Metabolic brain disease
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Metabolic brain disease · Jun 2012
Developmental traumatic brain injury decreased brain derived neurotrophic factor expression late after injury.
Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of acquired cognitive dysfunction in children. Hippocampal Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is important for normal cognition. Little is known about the effects of TBI on BDNF levels in the developing hippocampus. ⋯ BDNF mRNA levels decreased in both CCI and SHAM hippocampi relative to Naïve, suggesting that certain aspects of the experimental paradigm (such as craniotomy, anesthesia, and/or maternal separation) may decrease the expression of BDNF in the developing hippocampus. While BDNF is important for normal cognition, no inferences can be made regarding the cognitive impact of any of these factors. Such findings, however, suggest that meticulous attention to the experimental paradigm, and possible inclusion of a Naïve group, is warranted in studies of BDNF expression in the developing brain after TBI.
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Metabolic brain disease · Jun 2012
Case ReportsMimicry between mitochondrial disorder and multiple sclerosis.
Under certain conditions or at certain stages of the disease course, multiple sclerosis (MS) and mitochondrial disorder (MID) may be differential diagnoses and thus may be confused with each other. In a 30 years old female MS was diagnosed at age 16 year upon recurrent sensory disturbances of the right lower leg, an "inflammatory" cerebrospinal fluid, and a cerebral MRI with multiple non-enhancing white matter lesions. Steroids were repeatedly given but because of rapid deterioration treatment was switched to interferon and mitoxantrone, without improvement. ⋯ MID was diagnosed also in the index patient. It is concluded that even if CSF investigations or imaging studies suggest MS, differentials such as MIDs need to be excluded before prescribing medication possibly toxic to a MID. An "inflammatory CSF" may also occur in MIDs.