Claudia Vasconcelos

Claudia Vasconcelos
Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro · Departamento de Neurologia

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102
Publications
13,390
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1,432
Citations

Publications

Publications (102)
Article
Full-text available
Purpose The presence of T cells expressing TLR-2 and TLR-4 has been associated with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) pathogenesis. Here, we evaluated whether the effectiveness of DMT in controlling clinical activity of the disease would be associated with modulation of proportion of TLRs⁺ T cells. Patients and Methods Whole peripheral...
Article
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Background Autoimmune encephalitis (AIE) is a group of inflammatory diseases characterized by the presence of antibodies against neuronal and glial antigens, leading to subacute psychiatric symptoms, memory complaints, and movement disorders. The patients are predominantly young, and delays in treatment are associated with worse prognosis. Objectiv...
Article
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It is well known the potential of severe acute respiratory coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection to induce post-acute sequelae, a condition called Long COVID. This syndrome includes several symptoms, but the central nervous system (CNS) main one is neurocognitive dysfunction. Recently it has been demonstrated the relevance of plasma levels of n...
Article
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Introduction Coronaviruses patients may develop various neurological complications, including loss of smell and taste. Rehabilitation programs should be considered for patients with disabilities lasting longer than two weeks. The present pilot study evaluated photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) as a treatment option for olfactory and gustatory dysfun...
Article
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Objectives: This study aimed to analyze cognitive impairment associated with long-term coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) syndrome and its correlation with anxiety, depression, and fatigue in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 127 patients with COVID-19. Tests to sc...
Article
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Background Mood disorders have been associated with risk of clinical relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating disease mediated by myelin-specific T cells. Objectives We aimed to investigate the impact of major depressive disorder (MDD) and cytokine profile of T-cells in relapsing remitting MS patients. Methods For our study, plasma an...
Article
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Olfactory dysfunction is reported frequently in patients with coronavirus disease 2019. However, an effective treatment for this dysfunction is unknown. The present study evaluated carbamazepine as a treatment option for olfactory dysfunction based on its use in cases of neuralgia, especially of the V cranial nerve. The study included 10 patients w...
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The Scientific Department of Neuroimmunology of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology (DCNI/ABN) and Brazilian Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunological Diseases (BCTRIMS) provide recommendations in this document for vaccination of the population with demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) ag...
Article
Background : Biomarkers have improved the classification of autoimmune inflammatory disorders, including optic neuritis (ON) as a frequent presentation of multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis spectrum disorders, MOG antibody-related disease (MOGAD), and opticospinal multiple sclerosis (OSMS). The phenotype of OSMS in non-Asian populations is less well...
Article
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Observational Study Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm . 2021 Aug 26;8(6):e1060. doi: 10.1212/NXI.0000000000001060. Print 2021 Nov. Clinical Features of COVID-19 on Patients With Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders Samira Luisa Apostolos-Pereira 1, Lis Campos Ferreira 1, Mateus Boaventura 1, Nise Alessandra de Carvalho Sousa 1, Gabriela Joca Mart...
Article
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Chikungunya fever is an arbovirus infection transmitted by the same mosquito vector of dengue and Zika virus. Besides high fever, common clinical symptoms include articular pain and general malaise. Neurological involvement is unusual, but some patients may develop peripheral and central nervous system involvement, including meningoencephalitis, my...
Article
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Background: Recent changes to the diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS) and new medications have had a major impact on the way in which specialists manage the disease. Objective: To investigate factors considered by Brazilian neurologists in managing MS, and to identify how these contribute to diagnosis and treatment. Methods: Potent...
Article
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Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emergent arbovirus that causes a disease characterized primarily by fever, rash and severe persistent polyarthralgia, although <1% of cases develop severe neurological manifestations such as inflammatory demyelinating diseases (IDD) of the central nervous system (CNS) like acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM...
Article
Full-text available
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emergent arbovirus that causes a disease characterized primarily by fever, rash and severe persistent polyarthralgia, although <1% of cases develop severe neurological manifestations such as inflammatory demyelinating diseases (IDD) of the central nervous system (CNS) like acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM...
