Not applicable

All methods described here were approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee Institutional Review Board of Kanto Central Hospital.
NOTE: We used a commercially available portable thermal camera and dedicated software (see the Table of Materials), and have constructed our protocols based on the use of these specific instruments.
1. Preparation for Measurements
<ol>
	<li>Charge the thermal camera before use.</li>
	<li>Turn on the camera.</li>
	<li>Push the center button on the camera to display the menu. Select Color from the menu and select Iron or Rainbow color.</li>
	<li>Push the center button on the camera to display the menu. Select Measurement and then Center spot measurement to measure the BST in real time.</li>
</ol>
2. Patient Selection
<ol>
	<li>Test all patients with suspected WS. Patients with dizziness, vertigo, ptosis, hoarseness, dysphagia, anisocoria, or dissociated sensory disturbance may have WS.</li>
	<li>Subjectively determine the laterality of BST by palpating the patient with suspected WS.</li>
</ol>
3. Acquisition of Thermographic Images
<ol>
	<li>Instruct the patient to take off their socks and shoes. Have the patient remove clothing (if consent is granted) to enable examination of the abdominal region.</li>
	<li>Acquire images in an examination room or in the patient&#39;s bedroom, as soon as WS is suspected. Ask the patient to assume a supine posture or sitting position during image acquisition. Ask the photographer to stand 50-100 cm from the patient. 
	NOTE: Lighting conditions in the room do not influence the results of the thermographic measurements.</li>
	<li>Acquire one image at each of four areas for each patient: 1) frontal face, 2) bilateral palm, 3) abdomen, and 4) bilateral dorsum of the foot (Figure 1). These four areas are uncomplicated locations for image acquisition, even in bedridden patients who cannot move because of dizziness, vertigo, nausea and vomiting. 
	NOTE: Blankets or drafts caused by air conditioning may influence the BST. If such influence is suspected, cover all extremities and the trunk with blankets, then acquire additional images after an interval of &#62;10 min. Drip infusion therapy at the extremities also may influence the BST. If possible, slow down or stop the infusion, then acquire images after an interval of &#62;10 min.</li>
</ol>
4. Assessing the Laterality of BST
<ol>
	<li>Consider BST to exhibit laterality when the BST between the right and left sides is markedly different macroscopically and the degree of laterality is &#62;0.5 &#176;C18. If the laterality of BST is not obvious or appears to be &#8804;0.5 &#176;C, perform advanced analysis with dedicated software as described below. 
	NOTE: When laterality of BST is observed in multiple locations on the same side of the patient, there is a strong possibility that the patient has WS in the ipsilateral side of the medulla on the warmer side, as determined by BST.</li>
</ol>
5. Advanced Assessment of the Laterality of BST
<ol>
	<li>Initialize the thermal imaging and analysis software.</li>
	<li>Select and open the acquired image to be analyzed.</li>
	<li>Select the Ellipse measurement button on the left side tab, and indicate ellipses with diameters of &#62;5 mm at four locations: 1) the nasolabial fold on the face; 2) the palm of the hand; 3) thoracic spine levels 8-10, approximately 5 cm from the umbilicus of the torso; and 4) the center of the dorsum of the foot.</li>
	<li>Check the average BST from each location and compare it to the BST on the contralateral side of the body.</li>
</ol>
6. Confirming WS
<ol>
	<li>Perform a careful neurological examination if the patient exhibits laterality of BST to confirm a diagnosis of WS. In addition to screening by neurological examination, check for the presence of Horner&#39;s syndrome including ptosis and constricted pupil, as well as the presence of dissociated sensory disturbance, to determine whether the patient exhibits acute WS.</li>
	<li>Consider hospital admission when WS cannot be ruled out based on the results of thermographic measurement and neurological examination.</li>
	<li>Consider repeated thin-slice brainstem MRI after an interval of a few days to diagnose WS.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
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S., Park, S. C., Lee, Y. J., Kang, J. 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This work was supported in part by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan (UMIN000009958).

