Submit to JPM Review for JPM Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Advances in the Therapeutics of Neurological Diseases

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Journal of Personalized Medicine (ISSN 2075-4426).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 January 2022) | Viewed by 45478

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Felix Javier Jiménez Jiménez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario del Sureste, Ronda del Sur 10, E28500 Arganda del Rey, Madrid, Spain
Interests: movement disorders; Parkinson’s disease; neurodegenerative diseases; restless leg syndrome; genetics; biochemistry; risk factors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neurology, as well as other branches of Medicine, is in rapid expansion, particularly in the improvement of diagnostic methods as well as the development of new therapies, including those related to personalized medicine. This Special Issue aims to summarize the most recent advances in the therapy of neurological diseases. For this purpose, I have made an initial selection of several topics of interest related to different subspecialities in the field of Neurology (headache, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, dementia, stroke, neuromuscular disorders, movement disorders, sleep disorders, …), although proposals for other topics are welcome.

the role of anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of migraines;
symptomatic treatment of multiple sclerosis;
current therapeutics for the management of status epilepticus;
advances in the therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease;
advances in the therapeutics for ischemic stroke;
management of Guillain–Barre syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy;
current therapeutics for the management of myasthenia gravis and myastheniform syndromes;
advances in the therapeutics for muscular dystrophy;
current and future treatment options for restless legs syndrome;
neurochemistry and neuropharmacology of REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder.

Prof. Dr. Félix Javier Jiménez-Jiménez
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Personalized Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

neurological diseases
neuropharmacology
pharmacogenetics
pharmacological therapy

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (10 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

11 pages, 1546 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Short-Term Efficacy of Transcranial Focused Ultrasound to the Hippocampus in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Preliminary Study

by Hyeonseok Jeong, In-Uk Song, Yong-An Chung, Jong-Sik Park, Seung-Hee Na, Jooyeon Jamie Im, Marom Bikson, Wonhye Lee and Seung-Schik Yoo

J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12(2), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm12020250 - 9 Feb 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5161

Abstract

Preclinical studies have suggested that low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) may have therapeutic potential for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by opening the blood–brain barrier (BBB), reducing amyloid pathology, and improving cognition. This study investigated the effects of tFUS on BBB opening, regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (rCMRglu), and cognitive function in AD patients. Eight patients with AD received image-guided tFUS to the right hippocampus immediately after intravenous injection of microbubble ultrasound contrast agents. Patients completed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ¹⁸F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET), and cognitive assessments before and after the sonication. No evidence of transient BBB opening was found on T1 dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. However, immediate recall (p = 0.03) and recognition memory (p = 0.02) were significantly improved on the verbal learning test. PET image analysis demonstrated increased rCMRglu in the right hippocampus (p = 0.001). In addition, increases of hippocampal rCMRglu were correlated with improvement in recognition memory (Spearman’s ρ = 0.77, p = 0.02). No adverse event was observed. Our results suggest that tFUS to the hippocampus of AD patients may improve rCMRglu of the target area and memory in the short term, even without BBB opening. Further larger sham-controlled trials with loger follow-up are warranted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tFUS in patients with AD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Therapeutics of Neurological Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 865 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pain Improvement in Parkinson’s Disease Patients Treated with Safinamide: Results from the SAFINONMOTOR Study

by Diego Santos García, Rosa Yáñez Baña, Carmen Labandeira Guerra, Maria Icíar Cimas Hernando, Iria Cabo López, Jose Manuel Paz González, Maria Gema Alonso Losada, Maria José Gonzalez Palmás, Carlos Cores Bartolomé and Cristina Martínez Miró

J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(8), 798; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11080798 - 16 Aug 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3285

Abstract

Background and objective: Pain is a frequent and disabling symptom in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Our aim was to analyze the effectiveness of safinamide on pain in PD patients from the SAFINONMOTOR (an open-label study of the effectiveness of SAFInamide on NON-MOTOR symptoms in Parkinson´s disease patients) study. Material and Methods: SAFINONMOTOR is a prospective open-label single-arm study conducted in five centers from Spain. In this analysis, a secondary objective of the study, the score in the KPPS (King´s Parkinson´s Disease Pain Scale) at V1 (baseline) and V4 (6 months ± 1 month) were compared. Wilcoxon´s rank sum test was performed to test the changes from V1 to V4. Results: Forty-four (88%) out of 50 PD patients (age 68.5 ± 9.12 years; 58% women; 6.4 ± 5.1 years from diagnosis) completed the study. The KPPS total score was reduced by 43.6% (from 40.04 ± 36.18 in V1 to 22.60 ± 21.42 in V4; p < 0.0001). By domains, improvement was observed in musculoskeletal (−35.9%; p = 0.009), fluctuation-related (−51.7%; p = 0.020), nocturnal (−46.1%; p = 0.001), discoloration and/or edema/swelling (−50.4%; p = 0.009) and radicular pain (−40.1%; p = 0.048). A total of 21 adverse events in 11 patients (22%) were reported, five being severe, but not related to safinamide. Conclusion: Safinamide is well tolerated and improves pain in PD patients at 6 months. Future studies are necessary to analyze the possible beneficial effect of safinamide on pain in PD patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Therapeutics of Neurological Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 2862 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Risk Factors for Recanalization after Coil Embolization

