(Re)organisation of the somatosensory system after early brain lesion: A lateralization index fMRI study

ObjectiveTo evaluate the relationship between neural (re)organization of the somatosensory cortex and impairment of sensory function (2-point discrimination [2PD]) in individuals with unilateral cerebral palsy.MethodsWe included 21 individuals with unilateral cerebral palsy. 2PD thresholds were evaluated on thumb pads, and activation of the somatosensory cortex was recorded by functional MRI (fMRI) during passive movements of the affected hand. A lateralization index (LI) was calculated for the primary sensory (S1) and secondary sensory (S2) cortices and the correlation between the LI and 2PD thresholds was analysed.ResultsWe found a significant negative correlation between the 2PD thresholds and the S2 LI (r = −0.5, one-tailed P-value = 0.01) and a trend towards a negative correlation with the S1 LI (r = −0.4, one-tailed P-value = 0.05).ConclusionHigh levels of activation in the contralesional hemisphere were associated with high levels of sensory impairment in individuals with unilateral cerebral palsy. The interhemispheric (re)organization of the somatosensory system may not effectively compensate for somatosensory impairment.     

The transition between turning and sitting in patients with Parkinson's disease: A wearable device detects an unexpected sequence of events

BackgroundWhen older adults turn to sit, about 80% of the subjects complete the turn before starting to sit i.e., a distinct-strategy, while in about 20%, part of the turning and sitting take place concurrently, i.e., an overlapping-strategy. A prolonged duration of the separation between tasks in the distinct-strategy (D-interval) and a prolonged duration of the overlap interval in overlapping-strategy (O-interval) are related to worse motor symptoms and poorer cognition. In the present study, we evaluated what strategy is employed by patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) when they transition from turning to sitting.Methods96 participants with PD performed turn to sit as part of the Timed Up and Go test, both with and without medications, while wearing a body-fixed sensor. We quantified the turn-to-sit transition and determined which strategy (distinct or overlapping) was employed. We then stratified the cases and used regression models adjusted for age, gender, height, and weight to examine the associations of the D-interval or O-interval with parkinsonian features and cognition.ResultsMost patients (66%) employed the overlapping-strategy, both off and on anti-parkinsonian medications. Longer O-intervals were associated with longer duration of PD, more severe PD motor symptoms, a higher postural-instability-gait-disturbance (PIGD) score, and worse freezing of gait. Longer D-intervals were not associated with disease duration or PD motor symptoms. Neither the D- nor O-intervals were related to cognitive function. Individuals who employed the overlapping-strategy had more severe postural instability (i.e., higher PIGD scores), as compared to those who used the distinct-strategy.SignificanceIn contrast to older adults without PD, most patients with PD utilize the overlapping strategy. Poorer postural and gait control are associated with the strategy choice and with the duration of concurrent performance of turning and sitting. Additional work is needed to further explicate the mechanisms underlying these strategies and their clinical implications.     

疏风宣肺止嗽汤对咳嗽变异性哮喘患儿肺功能及睡眠质量的影响

目的:观察疏风宣肺止嗽汤对咳嗽变异性哮喘患儿肺功能及睡眠质量的影响。方法:将70例咳嗽变异性哮喘患儿按照随机数字表法分为对照组和观察组,每组各35例。对照组给予常规西医治疗,观察组在对照组的基础上加用自拟疏风宣肺止嗽汤治疗。比较两组患儿的临床疗效、症状消失时间、住院时间、不良反应发生率、复发率及治疗前后中医证候积分、匹兹堡睡眠质量指数(pittsburgh sleep quality index,PSQI)、肺功能指标变化情况。结果:观察组有效率为94.29%,对照组有效率为77.14%,两组患儿有效率比较,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。观察组复发率低于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。两组患儿治疗后中医证候评分及PSQI评分低于本组治疗前,且观察组治疗后低于对照组治疗后,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。两组患儿治疗后肺功能指标高于本组治疗前,且观察组治疗后高于对照组治疗后,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。观察组患儿症状消失时间及住院时间短于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:自拟疏风宣肺止嗽汤治疗咳嗽变异性哮喘,能够改善患儿的临床症状、肺功能及睡眠质量。     

