Initial outcomes and safety of MR guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy for essential tremor of the first FUS Medical Unit in Portugal.

Background:  The magnetic resonance imaging-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) has emerged as an innovative treatment for patients with medically refractory essential tremor (ET).

Objective:  This retrospective observational study aims to present the results of the first five patients with medically refractory ET who underwent MRgFUS treatment at this pioneering medical unit in Portugal.

Methods:  We conducted a retrospective chart review for the first five patients who underwent unilateral MRgFUS thalamotomy of the ventral intermediate (Vim) nucleus to treat medically refractory ET at our medical unit.

Neurological Involvement in a Portuguese Cohort of IgG4-Related Disease.

Introduction: Neurological involvement in immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is increasingly recognized. Its diagnosis can be challenging due to clinical mimics and difficulty in obtaining nervous system biopsies. The aim of this study was to describe a cohort of neurological IgG4-RD patients.

DRD3 Predicts Cognitive Impairment and Anxiety in Parkinson's Disease: Susceptibility and Protective Effects.

Background: A possible genetic contribution of dopamine D3 receptor (DRD3) to cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) has yet to be investigated.

Objective: To explore the effects of rs6280 (Ser9Gly) genotype on PD patients' cognitive performance and to clarify possible interactions with psychopathology.

Methods: Two hundred and fifty-three consecutive PD patients underwent neurological and neuropsychological evaluations, which included: Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hoehn & Yahr scale (H&Y), Dementia Rating Scale-2 (DRS-2), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Handicap as a Measure of Perceived-Health Status in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Handicap is a patient-centered measure of health status that encompasses the impact of social and physical environment on daily living, having been assessed in advanced and late-stage Parkinson's Disease (PD).

Objective: To characterize the handicap of a broader sample of patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 405 PD patients during the MDS-UPDRS Portuguese validation study, using the MDS-UPDRS, Unified Dyskinesias Rating Scale, Nonmotor symptoms questionnaire, PDQ-8 and EQ-5D-3L.