Three Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines: A Retrospective Study Evaluating the Safety and the Immune Response in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Since the beginning of the mass immunization of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), many data on the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines have been produced. Considering that MS is an autoimmune disease and that some disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) could decrease the antibody response against COVID-19 vaccines, we carried out this retrospective study with the aim to evaluate the safety of these vaccines in terms of AEFI occurrence and the antibody response after MS patients had received the third dose. Two hundred and ten patients (64.8% female; mean age: 46 years) received the third dose of the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine and were included in the study. Third doses were administered from October 2021 to January 2022. The majority of patients (n = 193) were diagnosed with RRMS and EDSS values were ≤3.0 in 72.4% of them. DMTs most commonly used by included patients were interferon Beta 1-a, dimethyl fumarate, natalizumab and fingolimod. Overall, 160 patients (68.8% female) experienced 294 AEFIs, of which about 90% were classified as short-term, while 9.2% were classified as long-term. The most commonly reported following the booster dose were pain at the injection site, flu-like symptoms, headache, fever and fatigue. Regarding the immune response, consistently with literature data, we found that patients receiving ocrelizumab and fingolimod had lower IgG titer than patients receiving other DMTs.

The Safety Profile of COVID-19 Vaccines in Patients Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis: A Retrospective Observational Study.

In the current COVID-19 pandemic, patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) are considered to be one of the highest priority categories, being recognized as extremely vulnerable people. For this reason, mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines are strongly recommended for these patients. Despite encouraging results on the efficacy and safety profile of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, to date, in frail populations, including patients diagnosed with MS, this information is rather limited. We carried out a retrospective observational study with the aim to evaluate the safety profile of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines by retrieving real-life data of MS patients who were treated and vaccinated at the Multiple Sclerosis Center of the Hospital A.O.R.N. A. Cardarelli. Three-hundred and ten medical records of MS patients who received the first dose of the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine were retrieved (63% female; mean age: 45.9 years). Of these patients, 288 also received the second dose. All patients received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRSM) was the most common form of MS. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) values were <3.0 in 70% of patients. The majority of patients received a Disease Modifying Therapy (DMT) during the study period, mainly interferon beta 1-a, dimethyl fumarate, and natalizumab and fingolimod. Overall, 913 AEFIs were identified, of which 539 were after the first dose of the vaccine and 374 after the second dose. The majority of these AEFIs were classified as short-term since they occurred within the first 72 h. The most common identified adverse events were pain at injection site, flu-like symptoms, and headache. Fever was reported more frequently after the second dose than after the first dose. SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in 3 patients after the first dose. Using historical data of previous years (2017−2020), the relapses' rate during 2021 was found to be lower. Lastly, the results of the multivariable analysis that assessed factors associated with the occurrence of AEFIs revealed a statistical significance for age, sex, and therapy with ocrelizumab (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results indicated that Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was safe for MS patients, being associated with AEFIs already detected in the general population. Larger observational studies with longer follow-up and epidemiological studies are strongly needed.

Association Between the Cholinesterase Inhibitor Donepezil and the Cholinergic Precursor Choline Alphoscerate in the Treatment of Depression in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Depressive symptoms are common in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and are associated with an increased functional decline. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants showed a limited efficacy. Objective: The purpose of this work was to evaluate if a higher brain cholinergic stimulation induced by the association between the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil and the cholinergic precursor choline alphoscerate has any effect on depression in AD patients. Methods: Patients were selected among those recruited in the ASCOMALVA (association between the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil and the cholinergic precursor choline alphoscerate in AD) trial. Depressive symptoms were investigated in 90 AD patients through the neuropsychiatric inventory at baseline and after 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months of treatment. Patients were randomized in a group association therapy (45 subjects) receiving donepezil 10 mg plus choline alphoscerate 1,200 mg/day, and a group monotherapy (45 subjects) receiving donepezil 10 mg/day plus placebo. Based on the results of the MMSE at the recruitment patients were divided into 3 groups: severely impaired (score < 15); moderately impaired (score 19-16); mild-moderately impaired (score 24-20). Results: Depression symptoms were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in patients treated with donepezil plus choline alphoscerate compared to patients treated with donepezil alone. Subjects of the group having mild to moderate cognitive impairment were those more sensitive to the association treatment. Conclusion: Depression symptoms of AD patients in the mild to moderate stage probably could to benefit of a stronger cholinergic stimulation induced by associating donepezil with the cholinergic precursor choline alphoscerate.

Sensitivity to gait improvement after levodopa intake in Parkinson's disease: A comparison study among synthetic kinematic indices.

