Efficacy of interferon in multiple sclerosis

Introduction of interferon b-1b in the therapeutic strategy against Multiple Sclerosis has resulted in a great amelioration of treatment in various terms. Relapse rates, delaying progression of the activity, improvement of imaging outcomes as well as reduction of disease activity itself consist great achievements against a pathological condition that challenged medical effectiveness throughout decades. Two recombinant human IFN-1a and an IFN-1b preparations have been proved effected and well tolerated. We reviewed the most important literature concerning pharmacodynamics, medical efficacy, tolerability and adverse effects of interferon-b usage. In parallel, despite the wide range of trials referring to INF-b treatment, we tried to categorize results of main trials in order to present our conclusions systematicall

Potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults with mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease:Prevalence and associations with adverse events

Aim: Potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use is prevalent in older adults and is associated with adverse events, hospitalisation and mortality. We assessed the patterns and associations of PIM use in older adults with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's Disease (AD), who may represent a particularly vulnerable group. Design: Analysis of data from NILVad, an 18-month Randomised Control Trial of Nilvadapine in mild-to-moderate AD. The v2 STOPP criteria were applied in duplicate to identify PIM use. Associations between PIM use and adverse events/unscheduled healthcare visits in addition to the associations between PIM use and AD progression were evaluated. Setting and Participants: 448 older adults with mild-to-moderate AD from 23 centres in nine European countries. Results: Of 448 participants (mean age: 72.56 ± 8.19 years), over half (55.8%) were prescribed a PIM with 30.1% being prescribed 2+ PIMs. The most frequent PIMs were (i) long-term benzodiazepines (11.6% N = 52/448), (ii) selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors without appropriate indication (11.1% N = 50/448), and (iii) Proton-Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) without appropriate indication (10.7% N = 48/448). Increasing number of PIMs was associated with a greater risk of adverse events (IRR 1.17, 1.13-1.19, P < 0.001), serious adverse events (IRR 1.27; 1.17-1.37, P < 0.001), unscheduled hospitalisations (IRR 1.16, 1.03-1.30, P = 0.016) and GP visits (IRR 1.22, 1.15-1.28, P < 0.001). PIM use was not associated with dementia progression. Conclusions and Implications: PIM use is highly prevalent in mild-to-moderate AD and is associated with adverse events and unscheduled healthcare utilisation. Further attention to de-prescribing in this vulnerable group is warranted

Cognitive impairment as a central cholinergic deficit in patients with Myasthenia Gravis

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate with neurophysiological and neuropsychological methods such as pupillometry, cognitive test and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) the hypothesis of Central Nervous System (CNS) cholinergic involvement in patients with Myasthenia Gravis (MG). Methods: Thirty-two patients (32) with MG and a mean age of 51.1 ± 17.2 volunteered to participate in this investigation, while thirty-three (33) healthy subjects with a mean age of 50.2 ± 14.8 served as controls. All subjects underwent pupillometric measurements and performed the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) and HAM-D. The pupillometric indices studied were: 1) latency for the onset of constriction (T1), 2) maximum constriction velocity (VCmax) and 3) maximum constriction acceleration (ACmax). Results: T1 was found significantly increased by 21.7% (p < 0.05) in MG patients as compared to healthy subjects. Conversely, VCmax and ACmax were significantly decreased in MG patients by 33.3% (p < 0.05) and 43.5% (p < 0.05) respectively, as opposed to healthy subjects. Additionally, MG patients showed significantly decreased score in WMS by 41.6% (p < 0.05) as compared to healthy controls. No significant difference was found for HAM-D between the two groups. Conclusions: VCmax and ACmax are governed mainly by the action of the Parasympathetic Nervous System, through acetylcholine. The results of this study demonstrate that the CNS may be affected in MG and support the hypothesis that MG has central cholinergic effects manifested by cognitive dysfunction

Multiple Sclerosis Patients Valuing Their Own Health Status: Valuation and Psychometric Properties of the 15D

An ongoing debate on decision and cost-utility analyses is whether to use preferences of general public or patients. The aim of this study was to replicate the valuation procedure of the multi-attribute utility generic measure, 15D, using a sample of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and to assess its psychometric properties. Consecutive outpatient MS patients were recruited from two MS centers in Greece. The three-stage valuation procedure was applied and, with the use of elicited preference weights, an MS patients’ algorithm was developed. The original Finnish value set derived from healthy individuals was also used to calculate scores and a comparison between the two algorithms was made. A total of 64 MS patients were evaluated. The 15D scores obtained with the MS patients’ valuation algorithm were higher than the original one. The derived utilities differed significantly with respect to age, depressive symptoms, Expanded Disability Status Scale score and clinical form. MS patients indicated as most important domains mobility, mental functioning and vitality. Cronbach’s alpha was estimated 0.876 and correlations between relevant dimensions of the instruments were moderate to high. The 15D was generally feasible and reliable in patients with MS and the valuation system yielded acceptable psychometric properties

Multiple sclerosis registries in Europe - results of a systematic survey.

