Role of the tumor board when prescribing mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase inhibitors to patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase-mutant glioma.

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant gliomas, comprising both astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas, represent a distinct group of tumors that pose an interdisciplinary challenge. Addressing the needs of affected patients requires close collaboration among various disciplines, including neuropathology, neuroradiology, neurosurgery, radiation oncology, neurology, medical oncology, and other relevant specialties when necessary. Interdisciplinary tumor boards are central in determining the ideal diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for these patients.

Addressing the role of surgery in brain tumour trials: A report from the neurosurgery committee of the EORTC brain tumour group.

The Brain Tumor Group (BTG) of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) conducts academic clinical trials and translational research to improve clinical management of patients with primary and secondary brain tumors. The EORTC BTG has traditionally played an important role in providing evidence and thus advancing the field, albeit with a main focus on radiotherapy and pharmacotherapy in gliomas. Although examples of well-designed neuro-oncological surgical trials can be found, evidence in surgical neuro-oncology predominantly includes data from uncontrolled prospective series or retrospective cohorts.

The oncological role of resection in newly diagnosed diffuse adult-type glioma defined by the WHO 2021 classification: a Review by the RANO resect group.

Glioma resection is associated with prolonged survival, but neuro-oncological trials have frequently refrained from quantifying the extent of resection. The Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) resect group is an international, multidisciplinary group that aims to standardise research practice by delineating the oncological role of surgery in diffuse adult-type gliomas as defined per WHO 2021 classification. Favourable survival effects of more extensive resection unfold over months to decades depending on the molecular tumour profile.

Passive or active drainage system for chronic subdural haematoma-a single-center retrospective follow-up study.

Background: Postoperative drainage systems have become a standard treatment for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). We previously compared treatment results from three Scandinavian centers using three different postoperative drainage systems and concluded that the active subgaleal drainage was associated with lower recurrence and complication rates than the passive subdural drainage. We consequently changed clinical practice from using the passive subdural drainage to the active subgaleal drainage.

Experiences of language and communication after brain-tumour treatment: A long-term follow-up after glioma surgery.

The purpose of this study was to explore how persons having received various treatments for glioma, a type of brain tumour, experience their language, speech, and communication in everyday life. Twelve persons with low-grade glioma and one with high-grade glioma who had undergone tumour resection in 2014-2016 in different tumour locations were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol. The video-recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis, which revealed three manifest categories, nine sub-categories and one latent theme.

Prevalence of Spasticity and Below-Level Neuropathic Pain Related to Spinal Cord Injury Level and Damage to the Lower Spinal Segments.

Objective: To evaluate spasticity and below-level spinal cord injury neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury in patients with, or without, damage to the lumbar spinal cord and roots.

Design/patients: Chart review of 269 patients with spinal cord injury from segments C1 to T11.

Methods: Patients were interviewed concerning leg spasticity and below-level spinal cord injury neuropathic pain in the lower trunk and legs.

Anxiety, depression and personality traits in Italian medical students.

Background: Anxiety and depressive symptoms are common worldwide and, according to the World Health Organization, their prevalence has increased in the last decades. Further, dysfunctional personality traits are frequently coupled with anxiety and depressive symptoms. The prevalence of these symptoms is particularly relevant in medical students.

Natalizumab versus fingolimod for patients with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: results from REVEAL, a prospective, randomised head-to-head study.

Objective: To directly compare the efficacy of natalizumab and fingolimod in patients with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Methods: This phase 4, randomised, rater- and sponsor-blinded, prospective, parallel-group, clinic-based head-to-head study was conducted at 43 sites in nine countries. Patients were randomised (1:1) to intravenous natalizumab 300 mg every 4 weeks or oral fingolimod 0.

Therapeutic Factors in a Psychiatric Group Therapy: a Preliminary Validation of Therapeutic Factors Inventory-8, Italian Version.

Several studies support group therapy effectiveness due to the activation in patients of unique psychological mechanisms defined as non-specific therapeutic factors (Therapeutic Factors-TFs), which shape the setting and, at the same time, enhance the specific group therapeutic factors. The objectives of this study were to preliminarly validate Therapeutic Factors Inventory-8 (TFI-8) Italian version and identify group therapeutic factors. In a psychiatric residential facility, a weekly psychotherapeutic group was evaluated during 1 year.

Improving economic evaluations in stroke: A report from the ESO Health Economics Working Group.

Introduction: Approaches to economic evaluations of stroke therapies are varied and inconsistently described. An objective of the European Stroke Organisation (ESO) Health Economics Working Group is to standardise and improve the economic evaluations of interventions for stroke.

Methods: The ESO Health Economics Working Group and additional experts were contacted to develop a protocol and a guidance document for data collection for economic evaluations of stroke therapies.

