An epigenetic view of anxiety disorders, one cell type at a time

14 Aug

Caregiver burden and care context in families with Dravet syndrome - a nationwide study in the Czech Republic

Dravet syndrome (DS) is a rare developmental and epileptic encephalopathy characterized by early-onset, drug-resistant seizures and significant long-term neurodevelopmental impairment. This cross-sectional observational study aimed to assess demographic characteristics and caregiving burden among individuals with DS and their informal caregivers in the Czech Republic, and to contribute to estimating disease prevalence and informing the need for national monitoring systems. Data were collected via a questionnaire distributed to informal caregivers (n = 44) between March and May 2025, incorporating the Caregiver Burden Scale and sociodemographic items. With a mean age of 41.5 years, mothers made up the majority of caregivers (93.2%), and they typically reported lower employment engagement. Approximately 34.9% of carers reported mental or psychiatric conditions. Patients (mean age 9.5 years) required extensive assistance across multiple domains of daily functioning. Caregiving burden was substantial, with stress reported in most domains, particularly medication management, supervision, transportation, and household-related activities. Limited access to respite care services was common, primarily due to insufficient availability and financial constraints. 

15 Jul

Multifocal Noninvasive Deep Brain Stimulation to Enhance Cognition in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Crossover Trial

Importance: Impairment of working memory (WM), which relies on distributed cortical and subcortical structures, including cerebello-striatal pathways, is a core contributor to functional decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Because the striatum is affected early in dementia, whereas the cerebellum remains relatively preserved, the cerebellum may offer support for maintaining striatal function in neurodegenerative diseases.

Objective: To evaluate whether sequential cerebellar transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and striatal transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) enhances WM in patients with MCI, especially those with early striatal degeneration, like MCI with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB).

Design, setting, and participants: This randomized, quadruple-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was conducted from August 2023 to October 2024 at 1 site in Switzerland and 1 in Czech Republic. Participants included individuals with MCI-LB or amnestic MCI (aMCI) and age-matched healthy controls (HCs).