Rest tremor in Parkinson's disease: body distribution and time of appearance

Objective To assess body distribution and timing of appearance of rest tremor in Parkinson's disease. Methods Information was obtained by a computerized database containing historical information collected at the first visit and data collected during the subsequent follow-up visits. Information on rest tremor developed during the follow-up could be therefore obtained by our own observation in a proportion of patients. Results Among 289 patients, rest tremor was reported at disease onset in 65.4% of cases and detected at last follow-up examination in 74.4% of patients. Analysis of patients who did not report rest tremor at disease onset indicated that 26% of such patients (9% in the overall population) manifested rest tremor over the disease course. Rest tremor spread to new sites in 39% of patients who manifested rest tremor at disease onset. Regardless of tremor presentation at disease onset or during the follow-up, upper limb was the most frequent tremor localization. Over the follow-up, rest tremor developed faster in the upper limb than in other body sites. The risk of developing rest tremor during the follow-up was not affected by sex, side of motor symptom onset and site of tremor presentation. However, age of disease onset > 63 years was associated with an increased risk of rest tremor spread. Conclusions This study provides new information about body distribution and timing of rest tremor appearance during the course of early stages of Parkinson's disease that may help clinicians in patients' counselling

A biophysical model of dynamic balancing of excitation and inhibition in fast oscillatory large-scale networks

Over long timescales, neuronal dynamics can be robust to quite large perturbations, such as changes in white matter connectivity and grey matter structure through processes including learning, aging, development and certain disease processes. One possible explanation is that robust dynamics are facilitated by homeostatic mechanisms that can dynamically rebalance brain networks. In this study, we simulate a cortical brain network using the Wilson-Cowan neural mass model with conduction delays and noise, and use inhibitory synaptic plasticity (ISP) to dynamically achieve a spatially local balance between excitation and inhibition. Using MEG data from 55 subjects we find that ISP enables us to simultaneously achieve high correlation with multiple measures of functional connectivity, including amplitude envelope correlation and phase locking. Further, we find that ISP successfully achieves local E/I balance, and can consistently predict the functional connectivity computed from real MEG data, for a much wider range of model parameters than is possible with a model without ISP

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure fl ux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defi ned as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (inmost higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium ) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the fi eld understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation it is imperative to delete or knock down more than one autophagy-related gene. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways so not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

New distribution and genetic data extend the ranges of the spectacled salamanders, genus <em>Salamandrina</em>, in the Apulia region (South Italy)

Additional data on the distribution of the genus <em>Salamandrina</em> in the Apulia region (southern Italy) are provided. Based on fieldwork carried out from May to August 2011 in two new localities, Volturara Appula (Foggia province) and Spinazzola (Barletta province), the presence of <em>Salamandrina</em> species was recorded. Results from the genetic analyses of the 12S rRNA gene fragment from six individuals demonstrated that <em>S. perspicillata</em> occurs in Volturara Appula while <em>S. terdigitata</em> in the Spinazzola locality. The latter species is reported for the first time for the Apulia region. These new distribution data represent considerable range extensions for the Salamandrina species, indicating that more surveys are needed to complement the existing knowledge on their distribution as well as of the herpetofauna from the Apulia region. The conservation implications of our findings are also discussed

Diversity and distribution of the Italian Aesculapian snake Zamenis lineatus: A phylogeographic assessment with implications for conservation

