Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a T cell-mediated autoimmune demyelinating disease, which may be initiated by a virus infection. Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV), a natural mouse pathogen, is a picornavirus that induces a chronic, CD4+ T cell-mediated demyelinating disease with a clinical course and histopathology similar to that of chronic progressive MS (ref. 3). Demyelination in TMEV-infected mice is initiated by a mononuclear inflammatory response mediated by virus-specific CD4+ T cells targeting virus, which chronically persists in the CNS (ref. 4-6). We show that beginning 3-4 weeks after disease onset, T-cell responses to multiple myelin autoepitopes arise in an ordered progression and may play a pathologic role in chronic disease. Kinetic and functional studies show that T-cell responses to the immunodominant myelin proteolipid protein epitope (PLP139-151) did not arise because of cross-reactivity between TMEV and self epitopes (that is, molecular mimicry), but because of de novo priming of self-reactive T cells to sequestered autoantigens released secondary to virus-specific T cell-mediated demyelination (that is, epitope spreading). Epitope spreading is an important alternate mechanism to explain the etiology of virus-induced organ-specific autoimmune diseases.

Objective: To determine whether adding REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) to the dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) diagnostic criteria improves classification accuracy of autopsy-confirmed DLB. Methods:We followed 234 consecutive patients with dementia until autopsy with a mean of 4 annual visits. Clinical diagnoses included DLB, Alzheimer disease (AD), corticobasal syndrome, and frontotemporal dementia. Pathologic diagnoses used the 2005 DLB consensus criteria and included no/low likelihood DLB (non-DLB; n ϭ 136) and intermediate/high likelihood DLB (DLB; n ϭ 98). Regression modeling and sensitivity/specificity analyses were used to evaluate the diagnostic role of RBD.Results: Each of the 3 core features increased the odds of autopsy-confirmed DLB up to 2-fold, and RBD increased the odds by 6-fold. When clinically probable DLB reflected dementia and 2 or more of the 3 core features, sensitivity was 85%, and specificity was 73%. When RBD was added and clinically probable DLB reflected 2 or more of 4 features, sensitivity improved to 88%. When dementia and RBD were also designated as probable DLB, sensitivity increased to 90% while specificity remained at 73%. The VH, parkinsonism, RBD model lowered sensitivity to 83%, but improved specificity to 85%. Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is considered the second most common cause of neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer disease (AD), with an estimated prevalence of up to 30%. Conclusions: 1-3Validation of older versions of the DLB criteria tend to show high specificity at the expense of poor sensitivity, 4 -8 though more acceptable ranges are found with the use of standardized measures.9 It is critical to properly diagnose DLB during life in order to optimize symptom management, reduce iatrogenic treatment complications, and develop new therapies designed to prevent or interfere with disease progression.In 2005, the DLB diagnostic criteria were modified to include 3 new features in a category termed "suggestive features." With this revision, clinically probable DLB is represented by 2 or more core features (fluctuations, parkinsonism, or visual hallucinations), or by one core feature plus one suggestive feature. 10 The suggestive features include severe neuroleptic sensitivity, reducedFrom the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology (T

Background-Hippocampal sclerosis (HpScl) in the elderly is often associated with neurodegeneration.

Introduction The clinical features of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) during wakefulness are well known. Other than REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), only limited data exists on other sleep disturbances and disorders in DLB. We sought to characterize the polysomnographic (PSG) findings in a series of DLB patients with sleep-related complaints. Methods Retrospective study of patients with DLB who underwent clinical PSG at Mayo Clinic Rochester or Mayo Clinic Jacksonville over an almost 11 year span for evaluation of dream enactment behavior, excessive nocturnal movements, sleep apnea, hypersomnolence, or insomnia. The following variables were analyzed: respiratory disturbance index (RDI) in disordered breathing events/hour, periodic limb movement arousal index (PLMAI), arousals for no apparent reason (AFNAR), total arousal index (TAI), presence of REM sleep without atonia (RSWA), and percent sleep efficiency (SE). Results Data on 78 patients (71M, 7F) were analyzed. The mean age was 71 ± 8 years. Seventy-five (96%) patients had histories of recurrent dream enactment during sleep with 83% showing confirmation of RSWA +/- dream enactment during PSG. Mean RDI = 11.9 ± 5.8, PLMAI = 5.9 ± 8.5, AFNARI = 10.7 ± 12.0, and TAI = 26.6 ± 17.4. SE was <80% in 72% of the sample, <70% in 49%, and <60% in 24%. In patients who did not show evidence of significant disordered breathing (23 with RDI<5), 62% of arousals were AFNARs. In those patients who had significant disordered breathing (55 with RDI ≥ 5), 36% of arousals were AFNARs. Six patients underwent evaluations with PSG plus MSLT. Two patients had mean initial sleep latencies less than five minutes, and both had RDI<5. No patient had any sleep onset rapid eye movement periods. Nineteen patients have undergone neuropathologic examination, and 18 have had limbic- or neocortical-predominant Lewy body pathology. One had progressive supranuclear palsy, but no REM sleep was recorded in prior PSG. Conclusions In patients with DLB and sleep-related complaints, several sleep disturbances in addition to RBD are frequently present. In this sample, about three quarters had a significant number of arousals not accounted for by a movement or breathing disturbance, and the primary sleep disorders do not appear to entirely account for the poor sleep efficiency in DLB, especially in those without a significant breathing disorder. Further studies are warranted to better understand the relationship between disturbed sleep, arousal and DLB; such characterization may provide insights into potential avenues of treatment of symptoms which could impact quality of life.