Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“Alzheimer’s disease SC75741 cost (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder of the elderly, ranks third in health care cost after heart disease and cancer. Given the disproportionate aging of the population in all developed countries, the socio-economic impact of AD will continue to rise. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a transitional state between normal aging and dementia, carries a four- to sixfold increased risk. of future diagnosis of dementia. As complete drug-induced reversal of AD symptoms seems unlikely, researchers are now focusing on the earliest stages of AD where a therapeutic intervention

is likely to realize the greatest impact. Recently neuroimaging has received significant scientific consideration as a promising in vivo disease-tracking modality that can also provide potential surrogate biomarkers for therapeutic trials.

While. several volumetric techniques laid the foundation of the neuroirnaging research in AD and MCI, more precise computational Selleckchem WH-4-023 anatomy techniques have recently become available. This new technology detects and visualizes discrete changes in cortical and hippocampal integrity and tracks the spread of AD pathology throughout the living brain. Related methods can visualize regionally specific correlations between brain atrophy and important proxy measures of disease such as neuropsychological tests, age of onset DAPT clinical trial or factors that may influence disease progression. We describe extensively validated cortical and hippocampal mapping techniques that are sensitive to clinically relevant changes even in the single individual, and can identify group differences in epidemiological studies or clinical treatment trials. We give an overview of some recent neuroirnaging advances in AD and MCI and discuss strengths and weaknesses of the various analytic approaches. Published by Elsevier

Ltd.”
“In developed countries, the incidence of end-stage renal failure is constantly increasing, and uremia will soon be a disease typically found in mature and elderly adults. Almost invariably, the physical condition of the elderly patient with terminal uremia is extremely poor, and therapeutic approach complex. Frequent co-morbidity, treatment with many different drugs, the high risk of iatrogenic damage, advanced age and socio-environmental conditions further complicate the management of these patients. While replacement therapy may become necessary, peritoneal dialysis may have advantages over hemodialysis. Peritoneal dialysis causes less hemodynamic stress, does not necessitate vascular access and allows mobility, although it incurs a high incidence of peritonitis and vascular disease. Where hemodialysis is the only feasible treatment, procedures used for vascular access are frequently followed by several complications, representing an important cause of morbidity and hospitalization.