Background: The putative neural bases of affected episodic memory and emotional recognition in early Alzheimer’s disease are suspected to be limbic and paralimbic pathological processes. The uncinate fasciculus (UF) is especially considered to be a critical structure. In the present study, we investigated microstructural UF pathology by diffusion tensor imaging in the subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and its association with memory and emotional processing impairment. Methods: Subjects included 16 patients with aMCI and 16 healthy individuals. Diffusion tensor images were acquired and the fractional anisotropy (FA) of the UF was calculated. In addition, its association with verbal memory and emotional facial recognition was investigated. Results: The FA values of the left UF were significantly lower in aMCI, and strongly correlated with episodic memory performance in aMCI. For the emotional recognition task, the aMCI subjects performed worse in negative emotion recognitions. The FA values of the left UF were correlated with the performance of fearful facial expression recognition in aMCI. Conclusion: These results indicated that microstructural alterations of the UF had already occurred in aMCI. In addition, these alterations could be one of the causes of memory and emotional processing impairment in aMCI.

The present findings suggest that hypometabolism in the right medial temporal cortex, right prefrontal cortex, left superior parietal cortex, and bilateral posterior cingulate reflects impairments in delayed recall while hypometabolism in the right prefrontal cortex mirrors deficits in executive function in MCI.

No abstract

We have performed mass surveys for colorectal cancer by using an immunological fecal occult blood test (OC Hemodia) since April, 1987. In this report, we evaluated the mass survey protocol, and investigated the upcoming problems and measures.The total number of examinees for six years until March, 1993 was 172,474. The persons needed detailed examination amounted to 6,952 (4.0%) and the persons received the detailed examination, 4, 706 (67.7%). A total of 144 colorectal cancer cases (detection rate: 0.08%, 153 lesions) were discovered, 93 cases (64.6%) were in their early stage. 101 cases (66.0%) of 153 lesions were early cancer, and 71 cases (70.3%) were cured by endoscopic polypectomy.The detection rate of colorectal cancer was higher in males than females . In particular, the finding rate for males 50 years old and above was extremely high. We strongly recommend that the elderly people should receive a mass survey. Moreover, it is important to offer the opportunity for detailed examination to the persons who don't receive them. That might raise the detection rate .It was found that detailed examination has left much room for improvement in terms of methodology. Some medical institutions performed only fecal occult blood testing. They are required to raise the understanding of mass surveys for colorectal cancer. Collaboration with the medical institutions that are capable of detailed examination and care is indispensable to raise the accuracy of examination.On the basis of the results in 1992, we calculated the diagnostic accuracy of immunological fecal occult blood test. The sensitivity of the one-day-method was 70.8%, the specificity, 97.0%, and the positive predictive value 2.1. The sensitivity of the two-days-method was 86.7%, the specificity, 95. 3%, and the positive predictive value, 2.7, and was better than the one-day-method.These findings suggest that the carcinomas, negative to the occult blood test, still exist in a high frequency rate. Therefore, we should perform mass surveys by the two-days-method every year, in order to improve the evaluation of the mass survey method for colorectal cancer . KumamotoRed Cross Health Care Center