Geographic range size and genetic diversity are key correlates of extinction risk and evolutionary potential of a species, with species occupying smaller geographic ranges and showing limited genetic diversity assumed to be more threatened by environmental changes. The Italian Aesculapian snake Zamenis lineatus is a narrow-range endemic of southern Italy and Sicily, once considered as part of the widespread species Z. longissimus. To date, we still lack comprehensive data on geographic range and intraspecific diversity of Z. lineatus. In this study, we analysed 106 Aesculapian snakes across the Italian Peninsula and Sicily in order to define the genetic diversity and distribution range of Z. lineatus, its possible range overlap with Z. longissimus and to assess whether hybridization occurs at the species' range boundaries. We combined genetic data from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers with phenotypic data suitable for taxonomic identification. The observed phylogeographic pattern of Z. lineatus suggests: (i) a reduced peninsular range size, about a half of what is currently considered; (ii) limited genetic diversity and weak population structure; (iii) the occurrence of pervasive introgressive hybridization with Z. longissimus in the eastern contact zone. Together, results from this study indicate a higher extinction risk for Z. lineatus than previously appreciated and provide directions for future studies on the hybridization at the contact zone(s) between Z. lineatus and Z. longissimus

Assessment of voice and speech symptoms in early Parkinson's disease by the Robertson dysarthria profile

Changes in voice and speech are thought to involve 75–90 % of people with PD, but the impact of PD progression on voice/speech parameters is not well defined. In this study, we assessed voice/speech symptoms in 48 parkinsonian patients staging <3 on the modified Hoehn and Yahr scale and 37 healthy subjects using the Robertson dysarthria profile (a clinical–perceptual method exploring all components potentially involved in speech difficulties), the Voice handicap index (a validated measure of the impact of voice symptoms on quality of life) and the speech evaluation parameter contained in the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS-III). Accuracy and metric properties of the Robertson dysarthria profile were also measured. On Robertson dysarthria profile, all parkinsonian patients yielded lower scores than healthy control subjects. Differently, the Voice Handicap Index and the speech evaluation parameter contained in the UPDRS-III could detect speech/voice disturbances in 10 and 75 % of PD patients, respectively. Validation procedure in Parkinson’s disease patients showed that the Robertson dysarthria profile has acceptable reliability, satisfactory internal consistency and scaling assumptions, lack of floor and ceiling effects, and partial correlations with UPDRS-III and Voice Handicap Index. We concluded that speech/voice disturbances are widely identified by the Robertson dysarthria profile in early parkinsonian patients, even when the disturbances do not carry a significant level of disability. Robertson dysarthria profile may be a valuable tool to detect speech/voice disturbances in Parkinson’s disease

Il nuovo Atlante degli Anfibi e dei Rettili d'Italia

The new atlas of amphibians and reptiles of Italy. The atlas project of S.H.I. started in 1993 and led to the publication of the Atlas of amphibians and reptiles of Italy in 2006. Since 2013, citizen science platforms have been adopted to increase data collection. The new database contains 240,000 geo-referenced data often associated with images of the observed individuals. The database contains the records uploaded to Ornitho.it or iNaturalist, the data provided by the regional sections and by the members of S.H.I. and of course also the old database. The new atlas of amphibians and reptiles of Italy will deal with the distribution, it will discuss the doubtful locations of the atlas edited in 2006 and the areas with limited coverage. It will also present the extent of the Italian distribution of each species, the disjointed, insular, introduced, and extinct populations. The large amount of data collected will also make it possible to evaluate the altitudinal distribution and phenology. The new database will represent a useful tool for future S.H.I. monitoring projects

Results of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG, IgM, IgA and IgG Avidity testing in pregnant women in Rome, Italy

To evaluate the incidence of Toxoplasma gondii infection, the detection of specific IgG, IgM, IgA and IgG avidity was performed on 1424 pregnant women referred to the “L. Spallanzani” Hospital in Rome (Italy). Of the 1424 women screened, 20 (1.40%) were likely to have been recently infected (presence of IgM/IgA, and/or low IgG avidity), 29 (2.04%) had positive IgM coupled with high IgG avidity, 7 (0.49%) had an unspecific result for IgM alone, 1339 (94.0%), were negative for both IgG and IgM, 29 (2.04%) showed evidence of past infection (IgG positive, IgM negative, high IgG avidity). In Conclusion our results underscore the importance of efficient antenatal screening and appropriate treatment for Toxoplasma infection in Italy