Objective assessment of blinking and facial expressions in Parkinson’s disease using a vertical electro-oculogram and facial surface electromyography

2019

Objective: Hypomimia is a common and early symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD), which reduces the ability of PD patients to manifest emotions. Currently, it is visually evaluated by the neurologist during neurological examinations for PD diagnosis, as described in task 3.2 of the Movement Disorder Society - Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). Since such an evaluation is semi-quantitative and affected by inter-variability, this paper aims to measure the physiological parameters related to eye blink and facial expressions extracted from a vertical electro-oculogram (VEOG) and facial surface electromyography (fsEMG) to differentiate PD patients from healthy control subjects (…

Effects of levodopa oral bolus on the kinematics of the pointing movements in Parkinson's disease patients.

2005

We studied the time-course of a levodopa oral bolus effects on the kinematics of patients affected by a mild akinetic-rigid form of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). Eleven PD patients were evaluated: a) in OFF-state, that is before their first medication or after its withdrawal, b) in ON-state, that is at 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 24, 30 and 48 hours after the administration of 250 mg of levodopa plus 25mg of carbidopa. The main kinematics (i. e.movement time, peak of velocity, peak of acceleration and peak of deceleration) of pointing movements to six target-stimuli placed on the horizontal plane of a table were recorded. Clinical conditions were assessed according to the Motor Examinatio…

The C(-260)T gene polymorphism in the promoter of the CD14 monocyte receptor gene is not associated with acute myocardial infarction.

2003

CD surface molecules mediates cell activation and signaling. In particular, CD14 on blood monocytes mediate monocyte/macrophage activation by lipopolysaccharide. Lipopolysaccharide and its receptor, CD14, have been implicated in atherogenesis. It has been recently shown that a C(-260)T polymorphism in the promoter of the CD14 receptor may be a risk factor for coronary artery disease. Recently this association has been questioned because no increased risk was found with the T allele, even in the homozygous state. In the present study we investigated a possible association between the C(-260)T polymorphism in the CD14 promoter and acute myocardial infarction. Two hundred and thrteen patients …

Zygomycosis in Italy: A survey of FIMUA-ECMM (Federazione Italiana di Micopatologia Umana ed Animale and European Confederation of Medical Mycology)

2009

Abstract The aims of the study were to analyze the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and treatments for patients who developed zygomycosis enrolled in Italy during the European Confederation of Medical Mycology of medical mycology survey. This prospective multicenter study was performed between 2004 and 2007 at 49 italian Departments. 60 cases of zygomycosis were enrolled: the median age was 59.5 years (range 1-87), with a prevalence of males (70%). The majority of cases were immunocompromised patients (42 cases, 70%), mainly hematological malignancies (37). Among non-immunocompromised (18 cases, 30%), the main category was represented by patients with penetrating trauma (7/18, 3…

Comment on “Sleep disturbances and later cognitive status: a multi-centre study”

2018

To investigate the associations between sleep disturbances in mid-life and late-life and late-life cognitive status.In four population-based studies (three Swedish studies: H70 study, Kungsholmen Project (KP) and The Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD); and one Finnish study: Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE)), participants provided self-reports on insomnia, nightmares and general sleep problems. Late-life cognitive status was measured by the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE). The associations between late-life sleep disturbances and cognition 3-11 years later were investigated across all studies (n = 3210). Mean baseline ages were 70 (CAIDE…

Prevalence, Incidence, and Progression of Cognitive Impairment, No Dementia Among Rural-Dwelling Chinese Older Adults

2022

Background: Few studies have examined occurrence and progression of cognitive impairment, no dementia (CIND) in rural China. Objective: To determine the prevalence and incidence of CIND in rural-dwelling Chinese older adults, and to examine risk and protective factors associated with progression to CIND and dementia. Methods: This population-based study included 2,781 dementia-free participants (age≥65 years) who were examined at baseline (2014) and followed in 2018. Demographic, epidemiological, clinical, and neuropsychological data were collected following a structured questionnaire. We defined CIND according to subjective cognitive complaints and the age- and education-specific Mini-Ment…

P2‐289: PREVALENCE AND CORRELATES OF SUBJECTIVE MEMORY IMPAIRMENT IN A RURAL ITALIAN POPULATION OF SUBJECTS AGED 50 YEARS AND OVER: DATA FROM THE ZAB…

2014

Background: Neuropathology related to dementia slowly accumulates over decades. Consequently, identifying persons at a higher risk of dementia could postpone or prevent dementia by timely targeting modifiable risk factors. In this light, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been identified as the transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. So far, the understanding of MCI in thegeneral population remains limited. Therefore,we investigated determinants, MRI-correlates, and prognosis of MCI within the populationbasedRotterdamStudy.Methods:A total of 4198 participants were included in this study. Firstly, we studied age, APOE4 carriership, waist circumference, hypertension, diabetes m…

Neuropsychiatric symptoms in 921 elderly subjects with dementia: a comparison between vascular and neurodegenerative types.

2008

Objective:  i) to describe the neuropsychiatric profile of elderly subjects with dementia by comparing vascular (VaD) and degenerative dementias, i.e. dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD); ii) to assess whether the severity and type of dementia are associated with clinically relevant neuropsychiatric symptoms (CR-NPS). Method:  One hundred and thirty-one out-patients with VaD, 100 with DLB and 690 with AD were studied. NPS were evaluated by the neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI). Results:  Vascular dementia had lower total and domain-specific NPI scores and a lower frequency of CR-NPS than AD and DLB, for which frequency of CR-NPS increased significantly with disease s…

Prognosis of migraine headaches in adolescents: a 10-year follow-up study.

2006

Objective: To determine the long-term outcome of migraine headaches in adolescents and to identify possible predictors of prognosis. Methods: Fifty-five of 80 subjects with migraine headaches (ages 11 to 14 years), who attended the baseline examination of a population-based study conducted in southern Italy in 1989, were eligible for follow-up in 1999. All interviews and examinations were conducted by neurologists, and migraine diagnoses were based on the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria. The association between possible prognostic factors and the long-term persistence of migraine headaches was explored using logistic regression analysis. Results: Of 55 subjects with migraine h…

P2–182: Anxiety and depressive symptoms as predictors of progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease

2006

Cardiac sources of cerebral embolism in people with migraine

2021

Background and purpose Whether the reported association between migraine with aura (MA) and cardioembolic stroke may be explained by a higher rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) or by other potential cardiac sources of cerebral embolism remains to be determined.Methods In the setting of a single centre cohort study of consecutive patients with acute brain ischaemia stratified by migraine status, the association between AF as well as patent foramen ovale (PFO) and migraine was explored.Results In all, 1738 patients (1017 [58.5%] men, mean age 67.9 +/- 14.9 years) qualified for the analysis. Aging was inversely associated with migraine, whilst women had a >3-fold increased disease risk (odds …

Occurrence of cognitive impairment and dementia in the community: a 9-year-long prospective study.

2008

Objective: To determine incidence rates of non-dementia cognitive impairment, to examine the impact of attrition due to death on the observed incidence estimates, and to compare the observed and corrected estimates of non-dementia cognitive impairment with dementia incidence rates. Methods: A total of 1,435 persons without dementia aged 75+ from the Kungsholmen Project were evaluated for occurrence of dementia over 9 years. A total of 1,070 cognitively unimpaired subjects were also followed using amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and other cognitive impairment, no dementia (OCIND) definitions. To correct the observed incidence rates for attrition due to death, cognitive status for s…

Cognitive deficits in beta-thalassemia major

2000

Objectives To assess cognitive functioning in patients affected by beta-thalassemia major (beta-th) by using a neuropsychological battery, and to identify clinical correlates. Material and methods Forty-six beta-th patients and 46 controls similar for age, sex, and education participated in the study. All subjects performed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery including tests of abstract reasoning, attention, executive functions, language, constructional/visuospatial skills, and memory. Results Compared to controls beta-th patients, in particular those showing signs of hemosiderosis, were significantly impaired on all neuropsychological tests. There was no relationship between cogniti…

Behavioral and psychological effects of coronavirus disease-19 quarantine in patients with dementia

2020

Background: In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic due to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and several governments planned a national quarantine in order to control the virus spread. Acute psychological effects of quarantine in frail elderly subjects with special needs, such as patients with dementia, have been poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to assess modifications of neuropsychiatric symptoms during quarantine in patients with dementia and their caregivers. Methods: This is a sub-study of a multicenter nation-wide survey. A structured telephone interview was delivered to family caregivers of patients with diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD),…

Cognitive performance in elderly patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy or carotid artery stenting: a twelve-month follow-up study

2010

<i>Background:</i> It is still a matter of debate if and to what extent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) impair cognitive functioning in the elderly. <i>Methods:</i> We conducted a nonrandomized clinical trial on subjects with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis comparing CEA (n = 28; 24 males and 4 females; 72.6 ± 5.8 years old) with CAS (n = 29; 17 males and 12 females; 75.1 ± 5.7 years old). Cognition, mood and functional status were evaluated by a broad spectrum of tests performed on the day prior to carotid reopening as well as 3 and 12 months after. <i>Results:</i> No significant differences in scores on cognitive test…

The mysterious connection between migraine and dementia: epiphenomenon or causation? Special considerations

2022

Genetic epidemiology of autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia in Sicily: Identification by next-generation sequencing of a new kindred.