The synthetic indices are widely used to describe balance and stability during gait. Some of these are employed to describe the gait features in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the results are sometimes inconsistent, and the same indices are rarely used to compare the individuals affected by PD before and after levodopa intake (OFF and ON condition, respectively). Our aim was to investigate which synthetic measure among Harmonic Ratio, Jerk Ratio, Golden Ratio and Trunk Displacement Index is representative of gait stability and harmony, and which of these are more sensitive to the variations between OFF and ON condition. We found that all indices, except the Jerk Ratio, significantly improve after levodopa. Only the improvement of the Trunk Displacement Index showed a direct correlation with the motor improvement measured through the clinical scale UPDRS-III (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-part III). In conclusion, we suggest that the synthetic indices can be useful to detect motor changes induced by, but not all of them clearly correlate with the clinical changes achieved with the levodopa administration. In our analysis, only the Trunk Displacement Index was able to show a clear relationship with the PD clinical motor improvement.

Long term persistence of SARS-CoV-2 humoral response in multiple sclerosis subjects.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: The persistence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 pandemic, partly due to the appearance of highly infectious variants, has made booster vaccinations necessary for vulnerable groups. Here, we present data regarding the decline of the SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine-induced humoral immune response in a monocentric cohort of MS patients. METHODS: 96 MS patients undergoing eight different DMTs, all without previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, were evaluated for anti-Spike IgG levels, 21 days (T1) and 5-6 months (T2) after the second SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine dose. The anti-Spike IgG titre from MS subjects was compared with 21 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). RESULTS: When compared with SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels at T2 in HC, we observed comparable levels in interferon-ß 1a-, dimethyl fumarate-, teriflunomide- and natalizumab-treated MS subjects, but an impaired humoral response in MS subjects undergoing glatiramer acetate-, cladribine-, fingolimod- and ocrelizumab-treatments. Moreover, comparison between SARS-CoV-2 IgG Spike titre at T1 and T2 revealed a faster decline of the humoral response in patients undergoing dimethyl fumarate-, interferon-ß 1a- and glatiramer acetate-therapies, while those receiving teriflunomide and natalizumab showed higher persistence compared to healthy controls. CONCLUSION: The prominent decline in humoral response in MS subjects undergoing dimethyl fumarate-, interferon-ß 1a- and glatiramer acetate-therapies should be considered when formulating booster regimens as these subjects would benefit of early booster vaccinations.

Interferon Beta-1a treatment promotes SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine response in multiple sclerosis subjects.

BACKGROUND: Several concerns exist on the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in multiple sclerosis (MS) subjects due to their immunomodulating disease modifying therapies (DMTs). Here we report a comparison of the humoral response to BNT162b2-mRNA coronavirus (COVID)-19 vaccine and the immunological phenotype in a cohort of 125 MS subjects undergoing different DMTs, with no history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: We collected serum and blood samples at the first day of vaccine (T0) and 21 days after the second vaccine dose (T1) from 125 MS subjects, undergoing eight different DMTs. Sera were tested using the Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2-IgG assay for the detection of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The anti-spike IgG titres from MS subjects were compared with 24 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Percentage and absolute number of B and T lymphocytes were evaluated by cytofluorimetric analysis in the same study cohort. RESULTS: When compared with SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels in HC (n = 24, median 1089 (IQR 652.5-1625) U/mL), we observed an increased secretion of SARS-CoV-2 IgG in interferon-beta 1a (IFN)-treated MS subjects (n = 22, median 1916 (IQR 1024-2879) U/mL) and an impaired humoral response in MS subjects undergoing cladribine (CLAD) (n = 10, median 396.9 (IQR 37.52-790.9) U/mL), fingolimod (FTY) (n = 19, median 7.9 (IQR 4.8-147.6) U/mL) and ocrelizumab (OCRE) (n = 15, median 0.67 (IQR 0.4-5.9) U/mL) treatment. Moreover, analysis of geometric mean titre ratio (GMTR) between different DMT's groups of MS subjects revealed that, when compared with IFN-treated MS subjects, intrinsic antibody production was impaired in teriflunomide (TERI)-, natalizumab (NAT)-, CLAD-, FTY- and OCRE-, while preserved in DMF- and GA-treated MS subjects. CONCLUSION: Humoral response to BNT162b2-mRNA-vaccine was increased in IFN-treated MS subjects while clearly blunted in those under CLAD, FTY and OCRE treatment. This suggests that the DMTs could have a key role in the protection from SARS-CoV-2 related disease and complication in MS subjects, underlying a novel aspect that should be considered in the selection of the most appropriate therapy under COVID-19 pandemic.

