Medicine
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Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a kind of sleep disturbance characterized by a loss of normal paralysis of REM sleep with dream enactment behavior during REM sleep. The pharmacotherapy options for treating RBD are limited and the use of antidepressants remains controversial. Further, the role of vortioxetine in RBD has not been evaluated so far. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of effective treatment of RBD with vortioxetine. Well-designed studies with large samples are needed to verify the clinical benefits.
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Gout is a chronic disease related to uric acid metabolism. It involves crystals of uric acid accumulating in the joints, causing joint pain and releasing cytokines that trigger inflammation. Inflammation is a key component in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. ⋯ After we adjusted the analyses by age, sex, and comorbidities the gout patients displayed an increased risk of epilepsy compared with the control group (adjusted HR = 1.25, 95% confidence interval = 1.15-1.36). This study revealed a significantly higher risk of epilepsy in patients with gout. It provides further evidence for the debate around the effect of gout on brain health.
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To study the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the 3' untranslated region (UTR) rs9722 locus in S100B and the risk of chronic heart failure (CHF), plasma levels of S100B protein as well as has-miR-340-3p in a Chinese Han population. A total of 215 patients with CHF (124 ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and 91 dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)) and 215 healthy controls were recruited to analyze the S100B rs9722 genotype by Sanger sequencing. The levels of hsa-miR-340-3p in the plasma were detected by RT-PCR, and S100B levels were detected by ELISA. ⋯ Among ICM, DCM, and control subjects, TT genotype carriers had the highest levels of plasma S100B and hsa-miR-340-3p, followed by the CT genotype and TT genotype, and the difference was statistically significant (P < .05). Plasma hsa-miR-340-3p levels were positively correlated with S100B levels in the control subjects and patients with ICM and DCM. The S100B rs9722 locus SNP is associated with CHF risk in a Chinese Han population.
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Observational Study
Can a relatively large spinal cord for the dural sac influence severity of paralysis in elderly patients with cervical spinal cord injury caused by minor trauma?
Retrospective reviewThe degree of spinal cord compression and bony spinal canal stenosis are risk factors for the occurrence of spinal cord injury (SCI) without major fracture or dislocation, but they do not affect the severity of neurological symptoms. However, whether a relatively large spinal cord for the dural sac influences the severity of symptoms in SCI cases is unknown. The purpose of this study was to verify the influence of spinal cord size relative to dural sac on the severity of paralysis in elderly patients with cervical SCI caused by minor trauma. ⋯ No clear relationship was observed between JOA score and bony canal APD or spinal cord compression ratio. In elderly patients with SCI caused by minor trauma, a relatively large spinal cord for the dural sac was shown to be a factor that influences the severity of paralysis. This result can be useful for the treatment and prevention of SCI in the elderly.
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Premature ovarian failure (POF) is commonly treated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Many patients with POF choose acupuncture as a complementary therapy over HRT, due to possible adverse reactions. This systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) compares the efficacy of different forms of acupuncture therapies for POF. ⋯ With clinical evidence summarized by NMA, it is observed that acupuncture is the most promising therapy for improving menopausal symptoms, decreasing serum follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone level. Therefore, acupuncture could be effective for patients with POF, who are intolerant to the adverse effects of hormone replacement therapy or who would prefer non-drug therapies. Further multi-center and high-quality RCT studies should be conducted to make our conclusion more rigorous.