Critical steps of this protocol are the establishment the initial suspicion of WS and the decision to acquire thermographic images of the patient. Acquiring thermographic images and assessing the laterality of BST is a simple approach, even for non-neurologists who may examine patients upon initial presentation to the emergency department or a general clinic. If a patient exhibits laterality of BST, especially at multiple locations on the same side, the physician should consider the possibility of WS. Because most WS pat...

Wallenberg&#39;s syndrome (WS) is a type of brainstem infarction. Acute WS patients are sometimes initially misdiagnosed with non-stroke diseases because of the symptomatic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of WS. To accurately diagnose acute WS, careful neurological examination is necessary, which may be difficult for non-neurologists to whom affected patients initially present. Here, we present a simple, rapid, noninvasive, and cost-effective method for the detection of acute WS using portable thermography.
WS is caused by the infarction of a wedge of the dorsal lateral medulla oblongata, due to occlusion of the vertebral artery or posterior inferior cerebellar artery1,2. WS may be misdiagnosed as a non-stroke disease because of a combination of unique symptomatic and MRI characteristics that contrast with those typically observed in cerebral infarction. Hemiparesis and tactile sensory disturbance, which tend to be observed in patients with other types of cerebral infarction, are rare in WS patients; however, they exhibit various combinations of clinical symptoms, including hoarseness and dysphagia, dissociated sensory disturbance, vertigo, gaze-induced nystagmus, ataxia, and Horner&#39;s syndrome1,2,3,4,5,6,7,. Another unique characteristic of WS patients is the limited severity of symptoms, which is similar to that in other types of brainstem infarctions7,8,9,10,11. Some patients with brainstem infarctions have arrived at the outpatient clinic on foot and reported only minor complaints7. In some patients with WS, vertigo is the only presenting symptom, and it can therefore be difficult to differentiate between WS and auditory vertigo12. Furthermore, WS can affect young patients, due to its potential etiology of artery dissection2. MRI analysis of brainstem infarction, including WS, is unique in that the high-intensity diffusion-weighted imaging signal may be delayed in some patients7,13,14.
The above characteristics are thought to cause misdiagnosis of WS. Dysphagia may cause aspiration pneumonia or asphyxia, and artery dissection may cause subarachnoid hemorrhage15; therefore, overlooking WS may result in the development of life-threatening conditions for the patient. Although careful neurological examination is necessary to prevent the misdiagnosis of WS, it is likely that a patient will first present to a non-neurologist. Therefore, a rapid and simple method for screening of acute WS may be clinically useful.
Previously, we reported that 89% of acute WS patients exhibit laterality of BST, which is presumed to result from disturbance of the central autonomic nervous tract due to infarction at the lateral medulla7. Because this autonomic nervous tract descends from the lateral brainstem (including the ventro-lateral medulla) and contains the connective pathway of sweating and skin blood flow16, disturbance of sweating and vasoconstriction lead to increased BST on the ipsilateral side of WS. In the prior report, we also showed that the laterality of BST can be easily detected within 2 min using thermographic measurement in most patients with WS7,17. Here, we report a method for the detection of laterality of BST using thermography, which may be useful in preventing misdiagnosis of acute WS.

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			<td>FLIR E5</td>
			<td>FLIR Systems</td>
			<td>P/N: 63905-0501</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>FLIR Tools</td>
			<td>FLIR Systems</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>RRID:SCR_016330</td>
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portable thermographic screening for detection of acute wallenberg's syndrome

