giuseppe Bruno, Renzo Rozzini, Michela Brambilla, Giuseppe Magnani, Francesca Caso, Edoardo G. Spinelli, Matteo Cotta Ramusino, Giulia Perini, Simona Luzzi, Gabriella Cacchiò, Rossano Angeloni, Cinzia Giuli, Katia Fabi, Marco Guidi, Cristina Paci, Annaelisa Castellano, Elena Carapelle, Rossella Petrucci, Miriam Accogli, Gianluigi Calabrese, Giovanna Nicoletta Trevisi, Brigida Coluccia, Antonella Vasquez Giuliano, Marcella Caggiula, Fulvio Da Re, Antonio Milia, Giuseppina Pilia, Maria Giuseppina Mascia, Valeria Putzu, Tommaso Piccoli, Luca Cuffaro, Roberto Monastero, Antonella Battaglia, Valeria Blandino, Federica Lupo, Eduardo Cumbo, Luca Antonina, Giuseppe Caravaglios, Annalisa Vezzosi, Valentina Bessi, Gloria Tognoni, Valeria Calsolaro, Enrico Mossello, Serena Amici, Alberto Trequattrini, Salvatore Pezzuto, Patrizia Mecocci, Giulia Fichera, Samantha Pradelli, Marino Formilan, Alessandra Coin, Laura Detogni, Francesca Sala, Giulia Sandri, Maurizio Gallucci, Anna Paola Mazzarolo, Cristina Bergamelli, Cagnin, A., Di Lorenzo, R., Marra, C., Bonanni, L., Cupidi, C., Lagana, V., Rubino, E., Vacca, A., Provero, P., Isella, V., Vanacore, N., Agosta, F., Appollonio, I., Caffarra, P., Pettenuzzo, I., Sambati, R., Quaranta, D., Guglielmi, V., Logroscino, G., Filippi, M., Tedeschi, G., Ferrarese, C., Rainero, I., Bruni, A. C., Cagnin A., Di Lorenzo R., Marra C., Bonanni L., Cupidi C., Lagana V., Rubino E., Vacca A., Provero P., Isella V., Vanacore N., Agosta F., Appollonio I., Caffarra P., Pettenuzzo I., Sambati R., Quaranta D., Guglielmi V., Logroscino G., Filippi M., Tedeschi G., Ferrarese C., Rainero I., Bruni A.C., Gallo E., Grassini A., Marcinno A., Roveta F., De Martino P., Frangipane F., Puccio G., Colao R., Mirabelli M., Martellacci N., Lino F., Mozzetta S., Busse C., Camporese G., Sacco S., Lechiara M.C., Carrarini C., Russo M., Casalena A., Sucapane P., Tiraboschi P., Caroppo P., Redaelli V., Di Fede G., Coppa D., Peluso L., Insarda P., De Bartolo M., Esposito S., Iavarone A., Orsini A.V.M., Salvatore E., Criscuolo C., Sambati L., Santoro R., Gragnaniello D., Pedriali I., Ludovico L., Chiari A., Fabbo A., Bevilacqua P., Galli C., Magarelli S., Perini M., Spalletta G., Banaj N., Porcari D.E., Caruso G., Cipollini V., Casini A.R., Ursini F., Bruno G., Rozzini R., Brambilla M., Magnani G., Caso F., Spinelli E.G., Ramusino M.C., Perini G., Luzzi S., Cacchio G., Angeloni R., Giuli C., Fabi K., Guidi M., Paci C., Castellano A., Carapelle E., Petrucci R., Accogli M., Calabrese G., Trevisi G.N., Coluccia B., Giuliano A.V., Caggiula M., Da Re F., Milia A., Pilia G., Mascia M.G., Putzu V., Piccoli T., Cuffaro L., Monastero R., Battaglia A., Blandino V., Lupo F., Cumbo E., Antonina L., Caravaglios G., Vezzosi A., Bessi V., Tognoni G., Calsolaro V., Mossello E., Amici S., Trequattrini A., Pezzuto S., Mecocci P., Fichera G., Pradelli S., Formilan M., Coin A., Detogni L., Sala F., Sandri G., Gallucci M., Mazzarolo A.P., Bergamelli C., Gallo, E., Grassini, A., Marcinno, A., Roveta, F., De Martino, P., Frangipane, F., Puccio, G., Colao, R., Mirabelli, M., Martellacci, N., Lino, F., Mozzetta, S., Busse, C., Camporese, G., Sacco, S., Lechiara, M. C., Carrarini, C., Russo, M., Casalena, A., Sucapane, P., Tiraboschi, P., Caroppo, P., Redaelli, V., Di Fede, G., Coppa, D., Peluso, L., Insarda, P., De Bartolo, M., Esposito, S., Iavarone, A., Orsini, A. V. M., Salvatore, E., Criscuolo, C., Sambati, L., Santoro, R., Gragnaniello, D., Pedriali, I., Ludovico, L., Chiari, A., Fabbo, A., Bevilacqua, P., Galli, C., Magarelli, S., Perini, M., Spalletta, G., Banaj, N., Porcari, D. E., Caruso, G., Cipollini, V., Casini, A. R., Ursini, F., Bruno, G., Rozzini, R., Brambilla, M., Magnani, G., Caso, F., Spinelli, E. G., Ramusino, M. C., Perini, G., Luzzi, S., Cacchio, G., Angeloni, R., Giuli, C., Fabi, K., Guidi, M., Paci, C., Castellano, A., Carapelle, E., Petrucci, R., Accogli, M., Calabrese, G., Trevisi, G. N., Coluccia, B., Giuliano, A. V., Caggiula, M., Da Re, F., Milia, A., Pilia, G., Mascia, M. G., Putzu, V., Piccoli, T., Cuffaro, L., Monastero, R., Battaglia, A., Blandino, V., Lupo, F., Cumbo, E., Antonina, L., Caravaglios, G., Vezzosi, A., Bessi, V., Tognoni, G., Calsolaro, V., Mossello, E., Amici, S., Trequattrini, A., Pezzuto, S., Mecocci, P., Fichera, G., Pradelli, S., Formilan, M., Coin, A., Detogni, L., Sala, F., Sandri, G., Gallucci, M., Mazzarolo, A. P., Bergamelli, C., Cagnin, A, Di Lorenzo, R, Marra, C, Bonanni, L, Cupidi, C, Lagana, V, Rubino, E, Vacca, A, Provero, P, Isella, V, Vanacore, N, Agosta, F, Appollonio, I, Caffarra, P, Pettenuzzo, I, Sambati, R, Quaranta, D, Guglielmi, V, Logroscino, G, Filippi, M, Tedeschi, G, Ferrarese, C, Rainero, I, and Bruni, A