Article
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Background Little information is available regarding the incidence and clinical outcome of the SARS-CoV2 infection in patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Objective To determine the incidence, clinical outcome, and impact of COVID-19 on pwMS. Methods This observational study was prospectively performed on a cohort of pwMS ( N = 11,560) follow...
Article
CITATIONS 6 READS 25 29 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Envelhecimento, Doenças Neurodegenerativas Crônicas e Infecção na Amazônia Brasileira: implantação de novas metodologias de avaliação cognitiva e de intervenção terapêutica em pacientes com declínio cognitivo leve e modera...
Article
Background : Basic steps in the management of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), such as good patient understanding of the disease and active participation in its management are extremely important, as they directly influence treatment adherence and success. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the perception of MS patients and neurologists...
Article
Background : Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a common symptom of many neurological diseases, including Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Early identification of the risk of dysphagia in neurological patients is very important for early referral for specialized evaluations of oropharyngeal swallowing and treatments. The Dysphagia in Multiple Sclerosis (DYMUS) que...
Article
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Neuromyelitis Optica and Multiple Sclerosis are idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system that currently are considered distinct autoimmune diseases, so differences in genetic susceptibility would be expected. This study aimed to investigate the HLA association with Neuromyelitis Optica by a systematic review with...
Article
Elevated frequency of Th17‐like cells expressing toll‐like receptors (TLRs) has been recently associated with relapsing‐remitting Multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis, a chronic inflammatory demyelinating autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. We aimed to investigate the impact of current major depressive disorder (MDD) on the behavior o...
Article
Purpose Natalizumab (NTZ) is a monoclonal antibody with confirmed efficacy in white populations with recurrent-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS); there are few studies, however, in mixed-race populations. Real-world studies of NTZ are needed to better understand the drug's effectiveness. This study evaluated the effectiveness and adverse events o...
Article
Background A specific particularity of neurological diseases in Asia is the relative commonality of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and Asian type MS (OSMS). Both conditions also occur in South American patients. The Brazilian population differs from the European and the Asian populations due to the mixture of ancestralities between European colonizers...
Article
Objective The risk of progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) related to the association of prognostic factors present at disease onset has rarely been explored. We aimed to construct a clinical risk score for MS long-term progression that could be easily applied in clinical practice. Patients and Methods Among 432 patients with MS, 288 patients we...
Article
Background: The HLA-DR15 extended haplotype HLA-DRB1*15:01-DQA1*01:02-DQB1*06:02 comprises the strongest genetic risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this work was to investigate whether HLA-DR15 alleles were significantly associated with the susceptibility to MS familial forms (MSf) in an admixed Brazilian population. Methods: As...
Article
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The expanding therapeutic arsenal in multiple sclerosis (MS) has allowed for more effective and personalized treatment, but the choice and management of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) is becoming increasingly complex. In this context, experts from the Brazilian Committee on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis and the Neuroimmunology Sc...
Article
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) management presently aims to reach a state of no (or minimal) evidence of disease activity. The development and commercialization of new drugs has led to a renewed interest in family planning, since patients with MS may face a future with reduced (or no) disease-related neurological disability. The advice of neurologists is...
Article
Objective: Antibodies against Myelin Oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-Ab) have been investigated as potential biological marker for neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and high-risk syndromes (HR) negative for AQP4-Ab in populations with different ethnic background. We tested AQP4 and MOG antibodies in a Brazilian population with high African ethnic backg...
Article
Excessive levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in the central nervous system (CNS) are associated with reduced serotonin (5‐HT) synthesis, a neurotransmitter with diverse immune effects. In this study, we evaluated the ability of exogenous 5‐HT to modulate the T‐cell behavior of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating autoimmune dise...
Article
Signaling through toll-like receptors (TLRs) may play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). In the present study, the expression of TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 was significantly higher on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from MS patients as compared to healthy individuals. Following in vitro activation, the proportion of...
