Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Milena Sleczkowska, Kaalindi Misra, Silvia Santoro, Monique M. Gerrits, Janneke G. J. Hoeijmakers, PainNet Study Grp
Summary: This study discusses the potential role of various peripheral ion channels involved in sensory signaling, neuronal excitation regulation, involuntary action potential generation, thermal pain, pH modulation, and neurotransmitter release related to painful neuropathy, as well as their prospective role as therapeutic targets.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rowida Almomani, Maurice Sopacua, Margherita Marchi, Milena Sleczkowska, Patrick Lindsey, Bianca T. A. de Greef, Janneke G. J. Hoeijmakers, Erika Salvi, Ingemar S. J. Merkies, Maryam A. Ferdousi, Rayaz Malik, Dan Ziegler, Kasper W. J. Derks, Gidon Boenhof, Filippo Martinelli-Boneschi, Daniele Cazzato, Raffaella Lombardi, Sulayman G. Dib-Hajj, Stephen Waxman, Hubert J. M. M. Smeets, Monique G. Gerrits, Catharina Faber, Giuseppe Lauria
Summary: Rare SCG genetic variants may contribute to the development of painful neuropathy. Genetic profiling and SCG variant identification can provide better understanding of the genetic variability in patients with painful and painless neuropathy, leading to improved risk stratification and personalized pain treatments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Alise Kalteniece, Maryam Ferdousi, Shazli Azmi, Saif Ullah Khan, Anne Worthington, Andrew Marshall, Catharina G. Faber, Giuseppe Lauria, Andrew J. M. Boulton, Handrean Soran, Rayaz A. Malik
Summary: This study showed that corneal nerve loss increases with the severity of neuropathic pain, and corneal nerve density may be correlated with the diagnosis of PDN.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Simon Podnar
Summary: The objective of this study was to establish the length of the affected nerve segment (LANS) in ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE). The study found that the average LANS in UNE was around 4 cm, and longer LANS were associated with more severe UNE. This has important implications for understanding the mechanisms and diagnosis of UNE.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Musa Polat, Nusret Ayaz
Summary: The study identified PFCN lesions in patients with injection neuropathy following a diagnosis of sciatic nerve lesion. Patients with PFCN lesions had a lower body mass index and higher levels of anxiety and depression. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of PFCN lesions following gluteal region injections for successful treatment.
POSTGRADUATE MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vincent Yaccarino, Max Y. Jin, Alaa Abd-Elsayed, Jacob M. Kraemer, Nalini Sehgal
Summary: This article briefly introduces the evolution, mechanisms, applications, and complications of peripheral nerve stimulation. The latest technology provides new treatment options for chronic neuropathic pain of the upper extremity.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Andreas Liampas, Martina Rekatsina, Athina Vadalouca, Antonella Paladini, Giustino Varrassi, Panagiotis Zis
Summary: Management of peripheral neuropathic pain due to polyneuropathy includes medications such as amitriptyline, duloxetine, gabapentin, pregabalin, venlafaxine as monotherapies, and oxycodone as an add-on therapy. Tramadol appears to be effective as both monotherapy and add-on therapy for various etiologies of peripheral neuropathic pain. Weaker evidence exists for the efficacy of several other agents discussed in this review.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Milena Sleczkowska, Rowida Almomani, Margherita Marchi, Erika Salvi, Bianca T. A. de Greef, Maurice Sopacua, Janneke G. J. Hoeijmakers, Patrick Lindsey, Stephen G. Waxman, Giuseppe Lauria, Catharina G. Faber, Hubert J. M. Smeets, Monique M. Gerrits
Summary: This study assessed the role of fifteen ion channel genes in neuropathic pain. Variants in ion channel genes were identified in SFN patients, with TRP genes being the most frequent. Patients with these variants reported more severe pain. This study provides promising gene candidates for future research on neuropathic pain etiology.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adrian Guerrero-Moreno, Hong Liang, Nathan Moreau, Jade Luzu, Ghislaine Rabut, Stephane Melik Parsadaniantz, Antoine Labbe, Christophe Baudouin, Annabelle Reaux-Le Goazigo
Summary: The study compared corneal nerve abnormalities in patients with neuropathic corneal pain secondary to MGD or AIDE. MGD-related NCP was associated with more nerve abnormalities, while AIDE-related NCP showed increased nerve tortuosity and neuromas. IVCM can be useful in detecting corneal nerve changes in NCP patients.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Mirna Andelic, Erika Salvi, Stefania Marcuzzo, Margherita Marchi, Raffaella Lombardi, Daniele Cartelli, Daniele Cazzato, Elkadia Mehmeti, Andrea Gelemanovic, Matilde Paolini, Carlotta Pardo, Ilaria D'Amato, Janneke G. J. Hoeijmakers, Sulayman Dib-Hajj, Stephen G. Waxman, Catharina G. Faber, Giuseppe Lauria
