Conformational Antibodies to Proteolipid Protein-1 and Its Peripheral Isoform DM20 in Patients With CNS Autoimmune Demyelinating Disorders.

Background And Objectives: Antibodies to proteolipid protein-1 (PLP1-IgG), a major central myelin protein also expressed in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) as the isoform DM20, have been previously identified mostly in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), with unclear clinical implications. However, most studies relied on nonconformational immunoassays and included few patients with non-MS CNS autoimmune demyelinating disorders (ADDs). We aimed to investigate conformational PLP1-IgG in the whole ADD spectrum.

Determinants of Sexual Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease Patients: A Secondary Analysis of a Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.

: Sexual dysfunction (SD) in Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients is a common and distressing concern, although it remains an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition. Indeed, the prevalence of SD in PD ranges from 42.6% to 79% in men and from 36% to 87.

Effects of Combined Respiratory Physiotherapy with High-Flow Nasal Cannula and Venturi Mask in Spinal Cord Injury: A Single-Subject Research Study and Literature Review.

Background: The level of spinal cord injury affects the severity of respiratory impairment and the alteration of respiratory pattern and gas exchanges. Lesions at the C3-C5 level (phrenic nerve nucleus) cause disruption of descending input with paralysis of the main inspiratory muscle, often requiring tracheostomy and prolonged mechanical ventilation. Oxygen therapy is essential to switch from ventilatory support to removal of the endotracheal tube to correct residual difficulties in oxygenation management.

Behavioral and Psychiatric Symptoms in Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Comprehensive Overview.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as an altered brain structure or function produced by an external force. Adults surviving moderate and severe TBI often experience long-lasting neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric disorders (NPS). NPS can occur as primary psychiatric complications or could be an exacerbation of pre-existing compensated conditions.

Gender and Neurosteroids: Implications for Brain Function, Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation.

Neurosteroids are synthesized de novo in the nervous system; they mainly moderate neuronal excitability, and reach target cells via the extracellular pathway. The synthesis of neurosteroids occurs in peripheral tissues such as gonads tissues, liver, and skin; then, because of their high lipophilia, they cross the blood-brain barrier and are stored in the brain structure. Neurosteroidogenesis occurs in brain regions such as the cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala by enzymes necessary for the in situ synthesis of progesterone from cholesterol.

Sleep in Disorders of Consciousness: A Brief Overview on a Still under Investigated Issue.

Consciousness is a multifaceted concept, involving both wakefulness, i.e., a condition of being alert that is regulated by the brainstem, and awareness, a subjective experience of any thoughts or perception or emotion.

The Use of Palmitoylethanolamide in the Treatment of Long COVID: A Real-Life Retrospective Cohort Study.

COVID-19 can cause symptoms that last weeks or months after the infection has gone, with a significant impairment of quality of life. Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is a naturally occurring lipid mediator that has an entourage effect on the endocannabinoid system mitigating the cytokine storm. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the potential efficacy of PEA in the treatment of long COVID.

Improving Upper Extremity Bradykinesia in Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial on the Use of Gravity-Supporting Exoskeletons.

Hand movements are particularly impaired in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD), contributing to functional disability and difficulties in activities of daily living. Growing evidence has shown that robot-assisted therapy may be considered an effective and reliable method for the delivery of the highly repetitive training that is needed to trigger neuroplasticity, as intensive, repetitive and task-oriented training could be an ideal strategy to facilitate the relearning of motor function and to minimize motor deficit. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the improvement of hand function with semi-autonomous exercises using an upper extremity exoskeleton in patients with PD.

Could Palmitoylethanolamide Be an Effective Treatment for Long-COVID-19? Hypothesis and Insights in Potential Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Applications.

COVID-19 is highly transmissive and contagious disease with a wide spectrum of clinicopathological issues, including respiratory, vasculo-coagulative, and immune disorders. In some cases of COVID-19, patients can be characterized by clinical sequelae with mild-to-moderate symptoms that persist long after the resolution of the acute infection, known as long-COVID, potentially affecting their quality of life. The main symptoms of long-COVID include persistent dyspnea, fatigue and weakness (that are typically out of proportion, to the degree of ongoing lung damage and gas exchange impairment), persistence of anosmia and dysgeusia, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and cognitive dysfunctions (such as brain fog or memory lapses).

Neurogenic Dysphagia and Nutrition in Disorder of Consciousness: An Overview with Practical Advices on an "Old" but Still Actual Clinical Problem.

Neurogenic dysphagia is a difficulty in swallowing food caused by disease or impairment of the nervous system, including stroke and traumatic brain injury. The most clinically apparent complication of neurogenic dysphagia is pulmonary aspiration, which may manifest itself acutely as choking or coughing, respiratory distress, wheezing, gasping or gurgling, and tachycardia. However, chronic symptoms, including weight loss, production of excessive oral secretions and aspiration pneumonia, may be also present, especially in patients with a disorder of consciousness (DOC).

