Search results for "multiple sclerosis"
showing 10 items of 630 documents
Changes in magnetic resonance imaging disease measures over 3 years in mildly disabled patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis receiving…
2011
Abstract Background Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has improved the diagnosis and monitoring of multiple sclerosis (MS). In clinical trials, MRI has been found to detect treatment effects with greater sensitivity than clinical measures; however, clinical and MRI outcomes tend to correlate poorly. Methods In this observational study, patients (n = 550; 18-50 years; relapsing-remitting MS [Expanded Disability Status Scale score ≤4.0]) receiving interferon (IFN) β-1a therapy (44 or 22 µg subcutaneously [sc] three times weekly [tiw]) underwent standardized MRI, neuropsychological and quality-of-life (QoL) assessments over 3 years. In this post hoc analysis, MRI outcomes and corre…
BLBP-expression in astrocytes during experimental demyelination and in human multiple sclerosis lesions
2011
Several lines of evidence indicate that remyelination represents one of the most effective mechanisms to achieve axonal protection. For reasons that are not yet understood, this process is often incomplete or fails in multiple sclerosis (MS). Activated astrocytes appear to be able to boost or inhibit endogenous repair processes. A better understanding of remyelination in MS and possible reasons for its failure is needed. Using the well-established toxic demyelination cuprizone model, we created lesions with either robust or impaired endogenous remyelination capacity. Lesions were analyzed for mRNA expression levels by Affymetrix GeneChip® arrays. One finding was the predominance of immune a…
Increased cortical curvature reflects white matter atrophy in individual patients with early multiple sclerosis
2014
Objective White matter atrophy occurs independently of lesions in multiple sclerosis. In contrast to lesion detection, the quantitative assessment of white matter atrophy in individual patients has been regarded as a major challenge. We therefore tested the hypothesis that white matter atrophy (WMA) is present at the very beginning of multiple sclerosis (MS) and in virtually each individual patient. To find a new sensitive and robust marker for WMA we investigated the relationship between cortical surface area, white matter volume (WMV), and whole-brain-surface-averaged rectified cortical extrinsic curvature. Based on geometrical considerations we hypothesized that cortical curvature increa…
Cognitive impairment and its relation with disease measures in mildly disabled patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: baseline results…
2009
Background Cognitive impairment is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS), but the association between cognitive impairment and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disease measures in patients with relapsing–remitting (RR) MS is unclear. Objectives To study the prevalence of cognitive impairment and its relation with MRI disease measures in mildly disabled patients with RRMS. Methods Patients aged 18–50 years with RRMS (McDonald criteria) and an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score ≤4.0, who were enrolled in the Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis (COGIMUS) study, underwent baseline standardized MRI complete neurological examination and neuropsychological testing. Results…
A cross-sectional, multicentre study of the therapeutic management of multiple sclerosis relapses in Italy.
2013
Despite the existence of therapeutic guidelines, management of multiple sclerosis relapse remains heterogeneous. Optimisation of relapse outcome demands an improved understanding of the neurologist's therapeutic attitude towards relapse management, which is the aim of this study. Neurologists from 13 multiple sclerosis centres completed a questionnaire every time they assessed multiple sclerosis relapses. The questionnaire requested a guided description of the relapse's clinical characteristics and an indication of the prescribed therapy, supported with up to 3 out of 20 suggested reasons. Over 3 months, 368 questionnaires were collected. Median percentage (%) of 21 relapses resulting in a …
Accuracy of death certificates for motor neuron disease and multiple sclerosis in the province of Palermo in southern Italy
2002
Mortality studies based on death certificates (DCs) are relatively inexpensive and easy to conduct. Therefore, they are frequently used to evaluate variations of geographical and temporal patterns, particularly in uncommon diseases. Recent surveys of motor neuron disease (MND) and multiple sclerosis (MS) based on official mortality statistics in Italy showed a decreasing trend of mortality from northern to southern Italy. To evaluate if DCs are homogeneously recorded in Italy and whether or not they can be considered a good instrument for mortality studies, we assessed the accuracy of DCs for MND and MS in the province of Palermo, Italy, and compared our results with those reported in other…
Possible Reduction of Cardiac Risk after Supplementation with Epigallocatechin Gallate and Increase of Ketone Bodies in the Blood in Patients with Mu…
2020
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes anthropometric changes characterised by functional disability, increase in fat mass, and decrease in lean mass. All these variables are related to a greater cardiac risk. The polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and an increase in ketone bodies in the blood have been shown to have beneficial effects on anthropometric and biochemical variables related to cardiovascular activity. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of the intervention with EGCG and ketone bodies on cardiac risk in MS patients. A population of 51 MS patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an intervention group (daily dose of 800…
In toxic demyelination oligodendroglial cell death occurs early and is FAS independent
2010
Oligodendroglial cell death is a frequent phenomenon of many neurological diseases, e.g. in demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that in the toxic demyelination cuprizone model, oligodendroglial cell death and downregulation of myelin genes start days after initiation of the cuprizone diet and weeks before demyelination is obvious. In early – but not in later – stages, dying oligodendrocytes express activated caspase 3, suggesting a switch from classical apoptotic pathways to caspase 3-independent mechanisms during the course of the cuprizone diet. The expression level of FAS in the corpus callosum, a cel…
A 12-month prospective, observational study evaluating the impact of disease-modifying treatment on emotional burden in recently-diagnosed multiple s…
2016
Abstract Introduction Depression and anxiety are common among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and are frequently present at the time of MS diagnosis. Methods POSIDONIA was a 12-month, observational, prospective study conducted in Italy to evaluate the impact of disease-modifying treatment (DMT) on emotional burden in patients with recently-diagnosed MS. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), specifically HADS anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D) subscale scores, the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and the Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES-R) were used to measure patient-reported outcomes. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), HDRS-17, was used as a measure…
Multiple sclerosis in twins from continental Italy and Sardinia: a nationwide study.
2005
Knowledge about the balance between heritable and nonheritable risk in multiple sclerosis (MS) is based on twin studies in high-prevalence areas. In a study that avoided ascertainment limitations and directly compared continental Italy (medium-prevalence) and Sardinia (high-prevalence), we ascertained 216 pairs from 34,549 patients. This gives a twinning rate of 0.62% among MS patients, significantly less than that of the general population. In continental Italy, probandwise concordance was 14.5% (95% confidence interval, 5.1-23.8) for monozygotic and 4.0% (95% confidence interval, 0.8-7.1) for dizygotic twins. Results in Sardinia resemble those in northern populations but in limited number…