3-(2,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)-anabaseine: a promising candidate drug for Alzheimer's disease?

3-(2,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)-anabaseine is an analog of the paralytic alkaloid, anabaseine, from the ribbon worms Amphiporus sp., that shows numerous properties, in particular an agonist activity on alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. This article reviews these properties and explains to what extent they could be valuable to control symptomatology and/or neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease.

[Cardiovascular disease and aircraft transportation: specificities and issues]. / Maladie cardiovasculaire et voyage aérien : particularités et enjeux.

With the development of air transport and travel to distant destinations, the number of passengers and elderly passengers on board increases each year. In this population, cardiovascular events are a major concern. Among medical incidents occurring in-flight they are second-ranked (10%) behind gastrointestinal disorders (25%). Their occurrence may involve life-threatening events and require resuscitation, difficult to perform during flight or in a precarious health environment. Coronary heart disease and pulmonary thromboembolic disease are the most serious manifestations. They are the leading cause of hospitalization in a foreign country and sudden cardiac death occurring during or subsequent to the flight. Their occurrence is explained on aircraft by hypoxia, hypobaria and decreased humidity caused by cabin pressurization and upon arrival by a different environmental context (extreme climates, tropical diseases). Moreover, the occurrence of a cardiovascular event during flight can represent for the air carrier a major economic and logistic problem when diversion occurred. Furthermore, the liability of the practitioner passenger could be involved according to airlines or to the country in which the aircraft is registered. In this context, cardiovascular events during aircraft transportation can be easily prevented by identifying high risk patients, respect of cardiovascular indications to travel, the implementation of simple preventive measures and optimization of medical equipment in commercial flights.

Screening of patients with cognitive impairment when entering a rehabilitation unit.

AIM: The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of an early screening of cognitive impairment in rehabilitation units, and the proportion of cognitive impairments (in particular, Alzheimer's disease) among this population. METHODS: This is a multicentric, non-interventional, epidemiological, transverse, projective and comprehensive study of five French rehabilitation units. RESULTS: This study on 279 people over 75 years found 105 new cases of cognitive impairments, among which 62 cases of dementia. CONCLUSION: These findings show the interest of generalizing cognitive impairments screening when entering a rehabilitation unit, in coordination with memory consultations and general practitioners.

[Non-pharmacologic approach in severe dementia]. / Prise en charge non médicamenteuse dans les démences sévères.

Care for patients with Alzheimer's disease, particularly with severe dementia, requires a global therapeutic strategy integrating pharmacological approach into the environmental dimensions, psychotherapeutics and rehabilitation. The objective is to maintain autonomy as long as possible but also to improve the quality of life by reducing the psychological suffering of patients and families. In severe dementia, behavioral techniques and organization of the environment are possible at home but, actually, most of the patients are institutionalized. Structures having a specific project of life, of care and specific architectural design should be preferred. Education and support for caregivers as well as training of the nursing staff are essential to develop better attitudes toward the patient, improve communication and optimize the quality of life. In spite of the low level of evidence in the evaluation of these strategies on account of the lack of adapted indicators and rarity of specific research, widely spread techniques can confer special purport to this difficult stage for the patients and their family.