2017

Background Autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia (ARH) is a rare inherited lipid disorder. In Sardinia, differently from other world regions, the mutated allele frequency is high. It is caused by mutations in the low-density lipoprotein receptor adaptor protein 1 gene. Fourteen different mutations have been reported so far; in Sardinia, 2 alleles (ARH1 and ARH2) explain most of the cases. Four ARH patients, all carriers of the ARH1 mutation, have been identified in mainland Italy and 2 in Sicily. Objective The objectives of the study were to improve the molecular diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and to estimate the frequency of the ARH1 allele in 2 free-living Sicilian pop…

Visuospatial learning is fostered in migraine: evidence by a neuropsychological study

2018

Cognitive profile in migraine patients still remains undefined. Contradictory evidence has been provided, with impairments in different cognitive domains, normal cognition, or even better performance compared to healthy controls (HC). The latter is of particular interest considering the evidence of glutamatergic upregulation in migraine, particularly in the visual cortex, and the role of the glutamatergic system in synaptic plasticity and learning. The aim of our study is to compare cognitive performance for visuospatial memory and learning (supraspan modality) between migraineurs without aura (MwoA) and HC. Twenty-one subjects suffering from MwoA and 21 HC were enrolled. Migraineurs during…

Mild behavioral impairment in Parkinson's disease: Data from the Parkinson's disease cognitive impairment study (PACOS)

2019

Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) have been frequently described in Parkinson's disease (PD), even in the earliest stages of the disease. Recently the construct of mild behavioral impairment (MBI) has been proposed as an at-risk state for incident cognitive decline and dementia. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the prevalence and associated factors of MBI in PD. Cross-sectional data from 429 consecutive PD patients enrolled in the PArkinson's disease COgnitive impairment Study (PACOS) were included in the study. All subjects underwent neuropsychological assessment, according to the MDS Level II criteria. NPS were evaluated with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Multivariate logistic …

Oral Health Status in Subjects with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease: Data from the Zabút Aging Project

2020

Background: The relationship between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and periodontitis has been recently investigated with heterogenous results. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the oral health status and its relationship with cognitive impairment of participants, enrolled in the Zabút Aging Project, a community-based cohort study performed in a rural community in Sicily, Italy. Methods: A case-control study (20 subjects with AD, 20 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment [aMCI], and 20 controls) was conducted. The protocol included a comprehensive medical and cognitive-behavioral examination. Full-mouth evaluation, microbial analysis of subgingival plaque samples (by RT-PCR analysis), and o…

The symptom of low mood in the prodromal stage of mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a cohort study of a community dwelling elderly population.

2011

Objective: To investigate the symptom of low mood as a predictor of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its progression to dementia, taking into account: i) MCI severity, ii) time of assessment, iii) interaction with other factors. Methods: 764 cognitively healthy elderly living in the community, from the Kungsholmen Project. Participants were assessed by direct interview to detect low mood. Subjects were then followed for six years to identify those who developed MCI. People with incident MCI were followed for a further three years to assess progression to dementia. Results: People with low mood at baseline had a 2.7-fold (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.9-3.7) increased risk of developing …

P2–206: Functional decline in mild cognitive impairment. Results from the regal project

2006

Incidence of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Parkinson's Disease: The Parkinson's Disease Cognitive Impairment Study.

2018

Background: Cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) includes a spectrum varying from Mild Cognitive Impairment (PD-MCI) to PD Dementia (PDD). The main aim of the present study is to evaluate the incidence of PD-MCI, its rate of progression to dementia, and to identify demographic and clinical characteristics which predict cognitive impairment in PD patients. Methods: PD patients from a large hospital-based cohort who underwent at least two comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations were retrospectively enrolled in the study. PD-MCI and PDD were diagnosed according to the Movement Disorder Society criteria. Incidence rates of PD-MCI and PDD were estimated. Clinical and demographic…

β-glucans: Ex vivo inflammatory and oxidative stress results after pasta intake

2016

Background: It is well known that Mediterranean Diet can positively influence the health of each individual, in particular it is know that fibers have an important role. However, in Mediterranean cities most people do not have a close adherence to Mediterranean diet. Thus, in our study, we considered fibers like β-glucans that have been added to pasta with a percentage of 6 %. Our study aimed to evaluate the capacity of β-glucans intake on oxidative stress and inflammation in a cohort of middle aged slightly overweight subjects. Methods: We used a longitudinal study design. The study lasted 30 days during which time, each participant acted with no food restriction. Participants underwent mo…

Effects of 8-OH-DPAT on open field performance of young and aged rats prenatally exposed to diazepam: a tool to reveal 5-HT1A receptor function

2003

Central GABAergic and serotoninergic systems interact with one another and are implicated in controlling different behaviours. A gentle early long-lasting handling can prevent the deficits in locomotion and exploration in open field (O.F.) in 3-month-old male rats prenatally exposed to diazepam (DZ). Purpose of this study was to extend the research to older handled rats prenatally exposed to DZ and to assess the activity of 5-HT1A receptors (Rs), evaluating the performance in O.F. at 3 and 18 months of age following 8-OH-DPAT administration. A single daily s.c. injection of DZ (1.5 mg/kg) from gestation day 14 to gestation day 20 induced in aged, but not in young rats, a decrease in total d…

The Impact of COVID-19 Quarantine on Patients With Dementia and Family Caregivers: A Nation-Wide Survey

2021

IntroductionPrevious studies showed that quarantine for pandemic diseases is associated with several psychological and medical effects. The consequences of quarantine for COVID-19 pandemic in patients with dementia are unknown. We investigated the clinical changes in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and evaluated caregivers’ distress during COVID-19 quarantine.MethodsThe study involved 87 Italian Dementia Centers. Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), and Vascular Dementia (VD) were eligible for the study. Family caregivers of patients with dementia were interviewed by phone in April 2020, 45 days after …

Changes in Motor, Cognitive, and Behavioral Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment During the COVID-19 Lockdown

2020

Objective: The effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on subjects with prodromal phases of dementia are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the motor, cognitive, and behavioral changes during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with and without mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI and PD-NC) and in patients with MCI not associated with PD (MCInoPD).Methods: A total of 34 patients with PD-NC, 31 PD-MCI, and 31 MCInoPD and their caregivers were interviewed 10 weeks after the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy, and changes in cognitive, behavioral, and motor symptoms were examined. Modified standardized scales, including the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and t…

Heterogeneity in Risk Factors for Cognitive Impairment, No Dementia: Population-Based Longitudinal Study From the Kungsholmen Project

2006

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate the relation of vascular, neuropsychiatric, social, and frailty-related factors with "Cognitive impairment, no dementia" (CIND) and to verify their effect independently of future progression to Alzheimer disease (AD). METHODS: Seven hundred eighteen subjects aged 75+ years who attended baseline, 3- and 6-year follow-up examinations of the Kungsholmen Project, a Swedish prospective cohort study, were studied. CIND was defined according to the performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination. Potential risk factors were collected at baseline and clustered according to four research hypotheses (frailty, vascular, neuropsychiatric, an…

Association between apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele and apathy in probable Alzheimer's disease.

