Meaningful cognitive change for the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Function in Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: There is limited information on interpretation of cognitive changes over time in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective: This study aimed to provide normative data for the assessment of statistically meaningful change in all tests of the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Function in MS (MACFIMS).

Methods: We applied the reliable change methodology to a healthy Italian cohort, assessed with two alternate versions of the MACFIMS 1 year apart.

Salivary α-Synuclein as a Candidate Biomarker of Parkinsonism in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome.

Background: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) has been linked to an increased risk of early-onset Parkinson's disease.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Chemsex: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Introduction: Chemsex has been defined until now as the use of specific psychoactive substances during sexual activities in men who have sex with men (MSM) contexts to facilitate, enhance, and prolong the experience. Many studies have investigated this phenomenon in specific communities, such as MSM, or have explored the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of chemsex in an Italian group and describe its main characteristics.

Longitudinal serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) concentration relates to cognitive function in multiple sclerosis patients.

Background: Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) may be used as a biological marker of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), although longitudinal studies correlating cognitive deficits to sNfL are limited.

Objective: To longitudinally investigate the relation between cognitive dysfunction, sNfL and MRI brain volume in a relapsing remitting MS patients.

Methods: 18 MS patients (9 males and 9 females, mean age 45 years, mean education 12.

The minimal neuropsychological assessment of MS patients (MACFIMS): normative data of the Italian population.

Cognitive impairment is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), and research has emphasized the crucial role of cognitive assessment in disease monitoring. The minimal neuropsychological assessment of MS (MACFIMS) represents one of the neuropsychological batteries most widely used throughout the world. To date, a complete validation, as well as normative values of an alternative form, is lacking in the Italian population, limiting the use of this tool in longitudinal assessment.

Correction to: Aging with multiple sclerosis: prevalence and profile of cognitive impairment.

The above article was published online with an error in author name's affiliation. The Author Claudia Niccolai has changed her affiliation to IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy.

Aging with multiple sclerosis: prevalence and profile of cognitive impairment.

Background: The increase in life expectancy of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) requires a better knowledge of disease features in the older patients group.

Objective: To describe the prevalence and profile of cognitive impairment (CI) in older patients with MS and perform a comparison with younger patients.

Methods: Patients were consecutively recruited for 6 months.

Altered bodily self-consciousness in multiple sclerosis.

In this study, we assessed the impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) on bodily self-consciousness (BSC) using the Rubber Hand Illusion. Patients with MS showed a dissociation between body ownership and self-location: they did report an explicit ownership of the rubber hand, but they did not point towards it, showing a defective ability of localizing body parts in space. This evidence indicates that MS may affect selective components of BSC, whose impairment may contribute to, and even worsen, the functional disability of MS.

Two Years Follow up of Domain Specific Cognitive Training in Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been reported to induce neuropsychological improvements, but the persistence of these effects has been scarcely investigated over long follow ups. Here, the results of a multicenter randomized clinical trial are reported, in which the efficacy of 15 week domain specific cognitive training was evaluated at 2 years follow up in 41 patients. Included patients were randomly assigned either to domain specific cognitive rehabilitation, or to aspecific psychological intervention.

Natalizumab Significantly Improves Cognitive Impairment over Three Years in MS: Pattern of Disability Progression and Preliminary MRI Findings.

Previous studies reported that Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients treated with natalizumab for one or two years exhibit a significant reduction in relapse rate and in cognitive impairment, but the long term effects on cognitive performance are unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of natalizumab on cognitive impairment in a cohort of 24 consecutive patients with relapsing remitting MS treated for 3 years. The neuropsychological tests, as well as relapse number and EDSS, were assessed at baseline and yearly for three years.

Neuroenhancement through cognitive training and anodal tDCS in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Cognitive training has been shown to improve cognitive function and quality of life in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and is correlated with increased activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).

Objective: This study aims to test whether combining attention training with anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) over the left DLPFC can improve training efficacy.

Methods: Twenty patients impaired in attention/speed of information processing were randomly assigned to cognitive training during a-tDCS over the left DLPFC or cognitive training during sham tDCS for 10 daily sessions.

A RCT Comparing Specific Intensive Cognitive Training to Aspecific Psychological Intervention in RRMS: The SMICT Study.

Background: Specific cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS) resulted to be effective compared to no treatment. So far the possible role of an aspecific psychological intervention on cognition has not been investigated.

Objective: The aim of the SMICT RCT was to compare the efficacy of a specific cognitive training with an aspecific psychological intervention in relapsing-remitting MS patients.

Assessing executive function with the D-KEFS sorting test: normative data for a sample of the Italian adult population.

One of the major problems in clinical neuropsychology is to apply ecological, easily administrable and sensitive tests that can help in the diagnosis of executive functions. In the present paper we present normative values for the D-KEFS sorting test (ST), exploring the ability of reasoning, categorization abilities, problem solving, flexibility of thinking and abstraction. We collected normative data in a group of 181 normal Italian subjects aged between 20 and 69 years old, matched for educational level.

Patterns of regional gray matter and white matter atrophy in cortical multiple sclerosis.

We investigated the patterns of regional distribution of focal lesions, white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) atrophy in patients with cortical (cort) MS in comparison to classical (c) MS patients. Nine cort-MS, nine c-MS and nine age-matched healthy controls (HC) underwent a brain MRI exam, including FLAIR and high-resolution T1-weighted scans. MS patients underwent neurological and neuropsychological assessment.

