Publications by authors named "Fabrizia Falco"

Background: The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) is the most widely used in clinical practice and the least time-consuming battery to estimate cognitive function in adults with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), while it has been included in few studies on young MS, also because of the absence of normative values.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of age, sex and education on BICAMS scores in a young adolescent population.

Methods: We administered the BICAMS to 169, 11-to-18-year-old, healthy subjects.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: CD20 T lymphocytes are a subset of circulating T cells presenting the CD20 receptor, a molecular marker of B lineage. CD20 T lymphocytes are thought to play a pivotal role in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology, especially at progressive stages. We aimed to investigate the correlation between CD20 T lymphocytes and neuropsychological features (i.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: People with multiple sclerosis (MS) might experience symptoms that are usually underestimated. Dysphagia should be evaluated within the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), but clinicians often do not assess it properly. The objectives of this study are as follows: To assess the prevalence of dysphagia in patients with MS utilizing the Swallowing Disturbance Questionnaire (SDQ); to examine the correlation with the EDSS; to investigate the relationship between dysphagia and clinico-demographic characteristics of MS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Fatigue is a common symptom in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), but its determinants are not clarified yet. Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a personality trait characterized by enhanced sensitivity towards endogenous and exogenous stimuli, and higher attention toward minimal stimuli, resulting in overarousal and fatigue.

Objective: to evaluate the association between SPS and fatigue in MS patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to estimate the prevalence and incidence of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the Campania region of South Italy, using healthcare data from 2015 to 2020.
  • Researchers analyzed data from individuals aged 65 and older and found that 80,392 had dementia, with a prevalence rate of 77.64 per 1,000 for any dementia and 34.05 per 1,000 for AD.
  • The incidence rates were 82.10 cases of dementia and 59.89 cases of AD per 100,000 people annually, and the performance of their algorithms for detecting dementia was validated against clinical tests with good sensitivity and specificity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the relationship between vitamin D levels and cognitive impairment in 181 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), using specific cognitive tests to assess functioning.
  • - Findings reveal that higher vitamin D levels are linked to better cognitive performance, with increments in cognitive test scores corresponding to increased vitamin D. Conversely, cognitive impairment and greater disability correlate with lower vitamin D levels.
  • - The research emphasizes the potential impact of vitamin D on cognitive health in MS, suggesting it might be a target for improving patient outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Unemployment can directly affect social status and identity. Assessing and adjusting determinants of early working impairments in a chronic disease can thus reduce its long-term burden. Hereby, we aim to evaluate differences in occupational history and early working impairments between people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy workers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Botulinum toxin (BT) is an effective treatment for spasticity symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite its wide use in clinical practices, only few studies have explored long-term persistence. We aim to evaluate the rate of discontinuation of BT treatment and the correlation with MS, spasticity, and injection variables.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Cardiovascular comorbidities have been associated with cognitive decline in the general population.

Objectives: To evaluate the associations between cardiovascular risk and neuropsychological performances in MS.

Methods: This is a retrospective study, including 69 MS patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: The Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRB) is frequently used to estimate cognitive function in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), while it has been included in few studies on young MS, also because of the absence of normative values. We aim to evaluate the impact of age, gender, and education on BRB scores in a young adolescent population.

Methods: We administered the BRB to 76, 14-to-17-year-old, healthy subjects.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Anxiety disorders are common in Parkinson's Disease (PD) and their identification is relevant even at early stages. The Parkinson Anxiety Scale (PAS) evaluates anxiety in PD; it was used only in the original validation study in PD patients mainly at 2-3 stages of Hoehn & Yahr system (H&Y). The study aimed to investigate psychometric properties of observer-rated version of the PAS (OR-PAS), prevalence rate of anxiety and its features, compared with diagnostic criteria in early PD patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: A complex relationship exists between postural control and cognition in the elderly. Namely, neural mechanisms that are required for the regulation of posture have been variably associated with cognitive dysfunctions. Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease among the elderly, and it has been associated with both cognitive and postural abnormalities such as Pisa syndrome (PS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a rapid screening battery, also including subtests to assess frontal functions such as set-shifting, abstraction and cognitive flexibility. MoCA seems to be useful to identify non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subcortical dementia; it has high sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing MCI from mild Alzheimer's Disease. Previous studies revealed that certain items of MoCA may be culturally biased and highlighted the need for population-based norms for the MoCA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF