AMATO M. P.

Background: An engineered glove measuring finger motor performance previously showed ability to discriminate early-stage multiple sclerosis (MS) patients from healthy controls (HCs). Radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) classifies asymptomatic subjects with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities suggestive of multiple sclerosis....

The mechanisms responsible for the favorable clinical course in multiple sclerosis (MS) remain unclear. In this longitudinal study, we assessed whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based changes in focal and diffuse brain damage are associated with a long-term favorable MS diseases course. We found that global brain and gray matter (GM)...

Background: The concept of improvement of disability recently emerged as a new target in multiple sclerosis (MS) studies since the approval of new potent drugs and for testing drugs for neuroprotection and repair. Objective: To propose a simple estimator for assessing and comparing the prevalence of improvement over time between groups....

Background: Cognitive dysfunction affects up to 70% of people with progressive MS (PMS). It can exert a deleterious effect on activities of daily living, employment and relationships. Preliminary evidence suggests that performance can improve with cognitive rehabilitation (CR) and aerobic exercise (EX), but existing data are predominantly from...

Objective: Individuals with pre-existing chronic illness have shown increased anxiety and depression due to COVID-19. Here, we examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emotional symptomatology and quality of life in individuals with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PMS). Methods: Data were obtained during a randomized clinical trial on...

Pandemic restrictions have led to changes in therapy plans and disrupted rehabilitation services for people with multiple sclerosis. CogEx is an international, multicentre MS dual-intervention (cognitive rehabilitation, aerobic exercise) randomized, controlled rehabilitation trial confined to people with progressive disease. The primary outcome...

Background: Aerobic exercise training (physical activity for improving cardiorespiratory fitness) represents a promising approach for managing cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, there is limited evidence that levels of physical activity and fitness are associated with cognition in progressive MS. Objective: We examined...

Background: Research on cognitive rehabilitation (CR) and aerobic exercise (EX) to improve cognition in progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS) remains limited. CogEx trial investigated the effectiveness of CR and EX in PMS: here, we present MRI substudy volumetric and task-related functional MRI (fMRI) findings. Methods: Participants were...

The current study aims to compare injectable and oral first-line disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for time to first relapse, time to confirmed disability progression (CDP), and time to discontinuation using a cohort of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, with data extracted from the Italian MS Register. This multicenter,...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and neurodegenerative demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), most likely autoimmune in origin, usually beginning in early adulthood. The aetiology of the disease is not well understood; it is viewed currently as a multifactorial disease which results from complex interactions...

Objective: No direct comparisons of the effect of natalizumab and ocrelizumab on progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) and relapse-associated worsening (RAW) events are currently available. We aimed to compare the risk of achieving first 6 months confirmed PIRA and RAW events and irreversible Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)...