Unraveling the inflammation-degeneration tangle in early MS: preliminary insights from ferritin, neurogranin, TREM2, and retinal ganglion cell layer.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) involves a complex interplay between immune-mediated inflammation and neurodegeneration. Recent advances in biomarker research have provided new insights into the molecular underpinnings of MS, including ferritin, neurogranin, Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), and neurofilaments light chain.

Objectives: This pilot study aims to investigate the levels of these biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of MS patients and explore their associations with clinical, cognitive, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters.

Identifying Cladribine prescription pattern in MS: an Italian multicentre study.

Background: Characterizing Cladribine tablets prescription pattern in daily clinical practice is crucial for optimizing multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment.

Objectives: To describe efficacy, safety profile and new disease-modifying therapy (DMT) prescriptions following Cladribine treatment.

Design: Independent retrospective cohort study in patients followed at six Italian MS centres.

Implementing proximity care for people with multiple sclerosis in Italy: the bottom-up approach of the StayHome project.

Objective: In Italy, around 137,000 people live with multiple sclerosis, facing organizational complexities due to the current model's limited focus on proximity care. This project aims to define a proximity model, in accordance with recent developments in the Italian healthcare landscape, engaging over 150 healthcare stakeholders and potentially impacting approximately 14,000 patients.

Methods: An analysis was pursued to map the multiple sclerosis pathway, followed by interviews to capture the actual implementation in Italian Multiple Sclerosis Centers.

Association of Loneliness with Functional and Cognitive Status in Minor and Major Neurocognitive Disorders.

Background: Neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) have a variable decline in cognitive function, while loneliness was associated with cognitive impairment and increased dementia risk. In the present study, we examined the associations of loneliness with functional and cognitive status in patients with minor (mild cognitive impairment) and major NCDs (dementia).

Methods: We diagnosed mild NCD ( = 42) and major NCD ( = 164) through DSM-5 criteria on 206 participants aged > 65 years using the UCLA 3-Item Loneliness Scale (UCLA-3) to evaluate loneliness, the activities of daily living (ADL) and the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scales to measure functional status, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess cognitive functions.

Lactobacilli Cell-Free Supernatants Modulate Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Human Microglia via NRF2-SOD1 Signaling.

Microglia are macrophage cells residing in the brain, where they exert a key role in neuronal protection. Through the gut-brain axis, metabolites produced by gut commensal microbes can influence brain functions, including microglial activity. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a key regulator of the oxidative stress response in microglia, controlling the expression of cytoprotective genes.