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Background: Self-disturbances in schizophrenia have recently been explained by an abnormality in the sense of agency (SoA). The cerebral structures of SoA in healthy people are considered to mainly include the insula and inferior parietal lobule. In contrast, the functional lesion of aberrant SoA in schizophrenia is not yet fully understood. Considering the recent explanation of establishing SoA from the standpoint of associative learning, the "agency network" may include not only the insula and inferior parietal lobule but also the striatum. We hypothesized that aberrant SoA in schizophrenia is based on a deficit in the "agency network." Methods: Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired while patients with schizophrenia (n = 15) and matched controls (n = 15) performed our adaptation method of agency attribution task on a trial-by-trial basis to assess participants' explicit experience of the temporal causal relationship between an action and an external event with temporal biases. Analysis of functional connectivity was done using the right supramarginal gyrus and the right middle frontal gyrus as seed regions. Results: In healthy controls, analyses revealed increased activation of the right inferior parietal lobule (mainly the supramarginal gyrus), right insula, and right middle frontal gyrus as an activation of the agency condition. We defined activated Brodmann areas shown in the agency condition of healthy controls as the seed region for connectivity analysis. The connectivity analysis revealed lower connectivity between the head of the left caudate nucleus and right supramarginal gyrus in the patients compared to healthy controls. Conclusions: This dysconnectivity of the agency network in schizophrenia may lead to self-disturbance through deficits in associative learning of SoA. These findings may explain why pathological function of the striatum in schizophrenia leads to self-disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The number‐transcoding task on the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test (RDST‐J) requires conversion between Arabic and Chinese numerals (209 to 二百九, 4054 to 四千五十四, 六百八十一 to 681, 二千二十七 to 2027). In this task, questions and answers are written for Chinese‐Arabic conversion. We reported that the RDST‐J could distinguish subjects with Alzheimer's disease with a Clinical Dementia Rating Scale score of 0.5 from controls. In this study, we investigated the impact of changing the task to a hiragana‐Arabic conversion. Methods: Participants consisted of 45 patients with a Clinical Dementia Rating Scale score of 0.5 and 52 normal controls. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of total scores ≥9 on the two RDST‐J versions for discriminating subjects with a Clinical Dementia Rating Scale score of 0.5 from controls were 73.1% and 75.5%, respectively, on the original version, and 71.8% and 73.0%, respectively, on the revised version. Conclusions: The sensitivity and specificity of the revised version of the RDST‐J was equivalent to those of the original version. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The number-transcoding task on the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test ( RDST-J) requires mutual conversion between Arabic and Chinese numerals (209 to 二百九, 4054 to 四千五十四, 六百八十一 to 681, 二千二十七 to 2027). In this task, question and answer styles of Chinese numerals are written horizontally. We investigated the impact of changing the task so that Chinese numerals are written vertically. Methods Subjects were 211 patients with very mild to severe Alzheimer's disease and 42 normal controls. Mini- Mental State Examination scores ranged from 26 to 12, and Clinical Dementia Rating scores ranged from 0.5 to 3. Results Scores of all four subtasks of the transcoding task significantly improved in the revised version compared with the original version. The sensitivity and specificity of total scores ≥9 on the RDST-J original and revised versions for discriminating between controls and subjects with Clinical Dementia Rating scores of 0.5 were 63.8% and 76.6% on the original and 60.1% and 85.8% on revised version. Conclusions The revised RDST-J total score had low sensitivity and high specificity compared with the original RDST-J for discriminating subjects with Clinical Dementia Rating scores of 0.5 from controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The supermarket task, which is included in the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test, requires the quick (1 min) generation of words for things that can be bought in a supermarket. Cluster size and switches are investigated during this task. We investigated how the severity of dementia related to cluster size and switches on the supermarket task in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Methods We administered the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test to 250 patients with very mild to severe Alzheimer's disease and to 49 healthy volunteers. Patients had Mini- Mental State Examination scores from 12 to 26 and Clinical Dementia Rating scale scores from 0.5 to 3. Patients were divided into four groups based on their Clinical Dementia Rating score (0.5, 1, 2, 3). We performed statistical analyses between the four groups and control subjects based on cluster size and switch scores on the supermarket task. Results The score for cluster size and switches deteriorated according to the severity of dementia. Moreover, for subjects with a Clinical Dementia Rating score of 0.5, cluster size was impaired, but switches were intact. