Neurological research
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Neurological research · Apr 2012
Variation in a locus linked to platelet aggregation phenotype predicts intraparenchymal hemorrhagic volume.
Alteration in platelet aggregation has been shown to promote bleeding and affect outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).We investigated the influence of genetic variants of platelet aggregation, and their effects on admission ICH volume and clinical outcome. ⋯ We identified SNP rs342286 as an independent predictor of admission hematoma volume. Our findings suggest that PIK3CG function, which is previously linked to this SNP and affects platelet aggregation, impacts the severity of the intraparenchymal bleed.
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Neurological research · Apr 2012
Intraoperative tissue fluorescence using 5-aminolevolinic acid (5-ALA) is more sensitive than contrast MRI or amino acid positron emission tomography ((18)F-FET PET) in glioblastoma surgery.
The sensitivity of 5-aminolevolinic acid (5-ALA) in detecting intraoperative glioblastoma (GBM) tissue compared to postoperative (18)F-fluoroethyl-L-tyrosine and T1 contrast uptake of tumor cells in positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans was investigated in a retrospective image correlative study. ⋯ Residual faint 5ALA uptake is documented in large areas at the end of GBM resection and corresponds to tumor infiltration. These 5-ALA positive resection plans exceeded the (18)F-FET uptake areas in postoperative PET scans. Thus, intraoperative 5-ALA residual fluorescence seems to be a more sensitive marker than (18)F-FET PET for residual tumor in malignant gliomas.
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Neurological research · Apr 2012
Vascular, electrophysiological, and metabolic consequences of cortical spreading depression in a mouse model of simulated neurosurgical conditions.
Cortical spreading depression (CSD) is a metabolically taxing wave of cellular depolarization that propagates slowly across the brain. Though CSD is known to occur after brain injury in humans, it is unknown if CSD occurs during neurosurgical procedures. This study evaluates CSD in a mouse model of simulated neurosurgical conditions. ⋯ CSD is consistently elicited by simulated neurosurgical stimuli under simulated intraoperative conditions in mice. These events caused ECoG depression, transient vasoconstriction, and metabolic demand that propagated from the manipulation site. It is likely that CSD occurs during neurosurgery and may contribute to surgical brain injuries otherwise poorly explained.
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Neurological research · Mar 2012
ReviewFrom bench-to-bedside in catastrophic cerebrovascular disease: development of drugs targeting the endothelin axis in subarachnoid hemorrhage-related vasospasm.
Survivors of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) may suffer functional dependence, cognitive impairment, and mood disorders. Cerebral vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia are associated with poor outcome in SAH and have been the subjects of intense investigation for decades. ⋯ The results of these trials emphasize the disconnect between attenuation of cerebral vasospasm and improvement in functional outcome. The purpose of this review article is to evaluate the utilization of animal models for the development of drugs targeting the endothelin pathway in SAH and, given the recent endothelin receptor antagonist clinical trial results and lessons from the ischemic neuroprotection field, reflect on an alternative approach to in vivo preclinical drug testing in SAH.
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Neurological research · Jan 2012
Isoflurane-induced spatial memory impairment by a mechanism independent of amyloid-beta levels and tau protein phosphorylation changes in aged rats.
The molecular mechanism of postoperative cognitive dysfunction is largely unknown. Isoflurane has been shown to promote Alzheimer's disease neuropathogenesis. We set out to determine whether the effect of isoflurane on spatial memory is associated with amyloid-beta (A-beta) levels and tau phosphorylation in aged rats. ⋯ Isoflurane may induce spatial memory impairment through non-A-beta or tau neuropathogenesis mechanisms in aged rats.