2006

OBJECTIVE: There have been inconclusive results to date on the association between the Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated whether ApoE epsilon4 allele is associated with NPS in probable AD. METHOD: Data for 197 subjects with probable AD were analysed. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory was used to evaluate the frequency and severity of NPS. Multiple logistic regression models were used to test the association between ApoE genotype and NPS in AD. RESULTS: The ApoE epsilon3/3 genotype was present in 52.3%, epsilon3/4 in 44.1%, and epsilon4/4 in 3.6% of patients. ApoE epsilon4 carriers showed a higher frequency of apath…

Morphometric magnetic resonance imaging cortico-subcortical features in Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment

2022

Background and purpose Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with cognitive impairment undergo progressive atrophy of several cortical and subcortical areas. The aim was to study the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) morphometric features of PD patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods Patients from the Parkinson's Disease Cognitive Impairment Study (PACOS) cohort with an available structural volumetric brain MRI and morphometric measurements of the midbrain and pons areas, middle cerebellar peduncle, superior cerebellar peduncle width and midbrain anteroposterior diameter (A-Pdiam) were included. MCI was diagnosed according to the Movement Disorder Society level II criteria. Additi…

Influence of Drugs on Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease: Evidence from the PACOS Study

2022

Background: Polytherapy and the anticholinergic activity of several drugs negatively influence cognition in the elderly. However, little is known on the effect on Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Methods: Patients with PD belonging to the baseline PACOS cohort with full pharmacological data, have been included in this study. MCI diagnosis was made according to the MDS level II criteria. Polytherapy was defined as patients assuming ≥6 drugs. Anticholinergic burden has been calculated using the Anticholinergic Drug Scale (ADS). Molecules have been classified according to the ATC classification. Association with MCI has been assessed with a multivariate logistic re…

Erratum: FragClust and TestClust, two informatics tools for chemical structure hierarchical clustering analysis applied to lipidomics. The example of…

2016

Erratum to: FragClust and TestClust, two informatics tools for chemical structure hierarchical clustering analysis applied to lipidomics. The example of Alzheimer’s disease

P4‐117: Low mood in late life and risk of amnestic versus other cognitive impairment with and without dementia: A longitudinal community‐based study

2008

Migraine, Cognitive Decline, and Dementia in Older Adults: A Population-Based Study

2022

Background: The potential impact of migraine on cognitive aging among older adults remains controversial. Objective: To examine the relationship of migraine and subtypes with cognitive decline and dementia in an older Swedish population. Methods: This population-based study included 3,069 participants (age ≥ 60 years) from the Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen, Stockholm. Baseline examination was conducted in 2001–2004, and participants were followed every 3 or 6 years until 2013–2016. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, clinical examinations, laboratory tests, and linkage with registers. Global cognitive function was measured with the Mini-Mental Stat…

Potential drug-drug interaction between duloxetine and acenocoumarol in a patient with Alzheimer's disease

2007

Abstract Background : Recent evidence suggests that duloxetine may increase the effect of warfarin, thereby increasing the possibility of bleeding. However, a MEDLINE search for articles published between 1980 and May 2007 (terms: duloxetine , anticoagulants , acenocoumarol , and interaction ; no language restriction) did not yield any reports of an interaction between concomitant use of duloxetine and acenocoumarol. Objective : The aim of this study was to describe a potential drug-drug interaction between duloxetine and acenocoumarol in a patient with Alzheimer's disease. The possible mechanism of this potential interaction is examined. Case summary : This report presents the case of a 63…

Neuroanatomical changes in early Parkinson’s disease with mild cognitive impairment: a VBM study; the Parkinson’s Disease Cognitive Impairment Study …

2021

Introduction: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD), but the underlying pathological mechanism has not been fully understood. Voxel-based morphometry could be used to evaluate regional atrophy and its relationship with cognitive performances in early PD-MCI. Patients and Methods: One hundred and six patients with PD were recruited from a larger cohort of patients, the Parkinson’s Disease Cognitive Impairment Study (PaCoS). Subject underwent a T1-3D MRI and a complete clinical and neuropsychological evaluation. Patients were divided into PD with normal cognition (PD-NC) and PD-MCI according to the MDS level II criteria–modified for PD-MCI. A subgroup of early …

Electrocortical networks in Parkinson's disease patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment. The PaCoS study

2019

Abstract Introduction Parkinson's Disease (PD) is frequently associated with cognitive dysfunction ranging from Mild Cognitive Impairment (PD-MCI) to dementia. Few electrophysiological studies are available evaluating potential pathogenetic mechanisms linked to cognitive impairment in PD since its initial phases. The objective of the study is to analyze electrocortical networks related with cognitive decline in PD-MCI for identifying possible early electrophysiological markers of cognitive impairment in PD. Methods From the PaCoS (Parkinson's disease Cognitive impairment Study) cohort, a sample of 102 subjects including 46 PD-MCI and 56 PD with normal cognition (PD-NC) was selected based on…

Circulating Molecular Chaperones in Subjects with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease: Data from the Zabùt Aging Project

2022

Molecular chaperones play essential roles in many processes such as cell differentiation, tissue homeostasis, and organ remodeling. Recent data indicate that chaperones can act as cytoprotectants for brain cells during the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, very few data on the levels of chaperones in dementia, including its prodromal phases, have been reported. In this study, we used biological samples and epidemiological data collected during the Zabùt Aging Project (a prospective, community-based, cohort study of normal/pathological aging conducted in Sicily, Italy, with a follow-up of ten years) to determine if there is an association…

Ageing: from inflammation to cancer.

2018

Abstract Ageing is the major risk factor for cancer development. Hallmark of the ageing process is represented by inflammaging, which is a chronic and systemic low-grade inflammatory process. Inflammation is also a hallmark of cancer and is widely recognized to influence all cancer stages from cell transformation to metastasis. Therefore, inflammaging may represent the biological phenomena able to couple ageing process with cancer development. Here we review the molecular and cellular pathway involved in age-related chronic inflammation along with its potential triggers and their connection with cancer development.

Vascular risk factors, white matter lesions and cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease: the PACOS longitudinal study

2020

Abstract Background Vascular risk factors (VRFs) may be associated with cognitive decline in early Parkinson’s disease (PD) but results are inconclusive. The identification of modifiable risk factors is relevant for prevention and treatment. Methods Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients of the PACOS cohort who underwent a baseline and follow-up neuropsychological evaluation were enrolled in the study. PD with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia (PDD) were diagnosed according to the MDS criteria. A Baseline 1.5 T brain MRI was used to calculate the white matter lesions (WMLs) burden using the Wahlund visual scale. Laboratory data, presence of hypertension, diabetes and use of anti-hyper…

Frequency and Correlates of Subjective Memory Complaints in Parkinson’s Disease with and without Mild Cognitive Impairment: Data from the Parkinson’s…

2018

Subjective memory complaints (SMC) may represent the preclinical phase of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease. Dementia/MCI have been described with a high prevalence in Parkinson's disease (PD), but whether SMC may predict the development of cognitive impairment has been barely explored. To evaluate the frequency and clinical correlates of isolated SMC (PD-SMC) or within the construct of MCI in subjects with PD, 147 PD patients from the PArkinson's disease COgnitive impairment Study (PACOS) were consecutively recruited for the study. This is a multicenter study involving two Movement Disorder Centers in south Italy. All subjects underwent comprehensive neuropsycholog…

Validation study of the Italian Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination Revised in a young-old and old-old population

2011

<i>Aims:</i> The main aims of the study were the translation and the subsequent validation in Italian of the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination Revised (ACE-R), and the evaluation of its usefulness in discriminating cognitively normal subjects from patients with mild dementia in an elderly population. <i>Methods:</i> The ACE-R was translated and adapted into Italian. The Italian ACE-R was administered to a group of 179 elderly subjects (72 cognitively healthy and 107 subjects with mild dementia, mean age 75.4 ± 6.4 years). The group was stratified into two subsamples according to age, i.e. a young-old (<75 years) and an old-old (≧75 years) group, in order to eval…

