NEURO

Dystonia is a clinical feature that may co-occur with Parkinson's disease as well as atypical parkinsonian disorders, including but not limited to progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration [1]. Over the past years, dystonia in atypical parkinsonian disorders has been thoroughly investigated, with particular interest in the disease-related differences in frequency, severity, body parts involved, relationship with the onset of parkinsonian features, and dopaminergic treatment [1,2]. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/3gJCLWm

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are frequent complications among acute patients hospitalized in neurological units, especially among those hospitalized for stroke. This study aimed to investigate if enhanced hygienic measures, including the systematic use of personal protective equipment (PPE), determined a decrease in HAI during the recent COVID-19 outbreak in “COVID-free” neurological units. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/32DoGEJ

The role of subthreshold depression (subD) in Parkinson's Disease (PD) is not clear. The present study aimed to compare the quality of life (QoL) in PD patients with subD vs patients with no depressive disorder (nonD). Factors related to subD were identified. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/3hAm0y7

Concussion has become a growing concern among sport and healthcare practitioners. Experts continue to investigate ways to advance the quality of concussion evaluation, diagnosis and management. Psychological conditions have been reported to influence concussion assessment outcomes at baseline and post-concussion; however, little evidence has examined psychological conditions and their effect on multifaceted measures of concussion. A retrospective cohort design was employed to examine differences between those with and without a premorbid psychological condition for high school and collegiate athletes who completed a preseason baseline battery, consisting of symptom reporting, computerized neurocognitive assessment, Vestibular-Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS), and the King-Devick (KD) test. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/2YAhWX8

Anosmia has been recognized as a prevalent and early symptom by many COVID-19 patients. However, most researchers have recorded smell dysfunction solely as present or absent and based on subjective evaluation by patients. We described the results of 57 consecutive COVID-19 patients seen at FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from April to May 2020. Data about the presence of smell loss, the onset of smell loss and other COVID-19 symptoms such as ageusia and nasal congestion or rhinorrhea were recorded. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/3ll1Gmv

Dear Editor, from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/32jxq2P

Dear Editor, from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/34kW2ux

Temozolomide (TMZ) therapy is the standard of care for patients with glioblastoma (GBM). Clinical studies have shown that elevated levels of DNA repair protein O (6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) or deficiency/defect of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes is associated with TMZ resistance in some, but not all, GBM tumors. Another reason for GBM treatment failure is signal redundancy due to coactivation of several functionally linked receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), including anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and c-Met (hepatocyte growth factor receptor). from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/32eIe26

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) are immune-mediated diseases that occur in patients with tumors and can be associated with onconeural antibodies. Our aim was to describe our cohort of patients with PNS. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/3hfXrGB

Adolescence is a period of rapid neural and behavioral development that often precipitates substance use, substance use disorders (SUDs), and other psychopathology. While externalizing disorders have been closely linked to SUD epidemiologically, the comorbidity of internalizing disorders and SUD is less well understood. Neuroimaging studies can be used to measure structural and functional developments in the brain that mediate the relationship between psychopathology and SUD in adolescence. Externalizing disorders and SUD are both associated with structural and functional changes in the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex in adolescence. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/3kVkcSm

Variants in the SLC30A10 gene were initially described in 2012 and were associated with an autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by hypermanganesemia, hepatic cirrhosis, extrapyramidal motor disorder and polycythemia [1]. Manganese (Mn) toxicity had been long associated with basal ganglia dysfunction, neurobehavioral disturbances and extrapyramidal symptoms. [2] SLC30A10 is thought to be a Mn transporter in humans that, when defective, causes Mn accumulation in liver and brain. [3] We report on two adult siblings with homozygous SLC30A10 missense variants presenting with extrapyramidal symptoms and normal Mn levels in serum. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/3aydInH

To evaluate the incidence of CAM in a pediatric population receiving brain tumor surgery, and to identify the major risk factors involved. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/320doua

To review the clinical characteristics, antibodies, and response to alternative treatments in a cohort of patients with refractory CIDP. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/3h0B6N5

We read with great interest the research work published in Journal of the Neurological Sciences by C. Molnár et al. where the authors concluded that a single preoperative diclofenac administration reduces postcraniotomy headache as well as postoperative analgesic requirements. The benefit of the same persisted for all five post-operative days in their study. The authors evaluated postoperative pain in 54 craniotomy patients using a 10-cm-long visual analogue scores (VAS) preoperatively, on evenin of surgery, on first and fifth postoperative morning. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/33UA81b

Loss of lysosomal glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) activity is a risk factor for developing Parkinson's disease (PD). Whilst GBA1 mutations conveying risk have been characterised, loss of brain enzyme activity has also been reported in brain homogenates derived from patients with idiopathic PD [1]. Currently, the mechanism for this apparent reduction in activity is not known. Since PD is characterised by loss of dopaminergic neurons [2], we considered the possibility that the likely resultant alteration in the glial: neuronal ratio in affected brain regions may be an important factor to consider, i.e. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/3iADyKp

To elucidate the extension patterns of the hyperintense areas on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) in patients with dura mater graft-associated Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (dCJD). from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/2DQ6P5h

This study aimed to investigate differences in functional connectivity (FC) among different resting state networks (RSN) in clinically non-progressive mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/33VxPuU

Dear Editor, from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/2XVcJZP

Some antiepileptic drugs (AEDS), like sodium channel blockers are significantly associated with autonomic dysfunction in patients with epilepsy. Unlike other sodium-blockers AEDs, lacosamide (LCM) is a third generation AEDs which enhances the slow inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels. So far, data about LCM on autonomic nervous system are still unknown. This study was designed to investigate cardiovascular autonomic and sudomotor function in patients affected by focal epilepsy on LCM monotherapy, compared to patients treated with carbamazepine (CBZ) monotherapy and healthy subjects. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/31Ov6jY

The COVID-19 outbreak has rapidly spread around the world causing a massive disruption of healthcare systems, a profound economic depression and a distressing social situation [1]. Most countries entered into a lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus once they were already suffering a serious hit. Based on the experience observed in Europe, Argentina closed its borders on March 15thonly one week after the firstperson died of COVID-19, and implemented an early nationwide lockdown limiting the circulation of 90% of its population, on March 20th, with 128 cases and 3 deaths of COVID-19 [2–3]. from Journal of the Neurological Sciences https://ift.tt/3aiE3WB