INTRODUCTION: Sex influences neurodegeneration, but it has been poorly investigated in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). We investigated sex differences in brain atrophy in DLB using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: We included 436 patients from the European-DLB consortium and the Mayo Clinic. Sex differences and sex-by-age interactions were assessed through visual atrophy rating scales (n = 327; 73 ± 8 years, 62% males) and automated estimations of regional gray matter volume and cortical thickness (n = 165; 69 ± 9 years, 72% males). RESULTS: We found a higher likelihood of frontal atrophy and smaller volumes in six cortical regions in males and thinner olfactory cortices in females. There were significant sex-by-age interactions in volume (six regions) and cortical thickness (seven regions) across the entire cortex. DISCUSSION: We demonstrate that males have more widespread cortical atrophy at younger ages, but differences tend to disappear with increasing age, with males and females converging around the age of 75. HIGHLIGHTS: Male DLB patients had higher odds for frontal atrophy on radiological visual rating scales. Male DLB patients displayed a widespread pattern of cortical gray matter alterations on automated methods. Sex differences in gray matter measures in DLB tended to disappear with increasing age.
- MeSH
- Alzheimerova nemoc * patologie MeSH
- atrofie patologie MeSH
- demence s Lewyho tělísky * diagnostické zobrazování patologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- magnetická rezonanční tomografie MeSH
- mozková kůra patologie MeSH
- pohlavní dimorfismus MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neurological disorders constitute a significant portion of the global disease burden, affecting >30% of the world's population. This prevalence poses a substantial threat to global health in the foreseeable future. A lack of awareness regarding this high burden of neurological diseases has led to their underrecognition, underappreciation, and insufficient funding. Establishing a strategic and comprehensive research agenda for brain-related studies is a crucial step towards aligning research objectives among all pertinent stakeholders and fostering greater societal awareness. METHODS: A scoping literature review was undertaken by a working group from the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) to identify any existing research agendas relevant to neurology. Additionally, a specialized survey was conducted among all EAN scientific panels, including neurologists and patients, inquiring about their perspectives on the current research priorities and gaps in neurology. RESULTS: The review revealed the absence of a unified, overarching brain research agenda. Existing research agendas predominantly focus on specialized topics within neurology, resulting in an imbalance in the number of agendas across subspecialties. The survey indicated a prioritization of neurological disorders and research gaps. CONCLUSIONS: Building upon the findings from the review and survey, key components for a strategic and comprehensive neurological research agenda in Europe were delineated. This research agenda serves as a valuable prioritization tool for neuroscientific researchers, as well as for clinicians, donors, and funding agencies in the field of neurology. It offers essential guidance for creating a roadmap for research and clinical advancement, ultimately leading to heightened awareness and reduced burden of neurological disorders.
- MeSH
- globální zátěž nemocemi MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- nemoci nervového systému * epidemiologie terapie MeSH
- neurologie * MeSH
- výzkum MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa MeSH
AIM OF STUDY: To determine whether a high dose of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG), expressed as levodopa equivalent daily dose (LE daily dose), is a risk factor for acute polyneuropathy in patients treated with LCIG. CLINICAL RATIONALE FOR STUDY: Treatment with LCIG is an effective device-assisted therapy in the advanced stages of Parkinson's Disease (PD). Polyneuropathy is a well-known complication of PD treatment. Patients treated with oral levodopa usually suffer from sub-clinical or mild chronic sensory polyneuropathy. However, severe acute polyneuropathy occurs in patients treated with LCIG, which is causally related to the treatment and leads to its immediate discontinuation. The etiology is not yet clear, but some patients with acute polyneuropathy have been given high doses of LCIG. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective multicentre study of patients treated with LCIG was performed. Patients with acute polyneuropathy were subjected to a detailed analysis including statistical processing. RESULTS: Of 183 patients treated with LCIG in seven centres, six patients (five females, median age 63 years) developed acute polyneuropathy with LCIG discontinuation. The median (interquartile range) initial and final LE daily dose in patients with and without acute polyneuropathy was 3,015 (2,695-3,184) and 1,898 (1,484-2,167) mg, respectively. The final LE daily dose of 2,605 mg cut-off had 83% sensitivity and 93% specificity for the prediction of acute polyneuropathy. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The risk of acute polyneuropathy in LCIG-treated patients was associated with a daily LE dose of greater than 2,605 mg or with more than a 62% increase in the daily LE dose during LCIG treatment.