A Case Report on Robot-Aided Gait Training in Primary Lateral Sclerosis Rehabilitation: Rationale, Feasibility and Potential Effectiveness of a Novel Rehabilitation Approach.

Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is an adult-onset idiopathic disorder of the upper motor neuron system. Robot-aided rehabilitation with the Lokomat-Pro (LT) allows maximizing motor training by finely and individually controlling motor activation. No data are currently available on the use of robot-aided rehabilitation in PLS.

Neurological complications of COVID-19: from pathophysiology to rehabilitation. An overview.

Objective: To evaluate how the SARS-COV2 is able to affect the nervous system, the main neurological manifestation, and the treatment used, including neurorehabilitation.

Methods: Studies performed during the current year that fulfilled inclusion criteria were selected from PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Sciences databases. The search combined the terms "Covid 19," "rehabilitation/treatment," and "neurological complications.

The relationship between body image and emotional and cognitive impairment after brain damage: A preliminary study.

Introduction: The image of one's own body derives from experimentation of one's own body pattern. The emotional experience can lead to a real or distorted self-representation. After brain damage, a disorder of body image is frequent.

Nursing, Caregiving and Psychological support in Chronic Disorders of Consciousness: a scoping review.

Background And Aims: The major disorders of consciousness include Coma, Vegetative State, and Minimally Conscious State. The care and the management of patients with Disorders of Consciousness (DOC) have raised several important ethical, social and medical issues. Aim of this review is to evaluate the role of nursing and psychological support in DOC management, in order to improve the quality of life of both patients and their caregivers.

Can powered exoskeletons improve gait and balance in multiple sclerosis? A retrospective study.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive neurologic disorder that can profoundly influence mobility, independence and quality of life. Gait dysfunction in MS is common, resulting in an increased risk of losing walking ability. Robotic exoskeletons have been developed to offer a new form of locomotor training.

A multidisciplinary advanced approach in central pontine myelinolysis recovery: considerations about a case report.

Background And Purpose: Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is a solitary, symmetric, demyelination in the central pons. This case study aimed to report the effects of an intensive robotic gait training with Lokomat-Pro on mobility and quality of life in a case of CPM.

Case Description And Intervention: A 33-year-old female patient with tetraparesis and gait disturbance due to CPM was hospitalized to undergo intensive rehabilitation training for about 2 months.

Can volcanic trace elements facilitate Covid-19 diffusion? A hypothesis stemming from the Mount Etna area, Sicily.

In December 2019, severe cases of pneumonia of unknown aetiology were reported in Wuhan city, in China. Lately, the pneumonia was related to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the diseases was termed coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). At the end of January 2020, the infection spread all over Italy, but with high infection rates and mortality in the northern part, especially in Lombardy, the most industrialized and polluted region of the country.

Base-peak assessment of levodopa response and detection of fluctuating patients in Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the base-peak difference in levodopa response for detecting patients with motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: Two independent PD samples were evaluated at baseline and 2 h after the administration of the usual morning dose of levodopa using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS-III). The presence of motor fluctuations was defined by the UPDRS-IV.

Sexual Dysfunction in Parkinson Disease: A Multicenter Italian Cross-sectional Study on a Still Overlooked Problem.

Background: Prevalence rates of sexual dysfunction (SD) in Parkinson's disease (PD) are likely to be underestimated and their etiology is still unknown. More understanding of this issue is needed.

Aim: To investigate prevalence of SD and its variables, including gender differences, in a sample of PD patients.

Specific Signatures of Serum miRNAs as Potential Biomarkers to Discriminate Clinically Similar Neurodegenerative and Vascular-Related Diseases.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are age-dependent; among them, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the most frequent. Similarly, cerebrovascular damage can induce the development of vascular-related disorders that share common features with AD and PD, respectively, named vascular dementia (VD) and vascular parkinsonism (VP). To date, ND diagnosis is mainly clinical; therefore, since these disorders show similar symptoms, their correct discrimination may be difficult.

Cardiovascular autonomic function and MCI in Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: dysautonomic dysfunction and cognitive impairment represent the most disabling non-motor features of Parkinson's Disease (PD). Recent evidences suggest the association between Orthostatic Hypotension (OH) and PD-Dementia. However, little is known on the interactions between cardiovascular dysautonomia and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).

Accuracy of MDS-UPDRS section IV for detecting motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease.

Background: In a precedent paper, we validated part IV of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) for detecting motor fluctuations in Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients using a 12-h Waking-Day Motor Assessment (WDMA) as gold standard, showing a high sensitivity (> 80%) and a lower specificity (< 45%). The aim of this study was to validate the Movement Disorder Society-UPDRS (MDS-UPDRS) part IV, especially items 4.3 and 4.

Temperament traits and executive functions in Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Aim of the study was to evaluate the possible relationship between Temperament traits and executive dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: Patients affected by PD diagnosed according to the UK Parkinson's disease Society Brain Bank criteria were enrolled in the study. Patients with a Mini Mental State Examination <24 were excluded from the study.