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the scores for cluster size and switches on the supermarket task may be useful for detecting the severity of symptoms of dementia in patients with Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The number-transcoding task on the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test requires mutual conversion between Arabic and Chinese numerals (e.g. 209 → 二百九, 4054 → 四千五十四, 六百八十一 → 681, 二千二十七 → 2027). During this task, some characteristic errors have been seen among patients with Alzheimer's disease ( AD). The objective of this study was to clarify whether the frequency of appearance of error patterns differs between patients with mild and severe AD according to Clinical Dementia Rating ( CDR) scores. Methods A total of 250 patients with AD were recruited and subsequently categorized into two groups based on CDR scores (mild AD: CDR of 0.5 or 1; severe AD: CDR of 2 or 3). We analyzed 19 qualitative error patterns, including 15 that had been reported to date and 4 previously unreported errors, in each subtest. Results The frequency of appearance of two previously reported and four previously unreported errors in the mild and severe AD groups, respectively, were statistically significant. Conclusions Characteristic error pattern distributions in number transcoding can be observed in patients with mild and severe AD according to CDR scores and offers useful information for interpreting cognitive screening data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test (RDST-J), and its efficacy compared to the clock-drawing test (CDT) as brief psychometric screening tools for the severity of Alzheimer's disease. Topics include assessments using the Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), their relative sensitivity and specificity, and results of the study showing that the RDST-J is more effective in distinguishing CDR 0.5 from controls.

An alkaliphilic actinomycete strain TOA-1, that produces a PrPSc-degrading keratinase, was isolated from cement of bathroom tiles. This strain produced substrate and aerial mycelia. Growth occurred in the pH range 7.5–13.0, with an optimal pH of 10.0. A salt concentration of up to 8% was tolerated, and various organic substrates were used for growth. Strain TOA-1 contained meso-diaminopimelic acid, no diagnostic sugars, iso-C16:0 as the major cellular fatty acid, and MK-10, MK-10(H2), and MK-10(H4) as the predominant menaquinones. The G+C content was 71 mol%. All these characteristics, together with an analysis of its phylogenetic position, indicated that this strain belongs to the genus Nocardiopsis. DNA–DNA hybridization with its closest relative N. metallicus indicated a similarity of 55%, which suggested that strain TOA-1, deposited in the International Patent Organism Depositary National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (FERM BP-08603) in Japan as a patent strain, represents a novel species of the genus Nocardiopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinicopathological issues regarding so-called ‘alcoholic dementia’ remain under debate. Although clinical observation favors the diagnosis of primary alcohol dementia, caused by direct alcohol neurotoxicity, further confirmation from neuropathological and biochemical perspectives is warranted. Repeat episodes of subclinical Wernicke–Korsakoff’s syndrome may partially account for the chronic state of primary alcoholic dementia, thus supporting the notion that primary alcoholic dementia exists in continuum with chronic and subclinical types of Wernicke–Korsakoff’s syndrome. Diagnostic criteria for alcohol related dementia, as detailed by Oslin et al., represent a purer form of alcoholic dementia and are useful for the scientific discussion of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A family history of alcoholism has been demonstrated to be an important factor affecting cognitive function. However, no studies have yet been conducted to compare cognitive recovery of family history-positive (FH+) and family history-negative (FH–) alcoholics in the subacute withdrawal period. To tackle this problem, a neuropsychological test battery consisting of six computerized tests was administered to 19 FH+ and 20 FH– alcoholics at 2 and 7 weeks after abstinence. At 2 weeks after abstinence, overall performance of both FH+ and FH– groups was significantly poorer than that of healthy controls. At 7 weeks, these performances tended to recover, but in Trail Making A and Figure Position, performances of FH+ alcoholics remained worse than those of controls, while those of FH– alcoholics did not. Thus cognitive recovery during the subacute withdrawal period was worse among FH+ alcoholics than FH– alcoholics, and this finding should be considered when planning alcohol rehabilitation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate which of 12 neuropsychological tests predict alcoholic patients' alcohol-specific and/or alcoholic-nonspecific outcome. Our hypothesis was that the ecologically valid neuropsychological tests that measure executive function are better predictors of alcoholics' functional outcome. Methods We administered 12 neuropsychological tests to chronic alcoholics. Included in the tests were tasks of Reaction Time, Symbol Digit Modalities, Figure Position, Digit Span, Block Design, Trail Making, and six subtests of a battery called the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS). Previous investigators have suggested that the BADS has ecological validity. Twenty-two male alcoholics were compared with 15 nonalcoholic control subjects on these neuropsychological measures 7 weeks after detoxification. Two functional outcome indices, i.e., resumption of drinking and occupation, were evaluated 18 months after discharge. Results The total profile score and the score on three of the six subtests of the BADS were lower in alcoholics than in nonalcoholic controls. Alcoholics' performance on the BADS predicted alcohol-nonspecific outcome (occupation) but not alcohol-specific (drinking) outcome. In contrast, other neuropsychological tests did not predict either of the two outcome indices. Conclusions The BADS total profile score is related to alcohol-nonspecific outcome but not to alcohol-specific outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe Obsessive–Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) is a self-rating questionnaire that measures cognitive and behavioral aspects of craving for alcohol. The OCDS consists of two subscales: the obsessive thoughts of drinking subscale (OS) and the compulsive drinking subscale (CS). This study aims to validate the Japanese version of the OCDS. First, internal consistency and discriminant validity were evaluated. Second, a prospective longitudinal 3-month outcome study of 67 patients with alcohol dependence who participated in a relapse prevention program was designed to assess the concurrent and predictive validity of the OCDS. The OCDS demonstrated high internal consistency. The OS had high discriminant validity, while the CS did not. Twenty-three patients (34.3%) dropped out of treatment. These patients had significantly higher OS scores than those who completed the program. At 3 months, the relapse group had significantly higher OCDS scores than the no relapse group. Also, the OCDS score was higher in subjects who had early-onset alcohol dependence than late-onset dependence. The OCDS is useful for evaluating cognitive aspect of craving and predicts dropout and relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although echocardiographically determined left ventricular mass and geometry predict cardiovascular morbid events in patients with hypertension, the mechanisms underlying this relation are unclear. There is considerable evidence that endothelium-dependent vasodilation is impaired in patients with hypertension. Thus, endothelial dysfunction may contribute to the mechanism that causes cardiovascular morbid events. This study was designed to examine the relationship between left ventricular geometry and endothelial function in patients with hypertension. The percentage increase in brachial arterial diameter during reactive hyperemia was examined by a high-resolution ultrasound technique in 49 patients with hypertension and 64 normotensive subjects. Patients with hypertension had an impairment of the percentage increase in brachial arterial diameter during reactive hyperemia and an increase in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) compared to normotensive subjects (percentage increase in diameter 5.6 ± 3.0 vs. 8.0 ± 2.5%, p < 0.001; TBARS levels 6.1 ± 1.3 vs. 5.3 ± 1.0 nmol/ml, p < 0.001). In patients with hypertension, there was a significant correlation between the left ventricular mass index and the percentage increase in brachial arterial diameter during reactive hyperemia (r = –0.583, p < 0.001), and the percentage increase in brachial arterial diameter during reactive hyperemia varied with the pattern of left ventricular geometry (normal ventricular geometry: 7.7 ± 2.6%; concentric remodeling: 5.2 ± 2.3%; eccentric hypertrophy: 4.2 ± 1.8%; concentric hypertrophy: 2.9 ± 2.6%). We conclude that (1) flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the brachial artery is impaired in patients with hypertension, (2) a relationship exists between the left ventricular mass index and flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the brachial artery in patients with hypertension and (3) increased oxidative stress may play a role in the endothelial dysfunction in patients with hypertension.Copyright © 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which is aimed at demonstrating that keratinolytic alkaline protease (NAPase) can efficiently degrade prion protein, as does E77, an alkaline protease. NAPase from Nocardiopsis species degraded a scrapie prion without any chemical or physical treatment. The protein content was determined by the Lowry method using bovine serum albumin as a standard. The mechanism of keratin degradation by NAPase at the molecular level was investigated.