Poster
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Increasing reports link recent ZIKV infections to various forms of neuropathology, including microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). The pathogenesis viral infections and the development of autoimmune diseases may have viral trigger and are linked to disturbances in immune response. Here we compared upregulated transcript profile of multipl...
Poster
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Objectives: The emergence of genomic represents a shift in traditional medical genetics with its focus on rare genetic diseases toward more personalization and prevention of common diseases. The Postgraduate Degree in Neurology (PPGNEURO) at UNIRIO has been publishing since its inception papers on the field of genetics and molecular biology. There'...
Article
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The existence of a benign multiple sclerosis (BMS) form is a controversial subject. Recent studies of these patients reveal different levels of cognitive impairment, despite the apparent preservation of motor function. The objective of this study was to review and analyze a number of publications that discuss the general aspects of this disease for...
Article
The aim of this study was to analyze the HLA class II alleles in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and MS patients from Rio de Janeiro to clarify whether the pattern of genetic predisposition in NMO is different from the one seen in MS or whether it is possible to determine specific alleles of susceptibility or resistance. The DR3 haplotype was over repre...
Article
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ABSTRACT Patients with malignant multiple sclerosis (MMS) reach a significant level of disability within a short period of time (Expanded Disability Status Scale score of 6 within five years). The clinical profile and progression of the disease were analyzed in a Brazilian cohort of 293 patients. Twenty-five (8,53%) patients were found to have MMS...
Article
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Multiple sclerosis has become an ever-increasing challenge to neurologists. With the release of the latest medications on the market, Brazilian neurologists feel divided between following their patients’ evolution in accordance with the strict rules established by the Brazilian Ministry of Health regarding drug distribution, or following disease pr...
Article
Fatigue is a common "ghost" symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease mediated by T cells that target myelin antigens of the central nervous system. As fatigue has been associated with inflammatory states, its occurrence may negatively impact MS progression. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of fatigue o...
Article
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence is higher in Caucasian (CA) populations, narrowing the analysis of the impact of Afro-descendant (AD) populations in disease outcomes. Even so, recent studies observed that AD patients have a more severe course. The main objective of this study is to confirm and discuss, through a systematic review, that being AD...
Article
Background: The natural history of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Brazil has been available in different regions of country. There is no nationwide population-based studies that express general data in Brazil. Objective: To review and synthesize available data about MS in Brazil. Material and methods: Systematic review was performed through a sear...
Article
Vitamin D deficiency is an environmental risk factor for MS, a Th17 cell-mediated autoimmune disease that results in demyelination in the CNS. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the ability of in vitro 1,25(OH)2D in modulating different Th17 cell subsets in MS patients in remission phase. In the present study, the production of Th17-related cytokines...
Article
Objectives: To analyze predictor factors to the conversion from CIS to CDMS in a mixed race Brazilian cohort. Patients and methods: It is a prognostic observational retrospective study, in 122 patients from MS referential center at Hospital da Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro-Brazil. Demographic and clinical features, as well as MRI and cerebrospinal fluid...
Article
Background: Predicting the long-term prognosis of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) remains an uncertain and difficult task, with most data having been obtained exclusively from Caucasian cohorts. Objective: To investigate clinical prognostic factors in a Brazilian mixed-race cohort. Methods: Demographic, clinical and therapeutic factors w...
Article
Natalizumab is a therapeutic option for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) and is particularly efficacious for patients with highly active disease. A long washout period has been recommended between withdrawal of natalizumab and start of fingolimod (another option for treating MS). This long washout period has been associated with a significant incre...
Article
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. It is believed that immunological events in the early stages have great impact on the disease course. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the cytokine profile of myelin basic protein (MBP)-specific T cells from MS patients in the early phase of the disease and correlate it to clinical par...
Article
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Th17 cytokines have been implicated to neuromyelitis optica (NMO) pathogenesis. Since humanized anti-IL-6R (tocilizumab) IgG has been used as disease modifying therapy for NMO, the objective of our study was to investigate the role of endogenous IL-6 on NMO-derived CD4(+) T-cell behavior. High production of IL-6, IL-17 and IL-21 by CD4(+) T-cells w...
