Clinical neurology and neurosurgery
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Clin Neurol Neurosurg · Sep 2017
Serum lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 predicts the formation of carotid artery plaque and its vulnerability in anterior circulation cerebral infarction.
Circulation inflammation markers such as high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) are considered as predictors of cerebral and cardiac vascular diseases. However, the role of hsCRP and Lp-PLA2 in the anterior circulation cerebral infarction (ACI) is to be elaborated. ⋯ The current study demonstrates that hsCRP and Lp-PLA2 are among the risk factors for AaCI. Elevated hsCRP and Lp-PLA2 are associated with carotid plaque formation. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis suggests that elevated Lp-PLA2 is the independent risk factor for carotid plaque and its vulnerability.
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Clin Neurol Neurosurg · Sep 2017
Surgical outcomes of laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathy in very elderly patients (older than 80 years): Time from symptom onset to surgery and changes in spinal cord signal intensity on MRI.
We aimed to assess the surgical outcomes of laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) in very elderly patients (older than 80 years), focusing specifically on the time from symptom onset to surgery and on the loss in spinal cord signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). ⋯ Compared to younger patients, very elderly patients had a shorter time from symptom onset to surgery but lower preoperative JOA score, indicating that the condition of very elderly patients is likely to deteriorate and become severe rapidly after the onset of myelopathy. However, it is very important to know these pathologies and optimize the timing of surgery, as laminoplasty for CSM can be beneficial even in very elderly patients.
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Clin Neurol Neurosurg · Sep 2017
The evaluation of brain perfusion SPECT using an easy Z-score imaging system in the mild cognitive impairment subjects with brain amyloid-β deposition.
The analysis of 99mTc-ECD single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images using the easy Z-score imaging system (eZIS) program is useful for the diagnosis of early AD in daily medical practice. However, it remains unclear whether eZIS analysis can identify the amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects with brain amyloid-β deposition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of an eZIS analysis for predicting amnestic MCI subjects with brain amyloid β deposition. ⋯ The analysis of brain perfusion SPECT using an eZIS program cannot identify the amnestic MCI subjects with brain amyloid-β deposition. However, abnormal three indicators or normal ratio values may be helpful SPECT findings for predicting the results of PiB-PET in the amnestic MCI subjects.