Neck and mind: exploring emotion processing in cervical dystonia.

Objective: A wide range of non-motor symptoms such as pain, mood disorders, insomnia, and executive dysfunction may occur in focal dystonia. Little is known, however, about emotional processing. We aim to assess emotion recognition and alexithymia in patients with cervical dystonia (CD) compared to healthy age-, sex- and education-matched controls (HC).

Protocol for olfactory training in persisting COVID-19-associated loss of smell (SMELL): a monocentric randomised controlled trial conducted in Innsbruck.

Introduction: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) following COVID-19 affected up to 70% of patients, with more than 30% still reporting lingering symptoms a year later. Treatment is essential, as previous research has linked (postviral) OD to depression, impaired quality of life (QoL) and even heightened mortality rates.

Methods And Analysis: We designed a monocentric, single-blinded randomised controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of olfactory training (OT) in individuals with persisting COVID-19-associated loss of smell.

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.

Long-term safety and efficacy of open-label nabilone on sleep and pain in Parkinson´s Disease.

The synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol-analog nabilone improved non-motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, randomized withdrawal trial with enriched enrollment (NMS-Nab-study). This was a single-center open-label extension study to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of nabilone for NMS in PD. To be eligible for this study, patients had to be treatment responders during the previous NMS-Nab-trial and complete its double-blind phase without experiencing a drug-related serious/severe/moderate adverse event (AE).

Emotion Recognition in Multiple System Atrophy: An Exploratory Eye-Tracking Study.

Objective: Emotional processing is a core feature of social interactions and has been well studied in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), albeit with contradictory.

Results: . However, these studies excluded patients with atypical parkinsonism, such as multiple system atrophy (MSA).

Body Composition and Physical Performance 1 Year After COVID-19.

Objective: Long-term consequences after COVID-19 include physical complaints, which may impair physical recovery and quality of life.

Design: We assessed body composition and physical ability in patients 12 months after COVID-19. Consecutively recruited patients recovering from mild to severe COVID-19 were assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis, 6-min-walk test, additional scales for physical performance and health-related quality of life.

Temporal Muscle Thickness Correlates with Sarcopenia in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Sarcopenia is characterized by a progressive loss of muscle mass, strength, and function resulting in adverse health outcomes. Current assessment strategies are bothersome and means to simplify the diagnosis are an unmet medical need in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objective: To evaluate temporal muscle thickness (TMT) obtained on routine cranial MRI as a surrogate marker of sarcopenia in PD patients.

Cognitive dysfunction 1 year after COVID-19: evidence from eye tracking.

Increasing evidence suggests persistent cognitive dysfunction after COVID-19. In this cross-sectional study, frontal lobe function was assessed 12 months after the acute phase of the disease, using tailored eye tracking assessments. Individuals who recovered from COVID-19 made significantly more errors in all eye tracking tasks compared to age/sex-matched healthy controls.

Effects of Nabilone on Sleep Outcomes in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: A Post-hoc Analysis of NMS-Nab Study.

Background: The synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol analogue nabilone improved overall non-motor symptom (NMS) burden in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients in comparison to placebo.

Objectives: To characterize the effects of nabilone on different sleep outcomes in PD patients.

Methods: We performed a post-hoc analysis of the controlled, double-blind, enriched enrollment randomized withdrawal NMS-Nab study to assess the effects of nabilone on sleep outcomes in study participants who reported clinically-relevant sleep problems (MDS-UPDRS-1.

Hospital Admissions of Huntington's Disease Patients in a Huntington's Disease Centre Between 2011 and 2016: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background: Huntington's Disease (HD) is a relentlessly progressive genetic neurodegenerative disorder with characteristic motor, psychiatric, and behavioral abnormalities that inevitably results in severe disability and death. Many patients have multiple hospital admissions during the disease course, but there is limited information which problems lead to hospitalization.

Objectives: To assess acute reasons for hospital admissions, discharge routes, and clinical characteristics of HD patients in a retrospective analysis.

Cardiovascular reactivity during sadness induction predicts inhibitory control performance.

Higher negative affectivity has an association with decreased executive function and cognitive control. Heart rate variability (HRV) serves as an index of cardiac vagal regulation differences in the autonomic nervous system for both cognition and emotion. The current study investigates this association using a classic as well as emotional antisaccade paradigm to study inhibitory control performance.

Eye Tracking in Patients with Parkinson's Disease Treated with Nabilone-Results of a Phase II, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Pilot Study.

The topic of the therapeutic use of cannabinoids in Parkinson's disease (PD) is broadly discussed and frequently comes up in the outpatient clinic. So far, there are only a few randomized clinical trials assessing the effects of cannabinoids in PD. We are able to demonstrate a reduction in non-motor symptom (NMS) burden after the administration of nabilone.

Factors associated with augmentation in patients with restless legs syndrome.