Wallenberg&#39;s syndrome (WS) is a type of brainstem infarction. WS patients often show Horner&#39;s syndrome, dissociated sensory disturbance, truncal ataxia, and hoarseness. However, they rarely show tactile sensory disturbance and paralysis of the extremities. Additionally, acute brainstem infarction is often not apparent in magnetic resonance images. These symptomatic and imaging characteristics sometimes lead to misdiagnosis of WS as a non-stroke disease, including auditory vertigo. Although careful neurological examination is necessary to prevent misdiagnosis of WS, this type of examination may be difficult for non-neurologists to whom affected patients initially present. Lateral differences in body surface temperature (BST) constitute a recognized and widespread symptom of WS. We previously reported that most acute WS patients exhibit lateral differences in BST at multiple locations and that these lateral differences in BST could easily be detected by thermographic measurement. Here, we present the method for use of portable thermography to detect acute WS, using a simple, rapid, noninvasive, and cost-effective approach. To assess lateral differences in BST among patients with suspected WS, BST was measured as soon as possible in the examination room or in the patient&#39;s bedroom. Measurements were performed bilaterally at four locations where images could easily be acquired (face, palm of the hand, abdomen, and dorsum of the foot) using a portable thermal camera. When lateral differences in BST are observed macroscopically, especially in multiple locations on the same side, a diagnosis of WS should be suspected. Macroscopic assessment of BST laterality can be made within 2 min of the acquisition of thermographic images. This method may be useful in preventing misdiagnosis of acute WS as a non-stroke disease, especially when such patients initially present to non-neurologists.

Acquisition of thermographic images and macroscopic assessment to determine whether BST exhibits laterality may be performed within 2 min in most patients. Most acute WS patients exhibit laterality of BST at multiple locations. Some patients exhibit laterality of BST throughout the body (Figure 2A), whereas some exhibit laterality only in a few locations (Figure 2B). The warmer side, as determine...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Portable Thermographic Screening for Detection of Acute Wallenberg's Syndrome at JoVE.com

Portable Thermographic Screening for Detection of Acute Wallenberg's Syndrome

Acute Wallenberg&#39;s syndrome can be misdiagnosed as a non-stroke disease, such as auditory vertigo. Thus, careful neurological examination, which is sometimes difficult for non-neurologists, is necessary for precise diagnosis. Here, we present a simple, rapid, noninvasive, and cost-effective method for detection of acute Wallenberg&#39;s syndrome using portable thermography.

Wallenberg&#39;s syndrome (WS) is a type of brainstem infarction. WS patients often show Horner&#39;s syndrome, dissociated sensory disturbance, truncal ...

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6.5K Views.  Kanto Central Hospital. Acute Wallenberg's syndrome can be misdiagnosed as a non-stroke disease, such as auditory vertigo. Thus, careful neurological examination, which is sometimes difficult for non-neurologists, is necessary for precise diagnosis. Here, we present a simple, rapid, noninvasive, and cost-effective method for detection of acute Wallenberg's syndrome using portable thermography.

Video: Portable Thermographic Screening for Detection of Acute Wallenberg's Syndrome

Organotypic Cerebellar Cultures: Apoptotic Challenges and Detection

Organotypic cultures of neuronal tissue were first introduced by Hogue in 1947 1,2 and have constituted a major breakthrough in the field of neuroscience. Since then, the technique was developed further and currently there are many different ways to prepare organotypic cultures. The method presented here was adapted from the one described by Stoppini et al. for the preparation of the slices and from Gogolla et al. for the staining procedure 3,4.
A unique feature of this technique is that it allows you to study different parts of the brain such as hippocampus or cerebellum in their original structure, providing a big advantage over dissociated cultures in which all the cellular organization and neuronal networks are disrupted. In the case of the cerebellum it is even more advantageous because it allows the study of Purkinje cells, extremely difficult to obtain as dissociated primary culture. This method can be used to study certain developmental features of the cerebellum in vitro, as well as for electrophysiological and pharmacological experiments in both wild type and mutant mice.
The method described here was designed to study the effect of apoptotic stimuli such as Fas ligand in the developing cerebellum, using TUNEL staining to measure apoptotic cell death. If TUNEL staining is combined with cell type specific markers, such as Calbindin for Purkinje cells, it is possible to evaluate cell death in a cell population specific manner. The Calbindin staining also serves the purpose of evaluating the quality of the cerebellar cultures.

This method describes the generation of organotypic cerebellar cultures and the effect of certain apoptotic stimuli on the viability of different cerebellar cell types.

Organotypic cultures of neuronal tissue were first introduced by Hogue in 1947 1,2 and have constituted a major breakthrough in the field of neuroscience. ...