Summary: Personalized management of neuropathic pain is a clinical need that has not been fulfilled due to various factors. Recent studies on microRNA have provided insights into pain-related mechanisms and identified potential drug candidates. By generating a molecular profile of the epidermis in patients with sodium channel-related painful neuropathy, the researchers identified specific miRNAs and mRNA targets that are involved in peripheral sensory transduction and modulation. The findings suggest a complex interaction between epidermal cells and axons in neuropathy pain. This targeted molecular profiling could advance personalized medicine for neuropathic pain.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Milena Sleczkowska, Rowida Almomani, Margherita Marchi, Bianca T. A. de Greef, Maurice Sopacua, Janneke G. J. Hoeijmakers, Patrick Lindsey, Erika Salvi, Gidon J. Boenhof, Dan Ziegler, Rayaz A. Malik, Stephen G. Waxman, Giuseppe Lauria, Catharina G. Faber, Hubert J. M. Smeets, Monique M. Gerrits
Summary: Neuropathic pain is common in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DN), and it may be caused by pathogenic ion channel gene variants. Variants in ion channel genes were found in DN patients with and without pain, suggesting their role in pain generation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Josianna Henson, Narayana C. Varhabhatla, Zvonimir Bebic, Alan D. Kaye, R. Jason Yong, Richard D. Urman, Justin S. Merkow
Summary: Painful diabetic neuropathy is a common disease causing significant pain and disability. Spinal cord stimulation has shown moderate-quality evidence for safety and efficacy in treating this condition. Further high-quality research, including large-scale randomized controlled trials, is needed to confirm its effectiveness.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tariq Malik, Ahmed Malik, Alaa Abd-Elsayed
Summary: Work-related injuries are common and costly, especially when nerve damage is involved. Preventing work-related nerve dysfunction is challenging due to its multifactorial nature. Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines for clinicians to evaluate work-related nerve dysfunction, making effective management difficult. Further research is needed to better understand the pathophysiology of chronic nerve injury and identify new targets for pharmacological interventions.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Adam R. Burkey, Jeffrey Chen, Charles E. Argoff, Deborah R. Edgar, Erika A. Petersen
Summary: This systematic review examined the effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in treating painful peripheral neuropathy (PPN). The results showed that both 10 kHz SCS and traditional low-frequency SCS were effective in providing pain relief for patients with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). 10 kHz SCS also showed promising outcomes in other PPN etiologies. Additionally, a majority of PDN patients and a notable subset of nondiabetic PPN patients experienced neurological improvement with 10 kHz SCS.
JOURNAL OF PAIN RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Chenlong Liao, Shuo Li, Xin Nie, Yayuan Tian, Wenchuan Zhang
Summary: This trial aims to assess the efficacy of triple-nerve decompression for patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) suggestive of nerve entrapment. The trial will be conducted using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, with 74 enrolled subjects randomly allocated into surgical and non-surgical groups. The primary outcome will be the proportion of subjects with at least 50% reduction in pain intensity after 6 months of treatment.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Renato J. Verdugo, Jose M. Matamala, Koji Inui, Ryusuke Kakigi, Josep Valls-Sole, Per Hansson, Kristian Bernhard Nilsen, Raffaella Lombardi, Giuseppe Lauria, Ioannis N. Petropoulos, Rayaz A. Malik, Rolf-Detlef Treede, Ulf Baumgartner, Paula A. Jara, Mario Campero
Summary: This review presents an update on techniques available for the study of small afferent fibers and their clinical applicability. The combined use of physiological and morphological methods can provide valuable information for the diagnosis of small fiber neuropathies.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Mirna Andelic, Erika Salvi, Stefania Marcuzzo, Margherita Marchi, Raffaella Lombardi, Daniele Cartelli, Daniele Cazzato, Elkadia Mehmeti, Andrea Gelemanovic, Matilde Paolini, Carlotta Pardo, Ilaria D'Amato, Janneke G. J. Hoeijmakers, Sulayman Dib-Hajj, Stephen G. Waxman, Catharina G. Faber, Giuseppe Lauria
Summary: Personalized management of neuropathic pain is a clinical need that has not been fulfilled due to various factors. Recent studies on microRNA have provided insights into pain-related mechanisms and identified potential drug candidates. By generating a molecular profile of the epidermis in patients with sodium channel-related painful neuropathy, the researchers identified specific miRNAs and mRNA targets that are involved in peripheral sensory transduction and modulation. The findings suggest a complex interaction between epidermal cells and axons in neuropathy pain. This targeted molecular profiling could advance personalized medicine for neuropathic pain.
