Preclinical and clinical study on type 3 metabotropic glutamate receptors in Parkinson's disease.

Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are candidate drug targets for therapeutic intervention in Parkinson's disease (PD). Here we focused on mGlu3, a receptor subtype involved in synaptic regulation and neuroinflammation. mGlu3 mice showed an enhanced nigro-striatal damage and microglial activation in response to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP).

Subtle bradykinesia features are easier to identify and more prevalent than questionable dystonia in essential tremor.

Essential tremor (ET) is characterized by upper limbs action tremor, sometimes extending to other body parts. However, ET can present with additional neurological features known as "soft signs." These signs of uncertain clinical significance are not sufficient to suggest an alternative neurological diagnosis, and include, among others, questionable dystonia and subtle voluntary movement alterations, i.

Radiomic features of primary retroperitoneal sarcomas: a prognostic study.

Background: Risk-stratification of patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS) relies on validated nomograms, such as Sarculator. This retrospective study investigated whether radiomic features extracted from computed tomography (CT) imaging could i) enhance the performance of Sarculator and ii) identify G3 dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS) or leiomyosarcoma (LMS), which are currently consider in a randomized clinical trial testing neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: Patients with primary localized RPS treated with curative-intent surgery (2011-2015) and available pre-operative CT imaging were included.

Neurophysiological markers of motor compensatory mechanisms in early Parkinson's disease.

Compensatory mechanisms in Parkinson's disease are defined as the changes that the brain uses to adapt to neurodegeneration and progressive dopamine reduction. Motor compensation in early Parkinson's disease could, in part, be responsible for a unilateral onset of clinical motor signs despite the presence of bilateral nigrostriatal degeneration. Although several mechanisms have been proposed for compensatory adaptations in Parkinson's disease, the underlying pathophysiology is unclear.

The Role of Non-Invasive Brain Modulation in Identifying Disease Biomarkers for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Purposes in Parkinsonism.

Over the past three decades, substantial advancements have occurred in non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS). These developments encompass various non-invasive techniques aimed at modulating brain function. Among the most widely utilized methods today are transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES), which include direct- or alternating-current transcranial stimulation (tDCS/tACS).

Dysrhythmia as a prominent feature of Parkinson's disease: An app-based tapping test.

Introduction: Smartphone applications (apps) are instruments that assist with objective measurements during the clinical assessment of patients with movement disorders. We aim to test the hypothesis that Parkinson's disease (PD) patients will exhibit an increase in tapping variability and a decrease in tapping speed over a one-year period, compared to healthy controls (HC).

Methods: Data was prospectively collected from participants enrolled in our Cincinnati Cohort Biomarker Program, in 2021-2023.

Distinguishing essential tremor from Parkinson's disease: clinical and experimental tools.

Introduction: Essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the most common causes of tremor and the most prevalent movement disorders, with overlapping clinical features that can lead to diagnostic challenges, especially in the early stages.

Areas Covered: In the present paper, the authors review the clinical and experimental studies and emphasized the major aspects to differentiate between ET and PD, with particular attention to cardinal phenomenological features of these two conditions. Ancillary and experimental techniques, including neurophysiology, neuroimaging, fluid biomarker evaluation, and innovative methods, are also discussed for their role in differential diagnosis between ET and PD.

The Role of Cerebellum and Basal Ganglia Functional Connectivity in Altered Voluntary Movement Execution in Essential Tremor.

Substantial evidence highlights the role of the cerebellum in the pathophysiology of tremor in essential tremor (ET), although its potential involvement in altered movement execution in this condition remains unclear. This study aims to explore potential correlations between the cerebellum and basal ganglia functional connectivity and voluntary movement execution abnormalities in ET, objectively assessed with kinematic techniques. A total of 20 patients diagnosed with ET and 18 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study.

Insight into the Relationship Between Motor and Cognitive Symptoms in Essential Tremor.

Essential tremor (ET) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by bilateral upper limbs action tremor and, possibly, neurological signs of uncertain significance, including voluntary movement abnormalities and cognitive disturbances, i.e., the so-called 'soft' signs configuring the ET-plus definition.

