ALS Cognitive Behavioral Screen-Phone Version (ALS-CBS™-PhV): norms,psychometrics, and diagnostics in an Italian population sample

Neurological Sciences - Up to 50% of motor neuron disease (MND) patients show neuropsychological deficits which negatively affect prognosis and care. However, disability-related logistical issues...     

Psychometrics and diagnostics of Italian cognitive screening tests: a systematic review

Neurological Sciences - Cognitive screening tests (CSTs) are crucial to neuropsychological diagnostics, and thus need to be featured by robust psychometric and diagnostic properties. However, CSTs...     

Clinical features and cognitive sequelae in COVID-19: a retrospective study on N=152 patients

Neurological Sciences - The novel human coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) shows neurotropism and systemically affects the central nervous system (CNS). Cognitive deficits have been indeed reported as both...     

Episodic long-term memory in post-infectious SARS-CoV-2 patients

Neurological Sciences - Episodic long-term memory (LTM) difficulties/deficits are frequent in COVID-19-recovered patients and negatively impact on prognosis and outcome. However, little is known...     

Structural imaging of conjunctival filtering blebs in XEN gel implantation and trabeculectomy: a confocal and anterior segment optical coherence tomography study

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology - To describe and compare the conjunctival filtering bleb features after XEN gel implantation and trabeculectomy using anterior...     

Which is Better for Patients with Breast Cancer: Totally Implanted Vascular Access Devices (TIVAD) or Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC)?

World Journal of Surgery -     

Opioids and renal function.

Opioids, both endogenous and exogenous, have a strong influence on the renal function through different mechanisms, producing changes in the renal excretion of water and sodium. Several studies have demonstrated that opioids influence renal function, according to the agonist profile used. Mu, kappa, and delta agonists produce different renal effects, although the mechanisms remain unclear. Experimental data have given the input for a possible therapeutic role of kappa agonists for some specific conditions, for example, in treating water retention or hyponatremia occurring in patients who have hepatic cirrhosis with ascites. On the other hand, changes in renal function might strongly condition the use of opioids in the clinical setting, and the knowledge of the relationship between opioids and renal function is mandatory for a tailored approach to accommodate the individual responses in terms of pain intensity, tolerance, and adverse effects experienced by these groups of patients. The influence of renal function when using different opioids in the clinical setting is reviewed, as well as problems related to transplantation, renal damage induced by opioid addiction, and problems related to the use of opioid antagonists in such conditions. PERSPECTIVE: Endogenous opioids exert physiologic effects on renal function, and the use of opioids may have an influence on renal activity. Renal impairment has a serious impact on the clearance of most opioids used in the clinical setting. Biochemical and clinical monitoring is mandatory to prevent serious complications.