P2-551: MIGRAINE, COGNITIVE DECLINE, AND DEMENTIA IN OLD AGE: A POPULATION-BASED STUDY

2019

Serum alkaline phosphatase is elevated and inversely correlated with cognitive functions in subjective cognitive decline: results from the ReGAl 2.0 …

2020

Background: Alkaline phosphatase has been found on neuronal membranes and plasma alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity increases during brain injury and cerebrovascular diseases, suggesting that its levels may reflect the neuronal loss. It is known that ALP is higher in subjects affected by Alzheimer’s dementia and inversely correlated with cognitive functions. No study has investigated the relationship between ALP and cognitive functions in old-age subject with pre-clinical cognitive impairment. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with data gathered from the ReGAl 2.0 project (Rete Geriatrica Alzheimer-Geriatric Network on Alzheimer’s disease), a large Italian multicentric clinical-base…

FragClust and TestClust, two informatics tools for chemical structure hierarchical clustering analysis applied to lipidomics. The example of Alzheime…

2016

Lipidomic analysis is able to measure simultaneously thousands of compounds belonging to a few lipid classes. In each lipid class, compounds differ only by the acyl radical, ranging between C10:0 (capric acid) and C24:0 (lignoceric acid). Although some metabolites have a peculiar pathological role, more often compounds belonging to a single lipid class exert the same biological effect. Here, we present a lipidomics workflow that extracts the tandem mass spectrometry data from individual files and uses them to group compounds into structurally homogeneous clusters by chemical structure hierarchical clustering analysis (CHCA). The case-to-control peak area ratios of the metabolites are then a…

Dietary Supplements as Surrogate of Mediterranean Diet in Healthy Smoking Subjects

2017

The interventions to slow aging, favoring active life expectancy, represent the new perspectives in ageing investigation. Some mechanisms that delay or prevent the onset of aging pathologies have been identified. Between them, a healthy lifestyle seems to reduce many risk factors. In particular, eating habits represent the most concrete, low-cost way to act on aging process. Mediterranean diet has received much attention since its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects have been consistently demonstrated. Unfortunately, many people follow a Western diet, poor in phytochemicals that represent the main source of beneficial effects of this dietary pattern. So, supplements administration sho…

Predictors of progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer disease.

2007

Objective: To determine the occurrence of neuropsychiatric symptomatology and the relation to future development of Alzheimer disease (AD) in persons with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Method: We followed 185 persons with no cognitive impairment and 47 with MCI (amnestic and multidomain), ages 75 to 95, from the population-based Kungsholmen Project, Stockholm, Sweden, for 3 years. Three types of neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed at baseline: mood-related depressive symptoms, motivation-related depressive symptoms, and anxiety-related symptomatology. AD at 3-year follow-up was diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-III-R criteria. R…

Interictal Executive Dysfunction in Migraineurs Without Aura: Relationship With Duration and Intensity of Attacks

2007

Subjects with migraine are at increased risk of subcortical white matter lesions (WML). Reports of cognitive testing in adults with migraine have yielded inconsistent results. We performed a cross-sectional study to assess whether migraine without aura (MwA) is associated with impairment in executive functioning, a typical cognitive correlate of subcortical WML. Forty-five subjects with MwA and 90 controls, matched for age and education, underwent a cognitive battery of tests evaluating executive functions. The following migraine characteristics were collected: age at onset and length of migraine history, and frequency, duration and intensity of attacks. Subjects with MwA performed signifi…

Corrigendum to “Effects of 8-OH-DPAT on open field performance of young and aged rats prenatally exposed to diazepam: a tool to reveal 5-HT1A recepto…

2003

Visual hallucinations and agitation in Alzheimer's Disease due to memantine: report of three cases

2007

Memantine, a non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is currently the only drug proposed for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease.1 It has been shown to have neuroprotective effects by inhibiting the excitotoxic effect of NMDA glutamate receptors.2 Memantine has a tolerability profile similar to placebo.1 However, the worsening of psychotic symptoms in patients with Lewy body dementia (LBD) treated with memantine has been recently reported.3 We describe three patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease who developed worsening or de novo visual hallucinations and agitation after memantine treatment. Patient 1 was a 65-year-old woman with a 2-year hi…

Amyloid precursor protein in platelets of patients with Alzheimer disease: effect of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor treatment.

2001

BACKGROUND:Amyloid precursor protein (APP) forms with apparent molecular weights of 130, 110, and 106 kd are present in human platelets. It has been demonstrated that Alzheimer disease (AD) is specifically associated with a decreased APP forms ratio in platelets. OBJECTIVE:To investigate whether acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor treatment modifies the ratio of platelet APP forms in patients with AD. PATIENTS AND METHODS:From a large sample of patients with probable AD, 30 with mild to moderate AD were selected. Each patient underwent a clinical evaluation including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and platelet APP forms analysis at baseline and after 30 days. During this interva…

No association between the cystatin C gene polymorphism and Alzheimer's disease: a case-control study in an Italian population.

2005

Cystatin C is an amyloidogenic protein found together with beta-amyloid in cerebral arteriolar walls of both patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and conghopilic amyloid angiopathy. Several findings implicate cystatin C in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. Recent genetic association studies proposed cystatin C gene (CST3) as a susceptibility factor for AD, although other reports did not replicate this finding. We conducted a case-control study including 192 probable AD cases and 192 age- and sex-matched controls to test the association between CST3 and AD. Possible interaction between CST3 and age at onset of AD or apolipoprotein E (APOE) was also examined. No significant differences…

Double Negative (IgG+IgD-CD27-) B Cells are Increased in a Cohort of Moderate-Severe Alzheimer’s Disease Patients and Show a Pro-Inflammatory Traffic…

2014

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, irreversible, and debilitating disease for which no effective preventive or disease modifying therapies or treatments have so far been detected. The crucial step in AD pathogenesis is the production of amyloid-42 peptide, which causes chronic inflammation. Activated cells in the central nervous system (CNS) produce pro- inflammatory mediators that lead to the recruitment of myeloid or lymphocytic cells. As a consequence, the communication between the CNS and peripheral blood of AD subjects could influence the lymphocyte distribution and/or the expression of phenotypic markers. In the present paper, we show a significant decrease in total CD19 + B l…

Blood group does not appear to affect longevity a pilot study in centenarians from Western Sicily.

2011

Centenarians are the best example of extreme human longevity, and they represent a selected population in which the appearance of major age-related diseases, such as cancer, and cardiovascular diseases among others, has been consistently delayed or escaped. The study of the long-lived individual genetic profile has the purpose to possibly identify the genes and the allelic variations influencing extended life expectancy, hence considering them as biomarkers of age-related diseases onset and development. The present study shows no significant differences between allelic variations of ABO blood groups among a group of centenarians from Western Sicily.

Lymphocytic Mitochondrial Aconitase Activity is Reduced in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment

2015

Background: Specific mechanisms behind the role of oxidative/nitrosative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis remain elusive. Mitochondrial aconitase (ACO2) is a Krebs cycle enzyme sensitive to free radicalmediated damage. Objective: We assessed activity and expression of ACO2 extracted from blood lymphocytes of subjects with AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), older adults with normal cognition (OCN, age >= 65 years), and younger adults with normal cognition (YCN, age < 65 years). Plasma levels and activities of antioxidants were also measured. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 28 subjects with AD, 22 with MCI, 21 OCN, and 19 YCN. ACO2 act…

Alzheimer’s disease and infections, where we stand and where we go

2014

Editorial Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disorder, which represents the most common form of dementia, one of the major causes of disability in later life. Age is the greatest risk factor for AD, which typically affects people aged 65 years and over, with an age-standardised prevalence of 4.4 [1]. However, AD is not a normal part of ageing and advanced age alone does not justify the disease. Several pathways have been implicated in AD pathophysiology, the most described is the neurodegenerative one, which lead to the brain accumulation of beta-amyloid and neurofibrillary tangles, aggregations of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, macroscopically resulting in brain atrop…

Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania and hemicrania continua responding to topiramate: Two case reports

2007

Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania (CPH) is a rare primary headache syndrome, which is classified along with cluster headache and short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing as a trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TACs). Hemicrania continua (HC) was previously classified as one of the TACs, but in the recent second classification of the International Headache Society this disorder was moved to the group of other primary headaches. Both CPH and HC are characterised by moderate to excruciating pain requiring pharmacological treatment; furthermore, both conditions are characterised by an absolute response to indomethacin, which represents one of the…

