Effects of safinamide on REM sleep behavior disorder in Parkinson disease: A randomized, longitudinal, cross-over pilot study.

Background: Rapid Eye Movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is characterized by dream enactment and loss of muscle atonia during REM-sleep. RBD as a premotor feature occurred souvent in patients who develop Parkinson's disease. The glutamatergic, glycinergic, and GABA-ergic systems appear to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of RBD.

[Lack of association between LDL-cholesterol and carotid intima-media thickness in elderly women].

Background: It is known that the association between LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the elderly is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate this issue using carotid intima-media thickness as a marker of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: Women aged 35-79 years were consecutively enrolled in the study.

Brain tumor location influences the onset of acute psychiatric adverse events of levetiracetam therapy: an observational study.

To explore possible correlations among brain lesion location, development of psychiatric symptoms and the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in a population of patients with brain tumor and epilepsy. The medical records of 283 patients with various types of brain tumor (161 M/122 F, mean age 64.9 years) were analysed retrospectively.

Cognitive impairment is correlated with insulin resistance degree: the "PA-NICO-study".

Several epidemiological studies have shown that Diabetes Mellitus (DM) or Insulin Resistance (IR) increases the risk of dementia. Besides, some authors suggested that poor glucose control to be associated with worse cognitive function. We aimed to assess cognitive functions and IR-degree over time in diabetic.

Weight regain after discontinuation of topiramate treatment in patients with migraine: a prospective observational study.

Purpose: To monitor weight regain after therapy discontinuation in patients with migraine experiencing weight loss during topiramate (TPM) treatment.

Methods: Patients with migraine without aura were enrolled in this observational prospective study. Weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, plasma levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, leptin, and ghrelin, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were evaluated before starting TPM (T1), at 3 (T2) and 6 (T3) months of treatment and 6 months after withdrawal of TPM (T4).

Subclinical cardiovascular damage and fat utilization in overweight/obese individuals receiving the same dietary and pharmacological interventions.

Subclinical organ damage precedes the occurrence of cardiovascular events in individuals with obesity and hypertension. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between fuel utilization and subclinical cardiovascular damage in overweight/obese individuals free of established cardiovascular disease receiving the same diet and pharmacological intervention. In this retrospective study a total of 35 subjects following a balanced diet were enrolled.

Non-convulsive status epilepticus after ischemic stroke: a hospital-based stroke cohort study.

To evaluate in the setting of a stroke unit ward the usefulness of a prolonged (>6 h) video-EEG recording (PVEEG) in identifying non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) in patients with an acute ischemic stroke. Predictors of NCSE were also evaluated. Patients with an acute ischemic stroke, referred to our unit, were included in this prospective observational study.

Serum calcium level is related to both intima-media thickness and carotid atherosclerosis: a neglect risk factor in obese/overweight subjects.

Background: Experimental studies suggested that high serum calcium may be important in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. Since calcium seems to affect specifically the cerebrovascular district, aim of this study was to determine the relation between serum calcium levels, within normal range, and subclinical atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries, in a population of obese/overweight subjects.

Methods: In our retrospective study we included 472 subjects (59% female) with body mass index equal to or more than 25 kg/m2.

Coenzyme Q10, hyperhomocysteinemia and MTHFR C677T polymorphism in levodopa-treated Parkinson's disease patients.

There is evidence that increased homocysteine (Hcy) levels might accelerate dopaminergic cell death in Parkinson's disease (PD) through neurotoxic effects. Homocysteine neurotoxicity mainly relies on redox state alterations. The present work was aimed at investigating the relationships between plasma Hcy concentrations and percent content of oxidized versus total Coenzyme Q10 (%CoQ10) in 60 PD patients and 82 healthy subjects.

Carotid and brachial arterial enlargement in postmenopausal women with hypertension.

Objective: The aim of this study was to test whether systemic hypertension influences brachial and carotid artery remodeling in postmenopausal women. A secondary aim was to evaluate the possible role of pulse pressure.

Methods: We enrolled 100 postmenopausal women affected by hypertension (cases) and 100 women with blood pressure within the reference range (controls) matched for age and body mass index because the influence of these variables on artery diameter is well known.

Palinopsia in patients with migraine: a case-control study.

Objectives: This study was aimed at investigating the frequency of the visual phenomenon of palinopsia (visual perseveration) in patients with migraine.

Methods: We interviewed 63 patients with migraine with aura (MwA), 137 patients with migraine without aura (MwoA) and 226 sex-age-matched healthy control subjects using an ad hoc structured interview/questionnaire. The interview was divided into four classes of variables for statistical testing.

The 894G > T (Glu298Asp) variant in the endothelial NOS gene and MTHFR polymorphisms influence homocysteine levels in patients with cognitive decline.

The presence and severity of cerebrovascular pathological findings have been shown to increase the risk and stage of cognitive decline observed in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Thus, the modification of vascular risk factors seems useful to reduce the risk of dementia regardless of type. Hyperhomocysteinemia has long been known as a major independent risk factor for vascular dysfunction.

