Evidence of increased restless legs syndrome occurrence in chronic and highly disabling migraine.

The existence of an association between migraine and restless legs syndrome (RLS) has recently been reported, although the possible implications of this for migraine clinical presentation remain poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to determine RLS frequency in a population of migraineurs compared with healthy subjects and to assess RLS occurrence in episodic versus chronic migraine patients; the relationship between migraine-related disability and RLS comorbidity was also evaluated. Two hundred and seventy-seven consecutive migraineurs (ICHD-II, 2004) were enrolled and compared with 200 controls; migraine was episodic in 175 and chronic in 102 patients.

Risk and Determinants of Dementia in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Brain Subcortical Vascular Changes: A Study of Clinical, Neuroimaging, and Biological Markers-The VMCI-Tuscany Study: Rationale, Design, and Methodology.

Dementia is one of the most disabling conditions. Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia (VaD) are the most frequent causes. Subcortical VaD is consequent to deep-brain small vessel disease (SVD) and is the most frequent form of VaD.

Oxidative stress biomarkers in patients with untreated obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Background: The pathogenic role of oxidative stress in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is still a matter of debate, with different studies obtaining contrasting results.

Methods: The aim of the present study was to evaluate three well-known markers of oxidative stress (advanced oxidation protein products [AOPP], ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP], and total glutathione [GSH]) in a cohort of 41 untreated patients with a new diagnosis of OSAS.

Results: We observed that OSAS patients showed increased protein oxidative damage and impaired antioxidant defenses.

Sleep-related migraine occurrence increases with aging.

A preferential occurrence of attacks at night-time or during early morning is documented in migraine without aura, suggesting a relationship between migraine and sleep and an impairment of circadian rhythms. The objective of this study was to verify the occurrence of sleep-related migraine in a large sample of migraineurs divided in different age groups and to evaluate the possible role of physiological variables (i.e.

Prevalence of sleep disturbances in mild cognitive impairment and dementing disorders: a multicenter Italian clinical cross-sectional study on 431 patients.

Background/aims: Sleep disturbances are common in the elderly and in persons with cognitive decline. The aim of this study was to describe frequency and characteristics of insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep-disordered breathing, REM behavior disorder and restless legs syndrome in a large cohort of persons with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

Methods: 431 consecutive patients were enrolled in 10 Italian neurological centers: 204 had Alzheimer's disease, 138 mild cognitive impairment, 43 vascular dementia, 25 frontotemporal dementia and 21 Lewy body dementia or Parkinson's disease dementia.

Differences in EEG delta frequency characteristics and patterns in slow-wave sleep between dementia patients and controls: a pilot study.

Purpose: To evaluate the modifications of EEG activity during slow-wave sleep in patients with dementia compared with healthy elderly subjects, using spectral analysis and period-amplitude analysis.

Methods: Five patients with dementia and 5 elderly control subjects underwent night polysomnographic recordings. For each of the first three nonrapid eye movement-rapid eye movement sleep cycles, a well-defined slow-wave sleep portion was chosen.

Inter-critical and critical excessive daily sleepiness in episodic migraine patients.

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between sleepiness and migraine in the intercritical period and to evaluate the time course of critical drowsiness during the attacks. One hundred patients fulfilling IHCD 2nd (2004) criteria for migraine without aura were compared to 100 healthy subjects. Habitual excessive daily sleepiness, evaluated by means of Epworth Sleepiness Scale, was not more frequent in patients with episodic migraine than in controls (12% migraineurs vs.

Event-based prospective memory in newly diagnosed, drug-naive Parkinson's disease patients.

The present study investigated memory for intention in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) who were newly diagnosed and not yet treated to avoid the effect of therapy as a potential confounding variable. A comprehensive neuropsychological battery and an event-based prospective memory task were administered to 41 subjects with de novo PD and 40 control subjects. Separate scores were computed for correct execution of intended action (prospective component) and recall of intention (retrospective component).

Reproducibility of BOLD localization of interictal activity in patients with focal epilepsy: intrasession and intersession comparisons.

Object: Simultaneous EEG-fMRI recordings allow the identification of haemodynamic changes induced by neuronal activity during ictal or interictal epileptiform events (IEDs). We evaluated the reproducibility of continuous EEG-fMRI (cEEG-fMRI) in patients with focal epilepsy.

Materials And Methods: We studied 15 patients with focal epilepsy (8 cryptogenic and 7 symptomatic) and frequent interictal abnormalities.

Tetracycline treatment in patients with progressive external ophthalmoplegia.

Background: Tetracyclines could have neuroprotective effects in neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders. AIMS OF THE STUDY AND METHODS: Objective of this double-blind randomized pilot study (followed by an adjunctive open-label phase) was to evaluate whether tetracycline (500 mg/day × 14 days/month × 3 months) could be useful in patients (n = 16) with progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO).