Return to work following diagnosis of low-grade glioma: A nationwide matched cohort study.

Objective: Return-to-work (RTW) following diagnosis of infiltrative low-grade gliomas is unknown.

Methods: Swedish patients with histopathologic verified WHO grade II diffuse glioma diagnosed between 2005 and 2015 were included. Data were acquired from several Swedish registries.

Short-term prediction of secondary progression in a sliding window: A test of a predicting algorithm in a validation cohort.

Introduction: The Multiple Sclerosis Prediction Score (MSPS, www.msprediction.com) estimates, for any month during the course of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), the individual risk of transition to secondary progression (SP) during the following year.

Life has become troublesome - my wrist bothers me around the clock: an interview study relating to daily life with a malunited distal radius fracture.

The aim of this study was to explore the everyday life experiences of people suffering from a symptomatic, malunited, distal radius fracture. Qualitative interviews were conducted with twenty respondents, median age 59 [16-85] years. The interviews were subjected to qualitative content analysis.

Factors Associated with Long-Stays in an Italian Psychiatric Intensive Treatment Facility: 1-Year Retrospective Observational Analysis.

Psychiatric Intensive Treatment Facilities (PITF) are health inpatient settings for patients affected by sub-acute psychiatric disorders with impaired personal and social functioning. The aim of this study is to analyse the demographic and clinical variables related to long-stays in an Italian PITF in order to highlight the risk factors for stay lengthening. We retrospectively collected the selected variables from all patients and their stays in a PITF from 1 to 11-2016 to 31-10-2017.

Fronto-striatal network activation leads to less fatigue in multiple sclerosis.

Background: The fronto-striatal network has been implicated in both fatigue, a common multiple sclerosis (MS) symptom, and goal attainment, which has been shown to reduce fatigue in healthy individuals.

Objectives: To investigate whether stimulation of the fronto-striatal network through goal attainment (potential monetary gain) leads to fatigue reduction in MS and healthy control (HC) participants.

Methods: In all, 14 healthy and 19 MS participants performed a gambling task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Cortical Remyelination Is Heterogeneous in Multiple Sclerosis.

Cortical lesions (CLs) are an important component of multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology; they correlate better with physical disability and cognitive impairment than white matter lesions (WMLs). Because remyelination can be extensive in CLs, we quantified remyelination in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM), addressing oligodendrocyte (OGD) maturation state and clinical relevance of remyelination. Brain tissue samples from 21 chronic MS patients were immunohistochemically stained for myelin proteolipid protein, Olig2, which is strongly expressed in OGD precursor cells (OPCs), but weakly expressed in mature OGDs and other OGD markers.

Benefits of resistance exercise in lean women with fibromyalgia: involvement of IGF-1 and leptin.

Background: Chronic pain and fatigue improves by exercise in fibromyalgia (FM) but underlying mechanisms are not known. Obesity is increased among FM patients and associates with higher levels of pain. Symptom improvement after aerobic exercise is affected by body mass index (BMI) in FM.

Health status and psychological distress among in-hospital cardiac arrest survivors in relation to gender.

Aim: To describe health status and psychological distress among in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) survivors in relation to gender.

Methods: This national register study consists of data from follow-up registration of IHCA survivors 3-6 months post cardiac arrest (CA) in Sweden. A questionnaire was sent to the survivors, including measurements of health status (EQ-5D-5L) and psychological distress (HADS).

Brain MRI atrophy quantification in MS: From methods to clinical application.

Patients with the main clinical phenotypes of multiple sclerosis (MS) manifest varying degrees of brain atrophy beyond that of normal aging. Assessment of atrophy helps to distinguish clinically and cognitively deteriorating patients and predicts those who will have a less-favorable clinical outcome over the long term. Atrophy can be measured from brain MRI scans, and many technological improvements have been made over the last few years.

rTMS affects working memory performance, brain activation and functional connectivity in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Objective: To investigate the effects of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on working memory performance, while measuring task-related brain activation and task-related brain connectivity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: 17 patients with MS and 11 healthy controls (HCs) underwent 3 experimental sessions (baseline, real-rTMS, sham-rTMS), all including an N-back task (3 task loads: N1, N2, N3; control condition: N0) inside the MR scanner. Prior to imaging, real-rTMS (10 Hz) was applied to the right DLPFC.

Early hematopoiesis in multiple sclerosis patients.

Contemporary evidence supports that MS immunopathology starts in the peripheral lymphatic system. However, the site and character of crucial initiating events are unknown. We examined subsets of the first stages of blood cells in the bone marrow of 9 MS patients and 11 neurologically healthy controls using FACS analysis.