Facial expression recognition in Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review

Introduction: It is well established that behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia can impair social and emotional function. However, there is no consensus regarding how Alzheimer’s disease can affect facial expression recognition. We aim to systematically review all the literature addressing this issue over the last 10 years.

Method: We conducted a search based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The search for literature was undertaken on 19 September 2017, using Pubmed, SciELO, BIREME, and Thomson Reuters Web of Science electronic databases. The key terms for the search were: Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and facial expression recognition.

Results: We screened 173 articles, and 22 of them were selected. The most common methodology involved showing participants photographs of people expressing the six basic emotions—fear, anger, sadness, disgust, surprise, and happiness. Results were ambiguous. Among people with mild Alzheimer’s disease, happiness was easier to recognize than the other five basic emotions, with sadness and anger the most difficult to recognize. In addition, the intensity level of the emotions presented seems to be important, and facial expression recognition is related to specific cognitive capacities, including executive function and visuoperceptual abilities. Impairment in facial expression recognition does not appear to be a consistent neuropsychological finding in Alzheimer’s disease.

Conclusions: The lack of standardized assessment instruments and the heterogeneity of the methods and samples used across studies hamper comparisons. Future researches should investigate facial expression recognition through more ecological and standardized methods.     

Prenatal effects of natural calcium supplement on Wistar rats during organogenesis period of pregnancy

The potential of oral exposure to calcium and magnesium citrate, a natural product obtained from dolomite, to initiate teratogenesis was analyzed in Wistar rats. Animals received calcium and magnesium citrate oral doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg during the period of gestation from day 6 to 17 post conception. Maternal, embryo and fetal toxicity was evaluated. Calcium and magnesium citrate exposure did not produce maternal toxicity assessed by clinical observations, body weight gain, food intake, hematology, biochemical parameters and necropsy finding. Signs of embryo–fetal toxicity were not observed. Skeletal and visceral malformations were seen occasionally in all drug-treated and control groups. Skeletal and visceral variations were similar in control and drug-treated groups except for incomplete ossification rib. These finding was spontaneous and unrelated to the drug. In conclusion, in this study we found that the oral exposure to rats of up to 1000 mg/kg of calcium and magnesium citrate during organogenesis did not induce significant maternal and embryo–fetal toxicity. The experimentally derived NOAEL for developmental toxicity was 1000 mg/kg.     

Psychopathological Comorbid Symptoms in Animal Hoarding Disorder

Psychiatric Quarterly - The main goal of this research is to describe the psychopathological symptoms comorbid to animal hoarding disorder. This is a cross-sectional study with a sample of a 33...     

Melatonin and Metformin Failed to Modify the Effect of Dacarbazine in Melanoma

Lessons Learned

• Melatonin did not increase the efficacy of systemic chemotherapy in melanoma.
• Metformin did not increase the efficacy of systemic chemotherapy in melanoma.

     

Colorectal mucus non‐invasively collected from patients with inflammatory bowel disease and its suitability for diagnostic cytology

Colorectal mucus is a key component of the protective gut barrier which is altered in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to cytologically characterize colorectal mucus non‐invasively collected from IBD patients using our new sampling technique. Colorectal mucus was self‐collected by 58 IBD patients comprising 31 ulcerative colitis (UC) and 27 Crohn's disease (CD) cases. The samples were examined cytologically, and immunocytochemically. Large numbers of well‐preserved granulocytes were typically detected (neutrophils undergoing degradation were observed as well). Plasma cells and erythrophagocytosis were present in 18.2% and 29.1% of cases, respectively, predominantly in patients with UC and distal CD. Immunocytochemical visualization of calprotectin in neutrophils, eosinophil‐derived neurotoxin in eosinophils and tumour necrosis factor‐α in macrophages was also achieved. Correct cytological diagnosis was made in 61.8% of analysed IBD cases. Our new method of colorectal mucus sampling provides highly informative material for cytology. Findings of the presence of plasmocytes and erythrophagocytosis in colorectal mucus are unique and may reflect previously unknown mechanisms of IBD pathogenesis. Immunocytochemical detection of inflammation biomarkers demonstrates the suitability of this material for biomarker quantification. These promising results suggest a potential role for colorectal mucus cytology in the non‐invasive diagnosis of IBD.     

Glass fiber posts relining: can composite opacity influence retention to root canal dentin?

Odontology - This study aimed at evaluating the influence of glass-fiber post (GFP) relining with composites of different opacities on resin cement layer thickness (CLT), bond strength (BS) to root...