出生前氚水照射对仔代大鼠生长发育及神经行为的影响

利用多项指标研究出生前氚水照射对仔代大鼠生长发育及神经行为的影响。方法妊娠１３天的成年Ｗｉｓｔａｒ大鼠腹腔单次分别注入不同活度氚水，各组仔鼠氚累积吸收剂量分别为０，０．０４４，０．０８８和０．２６４Ｇｙ。观察氚β射线对仔鼠出生后生长发育及神经行为的影响。结果在０．０４４Ｇｙ组即可使仔鼠连续通道转弯数减少，Ｙ迷宫刺激回避反射逃避时间延长；在０．０８８Ｇｙ组即可使出牙发育延迟，平面翻正，负趋地性及听觉惊愕等新生反射和感觉功能出现的天龄延迟，Ｙ迷宫刺激单向回避反射无误率降低，条件反射达标率降低；０．２６４Ｇｙ组张耳、开眼发育延迟，前肢悬挂时间缩短，Ｙ迷宫刺激回避反射阳性率降低；绝大部分指标表现与剂量相关。结论出生前一定剂量的氚水照射可导致仔代大鼠生长发育的延缓及学习记忆功能的降低等神经行为的异常。     

Predicting developmental outcomes in very preterm infants: validity of a neonatal neurobehavioral assessment

Aim: This study explored inter‐rater reliability, discriminative, construct and predictive validity of the Neurobehavioral Assessment of the Preterm Infant (NAPI) in a gestational‐age‐based cohort. Methods: The NAPI was conducted at 35 weeks post‐menstrual age for 170 infants born <32 weeks. Cognitive and motor development was assessed at 2 years using the Mental Development Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) of Bayley Scales of Infant Development‐II for 159 infants. Results: Only NAPI motor and irritability scores were significantly different between very (29–3 w) and extremely preterm (<28 w) infants. Results regarding construct validity were variable: there were weak correlations between NAPI motor scores and gestational age (r = ?0.23; p = 0.003), days in NICU (r = ?0.24; p = 0.001); NAPI alertness scores and days in NICU (r = ?0.16; p = 0.037); and NAPI irritability scores and gestational age (r = 0.21; p = 0.006). There were no significant associations with other markers of adverse outcome. Only NAPI irritability scores were correlated with MDI scores (r = ?0.16; p = 0.040) but accounted for little additional variance after adjustment for neonatal factors (ΔR² = 0.035; p = 0.012). Conclusion: We found little evidence of the utility of the NAPI as a measure of short‐term neurobehavioural function or for predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes in very preterm infants. It may have greater predictive power when used serially to detect delayed neurobehavioural maturation.     

高原军入睡眠质量对神经行为的影响

目的:探讨高原军人睡眠质量与神经行为之间的关系.方法:对108名驻高原地区的士兵进行部分神经行为功能测试,测验有数字译码、数字跨度、视觉记忆和目标追踪.睡眠质量评估采用匹兹堡量表.结果:41.7％ (45/108)的士兵存在睡眠质量降低,下降组匹兹堡量表各成分平均得分高于对照组,除药物因子外,其余因子组间有显著统计差异...     

Late preterm births: New insights from neonatal neuroimaging and neurobehaviour

With increasing evidence of neurodevelopmental problems faced by late preterm children, there is a need to explore possible underlying brain structural changes. The use of brain magnetic resonance imaging has provided insights of smaller and less mature brains in infants born late preterm, associated with developmental delay at 2 years. Another useful tool in the newborn period is neurobehavioural assessment, which has also been shown to be suboptimal in late preterm infants compared with tern infants. Suboptimal neurobehaviour is also associated with poorer 2-year neurodevelopment in late preterm infants. More research into these tools will provide a better understanding of the underlying processes of developmental deficits of late preterm children. The value of their role in clinical care remains to be determined.     

Association of exposure to manganese and fine motor skills in welders - Results from the WELDOX II study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of exposure to manganese (Mn) on fine motor functions. A total of 48 welders and 30 unexposed workers as controls completed questionnaires, underwent blood examinations, and a motor test battery. The shift exposure of welders to respirable Mn was measured with personal samplers. For all subjects accumulations of Mn in the brain were assessed with T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Welders showed normal motor functions on the Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale part III. Furthermore welders performed excellent on a steadiness test, showing better results than controls. However, welders were slightly slower than controls in motor tests. There was no association between fine motor test results and the relaxation rates R1 in globus pallidus and substantia nigra as MRI-based biomarkers to quantify Mn deposition in the brain.     

Neurobehavioural evaluation and kinetics of inhalation of constant or fluctuating toluene concentrations in human volunteers

The health risks of inhalation exposure to volatile organic solvents may not only depend on the total external dose, but also on the pattern of exposure. It has been suggested that exposure to regularly occurring peak concentrations may have a stronger impact on the brain than constant exposure at the same average level. Recent animal experimental studies conducted in our laboratory using relatively high concentrations of toluene have shown different effects on discrimination performance and motor activity during and after exposure, depending on the exposure scenario. Relevance of these findings for man was evaluated in a volunteer study in which 11 healthy men (age 20–49 years) were exposed by inhalation for 4 h to either a constant concentration of 40 ppm toluene or to three 30-min exposure peaks at 110 ppm during this 4 h period. Selected tests from the Neurobehavioural Evaluation System (NES) were performed repeatedly during and after exposure. Blood concentrations of toluene as well as urinary o-cresol excretion were measured at relevant time points.

