Effects on Cognition of Stereotactic Lesional Surgery For the Treatment of Tremor in Multiple Sclerosis

Objective:To assess the effect of stereotactic lesional surgery for treatment of tremor in multiple sclerosis on cognition.Methods:Eleven patients (3 males, 8 females) with multiple sclerosis participated in the study. Six subjects comprised the surgical group and five the matched control group. All patients were assessed at baseline and three months using a neuropsychological test battery that included measures of intellectual ability, memory, language, perception and executive function.Results:There were no significant differences between the surgical and control groups and no change from pre to post testing except for a decline in scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), WAIS-R Digit Span and Verbal Fluency in the surgical group.Conclusions:The results indicate that stereotactic lesional surgery does not result in major cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis. However, the decline in MMSE scores, digit span and verbal fluency require further investigation in a larger sample.

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Cytotoxic antibody to cells infected with measles virus in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of multiple sclerosis and control patients

Journal of Clinical Microbiology ◽

10.1128/jcm.9.6.716-721.1979 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 716-721

Author(s):

N E Cremer ◽

K P Johnson ◽

G Fein ◽

W H Likosky

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Neurological Disorders ◽

Measles Virus ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Active Role ◽

Control Group ◽

And Control ◽

Larger Sample ◽

Mechanism Operative ◽

Specimen Sampling

Sera and cerebrospinal fluids (CSFs) from 66 patients selected from a larger sample of multiple sclerosis (MS) and control patients were studied for presence of complement-dependent cytotoxic (CT) antibody against baby hamster kidney cells infected with measles virus, strain Lec. The MS group contained 26 patients with clinically definite disease and 7 with probable MS. Seventeen of the 33 patients selected from the MS group had hemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) antibody to measles virus in their CSFs. Specimens from 33 control patients with other identifiable neurological disorders were matched according to the time of specimen sampling and with the age of the donors. Seven of the controls had HI CSF antibody. The serum CT geometric mean antibody titer of the MS group was approximately twofold higher than that of the control group. Forty-two percent of the MS group and 18% of the control group had CT antibody in the CSF. With the exception of the ratio of one control patient, the serum/CSF ratios of CT antibody from all patients were 128 or less. Nine CSFs (six MS and three control specimens) had CT antibody but no detectable HI antibody. Conversely, 12 CSFs (eight MS and four control specimens) had HI antibody but no detectable CT antibody. Five patients in the MS group with both kinds of CSF antibodies had reduced CT ratios but normal HI ratios. The results suggest that the two tests detect CSF antibodies reactive with different antigens. In this study, where less than half of the MS patients displayed CSF CT antibody, it is unlikely that such antibodies play an active role in the pathogenetic mechanism operative in the disease.

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Effects of Cancer, Chemotherapy and Cytokines on Subjective and Objective Cognitive Functioning Among Patients with Breast Cancer

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13112576 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 2576

Author(s):

Vincent Chin-Hung Chen ◽

Chin-Kuo Lin ◽

Han-Pin Hsiao ◽

Bor-Show Tzang ◽

Yen-Hsuan Hsu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Verbal Fluency ◽

Control Group ◽

Control Groups ◽

Semantic Verbal Fluency ◽

Cytokine Levels ◽

Chemotherapy Patients ◽

And Control

Background: We aimed to investigate the associations of breast cancer (BC) and cancer-related chemotherapies with cytokine levels, and cognitive function. Methods: We evaluated subjective and objective cognitive function in BC patients before chemotherapy and 3~9 months after the completion of chemotherapy. Healthy volunteers without cancer were also compared as control group. Interleukins (IL) 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12p70, 13, 17A, 1β, IFNγ, and TNFα were measured. Associations of cancer status, chemotherapy and cytokine levels with subjective and objective cognitive impairments were analyzed using a regression model, adjusting for covariates, including IQ and psychological distress. Results: After adjustment, poorer performance in semantic verbal fluency was found in the post-chemotherapy subgroup compared to controls (p = 0.011, η2 = 0.070); whereas pre-chemotherapy patients scored higher in subjective cognitive perception. Higher IL-13 was associated with lower semantic verbal fluency in the post-chemotherapy subgroup. Higher IL-10 was associated with better perceived cognitive abilities in the pre-chemotherapy and control groups; while IL-5 and IL-13 were associated with lower perceived cognitive abilities in pre-chemotherapy and control groups. Our findings from mediation analysis further suggest that verbal fluency might be affected by cancer status, although mediated by anxiety. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that verbal fluency might be affected by cancer status, although mediated by anxiety. Different cytokines and their interactions may have different roles of neuroinflammation or neuroprotection that need further research.

