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Memory storage is a temporally graded process involving different phases and different structures in the mammalian brain. Cortical plasticity is essential to store stable memories, but little is known regarding its involvement in memory processing. Here we show that fear memory consolidation requires early post-training macromolecular synthesis in the anterior part of the retrosplenial cortex (aRSC), and that reversible pharmacological inactivation of this cortical region impairs recall of recent as well as of remote memories. These results challenge the generally accepted idea that neocortical areas are slow encoding systems that participate in the retrieval of remote memories only.

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Introduction and Objectives: Although new complementary tests have emerged for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia, due to their high costs and limited availability, it is crucial to find low-cost, simple, and quick tools during the clinical examination that allow the physician to correctly diagnose these diseases. The study aims to evaluate the predictive value of mentioning the year 1900 during temporal orientation in patients presenting with cognitive disorders. No similar studies to the one proposed have beenreported. Materials and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted on patients who underwent cognitive evaluation between April and October 2019 and were being followed up in a cognitive neurology service. Within the administration of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) by Folstein, the reported year during temporal orientation was recorded, considering it positive if the response was between 1900 and 1999. The presence of dementia was determined according to the NIA-AA clinical criteria. Epi Info 7.2.1 was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 192 patients with a mean age of 68.5 ± 13.97 years were included (65.10% women and 34.90% men). 20.31% had dementia (51.28% non-Alzheimer's dementia and 48.72% Alzheimer's-type dementia), while 79.69% had other diagnoses (73.6% non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment, 8% subjective complaint, 4% psychiatric disease, 14.4% amnestic mild cognitive impairment). Mentioning the 1900s had a specificity of 95% and a sensitivity of 58% for diagnosing Alzheimer's-type dementia versus other dementia types (positive and negative predictive values of 92% and 70% respectively). A positive response in the 1900s was associated with a lower MMSE score (Mean 20.5 SD 5.38 vs. Mean 27.1 SD 3.19 in patients with a negative response (p < 0.0001). Additionally, patients without a 1900s response had a higher number of years of education 14.03 SD 4.2 vs. 10 SD 5.3 (p 0.0001). Conclusions: While this is a preliminary result and a larger sample would be needed, thinking you are in the 1900s seems to be a good dementia indicator, although it remains to be determined if it could be specific to a particular type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Objectives: The affected functional domains in patients with degenerative dementias serve as clues to trace with varying levels of certainty the underlying neuropathology (1) and the negative impact on their autonomy reveals part of the clinical diagnosis of the disease. Healthcare professionals often rely on tools that measure this functionality, allowing them to distinguish between mild cognitive impairment and actual dementia (FAQ (2), CDR(3)). According to the science fiction author Philip K. Dick, Kipple is a useless object like advertising cards, matchboxes after the last match has been used, yesterday's newspaper wrapper, etc. Considering that the deterioration in the autonomy of dementia patients negatively impacts their connection with the environment, it is expected that the kipple around them will be few. The aim of this work is to create a low-cost, simple, and quick tool that allows the physician to measure the negative impact of the patient's cognitive failures on their functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Objectives: Vision plays an important role in theories of cognitive development and language acquisition. Studies on acquired blindness have shown a negative impact on the outcome of semantic and phonological fluency tasks in those who suffer from it. The Objectives of our work was to evaluate the potential effect of visual deficit on the lexical richness (quantity of different words or lexical units) of the work of the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (JLB). Material and Methods: Verses and prose texts by JLB (complete works of stories and poetry) were analyzed. The total number of words used was counted, and within them, the number of unique words (numbered words without counting their repetitions) was quantified using the Unique Word calculator tool from Planet Calc®. The results obtained after the period in which his blindness prevented him from reading texts were compared with the data obtained from his previous literary production. Statistical results were obtained using SPSS software. Means, standard deviations, and the result of a t-test were calculated. Results: Data from 3 books of stories and 3 poetry books written between the years 1923 and 1949 (a period in which he still retained his reading ability) were collected, as well as data from 3 books of stories and 10 poetry books from his post-blindness period (starting from 1955). A total of 93446 and 59749 total words were obtained from the pre and post-blindness periods, respectively, with a total of 39887 and 24610 unique words from the mentioned periods. A percentage of unique words over total words was calculated for both periods, and a T-test for related measures was conducted. Although a lower percentage was observed in both the narratives between the pre-blindness