Development and evaluation of a clinical staging system for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Staging of disease severity is useful for prognosis, decision-making and resource planning. However, no commonly used, validated staging system exists for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Our purpose was to develop an ALS staging system (ALS Milano-Torino Staging) that captures the observed progressive loss of independence and function. METHODS: Clinical milestones in ALS progression were defined by loss of independence in four key domains on the ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS): swallowing, walking/self-care, communicating and breathing. Stages were defined as follows: stage 0, functional involvement but no loss of independence on any domain; stages 1-4, number of domains in which independence was lost; and stage 5, death. Staging criteria were applied to patients enrolled in a Quality of Care in ALS (QOC) study; endpoints included function (ALSFRS), quality of life (QOL; Short Form-36) and health service costs. Between-stage transition probabilities were assessed in the QOC study and in a second clinical study of lithium carbonate in ALS. RESULTS: 70/118 (59.3%) participants in the QOC study progressed to higher stages of disease at 12 months compared with their baseline stage. Functional (ALSFRS) and QOL measures were inversely related to disease stage. Health service costs were directly related to increasing disease stages from 0 to 4 (p<0.001). Probabilities for transitioning from a given stage at baseline in both studies were usually greatest for the next highest stage. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed ALS Milano-Torino Staging system correlates well with assessments of function, QOL and health service costs. Further studies are warranted to validate this system.

[Diagnosing Alzheimer's disease: from research to clinical practice and ethics]. / Malattia di Alzheimer: la diagnosi tra ricerca, prassi clinica ed etica.

In 2011, the so-called Dubois criteria introduced the use of biomarkers in research (in particular, brain amyloid positron emission tomography imaging and the cerebrospinal fluid levels of tau/fosfo-tau and beta-amyloid 1-42) for the early or preclinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Even so, we are looking at an increased use of these markers in clinical practice. In the 1960s, Alzheimer's disease was considered a rare form of presenile dementia, but gradually it has been recognized as the prevalent form of old-age dementia. As a consequence, what was once regarded as an inevitable outcome of old age is now recognized as a true disease. Several factors contributed to this paradigm shift, in particular a longer lifespan, new techniques of in vivo study of the central nervous system, and the pressure exerted by the pharmaceutical industry and patient groups. The current lack of disease-modifying therapies and the high incidence of mild cognitive impairment, which is a risk factor for dementia, raise a series of clinical ethical problems ranging from how diagnosis is communicated to how resources are used. This article offers a conceptual scheme through which these issues can be addressed.

Neurologic manifestations in 1760 COVID-19 patients admitted to Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, Italy.

OBJECTIVES: Evidences from either small series or spontaneous reporting are accumulating that SARS-CoV-2 involves the Nervous Systems. The aim of this study is to provide an extensive overview on the major neurological complications in a large cohort of COVID-19 patients. METHODS: Retrospective, observational analysis on all COVID-19 patients admitted from February 23rd to April 30th, 2020 to ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy for whom a neurological consultation/neurophysiological assessment/neuroradiologic investigation was requested. Each identified neurologic complication was then classified into main neurologic categories. RESULTS: Of 1760 COVID-19 patients, 137 presented neurologic manifestations that manifested after COVID-19 symptoms in 98 pts and was the presenting symptom in 39. Neurological manifestations were classified as: (a) cerebrovascular disease [53 pts (38.7%)] including 37 ischemic and 11 haemorrhagic strokes, 4 transient ischemic attacks, 1 cerebral venous thrombosis; (b) peripheral nervous system diseases [31 (22.6%)] including 17 Guillain-Barrè syndromes; (c) altered mental status [49 (35.8%)] including one necrotizing encephalitis and 2 cases with RT-PCR detection of SARS-Cov-2 RNA in CSF; (d) miscellaneous disorders, among whom 2 patients with myelopathy associated with Ab anti-SARS-CoV-2 in CSF. Patients with peripheral nervous system involvement had more frequently severe ARDS compared to patients with cerebrovascular disease (87.1% vs 42%; difference = 45.1% 95% CI 42.0-48.2; χ2= 14.306; p < 0.0002) and with altered mental status (87.1% vs 55.6%; difference = 31.5% 95% CI 27.5-37.5%; χ2= 7.055; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study confirms that involvement of nervous system is common in SARS-CoV-2 infection and offers clinicians useful information for prevention and prompt identification in order to set the adequate therapeutic strategies.

Updating superficial siderosis of the central nervous system: bleeding of a dorsal osteophyte into the subarachnoid space from a perforating artery.

Superficial siderosis of the central nervous system (SSCNS) is an uncommon and often unrecognized disorder that results from recurrent and persistent bleeding into the subarachnoid space. Currently, there is no effective treatment for SSCNS. The identification and surgical resolution of the cause of bleeding remains the most reliable method of treatment, but the cause of bleeding is often not apparent. The identified sources of recurrent bleeding have typically included neoplasms, vascular malformations, brachial plexus or nerve root injury or avulsion, and previous head and spinal surgery. An association between recurrent bleeding in the CNS and dural abnormalities in the spine has recently been suggested. Dural tears have been identified in relation to a protruding disc or osteophyte. Also in these patients, the exact mechanism of bleeding remains unknown because of a lack of objective surgical data, even in patients who undergo neurosurgical procedures.The present case concerns a 48-year-old man who presented with longstanding symptoms of mild hearing loss and mild gait ataxia. A diagnosis of SSCNS was made in light of the patient's history and the findings on physical examination, imaging, and laboratory testing. MRI and CT detected a small calcific osteophyte in the anterior epidural space of T8-9. The patient underwent surgical removal of the bone spur and dural tear repair. During the surgery, the authors detected a perforating artery, which was on the osteophyte, that was bleeding into the subarachnoid space. This case shows a possible mechanism of chronic bleeding from an osteophyte into the subarachnoid space. In the literature currently available, a perforating artery on an osteophyte bleeding into the subarachnoid space has never been described in SSCNS.

Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of acetyl-L-carnitine for ALS.

Our objective was to assess the effects of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) with riluzole on disability and mortality of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Definite/probable ALS patients, 40-70 years of age, duration 6-24 months, self-sufficient (i.e. able to swallow, cut food/handle utensils, and walk), and with forced vital capacity (FVC) > 80% entered a pilot double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group trial and were followed for 48 weeks. ALC or placebo 3 g/day was added to riluzole 100 mg/day. Primary endpoint: number of patients no longer self-sufficient. Secondary endpoints: changes in ALSFRS-R, MRC, FVC and McGill Quality of Life (QoL) scores. Analysis was made in the intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) population, completers and completers/compliers (i.e. taking > 75% of study drug). Forty-two patients received ALC and 40 placebo. In the ITT population, 34 (80.9%) patients receiving ALC and 39 (97.5%) receiving placebo became non-self-sufficient (p = 0.0296). In the PP analysis, percentages were 84.4 and 100.0% (p = 0.0538), respectively. Mean ALSFRS-R scores at 48 weeks were 33.6 (SD 10.4) and 27.6 (9.9) (p = 0.0388), respectively, and mean FVC scores 90.3 (32.6) and 58.6 (31.2) (p = 0.0158), respectively. Median survival was 45 months (ALC) and 22 months (placebo) (p = 0.0176). MRC, QoL and adverse events were similar. In conclusion, ALC may be effective, well-tolerated and safe in ALS. A pivotal phase III trial is needed.