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Levodopa is effective for the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), but is associated with motor fluctuations and dyskinesia. Many patients require add-on therapy to improve motor fluctuations without exacerbating dyskinesia. The objective of this Phase III, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of safinamide, an α-aminoamide with dopaminergic and nondopaminergic mechanisms, as add-on to l-dopa in the treatment of patients with PD and motor fluctuations. Patients were randomized to oral safinamide 100 mg/day (n = 224), 50 mg/day (n = 223), or placebo (n = 222) for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was total on time with no or nontroublesome dyskinesia (assessed using the Hauser patient diaries). Secondary endpoints included off time, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part III (motor) scores, and Clinical Global Impression-Change (CGI-C). At week 24, mean ± SD increases in total on time with no or nontroublesome dyskinesia were 1.36 ± 2.625 hours for safinamide 100 mg/day, 1.37 ± 2.745 hours for safinamide 50 mg/day, and 0.97 ± 2.375 hours for placebo. Least squares means differences in both safinamide groups were significantly higher versus placebo. Improvements in off time, UPDRS Part III, and CGI-C were significantly greater in both safinamide groups versus placebo. There were no significant between-group differences for incidences of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) or TEAEs leading to discontinuation. The addition of safinamide 50 mg/day or 100 mg/day to l-dopa in patients with PD and motor fluctuations significantly increased total on time with no or nontroublesome dyskinesia, decreased off time, and improved parkinsonism, indicating that safinamide improves motor symptoms and parkinsonism without worsening dyskinesia.

The 2nd International Salzburg Conference on Neurorecovery was held on the 28th and 29th of November, 2013, in Salzburg, one of the most beautiful cities in Austria, which is well known for its rich cultural heritage, world-famous music and beautiful surrounding landscapes. The aim of the conference was to discuss the progress in the field of neurorecovery. The conference brought together internationally renowned scientists and clinicians, who described the clinical and therapeutic relevance of translational research and its applications in neurorehabilitation.

In a 6-month double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Parkinson's disease patients with motor fluctuations, safinamide 50 and 100 mg/d significantly increased ON-time without increasing dyskinesia. Further long-term safinamide use in these patients was evaluated over an additional 18 months. Patients continued on their randomized placebo, 50, or 100 mg/d safinamide. The primary endpoint was change in Dyskinesia Rating Scale total score during ON-time over 24 months. Other efficacy endpoints included change in ON-time without troublesome dyskinesia, changes in individual diary categories, depressive symptoms, and quality of life measures. Change in Dyskinesia Rating Scale was not significantly different in safinamide versus placebo groups, despite decreased mean total Dyskinesia Rating Scale with safinamide compared with an almost unchanged score in placebo. Ad hoc subgroup analysis of moderate to severe dyskinetic patients at baseline (36% of patients) showed a decrease with safinamide 100 mg/d compared with placebo (P = 0.0317). Improvements in motor function, activities of daily living, depressive symptoms, clinical status, and quality of life at 6 months remained significant at 24 months. Adverse events and discontinuation rates were similar with safinamide and placebo. This 2-year, controlled study of add-on safinamide in mid-to-late Parkinson's disease with motor fluctuations, although not demonstrating an overall difference in dyskinesias between patients and controls, showed improvement in dyskinesia in patients at least moderately dyskinetic at baseline. The study additionally demonstrated significant clinical benefits in ON-time (without troublesome dyskinesia), OFF-time, activities of daily living, motor symptoms, quality of life, and symptoms of depression.

The co-occurrence of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare phenomenon that is sometimes considered a paraneoplastic manifestation. There are a few documented cases in which myasthenia symptoms manifested only after the surgical removal of the tumor. However, the biological basis of this association is unknown. One hypothesis is that it derives from the infiltration of the residual thymic tissue by the developing tumor. In our case, the myasthenic symptoms led to the HL diagnosis. Our objective was to investigate the T cell phenotype in a HL patient presenting myasthenia-like symptoms. In patients with autoimmune disease, Tregs are usually decreased, but in some diseases, they appear to be increased. It has been speculated that this phenomenon may occur due to a homeostatic attempt by the immune system to control the expansion of auto-reactive effector cells. In the described patient the proportion of lymphoma infiltrating Tregs was high (more than 10% of CD4+ and 1.34% of CD8+ cells), suggesting that Tregs are increased in patients suffering from HL and eventually of myasthenia gravis. Treg involvement in HL is controversial and is currently under investigation. In this context, our data may contribute to a better understanding of the underlying mechanism of the link between HL and autoimmune phenomena.

Einleitung: Nach peripherer Nerventransplantation ins Rückenmark zeigt sich unter Neuroprotektion und Modulation mittels Cerebrolysin® eine Neuroplastizität des selben, welche bisher von BRUNELLI Anteilen des Gehirns zugeordnet wurde (PNAS 2005). Material und Methoden: Nach periphe[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 49. Jahrestagung der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Plastische, Ästhetische und Rekonstruktive Chirurgie (ÖGPÄRC), 42. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft der Plastischen, Rekonstruktiven und Ästhetischen Chirurgen (DGPRÄC), 16. Jahrestagung der Vereinigung der Deutschen Ästhetisch-Plastischen Chirurgen (VDÄPC)