O envelhecimento populacional no Brasil é um fenômeno que ocorre rapidamente, alterando o perfil de morbi-mortalidade da população, com conseqüente aumento das doenças crônicas não transmissíveis. Dentre essas doenças estão inseridas as demências, que produzem grande impacto para os indivíduos acometidos, tanto no que diz respeito à funcionalidade e manutenção da independência, como também a necessidade, muitas vezes, do auxílio de um cuidador para o desempenho das tarefas do cotidiano, afetadas pelo declínio cognitivo. Para conhecer as demandas de saúde que poderão emergir da população que se tornou rapidamente idosa, a Organização Pan-Americana de Saúde, desenvolveu em 2000, um estudo multicêntrico denominado Saúde, Bem-Estar e Envelhecimento na América Latina e Caribe (SABE), realizado em sete países, entre eles o Brasil, sendo desenvolvido na área urbana do Município de São Paulo, com 2.143 idosos com 60 anos ou mais, divididos em duas partes: uma probabilística e uma intencional. Em todos os países envolvidos foi aplicado um instrumento único, padronizado, composto por onze seções. Para o estudo presente, a composição da amostra foi de idosos que, na avaliação do estado cognitivo, obtiveram uma pontuação de 12 ou menos no MEEM (Mini Exame do Estado Mental) e 6 ou mais no Questionário de Pfeffer para Atividades Funcionais (QPAF). O MEEM é um instrumento utilizado para avaliação das funções cognitivas e para o SABE utilizou-se uma versão modificada e validada do MEEM desenvolvido por Folstein. A combinação desses dois instrumentos indica uma maior especificidade para a medida de declínio cognitivo mais grave, sugerindo a presença de demência ou outros transtornos associados. Os objetivos desse estudo foram: traçar o perfil sócio-demográfico e as condições de saúde desses idosos com declínio cognitivo, bem como conhecer as reais necessidades de ajuda e a ajuda recebida pela rede de apoio, segundo arranjos domiciliares e rede de suporte social. As variáveis foram agrupadas em blocos temáticos de interesse: informações pessoais, condições de saúde, avaliação funcional, medicações utilizadas e suporte social. Os resultados se mostraram equiparados com a literatura, principalmente no que diz respeito às características sócio-demográficas, com maior número de mulheres, em faixas etárias mais velhas e com menor nível de escolaridade. Esses idosos também são mais acometidos de comorbidades, sendo que mais que a metade deles sofre de hipertensão arterial, possuem maior perda funcional, principalmente em relação às atividades instrumentais de vida diária, 30,8% sofrem de incontinência urinária e 13,0% de fecal, 37,2% deles apresentaram queda nos últimos 12 meses e 22,6% moram sós, sendo que a ajuda oferecida, pela maioria dos arranjos domiciliares chega muitas vezes em 100,0%, ficando também quase em sua totalidade, a responsabilidade e o oferecimento de ajuda pela família. / The Brazilian aging population is a phenomenon that occurs rapidly, changing the population morbid-mortality profile, consequently increasing the chronic non-transmissible diseases. Among these diseases there are dementias that produce a great impact to the attacked individuals, in their functionality as well as in the being able to be independent, often times needing extra caregiver for daily living, affected by cognitive decline. To understand the health demands that may emerge from the population that became rapidly aged, the Pan-American Health Organization, developed in 2000, a multi center study, named Well Being and Aging in Latin America and Caribbean (SABE), comprising of 7 countries, including Brazil, with 2,143 aged people 60 years and older in the urban area of the Sao Paulo county, divided in two parts: one probabilistic and one intentional. In all studied countries it was used only one instrument, standardized, consisting of eleven sections. For this present study, the sample composition was of aged people that presented 12 or less points in the Mini Mental State Test (MEEM) of the cognitive test and 6 points or more in the Pfeffer Examination for the Functional Activities (QPAF). The MEEM is an instrument used to evaluate the cognitive functions and to the SABE test, it was used a modified and validated version of the MEEM developed by Folstein. The combination of these two instruments shows a higher specificity to measure the worst cognitive decline, suggesting the presence of dementia and other associated problems. The objectives of this study were: to trace the socio-demographic profile and the health conditions of these aged people with cognitive decline, as well as to learn the real need for help and aid provided by the support group, as per the home arrangements and the web of social support. The variables were grouped in interest theme blocks: personal information, health conditions, functional evaluation, used medication, and social support. The results were demonstrated to be comparable with the literature, mainly related to the socio-demographic characteristics, with a larger number of women, in older age levels and lesser levels of schooling. These aged people are more susceptible of comorbidities, more than half of them have high blood pressure, and greater functional, mostly related to the loss of instrumental activities of the daily life, 30.8% suffer with urinary incontinence and 13.0% of fecal, 37.2% of them have fallen in the last 12 months, and 22.6% live alone, and the offered home support comes to 100%, coming to be the responsibility almost totally dependent of the family support.

