Systemic inflammation relates to neuroaxonal damage associated with long-term cognitive dysfunction in COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cognitive deficits are increasingly recognized as a long-term sequela of severe COVID-19. The underlying processes and molecular signatures associated with these long-term neurological sequalae of COVID-19 remain largely unclear, but may be related to systemic inflammation-induced effects on the brain. We studied the systemic inflammation-brain interplay and its relation to development of long-term cognitive impairment in patients who survived severe COVID-19. Trajectories of systemic inflammation and neuroaxonal damage blood biomarkers during ICU admission were analyzed and related to long-term cognitive outcomes. METHODS: Prospective longitudinal cohort study of patients with severe COVID-19 surviving ICU admission. During admission, blood was sampled consecutively to assess levels of inflammatory cytokines and neurofilament light chain (NfL) using an ultrasensitive multiplex Luminex assay and single molecule array technique (Simoa). Cognitive functioning was evaluated using a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment six months after ICU-discharge. RESULTS: Ninety-six patients (median [IQR] age 61 [55-69] years) were enrolled from March 2020 to June 2021 and divided into two cohorts: those who received no COVID-19-related immunotherapy (n = 28) and those treated with either dexamethasone or dexamethasone and tocilizumab (n = 68). Plasma NfL concentrations increased in 95 % of patients during their ICU stay, from median [IQR] 23 [18-38] pg/mL at admission to 250 [160-271] pg/mL after 28 days, p < 0.001. Besides age, glomerular filtration rate, immunomodulatory treatment, and C-reactive protein, more specific markers of systemic inflammation at day 14 (i.e., interleukin (IL)-8, tumour necrosis factor, and IL-1 receptor antagonist) were significant predictors of blood NfL levels at day 14 of ICU admission (R2 = 44 %, p < 0.001), illustrating the association between sustained systemic inflammation and neuroaxonal damage. Twenty-six patients (27 %) exhibited cognitive impairment six months after discharge from the ICU. NfL concentrations showed a more pronounced increase in patients that developed cognitive impairment (p = 0.03). Higher NfL predicted poorer outcome in information processing speed (Trail Making Test A, r = -0.26, p = 0.01; Letter Digit Substitution Test, r = -0.24, p = 0.02). DISCUSSION: Prolonged systemic inflammation in critically ill COVID-19 patients is related to neuroaxonal damage and subsequent long-term cognitive impairment. Moreover, our findings suggest that plasma NfL concentrations during ICU stay may possess prognostic value in predicting future long-term cognitive impairment in patients that survived severe COVID-19.

The etiology of rhabdomyolysis: an interaction between genetic susceptibility and external triggers.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Rhabdomyolysis is a medical emergency characterized by acute skeletal muscle breakdown with a sudden rise and subsequent fall of serum creatine kinase (CK) levels. Rhabdomyolysis events are provoked by exposure to external triggers, possibly in combination with an increased genetic susceptibility. We aimed to describe comprehensively the external triggers and potentially pathogenic genetic variants possibly implicated in increased rhabdomyolysis susceptibility. METHODS: We performed a retrospective single-center study, including a total of 1302 patients with an acute CK level exceeding 2000 IU/l. RESULTS: Anoxia was the most frequently reported trigger (40%). A subset of 193 patients were clinically suspected of an underlying genetic disorder (recurrent episodes, a positive family history, very high or persistently increased CK levels). In 72 of these patients, an unequivocal genetic defect was identified. A total of 22 genes with pathogenic variants were identified, including 52 different variants. Of those, 11 genes have been previously associated with rhabdomyolysis (ACADVL, ANO5, CPT2, DMD, DYSF, FKRP, HADHA, PGM1, LPIN1, PYGM, RYR1). Eleven genes are probably implicated in increased susceptibility (including AGL, CAPN3, CNBP, DMPK, MAGT1, ACADM, SCN4A, SGCA, SGCG, SMPD1, TANGO2). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the spectrum of genetic susceptibility for rhabdomyolysis has not yet been completely clarified. With the increasing availability of next-generation sequencing in a diagnostic setting, we expect that in more cases a genetic defect will be identified.