Article
Immunology
Maria Rescigno, Chiara Agrati, Carlo Salvarani, Diana Giannarelli, Massimo Costantini, Alberto Mantovani, Raffaella Massafra, Pier Luigi Zinzani, Aldo Morrone, Stefania Notari, Giulia Matusali, Giuseppe Lauria Pinter, Antonio Uccelli, Gennaro Ciliberto, Fausto Baldanti, Franco Locatelli, Nicola Silvestris, Valentina Sinno, Elena Turola, Maria Teresa Lupo-Stanghellini, Giovanni Apolone
Summary: This study compared the B-cell, T-cell, and neutralizing antibody response to WT and Omicron BA.2 SARS-CoV-2 virus in patients with hematological malignancies, solid tumors, and immune-rheumatological diseases after the fourth dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The T-cell response was similarly boosted by the fourth dose across different subgroups, while the antibody response was improved only in patients not receiving B-cell targeted therapies. However, a small percentage of patients did not have neutralizing antibodies to either virus variants, making them vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The increment of neutralizing antibodies was similar towards Omicron BA.2 and WT virus after the third or fourth dose of vaccine. Additional booster doses are recommended for frail patients to enhance the development of a B-cell response against Omicron and/or to enhance the T-cell response in patients treated with anti-CD20.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anna Nigri, Eleonora Dalla Bella, Stefania Ferraro, Jean Paul Medina Carrion, Greta Demichelis, Enrica Bersano, Monica Consonni, Antje Bischof, Mario Stanziano, Sara Palermo, Giuseppe Lauria, Maria Grazia Bruzzone, Nico Papinutto
Summary: This study evaluated the degeneration of gray matter and white matter in the cervical spinal cord in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients using the King's staging system. The results showed that the pattern of spinal cord atrophy differed in different clinical stages. This study provides important insights into the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
ANNALS OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eleonora Giagnorio, Claudia Malacarne, Paola Cavalcante, Letizia Scandiffio, Marco Cattaneo, Viviana Pensato, Cinzia Gellera, Nilo Riva, Angelo Quattrini, Eleonora Dalla Bella, Giuseppe Lauria, Renato Mantegazza, Silvia Bonanno, Stefania Marcuzzo
Summary: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons (UMNs, LMNs) and miR-146a dysregulation may contribute to the pathogenesis of ALS. In this study, miR-146a levels were increased in ALS peripheral nerves and decreased in the serum of ALS patients, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for the disease.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rowida Almomani, Maurice Sopacua, Margherita Marchi, Milena Sleczkowska, Patrick Lindsey, Bianca T. A. de Greef, Janneke G. J. Hoeijmakers, Erika Salvi, Ingemar S. J. Merkies, Maryam A. Ferdousi, Rayaz Malik, Dan Ziegler, Kasper W. J. Derks, Gidon Boenhof, Filippo Martinelli-Boneschi, Daniele Cazzato, Raffaella Lombardi, Sulayman G. Dib-Hajj, Stephen Waxman, Hubert J. M. M. Smeets, Monique G. Gerrits, Catharina Faber, Giuseppe Lauria
Summary: Rare SCG genetic variants may contribute to the development of painful neuropathy. Genetic profiling and SCG variant identification can provide better understanding of the genetic variability in patients with painful and painless neuropathy, leading to improved risk stratification and personalized pain treatments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Roberto Gasparotti, Alessandro Salvalaggio, Daniele Corbo, Giorgio Agazzi, Mario Cacciavillani, Alessandro Lozza, Silvia Fenu, Grazia De Vigili, Matteo Tagliapietra, Gian Maria Fabrizi, Davide Pareyson, Laura Obici, Chiara Briani
Summary: Quantitative assessment of Magnetic Resonance Neurography (MRN) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) of the sciatic nerve can reliably differentiate hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv) patients and pre-symptomatic carriers, providing a potential tool for early diagnosis and disease monitoring.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