支气管哮喘患儿中性粒细胞胞外诱捕网水平与患者免疫功能及临床预后的关系

目的探讨支气管哮喘患儿中性粒细胞胞外诱捕网水平与患者免疫功能及临床预后的关系。方法选取本院2017年9月-2018年9月支气管哮喘患者80例作为观察组,并以同期健康体检的30例儿童作为对照组,采用pico Green dsDNA荧光染色定量检测支气管哮喘患者NETs水平,采用T淋巴细胞亚群评价患者免疫功能,对比不同NETs水平患者免疫功能及临床特点,采用Logistic回归分析探讨小儿支气管哮喘急性发作的风险因素。结果观察组白细胞、中性粒细胞、单核细胞、Cf-DNA/NETs水平均高于对照组(P <0. 05),而淋巴细胞水平低于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P <0. 05)。Logistic回归分析显示,哮喘家族史、呼吸道感染、Cf-DNA/NETs水平上升、有害气体接触、被动吸烟均是支气管哮喘急性发作的独立危险因素(P <0. 05)。结论中性粒细胞胞外诱捕网水平与支气管哮喘患者免疫功能及预后密切相关,值得临床重点关注。     

高压氧治疗对慢性脑缺血大鼠认知功能的影响及其作用机制

目的 探讨高压氧（hyperbaric oxygen，HBO）治疗对慢性脑缺血（chronic cerebral ischemia，CCI）大鼠 学习记忆能力的影响及其作用机制。 方法 选取240只雄性SD大鼠随机分为假手术组、CCI组和HBO组，每组80只。采用双侧颈总动脉阻 断法建立CCI模型，HBO组建模12 h后开始进行HBO治疗28 d，压力0.2 MPa，每日1次，每次60 mi n。采用 Morri s水迷宫实验评估7、14、21、28 d大鼠的学习记忆能力，每个时间点20只，检测前均进行3 d训练， 记录各组大鼠的逃避潜伏时间、穿越平台次数。28 d后处死大鼠取海马组织进行HE染色评估神经元 损伤病理变化，RT-PCR法检测Nogo-A mRNA，Western blot法检测Nogo-A蛋白的表达水平。 结果 ①与假手术组比较，CCI 组7、14、21、28 d逃避潜伏时间均延长（均P＜0.05），28 d跨越平台次 数减少（P＜0.05）；与CCI 组比较，HBO组7、14、21、28 d逃避潜伏时间均缩短（均P＜0.05），28 d跨越 平台次数增加（P＜0.05）。②HE染色显示HBO组神经元损伤程度较CCI组减轻；③CCI组Nogo-A mRNA 和Nogo-A蛋白表达水平均较假手术组升高（均P＜0.05），HBO组表达水平均较CCI组下降（P＜0.05）。 结论 HBO治疗可改善慢性脑缺血大鼠认知功能，其机制可能与下调海马组织中Nogo-A的表达水平 有关。     

化瘀汤治疗脑卒中疗效观察及对神经功能缺损康复的影响

目的:观察化瘀汤治疗脑卒中临床疗效及其对患者神经能缺损康复的影响。方法:将风痰瘀阻型缺血性脑卒中80例随机分为2组,每组40例;对照组采用西医常规治疗,观察组在对照组的基础上加用化瘀汤治疗,2组疗程均为21天;观察比较2组临床疗效、美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表(NIHSS)评分、Fugl-Meyer评分、中医证候积分。结果:总有效率观察组为95.0%,对照组为80.0%,2组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后,2组患者NIHSS评分较治疗前明显下降(P<0.05),Fugl-Meyer评分明显升高(P<0.05);且观察组两项评分改善较对照组更显著(P<0.05)。治疗后,2组中医主症、次症积分均较治疗前明显降低(P<0.05),且观察组两项积分均明显低于对照组(P<0.05)。治疗后,2组患者SS-QOL评分均较治疗前明显升高(P<0.05),且观察组SS-QOL评分明显高于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:在西医常规治疗的基础上,加用化瘀汤治疗风痰瘀阻型缺血型脑卒中患者,能显著改善患者神经功能、肢体运动功能及生活质量,缓解临床症状,疗效优于单纯西医治疗。     

