The role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the first-line treatment for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Background: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to further explore the impact of the addition of immunotherapy to gemcitabine-cisplatin as first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) patients.

Methods: Literature research was performed, and hazard ratio values and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using the tau-squared estimator .

"Positioning of tucatinib in the new clinical scenario of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: An Italian and Spanish consensus paper".

Introduction: Advancements in monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) have notably enhanced outcomes for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer patients. Despite the expanding treatment options and clinical complexities, determining the optimal sequence of HER2-targeted therapies remains partly uncertain, influenced by various factors.

Methods: To refine HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer management, particularly regarding tucatinib's position, a Steering Committee of leading oncologists in breast cancer care devised a panel of statements via a Delphi approach, focusing on five key topics: general clinical management, therapeutic approaches for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and brain metastases, treatment sequence, and tucatinib's safety and efficacy.

Physical performance measures and hospital outcomes among Italian older adults: results from the CRIME project.

Background: Older adults are a complex population, at risk of adverse events during and after hospital stay.

Aim: To investigate the association of walking speed (WS) and grip strength (GS) with adverse outcomes, during and after hospitalization, among older individuals admitted to acute care wards.

Methods: Multicentre observational study including 1123 adults aged ≥ 65 years admitted to acute wards in Italy.

Incentive-driven decision-making networks in de novo and drug-treated Parkinson's disease patients with impulsive-compulsive behaviors: A systematic review of neuroimaging studies.

Background: In Parkinson's disease (PD), impulsive-compulsive behaviors (ICBs) may develop as side-effect of dopaminergic medications. Abnormal incentive-driven decision-making, which is supported by the cognitive control and motivation interaction, may represent an ICBs signature. This systematic review explored whether structural and/or functional brain differences between PD patients with vs without ICBs encompass incentive-driven decision-making networks.

Efficacy of levetiracetam on upper limb movement in multiple sclerosis patients with cerebellar signs: a multicenter double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study.

Background And Purpose: The literature provides contrasting results on the efficacy of levetiracetam (LEV) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with cerebellar signs. It was sought to evaluate the efficacy of LEV on upper limb movement in MS patients.

Methods: In this multicenter double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study, MS patients with prevalently cerebellar signs were randomly allocated into two groups: LEV followed by placebo (group 1) or placebo followed by LEV (group 2).

Association Between Gait, Cognition, and Gray Matter Volumes in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Controls.

Aims: To assess the correlation between cognitive functioning and 3 gait parameters (gait speed, cadence, and stride length) in persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively healthy controls and investigate linear correlations between gait and gray matter volumes.

Materials And Methods: Participants were recruited at IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy (MCI=43; age-matched controls=43). Participants underwent comprehensive neuropsychological assessment.

Differences in cognitive profiles between Lewy body and Parkinson's disease dementia.

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) not only differ for the time of onset of cognitive deficits but also present variability in affected functions which are relevant in understanding underlying pathology. Cognitive performance of two global cognitive screening scales, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), as well as of a neuropsychological test battery, was evaluated in 18 DLB and 21 PDD patients. Feasibility for each cognitive test was investigated.

Conditioning transcranial magnetic stimulation of ventral premotor cortex shortens simple reaction time.

The ventral premotor cortex (PMv) is a key area of the sensorimotor control loop, it subtends complex motor sequences, especially when the hand is involved. However, its specific contribution to simple motor response to sensory cue is still not completely clear. To investigate the role of PMv, we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to interfere with its function during a simple reaction time (SRT) task.

The influence of obesity and gender on outcome after reversed L-shaped osteotomy for hallux valgus.

Background: Hallux valgus deformity (HV) affects around every fourth individual, and surgical treatment is performed in every thousandth person. There is an ongoing quest for the best surgical management and reduction of undesirable outcomes. The aim was to explore associations of obesity and gender with radiological and clinical outcome after reversed L-shaped osteotomy (ReveL) for HV.

Update on polyglucosan storage diseases.

An abnormal structural form of glycogen (with less branching points or amylopectin-like polysaccharide) called polyglucosan (PG) may accumulate in various tissues such as striated and smooth muscles, brain, nerve, liver and skin, and cause a group of nine different genetic disorders manifesting with a variety of clinical phenotypes that affect mainly the nervous system (Lafora disease, adult PG body disease), the heart (glycogen storage disease type XV, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy type 6, PG body myopathy type 1) and the skeletal muscle (glycogen storage disease type IV, glycogen storage disease type VII, PG body myopathy type 2), depending on the organs which are mostly affected by the PG aggregates. The pathological feature of PG storage in tissues is a hallmark of these disorders. Whole-genome sequencing has allowed to obtain a diagnosis in a large number of patients with a previously unrecognized disorder.

Eslicarbazepine Acetate Modulates EEG Activity and Connectivity in Focal Epilepsy.

Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is an antiepileptic drug approved as monotherapy or add-on for the treatment of epilepsy with seizures of focal onset. ESL owns a good profile in terms of efficacy and tolerability, but its effects on EEG activity and connectivity are unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate EEG activity and connectivity changes after ESL treatment in persons with focal epilepsy (PFE).

