OBJECTIVE: To identify the neurological diseases for which euthanasia and assisted suicide are most frequently requested in the countries where these medical procedures are legal and the specific characteristics of euthanasia in some of these diseases, and to show the evolution of euthanasia figures.
METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review.
RESULTS: Dementia, motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson\'s disease are the neurological diseases that most frequently motivate requests for euthanasia or assisted suicide. Requests related to dementia constitute the largest group, are growing, and raise additional ethical and legal issues due to these patients\' diminished decision-making capacity. In some countries, the ratios of euthanasia requests to all cases of multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, or Huntington disease are higher than for any other disease.
CONCLUSIONS: After cancer, neurological diseases are the most frequent reason for requesting euthanasia or assisted suicide.

BACKGROUND: The analysis of the core biomarkers of Alzheimer\'s Disease (AD) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is recommended in the clinical units where it is available. Because of the absence of universal validated values, the determination of specific cut-off points for each center and its population is recommended. The main objective of the CORCOBIA study was to determine the cut-off points of core AD CSF biomarkers for several centers (Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona and Hospital General de Granollers), which work with the same reference laboratory (Laboratori de Referència de Catalunya).
METHODS: Prospective study including cognitively unimpaired individuals (CU, n = 42), subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI, n = 35) and patients with dementia due to Alzheimer\'s Disease (AD, n = 48), in whom clinical and neuropsychological assessment, neuroimaging, APOE genotyping and lumbar puncture to analyse amyloid beta peptides (Aβ42, Aβ40), total tau (tTau) and phosphorylated Tau (pTau181) using the Lumipulse G600II (Fujirebio) was performed. The values of sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), predictive values and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated, determining the cut-off point according to the Youden index by comparing the CU and AD groups.
RESULTS: The resulting cut-offs and their AUC were the following: Aβ42 750 pg/mL (AUC 0.809); Aβ42/Aβ40 0.062 (AUC 0.78); pTau181 69.85 pg/mL (AUC 0.81); tTau 522.0 pg/mL (AUC 0.79); Aβ42/tTau 1.76 (AUC 0.86); Aβ42/pTau181 10.25 (AUC 0.86).
CONCLUSIONS: The determination of cut-off points of core AD CSF biomarkers for the participating centers allows a better diagnostic accuracy. The ratio CSF Aβ42/pTau181 shows the highest AUC and better balance between sensitivity and specificity.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the neurological diseases for which euthanasia and assisted suicide are most frequently requested in the countries where these medical procedures are legal and the specific characteristics of euthanasia in some of these diseases, and to show the evolution of euthanasia figures.
METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review.
RESULTS: Dementia, motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson\'s disease are the neurological diseases that most frequently motivate requests for euthanasia or assisted suicide. Claims related to dementia constitute the largest group, are growing, and raise additional ethical and legal issues due to these patients\' diminished decision-making capacity. In some countries, the ratios of euthanasia requests to all cases of multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, or Huntington disease are higher than for any other disease.
CONCLUSIONS: After cancer, neurological diseases are the most frequent reason for requesting euthanasia or assisted suicide.

BACKGROUND: The elderly population is the group most threatened by COVID-19, with the highest mortality rates. This study aims to analyse the case fatality of COVID-19 in a cohort of patients with degenerative dementia.
METHODS: We conducted a descriptive case-control study of a sample of patients diagnosed with primary neurodegenerative dementia.
RESULTS: Twenty-four of the 88 patients with COVID-19 included in the study died: 10/23 (43.4%) patients diagnosed with dementia and 14/65 (21.5%) controls; this difference was statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that case fatality of COVID-19 is significantly higher among patients with primary degenerative dementia than in other patients with similar mean ages and comorbidities.

BACKGROUND: Non-pharmacological interventions are often the subject of debate in the scientific field. Therefore, it is essential to know the attitudes that health professionals have towards the novel Doll Therapy in Dementia (DTD). The objective of this study was to design and validate two questionnaires to find out the attitudes and knowledge on DTD in health professionals.
METHODS: A total of 120 Spanish-speaking Geriatrics and Gerontology professionals, with a mean age of 38.3 years (DT = 10.99), participated, mostly women (88.3%). A questionnaire (TCM_DEMCO) on knowledge about the DTD and a questionnaire (TCM_DEMAC) on attitudes towards the DTD were designed and applied. The construct validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis, and reliability was calculated using Cronbach\'s α.
RESULTS: The exploratory factor analysis of the TCM_DEMCO questionnaire retained 10 items in 5 factors (\"environment and dementia\", \"therapeutic application\", \"activities\", \"methodology\" and \"benefits and implications\") that explained 70.1% of the total variability, giving a Cronbach α coefficient value > 0.50. The exploratory factor analysis of the TCM_DEMAC questionnaire retained 10 items in two factors (\"positive attitudes\" and \"negative attitudes\") that explained 61.2% of the total variability, giving a Cronbach α value > 0.85.
CONCLUSIONS: Both questionnaires are a brief tool to learn about the attitudes and knowledge of Spanish-speaking Geriatrics and Gerontology professionals in matters of DTD. The reliability and validity analyses performed showed good psychometric properties of these tools.

Non-pharmacological therapies are currently one of the cornerstones of the prevention of the possible causes of cognitive impairment. Among other topics, the present article discusses the importance of identifying and working with elements such as a person\'s life history, interests, values, beliefs, and personal tastes and preferences and of combining them with techniques with proven effectiveness.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of cognitive impairment (CI) will double in the next 20 years, making early detection a key priority.
OBJECTIVE: Validation of a 5-minute CI screening test.
METHODS: Adults aged 60 and older were recruited from memory clinics and the community at large in the Santiago, Chile metropolitan area. Based on clinical examination they were categorised as No CI (NCI), Mild CI (MCI) and dementia sufferers (DS). We measured the validity of a new test, MEFO, evaluating memory (5 points), phonetic verbal fluency (2 points) and orientation (6 points) by comparing its results with those from the MMSE.
RESULTS: We evaluated 214 subjects, comprising 49 with dementia, 47 with MCI, and 118 with no CI. The MEFO differentiated between all 3 groups whereas the MMSE did not discriminate between the MCI and NCI groups. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the MEFO distinguishing NCI subjects from dementia sufferers was 0.97; for NCI vs CI (dementia+MCI), 0.89; and for NCI vs MCI, 0.80. On the MMSE these values were 0.95, 0.84, and 0.73, respectively. A cut-off score of 6/7 on the MEFO identified dementia sufferers with a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 96%. A cut-off score of 8/9 distinguished CI from NCI subjects with a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 75%.
CONCLUSIONS: The MEFO is a valid and reliable test for discriminating between dementia and CI sufferers and subjects with no CI. Its validity is similar to that the MMSE under these conditions, but it is more effective for identifying subjects with MCI and its administration time is shorter.