- MeSH
- antiparkinsonika * škodlivé účinky aplikace a dávkování MeSH
- fixní kombinace léků * MeSH
- gely * MeSH
- karbidopa * aplikace a dávkování škodlivé účinky MeSH
- levodopa * aplikace a dávkování škodlivé účinky MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- Parkinsonova nemoc * farmakoterapie MeSH
- polyneuropatie * chemicky indukované farmakoterapie MeSH
- retrospektivní studie MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- multicentrická studie MeSH
Hypokinetic dysarthria (HD) is a difficult-to-treat symptom affecting quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Levodopa may partially alleviate some symptoms of HD in PD, but the neural correlates of these effects are not fully understood. The aim of our study was to identify neural mechanisms by which levodopa affects articulation and prosody in patients with PD. Altogether 20 PD patients participated in a task fMRI study (overt sentence reading). Using a single dose of levodopa after an overnight withdrawal of dopaminergic medication, levodopa-induced BOLD signal changes within the articulatory pathway (in regions of interest; ROIs) were studied. We also correlated levodopa-induced BOLD signal changes with the changes in acoustic parameters of speech. We observed no significant changes in acoustic parameters due to acute levodopa administration. After levodopa administration as compared to the OFF dopaminergic condition, patients showed task-induced BOLD signal decreases in the left ventral thalamus (p = 0.0033). The changes in thalamic activation were associated with changes in pitch variation (R = 0.67, p = 0.006), while the changes in caudate nucleus activation were related to changes in the second formant variability which evaluates precise articulation (R = 0.70, p = 0.003). The results are in line with the notion that levodopa does not have a major impact on HD in PD, but it may induce neural changes within the basal ganglia circuitries that are related to changes in speech prosody and articulation.
- MeSH
- antiparkinsonika škodlivé účinky MeSH
- dysartrie etiologie komplikace MeSH
- kvalita života MeSH
- levodopa * škodlivé účinky MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- magnetická rezonanční tomografie metody MeSH
- Parkinsonova nemoc * komplikace diagnostické zobrazování farmakoterapie MeSH
- poruchy řeči diagnostické zobrazování etiologie MeSH
- řeč fyziologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The European Academy of Neurology (EAN) has adhered to the global plan for reducing the burden of neurological disorders and promoting brain health launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the WHO Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders. This study reports the results of an EAN survey among national neurological societies (NNSs) on their awareness of brain health policies. METHODS: The EAN survey on the current state of national brain health policies was conducted among the 47 presidents of the NNSs affiliated with the EAN, with the aim of developing the best strategy for close collaboration among stakeholders. RESULTS: From June 2023 to February 2024, 36/47 responses (77%) were collected. Among respondents, 67% were in contact with their Ministry of Health and 78% were aware of and in contact with one or more national neurological patient organisation, while 17% had no contacts with any association. Ninety-two percent declared a high to medium degree of awareness of the need to support brain health and of brain health plans and strategies in their country. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest good awareness of the importance of brain health and of the strategies implemented at the national level among the EAN-affiliated NNSs and representatives. Efforts towards improvement may be directed towards cooperation between NNSs and political institutions, as well as patient organisations, to optimise brain and global public health and neurological care in each country.
- MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mozek MeSH
- nemoci nervového systému terapie MeSH
- neurologie * MeSH
- průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
- společnosti lékařské * MeSH
- uvědomování si MeSH
- zdravotní politika MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa MeSH
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Centers for training in autonomic nervous system (ANS) disorders are not widely available and the recent coronavirus 2019 pandemic temporarily reduced training opportunities in autonomic medicine across European countries. Here we evaluated the current state of education, clinical skills and postgraduate educational preferences on ANS disorders of European neurology residents and consultants. METHODS: A 23-item questionnaire was developed and distributed online amongst European neurology residents and consultants via mailing lists of the European Academy of Neurology. The questions assessed demographics, current training opportunities and learning preferences in ANS disorders. Six multiple-choice questions were used to self-evaluate knowledge of ANS disorders. RESULTS: In all, 285 individuals answered the survey (60% female, mostly 25-34 years of age). All respondents considered clinical autonomic skills necessary for good clinical neurological practice, and 92% would like to increase their ANS knowledge. Female respondents and those who trained in Southern/Eastern/Greater Europe more frequently judged ANS skills important for clinical practice than male respondents (p = 0.012) and respondents from Northern/Western Europe (p = 0.011). Female and younger respondents felt less confident in managing ANS disorders (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Respondents below 45 years of age (p < 0.001) and those with lower confidence in managing ANS disorders (p = 0.004) were more likely to recommend that ANS education is embedded in the residency curriculum. CONCLUSIONS: Most European neurology residents and consultants reported a need for more autonomic education, with additional gender, age and regional differences. These findings underscore the importance of increasing the educational content on autonomic medicine in European medical and postgraduate curricula.
