[Neurology: what's new in 2024].

In 2024, therapeutic and diagnostic advancements are shaping the field of neurology. Three new drugs show promise for treating myasthenia gravis and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. A new classification for Parkinson's disease has been proposed, while a neuroprosthesis is improving gait in advanced stages.

Can brain network connectivity facilitate the clinical development of disease-modifying anti-Alzheimer drugs?

The preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease represents a crucial time window for therapeutic intervention but requires the identification of clinically relevant biomarkers that are sensitive to the effects of disease-modifying drugs. Amyloid peptide and tau proteins, the main histological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, have been widely used as biomarkers of anti-amyloid and anti-tau drugs. However, these biomarkers do not fully capture the multiple biological pathways of the brain.

Gait characteristics in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: a review on the effects of CSF tap test and shunt surgery.

Background: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a progressive disease characterized by disproportionate ventricular enlargement at brain imaging with gait disturbance and an increased risk of falling. Gait assessment is a key feature in the diagnosis of iNPH and characterization of post-surgical outcomes.

Research Question: How do gait parameters change 24 h after CSF tap test (CSFTT) and after ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery?

Methods: The PRISMA guidelines were used to perform the systematic review.

[Alzheimer's disease - system prepardeness in the context of new developments].

The possible authorisation of new monoclonal antibody therapies for Alzheimer's disease poses challenges for healthcare systems worldwide. In this paper, the Swiss Memory Clinics association (SMC) analyses the available resources and identifies potential health care shortages. Overcoming potential bottlenecks is a challenge that requires action at various levels.

Fall risk screening in older adults using the "CARE" frailty scale: The NuAge cohort results.

Background: "CARE" is an electronic health (e-health) application (app) which assesses frailty with its frailty module and risk of falls with its mobility module. This study examines and compares the risk of incident falls (i.e.

Systemic cytokines related to memory function 6-9 months and 12-15 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Cognitive symptoms persisting beyond the acute phase of COVID-19 infection are commonly described for up to 2 years after infection. The relationship between cognitive performance, in particular episodic memory processes observed chronically after infection, and cytokine levels in the acute phase of COVID-19 has not yet been identified in humans. To determine whether the levels of cytokines IL1β, IL-6 and TNFα secreted in the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection are associated and predict verbal and visuospatial episodic memory performance in humans 6 to 9 months and 12 to 15 months post-infection.

Forget About Memory: Disentangling the Amnestic Syndrome in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

Background: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) can present with both episodic amnestic syndrome and biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology.

Objective: To examine the associations between amnestic syndrome and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers in iNPH and the CSF tap test response in iNPH patients with amnestic syndrome.

Methods: We used the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test to divide iNPH into amnestic and non-amnestic patients.

The contribution of cognitive reserve in explaining the dual-task walking performance in iNPH patients: comparison with other cognitive, functional, and socio-demographic variables.

Background: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a prevalent neurological disorder, but its diagnosis remains challenging. Dual-task (DT) walking performance is a reliable indicator of iNPH but less is known about the role of cognitive reserve (CR) in predicting DT walking performance.

Aims: The objective of this study was to evaluate the contribution of CR on DT walking in healthy controls (HC) and in iNPH patients (iNPH-P).

Towards a comprehensive framework for complex walking tasks: Characterization, behavioral adaptations, and clinical implications in ageing and neurological populations.

Complex walking tasks, including change of direction, patterns and rhythms, require more attentional resources than simple walking and significantly impact walking performance, especially among ageing and neurological populations. More studies have been focusing on complex walking situations, with or without the addition of cognitive tasks, creating a multitude of walking situations. Given the lack of a clear and extensive definition of complex walking, this narrative review aims to identify and more precisely characterize situations and related tests, improve understanding of behavioral adaptations in ageing and neurological populations, and report the clinical applications of complex walking.

Amnestic Syndrome in Memory Clinics: Similar Morphological Brain Patterns in Older Adults with and without Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Amnestic syndrome of the hippocampal type (ASHT) in Memory Clinics is a presentation common to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, ASHT can be found in other neurodegenerative disorders.

Objective: To compare brain morphometry including hippocampal volumes between amnestic older adults with and without AD pathology and investigate their relationship with memory performance and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus and cognitive impairment: The gait phenotype matters too.

