Principal investigator:
Prof. Alberto Albanese, MD

Istituto Carlo Besta,
Via Celoria 11,
I-20133 Milano
alberto.albanese(at)unicatt.it

Expertise of the participating organization:

The group has been involved for many years in the study of multiple system atrophy with a main emphasis on the clinical features and the criteria for a clinical diagnosis. The patients are followed-up using a computerised database. The centre is a referral for many patients who seek to receive an efficacious treatment that is not yet available.

The clinical activities are performed at the National Neurological Institute (www.istituto-besta.it) a tertiary referral centre for neurological diseases that collects patients from all over Italy (half of the patients seen are from outside Lombardy).
Prof. Alberto Albanese is the department head, Dr. Francesco Carella is the study coordinator.


Publications relevant to the EMSA-SG:

Albanese A. Can falls be prevented in Parkinson's disease? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2007; 78: 661. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=17575017

Del Sorbo F, Elia AE, De Joanna G, Romito LM, Garavaglia B, Albanese A. Normal cardiovascular reflex testing in patients with parkin disease. Mov Disord 2007; 22: 528-32. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=17230469

Albanese A, Valente EM, Romito LM, Bellacchio E, Elia AE, Dallapiccola B. The PINK1 phenotype can be indistinguishable from idiopathic Parkinson disease. Neurology 2005; 64: 1958-60. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=15955954

Rossi G, Gasparoli E, Pasquali C, Di Fede G, Testa D, Albanese A, et al. Progressive supranuclear palsy and Parkinson's disease in a family with a new mutation in the tau gene. Ann Neurol 2004; 55: 448. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=14991829

Albanese A. Diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease. Neurol Sci 2003; 24 Suppl 1: S23-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=12774207

Albanese A, Brisinda G, Bentivoglio AR, Maria G. Treatment of outlet obstruction constipation in Parkinson's disease with botulinum neurotoxin A. Am J Gastroenterol 2003; 98: 1439-40. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=12818293

Albanese A, Colosimo C. Dihydroergocriptine in Parkinson's disease: clinical efficacy and comparison with other dopamine agonists. Acta Neurol Scand 2003; 107: 349-55. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=12713527

Soliveri P, Rossi G, Monza D, Tagliavini F, Piacentini S, Albanese A, et al. A case of dementia parkinsonism resembling progressive supranuclear palsy due to mutation in the tau protein gene. Arch Neurol 2003; 60: 1454-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Citation&list_uids=14568818