A b s t r a c t Objective: The Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test is a widely recognized test in neuropsychological literature to evaluate learning and memory. This paper presents the performance of six age groups of Brazilian elderly on the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test. Method: A version of the test was developed with a list of high-frequency one-syllable and two-syllable concrete Portuguese substantives. Two hundred and twenty-three subjects of both genders were allocated to 6 age groups (60-64, 65-69; 70-74; 75-79; 80-84 and 85-89 years old) and tested with the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test. Results: Educational level and age had a positive and a negative correlation, respectively, with performance on the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test. Women performed significantly better than men. Our results were similar to those found for the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test English version, across similar age ranges. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the Brazilian Portuguese Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test adaptation was adequate and applicable for evaluating the memory capacity of Brazilian subjects, across similar age and educational levels.Descriptors: Memory; Aging; Auditory perception; Learning; Neuropsychological tests Resumo Objetivo: O teste de aprendizagem auditivo-verbal de Rey é um teste mundialmente reconhecido na literatura neuropsicológica que avalia aprendizagem e memória. Este trabalho apresenta a performance de seis grupos de idosos brasileiros (agrupados em faixas etárias distintas) no teste de aprendizagem auditivo-verbal de Rey. Método: A versão utilizada do teste foi desenvolvida com uma lista de substantivos concretos com uma ou duas sílabas muito freqüentes na língua portuguesa falada no Brasil. Duzentos e vinte e três sujeitos de ambos os sexos foram alocados em seis grupos de acordo com a idade (60-64, 65-69; 70-74; 75-79; 80-84 e 85-89 anos) e submetidos ao teste de aprendizagem auditivo-verbal de Rey. Resultados: O nível educacional e a idade tiveram correlação positiva e negativa, respectivamente, com a performance no teste de aprendizagem auditivo-verbal de Rey. Mulheres desempenharam o teste significativamente melhor que os homens. Nossos resultados são semelhantes aos encontrados na versão inglesa do teste de aprendizagem auditivo-verbal de Rey para sujeitos com idade semelhante. Conclusão: Nossos resultados sugerem que a adaptação brasileira do teste de aprendizagem auditivo-verbal de Rey é adequada e aplicável para avaliação da memória em sujeitos brasileiros de mesma idade e nível educacional.

TLE is related to a high frequency of psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression, which are usually underdiagnosed and undertreated. Damage to the left mesial temporal lobe, seen in LMTS, seems to be an important pathogenic lesion linked to a broad range of psychopathological features in TLE, mainly anxiety disorders. The present study prompts discussion on the recognition of the common psychiatric disorders in TLE, especially on the Brazilian setting.

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This review article gives an overview of a number of central neuro-transmitters, which are essential for integrating many functions in the central nervous system (CNS), such as learning, memory, sleep cycle, body movement, hormone regulation and many others. Neurons use neuro-transmitters to communicate, and a great variety of molecules are known to fit the criteria to be classified as such. A process shared by all neuro-transmitters is their release by excocytosis, and we give an outline of the molecular events and protein complexes involved in this mechanism. Synthesis, transport, inactivation, and cellular signaling can be very diverse when different neuro-transmitters are compared, and these processes are described separately for each neuro-transmitter system. Here we focus on the most well known neuro-transmitters: acetyl-choline, catechol-amines (dopamine and nor-adrenalin), indole-amine (serotonin), glutamate, and gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA). Glutamate is the major excitatory neuro-transmitter in the brain and its actions are counter-balanced by GABA, which is the major inhibitory substance in the CNS. A balance of neuronal transmission between these two neuro-transmitters is essential to normal brain function. Acetyl-choline, serotonin and catechol-amines have a more modulatory function in the brain, being involved in many neuronal circuits. Apart from summarizing the current knowledge about the synthesis, release and receptor signaling of these transmitters, some disease states due to alteration of their normal neuro-transmission are also described.

Objective:Recent evidence has associated immune and inflammatory changes to cognitive performance in many diseases, including schizophrenia. Since this is a new research field where concepts are not yet solid and new questions and hypothesis are still arising, the present study aimed at summarizing the available clinical data associating schizophrenia, cognition and inflammation/immune function.Methods:A systematic review of the literature was made by searching the following terms in Medline: “schizophrenia or psychosis or psychotic” AND “inflamm* or immun* or cytokine or IL-* or TNF-* or kynureni* or KYNA”, AND “cognit* or attention or memory or executive function”.Results:Seventy five papers were identified using the selected terms, and seven papers were included in the review. Papers excluded focused mainly on basic research or other neuropsychiatric disorders.Conclusions:Recent findings link inflammatory markers to cognition in schizophrenia, suggesting that inflammation is associated with worst cognitive performance. Microglial activation, monoaminergic imbalance, brain abnormalities and the kynurenine pathway are possible mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Clinical trials with addition of immunomodulatory drugs have shown promising results, opening new windows to tackle cognition in schizophrenia.

The Brazilian-Portuguese version of NDDI-E can be used as a practical screening tool to improve recognition of depression in Brazilian people with epilepsy.

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-We report a 67-year-old man with Parkinson's disease for 9 years who developed compulsive use of levodopa. This phenomenon is the main feature of the dopamine dysregulation syndrome. Other related symptoms presented by our patient were mood fluctuation and increased writing activity suggestive of punding.KEY WORDS: Parkinson's disease, dopamine dysregulation syndrome, punding.Síndrome de desregulação dopaminérgica na doença de Parkinson: relato de caso RESUMO -Relatamos sobre um homem de 67 anos de idade com doença de Parkinson por 9 anos e que desenvolveu uso compulsivo de levodopa. Esse fenômeno é a principal característica da síndrome de desregulação dopaminérgica. Outros sintomas apresentados pelo paciente foram flutuações do humor e atividade de escrita aumentada, comportamento este sugestivo de punding. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: doença de Parkinson, síndrome de desregulação dopaminérgica, punding.Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with a prog ressive dysfunction of the dopaminergic neuro t r a n smission in the basal ganglia. On pathological examination, the dopaminergic neurons in the pars compacta of the substantia nigra a re markedly re d u c e d , and cytoplasmic proteinaceous aggregates known as Lewy bodies are present in the residual neurons. Dopamine replacement therapy (DRT), with the dopamine precursor levodopa or synthetic dopamine agonists, is considered the mainstem of the pharm a c ological approach for the symptoms of PD 1 , 2 . However long-term DRT is commonly associated with a series of motor complications, such as dyskinesias and the o n -o ff phenomenon. More re c e n t l y, interest has been drawn to non-motor complications of PD and treatm e n t -related psychiatric symptoms, such as depre ssive disorders, fatigue, apathy and cognitive impairment 3 . We describe a man with PD since 58 year-old who developed compulsive use of levodopa. In off periods he presented severe non-motor symptoms, including craving for levodopa, intense feelings of dysphoria, worsening of depressive symptoms, painful tru n k sensations and profuse sweating. During peak dose period, he also became hypomanic and had diff i c u lty in perceiving his severe dyskinesias. This behavior has been recently described in literature as a quite r a renon-motor complication of DRT. This syndro m e of increased use of levodopa beyond that needed to achieve relief of motor symptoms, associated with disabling mood and behavioral features is re f e rre d by some authors as dopamine dysregulation syndrome ( D D S ) 4 , 5 . To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of this syndrome re p o rted in the Brazilian l i t e r a t u re. The patient gave informed consent for this case report. CASEA 67-year-old man, married, a retired surgeon had PD for 9 years. He had no previous history of alcohol or any