Clinical and kinematic characterization of parkinsonian soft signs in essential tremor.

Background: Subtle parkinsonian signs, i.e., rest tremor and bradykinesia, are considered soft signs for defining essential tremor (ET) plus.

A Novel KCNQ2 Variant in a Patient with a Combined Tremor Syndrome.

Background: Tremor disorders have various genetic causes.

Case Report: A 60-year-old female with a family history of tremor presented a combined tremor syndrome, transient episodes of loss of contact and speech disturbances, as well as distal painful symptoms. Genetic screening revealed a novel heterozygous missense variant in the KCNQ2 gene.

Comparative genomics provides insights into molecular adaptation to hypermetamorphosis and cantharidin metabolism in blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae).

Blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) are currently subdivided into three subfamilies: Eleticinae (a basal group), Nemognathinae, and Meloinae. These are all characterized by the endogenous production of the defensive terpene cantharidin (CA), whereas the two most derived subfamilies show a hypermetamorphic larval development. Here, we provide novel draft genome assemblies of five species sampled across the three blister beetle subfamilies (Iselma pallidipennis, Stenodera caucasica, Zonitis immaculata, Lydus trimaculatus, and Mylabris variabilis) and performed a comparative analysis with other available Meloidae genomes and the closely-related canthariphilous species (Pyrochroa serraticornis) to disclose adaptations at a molecular level.

Neural control of blinking.

Blinking is a motor act characterized by the sequential closing and opening of the eyelids, which is achieved through the reciprocal activation of the orbicularis oculi and levator palpebrae superioris muscles. This stereotyped movement can be triggered reflexively, occur spontaneously, or voluntarily initiated. During each type of blinking, the neural control of the antagonistic interaction between the orbicularis oculi and levator palpebrae superioris muscles is governed by partially overlapping circuits distributed across cortical, subcortical, and brainstem structures.

Interhemispheric imbalance and bradykinesia features in Parkinson's disease.

In patients with Parkinson's disease, the connectivity between the two primary motor cortices may be altered. However, the correlation between asymmetries of abnormal interhemispheric connections and bradykinesia features has not been investigated. Furthermore, the potential effects of dopaminergic medications on this issue remain largely unclear.

Larval features of the Italian endemic Pyrochroa serraticornis kiesenwetteri Fairmaire, 1849 (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae: Pyrochroinae) solve taxonomic uncertainties.

Recent findings rearranged the taxonomy of the European species of the genus Pyrochroa Geoffroy (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae), and to date three species are recognized: P. bifoveata Molfini et al., 2022 and P.

Theta-tACS modulates cerebellar-related motor functions and cerebellar-cortical connectivity.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) delivered at cerebellar-resonant frequencies, i.e., theta (θ) and gamma (γ), on upper limb motor performance and cerebellum-primary motor cortex (M1) connectivity, as assessed by cerebellar-brain inhibition (CBI), in healthy subjects.

Objective assessment of the effects of opicapone in Parkinson's disease through kinematic analysis.

Background: Opicapone (OPC) is a third-generation, selective peripheral COMT inhibitor that improves peripheral L-DOPA bioavailability and reduces OFF time and end-of-dose motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.

Objectives: In this study, we objectively assessed the effects of adding OPC to L-DOPA on bradykinesia in PD through kinematic analysis of finger movements.

Methods: We enrolled 20 treated patients with PD and motor fluctuations.

The cranial apparatus glands of the canthariphilous Pyrochroa coccinea (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae: Pyrochroinae), and their implications in sexual behaviour.

Some Pyrochroidae species are known as "canthariphilous" for their attraction to cantharidin (CTD), a toxic terpene with anti-predatory effects, produced in nature by only two beetle families (Meloidae and Oedemeridae). It has been demonstrated that males of Neopyrochroa flabellata ingesting CTD are positively selected by females. Indeed, the compound is re-emitted from a glandular cranial apparatus as secretions that are licked up by females during courtship behaviour, inducing copulation.