O envelhecimento populacional no Brasil é um fenômeno que ocorre rapidamente, alterando o perfil de morbi-mortalidade da população, com conseqüente aumento das doenças crônicas não transmissíveis. Dentre essas doenças estão inseridas as demências, que produzem grande impacto para os indivíduos acometidos, tanto no que diz respeito à funcionalidade e manutenção da independência, como também a necessidade, muitas vezes, do auxílio de um cuidador para o desempenho das tarefas do cotidiano, afetadas pelo declínio cognitivo. Para conhecer as demandas de saúde que poderão emergir da população que se tornou rapidamente idosa, a Organização Pan-Americana de Saúde, desenvolveu em 2000, um estudo multicêntrico denominado Saúde, Bem-Estar e Envelhecimento na América Latina e Caribe (SABE), realizado em sete países, entre eles o Brasil, sendo desenvolvido na área urbana do Município de São Paulo, com 2.143 idosos com 60 anos ou mais, divididos em duas partes: uma probabilística e uma intencional. Em todos os países envolvidos foi aplicado um instrumento único, padronizado, composto por onze seções. Para o estudo presente, a composição da amostra foi de idosos que, na avaliação do estado cognitivo, obtiveram uma pontuação de 12 ou menos no MEEM (Mini Exame do Estado Mental) e 6 ou mais no Questionário de Pfeffer para Atividades Funcionais (QPAF). O MEEM é um instrumento utilizado para avaliação das funções cognitivas e para o SABE utilizou-se uma versão modificada e validada do MEEM desenvolvido por Folstein. A combinação desses dois instrumentos indica uma maior especificidade para a medida de declínio cognitivo mais grave, sugerindo a presença de demência ou outros transtornos associados. Os objetivos desse estudo foram: traçar o perfil sócio-demográfico e as condições de saúde desses idosos com declínio cognitivo, bem como conhecer as reais necessidades de ajuda e a ajuda recebida pela rede de apoio, segundo arranjos domiciliares e rede de suporte social. As variáveis foram agrupadas em blocos temáticos de interesse: informações pessoais, condições de saúde, avaliação funcional, medicações utilizadas e suporte social. Os resultados se mostraram equiparados com a literatura, principalmente no que diz respeito às características sócio-demográficas, com maior número de mulheres, em faixas etárias mais velhas e com menor nível de escolaridade. Esses idosos também são mais acometidos de comorbidades, sendo que mais que a metade deles sofre de hipertensão arterial, possuem maior perda funcional, principalmente em relação às atividades instrumentais de vida diária, 30,8% sofrem de incontinência urinária e 13,0% de fecal, 37,2% deles apresentaram queda nos últimos 12 meses e 22,6% moram sós, sendo que a ajuda oferecida, pela maioria dos arranjos domiciliares chega muitas vezes em 100,0%, ficando também quase em sua totalidade, a responsabilidade e o oferecimento de ajuda pela família. / The Brazilian aging population is a phenomenon that occurs rapidly, changing the population morbid-mortality profile, consequently increasing the chronic non-transmissible diseases. Among these diseases there are dementias that produce a great impact to the attacked individuals, in their functionality as well as in the being able to be independent, often times needing extra caregiver for daily living, affected by cognitive decline. To understand the health demands that may emerge from the population that became rapidly aged, the Pan-American Health Organization, developed in 2000, a multi center study, named Well Being and Aging in Latin America and Caribbean (SABE), comprising of 7 countries, including Brazil, with 2,143 aged people 60 years and older in the urban area of the Sao Paulo county, divided in two parts: one probabilistic and one intentional. In all studied countries it was used only one instrument, standardized, consisting of eleven sections. For this present study, the sample composition was of aged people that presented 12 or less points in the Mini Mental State Test (MEEM) of the cognitive test and 6 points or more in the Pfeffer Examination for the Functional Activities (QPAF). The MEEM is an instrument used to evaluate the cognitive functions and