Journal of neural transmission
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Despite extensive research over the last decades the clinical significance of white matter lesions (WMLs) is still a matter of debate. Here, we review current knowledge of the correlation between WMLs and cognitive functioning as well as their predictive value for future stroke, dementia, and functional decline in activities of daily living. ⋯ One reason for the variability of the relationship between WMLs and clinic on an individual level is probably the complexity of the association. Numerous factors such as cognitive reserve, concomitant loss of brain volume, and ultrastructural changes have been identified as mediators between white matter damage and clinical findings, and need to be incorporated in the consideration of WMLs as visible markers of these detrimental processes.
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Sequence variants at or near the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) locus have been associated with susceptibility to three human conditions: Parkinson's disease (PD), Crohn's disease and leprosy. As all three disorders represent complex diseases with evidence of inflammation, we hypothesized a role for LRRK2 in immune cell functions. Here, we report that full-length Lrrk2 is a relatively common constituent of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) including affinity isolated, CD14(+) monocytes, CD19(+) B cells, and CD4(+) as well as CD8(+) T cells. ⋯ In the same cells, lrrk2 appears to co-regulate autophagy. A pattern recognition receptor-type function for LRRK2 could explain its locus' association with Crohn's disease and leprosy risk. We speculate that the role of Lrrk2 in immune cells may also be relevant to the susceptibility of developing PD or its progression.
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The quantitative thermal test showed cold and warmth hypesthesia without increased heat pain sensitivity in the affected limbs of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) patients with tonic dystonia (n = 44) in comparison with healthy controls with a similar age and sex distribution (n = 35). The degrees of cold and warmth hypesthesia were strongly correlated. We conclude that dysfunction in small nerve fiber (i.e., C and Aδ) processing is present in patients with CRPS-related dystonia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
ADHD and EEG-neurofeedback: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled feasibility study.
Electroencephalography (EEG)-neurofeedback has been shown to offer therapeutic benefits to patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in several, mostly uncontrolled studies. This pilot study is designed to test the feasibility and safety of using a double-blind placebo feedback-controlled design and to explore the initial efficacy of individualized EEG-neurofeedback training in children with ADHD. Fourteen children (8-15 years) with ADHD defined according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria were randomly allocated to 30 sessions of EEG-neurofeedback (n = 8) or placebo feedback (n = 6). ⋯ However, a double-blind design may not be feasible since using automatic adjusted reward thresholds may not work as effective as manually adjusted reward thresholds. Additionally, implementation of active learning strategies may be an important factor for the efficacy of EEG-neurofeedback training. Based on the results of this pilot study, changes are made in the design of the ongoing study.
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Brief cardiac arrest and survival is often associated with marked neurological alterations related to cognitive and sensory motor functions. However, detail studies using selective vulnerability of brain after cardiac arrest in animal models are still lacking. We examined selective vulnerability of five brain regions in our well-established cardiac arrest model in pigs. ⋯ Treatment with methylene blue, an antioxidant markedly reduced neuronal damage, leakage of albumin, overexpression of GFAP and damage to myelin following cardiac arrest. Taken together, these observations suggest that (a) cardiac arrest is capable to induce selective neuronal, glial and myelin damage in different parts of the pig brain, and (b) antioxidant methylene blue is capable to induce neuroprotection by reducing BBB disruption. These observations strongly suggest that the model could be used to explore new therapeutic agents to enhance neurorepair following cardiac arrest-induced brain damage for therapeutic purposes.