Quantifying the administration and monitoring time burden of several disease-modifying therapies for relapsing multiple sclerosis in the United Kingdom: A time and motion study.

Background: The treatment landscape for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) has changed dramatically in recent decades, including an increasing number of high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) with varied administration and monitoring requirements. Coupled with greater focus on earlier treatment, these factors have resulted in stretching of the capacity of MS specialist services and allied healthcare professionals (HCPs). To assist with the effective planning of MS services in the UK NHS, this study quantified the administration and monitoring time burden associated with high-efficacy DMTs (alemtuzumab, cladribine tablets, fingolimod, natalizumab, and ocrelizumab) for relapsing MS.

Network analysis characterizes key associations between subjective fatigue and specific depressive symptoms in early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Background: Fatigue is common and disabling in multiple sclerosis (MS), yet its mechanisms are poorly understood. In particular, overlap in measures of fatigue and depression complicates interpretation. We applied a multivariate network approach to quantify relationships between fatigue and other variables in early MS.

A systematic review of European regional and national guidelines: a focus on the recommended use of nabiximols in the management of spasticity in multiple sclerosis.

Introduction: Spasticity is a common, debilitating symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) with several treatment options including the cannabinoid-based treatment, nabiximols. The purpose of this review was to examine the existing clinical practice guidelines that direct the management of multiple-sclerosis-associated spasticity (MSS), to identify areas of similarity and divergence, and suggest where standardization and improvement may be obtained.

Areas Covered: Published literature (PubMed), websites of relevant European Medical Associations and Health Technology Assessment bodies were systematically searched to identify guidelines describing the pharmacological management of MSS, focussing on European countries where nabiximols (Sativex® oromucosal spray) is approved.

Clinical trials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and perspective.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive and devastating neurodegenerative disease. Despite decades of clinical trials, effective disease-modifying drugs remain scarce. To understand the challenges of trial design and delivery, we performed a systematic review of Phase II, Phase II/III and Phase III amyotrophic lateral sclerosis clinical drug trials on trial registries and PubMed between 2008 and 2019.

The epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in the Scottish Highlands: Prevalence, incidence and time to confirmed diagnosis and treatment initiation.

Introduction: Although multiple sclerosis (MS) is frequent in the northern hemisphere, there have not been recent epidemiological studies in the Scottish Highlands about MS.

Objectives: To get updated data regarding MS prevalence, incidence and mortality in the Highlands. Time between symptom onset and MS diagnosis was also evaluated in incident MS cases and the pattern of use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) was analysed.

Neurological complications of Zika virus infection.

Zika virus (ZIKV) disease is a vector-borne infectious disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Recently, ZIKV has caused outbreaks in most American countries. Areas covered: Publications about neurological complications of ZIKV infection retrieved from pubmed searchers were reviewed, and reference lists and relevant articles from review articles were also examined.

Infectious diseases causing autonomic dysfunction.

Objectives: To review infectious diseases that may cause autonomic dysfunction.

Methods: Review of published papers indexed in medline/embase.

Results: Autonomic dysfunction has been reported in retrovirus (human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-lymphotropic virus), herpes viruses, flavivirus, enterovirus 71 and lyssavirus infections.

Epidemiology and neurological complications of infection by the Zika virus: a new emerging neurotropic virus.

Introduction: The current epidemic outbreak due to Zika virus began in 2015 and since then it has been reported in 31 countries and territories in America. The epidemiological and clinical aspects related to infection by Zika virus are reviewed.

Development: Since 2007, 55 countries in America, Asia, Africa and Oceania have detected local transmission of the virus.

Clinical management of infectious cerebral vasculitides.

A wide range of infections (virus, bacteria, parasite and fungi) may cause cerebral vasculitides. Headache, seizures, encephalopathy and stroke are common forms of presentation. Infection and inflammation of intracranial vessels may cause pathological vascular remodelling, vascular occlusion and ischemia.

Post-Ebolavirus disease syndrome: what do we know?

As the current Zaire ebolavirus disease outbreak in West Africa fades, the health problems of the more than 16,500 survivors have come to light. A wide range of mental and physical symptoms may occur during the convalescence stage. Reported symptoms of "post-Ebolavirus disease syndrome" (PEVDS) include chronic joint and muscle pain, fatigue, anorexia, hearing loss, blurred vision, headache, sleep disturbances, low mood and short-term memory problems.

