INEU.posters

A RoadMap for Neuropsychological Assessment of the Right Temporal Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia (rtvFTD): Case Studies and Practical Applications

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

A RoadMap for Neuropsychological Assessment of the Right Temporal Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia (rtvFTD): Case Studies and Practical Applications De Los Santos, Loana; Morello García, Florentina; Ardohain Cristalli, Carolina Agata; Tabernero, María Eugenia; Clarens, María Florencia; Crivelli, Lucía; Magrath Guimet, Nahuel Background: The right temporal variant of frontotemporal dementia (rtvFTD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by progressive atrophy of the right anterior temporal lobe (rATL), significantly impairing semantic-pragmatic comprehension and social cognition. In Latin America, although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are widely available, there is still a need for neuropsychological tools to assess cognitive and social changes in rtvFTD. Currently, this condition remains a subject of debate due to diagnostic challenges stemming from a lack of consensus in terminology and variability in assessment tools (Ulugut et al., 2024; Younes et al., 2022). The aim of this study is to propose neuropsychological tools to characterize both the profile and cognitive changes of rtvFTD and present a structured roadmap to help differentiate rtvFTD from other dementias. Additionally, this roadmap contributes to the design of personalized therapeutic interventions. Method: Two clinical cases diagnosed with rtvFTD at FLENI (Buenos Aires, Argentina) were studied. Both patients underwent standard neuropsychological evaluations focused on semantic-pragmatic language and social cognition, using locally adapted tests for naming, semantic verbal fluency, semantic association, prosody, pragmatics, and speech intentionality. Findings were correlated with MRI scans to validate the proposed roadmap. Result: The patients exhibited severe deficits in naming, semantic verbal fluency, semantic-pragmatic impairments, and alterations in emotional prosody, theory ofmind, and facial emotion recognition. Executive attentional systems, visuospatial abilities, and memory remained preserved. These findings aligned with patterns of atrophy and hypometabolism observed in the rATL and were consistent with current literature on the neuropsychological and clinical profiles of the rtvFTD. Figure 1 shows the proposed neuropsychological assessment approach, using a regionally adapted cognitive battery designed to capture rtvFTD symptoms in Spanish-speaking populations and to guide differentiation from other dementia variants. Conclusion: This roadmap provides a practical guide that includes neuropsychological tests for the assessment of rtvFTD, particularly in Spanish-speaking countries. By integrating evaluations targeting semantic-pragmatic language and social cognition, the roadmap allows for precise differentiation of rtvFTD from other frontotemporal dementia variants. Furthermore, it contributes to the development of personalized therapeutic interventions, aiming to improve patient quality of life and support clinical practices in Spanish-speaking regions.

LatAm Fingers Initiative: Bringing Diversity Upfront

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT

LatAm Fingers Initiative: Bringing Diversity Upfront Crivelli, Lucía

LatAm Fingers Initiative: Challenges and opportunities of launching amulticultural trial in pandemic times

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT

LatAm Fingers Initiative: Challenges and opportunities of launching amulticultural trial in pandemic times Calandri, Ismael Luis; Crivelli, Lucía; Caramelli, Paulo; Lopera, Francisco; Nitrini, Ricardo; Sosa, Ana Luisa; Salinas Contreras, Rosa María; Suemoto, Claudia Kimie; Velilla, Lina M.; Sanches Yassuda, Mónica; Sevlever, Gustavo Emilio; Allegri, Ricardo Francisco; LatAm FINGERS

Central Autonomic Network Association With Cardiac Autonomic Sleep-Wake Rhythm in Major Depression and Borderline Personality Disorder

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Central Autonomic Network Association With Cardiac Autonomic Sleep-Wake Rhythm in Major Depression and Borderline Personality Disorder Wainsztein, Agustina Edith; Camacho Téllez, Vicente; Abulafia, Carolina; Villarreal, Mirta Fabiana; Soriano-Mas, Carles; Nemeroff, Charles B.; Guinjoan, Salvador Martín; Castro, Mariana Nair Background Resting heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of ANS activity, adaptability and health, has been shown to be altered in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Borderline Personality disorder (BPD). The Central Autonomic Network (CAN) comprises brain regions involved in both physiological and behavioral regulation. Evidence linking cortical thickness of CAN components and HRV circadian patterns is scarce. We explored this relationship in patients with BPD, MDD and healthy controls (CS). Methods Forty-two participants (15 BPD, 14 MDD, 13HC) underwent 24hr-HRV recordings following structural MRI. Cortical thickness analysis was performed (FreeSurfer). Sleep-wake HRV measures (i.e, HF and RMSSD) were calculated. Cortical thickness of CAN regions were tested as HRV predictors. Results Cortical thickness of right anterior cingulate and lateral orbitofrontal cortex predicted 50% of RMSSD (p=.023) and 58% of HF (p=.008) nocturnal variation respectively in BPD patients where greater cortical thickness was associated with increased HRV. HC exhibited this association between left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and middle frontal gyrus areas and sleep-HRV(p<.05). Left triangular segment of IFG explained 86% variability of nocturnal RMSSD in this group (p=.001). MDD group did not show significant correlations. Conclusions Greater cortical thickness of CAN regions may be associated with increased sleep-HRV in BPD patients and HC. Nocturnal HRV patterns could serve as a biomarker of preserved neural architecture and functioning. Neural correlates of HRV may provide important insights into mechanisms involved in self-regulation that might be related to emotional well-being or psychopathology.