Cognitive impairment and levodopa induced dyskinesia in Parkinson’s disease: a longitudinal study from the PACOS cohort

2021

AbstractAim of the study was to evaluate possible associations between cognitive dysfunctions and development of Levodopa Induced Dyskinesia (LID). PD patients from the Parkinson’s disease Cognitive impairment Study cohort who underwent a baseline and follow-up neuropsychological evaluations were enrolled. Mild Cognitive Impairment (PD-MCI) was diagnosed according to MDS level II criteria. The following cognitive domains were evaluated: episodic memory, attention, executive function, visuo-spatial function and language. A domain was considered as impaired when the subject scored 2 standard deviation below normality cut-off values in at least one test for each domain. Levodopa equivalent dos…

[3H]-DA release evoked by low pH medium and internal H+ accumulation in rat hypothalamic synaptosomes: involvement of calcium ions

2003

The pH fluctuations have been often interpreted as an insufficient regulation or as a consequence of the onset of pathological events, such as ischemia, in which a significant decrease in pH levels occurs. Neurotransmitter release appears to be affected by pH drop significantly. In this study, we investigated the effect of an extracellular and an intracellular acidification on tritiated dopamine release ([3H]-DA release), from superfused rat hypothalamic synaptosomes. When compared to basal release, extracellular acidification, due to a reduction in the external pH of the nominally carbonic-free superfusion media, provoked a significant increase in [3H]-DA release that showed a sensitivenes…

Intracerebral haemorrhage associated with sildenafil citrate

2001

Cognitive impairment in Behçet's disease patients without overt neurological involvement

2003

We investigated the prevalence of cognitive impairment in patients with Behc¸et’s disease (BD) without overt neurological involvement. The influence of disease duration, disease activity, prednisone dosage, and anxiety and depression levels was evaluated. Twenty-six consecutive BD outpatients and 26 healthy controls matched for age, education and sex completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery including tests of memory, visuospatial and constructional abilities, language, attention and psychomotor speed, non-verbal reasoning and executive functioning. The Hamilton scales for anxiety and depression were administered. Disease activity was assessed using the Behc¸et’s Disease Current …

Prevalence of primary headaches in Italian elderly: Preliminary data from the Zabút Aging Project

2003

We describe preliminary 1-year prevalence data of recurrent migraine headache (MH), tension-type headache (TTH), and other headaches (OH) in a rural elderly population. A door-to-door two-phase survey was conducted on all elderly (or=65 years) residents of a rural village in southern Italy. Participants underwent a two-phase screening including a validated semi-structured questionnaire for headaches based on the International Headache Society criteria, and a neurological evaluation. Recurrent headache was defined as 3 or more attacks within the past 12 months. Out of 1031 participants evaluated, 225 (21.8%) suffered from recurrent headaches. One-year prevalence rates for headaches were resp…

Pattern of cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

2000

Association of estrogen receptor α gene with Alzheimer's disease: A case-control study

2006

Abstract Recent experimental data have offered the biological background to study the estrogen receptor (ER) alpha gene as a candidate gene for AD. Genetic association studies proposed ERalpha PvuII and XbaI gene polymorphisms as susceptibility factors for AD, although subsequent studies did not replicate this finding. To verify this association in a Caucasian Italian sample, we conducted a case-control study in a dataset of 172 clinic-based probable AD cases and 172 age- and sex-matched controls. Possible interaction between ERalpha polymorphisms and sex, age at onset of AD or apolipoprotein E (APOE) was examined. The xx-genotype of the XbaI polymorphism was associated with the risk of dev…

A systematic review of neuropsychiatric symptoms in mild cognitive impairment.

2009

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a clinical concept proposed as an intermediate state between normal aging and dementia. This condition has multiple heterogeneous sources, including clinical presentation, etiology, and prognosis. Recently, the prevalence and associated features of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in MCI have been described. We systematically searched the PubMed database (last accessed on August 31, 2008) for articles on NPS in MCI. Included articles used strict selection criteria, and outcome variables were extracted in duplicate; of the 27 articles included, 14 (52%) used prospective cohorts. The global prevalence of NPS in MCI ranged from 35% to 85%. The most common beha…

Mediterranean Diet and Longevity in Sicily: Survey in a Sicani Mountains Population

2012

Over the past several years, increasing evidence suggests that the Mediterranean diet has a beneficial influence on several age-related diseases, showing protective effect on health and longevity. Mediterranean diet refers to dietary patterns found in olive-growing regions of the Mediterranean countries. Previous data reported that in Sicily, Italy, the largest Mediterranean island, there are some mountainous regions where there is a high frequency of male centenarians with respect to the Italian average. The aim of the present study was to characterize centenarians living in one of this region, the Sicani Mountains, located in western Sicily. Present data shows that in this zone there are …

Hands-feet wireless devices: Test-retest reliability and discriminant validity of motor measures in Parkinson's disease telemonitoring

2022

Background Telemonitoring, a branch of telemedicine, involves the use of technological tools to remotely detect clinical data and evaluate patients. Telemonitoring of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) should be performed using reliable and discriminant motor measures. Furthermore, the method of data collection and transmission, and the type of subjects suitable for telemonitoring must be well defined. Objective To analyze differences in patients with PD and healthy controls (HC) with the wearable inertial device SensHands-SensFeet (SH-SF), adopting a standardized acquisition mode, to verify if motor measures provided by SH-SF have a high discriminating capacity and high intraclass corr…

The neuropsychiatric profile of Parkinson's disease subjects with and without mild cognitive impairment

2012

Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are common clinical features of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, NPS profiles in PD subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have scarcely been investigated. We aimed to describe the NPS profiles of non-demented PD subjects with and without MCI. A total of 410 non-demented PD subjects were included. Of these, 164 were cognitively normal PD subjects (PD-cn), 142 PD had amnestic MCI (PD-aMCI), and 104 had PD with non-amnestic MCI (PD-naMCI). NPS were evaluated in accordance with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). PD-aMCI subjects revealed the highest NPS burden, followed by PD-naMCI and then PD-cn. Overall, the most common NPS in PD-MCI were in order:…

Migraine mediates the influence of C677T MTHFR genotypes on ischemic stroke risk with a stroke-subtype effect.

2007

Background and Purpose— The objective was to investigate the role of C677T MTHFR polymorphism in migraine pathogenesis and in the migraine–ischemic stroke pathway. Methods— A first genotype–migraine association study was conducted on 100 patients with migraine with aura (MA), 106 with migraine without aura (MO), and 105 subjects without migraine, which provided evidence in favor of association of the TT677 MTHFR genotype with increased risk of MA compared with both control subjects (OR, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.11 to 5.58) and patients with MO (OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.01 to 4.82). Based on these findings, mediational models of the genotype–migraine–stroke pathway were fitted on a group of 106 patients …

Biomarkers of oxidative and nitrosative damage in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment

2009

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia in the elderly. Products of oxidative and nitrosative stress (OS and NS, respectively) accumulate with aging, which is the main risk factor for AD. This provides the basis for the involvement of OS and NS in AD pathogenesis. OS and NS occur in biological systems due to the dysregulation of the redox balance, caused by a deficiency of antioxidants and/or the overproduction of free radicals. Free radical attack against lipids, proteins, sugars and nucleic acids leads to the formation of bioproducts whose detection in fluids and tissues represents the currently available method for assessing oxidative/nitrosative damage. Post-mortem …

Mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review

2007

MCI is a nosological entity proposed as an intermediate state between normal aging and dementia. The syndrome can be divided into two broad subtypes: amnestic MCI ( aMCI) characterized by reduced memory, and non- amnestic MCI ( naMCI) in which other cognitive functions rather than memory are mostly impaired. aMCI seems to represent an early stage of AD, while the outcomes of the naMCI subtypes appear more heterogeneous - including vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies- but this aspect is still under debate. MCI in fact represents a condition with multiple sources of heterogeneity, including clinical presentation, etiology, and prognosis. To improve classifi…

