Reduced clinical connectome fingerprinting in multiple sclerosis predicts fatigue severity.

BACKGROUND: Brain connectome fingerprinting is progressively gaining ground in the field of brain network analysis. It represents a valid approach in assessing the subject-specific connectivity and, according to recent studies, in predicting clinical impairment in some neurodegenerative diseases. Nevertheless, its performance, and clinical utility, in the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) field has not yet been investigated. METHODS: We conducted the Clinical Connectome Fingerprint (CCF) analysis on source-reconstructed magnetoencephalography signals in a cohort of 50 subjects: twenty-five MS patients and twenty-five healthy controls. RESULTS: All the parameters of identifiability, in the alpha band, were reduced in patients as compared to controls. These results implied a lower similarity between functional connectomes (FCs) of the same patient and a reduced homogeneity among FCs in the MS group. We also demonstrated that in MS patients, reduced identifiability was able to predict, fatigue level (assessed by the Fatigue Severity Scale). CONCLUSION: These results confirm the clinical usefulness of the CCF in both identifying MS patients and predicting clinical impairment. We hope that the present study provides future prospects for treatment personalization on the basis of individual brain connectome.

Efficacy of L-carnitine in reducing hyperammonaemia and improving neuropsychological test performance in patients with hepatic cirrhosis : results of a randomised trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of L-carnitine in reducing hyperammonaemia and improving neuropsychological performance in patients with hepatic cirrhosis and subclinical hepatic encephalopathy (SHE). DESIGN: Randomised, parallel group, controlled trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study enrolled 31 patients with hepatic cirrhosis resulting from hepatitis C and/or hepatitis B, alcohol abuse and other causes. Patients randomised to active treatment, received oral L-carnitine 6 g/day in two divided doses for 4 weeks. Diagnosis of SHE was based on psychometric tests (subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised and the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery) carried out at beginning and end of study. Serum ammonia levels were measured before treatment and weekly thereafter. RESULTS: A total of 27 patients completed the study. Sixteen patients received L-carnitine and 11 served as controls (no treatment). L-carnitine caused rapid and significant reductions in ammonia levels, sustained over the 4-week treatment period (mean reductions 60.1 and 1.4 (µmol/L in the treated and control groups, respectively). Normal ammonia levels were attained in 14 of 16 patients receiving L-carnitine. Based on psychometric test results, seven patients (43.7%) in the L-carnitine group and five (45.5%) in the control group had SHE at baseline. L-carnitine treatment for 4 weeks caused a net overall improvement in psychometric test results compared with controls. No clinically significant adverse events were reported and all patients receiving L-carnitine reported subjective improvements in their condition. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS of this preliminary study indicate that L-carnitine reduces hyperammonaemia and improves the clinical symptoms of SHE in patients with hepatic cirrhosis.