Neurological Research最新文献

Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a both neuromuscular junction and antibody-mediated autoimmune disease, and its pathogenesis involves the regulation of circular RNAs (circRNAs). However, the role of circ_0076490 in MG and the underlying mechanism remain unknown.

Methods: RNA levels of circ_0076490, microRNA-144-3p (miR-144-3p), and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell viability and proliferation were investigated by cell counting kit-8 and 5-Ethynyl-29-deoxyuridine assays, respectively. Cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry analysis. The putative binding relationship of miR-144-3p and circ_0076490 or MAPK1 was predicted by circular RNA interactome and TargetScan online databases, respectively, and identified through dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay.

Results: We observed dramatic increases of circ_0076490 and MAPK1 expression and a decrease of miR-144-3p expression in the peripheral blood of MG patients in comparison with healthy controls. Reduced expression of circ_0076490 induced an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of Jurkat cells and a promoting effect on cell apoptosis. Additionally, miR-144-3p was identified as a target miRNA of circ_0076490, and its depletion attenuated circ_0076490 knockdown-mediated effects on the proliferation and apoptosis of Jurkat cells. MAPK1 was a target gene of miR-144-3p and its overexpression rescued decreased cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis induced by miR-144-3p introduction. Furthermore, circ_0076490 regulated MAPK1 expression by interacting with miR-144-3p.

Conclusion: Circ_0076490 knockdown inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of Jurkat cells through the regulation of the miR-144-3p/MAPK1 axis, providing potential targets for developing improved therapy of MG.

Objective: To determine whether YTHDF1 and YTHDF3 play the same role in brain and gut damage after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods: We generated YTHDF1-/- and YTHDF3-/- mice using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, established a mouse brain injury model through severe controlled cortical impact (CCI), and finally observed the different types of damage between YTHDF1-/- and YTHDF3-/- mice by analysing the levels of oedema proteins in cortical tissue and inflammatory proteins and histopathological lesions in brain and gut tissues in mice at 3 days after CCI.

Result: Compared with WT mice, YTHDF1-/- mice had decreased levels of oedema in cortical tissue and inflammation and histopathological lesions in brain and gut tissues at 3 days post-CCI, but YTHDF3-/- mice did not.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that deletion of YTHDF1, but not YTHDF3, could reduce damage to the brain and gut following TBI.

Objective: To investigate the acute effect of myofascial stretching exercises on spasticity, balance, ambulation status and mobility of posterior chain muscles in multiple sclerosis.

Method: The study was conducted as a randomised controlled experimental study. The study included a total of 80 individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) with a mean age of 43.5 ± 9.62 years (experimental group) and 41.4 ± 10.4 years (control group). All individuals were treated once and evaluated before and after the session. After recording the sociodemographic characteristics, spasticity assessment was performed with the Modified Ashword Scale (MAS), balance assessment with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), ambulation status with the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), and posterior chain muscle mobility (PCMM) with finger-to-ground distance measurement.

Results: The TUG (time to complete the distance) measurements of the experimental group after treatment were lower than those of the control group (p < 0.05). The value of PCMM measurements of the experimental group before the treatment was lower than that of the control group (p < 0.001). The difference in positive increase in PCMM measurements in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). After the treatment, the MAS value in the left knee of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05).

Discussion: Myofascial stretching exercises applied to individuals with MS made an acute contribution to ambulation status and mobility of posterior chain muscles. There was no difference in the evaluation of spasticity and balance.

Objective: The objective was to determine the prevalence and clinical correlates of nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients in movement disorders outpatient clinics.

Methods: We enrolled all consecutive PD patients who visited our movement disorders outpatient clinics between January and December 2023; and agreed to participate in the study. In addition to the evaluation of demographic and clinical features, clinical scales, including the MDS-UPDRS, NMSS, and FOOGQ, were performed.

Results: Overall, we enrolled 163 PD subjects with a mean age of 63.9 ± 10.4 (F/M = 27/136). The disease duration was 3.5 (20) y [median (range)]. The median score of the NMSS was 41 points. The NMSs burden levels were severe in 25.2%, and very severe in 25.2% of the subjects. The subitems with the highest scores were sleep/fatigue, mood/cognition, urinary, and miscellaneous. The analyses within the patient group with newly diagnosed PD also revealed high NMSS scores. Comparisons of the NMSS between distinct PD stages revealed greater NMSS scores in the severe stage than in the mild stage (p = 0.001). Correlation analyses between the clinical scores and the NMSS scores revealed positive correlations between the NMSS scores and the scores on all the clinical scales including the MDS-UPDRS 1-4, and FOGQ.

