Glycobiology in malignant gliomas: expression and functions of galectins and possible therapeutic options.

Malignant gliomas, the most common malignant primary brain tumors, have a deleterious clinical prognosis of approximately 12 months in unselected series. The resistance against antineoplastic therapy is apparently not only associated with a high proliferative potential, marked antiapoptotic resistance and high migratory capacity. Effective mechanisms to escape the immune response of the organism and an intense neoangiogenesis also contribute to the aggressive growth of these neoplasms.

Health-related quality of life in multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy.

Objective: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), known as atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS), are neurodegenerative disorders with severe disability and decreased life expectancy. Little is known about the health-related quality of life (HrQoL) and its determinants in patients with those disorders. The objective of our cross-sectional study was to evaluate the HrQoL in patients with APS and to identify the determinants of HrQoL.

Sibling disability risk at onset and during disease progression in familial multiple sclerosis.

Background: The objective of this study was to address the differences in onset and disease progression between familial and sporadic multiple sclerosis (MS) and the association within sibling pairs.

Methods: Ninety-eight siblings and their controls were included from a database of 763 sporadic MS-patients, randomly pair-matched for age, gender, clinical course, disease duration and treatment. Sixty-eight available siblings completed a prospective six-year follow-up.

Systemic administration of neuregulin-1β1 protects dopaminergic neurons in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Neuregulin-1 (Nrg1) is genetically linked to schizophrenia, a disease caused by neurodevelopmental imbalance in dopaminergic function. The Nrg1 receptor ErbB4 is abundantly expressed on midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Nrg1 has been shown to penetrate blood-brain barrier, and peripherally administered Nrg1 activates ErbB4 and leads to a persistent hyperdopaminergic state in neonatal mice.

Naturally occurring autoantibodies against beta-amyloid: investigating their role in transgenic animal and in vitro models of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting regions of the brain responsible for higher cognitive functions. Immunization against β-amyloid (Aβ) in animal models of AD has been shown to be effective on the molecular level but also on the behavioral level. Recently, we reported naturally occurring autoantibodies against Aβ (NAbs-Aβ) being reduced in Alzheimer's disease patients.

Cost-of-illness in multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy.

Multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy are disabling neurodegenerative disorders, also known as atypical parkinsonian syndromes. Currently, no health economic evaluations of these diseases are available. The objective of this study was to evaluate disease-related costs in German patients with multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy and to identify cost-driving factors.

Hospitalization in Parkinson disease: a survey of National Parkinson Foundation Centers.

Objectives: To explore current practices and opinions regarding hospital management of Parkinson disease (PD) patients in specialized PD Centers.

Methods: Fifty-one out of 54 National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) Centers worldwide completed an online survey regarding hospitalization of PD patients.

Results: Many Centers were concerned about the quality of PD-specific care provided to their patients when hospitalized.

Trajectory classes of decline in health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.

Objective: To analyze the change in health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and to identify different classes of HRQoL decline.

Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was performed to assess clinical parameters (unified PD rating scale, Beck Depression Inventory) and HRQoL data (EuroQol, Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire [PDQ]-39) at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. A total of 145 patients with PD were consecutively recruited in the county of Northern Hessia, Germany, between January and June 2000.

Hypodipsia discriminates progressive supranuclear palsy from other parkinsonian syndromes.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the sensation of thirst differs between patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy with predominant parkinsonism (MSA-P), and Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: We administered a standardized thirst questionnaire to age-, sex-, and stage-matched patients with probable PSP, PD, and MSA-P and healthy controls (HC), n = 15/group. In an independent cohort (n = 10/group), we provoked thirst by infusing hypertonic NaCl in age-, sex-, and stage-matched patients with PSP, PD, and MSA-P and recorded plasma osmolality and thirst (visual analog scale).

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo following diagnostic transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is the most frequent cause of recurrent vertigo and according to the canalo- and cupulolithiasis theory it is caused by detached otoconia which accumulate in the semicircular canals. However, the mechanisms leading to detachment of otoconia from the matrix are still poorly understood. Head trauma, inner ear diseases, advanced age, migraine and bed rest are known predisposing factors.

Possible involvement of complement factor C1q in the clearance of extracellular neuromelanin from the substantia nigra in Parkinson disease.

Activation of the complement system promotes the removal of pathogens and tissue damage products from the brain and may also be involved in neuronal cell death in neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we analyzed the expression of C1q, the initial recognition subcomponent of the classic complement cascade, in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) in Parkinson disease (PD) and control cases using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Microglia were determined to be the only cells that expressed C1q in the SNc and other brain areas.

Health-related quality of life and its determinants in Parkinson's disease: results of an Italian cohort study.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder with a progressive disabling course. Health-related quality of life (HrQoL) in Italian patients with PD has not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate HrQol of an Italian cohort of PD patients and to provide a comprehensive analysis of HrQoL determinants.

Cytokines and epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder affecting approximately 8 out of 1000 people. Its pathophysiology, however, has remained elusive in many regards. Consequently, adequate seizure control is still lacking in about one third of patients.

Management of the hospitalized patient with Parkinson's disease: current state of the field and need for guidelines.

Objective: To review the literature and to identify practice gaps in the management of the hospitalized Parkinson's disease (PD) patient.

Background: Patients with PD are admitted to hospitals at higher rates, and frequently have longer hospital stays than the general population. Little is known about outpatient interventions that might reduce the need for hospitalization and also reduce hospital-related complications.

Does the clinical practice guideline on Parkinson's disease change health outcomes? A cluster randomized controlled trial.

The successful transfer of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) into patient care depends on the appropriateness of the implementation method. This study strived for a better understanding of which intervention strategy is effective in implementing the CPG on Parkinson's disease (CPG-PD). In a cluster randomized controlled trial, we compared the impact of two different implementation strategies of the CPG-PD on health outcomes of PD patients.

Treatment of paroxysmal dyskinesias.

Importance Of The Field: Paroxysmal dyskinesias represent a heterogeneous group of rare diseases sharing characteristics with two important groups of neurological disorders, the movement disorders and the epilepsies. Their common hallmark is the paroxysmal occurrence of dyskinesias including athetosis, ballism, chorea and dystonia. During the last two decades, various genetic abnormalities have been identified thereby providing insight into the underlying pathophysiology and offering therapeutic opportunities for many of these conditions.

Interictal alterations of cytokines and leukocytes in patients with active epilepsy.

Background: Involvement of the innate immune system in the pathogenesis of epilepsies has been suggested but possible interactions between the immune system and human epilepsy remain unclear. We analyzed the interictal immuno-phenotype of leukocyte subsets and proinflammatory cytokine profiles in epileptic patients and correlated them with the epilepsy syndrome.

Methods: 101 patients with active focal or generalized epilepsy were prospectively included and compared to 36 healthy controls.

Lewy body and parkinsonian dementia: common, but often misdiagnosed conditions.

Background: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) are the two most common types of dementing neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease (AD). Both of these conditions are often diagnosed late or not at all.

Methods: Selective literature review.

Presentation, diagnosis, and management of multiple system atrophy in Europe: final analysis of the European multiple system atrophy registry.

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a Parkinson's Disease (PD)-like α-synucleinopathy clinically characterized by dysautonomia, parkinsonism, cerebellar ataxia, and pyramidal signs in any combination. We aimed to determine whether the clinical presentation of MSA as well as diagnostic and therapeutic strategies differ across Europe and Israel. In 19 European MSA Study Group centres all consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of MSA were recruited from 2001 to 2005.

Treatment of moderate to severe restless legs syndrome: 2-year safety and efficacy of rotigotine transdermal patch.

Background: Rotigotine is a unique dopamine agonist with activity across D1 through D5 receptors as well as select adrenergic and serotonergic sites. This study reports the 2-year follow-up safety and efficacy data of an ongoing open-label multicenter extension study (NCT00498186) of transdermal rotigotine in patients with moderate to severe restless legs syndrome (RLS).

Methods: Patients received a once-daily patch application of an individually optimized dose of rotigotine between 0.

Costs of illness and care in Parkinson's disease: an evaluation in six countries.

We investigated the costs of Parkinson's Disease (PD) in 486 patients based on a survey conducted in six countries. Economic data were collected over a 6-month period and presented from the societal perspective. The total mean costs per patient ranged from EUR 2620 to EUR 9820.

Rotigotine transdermal patch in moderate to severe idiopathic restless legs syndrome: a randomized, placebo-controlled polysomnographic study.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of rotigotine transdermal patch in subjects with moderate to severe idiopathic restless legs syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movement (PLM) in sleep in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter study (NCT00275236).

Methods: Sixty-seven (46 rotigotine, 21 placebo) subjects applied rotigotine (maximum 3mg/24h) or placebo patches once-daily during a 4-week maintenance period; efficacy evaluations used polysomnographic measures and clinician/patient ratings.

Results: Mean PLM index (PLMI; PLM/h time in bed) decreased more with rotigotine (50.

Late sequelae of whiplash injury with dissection of cervical arteries.

Background/aims: The objective of our study was to estimate the incidence of posttraumatic dissections of cervical arteries in patients with whiplash injury acquired in a car accident.

Methods And Patients: We performed a retrospective analysis of medical records of 500 patients with whiplash injury acquired in car accidents between 1996 and 2005 and searched for dissections of cervical arteries occurring within 12 months after injury.

Results: Eight cases of cervical arterial dissection occurred within 12 months following whiplash injury.