Subjects
Pediatrics, medicine.medical_specialty, lcsh:RC435-571, Irritability, Behavioral symptoms, 03 medical and health sciences, 0302 clinical medicine, lcsh:Psychiatry, Psychological symptoms, medicine, Dementia, Apathy, Vascular dementia, Behavioral and psychological symptoms, Behavioral symptoms, Caregiver, Coronavirus disease, Dementia, Gender, Psychological symptoms, Quarantine, Original Research, MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, Psychiatry, Behavioral symptom, Dementia with Lewy bodies, Family caregivers, business.industry, Behavioral and psychological symptoms, Gender, Behavioral and psychological symptom, Caregiver burden, medicine.disease, Multiinfarct dementia, Caregiver, 030227 psychiatry, Coronavirus disease, Quarantine, Psychiatry and Mental health, Settore MED/26 - NEUROLOGIA, MED/17 - MALATTIE INFETTIVE, MED/25 - PSICHIATRIA, M-PSI/08 - PSICOLOGIA CLINICA, Psychological symptom, medicine.symptom, business, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

Background: In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic due to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and several governments planned a national quarantine in order to control the virus spread. Acute psychological effects of quarantine in frail elderly subjects with special needs, such as patients with dementia, have been poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to assess modifications of neuropsychiatric symptoms during quarantine in patients with dementia and their caregivers. Methods: This is a sub-study of a multicenter nation-wide survey. A structured telephone interview was delivered to family caregivers of patients with diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and vascular dementia (VD), followed regularly at 87 Italian memory clinics. Variations in behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) were collected after 1 month since quarantine declaration and associations with disease type, severity, gender, and caregiver’s stress burden were analyzed. Results: A total of 4,913 caregivers participated in the survey. Increased BPSD was reported in 59.6% of patients as worsening of preexisting symptoms (51.9%) or as new onset (26%), and requested drug modifications in 27.6% of these cases. Irritability, apathy, agitation, and anxiety were the most frequently reported worsening symptoms and sleep disorder and irritability the most frequent new symptoms. Profile of BPSD varied according to dementia type, disease severity, and patients’ gender. Anxiety and depression were associated with a diagnosis of AD (OR 1.35, CI: 1.12–1.62), mild to moderate disease severity and female gender. DLB was significantly associated with a higher risk of worsening hallucinations (OR 5.29, CI 3.66–7.64) and sleep disorder (OR 1.69, CI 1.25–2.29), FTD with wandering (OR 1.62, CI 1.12–2.35), and change of appetite (OR 1.52, CI 1.03–2.25). Stress-related symptoms were experienced by two-thirds of caregivers and were associated with increased patients’ neuropsychiatric burden (p