Conclusion: We reported the first data regarding the NMS burden in PD patients from Turkey. We found a high prevalence and severity of various domains of NMSs, most of which were sleep/fatigue, mood/cognition, urinary, and miscellaneous. More than half of the patients had severe to very severe NMS burden. Although NMSs were more common severe-stage disease, they were also prevalent in the subgroup with newly diagnosed patients.

Background: The demographic, clinical, and angiographic features of ruptured aneurysms compared to unruptured cerebral aneurysms in Indonesia are still limited. This study aims to determine risk factors for rupture according to clinical patterns and morphological features in the Indonesian population.

Method: We retrospectively reviewed all cerebral aneurysm registries at the largest comprehensive stroke center in Indonesia from January 2019 to January 2022. We compared demographic and vascular risk factors as well as angiographic features between patients with ruptured and unruptured aneurysms with univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results: Of 275 patients, 231 (84%) had ruptured cerebral aneurysms. We found a significant difference between the ruptured and unruptured groups in variables such as age, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, location, and type of aneurysm. It was found that only the anterior circulation site (OR 4.91, 95% CI 1.47-16.48; p < 0.01) and saccular type (OR 5.45, 95% CI 1.42-20.93; p = 0.01) were significantly linked to ruptured aneurysms.

Conclusion: Our findings revealed that anterior location and saccular type were substantially linked with ruptured aneurysms in the Indonesian population.

Background: Ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) has been found to be associated with motor function recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). Therefore, its role and mechanism in SCI process need further exploration.

Methods: SCI rat models were established via performing laminectomy at the T9-T11 spinal vertebrae and cutting spinal cord tissues. SCI cell models were constructed by inducing PC12 cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The protein levels of USP7, nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1), Krüppel-like factor 7 (KLF7) and apoptosis-related markers were detected by western blot. Cell viability and apoptosis were tested by cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry. The contents of inflammatory factors were examined using ELISA. The interaction between NRF1 and USP7 or KLF7 was analyzed by co-immunoprecipitation assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and dual-luciferase reporter assay, respectively.

Results: USP7 was downregulated in SCI rat models and LPS-induced PC12 cells. Overexpressed USP7 promoted viability, while repressed apoptosis and inflammation in LPS-induced PC12 cells. USP7 could stabilize NRF1 protein expression via deubiquitination, and NRF1 knockdown reversed the protective effect of USP7 against LPS-induced PC12 cell injury. NRF1 is bound to KLF7 promoter to enhance its transcription. NRF1 overexpression inhibited LPS-induced PC12 cell inflammation and apoptosis via increasing KLF7 expression.

Conclusion: USP7 alleviated inflammation and apoptosis in LPS-induced PC12 cells via NRF1/KLF7 axis, indicating that targeting of USP7/NRF1/KLF7 axis might be a promising treatment strategy for SCI.

Objective: The association between herpes zoster (HZ) and stroke has been the subject of much previous research. Nevertheless, the connection remains ambiguous. A two-sample Mendelian randomisation study was conducted to explore the potential causal link between HZ and ischaemic stroke, including its subtypes.

Methods: For our MR analysis, we identified genetic instrumental variables related to both HZ and stroke by screening two prominent publicly accessible genome-wide association study databases. The primary approach involved using the inverse variance weighting method. To supplement this, we also employed methods such as MR-Egger regression, the weighted median approach, simple and weighted models. Lastly, to ascertain the stability and reliability of the results, we conducted tests for heterogeneity detection, horizontal pleiotropy assessment, and a leave-one-out analysis.

Results: The genetically predicted HZ did not indicate an association with stroke risk ([OR] 1.041; 95% [CI] 0.958-1.131;p = 0.336). This lack of association also held true for different subtypes of stroke: ischaemic stroke (OR = 1.047, 95% CI = 0.955-1.148, p = 0.323), large vessel stroke (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.90-1.41, p = 0.272), cardioembolic stroke (OR = 1.020, 95% CI = 0.859-1.211, p = 0.816), small vessel stroke (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.93-1.40, p = 0.195), and lacunar stroke (OR = 1.195, 95% CI = 0.967-1.476, p = 0.097).