Margherita Marchi, Erika Salvi, Mirna Andelic, Elkadia Mehmeti, Ilaria D'Amato, Daniele Cazzato, Federica Chiappori, Raffaella Lombardi, Daniele Cartelli, Grazia Devigili, Eleonora Dalla Bella, Monique Gerrits, Rowida Almomani, Rayaz A. Malik, Milena Sleczkowska, Anna Mazzeo, Luca Gentile, Sulayman Dib-Hajj, Stephen G. Waxman, Catharina G. Faber, Eleonora Vecchio, Marina de Tommaso, Giuseppe Lauria
Summary: This study aimed to identify rare variants associated with chronic neuropathic pain and nociplastic pain by conducting next-generation sequencing and gene-wise aggregation analysis. TRPA1 was found to be the most significant gene, with the frequency of rare variants significantly differentiating chronic pain patients from healthy controls. The study expands the understanding of channelopathy-related chronic pain disorders and contributes to personalized therapies based on patients' molecular profiles.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Catharina G. Faber, Nadine Attal, Giuseppe Lauria, Robert H. Dworkin, Roy Freeman, Katherine T. Dawson, Helen Finnigan, Amirhossein Hajihosseini, Himanshu Naik, Michael Serenko, Christopher J. Morris, Mona Kotecha
Summary: This clinical trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of vixotrigine in patients with painful small fibre neuropathy (SFN). The study found that vixotrigine can effectively reduce pain symptoms in SFN patients and is well tolerated.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Sandra Pinton, Elena Vacchi, Giacomo Chiaro, Andrea Raimondi, Alexandar Tzankov, Bernhard Gerber, Claudio Gobbi, Alain Kaelin-Lang, Giorgia Melli
Summary: Skin biopsy is a sensitive and reliable test for detecting and typing amyloid in patients with systemic amyloidosis. It allows for the identification of the precursor protein by electron microscope. It is an important component of the diagnostic work up for systemic amyloidosis.
ANNALS OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Nico Golfre Andreasi, Arianna Braccia, Vincenzo Levi, Sara Rinaldo, Francesco Ghielmetti, Roberto Cilia, Luigi Michele Romito, Salvatore Bonvegna, Antonio Emanuele Elia, Grazia Devigili, Roberta Telese, Fabiana Colucci, Maria Grazia Bruzzone, Giuseppe Messina, Marta Corradi, Mario Stanziano, Valentina Caldiera, Sara Prioni, Paolo Amami, Marco Fusar Poli, Sylvie Helene Marie Jeanne Piacentini, Marina Grisoli, Elisa Francesca Maria Ciceri, Francesco DiMeco, Roberto Eleopra
Summary: This study investigated the efficacy, safety, and target coordinates of MRgFUS thalamotomy in dystonic tremor (DT) compared to essential tremor (ET). The results showed that MRgFUS thalamotomy is safe and effective in both DT and ET. Targeting coordinates should be more anterior for DT compared to ET.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Mirna Andelic, Margherita Marchi, Stefania Marcuzzo, Raffaella Lombardi, Catharina G. Faber, Giuseppe Lauria, Erika Salvi
Summary: Archived specimens are valuable resources in translational medicine and can be used for retrospective molecular studies and disease prediction. Microfluidic arrays are cost-effective methods for profiling miRNAs, but post-analytical pipelines should be standardized and appropriate settings and references should be considered.
MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
Daniele Cazzato, Raffaella Lombardi, Mirna Andelic, Daniele Cartelli, Erika Salvi, Aline Kosten, Ilse Driesmans, Janneke Hoeijmakers, Catharina Faber, Giuseppe Lauria Pinter
JOURNAL OF THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
Margherita Marchi, Erika Salvi, Elkadia Mehmeti, Mirna Andelic, Daniele Cazzato, Grazia Devigili, Ilaria D'Amato, Raffaella Lombardi, Daniele Cartelli, Monique Gerrits, Milena Sleczkowska, Rayaz Malik, Catharina Faber, Giuseppe Lauria Pinter
JOURNAL OF THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
(2022)