The results show that toluene concentration in blood increased during constant exposure and fluctuated during occupationally relevant peak exposures. Presumably, brain concentrations showed similar qualitative patterns. No clear changes were observed on neurobehavioural measures of motor performance, attention, perceptual coding and memory, or on measures of mood and affect. The exposure conditions do not seem to induce significant acute changes in central nervous system function similar to those observed at much higher concentrations in animals, although a statistical correlation was found between one motor performance test (Finger Tapping Test with alternating hands) and blood toluene concentrations. Urinary o-cresol excretion appeared to be significantly higher during the first 2 h after exposure.     

Neurobehavioral disability in stroke patients during subacute inpatient rehabilitation: prevalence and biopsychosocial associations

Background and Objectives: There are scarce data on post-stroke neurobehavioral disability (NBD). The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of NBD in a subacute inpatient stroke population and examine potential associations with demographic, stroke-related, functional and psychosocial variables.

Methods: 82 survivors of stroke were consecutively recruited during their inpatient rehabilitation admission. Nursing staff rated NBD in patients using the St Andrews –Swansea Neurobehavioral Outcome Scale (SASNOS). Measures of patient functional independence (FIM), cognition (MoCA), and mood symptoms (HADS) were collected in addition to nursing reports of whether observed NBD negatively impacted on the patient or those around them.

Results: NBD relating to interpersonal relationships (44.4% of participants) and cognition (52.4%) were highly prevalent within the sample while NBD relating to inhibition (1.2%), aggression (3.6%), and communication (2.5%) were relatively rare. Presence of NBD was significantly associated with reduced functional independence (r_s=0.39, p < 0.01) and associated with trends in cognitive impairment (r_s=0.29, p = 0.03), increased anxiety (r_s=-0.43, p = 0.02) and depressive symptoms (r_s=-0.43, p = 0.02). Presence of NBD was significantly correlated with negative impact to the patient and those around them across all SASNOS domains (r_s range 0.42 - 0.45, all p ≤ 0.01).

Conclusions: NBD is common within a subacute stroke inpatient population, particularly interpersonal and cognitive difficulties and preliminary analyses indicate associations with reduced functional ability, cognition and mood. There is a need to provide education and support to clinicians to facilitate routine assessment and management of NBD following stroke.     

Moringa oleifera phytochemicals protect the brain against experimental nicotine-induced neurobehavioral disturbances and cerebellar degeneration

Nicotine is a neuro-stimulant that has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many brain diseases. The need to prevent or alleviate the resulting dysfunction is therefore paramount, which has also given way to the use of medicinal plants in the management of brain conditions. This study was designed to determine the histomorphological and neurobehavioural changes in the cerebellum of Wistar rats following nicotine insult and how such injuries respond to Moringa intervention. Twenty-four adult male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups. Group A and B were orally treated with normal saline and Moringa oleifera respectively for twenty-eight days; Group C was treated with nicotine while group D was treated orally with Moringa oleifera and intraperitoneally with nicotine for twenty-eight days. Animals were subjected to the open field test on the last day of treatment. 24?h after last day treatment, the animals were anesthetized and perfusion fixation was carried out. The cerebellum was excised and post-fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and thereafter put through routine histological procedures. Results revealed cytoarchitectural distortion and extreme chromatolysis in neuronal cells of the cerebellar cortical layers in the nicotine-treated group. The Purkinje cells of the cerebellum of animals in this group were degenerated. There were also reduced locomotor activities in the group. Moringa was able to prevent the chromatolysis, distortion of the cerebellar cortical cells and neurobehavioural deficit. Our result suggests that Moringa oleifera could prevent nicotine-induced cerebellar injury in Wistar rats, with the possibility of ameliorating the clinical features presented in associated cerebellar pathology.     

Neonatal hypoglycemia following maternal glucose infusion prior to delivery

Intravenous glucose therapy to mother prior to delivery significantly affects glucose and insulin homeostasis in fetus and newborn infants. Specifically, the infants show hyperglycemia,^1–11 and hyperinsulinism at birth,^3,8,10 and are predisposed to hypoglycemia in the first few hours of life.^2,8,10,11 In this paper we have focussed attention on the clinical significance of these changes and suggest some remedial measures, in light of our own research.     

染锰大鼠神经行为功能改变与单胺类递质的关系

目的探讨锰对大鼠神经行为功能的影响与单胺类递质的关系。方法ＳＤ雄性大鼠饮水染锰９０天,染毒前和染毒第３０、６０、９０天时测定其自发活动、转棒和方位水迷宫;染毒９０天后测定其血锰、纹状体单胺类递质及其代谢产物含量。结果染毒３０天时大鼠自发活动增多;９０天时转棒测试的停留时间随剂量增加而减少,方位水迷宫测试的学习次数随剂量增加而增加;染毒９０天后高剂量组纹状体内高香草酸和５羟吲哚乙酸含量明显下降。相关分析表明：运动协调能力与多巴胺系统相关;学习记忆能力与多巴胺、５羟色胺系统均相关。结论锰可能通过多巴胺和５羟色胺系统影响动物的神经行为功能