Emotional atypical arousal ratings for unpleasant stimuli in patients with Parkinson's disease.

INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms, including alteration in emotional processing and recognition of emotions. We explored the effects of PD on the emotional behavioral ratings using a battery of affective visual stimuli selected from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). METHODS: Twenty-two patients diagnosed with idiopathic PD and 22 healthy controls (HC), matched by age, gender, and education, were enrolled in the study. Following a clinical assessment, each participant was asked to evaluate the arousal and valence of affective visual stimuli, and response time was recorded. Disease-specific measures including the MDS Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS UPDRS) and the Non-Motor Symptom Scale (NMSS) were also collected. RESULTS: PD patients exhibited higher arousal responses compared to HC for negative/unpleasant pictures (scoring 7.32 ± 0.88 vs 5.43 ± 2.06, p < 0.001). The arousal response to negative/unpleasant pictures was correlated with measures of non-motor burden in PD (MDS UPDRS I and NMSS, rho = 0.480 and p = 0.023, rho = 0.533 and p = 0.010, respectively). CONCLUSION: Impaired emotional processing characterizes PD patients with mild disease and is related to the non-motor symptom burden. Given the importance of emotional processing for the development and maintenance of close interpersonal relationship and for coping with specific medical situations, it is crucial to direct PD patients towards therapeutic interventions focused on the recognition and processing of emotions.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Italian people with multiple sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: Vaccine hesitancy promotes the spread of infectious diseases including COVID-19 virus, limiting the herd immunity. Complications caused by COVID-19 in people with multiple sclerosis forced governments to ensure them prior access to vaccinations. Their propensity to be vaccinated needs to be assessed to promote adhesion to vaccination programs. The aim of this study was to explore the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rate in pwMS. METHODS: We conducted an observational study recruiting patients affected by multiple sclerosis followed at MS Clinical and Research Unit of Tor Vergata University, Rome. We invited them to fill in an online survey about their intent to get COVID-19 vaccination. Fisher's exact test and Kruskal-Wallis test were performed to explore differences in sociodemographic, clinical, and emotional variables relative to the opinions about vaccinations. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to assess the factorial structure of the questionnaire; Pearson's correlations between the factors and Big Five personality dimensions were also calculated. RESULTS: Of 276 respondents, 90% was willing to get vaccinated, while only 1.4% was sure to refuse the vaccination. Education level, opinions on safety and efficacy of vaccines, and emotional status were found to be associated to the propensity of getting the COVID-19 vaccination (respectively: p = 0.012, p < 0.001, and p = 0.0001). Moreover, general opinions on healthcare system were related to the intention to get vaccinated. CONCLUSION: Our results reinforce the importance of a good relationship between doctor and patient and the need to adapt doctors' communication strategy to patients' personalities and beliefs.

Validity of the Italian multiple sclerosis neuropsychological screening questionnaire.

The Multiple Sclerosis Neuropsychological Questionnaire (MSNQ) is a brief questionnaire useful for screening patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) at risk for cognitive impairment. It includes a patient self-assessment (MSNQ-p) and a section for the caregiver (informant) (MSNQ-i). This study's aim was to validate the Italian version of MSNQ and to compare MSNQ scores with Symbol Digit Modality Test (SDMT), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, measuring cognitive skills, mood status, and physical disability respectively. We enrolled 122 MS patients (and related caregivers) at MS center of Tor Vergata University Hospital of Rome. The final study sample consisted of 122 patients with MS (90 relapsing-remitting, 24 secondary progressive, and 8 primary progressive). Our results highlighted that MSNQ has a unidimensional factor structure. Correlational analyses found a good correlation between both versions (MSNQ-p and MSNQ-i) of the questionnaire. Both MSNQ-p and MSNQ-i were correlated with clinical variables, specifically with cognitive impairment, mood disorder, and with disability. The Italian version of MSNQ is reliable and useful as screening tool to identify MS patients at high risk of cognitive impairment.