Uncovering the heterogeneity and temporal complexity of neurodegenerative diseases with Subtype and Stage Inference

The heterogeneity of neurodegenerative diseases is a key confound to disease understanding and treatment development, as study cohorts typically include multiple phenotypes on distinct disease trajectories. Here we introduce a machine-learning technique\u2014Subtype and Stage Inference (SuStaIn)\u2014able to uncover data-driven disease phenotypes with distinct temporal progression patterns, from widely available cross-sectional patient studies. Results from imaging studies in two neurodegenerative diseases reveal subgroups and their distinct trajectories of regional neurodegeneration. In genetic frontotemporal dementia, SuStaIn identifies genotypes from imaging alone, validating its ability to identify subtypes; further the technique reveals within-genotype heterogeneity. In Alzheimer\u2019s disease, SuStaIn uncovers three subtypes, uniquely characterising their temporal complexity. SuStaIn provides fine-grained patient stratification, which substantially enhances the ability to predict conversion between diagnostic categories over standard models that ignore subtype (p = 7.18 7 10 124 ) or temporal stage (p = 3.96 7 10 125 ). SuStaIn offers new promise for enabling disease subtype discovery and precision medicine

Alzheimer’s disease and Down’s syndrome: Treating Two Paths to Dementia.

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New Advances in the Treatment of Neurological Diseases Using High Dose Intravenous Immunoglobulins

Since the incidental discovery in 1981 that intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) are immunomodulatory, they have been investigated in a large number of putative autoimmune diseases. This has led to licensing for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Kawasaki disease, and in neurological disorders for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Although not licensed, randomized controlled trials have also shown IVIg efficacy in other neuroimmunological diseases such as multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN), chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuropathy (CIDP), myasthenia gravis, dermatomyositis, and stiff-person syndrome. However, other indications are currently being explored including Alzheimer's disease, postpolio syndrome, and narcolepsy. There are even reports from experimental studies in stroke. The results of recently published clinical trials in both the classical neuroimmunological disorders as well as for new indications are reported and their role in clinical practice is discussed