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Background: Severe Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by significant neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disorders, with limited effectiveness of conservative drug treatments. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) offers a potential alternative.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and long-term outcomes of DBS versus conservative treatment in patients with severe AD.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 40 patients with severe AD diagnosed at the People's Liberation Army General Hospital from 2015 to 2022. Twenty patients received DBS, and twenty received conservative treatment. Treatment effects were assessed using standardized scales at three- and twelve-months post-treatment. Primary outcomes included changes in cognitive function [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale-Cognitive subscale, Clinical Dementia Rating). Secondary outcomes included quality of life, sleep quality, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and caregiver burden (Barthel Index, Functional Activity Questionnaire, Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PDQI), Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI)].
Results: DBS patients showed significantly greater improvements in MMSE, MoCA, FIM, and ZBI scores than controls, suggesting improved cognitive function and quality of life, and reduced caregiver burden (p < 0.05). Notably, DBS significantly reduced HAM-A, HAM-D, and PSQI scores, and improved NPI scores more than controls, indicating significant amelioration of neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disorders (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: DBS is a safe and reversible treatment that potentially enhances cognitive function and quality of life in severe AD patients and alleviates caregiver burden. For the first time, we report that DBS also improves neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disorders, highlighting its clinical potential in AD.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/25424823241297852 | DOI Listing |
J Physiol
September 2025
Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.
Cognitive decline and physical impairment are often linked with ageing, contributing to declines in health span and loss of independence in older adults. Pathological cognitive decline with age is largely considered to be a brain-centric challenge. However, recent findings have begun to challenge this paradigm as the health of peripheral systems, namely skeletal muscle, predict cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Nutr Food Res
September 2025
Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
The relationship between dietary biotin intake and cognitive function remains unclear. This study explores the association between biotin and dementia, and the mediating role of inflammation indicators. Dietary biotin intake was assessed via the 24-h recall questionnaire.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Psychiatry
September 2025
Institute of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610054, China.
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a leading cause of dementia, represents a critical unmet global medical need. While the precise mechanisms underlying AD pathogenesis remain elusive, increasing evidence underscores the pivotal role of neuroinflammation in driving cognitive impairment. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), an epigenetic modification regulating RNA metabolism, has been found to be dysregulated in AD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGeroscience
September 2025
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Kangwon, 24341, Republic of Korea.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents a growing global health burden, underscoring the urgent need for reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Although several disease-modifying treatments have recently become available, their effects remain limited, as they primarily delay rather than halt disease progression. Thus, the early and accurate identification of individuals at elevated risk for conversion to AD dementia is crucial to maximize the effectiveness of these therapies and to facilitate timely intervention strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Med Dir Assoc
September 2025
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA. Electronic address:
Objectives: In 2017, the Chronic Condition Warehouse released a 30-condition Chronic Condition file (CC30), which fully replaced the prior 27-condition file (CC27) in 2022. CC30 shortened the look-back period for dementia identification from 3 to 2 years and raised the required outpatient/carrier claims from 1 to 2. This change may disproportionately affect individuals with limited access to health care.
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