The Effect of Curcumin on Idiopathic Parkinson Disease: A Clinical and Skin Biopsy Study.

There are currently no standardized therapies for Parkinson disease (PD). Curcumin shows anti-amyloidogenic properties in vitro and may be a promising treatment for PD. We evaluated the effects of curcumin supplementation on clinical scales and misfolded, phosphorylated α-synuclein (p-syn) accumulation in skin biopsies in 19 PD patients who received curcumin supplementation for 12 months and 14 PD patients to treated with curcumin.

Small Fiber Neuropathy in Patients with Chronic Pain and a Previous Diagnosis of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome.

Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is characterized by the involvement of Aδ and C fibers leading to sensory, mainly pain, and/or autonomic symptoms. Multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome (MCS) is an incompletely defined condition characterized by the onset of various symptoms in patients after exposure to several chemical substances. Pain is a common symptom in these patients.

In Vivo Diagnosis of Synucleinopathies: A Comparative Study of Skin Biopsy and RT-QuIC.

Objective: To determine whether (1) immunofluorescence is a reproducible technique in detecting misfolded α-synuclein in skin nerves and subsequently whether (2) immunofluorescence and real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) (both in skin and CSF) show a comparable in vivo diagnostic accuracy in distinguishing synucleinopathies from non-synucleinopathies in a large cohort of patients.

Methods: We prospectively recruited 90 patients fulfilling clinical and instrumental diagnostic criteria for all synucleinopathies variants and non-synucleinopathies (mainly including Alzheimer disease, tauopathies, and vascular parkinsonism or dementia). Twenty-four patients with mainly peripheral neuropathies were used as controls.

Subcutaneous immunoglobulin for maintenance therapy in stiff-person syndrome: One-year follow-up in two patients.

Stiff person syndrome is a rare condition characterised by prolonged stiffness with superimposed muscle spasms. Immunotherapy relies mainly on intravenous immunoglobulin, steroids and plasma exchange. Azathioprine or rituximab are other possible options.

Denervation findings on EMG in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and correlation with prognostic milestones: Data from a retrospective study.

Objective: To verify whether the finding of denervation activity on EMG at the time of diagnosis has a prognostic value in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: We retrospectively studied all the patients discharged with a diagnosis of ALS between January 2009 and January 2017. 92 patients met the inclusion criteria.