Spasticity-Plus syndrome in multiple sclerosis patients in a tertiary hospital in Spain.

Introduction: Spasticity is a common symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS) and it is often associated with other symptoms such as spasms/cramps and pain. The concept of Spasticity-Plus syndrome takes into account that spasticity is accompanied by one or more symptoms (spasms/cramps, pain, bladder dysfunction, sleep disorders, fatigue and/or tremor). As these symptoms share a common cannabinoid control, therapy acting on cannabinoid receptors may be useful. The main study objectives were to determine the number of MS patients who met Spasticity-Plus syndrome criteria and to identify the most common symptoms. Methods: Clinical records of MS patients treated with nabiximols in a tertiary hospital from 2002 to 2022 were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Of the 73 patients included in the study, 53.4% were women, and most had secondary progressive MS (64.4%). All patients met the criteria for Spasticity-Plus syndrome: 100% had spasticity and at least another symptom. Pain was the second most common symptom (91.8%), followed by spasms/cramps (79.4%), and fatigue (76.7%). Sleep disturbances (p < 0.0001) and tremor (p < 0.027) were more frequent in patients with relapsing-remitting MS than in patients with progressive MS. No statistically significant differences were found for spasticity, pain, spasms/cramps, and fatigue between MS phenotypes. Regarding symptoms clusters, 94.4% of the patients had three or more symptoms. Spasticity was more frequently associated with pain (91.8%) and spasms/cramps (79.4%). Conclusion: Spasticity-Plus syndrome was present in all the study population of patients with different MS phenotypes, and treated with nabiximols.

Emerging biomarkers for improving pregnancy planning in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Patient disability, relapse rate, and age are used for family planning in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the need for more accurate biomarkers is widely recognized. We aimed to explore the influence of age on neurofilament light chain (sNfL), which reflects acute inflammation; glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), associated with disability progression independent of relapses; and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), reflecting ovarian reserve, to provide a tailored family planning strategy. Methods: This case-control study included 95 MS patients and 61 healthy control women (HCW). sNfL and GFAP levels were measured using a sensitive single-molecule array assay. AMH levels were measured by the automated Elecsys® Anti-Müllerian Hormone Assay. Results: We observed no significant differences in AMH values between MS patients and the control group within any of the age-matched categories. Age exhibited a negative correlation with AMH values in both groups, as expected. Nevertheless, our findings suggest a slight tendency toward reduced ovarian reserve in MS patients (rho MS patients = -0.67, p < 0.0001; rho HCW = -0.43, p = 0.0006). Interestingly, among the 76 MS participants under 40 years old, we identified ten individuals (13.1%) with AMH levels below 0.7 ng/ml, indicative of a low ovarian reserve, and an additional six individuals (7.8%) with AMH levels between 0.7 ng/ml and 0.9 ng/ml, suggesting a potential risk of premature ovarian failure. Conversely, sNfL and GFAP levels in the MS group exhibited high variability but showed no significant association with age intervals. Conclusion: We found no significant differences in AMH, sNfL or GFAP values between MS patients and the control group within any of the age-matched categories. The assessment of AMH, sNFL and GFAP levels at MS onset facilitates personalized therapeutic and family planning strategies for childbearing-age women.

The Relationship between Androgen Receptor Gene Polymorphism, Aggression and Social Status in Young Men and Women.

In both sexes, aggression has been described as a critical trait to acquire social status. Still, almost uniquely in men, the link between aggressiveness and the genetic background of testosterone sensitivity measured from the polymorphism in the androgen receptor (AR) gene has been previously investigated. We assessed the relevance of the AR gene to understand aggression and how aggressiveness affects social status in a cross-sectional study of 195 participants, for the first time in both young men and women. We estimated polymorphism sequences from saliva and measured aggression and self-perceived social status. Unfortunately, the results did not support our prediction because we did not find any of the expected relationships. Therefore, the results suggest that the genetic association between aggressive mechanisms and polymorphism of the AR gene is less straightforward than expected, at least in men, and seems to indicate that aggression is not usually used to gain social status in our population.