to the SABE test, it was used a modified and validated version of the MEEM developed by Folstein. The combination of these two instruments shows a higher specificity to measure the worst cognitive decline, suggesting the presence of dementia and other associated problems. The objectives of this study were: to trace the socio-demographic profile and the health conditions of these aged people with cognitive decline, as well as to learn the real need for help and aid provided by the support group, as per the home arrangements and the web of social support. The variables were grouped in interest theme blocks: personal information, health conditions, functional evaluation, used medication, and social support. The results were demonstrated to be comparable with the literature, mainly related to the socio-demographic characteristics, with a larger number of women, in older age levels and lesser levels of schooling. These aged people are more susceptible of comorbidities, more than half of them have high blood pressure, and greater functional, mostly related to the loss of instrumental activities of the daily life, 30.8% suffer with urinary incontinence and 13.0% of fecal, 37.2% of them have fallen in the last 12 months, and 22.6% live alone, and the offered home support comes to 100%, coming to be the responsibility almost totally dependent of the family support.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a specialist MRI modality that can identify microstructural changes or abnormalities in the brain. It can also be used to show fibre tract pathways. Both of these features were used in this thesis. Firstly, standard imaging analysis techniques were used to study the effects of mild, repetitive closed head injury on a group of professional boxers. Such data is extremely rare, so the findings of regions of brain abnormalities in the boxers are important, adding to the body of knowledge about more severe traumatic brain injury. The author developed a novel multivariate analysis technique which was used on the same data. This new technique proved to be more sensitive than the standard univariate methods commonly used. An important part of diagnosing and monitoring brain damage involves the use of biomarkers. A novel investigation of whether diffusion parameters obtained from DTI data could serve as bio-markers of cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease was conducted. This also involved developing a multivariate approach, which displayed increased sensitivity compared with any of the component parameters used singly, and suggested these diffusion measures could be robust bio-markers of cognitive impairment. Fibre tract connectivity between regions of the brain is also a potentially valuable measure for diagnosis and monitoring brain integrity. The feasibility of this was investigated in a multi-modal MRI study. Functional MRI (fMRI) identifies regions of activation associated with a particular task. DTI can then find the pathway of the fibre bundles connecting these regions. The feasibility of using regional connectivity to interrogate brain integrity was investigated using a single healthy volunteer. Fibre pathways between regions activated and deactivated by a working memory paradigm were determined. Though the results are only preliminary, they suggest that this line of research should be continued.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-04-15T12:15:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 analauramacielalmeida.pdf: 7987032 bytes, checksum: cbcc88ab800b1699a363803ae78bc9f9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-06-02T14:31:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 analauramacielalmeida.pdf: 7987032 bytes, checksum: cbcc88ab800b1699a363803ae78bc9f9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T14:31:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 analauramacielalmeida.pdf: 7987032 bytes, checksum: cbcc88ab800b1699a363803ae78bc9f9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-07-17 / INTRODUÇÃO: Declínio cognitivo (DC) é comum no paciente com doença renal crônica (DRC), podendo impactar desfavoravelmente na qualidade de vida e na aderência