Mapping brain morphology to cognitive deficits: a study on PD-CRS scores in Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment.

Background: The Parkinson's Disease-Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS) is a widely used tool for detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients, however, the neuroanatomical underpinnings of this test's outcomes require clarification. This study aims to: (a) investigate cortical volume (CVol) and cortical thickness (CTh) disparities between PD patients exhibiting mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) and those with preserved cognitive abilities (PD-IC); and (b) identify the structural correlates in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of overall PD-CRS performance, including its subtest scores, within a non-demented PD cohort.

Materials And Methods: This study involved 51 PD patients with Hoehn & Yahr stages I-II, categorized into two groups: PD-IC ( = 36) and PD-MCI ( = 15).

Clinical neurophysiology in the treatment of movement disorders: IFCN handbook chapter.

In this review, different aspects of the use of clinical neurophysiology techniques for the treatment of movement disorders are addressed. First of all, these techniques can be used to guide neuromodulation techniques or to perform therapeutic neuromodulation as such. Neuromodulation includes invasive techniques based on the surgical implantation of electrodes and a pulse generator, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) or spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on the one hand, and non-invasive techniques aimed at modulating or even lesioning neural structures by transcranial application.

Plasticity-Induced Effects of Theta Burst Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technique with high spatial specificity. Previous studies showed that TUS delivered in a theta burst pattern (tbTUS) increased motor cortex (MI) excitability up to 30 minutes due to long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity. Studies using other forms of NIBS suggested that cortical plasticity may be impaired in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Utility of Neurophysiological Evaluation in Movement Disorders Clinical Practice.

Background: Quantitative and objective neurophysiological assessment can help to define the predominant phenomenology and provide diagnoses that have prognostic and therapeutic implications for movement disorders.

Objectives: Evaluate the agreement between initial indications and final diagnoses after neurophysiological evaluations in a specialized movement disorders center.

Methods: Electrophysiological studies conducted for movement disorders from 2003 to 2021 were reviewed.

Accelerated Transcranial Ultrasound Neuromodulation in Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study.

Objective: Low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (TUS) is a novel method for neuromodulation. We aimed to study the feasibility of stimulating the bilateral primary motor cortices (M1) with accelerated theta-burst TUS (a-tbTUS) on neurophysiologic and clinical outcomes in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive active or sham a-tbTUS for the first visit and the alternate condition on the second visit, at least 10 days apart.

Mechanisms of theta burst transcranial ultrasound induced plasticity in the human motor cortex.

Background: Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is a novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique with high depth penetrance and spatial resolution. Theta-burst TUS (tbTUS) is a plasticity-inducing protocol which increases motor cortical excitability for up to 30 min following 80s of sonication. While this protocol may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders, the mechanisms of action of TUS remain unclear.

Botulinum toxin in the management of parkinsonian disorders.

Many studies have shown that botulinum toxin (BoNT) can be an option to treat motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) and parkinsonian syndromes. The advantages of BoNT compared to oral medications include localized action and low incidence of systemic side effects, which is important in treating neurodegenerative disease. Motor symptoms that can be treated with BoNT include blepharospasm, apraxia of eyelid opening, tremor, cervical dystonia and limb dystonia.

Different types of tremor and myoclonus in an atypical case of shaking upon standing.

Shaking upon standing is associated with a spectrum of different conditions. We describe an unusual case with a combination of slow orthostatic tremor, orthostatic myoclonus, and parkinsonism. The case illustrates the utility of electrophysiology for precise characterization of physical findings to establish the diagnosis.

Parkinson's Disease-Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS): Normative Data and Mild Cognitive Impairment Assessment in Brazil.

Background: The Parkinson's Disease-Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS) assesses posterior-cortical and frontal-subcortical cognitive functioning and distinguishes mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD-MCI); however, it was not evaluated in Brazil.

Objectives: To investigate PD-CRS's reliability, validity, normative data, and accuracy for PD-MCI screening in Brazil.

Methods: The effects of age, education, and sex on PD-CRS scores were explored.

Use of non-invasive neurostimulation for rehabilitation in functional movement disorders.

Functional movement disorders (FMD) are a subtype of functional neurological disorders which involve abnormal movements and include multiple phenomenologies. There is a growing interest in the mechanism, diagnosis, and treatment of these disorders. Most of the current therapeutic approaches rely on psychotherapy and physiotherapy conducted by a multidisciplinary team.

Human Studies of Transcranial Ultrasound neuromodulation: A systematic review of effectiveness and safety.

Background: Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is gaining traction as a safe and non-invasive technique in human studies. There has been a rapid increase in TUS human studies in recent years, with more than half of studies to date published after 2020. This rapid growth in the relevant body of literature necessitates comprehensive reviews to update clinicians and researchers.

Evaluation of the Cutaneous Silent Period in a Healthy Brazilian Population.

Purpose: To establish cutaneous silent period (CSP) normative values and investigate the variables that may influence them.

Methods: We tested 41 healthy subjects. All subjects underwent nerve conduction studies, and we evaluated the CSP in both arms.

Epidemiological and clinical aspects of Guillain-Barré syndrome and its variants.

Background: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an acute polyradiculoneuropathy that occurs because of an abnormal inflammatory response in the peripheral nervous system, is clinically characterized by acute flaccid paresis and areflexia with or without sensory symptoms. This syndrome can lead to disabling or even life-threatening sequelae.

Objective: This study aimed to present the clinical and epidemiological aspects of GBS in patients admitted to a tertiary-level hospital in the Federal District between January 2013 and June 2019.

New-Onset Movement Disorders Associated with COVID-19.

Introduction: Movement disorders are increasingly described in hospitalized and milder cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, despite a very low prevalence compared to the total patients.

Methods: We reviewed the scientific literature published in English, spanning from the initial descriptions of COVID-19 until January 25, 2021, in the PubMed/MEDLINE database.

Results: We identified 93 new-onset movement disorders cases (44 articles) from 200 papers screened in the database or reference lists.

Cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease: A clinical and pathophysiological overview.

Cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD) has received increasing attention, and, together with other non-motor symptoms, exert a significant functional impact in the daily lives of patients. This article aims to compile and briefly summarize selected published data about clinical features, cognitive evaluation, biomarkers, and pathophysiology of PD-related dementia (PDD). The literature search included articles indexed in the MEDLINE/PubMed database, published in English, over the last two decades.

How can neurophysiological studies help with movement disorders characterization in clinical practice? A review.

Background: Neurophysiological studies are ancillary tools to better understand the features and nature of movement disorders. Electromyography (EMG), together with electroencephalography (EEG) and accelerometer, can be used to evaluate a hypo and hyperkinetic spectrum of movements. Specific techniques can be applied to better characterize the phenomenology, help distinguish functional from organic origin and assess the most probable site of the movement generator in the nervous system.

Anti-GAD Antibody-associated Syndrome Presenting with Limb Myoclonus.

Background: The clinical spectrum of anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibody-associated neurologic syndromes is expanding, with focal, generalized, and atypical forms.

Case Report: We describe a 59-year-old female showing continuous right lower limb myoclonus and mild encephalopathy. These symptoms started 2 weeks prior to evaluation.

Is transcranial sonography useful for diagnosing Parkinson's disease in clinical practice?

Objective: Transcranial sonography (TCS) is an emerging ancillary examination for diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objective: To evaluate TCS features in patients with PD and its mimics, and establish their accuracy in predicting the final clinical diagnosis after follow-up.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 85 patients with an initial clinical suspicion of PD, atypical parkinsonism or essential tremor, all of whom underwent TCS.