Publications by authors named "Thais Lampert Monte"
Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) affects several neurological structures, giving rise to multiple symptoms. However, only the natural history of ataxia is well known, as measured during the study duration. We aimed to describe the progression rate of ataxia, by the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), as well as the progression rate of the overall neurological picture, by the Neurological Examination Score for Spinocerebellar Ataxias (NESSCA), and not only during the study duration but also in a disease duration model.
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- Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) is a neurological disorder with no treatments available that modify the disease's progression, and this study explores oxidative stress as a potential biomarker for the condition.
- Researchers measured reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant enzyme activities in 58 symptomatic SCA3/MJD patients, 12 presymptomatic patients, and 47 control individuals to determine correlations with clinical data.
- Results showed significantly higher ROS levels and reduced antioxidant activity in symptomatic patients compared to both presymptomatic and control groups, suggesting a link between oxidative stress and disease severity that could inform future research on potential biomarkers.
Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is due to a CAG expansion (CAGexp) at ATXN2. SCA2 presents great clinical variability, alongside characteristic ataxia with saccadic slowness.
Aims: To study parkinsonism, dementia, dystonia, and amyotrophy as subphenotypes of SCA2, and to explore the effect of CAG repeats at different loci and of mitochondrial polymorphism A10398G as modifiers of phenotype.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates serum cytokine levels in both symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers of Machado Joseph disease, analyzing a wide range of cytokines in confirmed cases and controls.
- A total of 66 symptomatic carriers, 13 asymptomatic carriers, and 43 controls were examined, with specific attention given to the cytokine eotaxin, which was found to be significantly elevated in asymptomatic carriers compared to both symptomatic carriers and controls.
- Results showed no significant differences in cytokine patterns between controls and carriers overall, but eotaxin levels decreased among symptomatic carriers over a 360-day period, suggesting that serum cytokines may exhibit a benign pattern in SCA3/MJD patients.
Background: In a recent phase 2 clinical trial in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD), a neurogenetic disorder without specific therapy, benefits of lithium carbonate were found only on secondary efficacy outcomes, all related to ataxic features. In order to help designing future studies, we further analyzed the trial data searching for treatment response modifiers and metric properties of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) scales.
Methods: Efficacy analysis was performed with the Neurological Examination Score for the Assessment of Spinocerebellar Ataxia (NESSCA) and the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) subscores and with the subgroup of patients with independent gait according to the 8-meter walking-time (8MW).
Background: Because lithium exerts neuroprotective effects in preclinical models of polyglutamine disorders, our objective was to assess the safety and efficacy of lithium carbonate (0.5-0.8 milliequivalents per liter) in patients with Machado-Joseph disease (spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 [MJD/SCA3]).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpinocerebellar ataxia 3 is an untreatable CAG repeat expansion disorder whose natural history is not completely understood. Our aims were to describe the progression of neurological manifestations in a long-term cohort of spinocerebellar ataxia 3, and to verify if CAG expanded repeat, gender, and age at onset were associated with the rate of progression. Patients entered the study between 1998 and 2005 and were seen until 2007.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere is a lack of evidence on the clinical efficacy and safety of the recently released Chinese botulinum toxin serotype A (Prosigne) for the treatment of focal dystonias and hemifacial spasm. Determining a more precise role of Prosigne in the treatment of such conditions is of paramount importance, because botulinum toxin type A treatments have a huge economic implication in health services, especially in developing countries. The aim of our study was to compare the efficacy and safety of Prosigne in the treatment of blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm in comparison to Botox.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: A 36 year-old black female, complaining of headache of one month's duration presented with nausea, vomiting, somnolence, short memory problems, loss of weight, and no fever history. Smoker, intravenous drugs abuser, promiscuous lifestyle.
Physical Examination: left homonimous hemianopsia, left hemiparesis, no papilledema, diffuse hyperreflexia, slowness of movements.