Published
2020

11. Modulating Long Term Memory at Late-Encoding Phase: An rTMS Study

Author

Luca Cuffaro, Tommaso Piccoli, Giuseppe Giglia, Fabio Aleo, Pierangelo Sardo, Giuseppe Ferraro, Filippo Brighina, Massimo Gangitano, Giuditta Gambino, Valeria Blandino, Giglia, G, Gambino, G, Cuffaro, L, Aleo, F, Sardo, P, Ferraro, G, Blandino, V, Brighina, F, Gangitano, M, Piccoli, T, Giglia Giuseppe, Gambino Giuditta, Cuffaro Luca, Aleo Fabio, Sardo Pierangelo, Ferraro Giuseppe, Blandino Valeria, Brighina Filippo, Gangitano Massimo, and Piccoli T

Subjects
Memory, Long-Term, Explicit memory, Long term memory, Phase (waves), Prefrontal Cortex, Stimulation, DLPFC, Settore BIO/09 - Fisiologia, Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, Encoding (memory), rTMS, Reaction Time, medicine, Humans, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging, Radiological and Ultrasound Technology, business.industry, Long-term memory, Neurophysiology, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, medicine.anatomical_structure, Neurology, Settore MED/26 - Neurologia, Neurology (clinical), Implicit memory, Anatomy, business, Neuroscience, psychological phenomena and processes
Abstract

Despite a huge effort of the scientific community, the functioning of Long-Term Memory (LTM) processes is still debated and far from being elucidated. Functional and neurophysiological data point to an involvement of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) in both encoding and retrieval phases. However, the recently proposed Explicit/Implicit Memory Encoding and Retrieval (EIMER) model proposes that LTM at the encoding phase consists of anatomically and chronologically different sub-phases. On this basis, we aimed to investigate the role of right DLPFC during a late-encoding phase by means of low-frequency rTMS. Thirty right-handed healthy subjects were divided into three experimental groups. Inhibitory rTMS was applied over right-DLPFC immediately after the encoding phase (Late-Encoding Group) or before recognition phase (Pre-Recognition Group), 24 h after, of an LTM task. Both groups also received sham stimulation during the non-target phase, while the third group (Sham Group) received only sham stimulation in both phases. The Late-Encoding Group collected a lower number of correct responses compared with Sham Group (p = 0.00), while Pre-Retrieval Group increased accuracy as compared to the Sham Group (p = 0.0). rTMS-inhibition of the right DLPFC seems able to interfere with LTM memory performances when delivered at a late stage of the encoding phase, with opposite effects at the pre-retrieval phase.

Published
2021
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12. EEG Resting-State Functional Networks in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Author

G. Caravaglios, E. G. Muscoso, V. Blandino, G. Di Maria, M. Gangitano, F. Graziano, F Guajana, T. Piccoli, Caravaglios, G, Muscoso, E G, Blandino, V, Di Maria, G, Gangitano, M, Graziano, F, Guajana, F, and Piccoli, T

Subjects
alpha rhythm, low-resolution electrical tomographic analysi, Brain, Electroencephalography, Neuroimaging, General Medicine, Alzheimer's disease, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Neurology, Alzheimer Disease, connectivity, oscillations, resting-state network, Humans, Settore MED/26 - Neurologia, Cognitive Dysfunction, Neurology (clinical), Aged
Abstract

Background. Alzheimer’s cognitive-behavioral syndrome is the result of impaired connectivity between nerve cells, due to misfolded proteins, which accumulate and disrupt specific brain networks. Electroencephalography, because of its excellent temporal resolution, is an optimal approach for assessing the communication between functionally related brain regions. O bjective. To detect and compare EEG resting-state networks (RSNs) in patients with amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and healthy elderly (HE). Methods. We recruited 125 aMCI patients and 70 healthy elderly subjects. One hundred and twenty seconds of artifact-free EEG data were selected and compared between patients with aMCI and HE. We applied standard low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA)-independent component analysis (ICA) to assess resting-state networks. Each network consisted of a set of images, one for each frequency (delta, theta, alpha1/2, beta1/2). Results. The functional ICA analysis revealed 17 networks common to groups. The statistical procedure demonstrated that aMCI used some networks differently than HE. The most relevant findings were as follows. Amnesic-MCI had: i) increased delta/beta activity in the superior frontal gyrus and decreased alpha1 activity in the paracentral lobule (ie, default mode network); ii) greater delta/theta/alpha/beta in the superior frontal gyrus (i.e, attention network); iii) lower alpha in the left superior parietal lobe, as well as a lower delta/theta and beta, respectively in post-central, and in superior frontal gyrus(ie, attention network). Conclusions. Our study confirms sLORETA-ICA method is effective in detecting functional resting-state networks, as well as between-groups connectivity differences. The findings provide support to the Alzheimer’s network disconnection hypothesis.

Published
2022

13. Beyond the Gender Binarism: Neural Correlates of Trans Men in a Functional Connectivity-Resting-State fMRI Pilot Study.

Author

Maniaci G, Collura G, La Cascia C, Piccoli T, Bongiorno E, Barresi I, Marrale M, Gagliardo C, Giammanco A, Blandino V, Sartorio C, Radellini S, Ferraro L, Toia F, Zabbia G, Bivona G, Midiri M, Ciaccio M, La Barbera D, Cordova A, and Quattrone D

Abstract

Introduction : Several studies have investigated the specific neural correlates of trans people, highlighting mixed results. This study aimed to compare the presence of specific functional connectivity and differences in cognitive profile and hormone levels in trans men diagnosed with gender dysphoria (GD), and a homogeneous group of cisgender men and cisgender women. Methods : A total of 42 participants (19 trans men, 11 cisgender men, and 12 cisgender women) underwent a resting state fMRI and were measured for blood levels of testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone. A neuropsychological battery evaluated executive functions, attention, visual-perceptual ability, verbal fluency, manual preference, and general intelligence. Results : Trans men showed weaker functional connectivity in the precentral gyrus, subcallosal cortex, paracingulate gyrus, temporal pole, and cingulate gyrus than cisgender men ( p < 0.01). Trans men performed worse than cisgender men in verbal and visuospatial working memory but similarly to cisgender women ( p < 0.05). In trans men, functional connectivity of the precentral gyrus correlated positively with testosterone ( r = 0.459, p = 0.064) and negatively with estradiol ( r = -0.654, p = 0.004) and progesterone blood levels ( r = -0.475, p = 0.054). The cluster involving the subcallosal cortex showed a positive correlation with testosterone (r = 0.718, p = 0.001), and a negative correlation with estradiol (r = -0.602, p = 0.011). The functional connectivity from a cluster involving the paracingulate gyrus showed a positive correlation with testosterone ( r = 0.592, p = 0.012). Conclusions : This study highlights the importance of overpassing the binary model by underlining the presence of neural pathways that could represent the peculiarity of the neural profile of people with GD.

Published
2024
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14. Cerebrospinal Fluid Neurofilaments Light-Chain Differentiate Patients Affected by Alzheimer's Disease with Different Rate of Progression (RoP): A Preliminary Study.

Author

Blandino V, Colletti T, Ribisi P, Tarantino D, Mosca V, Agnello L, Ciaccio M, and Piccoli T

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder and a leading cause of dementia. One major challenge for clinicians is accurately assessing the rate of disease progression (RoP) early in the diagnostic process, which is crucial for patient management and clinical trial stratification. This study evaluated the role of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers-Aβ42, t-Tau, pTau, Neurogranin (Ng), and Neurofilament light-chain (NF-L)-in predicting RoP at the time of AD diagnosis. We included 56 AD patients and monitored cognitive impairment using MMSE scores at diagnosis and during six-month follow-up visits. RoP scores were calculated based on these assessments. Our correlation analyses revealed significant associations between RoP and pTau, Aβ42/Ng ratio, and NF-L levels. When patients were stratified by median RoP values into low-to-moderate (L-M: <2) and upper-moderate (U-M: >2) groups, those in the U-M group had notably higher CSF NF-L levels compared to the L-M group. Logistic regression analysis further demonstrated that elevated CSF NF-L levels were predictive of a faster RoP. These findings highlight the potential of CSF NF-L as a prognostic biomarker for rapid disease progression in AD. By identifying patients at risk for accelerated cognitive decline, CSF NF-L could significantly enhance early intervention strategies and improve patient management in clinical settings.

