Group I nonreciprocal inhibition in restless legs syndrome secondary to chronic renal failure.

Background: Neurophysiological investigations disclosed spinal cord hyperexcitability in primary restless legs syndrome (p-RLS). Uremic RLS (u-RLS) is the most common secondary form, but its pathophysiological mechanisms remain unsettled. Aim of this study was to explore spinal cord excitability by evaluating group I nonreciprocal (Ib) inhibition in u-RLS patients in comparison with p-RLS patients and healthy subjects.

Clinical and neurophysiologic features of progressive myoclonus epilepsy without renal failure caused by SCARB2 mutations.

Purpose: Mutations of the SCARB2 gene cause action myoclonus renal failure syndrome (AMRF), a rare condition that combines progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME) with severe renal dysfunction. We describe the clinical and neurophysiologic features of PME associated with SCARB2 mutations without renal impairment.

Methods: Clinical and neurophysiologic investigations, including wakefulness and sleep electroencephalography (EEG), polygraphic recording (with jerk-locked back-averaging and analysis of the EEG-EMG (electromyography) relationship by coherence spectra and phase calculation), multimodal evoked potentials, and electromyography were performed on five Italian patients with SCARB2 mutations.

Family recurrence and oligo-anuria predict uremic restless legs syndrome.

Objectives: To determine clinical and laboratory predictors of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) undergoing long-term hemodialysis (HD).

Materials And Methods: One hundred and sixty-two consecutive patients were assessed. History of sleep disturbances, neurological examination, clinical, and laboratory data were collected.

[Therapy strategies in the prevention of chronic allograft nephropathy].

Chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) is an anatomical and clinical alteration, characterized by proteinuria, hypertension and a progressive decline in kidney function, which begins at variable times (months, years) and can lead to the loss of the transplanted organ. CAN pathogenesis, which remains to be fully clarified, involves both immunological (early acute rejection, hyperimmunization, HLA-mismatches between donor and recipient, suboptimal immunosuppression, etc) and non-immunological factors (ischemia/reperfusion injury, reduced nephron mass, age differences between donor and recipient, dialysis time, hypertension, dislipidemia, proteinuria, etc). The possible prevention strategies for CAN consist of procedures aimed at the reduction of some potential risk factors: optimization of the conditions for organ explantation, diminution of ischemia/reperfusion injury, aggressive pharmacological treatment of acute rejection episodes, routine utilization of anti-hypertensive and hypolipidemic agents, and appropriate and rational immunosuppressive regimen.

Marcello Malpighi and his academic opponents in Bologna.

Marcello Malpighi was born in Crevalcore on March 10, 1628 and died in Rome on July 25, 1694. In Bologna he had among his opponents Giovanni Gerolamo Sbaraglia and Paoli Mini who prevented him being appointed to the chair of anatomy. This paper describes the reasons for this long term debate.