Article
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The idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating disease (IIDD) spectrum has been investigated among different populations, and the results have indicated a low relative frequency of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) among multiple sclerosis (MS) cases in whites (1.2%-1.5%), increasing in Mestizos (8%) and Africans (15.4%-27.5%) living in areas of low MS prevale...
Article
To describe familial forms of demyelinating diseases from an MS referral center in Río de Janeiro State, Brazil. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was done to identify familial IIDD cases in Hospital da Lagoa, a public hospital where 75% of patients with IIDD who live in Rio de Janeiro state, located in the Southeast region of Brazil, are referr...
Article
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O uso do canabidiol em algumas condições neurológicas foi liberado pelo Conselho Regional de Medicina de São Paulo e pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA). Especialistas em nome da Academia Brasileira de Neurologia prepararam uma posição crítica sobre o uso do canabidiol e outros derivados da cannabis em doenças neurológicas.
Article
Full-text available
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological immune-mediated disease that can worsen in the post-partum period. There is no consensus on the use of immunoglobulin for prevention of disease relapses after delivery. The authors of the present paper have shown that the controversial beneficial effect of immunoglobulin given immediately after birt...
Article
Full-text available
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease and is considered the most debilitating neurological disorder among young adults. Sudden deafness has been reported in MS patients. This article describes cases of sudden deafness related to acute bouts in MS patients. A survey was conducted using 405 records of MS patients attended to at a referen...
Article
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Interleukin (IL)-6 has been implicated in the induction of pathogenic IL-17-producing T cells in autoimmune diseases, and studies evaluating the role of this cytokine on T cell function in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are lacking. Our objective was to evaluate the role of IL-6R signaling on in vitro functional status of T cells from relapsing r...
Article
Dopamine (DA) is a neurotransmitter produced mainly in the central nervous system (CNS) that has immunomodulatory actions on T cells. As the Multiple sclerosis (MS) has long been regarded as an autoimmune disease of CNS mediated by T cells, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of DA on in vitro functional status of T cells from re...
Article
Background: Motor dysfunction and fatigue are the most common impairments that are associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Walk tests and scales demonstrate the presence of fatigue in patients with MS with different levels of disability. Objective: To evaluate objective and subjective fatigue in MS patients without disability. Methods: Were s...
Article
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Objective: To investigate cognitive deficits in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS). Method: Eighteen patients with PSS, aged between 25 and 61 years, were subjected to a short neuropsychological battery and compared with 18 patients with multiple sclerosis and 18 healthy controls. Results: The analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed...
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Conflict of interest: The Brazilian Academy of Neurology (ABN) is committed to produce clinical guidelines critically and independently. This guideline is part of ABN's continuing education activity. It is based on review of scientific and clinical knowledge. Its purpose is not to address the subject in its entirety. Treatment decision is shared be...
Article
Full-text available
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological immune-mediated disease that can worsen in the post-partum period. There is no consensus on the use of immunoglobulin for prevention of disease relapses after delivery. The authors of the present paper have shown that the controversial beneficial effect of immunoglobulin given immediately after birt...
Article
Full-text available
It is recognized that there is a particular geographic and ethnic distribution of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) among Caucasian and non-Caucasian populations. To review the diagnoses of patients whom were enrolled in the South Atlantic Project, a Brazilian multiple sclerosis (MS) survey performed from 1995-1998, and to identify NMO and MS case frequen...
Article
Full-text available
Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the DYMUS questionnaire for the assessment of dysphagia in multiple sclerosis. The original English version of the DYMUS was translated using the forward-backward technique, cross-culturally adaptated, pilot-tested in 40 patients, and then applied to 100 multiple sclerosis patients to assess...
Article
Purpose: Considering the difficulty to obtain accurate data on multiple sclerosis in the State of Rio de Janeiro, it was decided to design, develop and implement a relational database in order to carry out a study of its prevalence. Methods: Microsoft Access 2010 was chosen because of its rapid application development features. The data were import...