Background And Purpose: Augmentation is a paradoxical reaction mainly to dopaminergic medication in patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS), but the exact pathomechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with augmentation in RLS patients.

Methods: RLS patients with and without current or previous augmentation were recruited.

Tit for Tat: Costly Punishment in Manifest Huntington's Disease.

Objective: We aimed to investigate costly punishment in patients with Huntington's disease (HD).

Background: HD is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease with motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. As neuropsychiatric abnormalities often precede motor symptoms, we wanted to assess whether costly punishment is part of the neuropsychological profile of patients with HD.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together: Disadvantageous Decision Making in Augmented Restless Legs Syndrome Patients with and without Impulse Control Disorders.

Background: Augmentation (AUG) in patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) can be associated with impulse control disorder (ICD) symptoms, such as compulsive sexual behavior, gambling disorder or compulsive shopping. In this study, we wanted to assess whether RLS patients with AUG differ in decision making from those patients who have augmentation and in addition ICD symptoms (AUG + ICD) in a post hoc analysis of a patient cohort assessed in a previous study.

Methods: In total, 40 RLS patients with augmentation (19 AUG + ICD, 21 AUG without ICDs) were included.

Impaired Inhibitory Control of Saccadic Eye Movements in Cervical Dystonia: An Eye-Tracking Study.

Background: The pathophysiology of cervical dystonia is still unclear. Recent evidence points toward a network disorder affecting several brain areas. The objective of this study was to assess the saccadic inhibition as a marker of corticostriatal function in cervical dystonia.

The Frontal Assessment Battery in RLS patients with and without augmentation.

Objective: We assessed frontal executive functions in patients with RLS/WED with and without augmentation and compared the results to healthy controls.

Methods: We recruited 38 patients with RLS/WED. A total of 23 patients were treated with dopaminergic therapy and showed no signs of augmentation and 15 patients had a history of augmentation (AUG).

Time will tell: Decision making in premanifest and manifest Huntington's disease.

Objective: To investigate cognitive flexibility in premanifest and manifest Huntington's disease (HD).

Background: HD is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor, cognitive, and behavioral abnormalities with typical motor symptoms. In this study, we wanted to assess decision making in premanifest (pre-HD) and manifest HD patients.

Augmentation in restless legs syndrome: an eye tracking study on emotion processing.

Objective: To assess emotional processing and alexithymia in patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) with augmentation versus those who never had augmentation.

Methods: We recruited 26 patients who had a history of augmentation (AUG), either current or past, 27 RLS patients treated with dopamine agonists who never had augmentation (RLS controls), and 21 healthy controls (HC). All participants were screened for impulse control disorders (ICDs).

Non-Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease are Reduced by Nabilone.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of nabilone, a synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol analogue, as a treatment for non-motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: This was a phase II placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, enriched enrollment randomized withdrawal trial conducted at the Medical University Innsbruck. A random sample of 47 patients with PD with stable motor disease and disturbing NMS defined by a score of ≥4 points on the Movement Disorder Society - Unified PD Rating Scale-I (MDS-UPDRS-I) underwent open-label nabilone titration (0.

A Preoperative Clinical Risk Score Including C-Reactive Protein Predicts Histological Tumor Characteristics and Patient Survival after Surgery for Sporadic Non-Functional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: An International Multicenter Cohort Study.

Oncological survival after resection of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (panNEN) is highly variable depending on various factors. Risk stratification with preoperatively available parameters could guide decision-making in multidisciplinary treatment concepts. C-reactive Protein (CRP) is linked to inferior survival in several malignancies.

Primary tumour location affects survival after resection of colorectal liver metastases: A two-institutional cohort study with international validation, systematic meta-analysis and a clinical risk score.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a major cause for cancer death and every third patient develops liver metastases (CRLM). Several factors including number and size of metastases and primary tumour lymph-node status have been linked to survival. The primary tumour location along the colo-rectum continuum (sidedness) was analysed in first-line chemotherapy trials, where right-sided CRCs showed decreased survival.

Nabilone for non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease: a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, enriched enrolment randomized withdrawal study (The NMS-Nab Study).

Although open-label observations report a positive effect of cannabinoids on non-motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, these effects remain to be investigated in a controlled trial for a broader use in NMS in PD patients. Therefore, we decided to design a proof-of-concept study to assess the synthetic cannabinoid nabilone for the treatment of NMS. We hypothesize that nabilone will improve NMS in patients with PD and have a favorable safety profile.

Eye-Tracking Provides a Sensitive Measure of Exploration Deficits After Acute Right MCA Stroke.

The eye-tracking study aimed at assessing spatial biases in visual exploration in patients after acute right MCA (middle cerebral artery) stroke. Patients affected by unilateral neglect show less functional recovery and experience severe difficulties in everyday life. Thus, accurate diagnosis is essential, and specific treatment is required.