Visual stimulation and frequency of focal neurological symptoms engage distinctive neurocognitive resources in migraine with aura patients. A study of resting-state functional networks

Introduction: Several functional neuroimaging studies on healthy controls and patients with migraine with aura have shown that the activation of functional networks during visual stimulation is not restricted to the striate system, but also includes several extrastriate networks. Methods: Before and after 4 min of visual stimulation with a checkerboard pattern, we collected functional MRI in 21 migraine with aura (MwA) patients and 18 healthy subjects (HS). For each recording session, we identified independent resting-state networks in each group and correlated network connection strength changes with clinical disease features. Results: Before visual stimulation, we found reduced connectivity between the default mode network and the left dorsal attention system (DAS) in MwA patients compared to HS. In HS, visual stimulation increases functional connectivity between the independent components of the bilateral DAS and the executive control network (ECN). In MwA, visual stimulation significantly improved functional connectivity between the independent component pairs salience network and DAS, and between DAS and ECN. The ECN Z-scores after visual stimulation were negatively related to the monthly frequency of aura. Conclusions: In individuals with MwA, 4 min of visual stimulation had stronger cognitive impact than in healthy people. A higher frequency of aura may lead to a diminished ability to obtain cognitive resources to cope with transitory but important events like aura-related focal neurological symptoms

Who influences parents\u2019 decision on life support treatments for children with spinal muscular atrophy type 1?

Background: We aimed at assessing the influence of those who are part of the parents\u2019 social network (family, friends and health professionals) when they are making decisions about nutritional and respiratory support treatments for their SMA 1 children. Methods: We prepared a 46-question questionnaire to explore the factors that influence parents\u2019 decisions. The influence of the different persons, the degree of satisfaction with the treatment elected and the consistency between the treatment information and the child\u2019s status were assessed by the parents using a Likert scaleof ten (a higher score for a higher influence). Results: The secondary-care physicians have the main influence on parent\u2019s decisions about nutritional support (mean=6.4) and about respiratory support (mean=5.8). This influence is higher among decisions about Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (mean=8.0) and among decisions about Tracheostomy Ventilation (mean=8.0). The degree of satisfaction with the chosen treatment is high (mean=7.9), and consistency between information about treatment and development of the illness also has a high score (mean=8.3). The hospital ethics committee was involved in 13.3% of the cases. Conclusions: The secondary-care physician influences parents\u2019 decisions about nutritional and respiratory support, particularly while choosing PEG and TV. The degree of satisfaction is very high regardless of the treatment chosen. The hospital ethics committee is not usually involved in the treatment decisions for SMA1 children

Occipital atrophy signature in prodromal Lewy bodies disease

Introduction: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is typically characterized by parietal, temporal, and occipital atrophy, but less is known about the newly defined prodromal phases. The objective of this study was to evaluate structural brain alterations in prodromal DLB (p-DLB) as compared to healthy controls (HC) and full-blown dementia (DLB-DEM). Methods: The study included 42 DLB patients (n = 20 p-DLB; n = 22 DLB-DEM) and 27 HC with a standardized neurological assessment and 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging. Voxel-wise analyses on gray-matter and cortical thickness were implemented to evaluate differences between p-DLB, DLB-DEM, and HC. Results: p-DLB and DLB-DEM exhibited reduced occipital and posterior parieto-temporal volume and thickness, extending from prodromal to dementia stages. Occipital atrophy was more sensitive than insular atrophy in differentiating p-DLB and HC. Occipital atrophy correlated to frontotemporal structural damage increasing from p-DLB to DLB-DEM. Discussion: Occipital and posterior-temporal structural alterations are an early signature of the DLB continuum and correlate with a long-distance pattern of atrophy

Differential Associations of IL-4 With Hippocampal Subfields in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease

Background/Aims: We aimed to assess the association between in volumetric measures of hippocampal sub-regions – in healthy older controls (HC), subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD- with circulating levels of IL-4.Methods: From AddNeuroMed Project 113 HC, 101 stable MCI (sMCI), 22 converter MCI (cMCI) and 119 AD were included. Hippocampal subfield volumes were analyzed using Freesurfer 6.0.0 on high-resolution sagittal 3D-T1W MP-RAGE acquisitions. Plasmatic IL-4 was measured using ELISA assay.Results: IL-4 was found to be (a) positively associate with left subiculum volume (β = 0.226, p = 0.037) in sMCI and (b) negatively associate with left subiculum volume (β = -0.253, p = 0.011) and left presubiculum volume (β = -0.257, p = 0.011) in AD.Conclusion: Our results indicate a potential neuroprotective effect of IL-4 on the areas of the hippocampus more vulnerable to aging and neurodegeneration

Intermezzo Primo Del Tracollo / Musica Del. Sig: Pergolesi

INTERMEZZO PRIMO DEL TRACOLLO / MUSICA DEL. SIG: PERGOLESI Intermezzo Primo Del Tracollo / Musica Del. Sig: Pergolesi (1) Titelseite (1) Partitur (2

Tumori non odontogeni.

Nell'ambito della diagnostica per immagini nella patologia odontostomatologica e maxillo-facciale, questo capitolo di libro si occupa dei tumori non odontogeni