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F J Huff

Publications and source records attributed to F J Huff.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Recent advances in the neuropsychology of Alzheimer's disease.

Memory, language, and visuospatial impairments are prominent neuropsychological deficits in Alzheimer's disease. The neuropsychological characteristics of Alzheimer's disease are unique, and contrast with those of other brain diseases. Neuropsychological study of patients with Alzheimer's disease may be useful in discovering the neuronal basis of cognitive processes, in differential diagnosis of dementia, and in evaluating treatment.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Piracetam combined with lecithin in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Nootropics, a new class of drugs believed to activate mental functions, have been proposed as a treatment for clinical disorders in which cognition is impaired. We therefore administered the nootropic drug piracetam, alone and in combination with phosphatidylcholine (PC), to 18 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and measured the effects of treatment on a broad range of cognitive functions. Piracetam was administered according to three double-blind crossover protocols and a replication study that differed in piracetam dose (2.4 to 9.9 g/day) and whether PC (18 g/day) was administered concurrently. The drug was well tolerated, and there were not toxic side effects. Plasma choline levels rose significantly during piracetam and PC administration; monoamine metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid were unaffected by treatment. Piracetam, either alone or in combination with PC, did not significantly affect cognition in the AD group as a whole, nor did it improve test performance in any single patient.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of thyroid abnormalities is not increased in Alzheimer's disease.

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of pathologically and clinically documented thyroid disorders in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and nondemented individuals. We reviewed the records of 31 patients with a pathological diagnosis of AD and 31 age-matched nondemented patients selected from autopsy files. We examined the pathological findings in the thyroid gland in both groups. Twenty-four cases (77.4%) with AD and 21 patients (67.7%) in the control group showed pathological abnormalities in the thyroid gland. The prevalence of specific types of thyroid gland abnormalities on pathological examination did not differ significantly between the AD and nondemented cases. For the 19 AD and 18 control patients in whom clinical thyroid function had been documented adequately during life, the percentage of patients with abnormal thyroid function was similar in the AD (15.7%) and control (11.1%) groups. These results do not support a relationship between AD and thyroid abnormalities.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serial sevens versus world backwards: a comparison of the two measures of attention from the MMSE.

This paper reports on a comparison of the two alternative tests of attention in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), a well-known cognitive screening tool. The two tests, serial subtraction by seven and backwards spelling of the word world, are often used interchangeably. In a large population-based sample, the two tests were found to be weakly associated with each other, with the former test appearing more difficult, although both were strongly associated with educational level. The authors discuss the implications of this finding in clinical and research settings, and make recommendations for more consistent use of the instrument.

Aged↗