Antioxidants, carotenes, fruits, and vegetables are associated with higher amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) function at baseline, according to a study published online ahead of print October 24 in JAMA Neurology. A cross-sectional baseline analysis of the ALS Multicenter Cohort Study of Oxidative Stress was conducted at 16 ALS clinics throughout the United States. Baseline data were available on 302 patients (124 women) with ALS (median age, 63.2). Regression analysis of nutrients found that higher intakes of antioxidants and carotenes from vegetables were associated with higher ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) scores or percentage forced vital capacity. Empirically weighted indices using the weighted quantile sum regression method of "good" micronutrients and "good" food groups were positively associated with ALSFRS-R scores and percentage forced vital capacity.
Fluselenamyl detects amyloid clumps better than current FDA-approved compounds, according to a study published online ahead of print November 2 in Scientific Reports. To determine whether fluselenamyl can detect amyloid beta plaques in the brain, researchers used the compound to stain brain slices from people who had died of Alzheimer's disease and from people of similar ages who had died of other causes (ie, controls). Fluselenamyl labeled diffuse and fibrillar plaques in brain sections of patients with Alzheimer's disease, but did not interact with biomarker proteins of other neurodegenerative diseases, thereby indicating specificity for detecting amyloid beta in Alzheimer's disease. Overall, fluselenamyl demonstrated potent binding affinity to autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer's disease homogenates. The binding affinity was superior to that of [ 18F]-AV-45, [ 18F]-florbetaben, and [ 18F]-flutemetamol.
Preserved hippocampal volumes are associated with increased risk of probable dementia with Lewy bodies, rather than Alzheimer's disease, in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a study published online ahead of print November 2 in Neurology. In the study, 160 people with MCI underwent MRI to measure hippocampal size. During a median follow-up of two years, 38% of people developed Alzheimer's disease, and 13% of people developed probable dementia with Lewy bodies. The people who had no hippocampal shrinkage were 5.8 times more likely to develop probable dementia with Lewy bodies than people who had hippocampal atrophy. Approximately 85% of people who developed dementia with Lewy bodies had a normal hippocampal volume. Furthermore, 61% of people who developed Alzheimer's disease had hippocampal atrophy.
Use of a media device at bedtime is significantly associated with inadequate sleep quantity, poor sleep quality, and excessive daytime sleepiness, according to a systematic review published online ahead of print October 31 in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers examined published studies of school-age children between ages six and 19 with information about portable screen-based media devices and sleep outcomes. The final analysis included 125,198 children with an average age of 14.5. Children who had access to, but did not use, media devices at night were more likely to have inadequate sleep quantity, poor sleep quality, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Teachers, health care professionals, and parents should cooperate to minimize device access at bedtime, according to the researchers. Future studies should evaluate devices' influence on sleep hygiene, they added.