medicamentosa. Vários fatores contribuem para o DC na DRC, sendo a deficiência de ferro, comum em pacientes com diminuição da taxa de filtração glomerular (TFG), uma delas. OBJETIVO: Avaliar se a deficiência de ferro se associa com o DC em paciente com DRC não dialítico. MÉTODO: Foram avaliados 54 pacientes não idosos com DRC pré-dialítica através de avaliação laboratorial, triagem cognitiva completa (um teste de rastreio de cognição global: Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) e bateria de testes de memória, atenção, velocidade de processamento, fluência verbal e funções executivas), escalas de sono (Escala de Sonolência Diurna de Epworth, Questionário Clínico de Apnéia Obstrutiva do Sono de Berlin, Questionário de cinco perguntas de sintomas de Pernas Inquietas), depressão (Inventário de depressão de Beck, Mini-Plus para Episódio Depressivo Maior (DSM-IV) e funcionalidade (Questionário de Atividades Funcionais de Pfeffer). RESULTADOS: O DC, avaliado pelo Montreal Cognitive Assessment (ajustado para escolaridade) foi identificado em 59,3% dos pacientes, e se relacionou com hemoglobina <11,0 g/dL, ferritina <100 ng/mL, saturação da transferrina <20%, com anos de escolaridade, depressão e com a diminuição da TFG. Adicionalmente, observou-se frequência aumentada de sintomas de apnéia obstrutiva do sono (76,9%), de pernas inquietas e sonolência diurna (35,2%) e sintomas depressivos avaliados pelo BDI (34,7%). CONCLUSÃO: Nos pacientes não idosos com DRC pré-dialítica avaliados, o DC e os sintomas depressivos foram frequentes e, em parte, explicado por níveis inadequados da reserva de ferro e de hemoglobina. / INTRODUCTION: Cognitive decline (CD) is common in chronic kidney patients, yet little investigated. Several factors contribute to such decline, with iron deficiency being a frequent and treatable occurrence, with an impact on quality of life and adherence to treatment. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate whether iron deficiency influences cognitive decline in non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. METHOD: A cross-sectional evaluation of 54 patients was performed, including laboratory evaluation, complete cognitive screening, and sleep, depression and functionality scales. RESULTS: There was an increased frequency of obstructive sleep apnea symptoms (76.9%), restless legs and daytime sleepiness (35.2%) and depressive symptoms (BDI) (34.7%). The screening test with the highest significance was the MoCA (59.3%), even after the scores were adjusted regarding the level of schooling, as it is associated with ferritin<100ng/mL, with hemoglobin <11g/dL and transferrin saturation <20%, as well as with the level of schooling, depression and loss of kidney function. CONCLUSION: CD and depressive symptoms were frequent and partially explained by inadequate levels of iron and hemoglobin.

During the process of aging, the human mental and physical abilities decline. Olfactory abilities are not an exception. A significant decrease of olfactory capabilities in patients with Parkinson's disease was firstly observed a few decades ago. After the discovery of the relationship between olfactory abilities and cognitive abilities in patients with neurodegenerative disease, the same relationship was also found in healthy aging people. It seems that the factors causing the decline of cognition foremost affect the olfactory functions. A number of studies suggests, that this could lead to a possibility of prediction of the future cognitive decline through the assessment of olfactory decline. Our research followed the results of these studies as a part of the NANOK study. Testing of the smell abilities was done in 2014 and 2015. Participants were screened with the Sniffin 'Sticks. Cognitive functions were tested with an extensive battery of cognitive tests. The processiong of data was divided into two parts. In the first part we tested the olfactory identification and discrimination relationship with the general cognitive abilities and the level of the executive functions. In the second part we tested the possibility of prediction of cognitive functions using the smell identification and discrimination...