Downregulation of synapse-associated protein expression and loss of homeostatic microglial control in cerebrospinal fluid of infectious patients with delirium and patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Delirium is a complex and multifactorial condition associated with long-term cognitive decline. Due to the strong links between systemic inflammation, delirium and dementia we hypothesized that responses within the brain in patients who develop delirium could show biochemical overlap with patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this observational study we analyzed protein expression signatures in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 15 patients with infectious delirium and compared these to 29 patients with AD, 30 infectious patients without delirium and 15 non-infectious controls free of neurological disease. A proximity extension assay was performed measuring a total of 184 inflammatory and neurology-related proteins. Eight inflammatory proteins (4%), including the key neuron-microglia communication marker CX3CL1 (fractalkine), were significantly upregulated in both delirium and AD, compared to infectious patients without delirium. Likewise, 23 proteins (13%) showed downregulation in both delirium and AD, relative to infectious patients without delirium, which interestingly included CD200R1, another neuron-microglia communication marker, as well as a cluster of proteins related to synapse formation and function. Synaptopathy is an early event in AD and correlates strongly with cognitive dysfunction. These results were partially mediated by aging, which is an important predisposing risk factor among many others for both conditions. Within this study we report the first in vivo human evidence suggesting that synapse pathology and loss of homeostatic microglial control is involved in the pathophysiology of both infectious delirium and AD and thus may provide a link for the association between infections, delirium and long-term cognitive decline.

External validation of prediction models for time to death in potential donors after circulatory death.

Predicting time to death in controlled donation after circulatory death (cDCD) donors following withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (WLST) is important but poses a major challenge. The aim of this study is to determine factors predicting time to circulatory death within 60 minutes after WSLT and validate previously developed prediction models. In a single-center retrospective study, we used the data of 92 potential cDCD donors. Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated that absent cough-, corneal reflex, lower morphine dosage, and midazolam use were significantly associated with death within 60 minutes (area under the curve [AUC] 0.89; 95% confidenence interval [CI] 0.87-0.91). External validation of the logistic regression models of de Groot et al (AUC 0.86; 95% CI 0.77-0.95), Wind et al (AUC 0.62; 95% CI 0.49-0.76), Davila et al (AUC 0.80; 95% CI 0.708-0.901) and the Cox regression model by Suntharalingam et al (Harrell's c-index 0.63), exhibited good discrimination and could fairly identify which patients died within 60 minutes. Previous prediction models did not incorporate the process of WLST. We believe that future studies should also include the process of WLST as an important predictor.

The Influence of End-of-Life Care on Organ Donor Potential.

Many patients with acute devastating brain injury die outside intensive care units and could go unrecognized as potential organ donors. We conducted a prospective observational study in seven hospitals in the Netherlands to define the number of unrecognized potential organ donors outside intensive care units, and to identify the effect that end-of-life care has on organ donor potential. Records of all patients who died between January 2013 and March 2014 were reviewed. Patients were included if they died within 72 h after hospital admission outside the intensive care unit due to devastating brain injury, and fulfilled the criteria for organ donation. Physicians of included patients were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire regarding logistics and medical decisions related to end-of-life care. Of the 5170 patients screened, we found 72 additional potential organ donors outside intensive care units. Initiation of end-of-life care in acute settings and lack of knowledge and experience in organ donation practices outside intensive care units can result in under-recognition of potential donors equivalent to 11-34% of the total pool of organ donors. Collaboration with the intensive care unit and adjusting the end-of-life path in these patients is required to increase the likelihood of organ donation.

CSF hypocretin-1 levels are normal in multiple-system atrophy.

Sleep disturbances occur in 70% of the patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). Disturbances of the hypothalamic hypocretin neurotransmission have been suggested as a possible cause. Since a systematic study of CSF hypocretin-1 levels in MSA has not yet been performed, we analysed CSF hypocretin-1 concentrations in 6 MSA-P and 6 MSA-C patients and 11 age-matched controls. We did not observe any differences from control values.

Diagnostic accuracy of the clapping test in Parkinsonian disorders.

BACKGROUND: To determine the diagnostic value of the clapping test, which has been proposed as a reliable measure to differentiate between progressive supranuclear palsy (where performance is impaired) and Parkinson's disease (where performance should be normal). METHODS: Our study group included a large cohort of consecutive outpatients including 44 patients with Parkinson's disease, 48 patients with various forms of atypical parkinsonism and 149 control subjects. All subjects performed the clapping test according to a standardized protocol. RESULTS: Clapping test performance was normal in all control subjects, and impaired in 63% of the patients with atypical parkinsonism. Unexpectedly, we also found an impaired clapping test in 29% of the patients with Parkinson's disease. CONCLUSION: Although the proportion with an abnormal clapping test was significantly higher in atypical parkinsonism, the clapping test did not discriminate well between Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism.

