White matter alterations in Williams syndrome related to behavioral and motor impairments

Myelin is the electrical insulator surrounding the neuronal axon that makes up the white matter (WM) of the brain. It helps increase axonal conduction velocity (CV) by inducing saltatory conduction. Damage to the myelin sheath and WM is associated with many neurological and psychiatric disorders. Decreasing myelin deficits, and thus improving axonal conduction, has the potential to serve as a therapeutic mechanism for reducing the severity of some of these disorders. Myelin deficits have been previously linked to abnormalities in social behavior, suggesting an interplay between brain connectivity and sociability. This review focuses on Williams syndrome (WS), a genetic disorder characterized by neurocognitive characteristics and motor abnormalities, mainly known for its hypersociability characteristic. We discuss fundamental aspects of WM in WS and how its alterations can affect motor abilities and social behavior. Overall, findings regarding changes in myelin genes and alterations in WM structure in WS suggest new targets for drug therapy aimed at improving conduction properties and altering brain‐activity synchronization in this disorder.     

Zygote intrafallopian transfer among patients with repeated implantation failure

ObjectiveTo summarize the experience of a single center with laparoscopic zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) performed exclusively among patients with high-order repeated implantation failure (RIF) following in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET).MethodsA retrospective cohort study was performed at the Edith Wolfson Medical Center, a tertiary referral university hospital located in Holon, Israel. A group of 176 patients with 8.15 ± 3.9 previously failed IVF-ET cycles underwent 280 ZIFT procedures between 1995 and 2010. The main outcome measure was the live birth rate per patient treated.ResultsIn all, there were 274 fresh and 6 frozen ZIFT cycles recorded in the study cohort, resulting in 96 clinical pregnancies per attempt (34.3%) and 72 live births (25.7%). The live birth rate per patient was 39.8%.ConclusionThe use of ZIFT remains a powerful tool in the clinical management of selected patients with high-order RIF. This procedure should be kept in mind when all other measures fail among patients with at least 1 unobstructed fallopian tube.