Publications by authors named "Francesco Scheveger"
Background: . The present study aimed at deriving regression-based reliable change indices (RCIs) for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in an Italian cohort of non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.
Methods: N = 33 consecutive, non-demented PD patients were followed-up at a 5-to-8-month interval (M = 6.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigates the potential link between psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and the risk of peripheral neuropathy, aiming to understand its features in affected patients compared to a control group.
- Out of 200 participants, 9 with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis were diagnosed with polyneuropathy, indicating a significant relative risk compared to the control group, who had none.
- Although there seems to be an association with increased risk of polyneuropathy in these patients, it is suggested that this risk is more due to other contributing health factors rather than the conditions themselves.
Background: There is an unmet need in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to provide specific biomarkers for the disease. Due to their easy availability, we aimed to investigate whether routine blood parameters provide useful clues for phenotypic classification and disease prognosis.
Methods: We analyzed a large inpatient cohort of 836 ALS patients who underwent deep phenotyping with evaluation of the clinical and neurophysiological burden of upper (UMN) and lower (LMN) motor neuron signs.
Background: The present study aimed at determining whether, net of motor confounders, neuropsychological features affect functional independence (FI) in activities of daily living (ADLs) in non-demented amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients.
Methods: N = 88 ALS patients without frontotemporal dementia were assessed for FI-Katz's Basic ADL Scale (BADL) and Lawton-Brody's Instrumental ADL Scale (IADL)-, cognition-Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS)-and behaviour-Beaumont Behavioural Inventory and Dimensional Apathy Scale. The association between cognitive and behavioural measures and BADL/IADL scores was assessed by covarying for demographics, anxiety and depression levels, disease duration and motor confounders-i.
Background: This study is aimed at assessing the clinimetric properties and feasibility of the Italian version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in patients with Huntington's disease (HD).
Methods: N = 39 motor-manifest HD patients, N = 74 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and N = 92 matched HCs were administered the MoCA. HD patients further underwent the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS), self-report questionnaires for anxiety and depression and a battery of first- and second-level cognitive tests.
Background: This study aimed at assessing the clinical usability of the Story-Based Empathy Task (SET) in non-demented amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients.
Methods: N = 106 non-demented ALS patients and N = 101 healthy controls (HCs) were administered the SET, which includes three subtests assessing Emotion Attribution (SET-EA), Intention Attribution (SET-IA) and causal inference (SET-CI) - the latter being a control task. Patients also underwent the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS) and a thorough behavioural and motor-functional evaluation.
Article Synopsis
- This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) in assessing cognitive impairment in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients.
- The researchers tested the FAB's validity by comparing it with other cognitive assessments, examining its relationship with motor and behavioral measures, and establishing its reliability over time.
- Results showed that the FAB accurately detected cognitive issues in these patients and distinguished them from healthy controls, making it a reliable tool for identifying dysexecutive dysfunction in this population.
Introduction: Even if electromyography (EMG) is routinely used to confirm the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), few studies have analysed the correlation between electrophysiological parameters and clinical characteristics of ALS. We assessed if the quantification of active denervation (AD) and chronic denervation (CD) provides clinicians with information about phenotype, disease progression and survival in ALS patients.
Methods: We studied a cohort of 689 ALS patients recording the following parameters: age and site of onset, survival, MRC scale for muscle strength evaluation, burden of upper and lower motor signs as measured with specific scales (PUMNS and LMNS, respectively), ALSFRS-R, progression rate (ΔFS), MITOS and King's Staging systems (KSS).