Is there a spatial association between senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease?

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the clusters of senile plaques (SP) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are spatially associated as predicted by the 'Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis'. Methods: The spatial association between the SP and NFT was studied in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in six cases of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) using contingency tables. The coefficient C7 was used as an index of spatial association while chi-square with correction for continuity was used as a test of significance. Results: In the brain regions analysed, values of C7 were in the range -0.31 to +0.32 but a statistically significant spatial association between SP and NFT was present in only 8/39 (21%) regions. The degree of spatial association between the SP and NFT was similar in dfferent brain regions and did not vary with apolipoprotein ε genotype of the patient. However, the magnitude of C7 in a region was positively correlated with the density of the NFT and with the total density of SP and NFT but not with the density of SP alone. Conclusion: There was little evidence that SP and NFT were spatially associated except in brain areas with high densities of lesions. The data support the hypothesis that SP and NFT are distributed relatively independently in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus and therefore, could be distinct phenomena in AD.

Community-Based Study of the Association of High Myopia in Children with Ocular and Systemic Disease

Purpose. High myopia in childhood is associated with important ocular and systemic conditions. However in the UK, high myopia in early childhood is not specifically identified in current ophthalmology, optometry, or orthoptic protocols for screening, referral, or investigation. An ongoing study in the West Midlands, UK, is investigating high myopia presenting to community health care clinics with the aim of compiling guidelines for assessment and subsequent referral. Methods. Children with high myopia were identified from community optometric and orthoptic sources and invited for an ophthalmology and optometry examination to ascertain possible ocular or systemic disease. Results. High myopia with no associated ocular or systemic condition was present in 15 (56%) of the children. In seven children (25%), associated ocular problems were found including unrecognized retinal dystrophies and amblyopia. Systemic disorders associated with high myopia were found in five children (19%) and included Sticklers syndrome, Weill-Marchesani syndrome, and homocystinuria. In one child, the diagnosis made before this study was found to be incorrect, and in another child, the results were inconclusive. In two cases, the diagnosis of a systemic condition in the child led to the identification of the disease in at least one relative. Conclusions. There is a high prevalence of ocular and systemic abnormality in young children seen in the community. Optometric and ophthalmologic assessment of children less than 10 years with myopia ≥5 D is likely to identify significant ocular or systemic disease, a proportion of which will respond to medical intervention. Detection and prompt referral of these cases by community health care services may be expected to prolong vision and possibly life expectancy.

Association of depression and anxiety status with 10-year cardiovascular disease incidence among apparently healthy Greek adults:the ATTICA study

Background: Chronic stress frequently manifests with anxiety and/or depressive symptomatology and may have detrimental cardiometabolic effects over time. As such, recognising the potential links between stress-related psychological disorders and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is becoming increasingly important in cardiovascular epidemiology research. The primary aim of this study was to explore prospectively potential associations between clinically relevant depressive symptomatology and anxiety levels and the 10-year CVD incidence among apparently healthy Greek adults. Design: A population-based, health and nutrition prospective survey. Methods: In the context of the ATTICA Study (2002–2012), 853 adult participants without previous CVD history (453 men (45 ± 13 years) and 400 women (44 ± 18 years)) underwent psychological evaluations through validated, self-reporting depression and anxiety questionnaires. Results: After adjustment for multiple established CVD risk factors, both reported depression and anxiety levels were positively and independently associated with the 10-year CVD incidence, with depression markedly increasing the CVD risk by approximately fourfold (adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 3.6 (1.3, 11) for depression status; 1.03 (1.0, 1.1) for anxiety levels). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that standardised psychological assessments focusing on depression and anxiety should be considered as an additional and distinct aspect in the context of CVD preventive strategies that are designed and implemented by health authorities at the general population level.