BONAVITA S.

Background The management of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has undergone transformative evolution with the introduction of high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), specifically anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, such as ocrelizumab (OCR) and ofatumumab (OFA).Materials and methods This is an independent retrospective cohort study in Relapsing...

Background/objectives: Several studies supported the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) on chronic diseases. In Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the MeDi might interfere with systemic inflammatory state, gut microbiota, and comorbidities. The Med Diet Score (MDS) estimates the adherence to the MeDi and the cardiovascular (CV) risk....

Fingolimod exerts its therapeutic effect in multiple sclerosis by modulating sphingosine-1P receptors which are expressed in the heart mediating fingolimod first dose effects. Understanding potential interactions of baseline characteristics and autonomic profile with fingolimod first dose effects may add novel safety information and help...

Background: Public engagement (PE) is defined as the involvement of "specialists who listen, develop their understanding, and interact with non-specialists in non-profit activities of educational, cultural, and social nature to engage the public in science-related matters". The public health relevance of PE consists in building up a...

Background: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) may help patients and clinicians in selecting disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: To evaluate PRO differences among first-line DMTs for relapsing-remitting (RR) people with MS (pwMS). Methods: Multicenter study. RR pwMS on first-line DMTs completed Fatigue...

Background and objectives: alemtuzumab is a monoclonal anti-CD52 antibody acting on B and T cells in highly active multiple sclerosis (MS). We analyzed changes in lymphocyte subsets after alemtuzumab administration in relation to disease activity and autoimmune adverse events. Methods: lymphocyte subset counts were assessed longitudinally using...

Objective: To evaluate disease activity according to rituximab (RTX) induction and maintenance regimens in a multicenter real-life dataset of NMOSD patients. Methods: This is an observational-retrospective multicentre study including patients with NMOSD treated with RTX in 21 Italian and 1 Swiss centers. Demographics, relapse rate and adverse...

Background: Although multiple sclerosis (MS) Intimacy and Sexuality Questionnaire-19 (MSISQ-19) is a widely applied tool, no unique definition of sexual dysfunction (SD) based on its score exists. Objective: To explore the impact of different MSISQ-19 cut-offs on SD prevalence and associated risk factors, providing relevant information for its...

Background: Digital health, including telemedicine, is increasingly recommended for the management of chronic neurological disorders, and it has changed the roles of patients and clinicians. Methods: In this cross-sectional study we aimed to investigate the digital work engagement of Italian neurologists through a survey collected between...

Physical disability impacts psychosocial wellbeing in people with multiple sclerosis. However, the role of physical activity in this context is still debated. By taking advantage of a pre-vious survey, conducted online from 22 April to 7 May 2020, we performed a post-hoc analysis with the aim to assess the associations between disability,...

Background: To minimize the risk of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy and rebound in JCV-positive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients after 24 natalizumab doses, it has been proposed to extend the administrations interval. The objective is to evaluate the EID efficacy on MRI activity compared with the standard interval dosing (SID)....

Background and purpose: Real-world data on alemtuzumab are limited and do not provide evidence of its effectiveness after various disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). Our aim was to provide real-world data on the impact of clinical variables and previous DMTs on clinical response to alemtuzumab. Methods: Sixteen Italian multiple sclerosis...

Background: The approval of an increasing number of disease modifying drugs for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) creates new challenges for patients and clinicians on the first treatment choice. The main aim of this study was to assess factors impacting first therapy choice in a large Italian MS cohort. Methods: Newly diagnosed...

Background: in the early stages of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), initiating high-efficacy disease-modifying therapy (HE DMTs) may represent an optimal strategy for delaying neurological damage and long-term disease progression, especially in highly active MS patients (HAMS). Natalizumab (NAT) and Ocrelizumab (OCR) are recognized as HE DMTs with...