CSF biomarker profiles do not differentiate between the cerebellar and parkinsonian phenotypes of multiple system atrophy.

BACKGROUND: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) can clinically be divided into the cerebellar (MSA-C) and the parkinsonian (MSA-P) variants. It is unknown whether the variation in clinical expression is also reflected by a different underlying neurochemical profile. METHODS: We analyzed brain specific proteins and neurotransmitter metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 26 patients with MSA-C and 19 with MSA-P. RESULTS: No differences were found between MSA-C and MSA-P. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the clinical and in part pathological distinction between the two clinical MSA phenotypes is not reflected by the neurochemical composition of CSF.

Ten steps to identify atypical parkinsonism.

BACKGROUND: Balance impairment is a frequently encountered problem in patients with Parkinson's disease. A profound balance disorder, however, is an atypical feature. METHODS: Tandem gait performance (10 consecutive tandem steps) was judged in 36 consecutive patients with Parkinson's disease and 49 consecutive patients with atypical parkinsonism. RESULTS: Only 9 (18%) patients with atypical parkinsonism had a fully normal tandem gait (not a single side step) as opposed to 33 (92%) patients with Parkinson's disease. Analysis for the subgroup of patients with a disease duration of <3 years yielded the same diagnostic accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Tandem gait performance has a good diagnostic ability to differentiate patients with atypical parkinsonism from those with Parkinson's disease, and might be used as an additional "red flag" to assist existing clinical tests in identifying atypical parkinsonism.

Ancillary investigations to diagnose parkinsonism: a prospective clinical study.

Various ancillary investigations can assist clinicians in the differential diagnosis of patients with parkinsonism. It is unknown which test offers greatest diagnostic value in clinical practice. We included 156 consecutive patients with parkinsonism, but with an initially uncertain diagnosis. At baseline, all patients underwent extensive clinical testing and the following ancillary investigations: brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); (123)I-iodobenzamide single photon-emission computed tomography (IBZM-SPECT); analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); and anal sphincter electromyography (EMG). The final diagnosis was established after 3-year follow-up by two movement disorder specialists, according to international consensus criteria. We determined the diagnostic value by comparing the baseline clinical parameters and ancillary studies with the final diagnosis. Out of a potential 138 parameters, univariate analysis identified 35 parameters that discriminated Parkinson's disease (PD, n = 62) and atypical parkinsonism (AP, n = 94), with AUC of 0.55-0.81. Stepwise logistic regression showed that the combination of tandem gait, axial UPDRS subscore, slow saccadic eye movements and dysphagia yielded an AUC of 0.93, adjusted for optimism. The combination of tandem gait and axial UDPRS subscore yielded an AUC of 0.90. None of the ancillary investigations alone or in combination with clinical testing improved this clinically based diagnostic accuracy, not even in a subgroup of patients with the greatest diagnostic uncertainty at baseline. Our study demonstrates that a comprehensive set of clinical tests provides good accuracy to differentiate PD from AP. Our results also suggest that routine MRI, IBZM-SPECT, CSF analysis and anal sphincter EMG do not improve this diagnostic accuracy. Future work should evaluate the possible diagnostic value of more advanced diagnostic tests.

[Organ donation after euthanasia. Handle with great care]. / Berichten over orgaandonatie na euthanasie. Zorgvuldigheid geboden.

Recently, organ donation after euthanasia has been a topic of discussion in the Dutch media and scientific literature. Unfortunately, both the articles in question and the media interviews contained several unsubstantiated statements. This article describes the background of organ donation after euthanasia and refutes some of the recent statements. It discusses why it is expected that organ donation after euthanasia will result in a far fewer additional organ donors that originally stated. In conclusion, euthanasia is a topic that should be handled with great care.

Medio-lateral balance impairment differentiates between Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism.

In early disease stages, it can be difficult to differentiate clinically between Parkinson's disease and the various forms of atypical parkinsonism, like multiple system atrophy or progressive supranuclear palsy. Balance impairment in the medio-lateral plane (i.e. sideways) is often seen in patients with a form of atypical parkinsonism, but not in patients with Parkinson's disease. This is reflected by the distance between the feet during gait, which is typically normal (or even narrow) in Parkinson's disease, but widened in atypical parkinsonism. Estimating this stance width depends on subjective judgement, and is difficult to quantify in clinical practice. Here, we emphasize that this medio-lateral balance impairment can also be revealed using two simple tests: (1) inability to perform tandem gait (taking one or more side steps being abnormal); and (2) self-report by patients who have lost the ability to ride a bicycle. Both tests have a good diagnostic yield in differentiating between Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism, even early in the course of the disease.

