Functional connectivity changes in long-Covid patients with and without cognitive impairment.

Long-Covid is associated with cognitive deficits in memory, attention, or executive function. However, the associated cerebral structural and functional changes are insufficiently studied to date. We investigated 39 long-Covid patients with (n = 16) and without (n = 23) cognitive impairment.

Long-term outcome of young patients after ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack: Insights from a multicenter study.

Background: The long-term non-motor outcome of young adults with ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) is poorly understood.

Aims: Therefore, in this observational cohort study, we explored the prevalence of impairment and factors influencing clinical and neuropsychological outcomes and return-to-work a decade post-stroke.

Methods: After a median follow-up duration of 10.

Voxel-Based Lesion Symptom Mapping to Predict Poststroke Epilepsy After Mechanical Thrombectomy.

Introduction: Poststroke epilepsy (PSE) is an important long-term complication after stroke. Data regarding predictors of PSE in patients with large-vessel occlusion stroke receiving mechanical thrombectomy (MT) are scarce. Voxel-based lesion symptom mapping on brain MRI might be a valuable tool in the risk prediction of PSE.

Navigating life's challenges: A randomized 6-week online intervention study to enhance resilience in working-age adults.

Psychological resilience describes a trainable capacity that allows us to cope with adversity and adapt to stressful life events. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a 6-week online resilience intervention in students and working-age individuals. We randomly assigned 174 participants aged between 18 and 54 years (74.

Effects of rhythmic-cued gait training on gait-like task related brain activation in people with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Walking impairment is one of the most debilitating symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). A better understanding of brain mechanisms underlying successful gait training could help to improve development of targeted therapy. We therefore investigated changes in brain activation associated with improvements in walking function after rhythmic-cued gait training.

More Than the Sum of Its Parts: Disrupted Core Periphery of Multiplex Brain Networks in Multiple Sclerosis.

Disruptions to brain networks, measured using structural (sMRI), diffusion (dMRI), or functional (fMRI) MRI, have been shown in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), highlighting the relevance of regions in the core of the connectome but yielding mixed results depending on the studied connectivity domain. Using a multilayer network approach, we integrated these three modalities to portray an enriched representation of the brain's core-periphery organization and explore its alterations in PwMS. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we selected PwMS and healthy controls with complete multimodal brain MRI acquisitions from 13 European centers within the MAGNIMS network.

Disentangling Neurodegeneration From Aging in Multiple Sclerosis Using Deep Learning: The Brain-Predicted Disease Duration Gap.

Background And Objectives: Disentangling brain aging from disease-related neurodegeneration in patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) is increasingly topical. The brain-age paradigm offers a window into this problem but may miss disease-specific effects. In this study, we investigated whether a disease-specific model might complement the brain-age gap (BAG) by capturing aspects unique to MS.

Actual and imagined music-cued gait training for people with multiple sclerosis: a multicentre qualitative study.

Objectives: To explore the experiences and acceptability of music-cued motor imagery (MCMI), music-cued gait training (MCGT), and combined MCMI and MCGT (MCMI-MCGT) in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). We also aimed to explore participants' self-rated health status postintervention and gather recommendations for further programme development.

Design: Qualitative study alongside the double-blind randomised controlled real and imagined gait training with music-cueing (RIGMUC) multicentre trial of MCMI, MCGT and MCMI-MCGT.

Actual and Imagined Music-Cued Gait Training in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Double-Blind Randomized Parallel Multicenter Trial.

Background: Actual and imagined cued gait trainings have not been compared in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective: To analyze the effects of cued motor imagery (CMI), cued gait training (CGT), and combined CMI and cued gait training (CMI-CGT) on motor, cognitive, and emotional functioning, and health-related quality of life in people with MS.

Methods: In this double-blind randomized parallel-group multicenter trial, people with MS were randomized (1:1:1) to CMI, CMI-CGT, or CGT for 30 minutes, 4×/week for 4 weeks.

Evaluation of the T25FW in minimally disabled people with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Walking impairment is one of the most prevalent symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). In this study, we aimed to explore the usefulness of a simple walking test, the Timed 25 Foot Walk (T25FW), in detecting subtle differences in "fully ambulatory" pwMS compared to HC.

Methods: We therefore investigated retrospective data from a clinical real-life cohort of 650 pwMS.

White matter integrity and functional connectivity of the default mode network in acute stroke are associated with cognitive outcome three months post-stroke.

Background: Knowledge about factors that are associated with post-stroke cognitive outcome is important to identify patients with high risk for impairment. We therefore investigated the associations of white matter integrity and functional connectivity (FC) within the brain's default-mode network (DMN) in acute stroke patients with cognitive outcome three months post-stroke.

Methods: Patients aged between 18 and 85 years with an acute symptomatic MRI-proven unilateral ischemic middle cerebral artery infarction, who had received reperfusion therapy, were invited to participate in this longitudinal study.

Evaluation of a self-administered iPad-based processing speed assessment for people with multiple sclerosis in a clinical routine setting.

