Kappa Free Light Chain Index in the Real World-Do We Miss Clinically Relevant Information by Skipping Oligoclonal Banding?

Background: No standardized strategy for integrating κ-free light chain (κ-FLC) index into routine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diagnostics has yet been established.

Objective: To determine agreement between κ-FLC index and CSF-restricted oligoclonal bands (OCB), and to identify κ-FLC index range where second-line OCB testing is needed.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in patients who had κ-FLC measurement between December 2023 and December 2024 at the Medical University of Innsbruck.

Kappa Free Light Chain Index and Oligoclonal Bands in Varicella Zoster Virus Infection and Neuroborreliosis: A Matter of Timing?

Background: The diagnosis of Varicella-zoster virus related neurological disease (VZD) and Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is based on clinical presentation as well as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) results.

Objectives: To evaluate and compare the diagnostic utility of oligoclonal bands (OCB) and the κ-free light chain (FLC) index in patients with VZD and LNB.

Methods: Patients with the diagnosis of VZD or LNB at the Department of Neurology of the Medical University of Innsbruck between 2008 to 2020 were included.

Kappa free light chain index predicts long-term disease activity and disability accrual in multiple sclerosis.

Background: The prognostic value of κ-free light chain (κ-FLC) index over the long term is unknown.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine whether κ-FLC index determined at disease onset predicts relapse activity and disability accrual during long-term follow-up.

Methods: Patients with a first demyelinating event of the central nervous system who had cerebrospinal fluid and serum sampling were eligible for inclusion.

Effect of long-term frozen storage on stability of kappa free light chain index.

Objectives: To investigate whether frozen storage duration influences κ-FLC index.

Methods: CSF and serum samples of patients with multiple sclerosis collected for routine diagnostic purposes had been stored at -20 °C. κ-FLC and albumin concentrations were measured at two different timepoints, i.

OSMlanduse a dataset of European Union land use at 10 m resolution derived from OpenStreetMap and Sentinel-2.

Our map represents the first successful large-area fusion of OpenStreetMap and Copernicus data at a spatial resolution of 10 m or finer and can be applied globally. We addressed varying label noise and feature space quality, utilizing artificial intelligence and advanced computing. Our method relies solely on openly available data streams and methods, eliminating training data acquisition or the need for additional expert knowledge for such purpose.

Short-Term Risk Factors for Bone Loss in Multiple Sclerosis: A Prospective Study and Literature Review.

Background: Reduced bone mass and increased osteoporosis risk are common in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). The aim of the study was to identify risk factors for short-term bone loss in MS.

Methods: This prospective study included 139 pwMS (ages 18-65).

Clinical characteristics and outcome of double-AQP4/MOG-seronegative and not MS-associated monophasic and relapsing demyelinating transverse myelitis: A monocenter study.

Background: Demyelinating acute transverse myelitis (ATM) may occur as part of the clinical presentation in multiple sclerosis (MS) as well as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein antibody associated disease (MOGAD). However, some patients with demyelinating ATM do not fulfill diagnostic criteria of MS, NMOSD or MOGAD and some of these even experience more than one spinal relapse. As double-AQP4/MOG-seronegative demyelinating ATM (DSD-ATM) is poorly investigated so far and treatment recommendations for these patients are lacking, we aimed to investigate clinical features and outcome of these patients.

Impact of renal function impairment on kappa free light chain index.

Objectives: To investigate whether renal function impacts CSF κ-FLC concentration and/or κ-FLC index.

Methods: Patients with non-inflammatory neurological diseases were eligible. κ-FLC index was calculated as (CSF κ-FLC/serum κ-FLC)/albumin quotient.

Face exploration, emotion recognition, and emotional enhancement of memory in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Background: Recognizing familiar faces and identifying emotions through facial expressions are essential for social functioning. This study aimed to examine whether people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (PwMS) differ from healthy control individuals (HC) in their performance on different tasks related to facial emotion processing.

Methods: In a cross-sectional controlled study, 30 PwMS and 35 HC completed a baseline neuropsychological evaluation and experimental tasks assessing visual exploration of facial stimuli through eye tracking, facial emotion recognition, and facial memory recognition.

Reactive Pleocytosis After Repeated Lumbar Puncture-Implications for Clinical Practice.

Introduction: Lumbar puncture (LP) is a routine clinical procedure and, in some cases, is repeatedly performed for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons. The impact of repeated LP on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings is not clear.

Objective: To investigate whether repeated LP is associated with reactive pleocytosis and disruption of blood-CSF barrier function and to determine the role of interval between repeated LP.

Retinal thinning differentiates treatment effects in relapsing multiple sclerosis below the clinical threshold.

Objective: To investigate retinal layer thinning as a biomarker of disease-modifying treatment (DMT) effects in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS).