Transcranial random noise stimulation over the primary motor cortex in PD-MCI patients: a crossover, randomized, sham-controlled study

2020

AbstractMild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a very common non-motor feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the non-amnestic single-domain is the most frequent subtype. Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) is a non-invasive technique, which is capable of enhancing cortical excitability. As the main contributor to voluntary movement control, the primary motor cortex (M1) has been recently reported to be involved in higher cognitive functioning. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of tRNS applied over M1 in PD-MCI patients in cognitive and motor tasks. Ten PD-MCI patients, diagnosed according to the Movement Disorder Society, Level II criteria for MCI, underwent active (re…

Executive functioning and serum lipid fractions in Parkinson’s disease—a possible sex-effect: the PACOS study

2022

AbstractThe association between dyslipidemia and cognitive performance in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients still needs to be clarified. Aim of the study was to evaluate the presence of possible associations between serum lipids fractions and executive dysfunction also exploring the sex-specific contribute of lipids level on cognition. Patients from the PACOS cohort, who underwent a complete serum lipid profile measures (total cholesterol-TC, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol-LDL, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol-HDL and triglycerides-TG) were selected. Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program were used to classify normal/abnormal lipid fracti…

Mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease: the Parkinson’s disease cognitive study (PACOS)

2018

Approximately 30% of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients show impaired cognitive performance, which is suggestive of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), representing a predictor of dementia, especially when present at diagnosis. The objective of the study was to evaluate the frequency and clinical predictors of MCI in a large hospital-based cohort of PD patients. We collected cross-sectional data from the Parkinson's disease cognitive impairment study (PACOS), a multicenter study involving two Movement Disorder centers, which are located in south Italy. The PD subjects were diagnosed according to the UK Brain Bank criteria and they underwent an extensive neuropsychological assessment. PD-MCI was…

Comorbidity between depressive symptoms and migraine: preliminary data from the Zabút Aging Project

2008

We evaluated the association between depressive symptoms and migraine using cross-sectional data from the Zabút Aging Project, a population-based study including subjects agedor =50 years. A total of 1285 nonmigraineurs and 151 migraineurs were included. Diagnosis of migraine was carried out using the criteria of the International Headache Society. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) was used to score depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were clustered in four groups: depressed and positive affects, somatic activity and intrapersonal feelings. Migraineurs showed higher total and specific depressive symptoms than controls (p from 0.005 to0.0001). Mild-to-moderat…

Isolated, subtle, neurological abnormalities in neurologically and cognitively healthy aging subjects

2015

The aim of this study is to describe the frequency of isolated, subtle, neurological abnormalities (ISNAs) in a large population of neurologically and cognitively healthy subjects and to compare ISNAs to various types of MRI-detected cerebrovascular lesions and subcortical brain atrophy in different age classes. 907 subjects were selected from a large, prospective hospital-based study. At baseline neurological examination, 17 ISNAs were selected. Primitive reflexes were the most common ISNAs (35.8 %), while dysphagia was the most rarely encountered (0.3 %). Measures of small vessel disease, i.e., deep and subcortical white matter hyperintensity and lacunar infarcts as well as subcortical at…

Frequency and Correlates of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Myasthenia Gravis

2023

Background: Antibodies against acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) can also target nicotinic AChRs that are present throughout the central nervous system, thus leading to cognitive dysfunctions in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). However, the presence of cognitive impairment in MG is controversial, and the factors that may influence this risk are almost completely unknown. In this study, the frequency of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in MG, as well as the clinical, immunological, and behavioral correlates of MCI in MG were evaluated. Methods: A total of 52 patients with MG underwent a comprehensive assessment including motor and functional scales, serological testing, and neuropsychologi…

From Small Peptides to Large Proteins against Alzheimer'sDisease.

2022

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly. The two cardinal neuropathological hallmarks of AD are the senile plaques, which are extracellular deposits mainly constituted by beta-amyloids, and neurofibrillary tangles formed by abnormally phosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) located in the cytoplasm of neurons. Although the research has made relevant progress in the management of the disease, the treatment is still lacking. Only symptomatic medications exist for the disease, and, in the meantime, laboratories worldwide are investigating disease-modifying treatments for AD. In the present review, results centered on the use of peptides of different sizes invol…

Internal carotid artery dissection in a patient with hemophilia A: a case report and literature review

2023

Spontaneous cervical artery dissection (sCeAD) is the most common cause of ischemic stroke at a young age, but its pathogenetic mechanism and risk factors are not fully elucidated. It is reasonable to think that bleeding propensity, vascular risk factors such as hypertension and head or neck trauma, and constitutional weakness of the arterial wall together play a role in the pathogenesis of sCeAD. Hemophilia A is known to be an X-linked condition that leads to spontaneous bleeding in various tissues and organs. To date, a few cases of acute arterial dissection in patients with hemophilia have been reported, but the relationship between these two diseases has not been studied so far. In addi…

Double Negative (CD19+IgG+IgD-CD27-) B Lymphocytes: A New Insight from Telomerase in Healthy Elderly, in Centenarian Offspring, and in Alzheimer’s Di…

2014

Background: We have previously reported the increase of IgD-CD27- (Double Negative, DN) B cell population in the aged. These memory B cells have short telomeres and poor abilities to proliferate in vitro. Here, we investigated whether the low ability of DN B cells to proliferate depends on the expression levels of the CD307d and CD22 inhibitory receptors or whether DN B cells can proliferate and reactivate telomerase by the engagement of both innate and adaptive immune receptors. Methods: Phenotypic analyses were made by using flow cytometry. Quantitative analysis of telomerase activity was made by using a TRAP and a photometric enzyme immunoassay in young, healthy elderly, centenarian offs…

Cardiovascular autonomic function and MCI in Parkinson's disease

2019

Abstract Introduction dysautonomic dysfunction and cognitive impairment represent the most disabling non-motor features of Parkinson's Disease (PD). Recent evidences suggest the association between Orthostatic Hypotension (OH) and PD-Dementia. However, little is known on the interactions between cardiovascular dysautonomia and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). We aimed to evaluate the association between cardiovascular dysautonomia and MCI in patients with PD. Methods non-demented PD patients belonging to the PACOS cohort underwent a comprehensive instrumental neurovegetative assessment including the study of both parasympathetic and sympathetic function (30:15 ratio, Expiratory-Inspiratory …

SHIP2: A “NEW” Insulin Pathway Target for Aging Research

2014

Strong evidence suggests that systemic inflammation and central adiposity contribute to and perpetuate metabolic syndrome. All of these alterations predispose individuals to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular disease, as well as Alzheimer's disease (AD), all characterized by chronic inflammatory status. On the other hand, extensive abnormalities in insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF-II signaling mechanisms in brains with AD have been demonstrated, suggesting that AD could be a third form of diabetes. The Src homology domain-containing inositol 5-phosphatase 2 (SHIP2) has an important role in the insulin pathway because its over-expression causes impairment…

Association between plasma lipid levels and migraine in subjects agedor =50 years: preliminary data from the Zabùt Aging Project.

