Sub-acute Cerebral Microhemorrhages Induced by Lipopolysaccharide Injection in Rats

Cerebral microhemorrhages (CMHs) are common in aged patients and are correlated to various neuropsychiatric disorders. The etiology of CMHs is complex, ...

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea

Cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) transmit acoustic signals to spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) through ribbon synapses. Several experimental studies have ...

Traditional Trail Making Test Modified into Brand-new Assessment Tools: Digital and Walking Trail Making Test

The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a well-accepted tool for evaluating executive function. The standard TMT was invented more than 60 years ago and has been ...

PLA Army General Hospital

Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University

Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University

The Seventh Medical Center of PLA Army General Hospital

Although retinal and cerebral microvessels share similar embryological, anatomical and physiological characteristics, the correlation between retinopathy and leukoaraiosis (LA), a type of brain microvascular disease, is unclear. In the present study, the sample included 213 patients admitted to the department of neurology from January 2012 through October 2012. MRI and retinal photography were performed within 48hours of hospitalization, and patient demographics, comorbidities, preadmission medications and laboratory data were collected. MRI images were used to divide the patients into LA and non-LA groups. Using multivariate binary logistic regression, the effects of retinopathy on LA were investigated. Of the 213 patients enrolled, 168 were included in this study (LA, n=108; non-LA, n=60). Hypertension, coronary heart disease and carotid artery plaque were more common in the LA group, and these patients showed higher blood levels of C-reactive protein, homocysteine and triglycerides. The incidence of retinopathy was significantly increased in the LA group compared with the non-LA group, and there was a significant correlation between the severity of LA and incidence of retinopathy. Retinopathy is an independent risk factor for LA and can significantly increase the risk of LA when combined with age, coronary heart disease, C-reactive protein, carotid artery plaque or systolic pressure. Taken together, retinopathy is associated with LA in patients with anterior circulation infarcts. Retinopathy is an independent risk factor for LA and an increase the risk of LA, and thus facilitating the evaluation of LA.

Correlation of retinopathy with leukoaraiosis in patients with anterior circulation infarcts.

To explore the molecular epidemiology and clinical characteristics of Washington University polyomavirus (WUPyV) infection in pediatric patients with acute respiratory tract infections in China.

Molecular epidemiology of WU polyomavirus in hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infection in China.

Although thrombolysis is the most effective medical treatment for acute ischemic stroke, many stroke patients eligible for thrombolysis miss this treatment as a result of delay or refusal by the patients and/or their proxies. To explore the influences of prognostic information for different intervals from stroke onset to the start of thrombolytic treatment (OTT) and other factors on the preferences of patients/proxies regarding thrombolytic therapy, a cross-sectional, discrete-choice experiment was performed between August 2013 and September 2014. A total of 613 Chinese inpatients or their immediate family members were consecutively recruited at the Department of Neurology. After random assignment to a negative-framing group or a positive-framing group, the subjects completed a series of surveys, including nine items about thrombolysis. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to examine participants' preference paradigms for thrombolysis and to categorize the participants into different subgroups. Subsequently, regression analyses were conducted to explore predictors of categorization of the participants into each subgroup and to construct a thrombolytic decision-making model. LCA revealed an optimal 3-subgroup model including a consent to thrombolysis subgroup and objection to thrombolysis subgroups 1 and 2. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that compared with assignment to the consent to thrombolysis subgroup, assignment to objection to thrombolysis subgroup 1 or 2 could be predicted by different factors. χ tests indicated effects of framing and other factors on participants' choices regarding thrombolysis. Choices regarding thrombolysis were modified by not only prognostic information for different OTT intervals but also message framing, presentation format, and sociodemographic characteristics. To facilitate consent to thrombolysis, physicians should convey prognostic information to patients/proxies on the basis of patient OTT interval and should order the presentation of therapies according to the classification of patients/proxies. Individualized decision-making (IDM) might be an optimal strategy to increase the selection of thrombolysis, which providing important reference points for IDM in other clinical domains.

Choices Regarding Thrombolysis Are Modified by the Way to Transfer the Messages.

To investigate the possible effects of anxiety and/or depression symptoms on the treatment outcomes and recurrence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).

Presence of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Affects the First Time Treatment Efficacy and Recurrence of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo.

Conductive hearing loss is a prevalent condition globally. It remains unclear whether conductive hearing loss that occurs during early development disrupts auditory peripheral systems. In this study, a mouse model of conductive auditory deprivation (CAD) was achieved using external auditory canal closure on postnatal day 12, which marks the onset of external ear canal opening. Short-term (2 weeks) and long-term (6 weeks) deprivations involving external ear canal closure were conducted. Mice were examined immediately, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after deprivation. Short-term deprivation induced reversible auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold and latencies of ABR wave I, whereas long-term deprivation caused irreversible ABR thresholds and latencies of ABR wave I. Complete recovery of ribbon synapses and latencies of ABR wave I was observed in the short-term group. In contrast, we observed irreversible ABR thresholds, latencies of ABR wave I, and quantity of ribbon synapses in the long-term deprivation group. Positive 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine signals were noted in cochlear hair cells in the long-term group, suggesting that long-term auditory deprivation could disrupt auditory maturation via mitochondrial damage in cochlear hair cells. Conversely, no significant changes in cellular morphology were observed in cochlear hair cells and spiral ganglion cells in either short- or long-term groups. Collectively, our findings suggest that long-term conductive hearing deprivation during early stages of auditory development can cause significant and irreversible disruption that persists into adulthood.

Long-Term Conductive Auditory Deprivation During Early Development Causes Irreversible Hearing Impairment and Cochlear Synaptic Disruption.

Tinnitus is thought to be triggered by aberrant neural activity in the central auditory pathway and is often accompanied by comorbidities of emotional distress and anxiety, which imply maladaptive functional connectivity to limbic structures, such as the amygdala and hippocampus. Tinnitus patients with normal audiograms can also have accompanying anxiety and depression, clinically. To test the role of functional connectivity between the central auditory pathway and limbic structures in patients with tinnitus with normal audiograms, we developed a murine noise-induced tinnitus model with a temporary threshold shift (TTS). Tinnitus mice exhibited reduced auditory brainstem response wave I amplitude, and an enhanced wave IV amplitude and wave IV/I amplitude ratio, as compared with control and non-tinnitus mice. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to identify abnormal connectivity of the amygdala and hippocampus and to determine the relationship with tinnitus characteristics. We found increased fMRI responses with amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in the auditory cortex and decreased ALFF in the amygdala and hippocampus at day 1, but decreased ALFF in the auditory cortex and increased ALFF in the amygdala at day 28 post-noise exposure in tinnitus mice. Decreased functional connectivity between auditory brain regions and limbic structures was demonstrated at day 28 in tinnitus mice. Therefore, aberrant neural activities in tinnitus mice with TTS involved not only the central auditory pathway, but also limbic structures, and there was maladaptive functional connectivity between the central auditory pathway and limbic structures, such as the amygdala and hippocampus.

Dynamic Changes of Functional Neuronal Activities Between the Auditory Pathway and Limbic Systems Contribute to Noise-Induced Tinnitus with a Normal Audiogram.

Wei Wei

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Neurology

PLA Army General Hospital

Sub-acute Cerebral Microhemorrhages Induced by Lipopolysaccharide Injection in Rats

Morphological and Functional Evaluation of Ribbon Synapses at Specific Frequency Regions of the Mouse Cochlea

Traditional Trail Making Test Modified into Brand-new Assessment Tools: Digital and Walking Trail Making Test

Department of Neurology