Background: Seed amplification assay (SAA) testing has been developed as a biomarker for the diagnosis of α-synuclein-related neurodegenerative disorders.
Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the rate of α-synuclein SAA positivity in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and to analyze clinical and pathological features of SAA-positive and -negative cases.
Methods: A total of 96 cerebrospinal fluid samples from clinically diagnosed PSP (n = 59) and CBS (n = 37) cases were analyzed using α-synuclein SAA.
Background Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a well-recognised treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Structural brain alterations of the white matter can correlate with disease progression and act as a biomarker for DBS therapy outcomes. This study aims to develop a machine learning-driven predictive model for DBS patient selection using whole-brain white matter radiomics and common clinical variables.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To compare posterior subthalamic area deep brain stimulation (PSA-DBS) performed in the conventional manner against diffusion tensor imaging and tractography (DTIT)-guided lead implantation into the dentatorubrothalamic tract (DRTT).
Patients And Methods: Double-blind, randomised study involving 34 patients with either tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease or essential tremor. Patients were randomised to Group A (DBS leads inserted using conventional landmarks) or Group B (leads guided into the DRTT using DTIT).
We report a case of Toscana virus encephalitis. This emerging pathogen is among the three most common causes of meningoencephalitis in Europe during the warm season, yet remains under-recognised. Doctors should consider Toscana virus infection in patients presenting with neurological symptoms who have a relevant exposure history during the summer months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Relatively little is known about the effects of deep brain stimulation on non-motor symptoms. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the impact of deep brain stimulation on sleep and olfactory function in Parkinson's disease.
Methods: Subjective sleep quality and olfactory testing were performed on 11 consecutive Parkinson's disease patients (eight men and three women) undergoing bilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation.
Thunderclap headache is a common emergency department presentation. Although subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) should be the first diagnosis to exclude, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is an important alternative cause, which may be commoner than appreciated. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome is characterized by multifocal narrowing of cerebral arteries, typically manifested by acute, severe headache with or without neurologic deficits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Vanishing white matter disease is caused by mutations of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B (EIF2B) and is a prevalent cause of inherited childhood leukoencephalopathy. Infantile and early childhood onset forms are associated with chronic progressive neurological signs, with episodes of rapid, neurological, and poor prognosis, with death in few months or years. In contrast, onset in late childhood and adult onset is rare and is associated with long-term survival because of milder signs and slow progression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApproximately 3.6% of patients with Parkinson's disease develop symptoms before age 45. Early-onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD) patients have a higher familial recurrence risk than late-onset patients, and 3 main recessive EOPD genes have been described.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To evaluate the effects on clinical outcome of dictating correspondence in front of patients and sending them copies of letters.
Design: Observational study of the practices of two consultants, one of whom (RDS) routinely dictated letters in front of his patients and almost always sent them a copy while the other (AM) did neither. Questionnaires were completed anonymously by patients at the end of their consultation.
A single GAG deletion in the DYT1 gene causes primary early-onset, generalized torsion dystonia. The DYT1 protein product, torsinA, belongs to the AAA+ family of proteins. When overexpressed, wild-type torsinA localizes mainly to the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas the mutant forms inclusions of unclear biogenetic origin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe epsilon-sarcoglycan gene (SGCE) on human chromosome 7q21 has been reported to be a major locus for inherited myoclonus-dystonia. Linkage to the SGCE locus has been detected in the majority of families tested, and mutations in the coding region have been found recently in families with autosomal dominant myoclonus-dystonia. To evaluate the relevance of SGCE in myoclonus-dystonia, we sequenced the entire coding region of the epsilon-sarcoglycan gene in 16 patients with either sporadic or familial myoclonus-dystonia.
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