Influenza Vaccine Hesitancy in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Monocentric Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: The so-called "vaccine hesitancy" still represents a common phenomenon that undermines the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns. In 2020, the Italian Medicines Agency recommended to bring forward the flu vaccination campaign, whose importance was also emphasized for patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). We aimed to assess vaccination behavior in patients with MS to prepare for the upcoming SARS-CoV-2 vaccination challenge. METHODS: This is an observational study carried out in one MS clinical Centre that enrolled all MS patients who were eligible for any of the flu vaccines recommended by the Italian medicines Agency. RESULTS: 194 patients were enrolled. Patients' mean age was 43.9 years and 66% were female. Comorbidities, mainly represented by non-autoimmune diseases, were identified in 52% of patients. Almost all patients were receiving a DMT during the study period, mainly dimethyl fumarate, natalizumab, teriflunomide, and interferon. Out of 194 patients, 58.2% accepted to be vaccinated. No statistically significant differences were found, except for the use of natalizumab, which was higher among vaccinated patients. CONCLUSION: The results of our study emphasize the importance of education and communication campaigns addressed both to healthcare providers and patients with MS, especially considering that MS patients are currently receiving COVID-19 vaccinations.

Severe Multiple Sclerosis Relapse After COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Report.

We describe a case of acute relapse in a woman with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) shortly after the mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. The patient received a diagnosis of MS in November 2016 at the MS Centre of the A. Cardarelli Hospital (South of Italy). Since that moment, her clinical conditions and pharmacological therapies have been managed at this MS centre where, according to national recommendations, in April 2021, the patient received the BNT162b2 vaccine. Almost 48 h after receiving the vaccine, the patient developed paraesthesia and weakness in her left arm and limbs. The neurological examination revealed walking difficulties while the MRI showed three new voluminous enhancing lesions. After having received methylprednisolone iv for 5 days, the patient's neurological symptoms fully recovered. Along with the implementation of COVID-19 vaccination programmes among vulnerable population, further studies are needed in order to improve our knowledge on the benefit/risk ratio of COVID-19 vaccines.

GAD65 autoimmunity after treatment with nivolumab: a multifocal presentation.

INTRODUCTION: Neurological disorders are considered rare complications of immune-checkpoint inhibitor. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report a 63-year-old man with recurrence of melanoma who presented epilepsy, limbic encephalitis, cerebellar ataxia, and stiff person syndrome soon after treatment with nivolumab, an immune-checkpoint inhibitor. On autoimmune screening, serum and CSF GAD65 were detected. Significant response to steroids and intravenous immunoglobulins were observed, but cancer recurred after nivolumab discontinuation in parallel with epileptic seizure and worsening of cognitive impairment and the patient died. DISCUSSION: This case expands the spectrum of GAD65-associated conditions induced by immune-checkpoint inhibitor and underlines treatment complexity when both neurological complications and tumour recurrence occur.

A synthetic kinematic index of trunk displacement conveying the overall motor condition in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by motor impairment, affecting quality of life and increasing fall risk, due to ineffective postural control. To this day, the diagnosis remains based on clinical approach. Similarly, motor evaluation is based on heterogeneous, operator-dependent observational criteria. A synthetic, replicable index to quantify motor impairment is still lacking. Hence, we have designed a new measure of postural stability which assesses the trunk displacement in relation to the center of mass, that we named trunk displacement index (TDI). Twenty-three PD patients and twenty-three healthy controls underwent motor examination through a stereophotogrammetric system. A correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship of TDI with gait parameters and clinical motor scale (UPDRS-III). The TDI sensitivity was estimated, comparing pre- and post- L-DOPA subclinical dose intake. The TDI showed significant correlations with many gait parameters and with the UPDRS-III. Furthermore, the TDI resulted capable in discriminating between off and on state in PD, whereas gait parameters failed two show any difference between those two conditions. Our results suggest that the TDI may be considered a highly sensitive biomechanical index, reflecting the overall motor condition in PD, and provided of clinical relevance due to the correlation with the clinical evaluation.

The Impact of Covid-19 Lockdown on Stroke Admissions and Treatments in Campania.

OBJECTIVES: The enforcement of complete lockdown with home confinement has been necessary to limit SARS-CoV-2 contagions in Italy, one the most affected countries worldwide. Simultaneously, in several Emergency Departments, a reduction in cardio- and cerebrovascular presentations was noticed. This study analyses the impact of Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on the incidence of stroke, in Campania, the most densely-populated region in Italy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data regarding acute stroke patients presenting at 5 Campania stroke hubs, before and after the issue of lockdown in Italy on March 9th, 2020. RESULTS: Compared to the pre-lockdown, we observed a significant reduction in the number of acute reperfusion treatments in stroke (P for interact 0.001); however the global number of patients presenting with acute stroke did not significantly differ. The time to reach medical attention was significantly longer in the lockdown phase (230 versus 154 min, P 0.016). For patients who underwent acute reperfusion treatment we also observed significantly longer time-to-imaging (30 versus 40 min, P 0.0005) and a trend to longer time-to-needle (75 versus 90 min P 0.23), but not time-to-groin. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the reduction in acute reperfusion treatments for acute ischemic stroke and the slowdown of stroke pathways, during the lockdown phase of Covid-19 pandemic, in Campania, the third-most-populous and the most-densely populated Italian Region. In the next future, the risk for high-grade disability and death, due to delayed or even avoided hospital presentation due to fear of contagion, may be high.

