Frontiers in neurology
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2020
Cumulative Effects of Prior Concussion and Primary Sport Participation on Brain Morphometry in Collegiate Athletes: A Study From the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium.
Prior studies have reported long-term differences in brain structure (brain morphometry) as being associated with cumulative concussion and contact sport participation. There is emerging evidence to suggest that similar effects of prior concussion and contact sport participation on brain morphometry may be present in younger cohorts of active athletes. We investigated the relationship between prior concussion and primary sport participation with subcortical and cortical structures in active collegiate contact sport and non-contact sport athletes. ⋯ Finally, CS with prior concussion had larger hippocampal volumes than CS without prior concussion (p = 0.015). Years of contact sport exposure and prior concussion(s) are associated with differences in subcortical volumes in young-adult, active collegiate athletes, consistent with prior literature in retired, primarily symptomatic contact sport athletes. Longitudinal follow-up studies in these athletes are needed to determine clinical significance of current findings.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2020
Negative Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Admissions for Intracranial Hemorrhage.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously impacted healthcare systems worldwide. Admissions for various non-COVID-19 emergencies have significantly decreased. We sought to determine the impact of COVID-19 on admissions for intracranial hemorrhage to a German University Hospital emergency department. ⋯ Likewise, admission rates for traumatic intracranial hemorrhage decreased significantly by 53.7% [RR = 0.463, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.358-0.599]. Conclusion: The decrease of spontaneous intracranial hemorrhages may be a consequence of underutilization of the healthcare system whereas decreasing rates of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage admissions may predominantly reflect a decrease in true incidence rates due to lockdown measures with restricted mobility. Raising patient awareness to seek emergency healthcare for acute neurological deficits during lockdown measures is important to ensure appropriate emergency care for patients with intracranial hemorrhage.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2020
ReviewNeurological Manifestations of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2): A Review.
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been associated with many neurological symptoms but there is a little evidence-based published material on the neurological manifestations of COVID-19. The purpose of this article is to review the spectrum of the various neurological manifestations and underlying associated pathophysiology in COVID-19 patients. Method: We conducted a review of the various case reports and retrospective clinical studies published on the neurological manifestations, associated literature, and related pathophysiology of COVID-19 using PUBMED and subsequent proceedings. ⋯ There is a need to diagnose these manifestations at the earliest to limit long term sequelae. Much research is needed to explore the role of SARS-CoV-2 in causing these neurological manifestations by isolating it either from cerebrospinal fluid or brain tissues of the deceased on autopsy. We also recommend exploring the risk factors that lead to the development of these neurological manifestations.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2020
Electroacupuncture Alleviates Mechanical Allodynia of a Rat Model of CRPS-I and Modulates Gene Expression Profiles in Dorsal Root Ganglia.
Complex regional pain syndrome type-I (CRPS-I) is chronic neurological disorder accompanied with devastating pain. Most conventional medical treatments lack effectiveness, making CRPS-I a challenging clinical condition. Electroacupuncture (EA) showed effectiveness in alleviating the pain symptoms of CRPS-I patients. ⋯ Further bioinformatics analysis identified the up-regulation of an array of genes involved in biological process such as neutrophil chemotaxis and immune response in the DRGs of CPIP model rats after EA treatment. Thus, these results suggest that EA may alleviate pain response in CPIP model rats via regulating multiple genes. Our work may help to further advance the understandings of the molecular mechanisms underlying EA's therapeutic effects on CRPS-I and help to identify novel targets for CRPS-I treatment.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2020
Acupuncture vs. Pharmacological Prophylaxis of Migraine: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Introduction: Migraine is a chronic paroxymal neurological disorder characterized by attacks of moderate to severe headache and reversible neurological and systemic symptoms. Treatment of migraine includes acute therapies, that aim to reduce the intensity of pain of each attack, and preventive therapies that should decrease the frequency of headache recurrence. The objective of this systematic review was to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for the prophylaxis of episodic or chronic migraine in adult patients compared to pharmacological treatment. ⋯ Quality of evidence was moderate for all these primary outcomes. Results at longest follow-up confirmed these effects. Conclusions: Based on moderate certainty of evidence, we conclude that acupuncture is mildly more effective and much safer than medication for the prophylaxis of migraine.