Preparation of Acute Subventricular Zone Slices for Calcium Imaging

The subventricular zone (SVZ) is one of the two neurogenic zones in the postnatal brain. The SVZ contains densely packed cells, including neural progenitor cells with astrocytic features (called SVZ astrocytes), neuroblasts, and intermediate progenitor cells. Neuroblasts born in the SVZ tangentially migrate a great distance to the olfactory bulb, where they differentiate into interneurons. Intercellular signaling through adhesion molecules and diffusible signals play important roles in controlling neurogenesis. Many of these signals trigger intercellular calcium activity that transmits information inside and between cells. Calcium activity is thus reflective of the activity of extracellular signals and is an optimal way to understand functional intercellular signaling among SVZ cells.
Calcium activity has been studied in many other regions and cell types, including mature astrocytes and neurons. However, the traditional method to load cells with calcium indicator dye (i.e. bath loading) was not efficient at loading all SVZ cell types. Indeed, the cellular density in the SVZ precludes dye diffusion inside the tissue. In addition, preparing sagittal slices will better preserve the three-dimensional arrangement of SVZ cells, particularly the stream of neuroblast migration on the rostral-caudal axis.
Here, we describe methods to prepare sagittal sections containing the SVZ, the loading of SVZ cells with calcium indicator dye, and the acquisition of calcium activity with time-lapse movies. We used Fluo-4 AM dye for loading SVZ astrocytes using pressure application inside the tissue. Calcium activity was recorded using a scanning confocal microscope allowing a precise resolution for distinguishing individual cells. Our approach is applicable to other neurogenic zones including the adult hippocampal subgranular zone and embryonic neurogenic zones. In addition, other types of dyes can be applied using the described method.

A method to load subventricular zone (SVZ) cells with calcium indicator dyes for recording calcium activity is described. The postnatal SVZ contains tightly packed cells including neural progenitor cells and neuroblasts. Rather than using bath loading we injected the dye by pressure inside the tissue allowing better dye diffusion.

The subventricular zone (SVZ) is one of the two neurogenic zones in the postnatal brain. The SVZ contains densely packed cells, including neural ...

Dual Electrophysiological Recordings of Synaptically-evoked Astroglial and Neuronal Responses in Acute Hippocampal Slices

Astrocytes form together with neurons tripartite synapses, where they integrate and modulate neuronal activity. Indeed, astrocytes sense neuronal inputs through activation of their ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors, and process information in part through activity-dependent release of gliotransmitters. Furthermore, astrocytes constitute the main uptake system for glutamate, contribute to potassium spatial buffering, as well as to GABA clearance. These cells therefore constantly monitor synaptic activity, and are thereby sensitive indicators for alterations in synaptically-released glutamate, GABA and extracellular potassium levels. Additionally, alterations in astroglial uptake activity or buffering capacity can have severe effects on neuronal functions, and might be overlooked when characterizing physiopathological situations or knockout mice. Dual recording of neuronal and astroglial activities is therefore an important method to study alterations in synaptic strength associated to concomitant changes in astroglial uptake and buffering capacities. Here we describe how to prepare hippocampal slices, how to identify stratum radiatum astrocytes, and how to record simultaneously neuronal and astroglial electrophysiological responses. Furthermore, we describe how to isolate pharmacologically the synaptically-evoked astroglial currents.

The preparation of acute brain slices from isolated hippocampi, as well as the simultaneous electrophysiological recordings of astrocytes and neurons in stratum radiatum during stimulation of schaffer collaterals is described. The pharmacological isolation of astroglial potassium and glutamate transporter currents is demonstrated.

Astrocytes form together with neurons tripartite synapses, where they integrate and modulate neuronal activity. Indeed, astrocytes sense neuronal inputs ...