逐瘀止血汤加减治疗慢性子宫内膜炎气虚血瘀证的疗效观察

目的 评价逐瘀止血汤加减对慢性子宫内膜炎（CE）气虚血瘀证患者妊娠结局的影响及对免疫炎症因子的调节作用。方法 将144例患者随机按数字表法分为观察组和对照组各72例。观察组脱落、失访4例，剔除2例，完成66例；对照组脱落、失访3例，剔除5例，完成65例。两组均给予抗感染治疗14 d。对照组口服妇科千金片，6片/次，3次/d。观察组内服逐瘀止血汤加减，1剂/d。两组疗程均为3个月，并随访6个月。记录治疗前后月经经量、经期和周期变化情况；进行治疗前后宫腔镜和阴道彩色多普勒超声检查，评价子宫内膜形态、子宫内膜容受性（CP）［子宫内膜厚度、阻力指数（RI），搏动指数（PI）和血流指数（FI）］等，并进行子宫内膜病理检查；进行治疗前后气虚血瘀证评分；检测治疗前后月经血白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β），IL-6和肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）水平和外周血测T淋巴亚群（CD3⁺，CD4⁺，CD8⁺）水平；随访记录妊娠情况和流产情况。进行安全性评价。结果 治疗后观察组经量、经期、周期和月经完全正常率均高于对照组（P<0.05）；观察组子宫内膜厚度和FI均高于对照组（P<0.01），RI和PI均低于对照组（P<0.01）；观察组月经血IL-1β，IL-6和TNF-α水平均低于对照组（P<0.01）；观察组CD3⁺，CD4⁺水平和CD4⁺/ CD8⁺均高于对照组（P<0.01），CD8⁺水平低于对照组（P<0.01）；在6个月随访期间，观察组妊娠率46.97%（31/66），高于对照组的27.69%（18/65）（χ²=5.197，P<0.05）；观察组子宫内膜形态疗效总有效率为96.97%（64/66），高于对照组的86.15%（56/65）（χ²=4.981，P<0.05）；观察组子宫内膜病理组织疗效总有效率为95.45%（63/66），高于对照组的84.62%（55/65）（χ²=4.304，P<0.05）；观察组综合临床疗效总有效率为93.94%（62/66），高于对照组的81.54%（55/65）（χ²=4.696，P<0.05）；两组治疗期间均未发现与中药相关不良反应。结论 逐瘀止血汤加减治疗CE气虚血瘀证患者，可调经月经、减轻临床症状，改善宫腔镜下内膜形态，调节全身和局部的免疫炎症反应，提高了CP，从而改善了妊娠结局，有着较好的综合疗效，且安全。     

How does measurement of platelet P-selectin compare with other methods of measuring platelet function as a means of determining the effectiveness of antiplatelet therapy?

Measurement of P-selectin on activated platelets as a means of measuring platelet function utilizing the technology described here has the advantage of not requiring immediate access to specialist equipment and expertise. Blood samples are activated, fixed, stored, and transported to a central laboratory for flow cytometric analysis. Here we have compared P-selectin with other more traditional approaches to measuring platelet function in blood and/or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from patients with acute coronary syndromes on treatment for at least 1 month with either aspirin and clopidogrel or aspirin with prasugrel. The comparators were light transmission aggregometry (LTA), VerifyNow and Multiplate aggregometry (for determining the effects of aspirin) and LTA, VerifyNow and Multiplate together with the BioCytex VASP phosphorylation assay (for the P2Y₁₂ antagonists). The P-selectin Aspirin Test revealed substantial inhibition of platelet function in all but three of 96 patients receiving aspirin with clopidogrel and in none of 51 patients receiving aspirin and prasugrel. The results were very similar to those obtained using LTA. There was only one patient with high residual platelet aggregation and low P-selectin expression. The same patients identified as “non-responders” to aspirin also presented with the highest residual platelet activity as measured using the VerifyNow system, although not quite as well separated from the other values. With the Multiplate test only one of these patients clearly stood out from the others. The results obtained using the P-selectin P2Y₁₂ Test in 102 patients taking aspirin and clopidogrel were similar to the more traditional approaches in that a wide scatter of results was obtained. Generally, high values seen with the P-selectin P2Y₁₂ Test were also high with the LTA, VerifyNow, Multiplate, and BioCytex VASP P2Y₁₂ Tests. Similarly, low residual platelet function using the P2Y₁₂ test was seen irrespective of the testing procedure used. However, there were differences in some patients. Prasugrel was always more effective than clopidogrel in inhibiting platelet function with none of 56 patients (P-selectin and VerifyNow), only 2 of 56 patients (Multiplate) and only 3 of 56 patients (Biocytex VASP) demonstrating high on-treatment residual platelet reactivity (HRPR) defined using previously published cut-off values. The exception was LTA where there were 11 of 56 patients with HRPR. It remains to be seen which experimental approach provides the most useful information regarding outcomes after adjusting therapies in treated patients.