Background: Limited resources often hinder regular cognitive assessment of people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) in standard clinical care. A self-administered iPad®-based cognitive screening-tool (Processing Speed Test; PST) might mitigate this problem.

Objective: To evaluate the PST in clinical routine.

Psychological factors and brain magnetic resonance imaging metrics associated with fatigue in persons with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Besides demographics and clinical factors, psychological variables and brain-tissue changes have been associated with fatigue in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Identifying predictors of fatigue could help to improve therapeutic approaches for pwMS. Therefore, we investigated predictors of fatigue using a multifactorial approach.

Long-term outcome after decompressive hemicraniectomy for malignant middle cerebral artery infarction.

Background: Although decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) is a lifesaving treatment strategy for patients with malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (mMCAi), only one in four patients achieves low to moderate post-stroke disability according to previous studies. However, the short follow-up periods in prior studies could have overestimated the poor clinical prognosis. This study therefore examined the long-term outcome after DHC for mMCAi.

High serum neurofilament light chain levels correlate with brain atrophy and physical disability in multiple sclerosis.

Background And Purpose: Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) is a promising biomarker of neuroaxonal damage in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). In cross-sectional studies, sNfL has been associated with disease activity and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes; however, it is still unclear to what extent in particular high sNfL levels impact on subsequent disease evolution.

Methods: sNfL was quantified by an ultrasensitive single molecule array (Simoa) in 199 pwMS (median age = 34.

Post-reperfusion hyperperfusion after endovascular stroke treatment: a prospective comparative study of TCD versus MRI.

Background: Increased middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow velocities on transcranial duplex sonography (TCD) were recently reported in individual patients after successful mechanical thrombectomy (MT) and were related to intracranial hemorrhage and poor outcome. However, the retrospective study design of prior studies precluded elucidation of the underlying pathomechanisms, and the relationship between TCD and brain parenchymal perfusion still remains to be determined.

Methods: We prospectively investigated consecutive patients with stroke successfully recanalized by MT with TCD and MRI including contrast-enhanced perfusion sequences within 48 hours post-intervention.

Relevance of Cognition and Emotion for Patient-Reported Quality of Life After Stroke in Working Age: An Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Patient-reported quality of life (QoL) may help to capture sequela of stroke more comprehensively. We aimed to investigate QoL in working age persons with ischemic stroke regarding impaired domains and identify factors associated with better QoL.

Methods: We invited persons with stroke aged 18-55 years to participate in this prospective observational study.

Information processing speed as a prognostic marker of physical impairment and progression in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Prediction of disability progression in patients with MS (pwMS) is challenging. So far, scarce evidence exists suggesting knowledge about how cognitive performance may potentially improve prediction of physical impairment and disability progression in MS. Therefore, we wanted to assess the prognostic value of cognitive performance regarding physical impairment and disability progression in pwMS.

Effects of actual and imagined music-cued gait training on motor functioning and brain activity in people with multiple sclerosis: protocol of a randomised parallel multicentre trial.

Introduction: Motor imagery (MI) refers to the mental rehearsal of a physical action without muscular activity. Our previous studies showed that MI combined with rhythmic-auditory cues improved walking, fatigue and quality of life (QoL) in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Largest improvements were seen after music and verbally cued MI.

Evaluation of a Newly Developed Smartphone App for Risk Factor Management in Young Patients With Ischemic Stroke: A Pilot Study.

Efficient treatment of modifiable vascular risk factors decreases reoccurrence of ischemic stroke, which is of uttermost importance in younger patients. In this longitudinal pilot study, we thus assessed the effect of a newly developed smartphone app for risk factor management in such a cohort. The app conveys key facts about stroke, provides motivational support for a healthy lifestyle, and a reminder function for medication intake and blood pressure measurement.

Factors influencing serum neurofilament light chain levels in normal aging.

Objective: Serum neurofilament light (sNfL) is a promising marker for neuro-axonal damage and it is now well known that its levels also increase with higher age. However, the effect of other determinants besides age is still poorly investigated. We therefore aimed to identify factors influencing the sNfL concentration by analysing a large set of demographical, life-style and clinical variables in a normal aging cohort.

Decreased Cerebrospinal Fluid Antioxidative Capacity Is Related to Disease Severity and Progression in Early Multiple Sclerosis.

Oxidative stress-induced neuronal damage in multiple sclerosis (MS) results from an imbalance between toxic free radicals and counteracting antioxidants, i.e., antioxidative capacity (AOC).

Non-linear fitting with joint spatial regularization in arterial spin labeling.

Multi-Delay single-shot arterial spin labeling (ASL) imaging provides accurate cerebral blood flow (CBF) and, in addition, arterial transit time (ATT) maps but the inherent low SNR can be challenging. Especially standard fitting using non-linear least squares often fails in regions with poor SNR, resulting in noisy estimates of the quantitative maps. State-of-the-art fitting techniques improve the SNR by incorporating prior knowledge in the estimation process which typically leads to spatial blurring.