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Visual-cognitive processing deficits in pediatric multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/1352458510391689 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. 449-456 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

AM Smerbeck ◽

J Parrish ◽

D Serafin ◽

EA Yeh ◽

B Weinstock-Guttman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Cognitive Processing ◽

Visual Processing ◽

Visual Memory ◽

Intellectual Ability ◽

Disease Characteristics ◽

Confrontation Naming ◽

General Intellectual Ability ◽

Neuropsychological Assessment Battery ◽

And Control

Background: Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) can suffer significant cognitive deficits. This study investigates the sensitivity and validity in pediatric MS of two visual processing tests borrowed from the adult literature, the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMTR) and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Objective: To test the hypothesis that visual processing is disproportionately impacted in pediatric MS by comparing performance with that of healthy controls on the BVMTR and SDMT. Methods: We studied 88 participants (43 MS, 45 controls) using a neuropsychological assessment battery including measures of intelligence, language, visual memory, and processing speed. Patients and demographically matched controls were compared to determine which tests are most sensitive in pediatric MS. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between the MS and control groups on BVMTR Total Learning ( t (84) = 4.04, p < 0.001, d = 0.87), BVMTR Delayed Recall ( t (84) = 4.45, p < 0.001, d = 0.96), and SDMT ( t (38) = 2.19, p = 0.035, d = 0.69). No significant differences were found between groups on confrontation naming or general intellectual ability. Validity coefficients exploring correlation between BVMTR, SDMT, and disease characteristics were consistent with the adult literature. Conclusions: This study found that BVMTR and SDMT may be useful in assessing children and adolescents with MS.

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Are post-error adjustments influenced by beliefs in free will? A failure to replicate Rigoni, Wilquin, Brass and Burle, 2013

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.200664 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (11) ◽

pp. 200664

Author(s):

Charlotte Eben ◽

Zhang Chen ◽

Emiel Cracco ◽

Marcel Brass ◽

Joël Billieux ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Free Will ◽

Statistical Power ◽

Original Study ◽

Control Group ◽

Control Groups ◽

Correct Trial ◽

Manipulation Check ◽

Subject Design ◽

And Control ◽

Larger Sample

In this pre-registered study, we tried to replicate the study by Rigoni et al. 2013 Cognition 127 , 264–269. In the original study, the authors manipulated the participants’ belief in free will in a between-subject design and subsequently measured post-error slowing (i.e. slower responses after an incorrect trial compared with a correct trial) as a marker of cognitive control. They found less post-error slowing in the group with reduced belief in free will (anti-free will group) compared with a control group in which belief in free will was not manipulated. In the present study, we used the same task procedure and the same free will manipulation (Crick text) in an attempt to replicate these findings. However, we used an online procedure and a larger sample size in order to address concerns about statistical power. Similar to the original study, we also used a questionnaire to measure beliefs in free will as an independent manipulation check. We found a difference in the scores on the questionnaire, thus a reduced belief in free will, after reading the Crick text. However, we did not find any difference in post-error slowing between the anti-free will and control groups. Our findings are in line with several other recent findings suggesting that the Crick text manipulation affects the participants’ self-reported belief in free will but not their behaviour. The present study can be considered a high-powered failed replication attempt.

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EFFECTS OF ADAPTIVE COMPUTER-BASED COGNITIVE TRAINING ON COMMUNITY-DWELLING ELDERS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.918 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S244-S244

Author(s):

Guifang Guo ◽

Huijuan Gongzhi

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Training ◽

Digit Span ◽

Memory Function ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Control Group ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Computer Based ◽

And Control ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract This quasi-experimental designed study analyzed the effects of adaptive computer-based cognitive training among community-dwelling older adults. A 6-week (5 times/week) program was implemented with an intervention group (Difficulty Adaptive Training) and control group (Difficulty Fixed Training). General cognitive, memory, executive and attention functions were evaluated before (T1), completion (T2), and one month after intervention (T3). Sixty-one participants completed data collection. (1) General cognitive function: improved in both groups at T2, and T3, intervention group had better effect; (2) Memory function: improved in both groups in immediate, short and long-delayed recalls at T2 and T3, and recognition at T2. (3) Executive function: improved in both groups. Time of simple information processing was shortened at T2 and T3 in intervention group, at T3 in control group; TMT response inhibition was shortened at T2 and T3 in both groups. (4) Attention function: digit span forward was improved at T2 in intervention group.

