Predictors of Splenectomy Response in Immune Thrombocytopenia: A Multicentric Italian Study.

: Splenectomy leads to a high rate of remission in chronic primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), but its unpredictable long-term positive outcomes and that it is a irreversible surgical approach discourage clinicians and patients. The identification of predictors of response may redefine the timing of splenectomy. In this retrospective, multicentric study we aimed to investigate clinical-histological predictors of splenectomy response in ITP patients and provide an easy-to-use score to predict splenectomy response in ITP.

Regional cerebral cholinergic vesicular transporter correlates of visual contrast sensitivity in Parkinson's disease: Implications for visual and cognitive function.

Visual and visual processing deficits are implicated in freezing, falling, and cognitive impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD). In particular, contrast sensitivity deficits are common and may be related to cognitive impairment in PD. While dopaminergic deficits play a role in PD-related visual dysfunction, brain cholinergic systems also modulate many aspects of visual processing.

Post-Physical Therapy 4-Month In-Home Dynamic Standing Protocol Maintains Physical Therapy Gains and Improves Mobility, Balance Confidence, Fear of Falling and Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Examiner-Blinded Feasibility Clinical Trial.

Objective: Parkinson's patients will experience mobility disturbances with disease progression. Beneficial effects of physical therapy are short-lasting. Novel interventions are needed to maintain these benefits.

The Protein/Carbohydrate Ratio in the Diet Affects Zootechnical Performance and the Regulation of Intermediary Metabolism in Juveniles Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum).

The use of carbohydrates in animal feed is a way to save protein in the diet. This study evaluated the effect of protein/starch ratio on the performance, hepatic metabolism, and body composition of juvenile tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum). Six isoenergetic experimental diets were formulated containing three levels of digestible protein (P: 230, 260 and 290 g kg ) and two levels of starch (S: 180 and 280 g kg ): P23S18, P23S28, P26S18, P26S28, P29S18 and P29S28.

Persistent dysfunctions of brain metabolic connectivity in long-covid with cognitive symptoms.

Purpose: Our study examines brain metabolic connectivity in SARS-CoV-2 survivors during the acute-subacute and chronic phases, aiming to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the persistence of neurological symptoms in long-COVID patients.

Methods: We perfomed a cross-sectional study including 44 patients (pts) with neurological symptoms who underwent FDG-PET scans, and classified to timing infection as follows: acute (7 pts), subacute (17 pts), long-term (20 pts) phases. Interregional correlation analysis (IRCA) and ROI-based IRCA were applied on FDG-PET data to extract metabolic connectivity in resting state networks (ADMN, PDMN, EXN, ATTN, LIN, ASN) of neuro-COVID pts in acute/subacute and long-term groups compared with healthy controls (HCs).

Dynamic balance and gait impairments in Parkinson's disease: novel cholinergic patterns.

The cholinergic system has been implicated in postural deficits, in particular falls, in Parkinson's disease (PD). Falls and freezing of gait typically occur during dynamic and challenging balance and gait conditions, such as when initiating gait, experiencing postural perturbations, or making turns. However, the precise cholinergic neural substrate underlying dynamic postural and gait changes remains poorly understood.

Acetyl-DL-leucine in two individuals with REM sleep behavior disorder improves symptoms, reverses loss of striatal dopamine-transporter binding and stabilizes pathological metabolic brain pattern-case reports.

Isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (iRBD) is considered a prodrome of Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigate whether the potentially disease-modifying compound acetyl-DL-leucine (ADLL; 5 g/d) has an effect on prodromal PD progression in 2 iRBD-patients. Outcome parameters are RBD-severity sum-score (RBD-SS-3), dopamine-transporter single-photon emission computerized tomography (DAT-SPECT) and metabolic "Parkinson-Disease-related-Pattern (PDRP)"-z-score in F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET).

Cognitive and Cholinergic Systems Trajectories in Parkinson Disease.