Older Adults With Hearing Loss Have Reductions in Visual, Motor and Attentional Functioning.

Evidence from epidemiological, laboratory and clinical research suggests a link between age-related auditory declines and domain-general cognitive declines. Nevertheless, few studies have experimentally compared measures of non-auditory cognitive functions in younger normal hearing adults (YN), older adults with typical hearing thresholds for their age (ONHA) and older adults with clinically significant threshold hearing loss (OHL). The current study investigated the differences between these groups on measures of attentional response selection and execution to visual stimuli.

Theta Activity in the Left Dorsal Premotor Cortex During Action Re-Evaluation and Motor Reprogramming.

The ability to rapidly adjust our actions to changes in the environment is a key function of human motor control. Previous work implicated the dorsal premotor cortex (dPMC) in the up-dating of action plans based on environmental cues. Here we used electroencephalography (EEG) to identify neural signatures of up-dating cue-action relationships in the dPMC and connected frontoparietal areas.

Broad phenotypic spectrum and genotype-phenotype correlations in GMPPB-related dystroglycanopathies: an Italian cross-sectional study.

Background: Dystroglycanopathy (α-DG) is a relatively common, clinically and genetically heterogeneous category of congenital forms of muscular dystrophy (CMD) and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) associated with hypoglycosylated α-dystroglycan. To date, mutations in at least 19 genes have been associated with α-DG. One of them, GMPPB, encoding the guanosine-diphosphate-mannose (GDP-mannose) pyrophosphorylase B protein, has recently been associated with a wide clinical spectrum ranging from severe Walker-Warburg syndrome to pseudo-metabolic myopathy and even congenital myasthenic syndromes.

Detecting Mild Cognitive Deficits in Parkinson's Disease: Comparison of Neuropsychological Tests.

Background: Numerous neuropsychological tests and test versions are used in Parkinson's disease research, but their relative capacity to detect mild cognitive deficits and their comparability across studies are unknown. The objective of this study was to identify neuropsychological tests that consistently detect cognitive decline in PD across studies.

Methods: Data from 30 normed neuropsychological tests across 20 international studies in up to 2908 nondemented PD patients were analyzed.

Audiovestibular Symptoms in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases.

Immune-mediated inner ear disease can be primary, when the autoimmune response is against the inner ear, or secondary. The latter is characterized by the involvement of the ear in the presence of systemic autoimmune conditions. Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common audiovestibular symptom associated with systemic autoimmune diseases, although conductive hearing impairment may also be present.

An update on diagnostic options and considerations in limb-girdle dystrophies.

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) encompass a clinically heterogeneous group of rare, genetic progressive muscle disorders presenting with weakness and atrophy of predominant pelvic and shoulder muscles. The spectrum of disease severity ranges from severe childhood-onset muscular dystrophy to adult-onset dystrophy. Areas covered: The review presents an update of the clinical phenotypes and diagnostic options for LGMD including both dominant and recessive LGMD and consider their differential clinical and histopathological features.

Predicting Motor and Cognitive Improvement Through Machine Learning Algorithm in Human Subject that Underwent a Rehabilitation Treatment in the Early Stage of Stroke.

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate, in subject with stroke, the exact role as prognostic factor of common inflammatory biomarkers and other markers in predicting motor and/or cognitive improvement after rehabilitation treatment from early stage of stroke.

Methods: In this longitudinal cohort study on stroke patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation, data from 55 participants were analyzed. Functional and clinical data were collected after admission to the rehabilitation unit.

Sudden hearing loss as an early detector of multiple sclerosis: a systematic review.

Objective: To evaluate whether Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (S-SNHL) may be an early symptom of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Materials And Methods: A systematic review was conducted using the following keywords: "Multiple sclerosis, hearing loss, sudden hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus, magnetic resonance imaging, otoacoustic emission, auditory brainstem responses, white matter lesions, sensorineural hearing loss, symptoms of MS and otolaryngology, nerve disease and MS". Only the articles that included results of at least one auditory test and MRI were considered.

MicroRNAs are appropriate in mitochondrial related hearing loss? Answer to the skepticism.

Aim: We aim to clarify some points that have been criticized about our previous paper "Hearing Impairment in MELAS: new prospective in clinical use of microRNA, a systematic review".

Material And Method: We answered to the criticism of Dr. Finsterer point by point, by citing all literature in support of our previous paper.

Cognitive Training Improves Ratio Processing and Decision Making in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Background: Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) show lower decision making and ratio processing abilities as compared to healthy peers.

Objective: To evaluate whether cognitive training on number processing and/or executive functions improves performance on ratio processing and decision making under risk.

Methods: In a controlled cross-over study, patients with MCI (n = 23; mean MMSE 26.

Pragmatic competence and its relationship with the linguistic and cognitive profile of young adults with dyslexia.

The study assessed the pragmatic skills of 19 well-compensated Italian-speaking young adults with dyslexia compared with controls. A comprehensive pragmatic assessment tool was employed, targeting production and comprehension (Assessment of Pragmatic Abilities and Cognitive Substrates [APACS]). Participants were also administered a series of standardized tests to assess verbal and non-verbal cognitive abilities, including executive functions and social cognition tests.