Post-Ebolavirus disease syndrome: What do we know?

As the current Zaire ebolavirus disease outbreak in West Africa fades, the health problems of the more than 16,500 survivors have come to light. A wide range of mental and physical symptoms may occur during the convalescence stage. Reported symptoms of "post-Ebolavirus disease syndrome" (PEVDS) include chronic joint and muscle pain, fatigue, anorexia, hearing loss, blurred vision, headache, sleep disturbances, low mood and short-term memory problems.

[Subtypes of mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease and factors predicting its becoming dementia].

Introduction: Cognitive impairment may appear at the earliest stages in Parkinson's disease (PD). To assess the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its different subtypes, as transitional stage, is complicated by the lack of consensus diagnostic criteria.

Aim: To review MCI in PD (MCI-PD), diagnostic criteria and predictive factors of conversion to dementia.

Meningococcal meningitis: vaccination outbreak response and epidemiological changes in the African meningitis belt.

The main approach to controlling epidemics of meningococcal meningitis in the African meningitis belt has been reactive vaccination campaigns with serogroup A polysaccharide vaccine once the outbreak reached an incidence threshold. Early reactive vaccination is effective in reducing morbidity and mortality. A recent paper in International Health has shown that earlier reactive vaccination campaigns may be even more effective than increasing the coverage area of vaccination.

[Illness due the Ebola virus: epidemiology and clinical manifestations within the context of an international public health emergency].

Introduction: The epidemic caused by the Ebola virus in western Africa affects Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Mali and Senegal, and is the most serious to occur since the existence of this filovirus, which causes haemorrhagic fever, was first reported. This article reviews the epidemiological characteristics and clinical manifestations associated with the disease due to the Ebola virus.

Development: Until February 23, 2015 there have been 23,729 cases of Ebola, with a mortality rate of 40.

Neurological manifestations of dengue viral infection.

Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne viral infection worldwide. There is increased evidence for dengue virus neurotropism, and neurological manifestations could make part of the clinical picture of dengue virus infection in at least 0.5%-7.

Tackling chronic migraine: current perspectives.

In the last decade, several diagnostic criteria and definitions have been proposed for chronic migraine (CM). The third edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders-3 beta, published in 2013, has revised CM diagnostic criteria. CM is defined as "headache occurring on 15 or more days per month for more than 3 months, which has the features of migraine headache on at least 8 days per month.

Psychometric evaluation of the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0.

Background: The Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 (SIS 3.0) is widely used to measure quality of life in stroke survivors; however, previous studies have not tested the original 8-factor structure of the scale.

[Personality traits in patients with migraine: a multi-centre study using the Salamanca screening questionnaire].

Introduction: Psychiatric comorbidity is frequent in cases of migraine and research has focused more on that related to affective disorders and anxiety than to personality traits.

Aims: To study the presence of personality traits in persons with migraine and how they are related with the presence of chronic migraine or medication abuse.

Patients And Methods: Patients attended consecutively in five centres were evaluated.

Neurological complications of dengue virus infection.

Dengue is the second most common mosquito-borne disease affecting human beings. In 2009, WHO endorsed new guidelines that, for the first time, consider neurological manifestations in the clinical case classification for severe dengue. Dengue can manifest with a wide range of neurological features, which have been noted--depending on the clinical setting--in 0·5-21% of patients with dengue admitted to hospital.

Burden and health-related quality of life among caregivers of Brazilian Parkinson's disease patients.

Purpose: To analyze the main determinants of burden and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) in caregivers of Brazilian Parkinson's disease (PD) patients.

Methods: Caregivers answered Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Zarit caregiver burden interview (ZCBI) and EQ-5D, a generic measure of HRQoL. Patients were assessed with Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) staging; Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's disease (SCOPA) Motor, Cognition, Psychosocial and Sleep scales; Non-Motor Symptoms Scale; HADS; Clinical Impression of Severity Index; EQ-5D and Parkinson's Psychosis Rating Scale.

American trypanosomiasis.

American trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Chagas disease is endemic in Latin America, where an estimated 10-14 million people are infected, and an emerging disease in Europe and the USA. Trypanosoma cruzi is transmitted by blood-sucking bugs of the family Reduviidae.