Published
2024
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15. Exploring the effect of APOE ε4 on biomarkers of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease.

Author

Agnello L, Gambino CM, Ciaccio AM, Piccoli T, Blandino V, Scazzone C, Lo Sasso B, Del Ben F, and Ciaccio M

Subjects
Humans, Male, Female, Aged, Retrospective Studies, Amyloid beta-Peptides cerebrospinal fluid, tau Proteins cerebrospinal fluid, Middle Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease genetics, Alzheimer Disease cerebrospinal fluid, Alzheimer Disease diagnosis, Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid, Apolipoprotein E4 genetics
Abstract

Background and Aims: This study aims to assess the association between APOE genotype and biomarkers of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD)., Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study at the University Hospital "P. Giaccone" in Palermo, Italy. We enrolled patients with cognitive decline, including AD. For each patient, we measured amyloid beta (Aβ)42, Aβ40, tau protein phosphorylated at threonine 181 (pTau), total tau (tTau), neurogranin, alpha-synuclein, and neurofilament light chain (NfL) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)., Results: The study population consisted of 194 patients (123 AD and 71 non-AD). AD patients have significantly lower Aβ42 levels and Aβ42/40 ratio and higher pTau, tTau, and NfLs levels than non-AD patients. In AD patients, the APOEε4 allele is associated with a significantly lower Aβ42/40 ratio and higher levels of pTau, tTau, neurogranin, and alpha-synuclein. This association is not observed in non-AD patients., Conclusions: This study provides evidence of the significant impact of the APOE ε4 allele on neurodegenerative biomarkers in AD patients, highlighting its role in exacerbating amyloid and tau pathology as well as synaptic degeneration., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Published
2024
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16. Evaluation of serum and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers after vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

Author

Iacono S, Piccoli T, Aridon P, Schirò G, Blandino V, Tarantino D, Agnello L, Ciaccio M, Ragonese P, and Salemi G

Subjects
Humans, COVID-19 Vaccines adverse effects, Vaccination adverse effects, Biomarkers, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 prevention & control
Abstract

Objective: Vaccines are a major achievement of science, and new vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are protecting the entire population from a life-threatening infection. Although several neurological complications or worsening of pre-existing neurological conditions after vaccination have been observed, whether a biological plausibility exist between new vaccines against-SARS-CoV-2 and neurological consequences is unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 induce systemic or cerebrospinal fluid alterations in patients with neurological disorders., Methods: Patients who underwent lumbar puncture (LP) between February 2021 and October 2022 were enrolled. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), cerebrospinal fluid total protein content (CSF-TPc), glucose CSF/serum ratio, number of CSF cells per cubic millimeter, and CSF neurofilament light chain (CSF-NfL) were compared between unvaccinated and vaccinated patients., Results: A total of 110 patients were included and fitted into three groups according firstly to vaccination status (vaccinated and unvaccinated) and then to time from last dose of vaccine to LP (within or after 3 months). TPc, CSF/S Glu ratio, number of cells per cubic millimeter, CSF-NfL, CRP, and NLR were not different between groups (all p > 0.05), and also, they did not differ neither according to age nor diagnosis. No relevant differences between groups were also noticed when the at-risk time window was set to 6 weeks., Interpretation: No signs of neuroinflammation, axonal loss and systemic inflammation were found in patients with neurological disorders after anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination compared with unvaccinated ones., (© 2023 The Authors. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Neurological Association.)

Published
2023
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17. Biomarkers Related to Synaptic Dysfunction to Discriminate Alzheimer's Disease from Other Neurological Disorders.

Author

Piccoli T, Blandino V, Maniscalco L, Matranga D, Graziano F, Guajana F, Agnello L, Lo Sasso B, Gambino CM, Giglio RV, La Bella V, Ciaccio M, and Colletti T

Subjects
Amyloid beta-Peptides, Biomarkers, Fluorodeoxyglucose F18, Humans, Neurogranin genetics, alpha-Synuclein genetics, tau Proteins, Alzheimer Disease diagnosis, Alzheimer Disease genetics, Cognitive Dysfunction, Neurodegenerative Diseases
Abstract

