Publications by authors named "Joao Massano"

Article Synopsis
  • Parkinson's Disease (PD) affects patients' quality of life and is commonly assessed using the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39, but predicting outcomes is challenging due to individual differences and subjectivity.
  • This study developed a machine learning model using clinical data from 627 PD patients to predict life-quality outcomes, identifying significant predictors such as age at diagnosis and dementia status.
  • The model showed strong performance in training but moderate variation in validation, indicating potential for improving clinical decision-making and highlighting areas for further research to enhance its reliability and application.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined how cognitive specialists diagnose and manage functional cognitive disorder (FCD) compared to neurodegenerative diseases, using clinical vignettes for assessment.
  • Forty-five experts from 12 countries effectively distinguished between FCD and neurodegeneration, accurately diagnosing all neurodegenerative cases, but only 75%-88% of FCD cases were correctly classified due to varied terminology.
  • The findings highlight the need for improved agreement on FCD terminology and more research into validation and diagnostic tools, while suggesting that management strategies should include diagnostic communication and referrals for psychotherapy.
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In Portugal, heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in the progranulin () gene account for approximately half of the genetic mediated forms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). mutations reported thus far cause FTD through a haploinsufficiency disease mechanism. Herein, we aim to unveil the mutation spectrum, investigated in 257 FTD patients and 19 family members from the central/north region of Portugal using sequencing methods.

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Dystonia is a hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by sustained or intermittent involuntary muscle contractions, causing abnormal postures and/or repetitive movements. In this report, we identified a novel heterozygous splice-site variant in VPS16 (NM_022575.4:c.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Patient organizations are increasingly important in supporting patients and caregivers, allowing them to express their needs and perspectives, especially in the context of Parkinson's disease (PD)! - Limited resources exist for those with early onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD), which has led to the establishment of Young Parkies Portugal (YPP) in 2022 to specifically address their unique challenges! - The manuscript discusses YPP’s formation, activities, challenges faced, and emphasizes the importance of nonprofit organizations as key partners in the care for PD patients, hoping to inspire similar initiatives globally!
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Importance: Accurately diagnosing neurodegenerative dementia is often challenging due to overlapping clinical features. Disease specific biomarkers could enhance diagnostic accuracy. However, CSF analysis procedures and advanced imaging modalities are either invasive or high-priced, and routinely unavailable.

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Physiotherapy and exercise are associated with motor and non-motor benefits in Parkinson's disease (PD). Community exercise programs may increase ongoing exercise participation and help people with Parkinson's disease actively participate in their health management. But there is still limited knowledge about these programs regarding their benefits, safety, implications over the long-term, and effective implementation.

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Transthyretin-related familial amyloid polyneuropathy (ATTR-FAP) is a multisystemic disorder inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Transitory events in ATTR-FAP patients are a feature of this disorder and remain poorly depicted in the literature. We aimed to describe a case series of ATTR-FAP patients who presented to our department with transitory events and document the clinical, neuroimaging and neurophysiological characteristics of the events.

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Background: Mutations in the anoctamin 3 () gene cause autosomal dominant craniocervical dystonia (DYT24), presenting from childhood to mid-life. However, in the past years, the clinical spectrum of this disorder has widened. We present a family with heterogeneous presentation, exemplifying phenotypic diversity in DYT24.

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Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a group of rare autoimmune diseases that affect medium and small blood vessels, with uncommon, variable central nervous system (CNS) involvement. It poses diagnosis challenges due to the limited accuracy of conventional imaging and vast differential diagnosis. We describe the case of a 76-year-old man with a previously diagnosed myeloperoxidase (MPO)-positive AAV with exclusive renal involvement.

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Lewy body dementia is a common cause of dementia leading to the progressive deterioration of cognitive function and motor skills, behavioral changes, and loss of autonomy, impairing the quality of life of patients and their families. Even though it is the second leading cause of neurodegenerative dementia, diagnosis is still challenging, due to its heterogenous clinical presentation, especially in the early stages of the disease. Accordingly, Lewy body dementia is often misdiagnosed and clinically mismanaged.

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https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/23301619/homepage/mdc312941-sup-v001.

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Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, and a significant increase in its prevalence in the past three decades has been documented. Environmental and genetic factors contribute to the pathophysiology of this disease, and 5% - 10% of cases have a monogenic cause. The diagnosis relies on clinical findings, supported by adequate testing.

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This retrospective study aims to explore the clinical utility of microelectrode recording (MER) during subthalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We analyzed the data from 103 PD patients, who consecutively received bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS at an experienced academic medical center. We collected demographic, clinical, and DBS related data, including intraoperative microelectrode recording data, electrode positioning, and clinical effects provided by intraoperative microstimulation.

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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive condition affecting around 1% of the population older than 60 years. Upon long-term treatment with levodopa, the mainstay of treatment in PD, most patients, especially younger ones exposed to higher doses, will experience symptoms related to end-of-dose deterioration, peak-dose dyskinesias, and other motor fluctuations. Therapeutic strategies are grounded on modification of oral levodopa pharmacokinetics to extend levodopa benefit and development of new routes of drug delivery (e.

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Tremor is the commonest involuntary movement. The differential diagnosis is wide, and can be challenging even for experienced neurologists. Nonetheless, many tremors have a benign etiology and clinical course and, in many cases, non-neurologists are able to clinically manage these situations.

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Introduction: Dementia is a leading cause of disability worldwide. It is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization, imposing a significant burden on healthcare systems. The evidence on the long-term evolution of this issue and broadly on healthcare systems is currently limited.

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