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Biomedical subjects

M Kirby

Publications and source records attributed to M Kirby.

124 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Distinguishing between patients with depression or very mild Alzheimer's disease using the Delayed-Word-Recall test.

The present study investigated the accuracy of an extended version of the Delayed Word Recall (DWR) test in distinguishing patients with very mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) (Mini Mental State Examination score > or = 23) from community-dwelling depressed/dysthymic patients. The DWR test was administered to 26 non-depressed patients who, at the time of DWR administration or on follow-up, fulfilled NINCDS/ADRDA criteria for probable AD, and to 20 age-matched non-dementing patients with a diagnosis of major depression (n = 12) or dysthymia (n = 8) according to DSM-III-R criteria. Sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 96 and 100% for DWR free recall, and 92 and 100% for DWR recognition. In this study both DWR free recall and recognition measures were highly sensitive and specific in distinguishing very-mild-AD patients from depressed/dysthymic patients. The investigation of more severely depressed patients is warranted.

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Letter and category fluency in Alzheimer's disease: a prognostic indicator of progression?

This study investigated differential patterns of performance by 40 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients on standardised letter and category fluency tests. The performance of 24 age and education matched controls was used to classify patients as relatively more letter fluency impaired (L < C, n = 15) or more category fluency impaired (C < L, n = 25), and clinical features distinguishing these patient subgroups were investigated. Category performance was equally impaired in both patient subgroups, whereas the L < C subgroups were particularly impaired on letter fluency. The subgroups differed significantly in duration of illness (24 months for L < C group, 47 months for C < L group; t = 2.69, p = 0.01) but did not differ in global dementia severity, age, education, general language ability, or functional status. Data on annual rate of change (ARC) on the Mini-Mental State Examination were available for 26 patients. While not statistically significant, subgroup ARC differences were suggestive of more rapid decline in the L < C patients, consistent with the finding of shorter duration of illness in this group. Word fluency tests may have potential as early predictors of rate of progression in AD.

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The Human Genome Project in the dock.

From a scientific viewpoint, the Human Genome Project is actually not in the dock, nor even under reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. Overwhelmingly, it will prove of benefit to humanity. However, from legal, ethical and other societal points of view, there are many problems already being considered by bioethicists, philosophers, religious experts, lawyers and others in dialogue with scientists.

Confidentiality↗
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HIV vaccine: ethics and human rights.

The ethical dilemmas of vaccine development are particularly acute with respect to HIV because of the nature of the virus itself and the social setting of prejudice and stigma in which the virus operates, argues Justice Michael Kirby in an article first printed in the [Australian] National AIDS Bulletin, reprinted here with permission.

AIDS Vaccines↗
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Meeting our friend, the genome.

(1) Encounter with the genome. (2) Difficulties in the path. (3) Legal and ethical implications. (4) Patenting genes. (5) The genome and evolution. (6) An adjunct to medicine or a new world? (7) Forbidden territory or the next step for humanity? (8) Informed decisions.

Genetics↗