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Pain Characteristics and Associations with Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Lithuania

Medicina ◽

10.3390/medicina56110596 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 56 (11) ◽

pp. 596

Author(s):

Greta Veličkaitė ◽

Neringa Jucevičiūtė ◽

Renata Balnytė ◽

Ovidijus Laucius ◽

Antanas Vaitkus

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Neuropathic Pain ◽

Short Form ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Control Group ◽

And Control

Background and objectives: Even though pain in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is common and possibly associated with reduced quality of life, its exact prevalence and characteristics remain vaguely understood. We aimed to estimate the true extent of pain and its associations with quality of life in Lithuanian MS patients and to compare this data with that of a control group. Materials and Methods: Data were collected prospectively at the Department of Neurology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics. A face-to-face structured interview and a questionnaire were used to collect demographic and clinical data of the MS (n = 120) and control (n = 120) groups. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was used to quantify disability in the MS group. Scores ≥4/10 in the Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire were classified as neuropathic pain. Patients were evaluated using the anxiety and depression subsets of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A and HADS-D), the physical and mental component subsets of the Short Form-12 questionnaire (PSC-12 and MSC-12). Results: The MS and control groups did not differ in pain prevalence (76.7% vs. 65.9%, p = 0.064) or intensity. Lhermitte sign, lower limb, and face pain were more common in the MS group, whereas subjects in the control group were more often affected by lower back, neck, and joint pain. Neuropathic pain and pain lasting longer than 2 years were more common among pain-affected MS patients than among controls. MS patients with pain had higher EDSS, HADS-D, and HADS-A and lower PSC-12 scores than those without pain; however, no difference was found regarding the duration of MS or age. Males with MS and pain had higher MSC-12 and HADS-D scores in comparison to the same subset of females. Conclusions: Pain affects approximately three out of four patients with MS in Lithuania and is negatively associated with the mental and physical aspects of quality of life.

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Probable antioxidant therapy of Saffron Crocin in patients with multiple sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial

Biomedicine ◽

10.51248/.v40i4.332 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 40 (4) ◽

pp. 516-521

Author(s):

Sara Ami Ahmadi ◽

Azin Kazemi ◽

Mohammadmahdi Sabahi ◽

Shahab Razipour ◽

Arash Salehipour ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Stress Factors ◽

Control Group ◽

Oxidative Damages ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Daily Dose ◽

Total Antioxidant ◽

And Control

Introduction and Aim: Multiple Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex neurological condition might emerge as a result ofcomplex combination of genetic risk factors with environmental triggers, including oxidative stress. in this study we aimed to evaluate the effects of oral Crocin on oxidative stress in patients with MS. Materials and Methods: Adjunct to standard treatment, the Crocin group (20 patients) received 30-mg/day (15 mg twice daily) dose of Crocin and placebo group (20 patients) received for 4 weeks. Saliva and urine samples were collected to determine the levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase activity (CAT), total thiol groups (TTG), lipid peroxidation (LPO), were measured at baseline and the end of the study. Results: At baseline, there were no significant differences of LPO, TAC, CAT, and TTG of urine between the control and case groups. However, a significant difference was found after 4 weeks of Crocin-therapy in TTG,TAC and LPO (p<0.05) except in CAT activity (P>0.05). We found no deffrence in urinary TTG level and CAT activity in control group at the end of intervention (P>0.05), while TAC and LPO level were significantly different at the end of the study as compared with the beginning (P<0.05). Althugh, we found no significant difference in saliva LPO, TTG and TAC levels and the activity of CAT in case and control groups at first (p>0.05), Crocin administration have resulted in a significant increase in saliva TTG and TAC levels as well as CAT activity and markedly decrease in LPO level (p<0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, Crocin can significantly reduce the several oxidative stress factors in MS patients and may contributes to attenuates the oxidative damages.

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Metabolic differences between multiple sclerosis subtypes measured by quantitative MR spectroscopy

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1191/1352458502ms802oa ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 200-206 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

J W Pan ◽

P K Coyle ◽

K Bashir ◽

J N Whitaker ◽

L B Krupp ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Neuronal Loss ◽

Control Group ◽

Periventricular White Matter ◽

Quantitative Mr ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Relapsing Remitting ◽

White Matter Region ◽

Metabolite Ratio ◽

And Control

We used quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopic imaging with T1-based image segmentation to evaluate the subtypes of multiple sclerosis (MS) (eight patients each group of relapsing-remitting [RR], secondary progressive [SP] and primary progressive [PP]). There was no significant difference in age between the PP group with the RR, SP or control group. We found that the metabolite ratio of choline/NA from the periventricular white matter region was not significantly different between the RR and SP groups. Using an ANOVA, the ratios of periventricular choline/NA or creatine/NA of these combined groups were significantly higher than the PP and control groups. Quantification of these data suggest that the major cause of the elevation of these parameters is due to an increase in choline and creatine in the RR group while NA is decreased in the SP group. Thus, early PP disease appears to be relatively intact with respect to neuronal loss.