by Karol Wiśniewski, Zbigniew Tyfa, Bartłomiej Tomasik, Piotr Reorowicz, Ernest J. Bobeff, Bartłomiej J. Posmyk, Marlena Hupało, Ludomir Stefańczyk, Krzysztof Jóźwik and Dariusz J. Jaskólski

J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(8), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11080793 - 14 Aug 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3755

Abstract

The aim of our study was to identify risk factors for recanalization 6 months after coil embolization using clinical data followed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Methods: Firstly, clinical data of 184 patients treated with coil embolization were analyzed retrospectively. Secondly, aneurysm models for high/low recanalization risk were generated based on ROC curves and their cut-off points. Afterward, CFD was utilized to validate the results. Results: In multivariable analysis, aneurysm filling during the first embolization was an independent risk factor whilst packing density was a protective factor of recanalization after 6 months in patients with aSAH. For patients with unruptured aneurysms, packing density was found to be a protective factor whilst the aneurysm neck size was an independent risk factor. Complex flow pattern and multiple vortices were associated with aneurysm shape and were characteristic of the high recanalization risk group. Conclusions: Statistical analysis suggested that there are various factors influencing recanalization risk. Once certain values of morphometric parameters are exceeded, a complex flow with numerous vortices occurs. This phenomenon was revealed due to CFD investigations that validated our statistical research. Thus, the complex flow pattern itself can be treated as a relevant recanalization predictor. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Therapeutics of Neurological Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 1149 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Predictors of Global Non-Motor Symptoms Burden Progression in Parkinson’s Disease. Results from the COPPADIS Cohort at 2-Year Follow-Up

by Diego Santos-García, Teresa de Deus, Carlos Cores, Hector Canfield, Jose M Paz González, Cristina Martínez Miró, Lorena Valdés Aymerich, Ester Suárez, Silvia Jesús, Miquel Aguilar, Pau Pastor, Lluis Planellas, Marina Cosgaya, Juan García Caldentey, Nuria Caballol, Ines Legarda, Jorge Hernández-Vara, Iria Cabo, Lydia López Manzanares, Isabel González Aramburu, Maria A Ávila Rivera, Maria J Catalán, Victor Nogueira, Victor Puente, Julio Dotor, Carmen Borrué, Berta Solano, Maria Álvarez Sauco, Lydia Vela, Sonia Escalante, Esther Cubo, Francisco Carrillo, Juan C Martínez Castrillo, Pilar Sánchez Alonso, Gemma Alonso, Nuria López Ariztegui, Itziar Gastón, Jaime Kulisevsky, Marta Blázquez, Manuel Seijo, Javier Rúiz Martínez, Caridad Valero, Monica Kurtis, Oriol de Fábregues, Jessica Ardura, Ruben Alonso, Carlos Ordás, Luis M López Díaz, Darrian McAfee, Pablo Martinez-Martin, Pablo Mir and COPPADIS Study Group Show full author list Hide full author list

J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(7), 626; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11070626 - 30 Jun 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4205

Abstract

Background and Objective: Non-motor symptoms (NMS) progress in different ways between Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. The aim of the present study was to (1) analyze the change in global NMS burden in a PD cohort after a 2-year follow-up, (2) to compare the changes with a control group, and (3) to identify predictors of global NMS burden progression in the PD group. Material and Methods: PD patients and controls, recruited from 35 centers of Spain from the COPPADIS cohort from January 2016 to November 2017, were followed-up with after 2 years. The Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) was administered at baseline (V0) and at 24 months ± 1 month (V2). Linear regression models were used for determining predictive factors of global NMS burden progression (NMSS total score change from V0 to V2 as dependent variable). Results: After the 2-year follow-up, the mean NMS burden (NMSS total score) significantly increased in PD patients by 18.8% (from 45.08 ± 37.62 to 53.55 ± 42.28; p < 0.0001; N = 501; 60.2% males, mean age 62.59 ± 8.91) compared to no change observed in controls (from 14.74 ± 18.72 to 14.65 ± 21.82; p = 0.428; N = 122; 49.5% males, mean age 60.99 ± 8.32) (p < 0.0001). NMSS total score at baseline (β = −0.52), change from V0 to V2 in PDSS (Parkinson’s Disease Sleep Scale) (β = −0.34), and change from V0 to V2 in NPI (Neuropsychiatric Inventory) (β = 0.25) provided the highest contributions to the model (adjusted R-squared 0.41; Durbin-Watson test = 1.865). Conclusions: Global NMS burden demonstrates short-term progression in PD patients but not in controls and identifies worsening sleep problems and neuropsychiatric symptoms as significant independent predictors of this NMS progression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Therapeutics of Neurological Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2361 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Targeting Lyn Kinase in Chorea-Acanthocytosis: A Translational Treatment Approach in a Rare Disease

