The Impact of Methylprednisolone Pulses during Relapses of Multiple Sclerosis on the Kinetics of Anti-Interferon-Beta Antibodies.

Background/aims: We assessed the, hitherto unknown, impact of intravenous methylprednisolone (ivMP) pulses during relapses of multiple sclerosis (MS) on the kinetics of anti-interferon-beta neutralizing antibodies (Nabs) and binding antibodies (Babs).

Methods: Babs (ELISA) and Nabs (antiviral cytopathic effect assay) titers were evaluated before, immediately after and at 1 month following ivMP in 60 MS patients.

Results: ivMP reduces Nabs and Babs titers for at least 1 month.

20th meeting of the European neurological society, 19-23 june 2010, berlin, Germany.

More than 3000 neurologists attended the 20th Meeting of the European Neurological Society (ENS) and participated in the exciting and highly scientific programme. Eighty per cent of the submitted abstracts, which covered all aspects of neurology, were accepted. One major symposium, 16 oral presentations and 112 posters on multiple sclerosis (MS) were included in the programme.

19th meeting of the European Neurological Society 20 to 24 June 2009.

Around 3000 delegates took part in the 19th Meeting of the European Neuroligical Society (ENS) and all sessions were well attended. All aspects of Neurology were covered in the comprehensive programme which included one presidential symposium on stroke, three main symposia on epilepsy, muscle disorders and multiple sclerosis (MS), 140 oral presentations, 654 posters, 23 workshops and 23 teaching courses. Multiple Sclerosis was well represented with one symposium, 20 oral presentations, 103 posters, two teaching courses and two workshops.

Effectiveness of a new modified intraluminal suture for temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats of various weight.

Intraluminal temporary middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) is a common model of ischemic stroke in the rat with significant, suture and weight-dependent variability along with increased risk of subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Our purpose was to increase reproducibility and decrease SAH using a modification of the Koizumi suture. We compared a Koizumi 5/0 Ethilon poly-l-lysine-coated suture (s-2, group B) to an identical, uncoated one (s-1, group A) and the Belayev's 3/0 suture (s-3, group C), in the 2-h MCAO model in Wistar rats of varying weight (310-527 g).

Evaluation of the stability of blood flow over time in the dominant hemisphere: a functional transcranial Doppler study.

Functional transcranial Doppler (fTCD) has been used for the identification of cerebral hemispheric dominance in various cognitive tasks. In our study, we have used fTCD with the aim to compare blood flow patterns in the hemispheres not only during the task activation periods but also in the post-stimulus phase. Normal volunteers, 25 right and 25 left-handed, were included.

Transplanted neural precursor cells reduce brain inflammation to attenuate chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Stem cell transplantation was introduced as a mean of cell replacement therapy, but the mechanism by which it confers clinical improvement in experimental models of neurological diseases is not clear. Here, we transplanted neural precursor cells (NPCs) into the ventricles of mice at day 6 after induction of chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Transplanted cells migrated into white matter tracts and attenuated the clinical course of disease.

Neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis: evidence for autoimmune dysregulation, not simple autoimmune reaction.

Both inflammatory and neurodegenerative components may contribute to the clinical profile of multiple sclerosis (MS) leading to irreversible deficits when they exceed the threshold of compensation. The mechanisms leading to tissue injury in MS are complex. Inflammation appears to be caused by overactive pro-inflammatory T-helper 1 cells, initiating an inflammatory cascade with several cellular and molecular immune components participating in the pathogenetic mechanism.

Primary progressive aphasia as the initial manifestation of corticobasal degeneration. A "three in one " syndrome?

In 1994, the term "Pick complex" was proposed to indicate significant clinical and pathological overlapping between primary progressive aphasia, frontal lobe dementia and corticobasal degeneration. We report the case of a 60-year-old man, who initially presented progressive non-fluent aphasia with orofacial apraxia, and subsequently, over a period of 3 years, developed mutism, pathological laughter, extrapyramidal rigidity, dystonia, alien hand syndrome and bulbar signs. An extensive haematological, immunological and biochemical work up was normal.

[Findings from molecular imaging with SPET camera and 123I-ioflupane in the differential diagnosis of Parkinsonism and essential tremor].

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of the radiopharmaceutical 123I-ioflupane in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of Parkinsonism (P) and essential tremor (ET). Forty-three consecutive patients, aged 35-72 years, presenting symptoms and signs compatible with P, plus 11 normal volunteers, aged 40-60 years, were enrolled for the study. The radiopharmaceutical was injected iv in a dose of 185 MBq and tomographic acquisition in a single-headed Pegasys gamma-camera (ADAC, USA), 3-4 hours post injection was performed in order to evaluate the activity of the presynaptic nigro-striatal dopaminergic transporter.

Axonal damage in multiple sclerosis: a complex issue in a complex disease.

Multiple sclerosis is no longer considered to simply be an autoimmune demyelinating disease. Axonal destruction is another central pathological feature and a contributor to the accumulating disability of disease progression. The mechanism underlying axonal pathology has not been fully clarified but does not appear to be a simple one.

Epidemiological data of multiple sclerosis in the province of Evros, Greece.

The frequency of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Greece is still debated. Our previous epidemiological field survey with a cross-check study of MS on March 31, 1984, in the province of Evros in north-eastern Greece showed a prevalence rate of 10.1/100,000.