In vivo Postnatal Electroporation and Time-lapse Imaging of Neuroblast Migration in Mouse Acute Brain Slices

The subventricular zone (SVZ) is one of the main neurogenic niches in the postnatal brain. Here, neural progenitors proliferate and give rise to neuroblasts able to move along the rostral migratory stream (RMS) towards the olfactory bulb (OB). This long-distance migration is required for the subsequent maturation of newborn neurons in the OB, but the molecular mechanisms regulating this process are still unclear. Investigating the signaling pathways controlling neuroblast motility may not only help understand a fundamental step in neurogenesis, but also have therapeutic regenerative potential, given the ability of these neuroblasts to target brain sites affected by injury, stroke, or degeneration.
In this manuscript we describe a detailed protocol for in vivo postnatal electroporation and subsequent time-lapse imaging of neuroblast migration in the mouse RMS. Postnatal electroporation can efficiently transfect SVZ progenitor cells, which in turn generate neuroblasts migrating along the RMS. Using confocal spinning disk time-lapse microscopy on acute brain slice cultures, neuroblast migration can be monitored in an environment closely resembling the in vivo condition. Moreover, neuroblast motility can be tracked and quantitatively analyzed. As an example, we describe how to use in vivo postnatal electroporation of a GFP-expressing plasmid to label and visualize neuroblasts migrating along the RMS. Electroporation of shRNA or CRE recombinase-expressing plasmids in conditional knockout mice employing the LoxP system can also be used to target genes of interest. Pharmacological manipulation of acute brain slice cultures can be performed to investigate the role of different signaling molecules in neuroblast migration. By coupling in vivo electroporation with time-lapse imaging, we hope to understand the molecular mechanisms controlling neuroblast motility and contribute to the development of novel approaches to promote brain repair.

In vivo Postnatal Electroporation and Time-lapse Imaging of Neuroblast Migration in Mouse Acute Brain Slices

Neuroblast migration is a fundamental event in postnatal neurogenesis. We describe a protocol for efficient labeling of neuroblasts by in vivo postnatal electroporation and subsequent visualization of their migration using time-lapse imaging of acute brain slices. We include a description for the quantitative analysis of neuroblast dynamics by video tracking.

The subventricular zone (SVZ) is one of the main neurogenic niches in the postnatal brain. Here, neural progenitors proliferate and give rise to ...

Preparation of Acute Brain Slices Using an Optimized N-Methyl-D-glucamine Protective Recovery Method

This protocol is a practical guide to the N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG) protective recovery method of brain slice preparation. Numerous recent studies have validated the utility of this method for enhancing neuronal preservation and overall brain slice viability. The implementation of this technique by early adopters has facilitated detailed investigations into brain function using diverse experimental applications and spanning a wide range of animal ages, brain regions, and cell types. Steps are outlined for carrying out the protective recovery brain slice technique using an optimized NMDG artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) media formulation and enhanced procedure to reliably obtain healthy brain slices for patch clamp electrophysiology. With this updated approach, a substantial improvement is observed in the speed and reliability of gigaohm seal formation during targeted patch clamp recording experiments while maintaining excellent neuronal preservation, thereby facilitating challenging experimental applications. Representative results are provided from multi-neuron patch clamp recording experiments to assay synaptic connectivity in neocortical brain slices prepared from young adult transgenic mice and mature adult human neurosurgical specimens. Furthermore, the optimized NMDG protective recovery method of brain slicing is compatible with both juvenile and adult animals, thus resolving a limitation of the original methodology. In summary, a single media formulation and brain slicing procedure can be implemented across various species and ages to achieve excellent viability and tissue preservation.

Preparation of Acute Brain Slices Using an Optimized N-Methyl-D-glucamine Protective Recovery Method

This protocol demonstrates the implementation of an optimized N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG) protective recovery method of brain slice preparation. A single media formulation is used to reliably obtain healthy brain slices from animals of any age and for diverse experimental applications.

This protocol is a practical guide to the N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG) protective recovery method of brain slice preparation. Numerous recent studies have ...

