Resolution of apathy after dorsal instead of ventral subthalamic deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease

Journal of Neurology -     

Quality of life in women with endometriosis: a cross-sectional survey

Quality of Life Research - The aim of the study was to assess QoL and identify and analyse its determinants in women with endometriosis. The study was performed in 2019 in health centres in Lublin...     

基于TCD脑血流频谱评估颅脑损伤患者颅内压的研究进展

经颅多普勒（TCD）可以动态无创地监测和评估脑血管血流动力学变化，而颅内压（ICP）是评估颅脑损伤患者颅内病情的重要指标。临床工作中一直在探索一种准确、方便的无创ICP监测方法，由于TCD具有床旁无创、低廉快捷的优势，并且通过TCD检测脑血流频谱还可间接评估ICP变化，对临床治疗有重要的指导意义。本文综合国内外研究，结合ICP监测技术和TCD技术，并整合既往文献中基于搏动指数建立ICP评估模型的公式方法，就TCD脑血流频谱评估ICP的研究进展作一综述。     

Selective peripheral denervation: comparison with pallidal stimulation and literature review

Patients with cervical dystonia who are non-responders to Botulinum toxin qualify for surgery. Selective peripheral denervation (Bertrand’s procedure, SPD) and deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus (GPi-DBS) are available surgical options. Although peripheral denervation has potential advantages over DBS, the latter is nowadays more commonly performed. We describe the long-term outcome of selective peripheral denervation as compared with GPi-DBS, along with the findings of literature review. Twenty patients with selective peripheral denervation and 15 with GPi-DBS were included. Tsui scale, a visual analogue scale, and the global outcome score of the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale were used to define a “combined global surgical outcome”. The “combined global surgical outcome” for patients with selective peripheral denervation or pallidal stimulation was respectively “bad” for 65 and 13.3 %, “fair-to-good” for 30 and 26.7 %, and “marked” improvement for 5 and 60 % (p < 0.001). Improvement on visual analogue scale (p < 0.002), global outcome score (p < 0.002), and Tsui score (p < 0.000) was larger for the pallidal stimulation group. Seventy-five percent of patients with selective peripheral denervation and 60 % of patients with pallidal stimulation reported side effects. Seven patients with selective peripheral denervation successively underwent GPi-DBS, with a further significant improvement in the Tsui score (?48.6 ± 17.4 %). GPi-DBS is to be preferred to selective peripheral denervation for the treatment of cervical dystonia because it produces larger benefit, even if it can have more potentially severe complications. GPi-DBS is also a valid alternative in case of failure of SPD.     

Effects of diazepam on glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the hippocampal CA1 area of rats with traumatic brain injury

The activity of the Schaffer collaterals of hippocampal CA3 neurons and hippocampal CA1 neurons has been shown to increase after fluid percussion injury. Diazepam can inhibit the hyperexcitability of rat hippocampal neurons after injury, but the mechanism by which it affects excitatory synaptic transmission remains poorly understood. Our results showed that diazepam treatment significantly increased the slope of input-output curves in rat neurons after fluid percussion injury. Diazepam significantly decreased the numbers of spikes evoked by super stimuli in the presence of 15 μmol/L bicuculline, indicating the existence of inhibitory pathways in the injured rat hippocampus. Diazepam effectively increased the paired-pulse facilitation ratio in the hippocampal CA1 region following fluid percussion injury, reduced miniature excitatory postsynaptic potentials, decreased action-potential-dependent glutamine release, and reversed spontaneous glutamine release. These data suggest that diazepam could decrease the fluid percussion injury-induced enhancement of excitatory synaptic transmission in the rat hippocampal CA1 area.     

Dutch guidelines for physiotherapy in patients with stress urinary incontinence: an update

Introduction and hypothesis

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most common form of incontinence impacting on quality of life (QOL) and is associated with high financial, social, and emotional costs. The purpose of this study was to provide an update existing Dutch evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for physiotherapy management of patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in order to support physiotherapists in decision making and improving efficacy and uniformity of care.

Materials and methods

A computerized literature search of relevant databases was performed to search for information regarding etiology, prognosis, and physiotherapy assessment and management in patients with SUI. Where no evidence was available, recommendations were based on consensus. Clinical application of CPGs and feasibility were reviewed. The diagnostic process consists of systematic history taking and physical examination supported by reliable and valid assessment tools to determine physiological potential for recovery. Therapy is related to different problem categories. SUI treatment is generally based on pelvic floor muscle exercises combined with patient education and counseling. An important strategy is to reduce prevalent SUI by reducing influencing risk factors.

Results

Scientific evidence supporting assessment and management of SUI is strong.

Conclusions

The CPGs reflect the current state of knowledge of effective and tailor-made intervention in SUI patients.     

The effect of dietary protein intake on immune status in pigs of different genotypes

Little is known about the immune status of different pig breeds and the role of dietary protein intake. The present study, performed on 96 barrows (48 pure-bred Bama mini-pigs (fatty genotype) and 48 Landrace pigs (lean genotype)) randomly assigned to two dietary treatment groups (low- or adequate protein diet), with twenty-four24 individuals per treatment), evaluated the levels of immunoglobulins and cytokines in serum, and intestinal and splenic innate immunity on the two breeds. Data showed significant interactions between breed and diet for adaptive and innate immunity. Throughout the experiment, Landrace pigs showed significantly higher intestinal immune responses than Bama mini-pigs, and an adequate provision of dietary protein improved the expression of specific antibodies in early growth phases. These finding have important implication for improving the immune status of Landrace pigs, which are a major source of protein for humans.

Abbreviations: BW: Body Weight; NRC diet: National Research Council diet; GB diet: Chinese conventional diet; CSFV: Classical Swine Fever Virus; IgG: Immunoglobulin G; IgM: Immunoglobulin M; SIgA: Secretory Immunoglobulin A.     

Effect of dietary copper source (inorganic vs. chelated) on immune response,mineral status,and fecal mineral excretion in nursery piglets

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of dietary supplementation with copper sulfate and cupreous N-carbamylglutamate chelate (NCG-Cu) on the growth performance, serum biochemical profile, immune response, tissue mineral distributions, and fecal excretion of minerals in nursery piglets. Eighteen healthy nursery piglets were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments consisting of no copper in either form (control), 650?g/t copper sulfate (650?g/t Cu) or 320?g/t NCG-Cu (320?g/t NCG-Cu) for 35 days. Pigs fed the 320?g/t NCG-Cu diet showed a significantly (P?P?P?Abbreviations: NCG: N-carbamylglutamate chelate; ADG: average daily gain; ADFI: average daily feed intake; F/G: feed to gain ratio; ALB: albumin; GLU: blood glucose; CREA: creatinine; ALP: alkaline phosphatase; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; AST: aspartate amino transferase; GLB: globulin; TC: total cholesterol; TP: total protein; urea: Urea; D-BIL: direct-acting-bilirubin; T-BIL: total bilirubin; UA: urate; CK: creatine kinase; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase; IgG: immunoglobulin G; IgA: immunoglobulin A; IgM: immunoglobulin M; C₃: complement C₃; LD: longissimus dorsi; ICP-OES: inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry; AA: amino acid; GIT: gastrointestinal; Cu-Met: Cu-methionine; CP: crude protein; NDF: neutral detergent fiber; ADF: acid detergent fiber.