by Kevin Peikert, Hannes Glaß, Enrica Federti, Alessandro Matte, Lisann Pelzl, Katja Akgün, Tjalf Ziemssen, Rainer Ordemann, Florian Lang, The Network for Translational Research for Neuroacanthocytosis Patients, Lucia De Franceschi and Andreas Hermann

J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(5), 392; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11050392 - 10 May 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4316

Abstract

Chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by mutations in the VPS13A gene. It is characterized by several neurological symptoms and the appearance of acanthocytes. Elevated tyrosine kinase Lyn activity has been recently identified as one of the key pathophysiological mechanisms in this disease, and therefore represents a promising drug target. Methods: We evaluated an individual off-label treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor dasatinib (100 mg/d, 25.8–50.4 weeks) of three ChAc patients. Alongside thorough safety monitoring, we assessed motor and non-motor scales (e.g., MDS-UPDRS, UHDRS, quality of life) as well as routine and experimental laboratory parameters (e.g., serum neurofilament, Lyn kinase activity, actin cytoskeleton in red blood cells). Results: Dasatinib appeared to be reasonably safe. The clinical parameters remained stable without significant improvement or deterioration. Regain of deep tendon reflexes was observed in one patient. Creatine kinase, serum neurofilament levels, and acanthocyte count did not reveal consistent effects. However, a reduction of initially elevated Lyn kinase activity and accumulated autophagy markers, as well as a partial restoration of the actin cytoskeleton, was found in red blood cells. Conclusions: We report on the first treatment approach with disease-modifying intention in ChAc. The experimental parameters indicate target engagement in red blood cells, while clinical effects on the central nervous system could not be proven within a rather short treatment time. Limited knowledge on the natural history of ChAc and the lack of appropriate biomarkers remain major barriers for “clinical trial readiness”. We suggest a panel of outcome parameters for future clinical trials in ChAc. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Therapeutics of Neurological Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 371 KiB

Open AccessReview

Current Treatment Options for REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder

by Félix Javier Jiménez-Jiménez, Hortensia Alonso-Navarro, Elena García-Martín and José A. G. Agúndez

J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(11), 1204; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11111204 - 14 Nov 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4766

Abstract

The symptomatic treatment of REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is very important to prevent sleep-related falls and/or injuries. Though clonazepam and melatonin are usually considered the first-line symptomatic therapy for RBD, their efficiency has not been proven by randomized clinical trials. The role of dopamine agonists in improving RBD symptoms is controversial, and rivastigmine, memantine, 5-hydroxytryptophan, and the herbal medicine yokukansan have shown some degree of efficacy in short- and medium-term randomized clinical trials involving a low number of patients. The development of potential preventive therapies against the phenoconversion of isolated RBD to synucleinopathies should be another important aim of RBD therapy. The design of long-term, multicentre, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials involving a large number of patients diagnosed with isolated RBD with polysomnographic confirmation, directed towards both symptomatic and preventive therapy for RBD, is warranted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Therapeutics of Neurological Diseases)

9 pages, 431 KiB

Open AccessReview

Capsaicin 8% Patch and Chronic Postsurgical Neuropathic Pain

by Luca Gregorio Giaccari, Caterina Aurilio, Francesco Coppolino, Maria Caterina Pace, Maria Beatrice Passsavanti, Vincenzo Pota and Pasquale Sansone

J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(10), 960; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11100960 - 27 Sep 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2829

Abstract

(1) Background: Surgery is a frequent cause of persistent pain, defined chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP). The capsaicin 8% patch (Qutenza^®) is approved for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) of the feet. We propose a review of the literature on use of the capsaicin 8% patch to treat neuropathic pain associated with surgery; (2) Methods: We identified the articles by searching electronic databases using a combination of such terms as “capsaicin 8% patch”, “Qutenza^®”, and “chronic postsurgical pain”; (3) Results: We identified 14 selected studies reporting on a total of 632 CPSP cases treated with capsaicin 8% patch. Treatment with the capsaicin 8% patch significantly reduced the average pain intensity. Only 5 studies reported adverse events (AEs) after the patch application. The most common AEs were erythema, burning sensation and pain; (4) Conclusions: Our review indicate that capsaicin 8% patch treatment for CPSP is effective, safe and well tolerated, but randomized controlled trials on efficacy, safety and tolerability should be conducted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Therapeutics of Neurological Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