Results: Our results do not formally support any effect of tetracycline on eye motility in PEO.

Macro-EMG and MUNE changes in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: one-year follow up.

Objective: We assessed changes in Motor Units (MU) and extent of MU loss using macro-electromyography (macro-EMG) and Motor Unit Number Estimation (MUNE).

Methods: We applied these techniques to a sample of 61 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients basally (T0) and after 4 (T1), 8 (T2), and 12 (T3) months. Macro Motor Unit Potentials (macro-MUPs) were derived from Biceps Brachii (BB) muscle; MUNE was performed both in BB and Abductor Digiti Minimi (ADM) muscles of the same side.

The chemical neuroanatomy of vagus nerve stimulation.

In this short overview a reappraisal of the anatomical connections of vagal afferents is reported. The manuscript moves from classic neuroanatomy to review details of vagus nerve anatomy which are now becoming more and more relevant for clinical outcomes (i.e.

Parkinson's disease and pathological gambling: results from a functional MRI study.

Seven patients with a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and pathological gambling (PG) and 7 PD patients without PG were investigated by functional MRI and a block-design experiment with gambling-related visual cues alternating with neutral stimuli and rest periods. Compared with PD/non-PG, in PD/PG patients, several areas of increased cue-related blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD)-response were observed including bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, medial and superior frontal gyri, and precuneus, right inferior parietal lobule, and ventral striatum. The over activation of cingulate cortex and ventral striatum in PD/PG patients after the craving task is similar to that reported in addicted patients, whereas the activation of the parietal structures is probably related to the attentional network.

Clock T3111C and Per2 C111G SNPs do not influence circadian rhythmicity in healthy Italian population.

A possible relationship between human circadian rhythmicity and polymorphisms in clock genes have been documented. However, these data are controversial, and studies both corroborating and denying them have been reported. T3111C Clock polymorphism had been associated with the human evening preference, however, this association has not been confirmed.

Human dental pulp stem cells protect mouse dopaminergic neurons against MPP+ or rotenone.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive death of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons that results in a regional loss of striatal dopamine (DA) levels. Dental pulp contains ex vivo-expandable cells called dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), with the capacity to differentiate into multiple cell lineages. More interestingly, due to their embryonic origin, DPSCs express neurotrophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor.

Further insight on A-wave in acute and chronic demyelinating neuropathies.

A-wave is a late motor response that maintains the same characteristics of latency, amplitude and shape with every electrical stimuli at a proper given intensity. The presence of A-waves was reported both in chronic (CIDP) and acute (AIDP) forms of inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. It is attributed to the effect of either sprouting phenomena or ephaptic/ectopic discharge.

Clinical trials for neuroprotection in ALS.

Owing to uncertainty on the pathogenic mechanisms underlying motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) riluzole remains the only available therapy, with only marginal effects on disease survival. Here we review some of the recent advances in the search for disease-modifying drugs for ALS based on their putative neuroprotective effetcs. A number of more or less established agents have recently been investigated also in ALS for their potential role in neuroprotection and relying on antiglutamatergic, antioxidant or antiapoptotic strategies.

Dysfunction of the magnocellular stream in Alzheimer's disease evaluated by pattern electroretinograms and visual evoked potentials.

Background: Visuo-spatial disturbances could represent a clinical feature of early stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). The magnocellular (M) pathway has anatomo-physiological characteristic which make it more suitable for detecting form, motion and depth compared with parvocellular one (P).

Objective: Aim of our study was to evaluate specific visual subsystem involvement in a group of AD patients, recording isoluminant chromatic and luminance pattern electroretinograms and pattern visual evoked potentials.

Clinical Recovery despite Cortical Cerebral and Cerebellar Damage in Heat Stroke.

The prognosis of heat stroke has considerably improved with a mortality rate drop to 10% when therapeutic measurements including external cooling and aggressive rehydration are adopted. The role of imaging in predicting prognosis is uncertain. Some noted that development of cortical cerebellar atrophy is associated with development of a pancerebellar syndrome, while others suggested that evidence of cerebral cortical damage due to hypoxic-ischemic injury implies a poor prognosis.

Sleep disturbances in elderly subjects: an epidemiological survey in an Italian district.

Objectives: Disturbed sleep is common in elderly people and has been related to comorbidities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of sleep problems and their relationship with chronic disease in an elderly population.

Materials And Methods: The whole population of subjects aged more than 65 years, in the municipality of Vecchiano, Pisa was considered as eligible and underwent a clinical interview and a questionnaire about insomnia, sleepiness, snoring and sleep apnea.

Epilepsy after neuroimaging normalization in a woman with tacrolimus-related posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is known to occur after solid organ transplantation, and is caused by immunosuppressive agents such as tacrolimus. PRES onset usually occurs within the first 2months after liver transplantation. Clinical findings include seizures, headache, focal neurological deficits, visual disturbances, and altered mental status.