Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2018
Tau-induced focal neurotoxicity and network disruption related to apathy in Alzheimer's disease.
Apathy is a common neuropsychological symptom in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and previous studies demonstrated that neuronal loss and network disruption in some brain regions play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of apathy. However, contributions of tau and amyloid-β (Aβ) depositions, pathological hallmarks of AD, to the manifestation of apathy remain elusive. ⋯ The present findings suggested that tau pathology in OFC may provoke focal neurotoxicity in OFC and the following disruption of the OFC-UNC network, leading to the emergence and progression of apathy in AD.
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Schwannomatosis is a dominantly inherited condition predisposing to schwannomas of mainly spinal and peripheral nerves with some diagnostic overlap with neurofibromatosis-2 (NF2), but the underlying epidemiology is poorly understood. We present the birth incidence and prevalence allowing for overlap with NF2. ⋯ Within the highly ascertained North-West England population, schwannomatosis has less than half the birth incidence and prevalence of NF2.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2018
Beyond the limbic system: disruption and functional compensation of large-scale brain networks in patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis.
Hippocampal inflammation in anti-LGI1 encephalitis causes memory deficits, seizures and behavioural abnormalities. Recent findings suggest that extralimbic brain areas are additionally affected and that patients also suffer from non-limbic cognitive symptoms. Moreover, up to 60% of patients show no structural MRI abnormalities in the acute disease stage. We therefore investigated whether functional connectivity analyses can identify brain network changes underlying disease-related symptoms. ⋯ Anti-LGI1 encephalitis is associated with a characteristic pattern of widespread functional network alterations. Increased DMN connectivity seems to represent a compensatory mechanism for memory impairment induced by hippocampal damage. Network analyses may provide a key to the understanding of clinical symptoms in autoimmune encephalitis and reveal changes of brain function beyond apparent structural damage.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2018
Neurofascin-155 IgM autoantibodies in patients with inflammatory neuropathies.
Recently, IgG autoantibodies against different paranodal proteins have been detected and this has led to important advances in the management of inflammatory neuropathies. In contrast, not much is known on IgM autoantibodies against paranodal proteins. ⋯ In summary, IgM neurofascin-155 autoantibodies may be worth testing in patients with inflammatory neuropathies. Their pathogenic role needs to be determined in future experiments.