Anti-MOG-associated demyelinating disorders: two sides of the same coin.

BACKGROUND: Anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disorders (MOGAD) are new emerging diseases with heterogeneous course, treatment, response, and prognosis. CASE REPORT: We herein present 2 cases with antibodies to MOG, one with a cerebellar/brainstem monophasic syndrome which partially improved after treatment, and the other with an optic neuritis onset then relapsed with cortical encephalitis and presented a subsequent complete recovery. We further discuss elements possibly associated with disease heterogeneity and influencing treatment choices. CONCLUSIONS: MOGAD is an extremely variable disease which can relapse and accumulate disability over time. An early diagnosis and correct timely treatment is fundamental to improve clinical outcome.

The Italian version of the quick mild cognitive impairment (Qmci-I) screen: normative study on 307 healthy subjects.

OBJECTIVE: To devise an Italian version of the quick mild cognitive impairment screen (Qmci) and to obtain normative data. METHODS: An Italian version of the Qmci screen (Qmci-I) was administered to 307 subjects free from cognitive impairment. The normative sample was divided into three age levels (50-59; 60-69 and 70-80 years) and four education levels (3-5; 6-8; 9-13; >13 years of school attendance). Multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the effect of age, sex and schooling on Qmci-I scores (overall and by domains) and to calculate cut-off values, with reference to the confidence interval on the fifth centile. RESULTS: The mean Qmci-I score was 64/100 (SD = 11). The age variable showed a significant negative effect on the overall Qmci-I score, with older people performing worse than younger ones. Conversely, education was associated with higher scores. Significant effects of age and education affected logical memory alone. For the other domains, the following effects were found: (1) higher age associated with lower scores on delayed recall; (2) higher education levels associated with higher scores on immediate recall, clock drawing and word fluency. The adjusted cut-off score for the Qmci-I screen in this sample was 49.4. Qmci-I scores were weakly correlated with those of MMSE (rho = 0.20). CONCLUSIONS: The Qmci-I is a rapid and multi-domain short cognitive screening instrument useful for evaluating cognitive functions. However, like other screening tools, it is significantly influenced by age and education, requiring normative data and correction of values when used in the clinical practice.

Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment Is Associated With Frequency-Specific Brain Network Alterations in Temporal Poles.

There is general agreement that the neuropathological processes leading to Alzheimer's disease (AD) begin decades before the clinical onset. In order to detect early topological changes, we applied functional connectivity and network analysis to magnetoencephalographic (MEG) data obtained from 16 patients with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI), a prodromal stage of AD, and 16 matched healthy control (HCs). Significant differences between the two groups were found in the theta band, which is associated with memory processes, in both temporal poles (TPs). In aMCI, the degree and betweenness centrality (BC) were lower in the left superior TP, whereas in the right middle TP the BC was higher. A statistically significant negative linear correlation was found between the BC of the left superior TP and a delayed recall score, a sensitive marker of the "hippocampal memory" deficit in early AD. Our results suggest that the TPs, which are involved early in AD pathology and belong to the memory circuitry, have an altered role in the functional network in aMCI.

The Effect of the Association between Donepezil and Choline Alphoscerate on Behavioral Disturbances in Alzheimer's Disease: Interim Results of the ASCOMALVA Trial.

BACKGROUND: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are a group of psychological reactions, psychiatric symptoms, and behaviors commonly found in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Four clusters of BPSD have been described: mood disorders (depression, anxiety, and apathy), psychotic symptoms (delusions and hallucinations), aberrant motor behaviors (pacing, wandering, and other purposeless behaviors), and inappropriate behaviors (agitation, disinhibition, and euphoria). Most of them are attributed to acetylcholine deficiency. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if a higher amount of acetylcholine obtained by associating donepezil and choline alphoscerate might have a favorable effect on BPSD. METHODS: BPSD were measured at baseline and after 24 months in 113 mild/moderate AD patients, included in the double-blind randomized trial ASCOMALVA, by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Two matched groups were compared: group A treated with donepezil (10 mg/day) plus choline alphoscerate (1200 mg/day), and group B treated with donepezil (10 mg/day) plus placebo. RESULTS: Data of NPI revealed a significant decrease of BPSD severity and distress of the caregiver in patients of group A compared with group B. Mood disorders (depression, anxiety and apathy) were significantly decreased in subjects treated with donepezil and choline alphoscerate, while their severity and frequency was increased in the other group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with donepezil plus choline alphoscerate showed a lower level of behavioral disturbances than subjects treated with donepezil only, suggesting that the association can have beneficial effects.