To assess noun and verb processing in different dementia types, we tested object and action naming in three groups of subjects: probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) with mild to moderate dementia; age- and education-matched normal subjects; and a group of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients. AD and FTD patients were impaired in naming compared with control subjects; action naming was more severely impaired. However, the discrepancy between object and action naming was significantly greater in FTD than in AD patients, independent of the severity of dementia or of overall language impairment. The latter finding is compatible with the hypothesis that the frontal lobe plays a crucial role in action naming. A relatively selective impairment in action naming might be a characteristic neuropsychological feature of FTD.

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Background and Purpose— Lombardia GENS is a multicentre prospective study aimed at diagnosing 5 single-gene disorders associated with stroke (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy, Fabry disease, MELAS [mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes], hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and Marfan syndrome) by applying diagnostic algorithms specific for each clinically suspected disease Methods— We enrolled a consecutive series of patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or transient ischemic attack admitted in stroke units in the Lombardia region participating in the project. Patients were defined as probable when presenting with stroke or transient ischemic attack of unknown etiopathogenic causes, or in the presence of <3 conventional vascular risk factors or young age at onset, or positive familial history or of specific clinical features. Patients fulfilling diagnostic algorithms specific for each monogenic disease (suspected) were referred for genetic analysis. Results— In 209 patients (57.4±14.7 years), the application of the disease-specific algorithm identified 227 patients with possible monogenic disease. Genetic testing identified pathogenic mutations in 7% of these cases. Familial history of stroke was the only significant specific feature that distinguished mutated patients from nonmutated ones. The presence of cerebrovascular risk factors did not exclude a genetic disease. Conclusions— In patients prescreened using a clinical algorithm for monogenic disorders, we identified monogenic causes of events in 7% of patients in comparison to the 1% to 5% prevalence reported in previous series.

Method We compared performance in an Italian telephone version of the Mini‐Mental Status Examination (Itel‐MMSE) with performance in the standard MMSE administered face to face to 104 inpatients affected by cognitive deficit. Results Their cognitive ability varied from mildly to severely impaired. Total scores of the two MMSE versions correlated strongly for all patients (r=0.85) and for very mildly (r=0.77), mildly (r=0.79), and moderately (r=0.72) demented. A weak but statistically significant correlation was observed for severely demented patients (r=0.46). The study establishes the validity and reliability of the Itel‐MMSE as well as between rater and test‐retest reliability. We calculated a regression equation for use in predicting MMSE scores from Itel‐MMSE scores. Data fit a linear regression model. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Method We compared performance in an Italian telephone version of the Mini‐Mental Status Examination (Itel‐MMSE) with performance in the standard MMSE administered face to face to 104 inpatients affected by cognitive deficit. Results Their cognitive ability varied from mildly to severely impaired. Total scores of the two MMSE versions correlated strongly for all patients (r=0.85) and for very mildly (r=0.77), mildly (r=0.79), and moderately (r=0.72) demented. A weak but statistically significant correlation was observed for severely demented patients (r=0.46). The study establishes the validity and reliability of the Itel‐MMSE as well as between rater and test‐retest reliability. We calculated a regression equation for use in predicting MMSE scores from Itel‐MMSE scores. Data fit a linear regression model. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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