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Sensory symptoms of multiple sclerosis: a hidden reservoir of morbidity

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/135245859900500307 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 179-183 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

Alex D Rae-Grant ◽

Nancy J Eckert ◽

Sharon Bartz ◽

James F Reed

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Target Population ◽

Qualitative Description ◽

Neurological Dysfunction ◽

Control Group ◽

Disease Course ◽

Respiratory Problems ◽

Secondary Endpoints ◽

And Control

Objective: To assess the frequency and quality of sensory symptoms in a population of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and compare them with controls. Design: Survey to target population and control group evaluating demographic data, data on disease course, presence of various symptoms of MS. Setting: Neurological practices affiliated with a tertiary community hospital. Participants: 224 patients with MS, 93 controls of similar age and sex. Results: Sensory symptoms were more common in MS patients than in controls, and differed in severity and quality. Fifty per cent described brief (seconds to hours) episodes of neurological dysfunction, significantly more often than in controls (P=0.001). Pain was present at some time in similar percentages in patients and controls, but active pain problems were present more often in MS patients (P=0.001). The qualitative description of pain in MS patients was more often neuropathic, with burning, itching, electric and formicatory pain, as opposed to throbbing, sharp or muscular pain. Pain was localized to arms, legs, trunk, hands, feet and face more often in the MS group. Lhermitte's phenomenon was present in two-thirds of patients at some time in their disease course. Twenty per cent of the patients identified themselves as having respiratory problems (Controls 7.5%, P=0.005). Fatigue limited activity in 78% of patients, but only in 17% of controls (P=0.001). Dizziness, memory dysfunction, and restless legs symptoms were all more frequent in patients. The self-rated `worst' symptoms of MS was pain in 12%, fatigue in 17% and dizziness in 5%, a total of 34% of `worst' symptoms. Sensory symptoms were present in patients with early disease and without disability as often as in disabled patients and in those with longer disease duration. There was however a strong correlation between the total number of sensory symptoms reported and the presence of disability in the MS patients. Conclusions: Sensory symptoms are common in MS patients. Pain syndromes, transient neurologic events, Lhermitte's phenomenon, fatigue, respiratory symptoms and vertigo were present significantly more frequently in patients with MS than in a control population and contributed to subjective morbidity. Future clinical trials assessing therapy in MS might include sensory symptoms as secondary endpoints to capture this `hidden reservoir' of disease morbidity.

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Reduction of angiotensin II in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/1352458507085760 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 557-560 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

M Kawajiri ◽

M Mogi ◽

M Osoegawa ◽

T Matsuoka ◽

K Tsukuda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽

Angiotensin Ii ◽

Neurological Diseases ◽

Control Group ◽

Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis ◽

Disability Status ◽

Scale Scores ◽

Inflammatory Neuropathies ◽

And Control

We previously demonstrated that angiotensin II acts as a crucial neuroprotective factor after neural injury through angiotensin II type-2 (AT2) receptor signaling. Although the pathway is known to play an important role in the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) angiotensin II levels in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have never been studied. To clarify the significance of angiotensin II in MS, we assayed angiotensin II concentrations using an established enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay in CSF samples from patients with MS ( n = 21), patients with inflammatory neuropathies (IN) ( n = 23) and control individuals who did not have either of the neurological diseases or any other disease that might affect the angiotensin II levels in the CSF (control) ( n = 24). Angiotensin II levels in the CSF were 3.79 ± 1.54 pg/ml in the MS group, 5.13 ± 2.27 pg/ml in the IN group and 6.71 ± 2.65 pg/ml in the control group. The angiotensin II levels in the CSF of the MS group were significantly lower than in the control group ( p = 0.00057). Angiotensin II concentration in the CSF tended to have a negative correlation with the Kurtzke’s Expanded Disability Status Scale scores during MS relapse ( p = 0.0847). These findings suggest that reduced levels of intrathecal angiotensin II may be related to the abnormal neural damage and repair processes in MS.

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