Herpes zoster prevention in multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders.

A working group convened by the Section of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology of the Polish Neurological Society, the Polish Society of Family Medicine, and the Polish Society of Vaccinology has developed a consensus on supplementary data to the recommendations of the expert group of the Polish Society of Vaccinology, the Polish Society of Family Medicine, the Polish Dermatological Society, the Polish Association for the Study of Pain, and the Polish Neurological Society, and ECTRIMS/EAN of 2023 with regard to the currently available in Poland recombinant herpes zoster vaccine (RZV). It is intended for the prevention of herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in individuals aged > 50 and individuals aged ≥ 18 who belong to herpes zoster risk groups. In Poland it is available with 50% reimbursement exclusively for patients aged 65 and older who have an increased risk of developing herpes zoster.

Diagnosis and treatment of Fabry disease. Expert Opinion of the Polish Cardiac Society and the Polish Forum for Fabry Disease.

Fabry disease (FD) belongs to the group of lysosomal storage diseases (LSD), which are characterised by insufficient activity of enzymes responsible for the intra-lysosomal breakdown of various substrates. The result is an uncontrolled accumulation of by-products of cellular metabolism. Lysosomal storage diseases are inherited diseases, transmitted mainly in an autosomal recessive fashion.

Disease-modifying therapy in multiple sclerosis: recommendations of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Section of Polish Neurological Society.

The treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) has undergone significant changes since the first disease-modifying therapy (DMT) drug was introduced. Currently, 19 original DMT drugs are registered in the European Union. The choice of optimal therapy is becoming increasingly challenging in the absence of reliable biomarkers on the basis of which disease progression and prognosis can be determined.

Increased EBNA1-specific antibody response in primary-progressive multiple sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: The impact of viral infections on disease susceptibility and progression has predominantly been studied in patients with relapse-onset MS (RMS). Here, we determined immune responses to ubiquitous viruses in patients with primary progressive MS (PPMS).

Methods: Antibody responses to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), specifically to the latent EBV nuclear antigen 1 and the lytic viral capsid antigen VCA, human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), and measles virus were determined in a cohort of 68 PPMS patients with a mean follow-up of 8 years and compared with 66 healthy controls matched for sex and age.

Validation analysis of Polish version of Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire - Short Form (NPQ-SF-PL) and assessment of quality of life in patients with chronic neuropathic pain.

Aim Of The Study: The aims of this study were to translate and culturally adapt the Polish version (PL) of the Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire-Short Form (NPQ-SF), as well as to compare this questionnaire to other diagnostic tools in terms of reliability and psychometric validity.

Clinical Rationale For The Study: Neuropathic pain (NP) affects up to 10% of the general population. Despite a large number of studies, almost 50% of patients have a poor therapeutic outcome.

Long-term safety and tolerability of hyaluronidase-facilitated subcutaneous immunoglobulin 10% as maintenance therapy for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy: Results from the ADVANCE-CIDP 3 trial.

Background And Aims: Hyaluronidase-facilitated subcutaneous immunoglobulin (fSCIG) consists of subcutaneous human immunoglobulin G (IgG) 10% with recombinant human hyaluronidase (rHuPH20) and can be administered at the same dose and interval as intravenous IgG (IVIG). fSCIG recently received US approval as maintenance therapy for adults with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) and European approval for adults and children with CIDP after stabilization with IVIG.

Methods: ADVANCE-CIDP 3 (NCT02955355) was an open-label long-term extension of the Phase 3 double-blind randomized placebo-controlled ADVANCE-CIDP 1 study (NCT02549170) that examined fSCIG safety and efficacy as maintenance CIDP therapy.

Haemorrhagic intracranial complications associated with vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia or central venous thrombosis after COVID-19 vaccination: postulated underlying mechanisms with literature and case review.

Despite the unequivocal medical and social advantages of introducing vaccines against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, there were also some concerns regarding possible post-vaccination adverse events. Most of these are mild. But in rare cases, severe neurological symptoms including ischaemic stroke, intracranial haemorrhage (ICH), cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis (CVT), and thrombosis with thrombocytopenia (TTS) have been observed.

Coexistence of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus - a case report.

Purpose: Multiple sclerosis (MS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are two autoimmune diseases that are relatively common, especially in women. However, it is extremely rare for them to coexist in a single patient (only 18 cases have been recorded worldwide). Both affect the nervous system and may manifest in identical ways.

The rapidly progressing and fatal outcome of rhombencephalitis by listeriosis in a 61-year-old male.

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative anaerobic bacterium that is ubiquitous in the environment and can cause severe infections in immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, and newborns. Listeriosis can manifest as meningitis, encephalitis, or sepsis, and its diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. The case is reported of a rare presentation of rhombencephalitis by listeriosis in a 61-year-old male who initially suffered from subacute gastric disturbances and fever.

Association of Complement Factors With Disability Progression in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: The complement system is known to play a role in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis. However, its contribution to disease progression remains elusive. The study investigated the role of the complement system in disability progression of patients with primary progressive MS (PPMS).

Clinical and therapeutic challenges of smouldering multiple sclerosis.

Introduction: Assessment of the clinical course, neuroimaging and histopathological changes suggests that multiple sclerosis (MS) should not be defined merely as a focal inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) because the essence of the disease is due to a diffuse, 'smouldering', pathophysiological process.

State Of The Art: Progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) is the clinical indicator of smouldering MS. Multiple pathomechanical factors determining smouldering MS have been identified, i.