Methods: From an ongoing prospective observational study, we included patients with RMS, who (i) had an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan within 6 to 12 months after DMT start (rebaseline) and ≥1 follow-up OCT ≥12 months after rebaseline and (ii) adhered to DMT during follow-up. Differences between DMT in thinning of peripapillary-retinal-nerve-fiber-layer (pRNFL) and macular ganglion cell-plus-inner plexiform-layer (GCIPL) were analyzed using mixed-effects linear regression.

Association of Disease-Modifying Treatment With Outcome in Patients With Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis and Isolated MRI Activity.

Background And Objectives: Isolated value of MRI metrics in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) as a surrogate marker of response to disease-modifying treatment (DMT) and, thus, as decision criteria for DMT escalation in the absence of clinical signs of disease activity is still a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to investigate whether DMT escalation based on isolated MRI activity affects clinical outcome.

Methods: Combining data from 5 MS centers in Austria and Switzerland, we included patients with RMS aged at least 18 years who (1) had initiated first-line, low-to-moderate-efficacy DMT (interferon β, glatiramer acetate, teriflunomide, or dimethyl fumarate) continued for ≥12 months, (2) were clinically stable (no relapses or disability progression) on DMT for 12 months, (3) had MRI at baseline and after 12 months on DMT, and (4) had available clinical follow-up for ≥2 years after the second MRI.

Olfactory threshold as a biomarker of long-term relapse activity in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Olfactory threshold (OT) is a marker of short-term inflammatory activity in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective: To investigate whether OT predicts long-term MS clinical disease course.

Methods: This was a 6-year prospective longitudinal study on MS patients at the MS clinic Innsbruck.

Nudging Online Gamblers to Withdraw Money: The Impact of Personalized Messages on Money Withdrawal Among a Sample of Real-World Online Casino Players.

A number of scholars have argued that online gambling can be more problematic than land-based gambling. Motivating gamblers to withdraw money from their online gambling account could lower losses because there would be less money available to lose. Therefore, the present study investigated whether personalized messages are an effective way of 'nudging' gamblers to withdraw money from their online gambling account.

Multiple sclerosis in the elderly: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: There is a lack of knowledge of disease course, prognosis, comorbidities and potential treatments of elderly MS patients.

Objective: To characterize the disease course including disability progression and relapses, to quantify the use of DMTs and to identify comorbidities and risk factors for progression in elderly multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 1200 Austrian MS patients older than 55 years as of May 1st, 2017 representing roughly one-third of all the MS patients of this age in Austria.

Odour discrimination and identification as a biomarker of long-term disability worsening in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Odour discrimination and identification (DI) are markers associated with disability worsening and neuroaxonal damage in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective: The main objective of this research is to investigate whether longitudinal change of DI predicts long-term MS disease course.

Methods: This is a 6-year prospective longitudinal study on MS patients at the MS Clinic Innsbruck.

Self-reported Deposits Versus Actual Deposits in Online Gambling: An Empirical Study.

In recent years a number of studies have used objective gambling data from online gambling operators to study gambling behavior. A few of these studies have compared gamblers' actual gambling behavior (using account-based tracking data) with their subjective gambling behavior (using responses from survey data). The present study extended previous studies by comparing self-reported money deposited with the actual amount of money deposited.

Diagnostic Performance of Adding the Optic Nerve Region Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography to the Diagnostic Criteria for Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: The optic nerve has been recommended as an additional region for demonstrating dissemination in space (DIS) in diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to investigate whether adding the optic nerve region as determined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) as part of the DIS criteria improves the 2017 diagnostic criteria.

Methods: From a prospective observational study, we included patients with a first demyelinating event who had complete information to assess DIS and a spectral domain OCT scan obtained within 180 days.

Immune profiling in multiple sclerosis: a single-center study of 65 cytokines, chemokines, and related molecules in cerebrospinal fluid and serum.

Introduction: The understanding of the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) has evolved alongside the characterization of cytokines and chemokines in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum. However, the complex interplay of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in different body fluids in people with MS (pwMS) and their association with disease progression is still not well understood and needs further investigation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to profile a total of 65 cytokines, chemokines, and related molecules in paired serum and CSF samples of pwMS at disease onset.

Kappa free light chain and neurofilament light independently predict early multiple sclerosis disease activity-a cohort study.

Background: Inter-individual courses of multiple sclerosis (MS) are extremely variable. The objective of this study was to investigate whether κ-free light chain (κ-FLC) index and serum neurofilament light (sNfL) have an additive predictive value for MS disease activity.

Methods: Patients with early MS who had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum sampling at disease onset were followed for four years.

The Efficacy of Voluntary Self-Exclusions in Reducing Gambling Among a Real-World Sample of British Online Casino Players.

Online gambling is a socially acceptable means of entertainment, but it can also have a negative impact on many areas of life and lead to problem gambling for a minority of individuals. In recent years, gambling operators have increasingly implemented responsible gambling tools to help at-risk gamblers control and limit their gambling. One such tool is voluntary self-exclusion (VSE), where gamblers can exclude themselves from the gambling platform for a self-selected period of time.