Carotid distension and distensibility impairment in individuals affected by familial combined hyperlipidemia.

Objective: To investigate whether individuals affected by familial combined hyperlipidemia, a common lipid disorder increasing the cardiovascular risk, had different carotid ultrasound parameters compared to control subjects without this family disorders.

Methods: 127 cases and 127 controls matched for age and gender were enrolled. Serum glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, ApoB, insulinemia were measured by standard laboratory techniques.

Large extracoronary artery diameter in obese postmenopausal women.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between extracoronary artery diameter (brachial and carotid arteries) and obesity.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among women referred to the Menopause Clinic of the University of Catanzaro. The study included 102 obese and 102 nonobese (controls) postmenopausal women.

Large Brachial Artery Diameter and Metabolic Syndrome in postmenopausal women.

Objective: To investigate on Brachial Artery Diameter enlargement in postmenopausal women with Metabolic Syndrome.

Methods: 294 women were admitted and classified in two groups according to the presence of Metabolic Syndrome. Serum glucose, insulin, lipid profile, carotid arteries and Brachial Artery Diameter were measured.

Hyperhomocysteinemia in epileptic patients on new antiepileptic drugs.

Purpose: Older enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) may induce supraphysiologic plasma concentrations of total (t) homocysteine (Hcy). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of new AEDs on plasma tHcy levels.

Methods: Patients 18-50 years of age, on AEDs monotherapy, with no other known cause of hyper-tHcy were enrolled.

Hyperhomocysteinemia, intima-media thickness and C677T MTHFR gene polymorphism: a correlation study in patients with cognitive impairment.

Objective: Intima-media thickness (IMT) seems associated with risk of Alzheimer disease (AD). Homocysteine (hcy) is a risk factor for vascular diseases and dementia. This study aimed at investigating the possible relationship among IMT, plasma hcy and C677T methylentetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism in relation to cognitive status.

Association between pulse pressure and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in normotensive and hypertensive post-menopausal women.

Pulse pressure, the difference between systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, is associated with cardiovascular diseases. Several studies showed that a large pulse pressure is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality since the increased stiffness augment ascending aortic pulse pressure that, in turn, produce wall stress and development of atherosclerosis. A sample of 252 post-menopausal women underwent a clinical evaluation and carotid artery ultrasound examinations.

Hyperhomocysteinemia in patients with epilepsy: does it play a role in the pathogenesis of brain atrophy? A preliminary report.

Purpose: Brain atrophy (BA) is observed in 20-50% of patients with epilepsy. Hyper-total-homocysteinemia (hyper-tHcy), which occurs in 10-40% of patients, is considered to be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and BA. The present study was aimed at investigating the possible association of hyper-tHcy with BA in a population of patients with epilepsy.

Antiepileptic drugs and MTHFR polymorphisms influence hyper-homocysteinemia recurrence in epileptic patients.

The influence of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and/or common polymorphisms (677C --> T, 1298A --> C) of the methylene-tetrahydrofolate-reductase (MTHFR) gene on the recurrence time of hyper-total-homocysteinemia (tHcy > 13 micromol/L) was investigated in 59 hyper-homocysteinemic patients (34M/25F, 20-49 years). Plasma tHcy and folate were assayed before and after 1-month folate supplementation (5 mg/day), and after 2, 4, and 6 months. Four MTHFR polymorphism groups were identified with the following tHcy (micromol/L) and folate (nmol/L) levels (mean +/- SD): (a) MTHFR677TT/1298AA, 24 patients, 36.

Large brachial and common carotid artery diameter in postmenopausal women with carotid atherosclerosis.

Background And Purpose: It is recognized that arteries can enlarge to compensate atherosclerosis. The role of diameter enlargement of unaffected arteries is not well known. We hypothesized that brachial and common carotid arteries diameters were larger in subjects with carotid atherosclerosis compared to subjects without these lesions.

Endogenous testosterone and endothelial function in postmenopausal women.

Objective: It is well known that coronary heart disease incidence increases in women after menopause. This phenomenon was related to reduced levels of female sex hormones. Estrogen decline, however, is not the only hormonal change during the postmenopausal period and estrogen administration did not protect women from cardiovascular disease.

Carotid atherosclerosis associated to metabolic syndrome but not BMI in healthy menopausal women.

Background: Obesity and the metabolic syndrome (MS) frequently coexist. Both are apparently associated to cardiovascular disease. However, the contribution of obesity to cardiovascular risk, independent of the presence of the metabolic syndrome, remains controversial.

Homocysteine induces DNA damage and alterations in proliferative capacity of T-lymphocytes: a model for immunosenescence?

Homocysteine (Hcy) appears to exert different effects on immune functions possibly contributing to age-related pathological states, including vascular diseases, immune dysfunction, and Alzheimer's disease. However, molecular mechanisms underlying Hcy toxicity need to be better characterized. Since T cells are a suitable model to address the possible role of replicative senescence during the in vivo aging, we investigated the effects of high Hcy concentrations on mitogen-activated lymphocytes, with regard to evaluation of DNA damage and cell cycle alterations.