BACKGROUND circulating measures of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) have been associated with an increased risk of future cognitive decline. However, the nature of the relationship among the very old (>75 years) is unclear. Cross-sectional evidence suggests that elevated CRP may even be protective in this age group. This study examines these associations longitudinally. ...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether treatment with memantine plus vitamin D is more effective than memantine or vitamin D alone in improving cognition among patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). METHODS We studied 43 white outpatients (mean 84.7 ± 6.3 years; 65.1% women) with a new diagnosis of AD, who had not taken anti-dementia drugs or vitamin D supplements. We prescribed memantine alone (n = 1...

Surgical treatment of morbid, familial, juvenile-onset obesity in a 37-year-old, 260-pound, mother of three children by jejunoileal bypass was subsequently converted to gastric bypass. The resulting weight loss of 110 pounds resulted in personality changes and changes in family dynamics and was followed by divorce. Medical, psychosocial, and economic aspects of the case are discussed.

A 23-year-old man with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease had a novel mutation, C344A (Thr115Lys), in exon 3 of the proteolipid protein gene (PLP) His mother, heterozygous for the mutation, developed progressive personality change and a gait disorder in her mid-20s. Her MRI at age 53 showed a diffuse severe leukodystrophy. This report extends the phenotypic range of disease due to PLP gene mutations ...

Practice Effects (PE) have been gaining interest as an early marker of pathological cognitive decline among older adults, with cognitively compromised individuals exhibiting diminished or absent PE, presumably due to reduced ability to learn. However, the opposite pattern has also been observed, with MCI participants showing larger PEs than controls. In this prospective cohort study, we examine...

The current meta-analysis investigated the extent to which personality traits changed as a result of intervention, with the primary focus on clinical interventions. We identified 207 studies that had tracked changes in measures of personality traits during interventions, including true experiments and prepost change designs. Interventions were associated with marked changes in personality trait...

OBJECTIVE In light of growing debate over whether and how early life educational experiences alter late-life cognitive trajectories, this study sought to more thoroughly investigate the relationship between educational attainment and rates of late-life cognitive decline in a racially, ethnically, and educationally diverse population. METHOD Older adults (N = 3,435) in the community-based Wash...

In Scandinavia, at least 11.500 people were lobotomized in the period 1939-1983. Beside grave personality changes, the surgery caused epilepsy in 10-35% of the patients. Moreover, many died due to perioperative bleedings, convulsive status epilepticus or SUDEP. Most of the stories of these people are anonymous and their post-lobotomy lives are scarcely documented. If it was not for the fact tha...

A 21 year old male developed hallucinations, personality change and severe depression following an increase in oral propranolol administration at recommended dosage levels. The symptoms improved markedly on stopping the drug. Without provocation, the patient developed further symptoms, mainly depressive, with marked suicidal impulses. Again, this quickly settled. The case identifies the need fo...

OBJECTIVE This study evaluates longitudinal neuropsychological performance and its association with clinical symptomatology and psychosocial outcome in individuals identified as ultra high risk (UHR) for psychosis. METHODS Thirty-five UHR individuals completed neurocognitive, clinical, and social/role functioning assessments at baseline and, on average, 8.3 months later. RESULTS UHR subject...