Journal Article

African heritage diets are increasingly being replaced by Western-style dietary patterns because of urbanization, economic development, increased access to processed foods, globalization and changing social norms. The health consequences of this nutrition transition are not well understood. [...]

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. A considerable number of women with breast cancer who have been treated with chemotherapy subsequently develop neurological symptoms such as concentration and memory difficulties (also known as 'chemobrain'). [...]

Due to methodological reasons, the X-chromosome has not been featured in the major genome-wide association studies on Alzheimer's Disease (AD). To address this and better characterize the genetic landscape of AD, we performed an in-depth X-Chromosome-Wide Association Study (XWAS) in 115,841 AD cases or AD proxy cases, including 52,214 clinically-diagnosed AD cases, and 613,671 controls. [...]

Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder and a model for upper motor neuron degeneration, which is believed to begin in the primary motor cortex. However, clinical observation suggests that not all PLS cases show primary motor cortex glucose hypometabolism on 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). [...]

This study investigates mortality variations between elective and urgent hip surgeries, focusing surgery timing and its impact on post-operative mortality. By comparing cases of femoral neck fractures, pertrochanteric fractures, and coxarthrosis across different follow-up durations, it aims to identify factors contributing to increased mortality.We used a random sample of German longitudinal health claims data (N = 250,000, 2004-2019) and identified 10,310 patients aged 50 years and older who underwent surgery for femoral neck fracture, pertrochanteric fracture, or coxarthrosis between 2004 and 2014. [...]

Proliferation of microglia represents a physiological process, which is accelerated in several neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer disease (AD). The effect of such neurodegeneration-associated microglial proliferation on function and disease progression remains unclear. [...]

Tremor syndromes are common neurological disorders, usually distinguished by clinical examination. Ordinal rating scales are widely used to rate tremor severity but are limited by subjective observation, interrater reliability, ceiling effects and lack of knowledge about sensitivity to change emphasizing the relevance of quantitative methods.To assess tremor characteristics in essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease tremor (PT) quantitatively, we used a wearable triaxial accelerometer in comparison to a common clinical rating scale. [...]

BackgroundHealthy dietary patterns have been linked to reduced risks for cardiovascular diseases and dementia, making nutrition an essential part of a comprehensive approach for dementia prevention. Knowledge about factors associated with a healthy diet in people with increased dementia risk is scarce.ObjectiveTo analyze dietary habits and associated factors in older adults with increased dementia risk in Germany.MethodsWe used baseline-data of the AgeWell.de-trial (n = 1001, %female = 52.2, Mage = 69.0, SD = 4.9). [...]

Cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) is a key non-motor complication during the disease course.A review of detailed cognitive instruments to detect mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) or dementia (PDD) is needed to establish optimal tests that facilitate diagnostic accuracy.We performed a systematic literature review of tests that assess memory, language including premorbid intelligence, and visuospatial domains (for tests of attention and executive functions see accompanying review) to determine suitability to assess cognition in PD. Based on in-depth scrutiny of psychometric and other relevant clinimetric properties, tests were rated as 'recommended,' 'recommended with caveats,' 'suggested,' or 'listed' by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (IPMDS) panel of experts according to the IPMDS Clinical Outcome Assessment Scientific Evaluation Committee guidelines.We included 39 tests encompassing 48 outcome measures. [...]

The 17q21.31 region with various structural forms characterized by the H1/H2 haplotypes and three large copy number variations (CNVs) represents the strongest risk locus in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).To investigate the association between CNVs and structural forms on 17q.21.31 with the risk of PSP.Utilizing whole genome sequencing data from 1684 PSP cases and 2392 controls, the three large CNVs (α, β, and γ) and structural forms within 17q21.31 were identified and analyzed for their association with PSP.We found that the copy number of γ was associated with increased PSP risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.10, P = 0.0018). From H1β1γ1 (OR = 1.21) and H1β2γ1 (OR = 1.24) to H1β1γ4 (OR = 1.57), structural forms of H1 with additional copies of γ displayed a higher risk for PSP. [...]