Circadian variation of plasma cobalamin, transcobalamin-bound cobalamin and unsaturated binding capacity of transcobalamin and haptocorrin in healthy elderly.

Blood samples were drawn every second hour during a 24-h period from healthy elderly subjects. Plasma levels of cobalamin, albumin, transcobalamin-bound cobalamin and unsaturated binding capacity of transcobalamin and haptocorrin were determined. During night, all components decreased in parallel with plasma albumin. The nocturnal decreases were therefore ascribed to plasma volume changes due to bed-rest. Reports on the recently proposed role of cobalamin for the biological clock were reviewed, but the proposed role could not be explained by this study.

Cadmium in blood in Alzheimer's disease and non-demented subjects: results from a population-based study.

Blood cadmium concentrations were studied in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and non-demented subjects. The 29 individuals were randomized from the ongoing population survey on ageing and dementia in Stockholm, the Kungsholmen Project. Smokers had, as expected, higher cadmium levels than non-smokers. Cadmium concentrations in blood were related to diastolic blood pressure in non-smoking, non-demented individuals. In contrast to previous reports no differences in blood cadmium levels were found between AD sufferers and non-demented subjects. Furthermore, there were no correlations between cadmium levels in blood and age or cognitive functions. The importance of quality assurance in sample collection and analysis of cadmium as well as scrutinizing smoking habits is emphasized.

Cognitive functions and brain structures: a quantitative study of CSF volumes on Alzheimer patients and healthy control subjects.

In the present study we have investigated the connection between cerebrospinal fluid spaces and cognitive function in patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type (SDAT) and in successfully aged control subjects. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes were measured using a low field MRI technique, and the cognitive functions were assessed with a number of psychometric tests. We found that the SDAT patients showed significantly larger relative volumes in all examined CSF spaces. The largest differences between the groups were found in the volumes of the temporal horns. We also found a significant correlation between the relative CSF volumes in the basal parts of the brain, and episodic memory tests. Significant correlations were also detected between the relative volumes of the lateral ventricles, and degree of dementia as well as between the relative volumes of the lateral ventricles and episodic memory tests.