BDNF levels in serum and CSF are associated with clinicoradiological characteristics of aggressive disease in MS patients.

Background: BDNF has increasingly gained attention as a key molecule controlling remyelination with a prominent role in neuroplasticity and neuroprotection. Still, it remains unclear how BDNF relates to clinicoradiological characteristics particularly at the early stage of the disease where precise prognosis for the further MS course is crucial.

Methods: BDNF, NfL and GFAP concentrations in serum and CSF were assessed in 106 treatment naïve patients with MS (pwMS) as well as 73 patients with other inflammatory/non-inflammatory neurological or somatoform disorders using a single molecule array HD-1 analyser.

A multi-center study of the MicroNET-covered stent in consecutive patients with acute carotid-related stroke: SAFEGUARD-STROKE.

Introduction: Acute carotid-related stroke (CRS), with its large thrombo-embolic load and large volume of affected brain tissue, poses significant management challenges. First generation (single-layer) carotid stents fail to insulate the athero-thrombotic material; thus they are often non-optimized (increasing thrombosis risk), yet their use is associated with a significant (20-30%) risk of new cerebral embolism.

Aim: To evaluate, in a multi-center multi-specialty investigator-initiated study, outcomes of the MicroNET-covered (cell area ≈ 0.

Somatosensory evoked potentials recorded from DBS electrodes: the origin of subcortical N18.

The different peaks of somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEP) originate from a variety of anatomical sites in the central nervous system. The origin of the median nerve subcortical N18 SEP has been studied under various conditions, but the exact site of its generation is still unclear. While it has been claimed to be located in the thalamic region, other studies indicated its possible origin below the pontomedullary junction.

Focal status epilepticus: a review of pharmacological treatment.

Introduction: Status epilepticus (SE) is a neurological emergency associated with high morbidity and mortality. One prognostic factor is the type of SE. The purpose of this review is to analyse the most recent recommendations of different scientific societies and expert groups on the treatment of SE, and the latest studies, to assess the literature on the management of focal SE.

Evaluation of a Clinical Decision Support System for the most evidence-based approach to managing perioperative anticoagulation.

Study Objective: We explored the feasibility of a Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) to guide evidence-based perioperative anticoagulation.

Design: Prospective randomised clinical management simulation multicentre study.

Setting: Five University and 11 general hospitals in Germany.

The pathophysiology of chronic subdural hematoma revisited: emphasis on aging processes as key factor.

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSH) affects mostly elderly subjects. Previously, pathophysiological concepts suggested that CSH is secondary to degradation of subdural collections of blood and its products exerting merely a mass effect on the underlying brain. During the last decades, however, new insights into the pathogenetic mechanisms urge us to reconsider such a simplistic view.

Proteomics-Based Serum Alterations of the Human Protein Expression after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: Pilot Study for Prognostication of Survivors vs. Non-Survivors at Day 1 after Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC).

Background: Targeted temperature management (TTM) is considered standard therapy for patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). To date, valid protein markers do not exist to prognosticate survivors and non-survivors before the end of TTM. The aim of this study is to identify specific protein patterns/arrays, which are useful for prediction in the very early phase after ROSC.

Multicenter Prospective Analysis of Hypertrophic Olivary Degeneration Following Infratentorial Stroke (HOD-IS): Evaluation of Disease Epidemiology, Clinical Presentation, and MR-Imaging Aspects.

Ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes in the brainstem and cerebellum with injury to the functional loop of the Guillain-Mollaret triangle (GMT) can trigger a series of events that result in secondary trans-synaptic neurodegeneration of the inferior olivary nucleus. In an unknown percentage of patients, this leads to a condition called hypertrophic olivary degeneration (HOD). Characteristic clinical symptoms of HOD progress slowly over months and consist of a rhythmic palatal tremor, vertical pendular nystagmus, and Holmes tremor of the upper limbs.

Diagnostic approach in multiple sclerosis with MRI: an update.

Although neurological examination and medical history are the first and most important steps towards the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), MRI has taken a prominent role in the diagnostic workflow especially since the implementation of McDonald criteria. However, before applying those on MR imaging features, other diseases must be excluded and MS should be favoured as the most likely diagnosis. For the prognosis the earliest possible and correct diagnosis of MS is crucial, since increasingly effective disease modifying therapies are available for the different forms of clinical manifestation and progression.

Outcomes following endovascular therapy for acute stroke by interventional cardiologists.

Objectives: To summarize the outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) intervention by interventional cardiologists (IC) working on a stroke team.

Background: There is a geographic maldistribution of dedicated neuro-interventionalists (NI) to treat large vessel occlusion (LVO) AIS.

Methods: Results of 166 consecutive patients who received endovascular therapy (EVT) for AIS due to LVO by IC at three centers between 2009 and 2019 are reported.

Additional assessment of Acute Cystitis Symptom Score questionnaire for patient-reported outcome measure in female patients with acute uncomplicated cystitis: part II.

Purpose: Since symptomatic, non-antibiotic therapy has become an alternative approach to treat acute cystitis (AC) in women, suitable patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) are urgently needed. The aim of this part II of a larger non-interventional, case-control study was the additional assessment of the ACSS as a suitable PROM.

Methods: Data from 134 female patients with diagnosed acute uncomplicated cystitis were included in the current analysis with (1) a summary score of "Typical" domain of 6 and more; (2) at least one follow-up evaluation after the baseline visit; (3) no missing values in the ACSS questionnaire data.

CNS Infections in Immunoincompetent Patients : Neuroradiological and Clinical Features.

