Social Cognition Tests Can Discriminate Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia From Alzheimer's Disease Independently of Executive Functioning.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy of the Social and Emotional Assessment-short version (Mini-SEA) to differentiate subgroups of behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) defined according to executive performance. METHODS: bvFTD (n = 21), AD (n = 20), and healthy controls (HC, n = 23) underwent the Mini-SEA, comprising the Facial Emotion Recognition Test (FERT) and the faux-pas test. AD and bvFTD patients were classified according to their performance in the Frontal Assessment Battery into dysexecutive and nondysexecutive subgroups. RESULTS: The area under the curve (AUC) values for the faux-pas test were 0.87 (dysexecutive-bvFTD vs. dysexecutive-AD) and 0.96 (non-dysexecutive-bvFTD vs. nondysexecutive-AD). The AUC values for FERT were 0.99 (dysexecutive-bvFTD vs. dysexecutive-AD) and 0.65 (nondysexecutive-bvFTD vs. nondysexecutive-AD); the AUC values for the Mini-SEA (total-score) were 0.95 (dysexecutive-bvFTD vs. dysexecutive-AD) and 0.88 (nondysexecutive-bvFTD vs. nondysexecutive-AD). DISCUSSION: Social Cognition tests accurately distinguish bvFTD from AD regardless of the executive profile.

Can Social Cognition Measurements Differentiate Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia from Alzheimer's Disease Regardless of Apathy?

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) share cognitive and behavioral symptoms, such as apathy. Social cognition measurements are useful in distinguishing bvFTD from AD, but their accuracies may be affected by apathy. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether social cognition measurements can distinguish bvFTD from either apathetic or non-apathetic AD patients. METHODS: Three groups of participants were enrolled in the present study: bvFTD (n = 22), AD (n = 20), and healthy controls (HC, n = 23). The AD group was divided into apathetic (n = 10) and non-apathetic (n = 10). All subjects underwent comprehensive neuropsychological examination, including the short version of the Social and Emotional Assessment (Mini-SEA), which comprises the facial emotion recognition test and the faux-pas recognition test (Faux-Pas Test). Apathy was assessed according to the Starkstein's Apathy (SA) Scale. RESULTS: The bvFTD and AD groups did not differ on global cognitive efficiency and on executive functions. In comparison to the whole AD group, bvFTD displayed lower Faux-Pas Test and Mini-SEA scores. Both AD subgroups, apathetic or non-apathetic, exhibited similar performance on all social cognition measurements. In comparison to either apathetic AD or non-apathetic AD, bvFTD patients underperformed on the Faux-Pas Test and on the Mini-SEA. The area under the curve values for the Mini-SEA total score were 0.87 (bvFTD versus AD), 0.90 (bvFTD versus apathetic AD), and 0.83 (bvFTD versus non-apathetic AD). CONCLUSION: Social cognition tests provide accurate distinction between bvFTD against either apathetic AD or non-apathetic AD. Social cognition measurements did not correlate with apathy severity.

Agenesia pulmonar em gêmeos monozigóticos: relato de caso / Pulmonary agenesis in monozygotic twins: case report

Agenesia pulmonar é uma anormalidade congênita extremamente rara com prevalência estimada de 24-34 casos por 1.000,000 nascidos vivos e estar frequentemente associada com outras malformações congênitas. Descrevemos um caso de agenesia pulmonar em gêmeos monozigóticos, no qual a ausência dos pulmões teve apresentação em espelho- o primeiro gemelar com agenesia de pulmão esquerdo e o segundo gemelar com agenesia de pulmão direito. Houve associação com fenda palatina e lábio leporino no primeiro gêmeo e no segundo gêmeo houve associação com polidactilia. Este diagnóstico foi feito ao nascimento. O diagnóstico de agenesia pulmonar e outras malformações congênitas podem ser realizados durante exame pré-natal por ultra-sonografia morfológica. É importante uma identificação precoce da malformação pulmonar para melhor assistência ao recém-nascido. (AU)

Pulmonary agenesis is a congenital anomaly extremely rare with estimated prevalence of 24-34 cases for each 1,000,000 live births and it is frequently associated with other congenital malformations. We describe a case of pulmonary agenesis in monozygotic twins, in which the absence of the lungs has a mirror presentation - the first twin with left lung agenesis and the second twin with right lung agenesis. There was association with cleft palate and cleft lip in the first twin and, in the second twin, there was association with polydactyly. This diagnosis was made to birth.The diagnosis of pulmonary agenesis and other congenital malformations can be made during prenatal exams by morphological ultrasonoghapy. Early identification of the pulmonary malformation is important for better care of the newborn. (AU)