Cette thèse vise à tester l’hypothèse selon laquelle la maladie d’Alzheimer (MA), à ses différents stades, est responsable d’un dysfonctionnement synaptique. Ce dernier, conjointement avec d’autres processus pathologiques, pourrait mener à des modifications de l’excitabilité neuronale au sein de régions cérébrales spécifiques et, en conséquence, à des altérations de la connectivité fonctionnelle au sein des réseaux neuronaux auxquels contribuent ces régions cérébrales.Deux objectifs principaux ont été visés tout au long de ce projet. Le premier ambitionnait l’identification de nouveaux marqueurs électrophysiologiques du continuum de la MA. Le second aspirait à une meilleure compréhension de la relation entre les changements électrophysiologiques, les anomalies structurelles et métaboliques ainsi que les déficits cognitifs des patients souffrant d’une MA ou étant à risque de la développer. Afin de répondre à ces buts de recherche, une approche multimodale combinant l’exploration électrophysiologique via la magnétoencéphalographie (MEG), métabolique et structurelle via un appareil hybride associant la tomographie par émission de positons avec comme traceur le fluorodésoxyglucose (FDG) et l’imagerie par résonance magnétique structurelle (TEP-IRM), et enfin cognitive via un examen neuropsychologique a été mise en place pour tous les participants qu’ils soient dans le cadre d’un vieillissement normal ou pathologique.La première étude a investigué la manière dont le continuum de la MA altère la dynamique de l’activité cérébrale spontanée et comment cette dernière est reliée aux anomalies structurelles, métaboliques et cognitives associées à la MA. Les résultats ont principalement montré des altérations dans l’activation du réseau du mode par défaut chez les patients avec une MA constituant un corrélat électrophysiologique supplémentaire du dysfonctionnement synaptique de la MA.La deuxième étude a étudié la relation entre l'activité rythmique cérébrale en bande de fréquence alpha et les altérations en mémoire épisodique verbale en utilisant la tâche de rappel libre/rappel indicé-16 items. Nos résultats ont principalement mis en évidence un nouveau corrélat électrophysiologique du dysfonctionnement à court terme en mémoire épisodique qui peut accompagner le vieillissement pathologique.Enfin, notre dernière étude a visé à fournir une vue d'ensemble des changements électrophysiologiques associés au continuum de la MA. Nos résultats ont principalement montré une diminution globale de la connectivité fonctionnelle en bande de fréquence alpha chez les patients avec une MA soutenant la théorie selon laquelle l'hypoconnectivité apparait à un stade tardif de la démence. Ceci suggère la présence d'un syndrome de déconnexion sévère dans la MA.De manière générale, ce projet de recherche a permis l’identification de marqueurs électrophysiologiques supplémentaires de la MA ainsi qu’une meilleure compréhension du lien entre les modifications électrophysiologiques et le déficit cognitif, les anomalies structurelles ainsi qu’avec les changements métaboliques observés dans la MA. / Doctorat en Sciences psychologiques et de l'éducation / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

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The diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases leading to dementia is increasingly moving to the earlier stages in an effort to find the disease-modifying treatment for these diseases. Prodromal and preclinical stages of the diseases have become the primary research interests. Neuropsychology is specifically focused on early cognitive markers and development of methods that would be able to reliably assess these markers and to evaluate the risk of progression of cognitive decline in individual cases. The theoretical part of the thesis presents the current knowledge in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, it is specifically focused on Alzheimer's disease (AD) as the most common cause of dementia. We also present the current trends in neuropsychological diagnostics of early AD and the approach to subjective and objective evaluation of cognitive functioning. Building on that, we present the rationale for the empirical part of the thesis. The empirical part of the thesis extends the existing knowledge in the field of AD. We present and discuss seven original publications that follow three basic objectives: first, to characterize subjective cognitive complaints of individuals at risk of AD, second, to evaluate the potential of selected standard and experimental neuropsychological methods to detect...

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