Objective: Cognitive decline in Parkinson disease (PD) is a disabling and highly variable non-motor feature. While cholinergic systems degeneration is linked to cognitive impairments in PD, most prior research reported cross-sectional associations. We aimed to fill this gap by investigating whether baseline regional cerebral vesicular acetylcholine transporter ligand [ F]-fluoroethoxybenzovesamicol ([ F]-FEOBV) binding predicts longitudinal cognitive changes in mild to moderate, non-demented PD subjects.

Noradrenergic cardiac denervation is associated with gait velocity in Parkinson disease: a dual ligand PET study.

Purpose: Preliminary data suggest that gait abnormalities in Parkinson disease (PD) may be associated with sympathetic cardiac denervation. No kinematic gait studies were performed to confirm this observation. We aimed to correlate spatiotemporal kinematic gait parameters with cardiac sympathetic denervation as determined by cardiac [C]HED PET in PD.

Multisensory mechanisms of gait and balance in Parkinson's disease: an integrative review.

Understanding the neural underpinning of human gait and balance is one of the most pertinent challenges for 21st-century translational neuroscience due to the profound impact that falls and mobility disturbances have on our aging population. Posture and gait control does not happen automatically, as previously believed, but rather requires continuous involvement of central nervous mechanisms. To effectively exert control over the body, the brain must integrate multiple streams of sensory information, including visual, vestibular, and somatosensory signals.

Cardiac sympathetic denervation and anxiety in Parkinson disease.

Background: Anxiety in Parkinson disease (PD) negatively impacts quality of life. While research predominantly focuses on central nervous system changes, some evidence suggests a connection between peripheral autonomic dysfunctions and PD-related anxiety. The role of the peripheral autonomic nervous system in this context may be overlooked.

Investigating the aspect of asymmetry in brain-first versus body-first Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Recent literature has proposed two subgroups of PD. The "body-first subtype" is associated with a prodrome of isolated REM-sleep Behavior Disorder (iRBD) and a relatively symmetric brain degeneration.

Ropeginterferon versus Standard Therapy for Low-Risk Patients with Polycythemia Vera.

BACKGROUND: Whether phlebotomy alone can adequately maintain target hematocrit in patients with low-risk polycythemia vera (PV) remains elusive. METHODS: In a phase 2 open-label randomized trial, we compared ropeginterferon alfa-2b (ropeg; 100 μg every 2 weeks) with phlebotomy only regarding maintenance of a median hematocrit level (≤45%) over 12 months in the absence of progressive disease (primary end point). In follow-up, crossover to the alternative treatment group was allowed if the primary end point was not met.

antitumor effects of aqueous extract and protease inhibitors from st. Hil. et naud and metabolite profiling.

The present study aims to assess the cytotoxic effect of the aqueous and protease inhibitors extracts of on breast cancer cell lines. The results showed significant reductions in the highest concentrations from the seed extract for all cell lines. The aqueous extract reduced the viability by up to 35% in the MCF-7, 25% in the 4T1, and 35% in the MDA-MB-231 cell lines.

Challenges and innovations in brain PET analysis of neurodegenerative disorders: a mini-review on partial volume effects, small brain region studies, and reference region selection.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) brain imaging is increasingly utilized in clinical and research settings due to its unique ability to study biological processes and subtle changes in living subjects. However, PET imaging is not without its limitations. Currently, bias introduced by partial volume effect (PVE) and poor signal-to-noise ratios of some radiotracers can hamper accurate quantification.

Ropeginterferon phase 2 randomized study in low-risk polycythemia vera: 5-year drug survival and efficacy outcomes.

In patients with low-risk polycythemia vera, exposure to low-dose Ropeginterferon alfa-2b (Ropeg) 100 µg every 2 weeks for 2 years was more effective than the standard treatment of therapeutic phlebotomy in maintaining target hematocrit (HCT) (< 45%) with a reduction in the need for phlebotomy without disease progression. In the present paper, we analyzed drug survival, defined as a surrogate measure of the efficacy, safety, adherence, and tolerability of Ropeg in patients followed up to 5 years. During the first 2 years, Ropeg and phlebotomy-only (Phl-O) were discontinued in 33% and 70% of patients, respectively, for lack of response (12 in the Ropeg arm vs.