Publications by authors named "McGuigan C"

Many forms of autoimmune encephalitis are mediated by neuronal cell-surface directed autoantibodies. The co-occurrence of four neuronal cell-surface antibodies in a single patient is exceptionally rare. We report a patient who had a severe encephalitis associated with antibodies to NMDA, Glycine, GABA and GABA receptors.

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Aim: Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is an effective treatment for people with highly-active relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), who are not adequately responding to disease-modifying therapies. To date, research has predominantly focused on disease-specific outcome measures. There is a lack of research exploring patient experiences of this complex treatment.

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  • * Machine learning models were applied to predict confirmed disability progression after two years, achieving a ROC-AUC score of 0.71, indicating moderate accuracy, while historical disability was found to be a stronger predictor than treatment or relapse history.
  • * The research followed strict guidelines and made its coding accessible for others to facilitate future benchmarking in predicting disability progression in MS patients.
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Background: People with MS (pwMS) commonly experience a range of hidden symptoms, including cognitive impairment, anxiety and depression, fatigue, pain, and sensory difficulties. These "invisible" symptoms can significantly impact wellbeing, relationships, employment and life goals. We developed a novel bespoke online group neuropsychological intervention combining psychoeducation and cognitive rehabilitation with an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-informed approach for pwMS in an acute tertiary hospital.

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Background: Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is considered an effective treatment for highly active multiple sclerosis (MS). To date, most research has focused primarily on disease outcome measures, despite the significant impact of neuropsychological symptoms on MS patients' quality of life. The current systematic review aimed to examine whether HSCT for MS impacts neuropsychological outcome measures such as cognition, fatigue, mood, and quality of life.

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A rapidly expanding repertoire of neural antibody biomarkers exists for autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Following clinical recognition of an autoimmune CNS disorder, the detection of a neural antibody facilitates diagnosis and informs prognosis and management. This review considers the phenotypes, diagnostic assay methodologies, and clinical utility of neural antibodies in autoimmune CNS disorders.

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  • The study aims to identify predictors of treatment switching in patients with relapsing-remitting MS using data from multiple national registries.
  • A total of 269,822 treatment episodes from 110,326 patients were analyzed, focusing on those who started disease-modifying treatments during their RRMS phase.
  • Key findings indicate that higher disability scores (EDSS), being female, and older age increase the likelihood of treatment switching, with certain DMTs initiated between 2007 and 2012 showing even higher rates of switching.
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Background: Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) has a favorable benefit-risk profile treating people with multiple sclerosis and should be used in pregnant women only if the potential benefits outweigh potential risks to the fetus.

Objective: Assess pregnancy outcomes in a completed international registry (TecGistry) of women with MS exposed to DMF.

Methods: TecGistry included pregnant women with MS exposed to DMF, with data collected at enrollment, 6-7 months gestation, 4 weeks after estimated due date, and at postpartum weeks 4, 12, and 52.

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  • International policy emphasizes interdisciplinary teamwork as essential for integrating health and social care for older individuals, moving care from hospitals to community settings.
  • The National Clinical Programme for Older People in Ireland is crucial in designing the National Older Person's Service Model, which includes specialized Community Specialist Teams (CST-OPs) focused on this new care delivery approach.
  • A realist evaluation will assess and enhance interprofessional collaboration competencies in CST-OPs, informing curriculum development and providing insights for healthcare leaders on necessary resources for effective care integration.
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Background: Cognitive reserve (CR) describes an individual's ability to adapt cognitive processes in response to brain atrophy, and has been reported to explain some of the discrepancy between brain atrophy and cognitive functioning outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS). CR in MS is typically investigated by assessing an individual's pre- and/or post-diagnosis enrichment, which includes premorbid intellectual abilities, educational level, occupational attainment, and engagement in cognitively enriching leisure activities. Common MS symptoms (e.