2008

We evaluated the association between lipid levels and migraine using cross-sectional, population-based data of 1809 subjects aged >= 50 years; 151 subjects with migraine and 1658 nonmigraineurs were included. Diagnosis of migraine was carried out using the criteria of the International Headache Society. The following plasma lipids were collected: total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides (TG). Only TC (p= 220 mg/dl) was significantly associated with migraine (OR [95% CI]=1.6 [1.1-2.3]); this association increased in elderly males with migraine (OR [95% CI]=3.8 [1.4-9.9]). According to our results, TC p…

Migraine headaches in adolescents: a five-year follow-up study

2002

Background and Objectives.—Longitudinal studies of juvenile migraine are very few. We investigated the prevalence and evolution over 5 years of migraine without aura (MWOA) and migraineous disorder (MD) in an adolescent population. Methods.—Sixty-four subjects (34 girls and 30 boys, mean age 17.3±1.1 years) out of 80 selected in our 1989 epidemiological survey were included in the study. The diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society were used in both studies. Results.—Thirty-two of 64 subjects (50%) had MWAO, 18 (28.1%) had MD, and 14 (21.9%) had headache not classifiable (HnC). Our results show that MWOA persisted in 56.2%, converted to MD or HnC in 9.4% and 3.1% of cases, …

Movements Execution in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease

2007

We evaluated the relationship between motor and neuropsychological deficits in subjects affected by amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) and early Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Kinematics of goal-directed movement of aMCI and AD subjects were compared to those of age-matched control subjects. AD showed a slowing down of motor performance compared to aMCI and controls. No relationships were found between motor and cognitive performances in both AD and aMCI. Our results suggest that the different motor behaviour between AD and aMCI cannot be related to memory deficits, probably reflecting the initial degeneration of parietal-frontal circuits for movement planning. The onset of motor dysfunct…

Lack of association between angiotensin converting enzyme polymorphism and sporadic Alzheimer's disease

2002

Epidemiological and pathogenetic evidences suggest a strong association between vascular risk factors and sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD). In agreement with the vascular hypothesis of AD, the role of various candidate genes for atherosclerosis has been investigated, leading to conflicting results. In order to clarify the significance of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism in a group of patients with sAD, we conducted a case-control study including 149 cases and 149 age and sex matched controls. All subjects were genotyped for ACE and Apolipoprotein E (APOE). There were no significant differences in ACE genotype or allele frequencies between ca…

Enalapril Prophylaxis for Migraine With Aura

2003

Amyloid precursor protein in platelets: A peripheral marker for the diagnosis of sporadic AD

2001

BACKGROUND: An altered pattern of amyloid precursor protein (APP) forms consisting in a reduced ratio between the upper (130 kDa) and the lower (106 to 110 kDa) immunoreactivity bands has been described in platelets of patients with AD. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sensitivity and the specificity of platelet APP forms' ratio (APPr) as a marker for AD. METHODS: Eighty-five patients with probable AD and 95 control subjects (CON), including healthy individuals and neurologic patients, entered the study. Platelet APPr was evaluated by means of Western Blot analysis and immunostaining in the whole platelet homogenate, and calculated by the ratio between the optical density (OD) of the upper (130 k…

Imaging of Substantia Nigra in Parkinson's Disease: A Narrative Review.

2021

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms due to the degeneration of the pars compacta of the substantia nigra (SNc) with dopaminergic denervation of the striatum. Although the diagnosis of PD is principally based on a clinical assessment, great efforts have been expended over the past two decades to evaluate reliable biomarkers for PD. Among these biomarkers, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based biomarkers may play a key role. Conventional MRI sequences are considered by many in the field to have low sensitivity, while advanced pulse sequences and ultra-high-field MRI techniques have brought many advantages, partic…

Advances on Cellular Clonotypic Immunity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

2022

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neuromuscular disease, characterized by the progressive degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons in the cortex and spinal cord. Although the pathogenesis of ALS remains unclear, evidence concerning the role of the clonotypic immune system is growing. Adaptive immunity cells often appear changed in number, or in terms of their activation profiles, both peripherally and centrally; however, their role in ALS appears conflictive. Data from human and animal model studies, which are currently reported in the literature, show that each subset of lymphocytes and their mediators may mediate a protective or toxic mechanism in ALS, affecting both…

Prevalence and Profile of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease

2011

&lt;i&gt;Background/Aims:&lt;/i&gt; The frequency of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) ranges from 19 to 40%, and this is probably due to methodological differences between the studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and profile of MCI in a large sample of nondemented PD subjects and neurologically healthy subjects (NHS). &lt;i&gt;Methods:&lt;/i&gt; A total of 872 subjects (582 controls and 290 PD) were included. The association between MCI and PD was tested, using logistic regression models; odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. &lt;i&gt;Results:&lt;/i&gt; Fifty-three percent of PD subjects and 45% NHS met the cr…

Erythematous maculopapular eruption due to rivastigmine therapy

2001

Prevalence and pattern of cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with and without overt neuropsychiatric manifestations

2001

The prevalence and pattern of cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with (NPSLE) and without (nSLE) overt neuropsychiatric manifestations were investigated. Fifty-two nSLE patients, 23 NPSLE patients and 27 healthy controls were evaluated with a battery of standardized neuropsychological and psychological tests. Disease duration, disease activity index, and current corticosteroid therapy were collected. Cognitive impairment was identified in 14 (26.9%) and in 12 (52.2%) of subjects with nSLE and NPSLE, respectively. Both SLE groups showed a significant impairment compared with controls on tasks assessing verbal and non-verbal long-term memory, and visuoconstruc…

Can Alzheimer disease be a form of type 3 diabetes?

2012

Alzheimer disease (AD) and metabolic syndrome are two highly prevalent pathological conditions of Western society due to incorrect diet, lifestyle, and vascular risk factors. Recent data have suggested metabolic syndrome as an independent risk factor for AD and pre-AD syndrome. Furthermore, biological plausibility for this relationship has been framed within the “metabolic cognitive syndrome” concept. Due to the increasing aging of populations, prevalence of AD in Western industrialized countries will rise in the near future. Thus, new knowledge in the area of molecular biology and epigenetics will probably help to make an early molecular diagnosis of dementia. An association between metabo…

Sound-Induced Flash Illusions Support Cortex Hyperexcitability in Fibromyalgia

2022

Objectives. Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by spontaneous chronic widespread pain in combination with hyperalgesia to pressure stimuli. Sound-induced flash illusions (SIFIs) reflect cross-modal interactions between senses allowing to assess a visual cortical hoerexcitability (VCH) by evaluating the fission and fusion illusions disruption. The aims of the present study were to explore whether SIFIs are perceived differently in patients with fibromyalgia as compared to healthy controls (HCs) and how migraine affects fission and fusion illusions in fibromyalgia. Methods. A single flash (F) accompanied by 0 to 4 beeps (B) was presented to induce the fission illusion while multiple flash (i.…

No association between Glu298Asp endothelial nitric oxide synthase polymorphism and Italian sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

2003

A great amount of evidence suggests that neuroinflammation may be a major pathogenetic mechanism in the pathophysiology of sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (sAD). Recently, polymorphisms in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) gene have been associated to late onset Alzheimer's Disease in a British population. However, other groups failed to replicate this finding in Asiatic and Caucasian populations. We conducted a case-control study including a clinically well-defined group of 149 sAD patients and 149 age and sex matched controls to test the association between NOS3 Glu298Asp polymorphism and sAD in an ethnically homogenous Italian population. All subjects were genotyped at NOS3 and a…

Brainstem hyperactivity in migraine

2000

Red Ear Syndrome and Migraine: Report of Eight Cases

2002

We describe eight idiopathic cases of red ear syndrome in seven children and one adult. All were migraineurs with a history of paroxysmally painful and red ear, unilateral or alternating, in isolation or associated with migraine attacks. The reported duration of these episodes varied from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Neurologic examination, brain MRI and CT scans, and x-rays of the cervical spine were normal. The close temporal relationship between the "red ear episodes" and migraine attacks suggests an association between the two conditions.

I disturbi comportamentali “clinicamente rilevanti” nella demenza vascolare, nella demenza a corpi di Lewy e nella demenza di Alzheimer: studio su 92…

2006

TRANS-CRANIAL MRI-GUIDED FOCUSED ULTRASOUND SURGERY (TCMRGFUS): PRELIMINARY ITALIAN (AND WORLD-FIRST) EXPERIENCE AT 1,5 TESLA (first 3 cases treated)

2015

PURPOSE: We present our preliminary results achieved with the first Italian installation of a trans-cranial MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (tcMRgFUS) certified system for functional neurosurgery. Moreover, to our knowledge, this is the world-first tcMRgFUS system ever installed on a 1.5T MRI unit. TcMRgFUS is a promising new technology for the non-invasive treatment of neurologic disorders such as Essential Tremor (ET), tremor dominant idiopathic Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Neuropathic Pain (NP). This is a new method for focal targeting and lesioning of specific regions in the brain through intact skull by using high intensity focused ultrasound beam to achieve thermal ablation and …

Migraine without aura as a possible sign of covert neurological involvement in Behçet's disease: A case-control study

