Clinical parameters predicting tonsillar malignancy

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Tonsillectomy is indicated in unilateral tonsillar enlargement (UTE) to rule out malignancy, which eventually is found in about 1.4% of the patients....     

Characterization of a Parkinson’s disease rat model using an upgraded paraquat exposure paradigm

Animal models of human diseases are crucial experimental tools to investigate the mechanisms involved in disease pathogenesis and to develop new therapies. In spite of the numerous animal models currently available that reproduce several neuropathological features of Parkinson disease (PD), it is challenging to have one that consistently recapitulates human PD conditions in both motor behaviors and biochemical pathological outcomes. Given that, we have implemented a new paradigm to expose rats to a chronic low dose of paraquat (PQ), using osmotic minipumps and characterized the developed pathologic features over time. The PQ exposure paradigm used lead to a rodent model of PD depicting progressive nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration, characterized by a 41% significant loss of dopaminergic neuron in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), a significant decrease of 18% and 40% of dopamine levels in striatum at week 5 and 8, respectively, and a significant 1.5‐fold decrease in motor performance. We observed a significant increase of microglia activation state, sustained levels of α‐synucleinopathy and increased oxidative stress markers in the SNpc. In summary, this is an explorative study that allowed to characterize an improved PQ‐based rat model that recapitulates cardinal features of PD and may represent an attractive tool to investigate several mechanisms underlying the various aspects of PD pathogenesis as well as for the validation of the efficacy of new therapeutic approaches that targets different mechanisms involved in PD neurodegeneration.     

Specialty training in child and adolescent psychiatry in India

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry - India has a considerable skilled manpower deficit in the area of child and adolescent mental health, given its population and their needs. To address...     

Positron emission tomography visualized stimulation of the vestibular organ is localized in Heschl's gyrus

The existence of a human primary vestibular cortex is still debated. Current knowledge mainly derives from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) acquisitions during artificial vestibular stimulation. This may be problematic as artificial vestibular stimulation entails coactivation of other sensory receptors. The use of fMRI is challenging as the strong magnetic field and loud noise during MRI may both stimulate the vestibular organ. This study aimed to characterize the cortical activity during natural stimulation of the human vestibular organ. Two fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)‐PET scans were obtained after natural vestibular stimulation in a self‐propelled chair. Two types of stimuli were applied: (a) rotation (horizontal semicircular canal) and (b) linear sideways movement (utriculus). A comparable baseline FDG‐PET scan was obtained after sitting motion‐less in the chair. In both stimulation paradigms, significantly increased FDG uptake was measured bilaterally in the medial part of Heschl's gyrus, with some overlap into the posterior insula. This is the first neuroimaging study to visualize cortical processing of natural vestibular stimuli. FDG uptake was demonstrated in the medial‐most part of Heschl's gyrus, normally associated with the primary auditory cortex. This anatomical localization seems plausible, considering that the labyrinth contains both the vestibular organ and the cochlea.     

Sensitivity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in screening for cognitive impairment in patients with newly diagnosed high-grade glioma

Journal of Neuro-Oncology - Cognitive impairment is frequent in patients with high-grade glioma and requires cognitive follow-up. Cognitive screening tools such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment...     

Pegylated interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for treatment of chronic hepatitis C

AIM: To study the safety and efficacy of pegylated interferon alfa-2b, indigenously developed in India, plus ribavirin in treatment of hepatitis C virus(HCV). METHODS: One-hundred HCV patients were enrolled in an open-label, multicenter trial. Patients were treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2b 1.5 μg/kg per week subcutaneously plus oral ribavirin 800 mg/d for patients with genotypes 2 and 3 for 24 wk. The same dose of peginterferon plus weight-based ribavirin(800 mg/d for ≤ 65 kg; 1000 mg/d for 65-85 kg; 1200 mg/d for 85-105 kg; 1400 mg/d for 105 kg body weight) was administered for 48 wk for patients with genotypes 1 and 4. Serological and biochemical responses of patients were assessed.RESULTS: Eighty-two patients(35 in genotypes 1 and 4 and 47 in 2 and 3), completed the study. In genotype 1, 25.9% of patients achieved rapid virologic response(RVR): while the figures were 74.1% for early virologic response(EVR) and 44.4% for sustained virologic response(SVR). For genotypes 2 and 3, all patients bar one belonged to genotype 3, and of those, 71.4%, 87.5%, and 64.3% achieved RVR, EVR, and SVR, respectively. In genotype 4, 58.8%, 88.2%, and 52.9% of patients achieved RVR, EVR, and SVR, respectively. The majority of patients attained normal levels of alanine aminotransferase by 4-12 wk of therapy. Most patients showed a good tolerance for the treatment, although mild-to-moderate adverse events were exhibited; only two patients discontinued the study medication due to serious adverse events(SAEs). Eleven SAEs were observed in nine patients; however, only four SAEs were related to study medication.CONCLUSION: Peginterferon alfa-2b, which was developed in India, in combination with ribavirin, is a safe and effective drug in the treatment of HCV.