Tratamiento inmunosupresor en pulsos en esclerosis múltiple durante el desescalado de la epidemia por SARS-CoV-2. Algoritmo de seguridad / Pulse immunosuppressive therapy for multiple sclerosis during the SARS-CoV-2 lockdown de-escalation plan: Safety algorithm

INTRODUCCIÓN: La pandemia por SARS-CoV-2 está condicionando los abordajes diagnósticos, terapéuticos y asistenciales establecidos en esclerosis múltiple (EM). Durante las fases inicial y pico de la epidemia, los fármacos modificadores del curso de la EM caracterizados por ser inmunosupresores administrados en pulsos (TIP), vieron pospuesta su administración debido a la incertidumbre sobre su influencia en la infección, principalmente en contagiados/contagiosos asintomáticos/presintomáticos. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar un algoritmo basado en criterios de seguridad que permita reanudar los TIP durante la fase de desescalado. MÉTODOS: Se elabora un algoritmo, cuya estructura se sustenta en la experiencia clínica en EM de los autores y en una revisión bibliográfica del conocimiento acumulado, que facilita la detección de contagiosos asintomáticos, presintomáticos o con síntomas leves de SARS-CoV-2, con el objetivo de evitar la administración de TIP y contagios por contacto prolongado en hospital de día (HdD). RESULTADOS: Algoritmo con doble filtro clínico-microbiológico consistente en la aplicación telemática de un listado de comprobación de síntomas y después realización de PCR para SARS-CoV-2 en exudado nasofaríngeo, a las 48 y 24 h antes del TIP programado respectivamente. CONCLUSIÓN: Considerando el balance beneficio-riesgo, la aplicación del algoritmo resultaría ventajosa pese a que no se conoce la proporción real de asintomáticos/presintomáticos contagiosos. La realización sistemática de PCR, como test con mayor sensibilidad en la fase presintomática de la infección, en combinación con un sistema de detección precoz de síntomas, reduciría contagios y favorecería la identificación de pacientes con riesgo antes de su exposición a TIP

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic is changing approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and care provision in multiple sclerosis (MS). During both the initial and peak phases of the epidemic, the administration of disease-modifying drugs, typically immunosuppressants administered in pulses, was suspended due to the uncertainty about their impact on SARS-CoV-2 infection, mainly in contagious asymptomatic/presymptomatic patients. The purpose of this study is to present a safety algorithm enabling patients to resume pulse immunosuppressive therapy (PIT) during the easing of lockdown measures. METHODS: We developed a safety algorithm based on our clinical experience with MS and the available published evidence; the algorithm assists in the detection of contagious asymptomatic/presymptomatic cases and of patients with mild symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection with a view to withdrawing PIT in these patients and preventing new infections at day hospitals. RESULTS: We developed a clinical/microbiological screening algorithm consisting of a symptom checklist, applied during a teleconsultation 48hours before the scheduled session of PIT, and PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal exudate 24hours before the procedure. CONCLUSION: The application of our safety algorithm presents a favourable risk-benefit ratio despite the fact that the actual proportion of asymptomatic and presymptomatic individuals is unknown. Systematic PCR testing, which provides the highest sensitivity for detecting presymptomatic cases, combined with early detection of symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection may reduce infections and improve detection of high-risk patients before they receive PIT

