Biomarkers Related to Synaptic Dysfunction to Discriminate Alzheimer's Disease from Other Neurological Disorders.

Recently, the synaptic proteins neurogranin (Ng) and α-synuclein (α-Syn) have attracted scientific interest as potential biomarkers for synaptic dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we measured the CSF Ng and α-Syn concentrations in patients affected by AD (n = 69), non-AD neurodegenerative disorders (n-AD = 50) and non-degenerative disorders (n-ND, n = 98). The concentrations of CSF Ng and α-Syn were significantly higher in AD than in n-AD and n-ND. Moreover, the Aß42/Ng and Aß42/α-Syn ratios showed statistically significant differences between groups and discriminated AD patients from n-AD patients, better than Ng or α-Syn alone. Regression analyses showed an association of higher Ng concentrations with MMSE < 24, pathological Aß 42/40 ratios, pTau, tTau and the ApoEε4 genotype. Aß 42/Ng was associated with MMSE < 24, an AD-related FDG-PET pattern, the ApoEε4 genotype, pathological Aß 42 levels and Aß 42/40 ratios, pTau, and tTau. Moreover, APO-Eε4 carriers showed higher Ng concentrations than non-carriers. Our results support the idea that the Aß 42/Ng ratio is a reliable index of synaptic dysfunction/degeneration able to discriminate AD from other neurological conditions.

Social Distancing in Chronic Migraine during the COVID-19 Outbreak: Results from a Multicenter Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: The restrictions taken to control the rapid spread of COVID-19 resulted in a sudden, unprecedented change in people's lifestyle, leading to negative consequences on general health. This study aimed to estimate the impact of such changes on migraine severity during 2020 March-May lockdown. METHODS: Patients affected by migraine with or without aura, diagnosed by expert physicians, completed a detailed interview comprehensive of: assessment of migraine characteristics; measure of physical activity (PA) levels; measure of the intake frequency of main Italian foods; the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) questionnaire investigating sleep disorders. RESULTS: We included 261 patients with a mean age of 44.5 ± 12.3 years. During social distancing, 72 patients (28%) reported a headache worsening, 86 (33%) an improvement, and 103 (39%) a stable headache frequency. A significant decrease of the PA levels during COVID-19 quarantine in the whole study sample was observed (median total metabolic equivalent task (METs) decreased from 1170 to 510; p < 0.001). Additionally, a significant difference was reported on median ISI scores (from 7 to 8; p < 0.001), which were increased in patients who presented a stable or worsening headache. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed that the restrictions taken during the pandemic have affected the practice of PA levels and sleep quality in migraine. Hence, PA and sleep quality should be assessed to find strategies for an improvement in quality of life.

Prognostic Role of CSF ß-amyloid 1-42/1-40 Ratio in Patients Affected by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

The involvement of ß-amyloid (Aß) in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been widely discussed and its role in the disease is still a matter of debate. Aß accumulates in the cortex and the anterior horn neurons of ALS patients and seems to affect their survival. To clarify the role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aß 1-42 and Aß 42/40 ratios as a potential prognostic biomarker for ALS, we performed a retrospective observational study on a cohort of ALS patients who underwent a lumbar puncture at the time of the diagnosis. CSF Aß 1-40 and Aß 1-42 ratios were detected by chemiluminescence immunoassay and their values were correlated with clinical features. We found a significant correlation of the Aß 42/40 ratio with age at onset and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. No significant correlation of Aß 1-42 or Aß 42/40 ratios to the rate of progression of the disease were found. Furthermore, when we stratified patients according to Aß 1-42 concentration and the Aß 42/40 ratio, we found that patients with a lower Aß 42/40 ratio showed a shorter survival. Our results support the hypothesis that Aß 1-42 could be involved in some pathogenic mechanism of ALS and we suggest the Aß 42/40 ratio as a potential prognostic biomarker.