Background: Identification of MS registries and databases that are currently in use in Europe as well as a detailed knowledge of their content and structure is important in order to facilitate comprehensive analysis and comparison of data. Methods: National MS registries or databases were identified by literature search, from the results of the MS Barometer 2011 and by asking 33 national MS societies. A standardized questionnaire was developed and sent to the registries' leaders, followed by telephone interviews with them. Results: Twenty registries were identified, with 13 completing the questionnaire and seven being interviewed by telephone. These registries differed widely for objectives, structure, collected data, and for patients and centres included. Despite this heterogeneity, common objectives of the registries were epidemiology (n=10), long-term therapy outcome (n=8), healthcare research (n=9) and support/basis for clinical trials (n=8). While physician-based outcome measures (EDSS) are used in all registries, data from patients' perspectives were only collected in six registries. Conclusions: The detailed information on a large number of national MS registries in Europe is a prerequisite to facilitating harmonized integration of existing data from MS registries and databases, as well as comprehensive analyses and comparison across European populations

Sedative Load in Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Mild-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease: Longitudinal Relationships with Adverse Events, Delirium and Falls

Background Older adults are frequently prescribed medications with sedative effects, which are associated with numerous adverse consequences. However, the prevalence and longitudinal associations of sedative medication use in community-dwelling older adults with mild-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) has not been explored to date. Objectives Our objective was to assess the prevalence of sedative medication use in community-dwelling older adults with mild-moderate AD and examine the longitudinal association between sedative medication use and adverse events (AEs). Methods The association between baseline sedative load (SL) and AEs, unscheduled healthcare utilisation, delirium and falls was assessed in older adults with mild-moderate AD over 18 months using secondary analysis of NILVAD trial data (collected from 2014 to 2016). Baseline medication use was assessed, and the SL model was applied to each participant's medication individually. The SL model classifies medications into one of four categories: (1) primary sedatives, (2) medications with a sedating component or prominent side effect, (3) medications with sedation as a potential adverse reaction and (4) all other medications with no known sedative side effects. Medications in group 1 were assigned an SL score of 2, those in group 2 were assigned an SL score of 1, and those in categories 3 and 4 an SL score of 0. SL scores for each medication participants were taking were summed and the total SL calculated as an arithmetic sum of individual medications score. A total SL score &gt;= 3 was classed as high. Statistical analysis was conducted using Poisson regression and mixed-effects linear regression, with adjustment for important clinical covariates. We also assessed the impact of SL on dementia progression and cognitive decline. Results Over half (55.7% [284/510]) of those with mild-moderate AD (age 72.8 +/- 8.3 years, 61.9% female) were prescribed a regular medication with sedation as a primary effect or prominent side effect, with 22.2% (113/510) having a high SL (&gt;= 3). The most common medications contributing to SL were antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics and hypnotics. Over 18 months, increasing baseline SL was associated with incident AEs (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-1.19;p&lt; 0.001), serious AEs (IRR 1.23; 95% CI 1.11-1.36;p&lt; 0.001) and unscheduled general practitioner visits (IRR 1.23; 95% CI 1.13-1.34;p&lt; 0.001). Further, increasing SL was associated with a greater likelihood of incident delirium (IRR 1.30; 95% CI 1.11-1.53;p&lt; 0.001) and falls (IRR 1.20; 95% CI 1.03-1.42;p= 0.02). Associations persisted after robust covariate adjustment. SL was not associated with accelerated cognitive decline or AD progression. Conclusions In the current study, over half of older adults with mild-moderate AD were prescribed at least one drug with a sedative effect, and a significant minority had a high SL. Increasing baseline SL was associated with a greater likelihood of incident AEs, delirium and falls, highlighting the need for optimal prescribing in this potentially vulnerable cohort

Antidepressant Use and Orthostatic Hypotension in Older Adults Living with Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer Disease

Objectives: Antidepressant use is often reported as a risk factor for Orthostatic Hypotension (OH), however this relationship has never been explored in those with mild/moderate Alzheimer Disease (AD), who may represent a particularly vulnerable cohort. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the NILVAD study. Participants with mild-moderate AD were recruited from 23 centres in 9 countries. Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure (SBP/DBP) was recorded in the seated position and after both 1 &amp; 5 minutes of standing. OH was defined as a drop of 6520 mmHg SBP/ 65 10 mmHg DBP. We examined the relationship between antidepressant use, orthostatic BP drop and the presence of OH, controlling for important covariates. Results: Of 509 participants (72.9 \ub1 8.3 years, 61.9% female), two-fifths (39.1%; 199/509) were prescribed a regular antidepressant. Antidepressant use was associated with a significantly greater SBP and DBP drop at 5 minutes (\u3b2: 1.83, 0.16-3.50, P = 0.03 for SBP; \u3b2: 1.13, 0.02-2.25, P &lt; 0.05 for DBP). Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) use was associated with a significantly greater likelihood of OH (OR 2.0, 1.1-3.6, P = 0.02). Both findings persisted following robust covariate adjustment. Conclusions: In older adults with AD, antidepressants were associated with a significantly greater SBP/DBP drop at 5 minutes. SSRI use in particular may be a risk factor for OH. This emphasises the need to screen older antidepressant users, and particularly those with AD, for ongoing orthostatic symptoms in order to reduce the risk of falls in this vulnerable cohort. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved