An SBM and TBSS Analysis in Early-stage Patients With Alzheimer's Disease, Lewy Body Dementias, and Corticobasal Syndrome.

Objective: To compare gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) changes in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), Lewy body dementias (LBD), corticobasal syndrome (CBS), and healthy controls (HC).

Methods: Surface-based morphometry (SBM) was assessed on 3D T1-weighted images using FreeSurfer image analysis and WM microstructure was studied using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) in 12 AD, 15 LBD, 10 CBS patients, and 10 HC.

Results: Patients with AD, compared with HC, exhibited reduced cortical surface area and volume in the superior frontal, middle frontal, and medial orbitofrontal cortex.

Trigeminal neuralgia, demyelinating polyneuropathy, and central nervous system involvement in a patient with an SH3TC2 mutation.

Background: Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 4C (CMT4C) is a slowly progressive, autosomal recessive, sensorimotor polyneuropathy characterized by demyelination and distinct clinical features, including cranial nerve involvement. CMT4C is associated with pathogenic mutations in the SH3TC2 gene.

Methods: A patient presenting with gait instability due to demyelinating polyneuropathy and refractory trigeminal neuralgia underwent comprehensive evaluation.

Adaptation and validation of the Greek version of the Communication and Language Assessment questionnaire for persons with Multiple Sclerosis (CLAMS).

Objective: The aim of the present study was to validate the Communication and Language Assessment questionnaire for persons with Multiple Sclerosis (CLAMS) into the Greek language.

Method: 106 Persons with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) and 51 healthy controls (HCs) participated in this study. We evaluated patients' cognitive abilities with the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS).

The evolution of comprehensive genetic analysis in neurology: Implications for precision medicine.

Technological advancements have facilitated the availability of reliable and thorough genetic analysis in many medical fields, including neurology. In this review, we focus on the importance of selecting the appropriate genetic test to aid in the accurate identification of disease utilizing currently employed technologies for analyzing monogenic neurological disorders. Moreover, the applicability of comprehensive analysis via NGS for various genetically heterogeneous neurological disorders is reviewed, revealing its efficiency in clarifying a frequently cloudy diagnostic picture and delivering a conclusive and solid diagnosis that is essential for the proper management of the patient.

Exploring the knowledge and views of Greek Neurologists regarding Palliative Care Topics.

Palliative care for Parkinson's disease is characterized by inconsistency and varies from country to country. Although some countries have taken significant steps to include palliative care in their health programs, others, such as Greece, are still at an early stage. One step towards the widespread adoption of palliative care is the education of all stakeholders, especially clinicians.

The Parkinson's Disease-Cognitive Rating Scale: Greek Normative Data, Clinical Utility and Cultural Considerations.

Background: The Parkinson's Disease-Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS) is a comprehensive screening procedure for the evaluation of cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objectives: In the present study we adjusted the PD-CRS for the Greek population, developed normative data and examined its clinical utility for the assessment of cognitive functioning in Greek PD patients. In addition, the correlation of clinical characteristics with cognitive performance in PD patients was examined.

Macular microcirculation characteristics in Parkinson's disease evaluated by OCT-Angiography: a literature review.

Purpose: Given the fact that retina may provide a window into the central nervous system, there has been interest in identifying retinal biomarkers as predicting factors of pathological processes in neurodegenerative disorders. Emerging evidence has suggested that macular microcirculation changes in Parkinson disease (PD) may indicate the alterations of cerebral microvasculature. The use of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCT-A) has attracted significant attention in recent years as this technique offers a detailed analysis of the existence of changes at the macular capillary plexus.

A Novel Mutation of the Membrane Metallo-Endopeptidase Gene Related to Late-Onset Hereditary Polyneuropathy: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

The advent of next generation sequencing has revolutionized diagnostic approaches to hereditary polyneuropathies. Recently, mutations on the membrane metallo-endopeptidase (MME) gene, encoding neprilysin, have been related to the development of late-onset Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 (CMT2). Here, we report the first Greek patient presenting with a slowly progressive late-onset axonal polyneuropathy and a novel, likely pathogenic, heterozygous variant in the MME gene.

Automatic Absence Seizures Detection in EEG signals: An Unsupervised Module.

Absence seizures are expressed with distinctive spike-and-wave complexes in the electroencephalogram (EEG), which can be used to automatically distinguish them from other types of seizures and interictal activity. Considering the chaotic nature of the EEG signal, it is very unlikely that such continuous, repetitive patterns with strict periodic behavior would occur naturally under normal conditions. Searching for spectral activity in the range of 2.

Symbol Digit Modalities Test: Greek Normative Data for the Oral and Written Version and Discriminative Validity in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to generate normative data on the Symbol Digits Modalities Test (SDMT) for the written and oral versions in the Greek adult population. We also investigated the test's validity in discriminating the performance of healthy adults from two groups of adults diagnosed with relapsing remitting (RRMS) and secondary progressive (SPMS) multiple sclerosis.