CSF α-synuclein does not differentiate between parkinsonian disorders.

Differentiating between Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical Parkinsonism (AP) is clinically relevant but challenging. A timely and correct diagnosis might result in better targeted treatment strategies, adequate patient counseling, and early recognition of disease-specific complications. We aimed to investigate whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of α-synuclein are of additional diagnostic value. We examined 142 consecutive patients with parkinsonism, mean disease duration 39.7 mo (Parkinson's disease (PD), n = 58; MSA, n = 47; dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), n = 3; VaP, n = 22; progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), n = 10; CBD, n = 2). Gold standard was the clinical diagnosis established after 2 years of clinical follow-up. CSF concentrations of α-synuclein, blood pigments and the erythrocyte count were determined. No differences between CSF α-synuclein concentrations of patients with PD with the reference values from our laboratory were observed. We neither found significant differences between patients with PD and AP nor between AP subgroups. Adjustment for age, disease severity or presence of erythrocytes or blood pigments in CSF did not alter these results. Our results imply that CSF α-synuclein is currently unsuitable as biomarker to differentiate between PD and AP.

Clinical spectrum of ataxia-telangiectasia in adulthood.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the phenotype of adult patients with variant and classic ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), to raise the degree of clinical suspicion for the diagnosis variant A-T, and to assess a genotype-phenotype relationship for mutations in the ATM gene. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the clinical characteristics and course of disease in 13 adult patients with variant A-T of 9 families and 6 unrelated adults with classic A-T and mutation analysis of the ATM gene and measurements of ATM protein expression and kinase activity. RESULTS: Patients with variant A-T were only correctly diagnosed in adulthood. They often presented with extrapyramidal symptoms in childhood, whereas cerebellar ataxia appeared later. Four patients with variant A-T developed a malignancy. Patients with classic and variant A-T had elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein levels and chromosome 7/14 rearrangements. The mildest variant A-T phenotype was associated with missense mutations in the ATM gene that resulted in expression of some residual ATM protein with kinase activity. Two splicing mutations, c.331 + 5G>A and c.496 + 5G>A, caused a more severe variant A-T phenotype. The splicing mutation c.331 + 5G>A resulted in less ATM protein and kinase activity than the missense mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) should be considered in patients with unexplained extrapyramidal symptoms. Early diagnosis is important given the increased risk of malignancies and the higher risk for side effects of subsequent cancer treatment. Measurement of serum alpha-fetoprotein and chromosomal instability precipitates the correct diagnosis. There is a clear genotype-phenotype relation for A-T, since the severity of the phenotype depends on the amount of residual kinase activity as determined by the genotype.

CSF analysis differentiates multiple-system atrophy from idiopathic late-onset cerebellar ataxia.

BACKGROUND: Differentiating idiopathic late-onset cerebellar ataxia (ILOCA) from ataxia due to the cerebellar subtype of multiple-system atrophy (MSA-C) can be difficult in the early stages of the disease METHODS: The authors analyzed the levels of various CSF biomarkers in 27 patients with MSA-C and 18 patients with ILOCA and obtained cut-off points for each potential biomarker to differentiate MSA-C from ILOCA. RESULTS: Increased levels of neurofilament light chain (NFL) and neurofilament heavy chain (NFHp35) and decreased levels of the neurotransmitter metabolites homovanillic acid (HVA), 5-hydroxyindoleaceticacid (5-HIAA), and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (MHPG) were observed in MSA-C compared with ILOCA patients. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed high sensitivity and specificity levels for NFL, NFHp35, and MHPG analysis. At a cut-off of 24.4 ng/L for the NFL analysis, a sensitivity of 79% and a specificity of 94% were obtained for differentiating MSA-C from ILOCA. At a cut-off point for NFHp35 of 129.5 ng/L, sensitivity was 87% and specificity 83%. Analysis of MHPG levels (cut-off 42.5 nM) resulted in a sensitivity of 86% with a specificity of 75%. A multivariate logistic regression model selected NFL, MHPG, and tau as independent predictive biomarkers that separated the MSA-C and ILOCA groups. CONCLUSIONS: Increased levels of neurofilament light chain and tau and decreased levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol were associated with high accuracy levels in differentiating the cerebellar subtype of multiple-system atrophy from idiopathic late-onset cerebellar ataxia (LOCA). CSF analysis may thus serve as a useful tool in early diagnostic differentiation of LOCA.