Olfactory ensheathing cell transplantation following spinal cord injury: hype or hope?

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are unique glia found only in the olfactory system that retain exceptional plasticity, and support olfactory neurogenesis and the re-targeting across the PNS:CNS boundary in the olfactory system. Because they are also relatively accessible in an adult rodent or human, OECs have become a prime candidate for cell-mediated repair following a variety of CNS lesions. A number of different labs across the world have applied OECs prepared in many different ways in several different acute and chronic models of rodent SCI, some of which have suggested surprising degrees of functional recovery. OECs can stimulate tissue sparing and neuroprotection, enhance outgrowth of both intact and lesioned axons (to different degrees), activate angiogenesis, change the response status of endogenous glia after lesion and remyelinate axons after a range of demyelinating insults. Their ability to stimulate regeneration in specific tracts is, however, limited. Despite this, the ongoing clinical use of cell preparations containing OECs has proceeded as a therapeutic approach for human spinal cord injury (SCI). Here, we review the current status of OEC research in SCI, and focus on potential mechanisms for OECs in the SCI repair response that may help to explain the biological reasons underlying the wide variation of results obtained in this promising, yet contentious, field.     

Hypomania: hype or mania?

Malhi GS, Roy Chengappa KN, Gershon S, Goldberg JF. Hypomania: hype or mania?
Bipolar Disord 2010: 12: 758–763. © 2010 The Authors.
Journal compilation © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.     

The anti-dementia drugs: myth, hype or reality?

The neurodegenerative diseases are in need of drugs that are capable of treating their many different presentations. Some drugs have recently been developed and approved by the authorities for use in Alzheimer's disease; their beneficial effects are no longer questionable. From the discussion about what to call these drugs (anti-dementia drugs?), it is apparent that pharmacology research has veered from pursuing the myth of the fount of eternal youth back to the reality of the struggle for survival of neurons whenever they are attacked, long before the signs of dementia have developed (anti-apoptotic drugs?). The neurosciences teach that there is a biology of cognition (hence a pharmacology of cognition), and that the brain is the permanent area of the confrontation between neurogenesis and apoptosis. Pharmacology has taken this new understanding on board, and has finally defined its objective as preventing the decline of the neuron as much as of cognitive performance. It remains for clinicians to confirm the authenticity of this worldwide project.     

The anti-dementia drugs: myth, hype or reality?

The neurodegenerative diseases are in need of drugs that are capable of treating their many different presentations. Some drugs have recently been developed and approved by the authorities for use in Alzheimer's disease; their beneficial effects are no longer questionable. From the discussion about what to call these drugs (anti-dementia drugs?), it is apparent that pharmacology research has veered from pursuing the myth of the fountain of eternal youth back to the reality of the struggle for survival of neurons whenever they are attacked, long before the signs of dementia have developed (antiapoptotic drugs?). The neurosciences teach that there is a biology of cognition (hence a pharmacology of cognition), and that the brain is the permanent area of the confrontation between neurogenesis and apoptosis. Pharmacology has taken this new understanding on board, and has finally defined its objective as preventing the decline of the neuron as much as of cognitive performance. It remains for clinicians to confirm the authenticity of this worldwide project.     

Ophthalmoplegic migraine: inflammatory neuropathy with secondary migraine?

BACKGROUND: This critical review provides a summary of the clinical presentation, neuroimaging, treatment and prognosis in pediatric ophthalmoplegic migraine (OM). The features of OM are not in keeping with its classification as a migraine-variant. METHOD: We review 3 new and 37 reported pediatric OM cases. RESULTS: Headache was an inconsistent feature, with 25% patients showing no evidence of pain at the initial OM episode. Patients demonstrated: 1) prolonged time for symptom resolution to occur (median time 3 weeks); 2) tendency for recurrent episodes to have more severe and persistent nerve involvement; 3) evidence of permanent neurological sequelae with recurrent episodes (30% of patients); 4) rapid improvement and shortened duration with corticosteroid therapy and; 5) transient, reversible MRI contrast enhancement of the affected cranial nerve (86% of patients). These features would not be expected in primary migraine headache. CONCLUSION: A detailed understanding of the natural history of OM is essential for the clinical. This review provides support that OM may result from cranial nerve inflammation with headache a secondary and later feature of this condition.     

Ischemic stroke and migraine in childhood: coincidence or causal relation?

Although migraine is an accepted cause of cerebral infarction in adults, this association is less well recognized in children. We present two children with migraine and cerebral infarction, which we regard as migrainous stroke, though neither patient fulfills all criteria of the International Headache Society for the diagnosis of migrainous infarction. Review of the literature concerning examples of migraine-associated stroke in childhood suggests that these criteria are too restrictive to comprise the majority of migrainous strokes, especially in this age group.