Method: The sample consisted of 609 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 65.

Postpartum intracranial hypotension complicated by posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: a case report.

To present an unusual case of posterior encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) preceded by intracranial hypotension. We present a case of a 27-year-old parturient with an uneventful pregnancy that shortly after labor developed a persistent headache with characteristics compatible with intracranial hypotension. The patient had undergone epidural anesthesia for caesarian section.

Multifocal alterations of white matter accompany the transition from normal cognition to dementia in Parkinson's disease patients.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the pattern of white matter (WM) changes associated with Parkinson's disease (PD)-related cognitive impairment by using fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) measures. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) was performed in 21 PD-patients with dementia (PDD) and in an age-matched control group including 40 PD-patients without dementia (PD-CTRL). The Parkinson's disease-Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS) was used for patients' neuropsychological assessment.

Levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease: still no proof? A meta-analysis.

We investigated whether there is a linear relationship between levodopa (LD) dose and treatment duration, and the development of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) among patients with early untreated Parkinson's disease (PD). We performed a meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) comparing LD monotherapy to any other antiparkinsonian treatment in early PD patients. Meta-regressions were conducted including as covariates the effects of LD dose, treatment duration, and age.

ALZCARE: an information system for screening, management and tracking of demented patients.

The ALZCARE project aims at assisting people at risk or already suffering of dementia, their family and health professionals in the dementia care pathway by providing an integrated ICT-enabled information System. The system consists of a mobile platform for screening people at risk, a Clinical Information System and a satellite-based patient tracking system. The system is currently on the evaluation phase focusing on addressing the needs of citizens of the cross-border areas of Greece and Albania.

Multimodal imaging evaluation of excessive daytime sleepiness in Parkinson's disease.

Purpose Of The Study: The multimodal imaging investigation of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in Parkinson's disease (PD). The role of dopaminergic treatment and other clinical parameters was also evaluated.

Materials And Methods: Seventeen non-demented PD patients with EDS (PD-EDS) and 17 PD patients without EDS were enrolled.

Dopamine agonists early monotherapy for the delay of development of levodopa-induced dyskinesias.

Dyskinesias are common, often disabling motor complications emerging in Parkinson's disease following chronic levodopa treatment. Common views associate the development of dyskinesias both with progressive loss of striatal dopamine nerve terminals and with intermittent delivery of the short half-life levodopa. Thus, according to continuous dopaminergic stimulation theory, dopamine agonists having half-lifes longer than levodopa would minimize the risk of the development of dyskinesias.

Clinical characteristics of Parkinson's disease patients in Greece: a multicenter, nation-wide, cross-sectional study.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease, with a constantly increasing prevalence and a high global financial impact arising from direct and indirect costs. Large-scale, observational studies provide data that support the better comprehension of disease aspects, constitute a baseline reference for future studies and assist comparisons among different patient populations, allowing the recognition of distinctive characteristics and special needs. The present study is the first to depict the clinical characteristics and their interplay in a large sample of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients in Greece.

Investigation of the antidyskinetic site of action of metabotropic and ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists. Intracerebral infusions in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats with levodopa-induced dyskinesia.

Long-term levodopa replacement therapy in Parkinson's disease is confounded by abnormal involuntary movements, known as levodopa induced dyskinesia (LID). Dysfunctional glutamatergic neurotransmission has been implicated in the pathogenesis of LID making metabotropic and ionotropic glutamate receptors attractive novel therapeutic targets. The objective of the present study was to investigate the antidyskinetic site of action of different glutamate receptor antagonists in the brain.

Effects of amantadine on tardive dyskinesia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Objective: The objective of the study was to demonstrate whether the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist, amantadine, can safely ameliorate tardive dyskinesia (TD) without deteriorating the mental state of the patients.

Methods: Twenty-two TD patients, with a mean age 52 years, participated in the study. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design was used.

The course of dyskinesia induction by different treatment schedules of levodopa in Parkinsonian rats: is continuous dopaminergic stimulation necessary?

The aim of the present study was to investigate the course of levodopa induced dyskinesia (LID) development in parkinsonian rats treated with several different levodopa dosing regiments. Administration of 6.25 mg/kg levodopa once daily did not induce any dyskinesia for the first 12.

Levodopa-induced dyskinesia and rotational behavior in hemiparkinsonian rats: independent features or components of the same phenomenon?

Chronic daily administration of 6.25mg/kg of levodopa in unilaterally 6-OHDA lesioned rats did not induce any observable behavioral effects for the first 12.5+/-2.

Effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonism on neuroleptic-induced orofacial dyskinesias.

Rationale: Tardive dyskinesia is a syndrome of abnormal, involuntary movements, which occurs as a complication of long-term neuroleptic therapy. The pathophysiology of this potentially irreversible syndrome is still an enigma.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to elucidate the role of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor involvement in neuroleptic-induced orofacial dyskinesia in rats.