Pulse immunosuppressive therapy for multiple sclerosis during the SARS-CoV-2 lockdown de-escalation plan: Safety algorithm. / Tratamiento inmunosupresor en pulsos en esclerosis múltiple durante el desescalado de la epidemia por SARS-CoV-2. Algoritmo de seguridad.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic is changing approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and care provision in multiple sclerosis (MS). During both the initial and peak phases of the epidemic, the administration of disease-modifying drugs, typically immunosuppressants administered in pulses, was suspended due to the uncertainty about their impact on SARS-CoV-2 infection, mainly in contagious asymptomatic/presymptomatic patients. The purpose of this study is to present a safety algorithm enabling patients to resume pulse immunosuppressive therapy (PIT) during the easing of lockdown measures. METHODS: We developed a safety algorithm based on our clinical experience with MS and the available published evidence; the algorithm assists in the detection of contagious asymptomatic/presymptomatic cases and of patients with mild symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection with a view to withdrawing PIT in these patients and preventing new infections at day hospitals. RESULTS: We developed a clinical/microbiological screening algorithm consisting of a symptom checklist, applied during a teleconsultation 48hours before the scheduled session of PIT, and PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal exudate 24hours before the procedure. CONCLUSION: The application of our safety algorithm presents a favourable risk-benefit ratio despite the fact that the actual proportion of asymptomatic and presymptomatic individuals is unknown. Systematic PCR testing, which provides the highest sensitivity for detecting presymptomatic cases, combined with early detection of symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection may reduce infections and improve detection of high-risk patients before they receive PIT.

Development and validation of a brief electronic screening test for cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (SCI-MS Test).

OBJECTIVE: Although cognitive impairment (CI) is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), it is difficult to suspect in patients with low disability and there is a lack of brief and effective CI screening tools with a define cut-off point to be used during routine clinic visits. This study aims to validate the Electronic Screening Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis (SCI-MS) test for CI among MS patients. METHODS: Cross-sectional, observational study that included adult patients, diagnosed with MS, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score ≤6.5, without relapses within the last 2 months and no depression symptoms. The SCI-MS test consists of two modules: questionnaire (SCI-MS-Q) and pictogram matching tool (SCI-MS-P) measured for score and time. At inclusion, patients completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II test), the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Test (BRB-N) and the SCI-MS. The SCI-MS feasibility, test-retest reliability and predictive validity were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 194 patients (59.3% female) were included: mean (SD) age of 42 (9) years, mean time since diagnosis of 10 (7) years, 89.7% relapsing-remitting MS, and median (Q1-Q3) EDSS of 2.0 (1.0-3.5). According to BRB-N, 26.8% of patients had CI. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach alpha: 0.97). The intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.88 for the SCI-MS-Q, 0.09 for the SCI-MS-P score and 0.48 for the SCI-MS-P time, corresponding to AUC of the ROC curves of 0.571, 0.574 and 0.714, respectively. For a clinically significant cut-off point of ≥60 seconds, the reached CI sensitivity of SCI-MS-P time was 0.75 and the specificity 0.51. CONCLUSION: SCI-MS showed good psychometric properties. SCI-MS-P time of pictogram completion had an acceptable diagnostic accuracy of CI in MS patients with low disability. SCI-MS-P time of pictogram completion tool is an easy and quick score that can help neurologists to early identify CI in MS patients that should be further assessed to confirm CI diagnosis and to describe its characteristics and mainly affected domains.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy performance for detection of dementia, Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment in a community-based survey.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate (1)H-labelled magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in patients with a low Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score identified during a dementia community-based survey. METHODS: A population sample of 1,500 individuals (>64 years old) was randomly selected. Two hundred and fifteen individuals (MMSE < or =24) were sorted into clinical groups: dementia, Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), normal. Up to 56 of these individuals attended the MRS appointment. Two single-voxel sequences (TR 1,500, TE 35/144 ms) were carried out in the posterior cingulate gyrus of each individual, and the ratios N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr), choline (Cho)/Cr, myo-inositol (mI)/Cr, NAA/mI and NAA/Cho were compared statistically. The ability of MRS to distinguish clinical groups was assessed by receiver-operating characteristics analysis. Cognition effects on metabolite ratios were estimated, with gender and cognition as categorical variables and age as a continuous covariate. RESULTS: NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho ratios were lower in dementia or Alzheimer's disease than in MCI and normal groups. The NAA/Cr ratio at TE 35 ms performed best when distinguishing dementia or Alzheimer's disease from non-demented subjects (cut-off point 1.40). MRS could not distinguish between MCI patients and normal subjects. Dementia was an independent predictor of metabolite values. CONCLUSION: In a population sample, conventional MRS still proved to be a useful tool for dementia discrimination, but it is potentially far less useful as a surrogate marker for MCI.