45 pages, 518 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Neurochemical Features of Rem Sleep Behaviour Disorder

by Félix Javier Jiménez-Jiménez, Hortensia Alonso-Navarro, Elena García-Martín and José A. G. Agúndez

J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(9), 880; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11090880 - 31 Aug 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4401

Abstract

Dopaminergic deficiency, shown by many studies using functional neuroimaging with Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET), is the most consistent neurochemical feature of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) and, together with transcranial ultrasonography, and determination of alpha-synuclein in certain tissues, should be considered as a reliable marker for the phenoconversion of idiopathic RBD (iRBD) to a synucleopathy (Parkinson’s disease –PD- or Lewy body dementia -LBD). The possible role in the pathogenesis of RBD of other neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline, acetylcholine, and excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters; hormones such as melatonin, and proinflammatory factors have also been suggested by recent reports. In general, brain perfusion and brain glucose metabolism studies have shown patterns resembling partially those of PD and LBD. Finally, the results of structural and functional MRI suggest the presence of structural changes in deep gray matter nuclei, cortical gray matter atrophy, and alterations in the functional connectivity within the basal ganglia, the cortico-striatal, and the cortico-cortical networks, but they should be considered as preliminary. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Therapeutics of Neurological Diseases)

9 pages, 550 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Safety and Effect of Local Botulinumtoxin A Injections for Long-Term Management of Chronic Pain in Post-Herpetic Neuralgia: Literature Review and Cases Report Treated with Incobotulinumtoxin A

by Songjin Ri, Anatol Kivi and Jörg Wissel

J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(8), 758; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11080758 - 30 Jul 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6293

Abstract

There are few reports on the safety and effectiveness of long-term botulinumtoxin A (BoNT A) therapy in severe chronic pain of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). The literature was searched with the term “neuropathic pain” and “botulinum” on PubMed (up to 29 February 2020). Pain was assessed with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before and after BoNT A therapy. A total of 10 clinical trials and six case reports including 251 patients with PHN were presented. They showed that BoNT A therapy had significant pain reduction (up to 30–50%) and improvement in quality of life. The effect duration seems to be correlated with BoNT A doses injected per injection site. Intervals between BoNT A injections were 10–14 weeks. No adverse events were reported in cases and clinical studies, even in the two pregnant women, whose babies were healthy. The repeated (≥6 times) intra/subcutaneous injections of incobotulinumtoxin A (Xeomin^®, Merz Pharmaceuticals, Germany) over the two years of our three cases showed marked pain reduction and no adverse events. Adjunctive local BoNT A injection is a promising option for severe PHN, as a safe and effective therapy in long-term management for chronic neuropathic pain. Its effect size and -duration seem to be depended on the dose of BoNT A injected per each point. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Therapeutics of Neurological Diseases)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 822 KiB

Open AccessReview

Tele-Neuropsychological Assessment of Alzheimer’s Disease

by Anna Carotenuto, Enea Traini, Angiola Maria Fasanaro, Gopi Battineni and Francesco Amenta

J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(8), 688; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11080688 - 21 Jul 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4888

Abstract

Background: Because of the new pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the demand for telemedicine and telemonitoring solutions has been exponentially raised. Because of its special advantage to treat patients in an emergency without physical presence at a hospital via video conferencing, telemedicine has been used to overcome distance barriers and to improve access to special domains like neurology. In these pandemic times, telemedicine has been also employed as a support for the diagnosis and treatment of adult-onset dementia disorders including Alzheimer’s disease. Objective: In this study, we carried out a systematic literature analysis to clarify if the neuropsychological tests traditionally employed in face-to-face (FTF) contexts are reliable via telemedicine. Methods: A systematic literature search for the past 20 years (2001–2020) was carried out through the medical databases PubMed (Medline) and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). The quality assessment was conducted by adopting the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) and only studies with a NOS ≥ 7 were included in this review. Results: The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) results do not differ when tests are administered in the traditional FTF modality or by videoconference, and only negligible minor changes in the scoring system were noticeable. Other neuropsychological tests used to support the diagnosis of AD and dementia such as the Token Test, the Comprehension of Words and Phrases (ACWP), the Controlled Oral Word Association Test showed high reliability between the two modalities considered. No differences in the reliability concerning the living setting or education of the subjects were reported. Conclusions: The MMSE, which is the main screening test for dementia, can be administered via telemedicine with minor adaptation in the scoring system. Telemedicine use for other neuropsychological tests also resulted in general reliability and enough accuracy. Cognitive assessment by videoconference is accepted and appreciated and therefore can be used for dementia diagnosis in case of difficulties to performing FTF assessments. This approach can be useful given a personalized medicine approach for the treatment of adult-onset dementia disorders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Therapeutics of Neurological Diseases)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Advances in the Therapeutics of Neurological Diseases

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (10 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI