Association of the Cervical Canal Area With Disability and Progression in People With Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: In multiple sclerosis (MS), brain reserve serves as a protective factor against cognitive impairment. Previous research has suggested a structural counterpart in the spine-spinal cord reserve-seemed to be associated with physical disability. This study aimed to investigate the potential of the cervical canal area (CCaA) as a proxy for spinal cord reserve in a multicentric cohort of people with MS (PwMS).

Rising Prevalence of Multiple Sclerosis in Switzerland: Results from the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Registry.

Introduction: Understanding the prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) provides information for healthcare planning and helps identify trends and patterns of disease occurrence. For Switzerland, the number of persons with MS (pwMS) was last estimated at approximately 15,000 in 2016. The study's objectives were to update estimates of MS prevalence and characterise the change in MS prevalence in Switzerland between 2016 and 2021, the last year with complete administrative data.

De-escalation from anti-CD20 to cladribine tablets in multiple sclerosis: A pilot study.

Prolonged treatment with anti-CD20 antibodies can lead to hypogammaglobulinemia and increased infection risk in multiple sclerosis (MS). We investigated switch from anti-CD20 to cladribine as a strategy to prevent immunoglobulin reduction while preserving efficacy. We prospectively analysed serum IgG, IgM, neurofilament light (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in 44 patients, 14 who were switched from anti-CD20 to cladribine and 30 continuing anti-CD20.

Real-world patterns in remote longitudinal study participation: A study of the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Registry.

Remote longitudinal studies are on the rise and promise to increase reach and reduce participation barriers in chronic disease research. However, maintaining long-term retention in these studies remains challenging. Early identification of participants with different patterns of long-term retention offers the opportunity for tailored survey adaptations.

Mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer's disease eligibility for disease modification therapies in a tertiary centre for cognitive disorders: A simultaneous real-word study on aducanumab and lecanemab.

Background And Purpose: The Food and Drug Administration approved two disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) for Alzheimer's disease (AD), aducanumab and lecanemab, with limited clinical impact but significant biomarker changes. Identifying suitable candidates for these DMTs outside randomized clinical trials (RCTs) remains uncertain.

Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted in an Italian tertiary centre for cognitive disorders, aimed to evaluate how the RCT eligibility criteria for DMT treatments applies to participants with early AD.

Self-reports by persons with multiple sclerosis are an adequate surrogate for healthcare provider data on disease-modifying therapy and multiple sclerosis type.

Introduction: Self-reports are a valuable and cost-effective method of data collection, though they can be influenced by bias. Limited evidence exists on the quality of self-reports by persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), particularly since more potent disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have been introduced. This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of self-reported DMT use and multiple sclerosis (MS) type in the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Registry (SMSR) by comparing self-reports with reimbursement approval requests from the Swiss Association for Joint Tasks of Health Insurers.

An Atypical Case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome Presenting with Cacosmia and Amyloid Positivity.

This report presents a challenging case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a rare and rapidly progressing neurological disorder. The patient exhibited diverse and progressive neuro-psychiatric symptoms, including memory impairment, behavioral changes, and hallucinations associated with cacosmia. The diagnosis of CJD is complicated due to its variable clinical presentation, limited awareness, and the need for tissue pathology confirmation.

Serum Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and Neurofilament Light Chain Levels Reflect Different Mechanisms of Disease Progression under B-Cell Depleting Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective: To investigate the longitudinal dynamics of serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (sGFAP) and serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) under B-cell depleting therapy (BCDT) and their capacity to prognosticate future progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) events.

Methods: A total of 362 pwMS (1,480 samples) starting BCDT in the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Cohort were included. sGFAP levels in 2,861 control persons (4,943 samples) provided normative data to calculate adjusted Z scores.

Nocturnal sleep dynamics alterations in the early stages of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia.

Study Objectives: Sleep disorders have been recognized as an integral component of the clinical syndrome in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, limited data exist for rarer types of neurodegenerative diseases, such as behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). This study aims to analyze EEG power spectra and sleep stage transitions in bvFTD patients, hypothesizing that bvFTD may show distinctive sleep stage transitions compared to patients with AD.

MultiSCRIPT-Cycle 1-a pragmatic trial embedded within the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Cohort (SMSC) on neurofilament light chain monitoring to inform personalized treatment decisions in multiple sclerosis: a study protocol for a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Treatment decisions for persons with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) rely on clinical and radiological disease activity, the benefit-harm profile of drug therapy, and preferences of patients and physicians. However, there is limited evidence to support evidence-based personalized decision-making on how to adapt disease-modifying therapy treatments targeting no evidence of disease activity, while achieving better patient-relevant outcomes, fewer adverse events, and improved care. Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) is a sensitive measure of disease activity that captures and prognosticates disease worsening in RRMS.

Predictors of Care Home Admission and Survival Rate in Patients With Syndromes Associated With Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration in Europe.

Background And Objectives: Data on care home admission and survival rates of patients with syndromes associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are limited. However, their estimation is essential to plan trials and assess the efficacy of intervention. Population-based registers provide unique samples for this estimate.

Contrast-Enhancing Lesion Segmentation in Multiple Sclerosis: A Deep Learning Approach Validated in a Multicentric Cohort.

The detection of contrast-enhancing lesions (CELs) is fundamental for the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This task is time-consuming and suffers from high intra- and inter-rater variability in clinical practice. However, only a few studies proposed automatic approaches for CEL detection.

Assessment of Bone Mineral Density Over 1 Year in a Cross-Sectional Cohort of Migraine Patients Receiving Anti-CGRP Monoclonal Antibodies.

Background: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), implicated in migraine pain, also possesses bone anabolic properties, which leads to the possibility that monoclonal antibodies targeting CGRP (anti-CGRPs) might increase the risk of bone density abnormalities.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore bone mineral density abnormalities in a cohort of migraine patients treated with anti-CGRPs.

Methods: This was a single-center, cross-sectional, cohort study including migraine patients who underwent a densitometry assessment during anti-CGRP treatment.

Persistent longitudinal T cell responses after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in MS patients on different disease modifying treatments.

Few data are available regarding vaccine induced SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell responses over time and after booster doses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on different disease modifying treatments. We measured SARS-CoV-2 specific CD4 T cell responses in 72 samples collected from 36 MS patients. The percentage of CD4 CTV CD25 ICOS T cells after stimulation with Spike Recombinant Protein was 29.

Coexisting Logopenic Variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia with Amyloid Pathology and Early Parkinsonism.

The presence of parkinsonism features in primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a subject of ongoing research. These features are usually more pronounced in the advanced stages of the disease, particularly in the non-fluent/agrammatic subtype, and are exceptionally rare in the logopenic variant (lvPPA). Here we report a case of a 63-year-old man presenting as language impairment, predominantly naming and word-finding difficulties, emerged alongside a left-sided internal tremor.

Natural language processing analysis of the theories of people with multiple sclerosis about causes of their disease.

Background: While potential risk factors for multiple sclerosis (MS) have been extensively researched, it remains unclear how persons with MS theorize about their MS. Such theories may affect mental health and treatment adherence. Using natural language processing techniques, we investigated large-scale text data about theories that persons with MS have about the causes of their disease.

Implications of therapy interruption on monthly migraine days and modified migraine disability assessment in patients treated with erenumab for chronic and episodic migraine: SQUARE study interim results.

Background: There are limited real-world data in Switzerland examining the impact of erenumab, a fully human IgG2 monoclonal antibody targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor, on migraine-related quality of life.

Objective: This 18-month interim analysis of 172 patients with episodic or chronic migraine from the SQUARE study provides first prospective insights on the impact of mandatory erenumab treatment interruption, following Swiss-reimbursement requirements, in a real-world clinical setting in Switzerland.

Findings: Recruited patients receiving 70 or 140 mg erenumab underwent treatment interruption on average 11.

Effectiveness, Safety and Patients' Satisfaction of Nabiximols (Sativex) on Multiple Sclerosis Spasticity and Related Symptoms in a Swiss Multicenter Study.

Cannabinoid oro-mucosal spray nabiximols is approved for patients with moderate to severe multiple sclerosis spasticity (MSS) resistant to other antispastic medications. Few real-world data are available on the effectiveness, safety and patients' satisfaction in MS patients treated with nabiximols as monotherapy. To investigate the effectiveness, tolerability and satisfaction of nabiximols in a real-life multicentric Swiss cohort as monotherapy or with stable doses of other antispastic medications, and explore clinical features which may predict treatment response.

Tolerability and Acceptance of Switching from Brand to Generic Glatiramer Acetate in Multiple Sclerosis.

The costs of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) have increased interest in generic alternatives. This prospective and observational study aims to investigate the safety, tolerability, and acceptance of switching from brand glatiramer acetate (GA) 40 mg/mL three times per week (Copaxone) to generic GA 40 mg/mL three times per week (Glatiramyl). Conducted at the Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland from September 2020 to September 2021, the study enrolled 27 patients; 21 completed the study.

Irisin Levels in Cerebrospinal Fluid Correlate with Biomarkers and Clinical Dementia Scores in Alzheimer Disease.

Objective: Irisin, released by muscles during exercise, was recently identified as a neuroprotective factor in mouse models of Alzheimer disease (AD). In a cohort of AD patients, we studied cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma irisin levels, sex interactions, and correlations with disease biomarkers.

Methods: Correlations between CSF and plasma irisin levels and AD biomarkers (amyloid β 1-42, hyperphosphorylated tau, and total tau [t-tau]) and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB) were analyzed in a cohort of patients with Alzheimer dementia (n = 82), mild cognitive impairment (n = 44), and subjective memory complaint (n = 20) biologically characterized according to the recent amyloid/tau/neurodegeneration classification.

Memory B cell-guided extended interval dosing of ocrelizumab in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Ocrelizumab (OCR) is an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting and primary-progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an individualized OCR extended interval dosing (EID), after switching from standard interval dosing (SID).

Methods: This was a retrospective, observational, single-centre study including MS patients regularly followed at the Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland.

Narrative Review on the Use of Cladribine Tablets as Exit Therapy for Stable Elderly Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

The number of ageing people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) is increasing. The efficacy of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for RMS declines with age. Also, older persons with MS may be more susceptible to infections, hospitalisations and malignancy.