Recently, the synaptic proteins neurogranin (Ng) and α-synuclein (α-Syn) have attracted scientific interest as potential biomarkers for synaptic dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we measured the CSF Ng and α-Syn concentrations in patients affected by AD (n = 69), non-AD neurodegenerative disorders (n-AD = 50) and non-degenerative disorders (n-ND, n = 98). The concentrations of CSF Ng and α-Syn were significantly higher in AD than in n-AD and n-ND. Moreover, the Aβ42/Ng and Aβ42/α-Syn ratios showed statistically significant differences between groups and discriminated AD patients from n-AD patients, better than Ng or α-Syn alone. Regression analyses showed an association of higher Ng concentrations with MMSE < 24, pathological Aβ 42/40 ratios, pTau, tTau and the ApoEε4 genotype. Aβ 42/Ng was associated with MMSE < 24, an AD-related FDG-PET pattern, the ApoEε4 genotype, pathological Aβ 42 levels and Aβ 42/40 ratios, pTau, and tTau. Moreover, APO-Eε4 carriers showed higher Ng concentrations than non-carriers. Our results support the idea that the Aβ 42/Ng ratio is a reliable index of synaptic dysfunction/degeneration able to discriminate AD from other neurological conditions.

Published
2022
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18. Prognostic Role of CSF β-amyloid 1-42/1-40 Ratio in Patients Affected by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Author

Colletti T, Agnello L, Spataro R, Guccione L, Notaro A, Lo Sasso B, Blandino V, Graziano F, Gambino CM, Giglio RV, Bivona G, La Bella V, Ciaccio M, and Piccoli T

Abstract

The involvement of β-amyloid (Aβ) in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been widely discussed and its role in the disease is still a matter of debate. Aβ accumulates in the cortex and the anterior horn neurons of ALS patients and seems to affect their survival. To clarify the role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ 1-42 and Aβ 42/40 ratios as a potential prognostic biomarker for ALS, we performed a retrospective observational study on a cohort of ALS patients who underwent a lumbar puncture at the time of the diagnosis. CSF Aβ 1-40 and Aβ 1-42 ratios were detected by chemiluminescence immunoassay and their values were correlated with clinical features. We found a significant correlation of the Aβ 42/40 ratio with age at onset and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. No significant correlation of Aβ 1-42 or Aβ 42/40 ratios to the rate of progression of the disease were found. Furthermore, when we stratified patients according to Aβ 1-42 concentration and the Aβ 42/40 ratio, we found that patients with a lower Aβ 42/40 ratio showed a shorter survival. Our results support the hypothesis that Aβ 1-42 could be involved in some pathogenic mechanism of ALS and we suggest the Aβ 42/40 ratio as a potential prognostic biomarker.

Published
2021
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19. Oral Fluid vs. Urine Analysis to Monitor Synthetic Cannabinoids and Classic Drugs Recent Exposure.

Author

Blandino V, Wetzel J, Kim J, Haxhi P, Curtis R, and Concheiro M

Subjects
Adult, Chromatography, Liquid, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Specimen Handling, Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Tissue Distribution, Cannabinoids analysis, Cannabinoids urine, Designer Drugs analysis, Saliva chemistry, Substance Abuse Detection methods
Abstract

Background: Urine is a common biological sample to monitor recent drug exposure, and oral fluid is an alternative matrix of increasing interest in clinical and forensic toxicology. Limited data are available about oral fluid vs. urine drug disposition, especially for synthetic cannabinoids., Objective: To compare urine and oral fluid as biological matrices to monitor recent drug exposure among HIV-infected homeless individuals., Methods: Seventy matched urine and oral fluid samples were collected from 13 participants. Cannabis, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cocaine and opiates were analyzed in urine by the enzyme-multipliedimmunoassay- technique and in oral fluid by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LCMSMS). Eleven synthetic cannabinoids were analyzed in urine and in oral fluid by LC-MSMS., Results: Five oral fluid samples were positive for AB-FUBINACA. In urine, 4 samples tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids PB-22, 5-Fluoro-PB-22, AB-FUBINACA, and metabolites UR-144 5-pentanoic acid and UR-144 4-hydroxypentyl. In only one case, oral fluid and urine results matched, both specimens being AB-FUBINACA positive. For cannabis, 40 samples tested positive in urine and 30 in oral fluid (85.7% match). For cocaine, 37 urine and 52 oral fluid samples were positive (75.7% match). Twenty-four urine samples were positive for opiates, and 25 in oral fluid (81.4% match). For benzodiazepines, 23 samples were positive in urine and 25 in oral fluid (85.7% match)., Conclusion/discussion: These results offer new information about drugs disposition between urine and oral fluid. Oral fluid is a good alternative matrix to urine for monitoring cannabis, cocaine, opiates and benzodiazepines recent use; however, synthetic cannabinoids showed mixed results., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

Published
2017
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