Conclusion: This MR study showed that not uncover a causal link between herpes zoster and ischaemic stroke. Additional research will be necessary in the future to shed light on the fundamental mechanisms involved.

Objectives: The antisaccades (AS) task is considered a reliable indicator of inhibitory control of eye movements in humans. Achieving good AS performance requires efficient cognitive processes that are sensitive to changes in brain structure. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) can cause subcortical-cortical dysconnectivity, affecting diverse cognitive domains. Thus, the AS task was investigated in patients with WMH in cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD).

Methods: In this retrospective study, 75 participants with WMH, determined by neuroimaging standards for CSVD research, were admitted to the Department of Neurology of Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2021 to December 2022. All subjects underwent the AS task, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and 3.0T brain MRI. Additionally, 61 healthy subjects were recruited to characterize WMH profiles.

Results: Compared to the control group, patients with WMH had a significantly increased AS error rate (49.81%, p = 0.001) and lower gain (76.00%, p = 0.042). The AS error rate was significantly higher in patients with WMH in the frontal lobe than in those without WMH (p = 0.004). After adjusting for confounders (age), a positive correlation was found between the AS error rate and MoCA scores for patients with WMH (coefficient = 0.262, p = 0.024).

Conclusions: Patients with WMH due to CSVD exhibited abnormal AS performances, particularly in the frontal lobe. The eye movement paradigms, the new diagnostic forms in neurology, can be utilized to investigate the distributed cortical and subcortical systems involved in cognitive control processes, offering simple, well-tolerated and highly sensitive advantages over traditional measures.

Background: Early diagnosis of CH is a cornerstone and it is important to detect causes leading to diagnostic delay. Limited published data exist regarding CH in Egypt, and with no data showing characteristics of CH or causes of diagnostic delay .

Aim: To investigate clinical characteristics, for CH and detect causes of diagnostic delay in Egypt.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted including all patients (age: 18-60 years) with primary headache disorders in Egypt with CH patients consecutively recruited over 1 year. Demographic and clinical characteristics as well as rate of diagnostic delay were collected.

Results: This registry included 1187 patients with primary headaches over a year. CH accounted for 1.9% . The majority of CH patients were males (82%), and a mean age of 37.9 ± 10 years. The mean age of disease onset was 25 ± 8 years. Sixty-five percent had episodic CH, while 34.8% had chronic CH. Most of the patients (95.7%) had strictly unilateral pain (right side 52.2%, left side 43.5%). Autonomic features were rhinorrhea (91%), ptosis (87%), and lacrimation (78%). Migrainous features were found in 26% of patients. Bout duration of CH lasted on an average of 1-4 months. Time interval of diagnostic delay ranged from 0.5 to 29 years, with a mean diagnostic delay of 9.8 ± 7.9 years.

Conclusion: This study showed that CHs present 1.9% of primary headache disorders in Egypt, with males more affected than females. the incidence of smoking was higher among CH patients. Marked diagnostic delay was found which necessitate an action toward raising awareness.

Objective: Known as a major surgical complication, postoperative delirium (POD) has not been well studied in patients with intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). This study aimed to investigate the correlation between perioperative clinical characteristics and the occurrence of POD.

Methods: Patients' demographic characteristics and perioperative testing data were collected. Binary logistic regression was conducted for assessing related risk factors. A nomogram was developed to predict the occurrence of POD after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (PTAS) in patients with ICAS.

Results: The occurrence of POD in this study was 30.67%. Among all the clinical and laboratory characteristics in patients, age (OR = 1.234, 95%CI = 1.004-1.517, p = 0.046), gender (OR = 5.676, 95%CI = 1.028-31.334, p = 0.046), preoperative MMSE scores (OR = 2.298, 95%CI = 1.005-5.259, p = 0.049), the degree of stenosis (OR = 6.294, 95%CI = 1.043-37.974, p = 0.045), operating time (OR = 1.088, 95%CI = 1.023-1.157, p = 0.006), and HbA1c levels (OR = 2.226, 95%CI = 1.199-4.130, p = 0.011) were the independent risk factors.

Conclusion: Male patients with advanced-age, lower preoperative MMSE scores, severe stenosis, longer operating time, and higher HbA1c levels are closely related to POD after PTAS. Fully perioperative assessments may play an important role in predicting the occurrence of POD.