Prolonged Incubation of Acute Neuronal Tissue for Electrophysiology and Calcium-imaging

Acute neuronal tissue preparations, brain slices and retinal wholemount, can usually only be maintained for 6 - 8 h following dissection. This limits the experimental time, and increases the number of animals that are utilized per study. This limitation specifically impacts protocols such as calcium imaging that require prolonged pre-incubation with bath-applied dyes. Exponential bacterial growth within 3 - 4 h after slicing is tightly correlated with a decrease in tissue health. This study describes a method for&#160;limiting the proliferation of bacteria in acute preparations to maintain viable neuronal tissue for prolonged periods of time (&#62;24 h) without the need for antibiotics, sterile procedures, or tissue culture media containing growth factors. By cycling the extracellular fluid through UV irradiation and keeping the tissue in a custom holding chamber at 15 - 16 &#176;C, the tissue shows no difference in electrophysiological properties, or calcium signaling through intracellular calcium dyes at &#62;24 h postdissection. These methods will not only extend experimental time for those using acute neuronal tissue, but will reduce the number of animals required to complete experimental goals, and will set a gold standard for acute neuronal tissue incubation.

Once removed from the body, neuronal tissue is greatly affected by environmental conditions, leading to eventual degradation of the tissue after 6 - 8 h. Using a unique incubation method, which closely monitors and regulates the extracellular environment of the tissue, tissue viability can be significantly extended for &#62;24 h.

Acute neuronal tissue preparations, brain slices and retinal wholemount, can usually only be maintained for 6 - 8 h following dissection. This limits the ...

Optimized Management of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke

This manuscript describes a streamlined protocol for the management of patients with acute ischemic stroke, which aims at the minimization of time from hospital admission to reperfusion. Rapid restoration of cerebral blood flow is essential for the outcomes of patients with acute ischemic stroke. Endovascular treatment (EVT) has become the standard of care to accomplish this in patients with acute stroke due to large vessel occlusion (LVO). To achieve reperfusion of ischemic brain regions as fast as possible, all in-hospital time delays have to be carefully avoided. Therefore, management of patients with acute ischemic stroke was optimized with an interdisciplinary standard operating procedure (SOP). Stroke neurologists, diagnostic as well as interventional neuroradiologists, and anesthesiologists streamlined all necessary processes from patient admission and diagnosis to EVT of eligible patients. Target times for every step were established. Actually achieved times were prospectively recorded along with clinical data and imaging scores for all endovascularly treated stroke patients. These data were regularly analyzed and discussed in interdisciplinary team meetings. Potential issues were evaluated and all staff involved was trained to adhere to the SOP. This streamlined patient management approach and enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration reduced time from patient admission to reperfusion significantly and was accompanied by a beneficial effect on clinical outcomes.

The outcome of patients with acute ischemic stroke depends on swift restoration of cerebral blood flow. This protocol aims at optimizing the management of such patients by minimizing peri-procedural timings and rendering the time from hospital admission to reperfusion as short as possible.

This manuscript describes a streamlined protocol for the management of patients with acute ischemic stroke, which aims at the minimization of time from ...

Assay Development for High Content Quantification of Sod1 Mutant Protein Aggregate Formation in Living Cells

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that can be caused by inherited mutations in the gene encoding copper-zinc superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). The structural instability of SOD1 and the detection of SOD1-positive inclusions in familial-ALS patients supports a potential causal role for misfolded and/or aggregated SOD1 in ALS pathology. In this study, we describe the development of a cell-based assay designed to quantify the dynamics of SOD1 aggregation in living cells by high content screening approaches. Using lentiviral vectors, we generated stable cell lines expressing wild-type and mutant A4V SOD1 tagged with yellow fluorescent protein and found that both proteins were expressed in the cytosol without any sign of aggregation. Interestingly, only SOD1 A4V stably expressed in HEK-293, but not in U2OS or SH-SY5Y cell lines, formed aggregates upon proteasome inhibitor treatment. We show that it is possible to quantify aggregation based on dose-response analysis of various proteasome inhibitors, and to track aggregate-formation kinetics by time-lapse microscopy. Our approach introduces the possibility of quantifying the effect of ALS mutations on the role of SOD1 in aggregate formation as well as screening for small molecules that prevent SOD1 A4V aggregation.

