Sleep deprivation (SD) negatively affects several aspects of cognitive performance, and one of the most widely-used tools to evaluate these effects is the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT). The present study investigated the possibility of predicting changes induced by SD in vigilant attention performance by evaluating the baseline electroencephalographic (EEG) activity immediately preceding the PVT stimuli onset. All participants (n = 10) underwent EEG recordings during 10 min of PVT before and after a night of SD. For each participant, the root mean square (RMS) of the baseline EEG signal was evaluated for each 1 s time window, and the respective average value was computed. After SD, participants showed slower (and less accurate) performance in the PVT task. Moreover, a close relationship between the changes in the baseline activity with those in cognitive performance was identified at several electrodes (Fp2, F7, F8, P3, T6, O1, Oz, O2), with the highest predictive power at the occipital derivations. These results indicate that vigilant attention impairments induced by SD can be predicted by the pre-stimulus baseline activity changes.

The Cyclic Alternating Pattern (CAP) is composed of cycles of two different electroencephalographic features: an activation A-phase followed by a B-phase representing the background activity. CAP is considered a physiological marker of sleep instability. Despite its informative nature, the clinical applications remain limited as CAP analysis is a time-consuming activity. In order to overcome this limit, several automatic detection methods were recently developed. In this paper, two new dimensions were investigated in the attempt to optimize novel, efficient and automatic detection algorithms: 1) many electroencephalographic leads were compared to identify the best local performance, and 2) the global contribution of the concurrent detection across several derivations to CAP identification. The developed algorithms were tested on 41 polysomnographic recordings from normal (n = 8) and pathological (n = 33) subjects. In comparison with the visual CAP analysis as the gold standard, the performance of each algorithm was evaluated. Locally, the detection on the F4-C4 derivation showed the best performance in comparison with all other leads, providing practical suggestions of electrode montage when a lean and minimally invasive approach is preferable. A further improvement in the detection was achieved by a multi-trace method, the Global Analysis—Common Events, to be applied when several recording derivations are available. Moreover, CAP time and CAP rate obtained with these algorithms positively correlated with the ones identified by the scorer. These preliminary findings support efficient automated ways for the evaluation of the sleep instability, generalizable to both normal and pathological subjects affected by different sleep disorders.

In humans, the asymmetry in the masseter electromyographic (EMG) activity during clenching is positively correlated with the degree of pupil size asymmetry (anisocoria) at rest. Anisocoria reveals an asymmetry in LC activity, which may lead to an imbalance in cortical excitability, detrimental to performance. Hereby, we investigated, in individual subjects, the possibility that occlusal correction, which decreases EMG asymmetry, improves performance by balancing LC activity. Cognitive performance, task-related mydriasis, and pupil size at rest were modified by changing the occlusal condition. Occlusal-related changes in performance and mydriasis were negatively correlated with anisocoria changes in only 12/20 subjects. Within this population, spontaneous fluctuations in mydriasis and anisocoria also appeared negatively coupled. Occlusal-related changes in performance and mydriasis were negatively correlated with those in average pupil size (a proxy of average LC activity) in 19/20 subjects. The strongest association was observed for the pupil changes occurring on the side with higher EMG activity during clenching. These findings indicate that the effects of occlusal conditions on cognitive performance were coupled to changes in the asymmetry of LC activity in about half of the subjects, while they were related to changes in the average tonic LC activity in virtually all of them.

HCV infection poses a global health threat, with significant morbidity and mortality. This study examines HCV trends in a large Italian region from 2015 to 2022, considering demographic changes, evolving clinical profiles, treatment regimens and outcomes, including the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic. This multicentre retrospective study analysed demographics, clinical histories and risk factors in 6882 HCV patients. The study spanned before and after the direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) era, and the COVID‐19 period, focusing on treatment outcomes (SVR12, non‐SVR12 and patients lost to follow‐up). Statistical methods included ANOVA, multinomial logistic regression, Kruskal–Wallis test and chi‐square analysis, and were conducted adhering to the intention‐to‐treat (ITT) principle. The cohort, mainly Italian males (average age 58.88), showed Genotype 1 dominance (56.6%) and a high SVR12 rate (97.5%). The pandemic increased follow‐up losses, yet SVR12 rates remained stable, influenced by factors like age, gender, cirrhosis and comorbidities. Despite COVID‐19 challenges, the region sustained high SVR12 rates in HCV care, emphasising the importance of sustained efforts in HCV care. Continuous screening and targeted interventions in high‐risk populations are crucial for achieving WHO elimination targets. The study highlights the resilience of HCV care during the pandemic and provides insights for future public health strategies.

Masticatory dysfunction is a risk factor for Alzheimer 's disease (AD), likely due to the trigeminal influences on the Locus Coeruleus (LC), a structure implicated in neurodegenerative processes and whose activity level is reflected by pupil size. Chewing activity acutely stimulates cognitive performance by increasing LC activation during task, as reflected by an increased pupil dilatation (mydriasis). The presence of a trigeminal sensorimotor imbalance is associated to an asymmetry in LC activity (reflected by an asymmetry in pupil size) and is detrimental for performance. These observations prompt for developing testing procedure, in normal elders and in patients affected by AD, aimed to: 1) study the presence of trigeminal asymmetries and to assess the possible contribution of occlusal correction in improving the subject's condition and in preventing/delaying the AD development; 2) verify the stimulating effect of chewing on cognitive performance and task-related mydriasis as an estimate of the LC excitability for determining the subject condition and its susceptibility to undergo AD development. Procedures appropriate for achieving these goals are proposed.

Evaluating hearing in newborns and uncooperative patients can pose a considerable challenge. One potential solution might be to employ the Pupil Dilation Response (PDR) as an objective physiological metric. In this dataset descriptor paper, we present a collection of data showing changes in pupil dimension and shape upon presentation of auditory stimuli. In particular, we collected pupil data from 16 subjects, with no known hearing loss, upon different lighting conditions, measured in response to a series of 60–100 audible tones, all of the same frequency and amplitude, which may serve to further investigate any relationship between hearing capabilities and PDRs.