2004

In the present study we evaluate the prevalence of headache and the frequency of different primary headaches in patients with Bebçet's Disease (BD) without neurological involvement. Furthermore, we investigate the relationship between headache with other clinical, and behavioural variables. Twenty-seven BD patients and 27 control subjects underwent a validated semi-structured questionnaire based on the International Headache Society criteria. Levels of anxiety and depression, disease activity, and current medication were collected. Headache occurred in about 90% of BD patients. There was no difference in the prevalence of the different headache syndromes between BD patients and controls. O…

Clinical Evaluation of a Telemedically Linked Intraoral Drug Delivery System

2013

The miniaturized intraoral drug delivery system BuccalDose is composed of a replaceable cartridge which is worn in a removable prosthesis and an external base station for telemedical therapy monitoring. The system has now been tested for the first time with Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. The study evaluated the usability of the entire system, the functionality of the telemedical transmission path and the functionality of the cartridge, which uses an osmotic pumping principle to release a liquid drug formulation to the buccal mucosa. The BuccalDose system was generally considered to be easy to handle, even with movement disorders, up to a mild-moderate disease stage. In addition, the obt…

The instruments used by the Italian centres for cognitive disorders and dementia to diagnose mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

2018

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the tools used in Italy to diagnose mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: In collaboration with the Luigi Amaducci Research Consortium, the Italian Network of Alzheimer Evaluation Units prepared a questionnaire to describe how MCI is diagnosed in the Italian Centres for cognitive disorders and dementia (CCDD). Results: Most of the ninety-two CCDDs participating in the survey were located in hospitals (54.7%); large percentages were coordinated by neurologists (50.8%) and geriatricians (44.6%). Almost all (98.5%) used the Mini Mental State Examination to diagnose MCI; the Clock Drawing Test was also frequently used (83.9%). Other neuropsycho…

Encefaliti

2007

Chronic headache and body mass index: a case-control study.

2012

In recent years clinical research has focused on the possible role played by obesity as a risk factor for headache chronification.The aim of this case-control, hospital-based study was to evaluate: the prevalence of overweight and obesity in subjects with chronic migraine (CM) and chronic tension-type headache (CTTH); and the possible correlations between body mass index (BMI) and both headache types. Materials and methods: We studied 79 patients, 46 with CM and 33 with CTTH, consecutively referred to the Adult Headache Centre of the University of Palermo (A.H. Study) between 2007 and 2009, and 316 controls without headache (each patient was matched by sex and age to four controls).The head…

Metabolomic analysis of plasma from Alzheimer disease patients

2011

Alzheimer Disease is a degenerative disease characterized by progressive impairment of cognitive function. The main feature of AD the generation of an abnormal peptide, beta amyloid 42 (Ab42) from Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP). Ab42 is the main constituent of neurotangles and amyloid plaques, microscopic lesions found in AD patients brain. Ab42 triggers an inflammatory response that is responsible for most of the observed tissue damage. The diagnosis of AD is a complex task, mostly based on imaging techniques and clinical evaluation of the patient’s neurological and cognitive functions. The search for plasma biomarkers able to detect early mild cognitive impairment is one of the recent at…

Malattie croniche e multimorbilità

2013

Malattie delle meningi e neurolue

2007

Metabolic syndrome, mild cognitive impairment and dementia: data from the cognitive impairment through aging

2011

mild cogntiive impairment

ORAL HEALTH STATUS AND PERIODONTITIS IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE:A POPULATION-BASED, CASE-CONTROL STUDY FROM THE ZABUT AGING PROJECT

2014

Aims. The aetiopathogenesis for Alzheimer's disease (AD) have not been defined, although inflammation within the brain is thought to play a role. Recent data suggest that peripheral infections contribute to the inflammatory state of central nervous system diseases, including cognitive impairment and dementia (1). Periodontitis (PD) is a prevalent, chronic infection involving the tissues supporting the teeth associated with gram negative, anaerobic bacteria capable of promoting local and systemic release of inflammatory mediators. Aim of the present study was to assess the oral health status and the prevalence/severity of PD in incident AD subjects evaluated during a population-based, 10-yea…

New-onset headache following COVID-19: An Italian multicentre case series

2023

Objective: To describe the characteristics of patients with new-onset headache following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to several neurological manifestations, and headache is a frequent and disabling symptom, both exacerbating pre-existing headache syndromes and causing new-onset ones. Methods: Patients with new-onset headache after SARS-CoV-2 infection with consent to participate were included, while those ones with previous headaches were excluded. The temporal latency of headache after infection, pain characteristics, and concomitant symptoms were analysed. Moreover, the efficacy of acute and preventive medications was explored. Results: Eleven females (med…

A new intraoral device to home assist Parkinson’s disease patients by distant control

2009

Anxiety disorder, depression and chronic daily headache: a case-control study.

2012

Chronic headache cause high disability in sufferers and high social cost. Data regarding possible comorbid diseases, manly depression and anxiety, are still few and conflicting.The aim of this case-control, hospital-based study was: to evaluate the prevalence of depression and anxiety in subjects with chronic migraine (CM) and chronic tension-type headache (CTTH); and to compare the results with those found in a control group without headache. Materials and methods We studied 79 patients, 46 with CM and 33 with CTTH, consecutively referred to the Adult Headache Centre of the University of Palermo (A.H. Study) between 2007 and 2009, and 316 controls without headache (each patient was matched…

Five-year longitudinal study of juvenile migraine headaches

2004

To evaluate the prevalence and the evolution over 5-year of juvenile migraine headaches. Sixty-four subjects selected in our 1989 epidemiological survey were included in the study. The criteria of the International Headache Society were used both in 1989 and 1994. Thirty-two out of 64 subjects (50%) had MWAO, 18 (28.1%) had MD and 14 (21.9%) had headache not classifiable (HnC). MWOA persists in 56.2%, becomes MD and HnC in 9.4% and 3.1% of cases respectively, changes to episodic tension-type headache (ETTH) in 12.5%, and remits in 18.8%. MD persists in 11.1%, becomes MWOA and HnC in 27.8% and 5.5% of cases respectively, changes to ETTH in 11.1, and remits in 44.5%. HnC persists in 14.3%, be…

Neurological Consequences, Mental Health, Physical Care, and Appropriate Nutrition in Long-COVID-19.

2022

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused a collapse of the world health systems. Now, vaccines and more effective therapies have reversed this crisis but the scenario is further aggravated by the appearance of a new pathology, occurring as SARS-CoV-2 infection consequence: the long-COVID-19. This term is commonly used to describe signs and symptoms that continue or develop after acute infection of COVID-19 up to several months. In this review, the consequences of the disease on mental health and the neurological implications due to the long-COVID are described. Furthermore, the appropriate nutritional approach and some recommendations to relieve the symptoms of the pathology are presented. Data colle…

Nine new cases of hypnic headache

2011

Migraine, tension type headache and body mass index. Is there any relationship?

2011

migraine

Diagnosis and therapeutic management of primary headache in an emergency setting

2013

The Home-based Empowered Living for Parkinson's disease patients

2009

POST-THALAMOTOMY NEUROFUNCTIONAL FINDINGS ON PATIENTS TREATED WITH TRANS-CRANIAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE GUIDED FOCUSED ULTRASOUND SURGERY (TCMRGFUS): PRE…

2015

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We present functional connectivity (FC) changes found in the very first patients treated with the first Italian installation of a trans-cranial MRI-guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (tcMRgFUS) certified system for functional neurosurgery. TcMRgFUS is a promising new technique for non-invasive treatment of neurologic disorders such as Essential Tremor, tremor associated to Parkinson's Disease and Neuropathic Pain. TcMRgFUS is able to focally target and destroy specific regions in the brain through intact skull, by using a high intensity focused ultrasound beam. Resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (RS-fMRI) analyses focuses on spontaneous low frequency …

Risk factors for cognitive impairment in subjects with Behçet's disease

2004

In the present study we evaluated the prevalence and risk factors for cognitive impairment in subjects with Behçet's Disease (BD). The following risk factors were studied: age, education, disease duration, activity of disease, prednisone dosage, and anxiety and depression levels. Twenty-six BD out-patients without overt neurological involvement and 26 sex-matched controls completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Compared to controls, BD subjects were significantly impaired on tasks evaluating long-term verbal and nonverbal memory, and visuospatial skills. Cognitive impairment was evident in 46.1% of BD patients compared with none of control subjects (p<.0001), with memory repr…