Safinamide (un alpha-aminoamide à la pharmacologie complexe développé pour ses propiété sopaminergiques et non dopaminergiques dans le traitement des symptômes de la maladie de Parkinson)

RENNES1-BU Santé (352382103) / SudocSudocFranceF

Serum neurofilament light as a biomarker in progressive multiple sclerosis

There is an unmet need in multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy for treatments to stop progressive disability. The development of treatments may be accelerated if novel biomarkers are developed to overcome the limitations of traditional imaging outcomes revealed in early phase trials. In January 2019, the International Progressive MS Alliance convened a standing expert panel to consider potential tissue fluid biomarkers in MS in general and in progressive MS specifically. The panel focused their attention on neurofilament light chain (NfL) in serum or plasma, examining data from both relapsing and progressive MS. Here, we report the initial conclusions of the panel and its recommendations for further research. Serum NfL (sNfL) is a plausible marker of neurodegeneration that can be measured accurately, sensitively, and reproducibly, but standard procedures for sample processing and analysis should be established. Findings from relapsing and progressive cohorts concur and indicate that sNfL concentrations correlate with imaging and disability measures, predict the future course of the disease, and can predict response to treatment. Importantly, disease activity from active inflammation (i.e., new T2 and gadolinium-enhancing lesions) is a large contributor to sNfL, so teasing apart disease activity from the disease progression that drives insidious disability progression in progressive MS will be challenging. More data are required on the effects of age and comorbidities, as well as the relative contributions of inflammatory activity and other disease processes. The International Progressive MS Alliance is well positioned to advance these initiatives by connecting and supporting relevant stakeholders in progressive MS

Radiochemical characterization of produced water from two production offshore oilfields in Ghana

Produced water from two Ghanaian offshore production oilfields has been characterized using alpha spectrometry after radiochemical separation, non-destructive gamma spectrometry and ICP-MS and other complimentary analytical tools. The measured concentrations of main NORM components were in the range of 6.2-22.3 Bq.L, 6.4-35.5 Bq.L, and 0.7-7.0 Bq.L for Ra, Ra and Ra respectively. A good correlation between several physico-chemical parameters and radium isotopes was observed in each production oilfield. The radium concentrations obtained in this study for produced water from the two oilfields of Ghana are of radiological importance and hence there may be the need to put in place measures for future contamination concerns due to their bioavailability in the media and bioaccumulation characteristics. The results will assist in critical decision making for future set up of appropriate national guidelines for the management of NORM waste from the emerging oil and gas industry in Ghana.This work was funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency in the form of an 18 months Sandwich Fellowship and the Radiation Protection Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (fellowship grant Number GHA/14019).Peer Reviewe

Amantadine use in the French prospective NS-Park cohort

International audienceObjective: To assess amantadine use and associated factors in the patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).Background: Immediate-release amantadine is approved for the treatment of PD and is largely used in clinical practice to treat "levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LIDs). Its use varies according to countries and PD stages. The prospective NS-Park cohort collects features of PD patients followed by 26 French PD Expert Centres.Methods: Variables used for the analyses included demographics, motor and non-motor PD symptoms and motor complications [motor fluctuations (MFs), LIDs)], antiparkinsonian pharmacological classes and levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD). We evaluated: (i) prevalence of amantadine use and compared clinical features of amantadine users vs. non-users (cross-sectional analysis); (ii) factors associated with amantadine initiation (longitudinal analysis); (iii) amantadine effect on LIDs, MFs, apathy, impulse control disorders and freezing of gait (Fog) (longitudinal analysis).Results: Amantadine use prevalence was 12.6% (1,585/12,542, median dose = 200 mg). Amantadine users were significantly younger, with longer and more severe PD symptoms, greater LEDD and more frequent use of device-aided/surgical treatment. Factors independently associated with amantadine initiation were younger age, longer PD duration, more frequent LIDs, MFs and FoG, higher LEDD and better cognitive function. 9 of the 658 patients on amantadine had stopped it at the following visit, after 12-18 months (1.3%). New users of amantadine presented a higher improvement in LIDs and MF compared to amantadine never users.Conclusions: About 12% of PD patients within the French NS-Park cohort used amantadine, mostly those with younger age and more severe PD. Amantadine initiation was associated with a subsequent reduction in LIDs and MFs