In patients with immunodeficiency the pathogen spectrum of central nervous system (CNS) infections is broader and different from that of immunocompetent patients. Numerous opportunistic infections are characterized by a high prevalence of viral, bacterial and parasitic pathogens, and depend on the type of impaired immune defense, for example impaired T‑cell or monocyte function, monoclonal antibody treatment, and impaired granulocyte function. Neuroradiological features as well as laboratory findings are often different and versatile in comparison to immunocompetent individuals and pathognomonic imaging findings do not exist; however, knowledge of possible pathways of pathogens in the CNS and preferred tissue affection may help in narrowing down differential diagnoses.

Acute Stroke Interventions Performed by Cardiologists: Initial Experience in a Single Center.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the technical and clinical success of acute stroke interventions performed in our interventional cardiology center.

Background: Dedicated interventional stroke centers remain limited. Interventional cardiologists have established networks of catheterization laboratories and the necessary infrastructure to provide around the clock interventional therapy.

Focal status epilepticus: a review of pharmacological treatment.

Introduction: Status epilepticus (SE) is a neurological emergency associated with high morbidity and mortality. One prognostic factor is the type of SE. The purpose of this review is to analyse the most recent recommendations of different scientific societies and expert groups on the treatment of SE, and the latest studies, to assess the literature on the management of focal SE.

Reversal of Vasospasm with Clazosentan After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Pilot Study.

Background: Clazosentan, an endothelin-1 receptor antagonist, has been shown to prevent the development of large vessel angiographic vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). It has been hypothesized that clazosentan can also reverse established angiographic vasospasm.

Methods: The REVERSE (resynchronization reverses remodeling in systolic left ventricular dysfunction) study was a prospective, multicenter, open-label, 2-stage pilot study of adult patients with aSAH who had received intravenous clazosentan (15 mg/hour) after developing moderate-to-severe angiographic vasospasm.

Evaluation of the draft guidelines proposed by EMA and FDA for the clinical diagnosis of acute uncomplicated cystitis in women.

Purpose: To reassess the diagnostic values of the "draft" guidelines for the clinical diagnosis of acute uncomplicated cystitis (AC), recently proposed by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Methods: The data of 517 female respondents (patients with acute cystitis and controls) derived from the e-USQOLAT database were analyzed and used for the validation of proposed "draft" guidelines of FDA and EMA, compared to the Acute Cystitis Symptom Score (ACSS) questionnaire. The diagnostic values of the proposals concerning signs, symptoms and their severity were assessed and compared.

Neuroradiological and clinical features in ophthalmoplegia.

Purpose: Especially in acute onset of ophthalmoplegia, efficient neuroradiological evaluation is necessary to assist differential diagnosis, clinical course, and treatment options.

Methods: Different manifestations of ophthalmoplegia are explained and illustrated by characteristic neuroradiological and clinical findings.

Results: To present those ophthalmoplegic disorders in a clear manner, this review refers to different neuroanatomical structures and compartments.

Voxel-wise deviations from healthy aging for the detection of region-specific atrophy.

The identification of pathological atrophy in MRI scans requires specialized training, which is scarce outside dedicated centers. We sought to investigate the clinical usefulness of computer-generated representations of local grey matter (GM) loss or increased volume of cerebral fluids (CSF) as normalized deviations (z-scores) from healthy aging to either aid human visual readings or directly detect pathological atrophy. Two experienced neuroradiologists rated atrophy in 30 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 30 patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), 30 with dementia due to Lewy-body disease (LBD) and 30 healthy controls (HC) on a three-point scale in 10 anatomical regions as reference gold standard.

Central Nervous System Tuberculosis : Etiology, Clinical Manifestations and Neuroradiological Features.

Purpose: As a result of multilateral migration and globalization in times of humanitarian crises, western countries face a possible increase in the incidence of central nervous system tuberculosis (CNS TB). The diagnosis of CNS TB is challenging and often delayed due to the manifold and often non-specific presentation of the disease. The aim of this review is to analyze and summarize imaging features and correlated clinical findings of CNS TB.

Phase II randomized sham-controlled study of renal denervation for individuals with uncontrolled hypertension - WAVE IV.

Objectives: The aim of this double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled study was to verify the blood pressure (BP)-lowering efficacy of externally delivered focused ultrasound for renal denervation (RDN).

Background: Nonrandomized, first proof-of-concept study and experimental evidence suggested that noninvasive techniques of RDN emerged as an alternative approach of RDN to invasive technologies.

Methods: WAVE IV, an international, randomized (1 : 1) sham-controlled, double-blind prospective clinical study, was prematurely stopped.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Clinical Features in Acute and Subacute Myelopathies.

Differential diagnosis of acute and subacute transverse myelopathy includes inflammatory, infectious, vascular, metabolic and paraneoplastic etiologies. Information on the diagnostic approach to transverse myelopathy with regard to daily clinical practice is provided. The differentiation between five lesion patterns on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in myelitis may be helpful: (1) longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis, (2) short segment ovoid or peripherally located, (3) "polio-like", (4) granulomatous and (5) segmental with rash.

Left atrial appendage occlusion: rationale, evidence, devices, and patient selection.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a worldwide epidemic associated with significant morbidity and mortality, often due to disabling or fatal thromboembolic stroke. Oral anticoagulation is highly effective at preventing ischaemic stroke and improving all-cause survival in patients with non-valvular AF. Despite the efficacy of oral anticoagulation, many patients are not treated due to either absolute or perceived contraindications to therapy, including bleeding.