Publications

Scholarly Journals--Published

  • Britt Iii W G, Hansen A M, Bhaskerrao S, Larsen J P, Petersen F, . . . Kirsch W M. (2011). Mild cognitive impairment: prodromal Alzheimer's disease or something else?. J Alzheimers Dis, 27(3), 543-51. The majority of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) studies use baseline and one follow-up measurement to determine the clinical course of the disorder. This report of MCI clinical course is based on the a statistical evaluation of multiple neurocognitive tests over a 60 month period in elderly normal and MCI cohorts. The data includes serial informant-based measures (Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR]) and a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests analyzed by two different regression methods. Twenty-nine elderly participants entered the study as neurocognitively normal; 26 remained normal, 2 progressed to MCI, and 1 progressed to dementia. Eighty-three participants entered the study as multiple domain MCI cases; 10 became normal, 46 remained MCI, and 27 progressed to dementia. Three of the 27 demented died with full necropsies performed (one case was progressive supranuclear palsy and two confirmed Alzheimer's disease with severe cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)). Without serial measures, 1 in 8 MCI could be misclassified as "stable MCI" despite reverting to normal. The stable MCI cohorts did not benefit from practice effects though the normal subjects did. Applying Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis enabled prediction of the endpoint status of participants from baseline values with 78.6% accuracy. The fluctuating cognitive status of the multiple domain MCI cases implies a remitting pathologic process with elements of recovery consistent with a progressive microvasculopathy such as CAA. (01/2011) (link)
  • Kirsch W, McAuley G, Holshouser B, Petersen F, Ayaz M, . . . Kido D. (2009). Serial Susceptibility Weighted MRI Measures Brain Iron and Microbleeds in Dementia. Journal of Alzheimers Disease, 17(3), 599-609. A new iron sensitive MR sequence ( susceptibility weighted imaging-SWI) enabling the simultaneous quantitation of regional brain iron levels and brain microbleeds (BMB) has been acquired serially to study dementia. Cohorts of mildly cognitively impaired (MCI) elderly (n = 73) and cognitively normal participants ( n = 33) have been serially evaluated for up to 50 months. SWI phase values ( putative iron levels) in 14 brain regions were measured and the number of BMB were counted for each SWI study. SWI phase values showed a left putaminal mean increase of iron ( decrease of phase values) over the study duration in 27 participants who progressed to dementia compared to Normals ( p = 0.035) and stable MCI ( p = 0.01). BMB were detected in 9 out of 26 (38%) MCI participants who progressed to dementia and are a significant risk factor for cognitive failure in MCI participants [ risk ratio = 2.06 (95% confidence interval 1.37-3.12)]. SWI is useful to measure regional iron changes and presence of BMB, both of which may be important MR-based biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases. (07/2009) (link)
  • Kirsch, W.M., McAuley, G., Holshouser, B., Petersen, F., Ayaz, M., Vinters, D.V., Dickson, C., Haacke, E.M., Britt III, W., Larsen, J., Kim, I., Mueller, C., Schrag, Kido D., (2009)  Serial susceptibility weighted MRI measures brain iron and microbleeds in dementia.  Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease,  17,559-609. (07/2009)
  • Bartnik Olson, B.L., Holshouser, B.A., Britt III, W.G. et. al. (2008). Longitudinal metabolic and cognitive changes in mild cognitive impairment patients.  ALZHEIMER DISEASE AND ASSOCIATED DISORDERS-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL. 22(3) 269-277. (07/2008 - 09/2008)
  • Wagner, M., Bartnik Olson. B., Britt, W., Kirsch, W. (2008) Tissue loss in patients with mild cognitive impairment and alzheimer''s disease:  a lngitudinal voxel-based morphometry study.  JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE MEDICINE. 56(1), 145. (01/2008)
  • Larsen, J.P., Britt III, W. et. al. (2007). susceptibility weighted magnetic resonance imaging in th evaluation of dementia. RADIOLOGY CASE  REPORTS, 2(4) (02/2007)
  • Britt III, W. et al (2006) The architecture of mild cognitive impairment:  a preliminary study.  ALZHEIMER''S & DEMENTIA, 2(3), (Suppl.1) S297 (07/2006)
  • Dhanji, T.A., Davies, V.L., Armon, C., Moses, D.E., Britt, W. G. et.al. "ALSQOL-11- a short, subjective, disease-specific, quality-of-life scale for patients with ALS. Sensitivity to change.." NEUROLOGY 54.Suppl. (2000): A344-. (01/2000)
  • Armon, C., Davies, V.L., Dhanji, T. Moses, D.E., Britt, W.G. et. al. "Quality-of-life scales: Who determines the individual item weights and does it matter. Lessons learned from the ALSQOL-11.." ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY 48. (2000): 22-. (01/2000)
  • Davies, V.L., Armon, C., Britt, W.G., et.al.. "A new, short, subjective, disease-specific, Quality-of-life scale for patients with ALS-theALSQOL-11: a cross-sectional validation study.." NEUROLOGY 52.Suppl. (1999): A527-. (01/1999)
  • Britt III, W.G.. "God's holiness and humanity's self-esteem." JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY & THEOLOGY 16.3 (1988): 213-221. (01/1988)
  • Britt III, W.G.. "Pretraining variables in the prediction of missionary success overseas." JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY & THEOLOGY 11.34 (1983): 203-211. (01/1983)

Abstract

  • Kirsch W M, Schrag M, McAuley G, Larsen J P, Peterson S, . . . Vinters H V. (2009). A progressive increase in brain microhemorrhages correlates with sporadic late-onset dementia development. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 29, S280-S280. (10/2009)
  • (PEER REVIEWED) Britt, W., et.al.. "THE ARCHITECTURE OF MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT: A PRELIMINARY STUDY." ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA 2.3(Suppl. 1) (2006): S297-S297. (07/2006)

Books and Chapters

  • Britt III, W.G.. Pretraining variables in the prediction of missionary success overseas. In O'Donnell, K.S. & O'Donnell, M.L. (Eds.) HELPING MISSIONARIES GROW: READINGS IN MENTAL HEALTH AND MISSIONS. Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1988. 93 - 108 (01/1988)