Neurovascular Manifestations of Iron-Deficient Anemia: Narrative Review and Practical Reflections through a Teaching Case.

Anemia is one of the most frequent diseases worldwide, affecting one-third of the general population. Anemia in general and in particular, iron-deficient anemia (IDA), has been associated to a higher risk of thrombotic manifestations, including ischemic stroke and cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), as well as systemic extra-cerebral arterial and venous thrombosis. Despite these data, anemia is seldom considered as an etiological factor of stroke.

iNPH with parkinsonism: response to lumbar CSF drainage and ventriculoperitoneal shunting.

Objectives: To evaluate clinical response after external lumbar drainage (ELD) and ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS) in a cohort of patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus associated with parkinsonism (iNPH-P), considering parkinsonism as clinical primary outcome.

Methods: Patients underwent long-term 72-h intracranial pressure-controlled CSF ELD. Clinical motor response before and after ELD was evaluated using changes in UPDRS-ME as outcome measure.

Asymmetry index of Blink Reflex Recovery Cycle differentiates Parkinson's disease from atypical Parkinsonian syndromes.

Background: Differential diagnosis between Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical Parkinsonian syndromes (APS), such as multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), is often difficult because of overlap of common clinical features. We evaluated R2 Blink Reflex Recovery Cycle (R2BRRC) in drug-naive PD patients and in MSA and PSP patients to differentiate early PD from APS.

Methods: We investigated 43 patients: 15 drug-naive PD patients, 16 MSA patients, and 12 PSP patients.

Lack of evidence for Toxocara infection in Italian myelitis patients.

Acute myelitis is a common neurological manifestation due to different causes, but in about 15-30% of cases its etiology remains unknown (idiopathic myelitis). Myelitis represents the most common manifestation of neurotoxocariasis, the infection of the human nervous system by larvae of the nematode Toxocara spp.; however, despite the high seroprevalence worldwide, its contribution to the burden of disease has not been assessed.

Computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation on freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease: A pilot study.

Background: In Parkinson's Disease (PD), effects of a cognitive training have been systematically evaluated only for cognitive and behavioral outcome measures, with mild to moderate effects. Despite the demonstrated interplay between cognition and gait, no studies have investigated the effect of cognitive rehabilitation protocols on gait in PD.

Methods: Patients affected by PD with freezing of gait were treated twice a week for six weeks with one hour sessions of computer-assisted training of attention ability and information processing tasks.