Background And Purpose: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a chronic neurological disease resulting in progressive gait and cognitive disorders. We investigated whether the gait phenotype is associated with the severity of cognitive deficits in iNPH.

Methods: This retrospective study recruited 88 patients (mean age = 76.

A Decision-Making Algorithm for Remote Digital Assessments of Alzheimer's Disease.

Introduction: Remote digital assessments (RDAs) such as voice recording, video and motor sensors, olfactory, hearing, and vision screenings are now starting to be employed to complement classical biomarker and clinical evidence to identify patients in the early AD stages. Choosing which RDA can be proposed to individual patients is not trivial and often time-consuming. This position paper presents a decision-making algorithm for using RDA during teleconsultations in memory clinic settings.

Residual Partial Least Squares Learning: Brain Cortical Thickness Simultaneously Predicts Eight Non-pairwise-correlated Behavioural and Disease Outcomes in Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia. It results in cortical thickness changes and is associated with a decline in cognition and behaviour. Such decline affects multiple important day-to-day functions, including memory, language, orientation, judgment and problem-solving.

Circulating Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease: Unlocking the Diagnostic Potential in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, Focusing on Africa.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is emerging as a significant public health challenge in Africa, with predictions indicating a tripling in incidence by 2050. The diagnosis of AD on the African continent is notably difficult, leading to late detection that severely limits treatment options and significantly impacts the quality of life for patients and their families.

Summary: This review focuses on the potential of high-sensitivity specific blood biomarkers as promising tools for improving AD diagnosis and management globally, particularly in Africa.

Persistence and emergence of new neuropsychological deficits following SARS-CoV-2 infection: A follow-up assessment of the Geneva COVID-COG cohort.

Background: Despite numerous observations of neuropsychological deficits immediately following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, little is known about what happens to these deficits over time and whether they are affected by changes in fatigue and any psychiatric symptoms. We aimed to assess the prevalence of neuropsychological deficits at 6-9 months and again at 12-15 months after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to explore whether it was associated with changes in fatigue and psychiatric symptoms.

Methods: We administered a series of neuropsychological tests and psychiatric questionnaires to 95 patients (mean age = 57.

High-dose glucocorticoids in COVID-19 patients with acute encephalopathy: clinical and imaging findings in a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Acute encephalopathy (AE) has been described as a severe complication of COVID-19. Inflammation has been suggested as a pathogenic mechanism, with high-dose glucocorticoids (GC) showing a beneficial effect. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical and radiological features in a group of COVID-19 AE patients who received GC treatment (GT) and in a non-treated (NT) group.

Evidence for increased parallel information transmission in human brain networks compared to macaques and male mice.

Brain communication, defined as information transmission through white-matter connections, is at the foundation of the brain's computational capacities that subtend almost all aspects of behavior: from sensory perception shared across mammalian species, to complex cognitive functions in humans. How did communication strategies in macroscale brain networks adapt across evolution to accomplish increasingly complex functions? By applying a graph- and information-theory approach to assess information-related pathways in male mouse, macaque and human brains, we show a brain communication gap between selective information transmission in non-human mammals, where brain regions share information through single polysynaptic pathways, and parallel information transmission in humans, where regions share information through multiple parallel pathways. In humans, parallel transmission acts as a major connector between unimodal and transmodal systems.

[Practical management of post-COVID-19 condition. Update and illustration by clinical situations].

Persistent manifestations of COVID-19, known as «long COVID» or post-COVID-19 condition (RA02, CIM-11), affect many infected individuals, with a 24-month prevalence depending on the studies context (18 % in a recent Swiss study). The diversity of clinical presentation, the sometimes complex diagnostic methods, and the multidisciplinary management highlight the importance of a holistic approach, with practical advice for assessing work capacity in the outpatient setting. This article offers an update and synthesis of current knowledge concerning post-COVID-19 condition with practical recommendations for primary care medicine, illustrated by real clinical situations.

Obstructive sleep apnea: a major risk factor for COVID-19 encephalopathy?

Background: This study evaluates the impact of high risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acute encephalopathy (AE).

Methods: Between 3/1/2020 and 11/1/2021, 97 consecutive patients were evaluated at the Geneva University Hospitals with a neurological diagnosis of COVID-19 AE. They were divided in two groups depending on the presence or absence of high risk for OSA based on the modified NOSAS score (mNOSAS, respectively ≥ 8 and < 8).