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  • This study investigates the relationship between environmental factors and progressive-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) compared to relapse-onset multiple sclerosis (ROMS), aiming to better understand the causes of POMS.
  • Data is drawn from two major studies, including a sample of 155 POMS, 204 ROMS, and 558 controls, ensuring that the POMS sample is representative of the broader Australian POMS population.
  • The research addresses various methodological challenges, such as biases and differences between POMS and controls, and will present findings on the associations in future publications.
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  • This study examines the effectiveness of six different therapies for treating relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) over 5 years, using a large dataset from 74 centers across 35 countries.
  • Researchers found that natalizumab and fingolimod were more effective in reducing relapses and worsening disability compared to other therapies like dimethyl fumarate, teriflunomide, glatiramer acetate, and interferon beta.
  • The findings highlight the potential of marginal structural models (MSMs) to simulate clinical trials and compare various treatment outcomes in real-world patient populations.
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  • The study investigates geographical differences in the risk of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) and how these may be influenced by factors like latitude and treatment types.
  • It utilizes data from a global patient registry, focusing on relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients and factors such as age, sex, and treatment efficacy.
  • The research analyzes data from over 51,000 patients across 27 countries to establish patterns in the progression from relapsing-remitting to secondary progressive phases of the disease.
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Cognitive difficulties are reported in up to 60% of people with MS (pwMS). There is often a discrepancy between self-reported cognitive difficulties and performance on cognitive assessments. Some of this discrepancy can be explained by depression and fatigue.

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Background: The prognostic significance of non-disabling relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is unclear.

Objective: To determine whether early non-disabling relapses predict disability accumulation in RRMS.

Methods: We redefined mild relapses in MSBase as 'non-disabling', and moderate or severe relapses as 'disabling'.

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Background: In the absence of evidence from randomised controlled trials, observational data can be used to emulate clinical trials and guide clinical decisions. Observational studies are, however, susceptible to confounding and bias. Among the used techniques to reduce indication bias are propensity score matching and marginal structural models.

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Purpose Of Review: To provide an overview and highlight recent updates in the field of paraneoplastic neurologic disorders.

Recent Findings: The prevalence of paraneoplastic neurologic disorders is greater than previously reported and the incidence has been rising over time, due to improved recognition in the era of antibody biomarkers. Updated diagnostic criteria that are broadly inclusive and also contain diagnostic risk for clinical presentations (high and intermediate) and diagnostic antibodies (high, intermediate, and low) have replaced the original 2004 criteria.

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Background And Purpose: This study assessed the effect of patient characteristics on the response to disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: We extracted data from 61,810 patients from 135 centers across 35 countries from the MSBase registry. The selection criteria were: clinically isolated syndrome or definite MS, follow-up ≥ 1 year, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score ≥ 3, with ≥1 score recorded per year.

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3'-Deoxyadenosine (3'-dA, Cordycepin, ) is a nucleoside analogue with anticancer properties, but its clinical development has been hampered due to its deactivation by adenosine deaminase (ADA) and poor cellular uptake due to low expression of the human equilibrative transporter (hENT1). Here, we describe the synthesis and characterization of NUC-7738 (), a 5'-aryloxy phosphoramidate prodrug of 3'-dA. We show evidence that is an effective anticancer drug in a panel of solid and hematological cancer cell lines, showing its preferential cytotoxic effects on leukemic stem cells.

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Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the evolution of JCV index over time in Natalizumab treated people with multiple sclerosis.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed antibody index values from pwMS who were treated with Natalizumab for greater than six months and had at least two antibody results available between 2011 and 2019. Survival analysis was performed on those who were JCV index value negative at baseline to evaluate time to seroconversion.

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There is no consensus regarding the classification of optic neuritis, and precise diagnostic criteria are not available. This reality means that the diagnosis of disorders that have optic neuritis as the first manifestation can be challenging. Accurate diagnosis of optic neuritis at presentation can facilitate the timely treatment of individuals with multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease.

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Background: There is evidence that subjective fatigue can influence cognitive functioning in multiple sclerosis (MS). DeLuca et al.'s (2004) Relative Consequence Model proposes that impairments to other high-level cognitive functions, such as memory, result from the disease's effect on information processing speed.

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The (DWH) disaster released 3.19 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in 2010, overlapping the habitat of pelagic fish populations. Using mahi-mahi ()─a highly migratory marine teleost present in the GOM during the spill─as a model species, laboratory experiments demonstrate injuries to physiology and behavior following oil exposure.

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Background: Cognitive impairments are well-documented in multiple sclerosis (MS), while speech impairments are often overlooked despite their significant effect on quality of life. For effective clinical management of multisystem conditions such as MS, consideration should be given to the interaction between deficits in multiple domains, such as speech and cognition. To evaluate speech rate measures of spontaneous and read speech, in people with MS and to examine the link between speech and cognition.

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