We describe a method to quantify the aggregation of misfolded proteins. Our protocol details lentiviral induced stable cell line generation, automated confocal imaging, and image analysis of protein aggregates. As an illustrative application, we studied the effect of small molecules in promoting SOD1 aggregation in a time- and dose-dependent manner.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that can be caused by inherited mutations in the gene encoding copper-zinc ...

Screening of Axonal Degeneration in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Using Ultrasonography and Nerve Conduction Studies

Axonal degeneration, indicative of surgical decompression, may coexist in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) as the disease progresses. However, the current diagnostic and severity gradation system cannot clearly indicate its coexistence, resulting in&#160;confusion of appropriate treatment prescription. There are also constraints in conventional methods for&#160;differentiation as well. This study aims at introducing an innovative, efficient, and quick screening protocol to differentiate axonal degeneration associated with CTS, using ultrasound and nerve conduction studies (NCS). It starts by using NCS to perform orthodromic stimulation at the wrist, to obtain the sensory conduction of the median and the ulnar nerves respectively. Meanwhile, the motor conduction&#160;of the median nerve is collected by stimulating the palm, wrist, and elbow, followed by the stimulation of the ulnar nerve at the wrist,&#160;below and above the elbow. Then, an ultrasound assessment is performed, using a linear array transducer, with cross-sectional area (CSA) and perimeter (P) at the wrist and at the one-third distal forearm calipered. Ratios (R-CSA, R-P) and changes from wrist to one-third distal forearm (&#916;CSA and &#916;P) are calculated according to a standard format. Potential axonal degeneration coexisting in CTS will be screened according to the criteria of NCS and cut-off values of ultrasound measurements established in a previous study. In terms of its noninvasiveness, low cost, convenience, and efficiency, it is easy to apply ultrasound complimentarily in clinical practice to prescreen patients with potential coexisting axonal degeneration. Nevertheless, the ultrasonographic imaging cannot directly reflect axonal degeneration. It still relies on conventional but invasive methods&#160;such as electromyography (EMG) and biopsy&#160;for confirmation if needed.

Here we present a protocol using nerve conduction studies and ultrasound to screen potential axonal degeneration associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. The criteria for differentiation are established. Compared to conventional approaches, this method is noninvasive, convenient, and efficient, with an overall satisfactory accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.

Axonal degeneration, indicative of surgical decompression, may coexist in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) as the disease progresses. However, the current ...

Preparation of Acute Human Hippocampal Slices for Electrophysiological Recordings

Epilepsy affects about 1% of the world population and leads to a severe decrease in quality of life due to ongoing seizures as well as high risk for sudden death. Despite an abundance of available treatment options, about 30% of patients are drug-resistant. Several novel therapeutics have been developed using animal models, though the rate of drug-resistant patients remains unaltered. One of probable reasons is the lack of translation between rodent models and humans, such as a weak representation of human pharmacoresistance in animal models. Resected human brain tissue as a preclinical evaluation tool has the advantage to bridge this translational gap. Described here is a method for high quality preparation of human hippocampal brain slices and subsequent stable induction of epileptiform activity. The protocol describes the induction of burst activity during application of 8 mM KCl and 4-aminopyridin. This activity is sensitive to established AED lacosamide or novel antiepileptic candidates, such as dimethylethanolamine (DMEA). In addition, the method describes induction of seizure-like events in CA1 of human hippocampal brain slices by reduction of extracellular Mg2+ and application of bicuculline, a GABAA receptor blocker. The experimental set-up can be used to screen potential antiepileptic substances for their effects on epileptiform activity. Furthermore, mechanisms of action postulated for specific compounds can be validated using this approach in human tissue (e.g., using patch-clamp recordings). To conclude, investigation of vital human brain tissue ex vivo (here, resected hippocampus from patients suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy) will improve the current knowledge of physiological and pathological mechanisms in the human brain.

The presented protocol describes the transport and preparation of resected human hippocampal tissue with the ultimate goal to use vital brain slices as a preclinical evaluation tool for potential antiepileptic substances.

Epilepsy affects about 1% of the world population and leads to a severe decrease in quality of life due to ongoing seizures as well as high risk for ...