Discrepancy Between Patient and Caregiver Estimate of Apathy Predicts Dementia in Patients with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Background: Apathy is a frequent behavioral symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) is a tool exploring the perception of apathy by both caregivers (CG-AES) and patients (PT-AES), and the discrepancy in their ratings is a proxy of patients' disease unawareness.

Objective: To assess in a cohort study of patients with amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) whether apathy and awareness of apathy predict progression to dementia and timing.

Accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) among the Italian Dementia Centers: a study by the Italian DLB study group (DLB-SINdem).

Introduction: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) may represent a diagnostic challenge, since its clinical picture overlaps with other dementia. Two toolkits have been developed to aid the clinician to diagnose DLB: the Lewy Body Composite Risk Score (LBCRS) and the Assessment Toolkit for DLB (AT-DLB). We aim to evaluate the reliability of these two questionnaires, and their ability to enhance the interpretation of the international consensus diagnostic criteria.

Fetal risks related to the treatment of multiple sclerosis during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

In women with multiple sclerosis, pregnancy does not have a long-term adverse effect on lifetime disability; however, there is an increased risk of relapses during the postpartum. Therapies taken during pregnancy may have adverse effects on pregnancy outcome. The small number of pregnancies included in most studies, particularly those evaluating the risks related to the administration of immunomodulating drugs, do not allow firm conclusions to be drawn with regards to their safety.

Atherosclerosis in women with endometriosis.

Objective: This study aims to determine whether women with endometriosis have greater subclinical atherosclerosis than the general population.

Study Design: This case-control study included 66 women with endometriosis and 66 controls matched for age and body mass index. All subjects were >or=35 years old.

Myasthenia gravis: management issues during pregnancy.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) often affects women in the second and third decades of life, overlapping with the childbearing years. The course of the disease is unpredictable during pregnancy; however, worsening of symptoms occurs more likely during the first trimester and postpartum. MG can be well managed during pregnancy with relatively safe and effective therapies.

Multiple sclerosis: management issues during pregnancy.

Care of pregnant women with multiple sclerosis (MS) is challenging because of the multiple physiological changes associated with pregnancy and the need to consider the impact of any intervention on the foetus. Pregnancy is associated with clinical MS stability or improvement, while the rate of relapse rises significantly during the first three months post-partum before coming back to its level prior to pregnancy. Gestational history has no influence on long-term disability and MS does not seem to influence pregnancy or the child's health.