Safety and Dose-Response of Vidofludimus Calcium in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis: Extended Results of a Placebo-Controlled Phase 2 Trial.

Background And Objectives: Vidofludimus calcium suppressed MRI disease activity compared with placebo in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in the first cohort of the phase 2 EMPhASIS study. Because 30 mg and 45 mg showed comparable activity on multiple end points, the study enrolled an additional low-dose cohort to further investigate a dose-response relationship.

Methods: In a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial, patients with RRMS, aged 18-55 years, and with ≥2 relapses in the last 2 years or ≥1 relapse in the last year, and ≥1 gadolinium-enhancing brain lesion in the last 6 months.

Poor Prestroke Glycemic Control Increases the Rate of Symptomatic Intracranial Hemorrhage after Mechanical Thrombectomy.

(1) : Diabetes is a well-established risk factor for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study evaluated the impact of prestroke glycemic control in diabetic patients on their 3-month clinical outcome after mechanical thrombectomy (MT). (2) : AIS patients with a premorbid modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 0-2 who were admitted within 6 h after stroke onset and treated with MT between January 2020 and August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.

Expert opinion of the Heart Rhythm Association of the Polish Cardiac Society and the Polish Neurological Society on evidence-driven implementation of implantable loop recorders in Poland.

Implantable loop recorders (ILR) are considered increasingly helpful in diagnosing cardio-neurological conditions, especially if arrhythmic events are of high clinical importance but are unlikely to be captured by standard methods of electrocardiogram recording due to the low frequency of events and short duration of a single event. The compelling evidence from randomized trials and observational studies strongly supports ILR utilization in patients after cryptogenic stroke or transient ischemic attack and in patients with recurrent transient loss of consciousness of unknown origin. These two groups of patients are expected to gain the most from initiating ILR-driven clinically effective management strategies.

Analysis of seroconversion following COVID-19 vaccination among multiple sclerosis patients treated with disease-modifying therapies in Poland.

Clinical Rationale For The Study: The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 throughout the world has highlighted the importance of vaccinations to control the pandemic and to protect people at risk for severe disease courses. Disease-modifying therapies (DMT) in multiple sclerosis (MS), whether immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive, may affect the immune response. Therefore, the question arose as to whether these vaccinations would be effective.

The use of andexanet alpha in the Polish setting: An interdisciplinary protocol. Expert consensus statement of the Polish Cardiac Society.

Andexanet alfa (AA) is a recombinant inactive analog of human activated factor X (FXa), effectively reversing the effects of its inhibitors - rivaroxaban and apixaban, which are available in Poland. The drug was approved for clinical use registration after the publication of the results of the ANNEXA-4 trial (Andexanet Alfa, a Novel Antidote to the Anticoagulation Effects of FXa Inhibitors 4), in which its efficacy in restoring hemostasis in life-threatening hemorrhages in patients receiving using the aforementioned anticoagulants was demonstrated. Hence, AA is now recommended for patients on apixaban or rivaroxaban therapy with massive and uncontrollable hemorrhages, including hemorrhagic strokes (HS) and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation of Polish version of Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire (NPQ-PL) and its comparisons with different questionnaires.

Aim Of The Study: The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Polish version of the Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire (NPQ-PL), and to compare it to other diagnostic tools.

Clinical Rationale For The Study: Neuropathic pain is a burdensome condition, of which the exact prevalence is difficult to estimate. During initial screening, pain questionnaires are helpful in alerting clinicians about the need for further evaluation.

External quality monitoring facilitates improvement in already well-performing stroke units: insights from RES-Q Poland.

Introduction: The Registry of Stroke Care Quality (RES-Q) is used in Poland for quality monitoring by numerous hospitals participating in the Angels Initiative. Our aim was to assess the degree of improvement in highly stroke-oriented centres that report cases to the RES-Q each year.

Material And Methods: This retrospective analysis included Polish stroke units that from January 2017 to December 2020 contributed to the RES-Q at least 25 patients annually.

Amantadine in unvaccinated patients with early, mild to moderate COVID-19: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.

Background And Purpose: Adamantanes were listed as an interesting option as an early intervention against COVID-19. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of amantadine in preventing the progression of COVID-19 and its neurological sequelae.

Methods: Unvaccinated patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection within 5 days were enrolled.

Cladribine tablets for highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in Poland: a real-world, multi-centre, retrospective, cohort study during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: Treatment with cladribine tablets is indicated in highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Cladribine tablets proved safe and effective in the pivotal CLARITY trial, but that trial included primarily treatment-naïve patients. In clinical practice however, cladribine tablets are often given to patients who have failed other treatments.

Cognitive and Motor Decline in Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson's Disease Dementia.

Background: There is a need to better understand the rate of cognitive and motor decline of Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease Dementia (PDD).

Objectives: To compare the rate of cognitive and motor decline in patients with DLB and PDD from the E-DLB Consortium and the Parkinson's Incidence Cohorts Collaboration (PICC) Cohorts.

Methods: The annual change in MMSE and MDS-UPDRS part III was estimated using linear mixed regression models in patients with at least one follow-up (DLB  = 837 and PDD  = 157).

Experts and national consultants' recommendations regarding management of patients treated for migraine with comorbid depression. Diagnosis. Therapeutic strategies. Part 2.

Depressive disorders are currently diagnosed based on the ICD-10 and DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and include axial depressive symptoms and additional symptoms that must coexist for at least two weeks. Migraine is diagnosed based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders. It is generally divided into migraine with and without aura, and with regard to the frequency of attacks into episodic and chronic migraine.