- MeSH
- autonomní nervový systém patofyziologie fyziologie MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- klinické kompetence * MeSH
- konzultanti MeSH
- kurikulum * MeSH
- kurzy a stáže v nemocnici * MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- nemoci autonomního nervového systému terapie MeSH
- neurologie * výchova MeSH
- průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa MeSH
Aging populations face significant cognitive challenges, particularly in working memory (WM). Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) offer promising avenues for cognitive enhancement, especially when inspired by brain physiology. This study (NCT04986787) explores the effect of multifocal tACS on WM performance in healthy older adults, focusing on fronto-parietal network modulation. Individualized physiology-inspired tACS applied to the fronto-parietal network was investigated in two blinded cross-over experiments. The first experiment involved monofocal/bifocal theta-tACS to the fronto-parietal network, while in the second experiment cross-frequency theta-gamma interactions between these regions were explored. Participants have done online WM tasks under the stimulation conditions. Network connectivity was assessed via rs-fMRI and multichannel electroencephalography. Prefrontal monofocal theta tACS modestly improved WM accuracy over sham (d = 0.30). Fronto-parietal stimulation enhanced WM task processing speed, with the strongest effects for bifocal in-phase theta tACS (d = 0.41). Cross-frequency stimulations modestly boosted processing speed with or without impairing task accuracy depending on the stimulation protocol. This research adds to the understanding of physiology-inspired brain stimulation for cognitive enhancement in older subjects.
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Co-pathologies are common in dementia with Lewy bodies and other dementia disorders. We investigated cerebrovascular and Alzheimer's disease co-pathologies in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies in comparison with patients with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, mixed dementia, vascular dementia or Parkinson's disease with dementia and cognitively unimpaired participants. We assessed the association of biomarkers of cerebrovascular and Alzheimer's disease co-pathologies with medial temporal atrophy and global cognitive performance. Additionally, we evaluated whether the findings were specific to dementia with Lewy bodies. We gathered a multi-cohort dataset of 4549 participants (dementia with Lewy bodies = 331, cognitively unimpaired = 1505, mild cognitive impairment = 1489, Alzheimer's disease = 708, mixed dementia = 268, vascular dementia = 148, Parkinson's disease with dementia = 120) from the MemClin Study, Karolinska Imaging in Dementia Study, Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies and the European DLB Consortium. Cerebrovascular co-pathology was assessed with visual ratings of white matter hyperintensities using the Fazekas scale through structural imaging. Alzheimer's disease biomarkers of β-amyloid and phosphorylated tau were assessed in the cerebrospinal fluid for a subsample (N = 2191). Medial temporal atrophy was assessed with visual ratings and global cognition with the mini-mental state examination. Differences and associations were assessed through regression models, including interaction terms. In dementia with Lewy bodies, 43% had a high white matter hyperintensity load, which was significantly higher than that in cognitively unimpaired (14%), mild cognitive impairment (26%) and Alzheimer's disease (27%), but lower than that in vascular dementia (62%). In dementia with Lewy bodies, white matter hyperintensities were associated with medial temporal atrophy, and the interaction term showed that this association was stronger than that in cognitively unimpaired and mixed dementia. However, the association between white matter hyperintensities and medial temporal atrophy was non-significant when β-amyloid was included in the model. Instead, β-amyloid predicted medial temporal atrophy in dementia with Lewy bodies, in contrast to the findings in mild cognitive impairment where medial temporal atrophy scores were independent of β-amyloid. Dementia with Lewy bodies had the lowest performance on global cognition, but this was not associated with white matter hyperintensities. In Alzheimer's disease, global cognitive performance was lower in patients with more white matter hyperintensities. We conclude that white matter hyperintensities are common in dementia with Lewy bodies and are associated with more atrophy in medial temporal lobes, but this association depended on β-amyloid-related pathology in our cohort. The associations between biomarkers were overall stronger in dementia with Lewy bodies than in some of the other diagnostic groups.
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Zobrazovací metody stále více přispívají k přesnější a časnější diagnostice neurodegenerativních onemocnění. Snahou je objevit citlivější biomarkery, které by umožnily kromě časnější diagnostiky také stratifikaci rizika rozvoje a prognózu neurodegenerativních onemocnění. Existuje celé spektrum přístupů od nukleární medicíny (SPECT, PET) přes MRI až po elektrofyziologii (EEG). V naší přehledové práci jsme se snažili shrnout poznatky o využití těchto technik a o charakteristických nálezech, které přispívají k diagnostice nejčastějších typů degenerativních demencí a jejich variant. Některé z těchto poznatků jsou zatím na vědecké úrovni, ale mnohé se již plně uplatňují v klinické praxi.
There has been a great development in imaging methods and their use for early diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders. The aim is to discover more sensitive biomarkers that would enable early stratification of dementia subtypes and disease prognosis. There are various types of imaging methods such as nuclear medicine (SPECT, PET), MRI and electrophysiology (EEG), which provide complementary picture about degenerative diseases. The main purpose of this work is to review the most typical findings in neurodegenerative dementia and their most common variants and subtypes. Although some of them are suitable only for scientific purposes, many have been utilized in diagnostic guidelines.
- MeSH
- biologické markery analýza MeSH
- demence diagnostické zobrazování klasifikace MeSH
- diagnostické zobrazování * klasifikace metody MeSH
- elektroencefalografie metody MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- magnetická rezonanční tomografie metody MeSH
- neurodegenerativní nemoci * diagnostické zobrazování klasifikace MeSH
- neurofyziologický monitoring klasifikace metody MeSH
- PET/CT metody MeSH
- SPECT/CT metody MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