Depression, disability and cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis: a cross sectional Italian study.

The disability, cognitive impairment, fatigue and depression are interacting features in multiple sclerosis (MS), whose relation is still unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate in a sample of MS patients, the frequency of depressive symptoms, its predicting factors and relation with cognitive impairment, fatigue and disability. 255 consecutive MS patients and 166 healthy subjects were assessed for the presence of depressive symptoms with the Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen (BDI-FS).

Neuropsychological rehabilitation in adult multiple sclerosis.

Neuropsychological impairment affects 40-65% of multiple sclerosis patients, mainly involving speed in information processing, attention, executive functions and memory. Deterioration occurs over time independently from disability and seems to correlate particularly with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) atrophy measures. Studies on therapies effective in controlling cognitive impairment are scanty.

Natalizumab efficacy on cognitive impairment in MS.

We report follow-up data on the efficacy of natalizumab therapy on neuropsychological impairment on an italian MS group of 39 patients at 1 year and of 11 patients at 2 years. Results show a significant reduction in relapse rate, in the number of impaired neuropsychological tests as well as in several single executive function and reasoning tests scores at 1 year. Improvement persisted at 2 years, including also memory and speed processing tasks.

Neutralizing antibodies explain the poor clinical response to interferon beta in a small proportion of patients with multiple sclerosis: a retrospective study.

Background: Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against Interferon beta (IFNbeta) are reported to be associated with poor clinical response to therapy in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. We aimed to quantify the contribution of NAbs to the sub-optimal response of IFNbeta treatment.

Methods: We studied the prevalence of NAbs in MS patients grouped according to their clinical response to IFNbeta during the treatment period.

Measurement of the sensitivity of different commercial assays in the diagnosis of CMV infection in pregnancy.

To evaluate the performance of different commercial assays for the detection of recent cytomegalovirus (CMV) in pregnancy, the sensitivity and specificity of assays for CMV-specific IgM antibodies were compared. Routine specimens from pregnant women were screened for CMV IgM using the Abbott AxSYM assay. Sera that were reactive according to AxSYM were further tested for IgM by other commercial assays.

Neutralizing and binding antibodies to interferon beta in patients with multiple sclerosis: a comparison of assay results from three italian centres.

Interferon (IFN) beta therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with the development of binding antibodies (BAbs) and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in a percentage of patients. This study investigated the reproducibility of results of two different antibody detection techniques using serum from 100 patients with MS who were receiving IFN beta therapy. Fifty samples were analysed using a commercially available kit-based BAb assay and a further 50 different samples were analysed using a widely used NAb cytopathic effect assay, at three different laboratories.

Immune complexed (IC) hepatitis C virus (HCV) in chronically and acutely HCV-infected patients.

In infected individuals, hepatitis C virus (HCV) exists in various forms of circulating particles which role in virus persistence and in HCV resistance to IFN therapy is still debated. Here, the proportion of HCV bound to immunoglobulin was determined in plasma of 107 chronically infected patients harbouring different HCV genotypes and, for comparison, of six patients with acute HCV infection. The results showed that, in spite of wide individual variability, chronically HCV-infected patients exhibited an extremely high proportion of immune complexed (IC) virus regardless of plasma HCV load and infecting genotype.

Immunogenicity comparison of interferon beta-1a preparations using the BALB/c mouse model: assessment of a new formulation for use in multiple sclerosis.

The in vivo immunogenicity of a new interferon (IFN) beta-1a product (Rebif New Formulation; RNF) was compared with that of two approved recombinant human IFN beta-1a products (Rebif and Avonex). Immunogenic potential was assessed based on time to development of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) and NAb titer. Female BALB/c mice (six in each group) received RNF, Rebif or Avonex (1.

Pharmacodynamics of peginterferon alpha-2a and peginterferon alpha-2b in interferon-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C: a randomized, controlled study.

Background: Peginterferon alpha-2a and alpha-2b, the two commercially available pegylated interferons, have different pharmacokinetic properties that produce differing abilities to suppress replication of the hepatitis C virus.

Aim: To compare the pharmacodynamics of peginterferon alpha-2a and peginterferon alpha-2b in interferon-naive patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Methods: Patients were randomized to receive peginterferon alpha-2a, 180 microg (n = 10) or peginterferon alpha-2b 1.

Genotypic resistance of archived and circulating viral strains in the blood of treated HIV-infected individuals.

The aim of this study was to evaluate patterns of antiretroviral resistance of HIV-1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in the plasma of patients whose therapeutic regimen is failing. Plasma and PBMC samples were collected from 95 HIV-infected patients undergoing long-term treatment. Genotyping of the reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease genes of HIV-1 was undertaken using the fluorescent dideoxy-terminator method.

Expression of biomarkers of interferon type I in patients suffering from chronic diseases.

Interferons (IFNs) are used widely in the treatment of viral infections, tumours and neurological disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the endogenous expressions of various IFN-induced compounds [specifically: neopterin (NPT), beta2microglobulin (beta2mg) and 2-5 oligoadenylate synthetase (2-5 OAS)] in patients with various chronic diseases requiring treatment with IFN type I. The results showed that patients with such chronic diseases as hepatitis C virus-associated type II mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC), chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) are characterized by different activations of the IFN system.