stage (M = 45.09%; SD = 6.8%) and post-blindness stage (M = 40.92%; SD = 4.7%), as well as in the poems pre-blindness stage (40.92% SD 4%) and post-blindness stage (32.57% SD 4.5%), this difference was not statisticallysignificant(narrativesp = 0.155;poems p = 0.106). Conclusions: The analysis of the comparison between pre-and post-blindness stages of lexical richness in JLB's writing does not align with the fluency deficit reported in the literature. The continuity of his active intellectual life may have influenced his lexical performance through compensatory mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Apathy is one of the most common neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia, mainly in Alzheimer's disease and lobar frontal degeneration. Although diagnostic criteria guidelines have been developed to facilitate diagnosis and multiple drugs have been evaluated for treatment, apathy remains a very important challenge in clinical practice. The Objectives of the symposium is that specialists from Favaloro Foundation University Hospital Memory clinic in Buenos Aires provide an update on the evidence available for both the apathy diagnosis and treatment (pharmacological and non-pharmacological) patients with dementia, as well as showing that will come in the near future. The specialists will base the dissertation both on the available evidence and on their robust clinical experience in the dementia field. The presentation will focus on the available evidence diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and the best therapeutic tools available, pharmacological and non-pharmacological. Learning and knowing about apathy is essential for correct management. Up today, apathy diagnosis is based on clinical signs and symptoms. General diagnostic criteria and specific criteria for some diseases have been developed. Memory clinic specialist will show the available tools and evidence for apathy diagnosis, the best way to differentiate from other similar disease/symptoms and will provide their robust clinical experience in this field. Treatment of apathy is still a challenge in clinical practice. Several pharmacological treatments did not show clear symptoms improvement so non pharmacological treatment has become a fundamental tool for the patients- A specialized neurophysiologist will provide the actual techniques utilized in daily practice to treat apathy in dementia patients. Pharmacological treatment for apathy is still a challenge. Multiple drugs have been tested in clinical trials but without significant symptoms improvement. Memory clinic specialist will show available evidence for pharmacological treatment for apathy and will provide their experience in clinical practice for subject management. Considering that available pharmacological treatment for apathy did not show strong symptoms improvement, there is an unmet need to find a treatment for apathy- Specialist will present available information for ongoing research for apathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: In Argentina, government has established lockdown on 19 March 2020 to decrease SARS‐COV‐2 infection. The study aim was to understand how mandatory quarantine imposed due to COVID‐19 pandemic has affected quality of life, mood, and cognitive performance of older adults with cognitive impairment. Design: Longitudinal descriptive–observational study. Participants: Patients with cognitive impairment attending to online cognitive training sessions. Measurements: Participants have completed by themselves Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease scale (QOL‐AD), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI‐II), Test your Memory (TYM), and an attention and executive task created by our institution. Same assessments were done at the beginning of the lockdown and 7 months later. Results: Fifty‐one adults were included. An increase in BDI‐II score (p = 0.049) and worse performance in one of the executive attention tests (p = 0.012) have been found. No significant differences in QOL‐AD, TYM, verbal fluency, or memory tests total scores have been observed. Reviewing scales subitems, differences in changes in sleep habits (p = 0.021), energy level decrease (p = 0.004), worse subjective record of memory capacity (p = 0.028), and decrease in ability to do housework (p = 0.007) have been shown. In those who lived alone, BDI and TYM higher scores in BDI‐II (p = 0.030) (p = 0.022) have been found. Conclusion: Mandatory quarantine imposed due to COVID‐19 pandemic was associated with worsening of mood, some quality‐of‐life variables, and decrease in attention in older adults with cognitive impairment in Argentina. Key points: These results provide evidence of the negative impact of social isolation in the emotional and cognitive sphere of patients with cognitive impairment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Medicina (Buenos Aires) is the property of Medicina (Buenos Aires) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Medicina (Buenos Aires) is the property of Medicina (Buenos Aires) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Dementia is characterized by the presence of progressive cognitive and behavioral symptoms which affect normal functioning. With the purpose of determining if there are any changes related to patients’ religiosity due to dementia, we developed a questionnaire aiming to evaluate changes pre and post diagnostic. In effect, we observed that patients with dementia might experience a reduction of the importance given to religion and its associated practices with the disease progression. However, God’s belief did not show any changes despite the diagnosis. Therefore, we point out the relevance of incorporating religiosity as another aspect to take into account in the cognitive rehabilitation treatments., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare, (CC BY NC ND)

The spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases that primarily affect cognition and behaviorspreads from asymptomatic preclinical disease to very mild cognitive impairment to frank dementia. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of a decline in cognitive ability. Also, it is a devastating condition that affects patients and their entirefamilies of caregivers, exacting tremendous financial hardships. Diagnosis may be complicated by other forms of dementia that have symptoms and pathologies similar to AD. Knowing the key features and pathology of each type of dementia can help in the accurate diagnosis of patients, so they will receive the treatment and support services appropriate for their condition and maintain the highest possible functioning in daily life and quality of life. Differentiate, based on clinical criteria, neuropathology, and biomarkers, AD and its atypical variants from other common dementias including Dementia with Lewy Bodies, Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Frontotemporal Degeneration, and less frequent cognitive disorders. The importance of getting an accurate and early diagnosis of dementiais now increasingly significant to make important decisions about treatment, support, and care. Nonpharmacological as well as pharmacological interventions should be initiated once the diagnosis is obtained. Biochemical markers to identify Alzheimer's disease play a central role in the new diagnostic criteria for the disease and in the recent biological definition of AD. This review article presents up-to-date data regarding the recent diagnostic criteria of Alzheimer´s disease and related disorders, emphasizing its usefulness in routine clinical practice., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare, (CC BY NC ND)

Introduction: Autoimmune encephalitis represents a group of immune-mediated neurological disorders. At present, the description of the chronic cognitive sequela is scarce. The objective of this study was to characterize the cognitive after effects of different types of autoimmune encephalitis in a cohort from a single center in Argentina., Methods: Prospective, observational, cross-sectional study of patients under follow-up at a hospital in Buenos Aires city, with a diagnosis of probable and definitive immune-mediated encephalitis. Epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical and treatment related variables were evaluated. Cognitive sequela was determined through a neurocognitive evaluation performed at least a year after the clinical presentation., Results: Fifteen patients were included. All had diminished results in at least one test. Memory was the most affected domain. Patients who were under immunosuppressive treatment at the time of evaluation presented lower results in serial learning (mean -2.94; standard deviation 1.54) versus those who weren't under treatment (mean -1.18; standard deviation 1.40; p = 0.05). The same pattern was observed on the recognition test of treatment group (mean -10.34; standard deviation 8.02) versus treatment-free group (mean -1.39; standard deviation 2.21; p =0.003). Patients with status epilepticus had poorer results in the recognition test (mean -7.2; standard deviation 7.91) compared to those without it (mean -1.47; standard deviation 2.34; p = 0.05)., Conclusion: Our results show that, despite the monophasic course of this disease, all patients had persistent cognitive damage beyond the year of onset. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm our findings.

Approved drug treatments for Alzheimer´s disease (AD) are symptomatic and don´t modify the disease course. These include acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AchI) and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, memantine. Around 20 years ago, these drugs were approved for Alzheimer type Dementia. This wasbased on clinical trials which inclusion criteria were focused on a clinical amnestic AD presentation. At that time, subjects with an atypical AD clinical presentation or biomarkers were not included in the pharmacological trials. New biomarkers that detect amyloid and neurodegeneration have allowed us to evaluate pathological changes compatible with AD. These new advances from aclinical and biomarkers perspective allowed a diagnostic criteria update; going from an exclusively clinical criteria to one that is hybrid: clinical presentation and biomarkers based criteria.New biomarkers facilitate the early diagnosis of AD and other dementias.However, they also generate new challenges and questions regarding the adequate pharmacological treatment.There is a need for clinical trials that evaluate anti-dementia drug’s efficacy based on current diagnostic criteria (clinical profile and biomarkers) and new practice guidelines. In addition, regulatory authorities should update ACHI and memantine indications.This will help doctors to prescribe the best possible treatment for this specific population without increasing risks., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare, (CC BY NC ND)

Delusional misidentification syndromes are misperceptions of external stimuli with an associated belief or elaboration that is held with delusional intensity. In the TV sign patient believes that the observed television events are occurring in a real three-dimensional space. It is one of the very rare forms of delusional misidentification syndrome in patients withdementia.Wereport7patientswithcognitiveimpairmentcaseswhohavepresentedTVsignduringtheCOVID-19 pandemic. Two patients had Alzheimer's dementia type diagnosis, 1 atypical Alzheimer dementia, 1 vascular dementia and 3 of them had mixed etiology (2 Alzheimer dementia + vascular and 1 dementia with Lewy bodies + vascular). Three presented other psychotic symptoms and 1 patient also had Capgras syndrome. These 7 cases series raise the possibility of an increase incidence of TV sign in patients with dementia during pandemia triggered by the rise in expo- sure to screen devices and a social isolation during this period.

Proposapnosia is a type of visual agnosia characterized by the inability to recognize people's faces. There are basically two variants, apperceptive and associative. The "Tortoni effect" is a phenomenon described by Bekinschtein et al a few years ago in waiters from Buenos Aires, who used this tool to remember the orders of each member of a table. We present a case of prosopagnosia associated with bilateral temporo-occipital injury secondary to head trauma, initially manifested by the lack of face recognition with the use of an associative strategy similar to that described in the "Tortoni effect" as compensation, in a 62-year-old female who suffered a severe head injury. A few months after this event, the patient had difficulty in recognizing familiar people, a fact evidenced by her relatives when at a restaurant table, they changed their seats, remained silent momentarily, and right after the patient kept naming them by their previous location. The magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed blunt sequelae lesions in the bilateral temporo-occipital region. Acquired prosopagnosia due to focal lesions in the temporo-occipital region, generally bilateral and right, and less frequently left, is a rare condition. The strategy used in the "Tortoni effect" was one of the initial manifestations of the condition in our patient. Carrying out an ecological neuropsychological test that considers this strategy could be useful in the screening and early detection of this entity.

Due to the phenomenon of ageing population, cognitive impairment has become more prevalent, and any marker able to improve its detection becomes of significant importance. With that objective in mind, a prospective observational study was performed in a medical consultation related to cognitive impairment. 150 subjects (58% women) were included with an average age of 76 years (SD 8.6). The Head Turn sign was positive for 32 subjects with a sensitivity of 41.7% for dementia, a specificity of 93.7% and a negative predictive value of 64.4%. This study shows the semiologic value of a simple clinical sign, easy to spot in the daily practice and most helpful to alert physicians about a likely dementia diagnosis.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a rheumatic disease, which during its evolution may present neurocognitive dysfunction with fronto-subcortical compromise. However, there is no enough published evidence regarding the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and SLE activity and SLE induced damage. The objective of the study was to analyze this association. We designed an observational cross-sectional study including 84 patients with SLE. We used the SLEDAI index to evaluate activity and the SLICC index to evaluate cumulative damage. We used neuropsychological tests to assess the presence of cognitive symptoms, global cognitive function, verbal and visual memory, visual-construction, semantic verbal fluency, processing speed and working memory. Scores more than 1.5 standard deviations below adjusted normal values were considered as cognitive dysfunction. We observed a statistically significant association between the higher value of SLEDAI and working memory impairment and a higher value of SLICC and viso-construction and semantic verbal fluency impairment. The association observed in SLE patients between disease activity or damage and some cognitive domains may be involving different pathophysiological brain mechanisms of different areas with different degrees of severity and vulnerability.