Sleep stabilizes visuomotor adaptation memory: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

The beneficial effect of sleep on motor memory consolidation is well known for motor sequence memory, but remains unsettled for visuomotor adaptation in humans. The aim of this study was to characterize more clearly the influence of sleep on consolidation of visuomotor adaptation using a between‐subjects functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) design contrasting sleep to total sleep deprivation. Our behavioural results, based on seven different parameters, show that sleep stabilizes performance whereas sleep deprivation deteriorates it. During training, while a set of cerebellar, striatal and cortical areas is activated in proportion to performance improvement, the recruitment of the hippocampus and frontal cortex protects motor memory against the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation. During retest after sleep loss a cerebello–cortical network, usually involved in the earliest stage of learning, was recruited to perform the task. In contrast, no changes in cerebral activity were observed after sleep, suggesting that it may only support the stabilization of the visuomotor adaptation memory trace.     

Region‐specific impairment of the cervical spinal cord (SC) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A preliminary study using SC templates and quantitative MRI (diffusion tensor imaging/inhomogeneous magnetization transfer)

In this preliminary study, our objective was to investigate the potential of high‐resolution anatomical imaging, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and conventional/inhomogeneous magnetization transfer imaging [magnetization transfer (MT)/inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (ihMT)] at 3 T, analyzed with template‐extracted regions of interest, to measure the atrophy and structural changes of white (WM) and gray (GM) matter spinal cord (SC) occurring in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Ten patients with ALS and 20 age‐matched healthy controls were recruited. SC GM and WM areas were automatically segmented using dedicated templates. Atrophy indices were evaluated from T ₂*‐weighted images at each vertebral level from cervical C1 to C6. DTI and ihMT metrics were quantified within the corticospinal tract (CST), posterior sensory tract (PST) and anterior GM (aGM) horns at the C2 and C5 levels. Clinical disabilities of patients with ALS were evaluated using the Revised ALS Functional Rating Scale, upper motor neuron (UMN) and Medical Research Council scorings, and correlated with MR metrics. Compared with healthy controls, GM and WM atrophy was observed in patients with ALS, especially at lower cervical levels, where a strong correlation was also observed between GM atrophy and the UMN score (R  = ?0.75, p  = 0.05 at C6). Interestingly, a significant decrease in ihMT ratio was found in all regions of interest (p  < 0.0008), fractional anisotropy (FA) and MT ratios decreased significantly in CST, especially at C5 (p  < 0.005), and λ_// (axial diffusivity) decreased significantly in CST (p  = 0.0004) and PST (p  = 0.003) at C2. Strong correlations between MRI metrics and clinical scores were also found (0.47 < |R | < 0.87, p  < 0.05). Altogether, these preliminary results suggest that high‐resolution anatomical imaging and ihMT imaging, in addition to DTI, are valuable for the characterization of SC tissue impairment in ALS. In this study, in addition to an important SC WM demyelination, we also observed, for the first time in ALS, impairments of cervical aGM.     

MDCT findings in primary amyloidosis of the greater omentum and mesentery: a case report

Imaging findings of amyloid infiltration of the greater omentum, mesentery, and retroperitoneal spaces have only extremely rarely been reported in the radiological literature. This report illustrates the MDCT findings fortuitously found in a 70-year-old male presenting with a known latent myeloma. Extra abdominal deposits—axilla and cardiophrenic angles—were first fortuitously found during thoracic MDCT. Secondary abdominal MDCT revealed the extensive abdominal spread that consisted of very diffuse but asymptomatic pseudo carcinomatous hazy omental, mesenteric and—in a minder proportion—retroperitoneal deposits; these remained isolated without calcification, lymphadenopathy, ascites, or any sign of associated bowel wall thickening. A specific definite histologic diagnosis was made without laparotomy through a biopsy in the right axilla.     

Epidemiology of rheumatic diseases: a cohort of 23,550 patients in rheumatology clinics in Burkina Faso

Clinical Rheumatology - The aim of this work is to study the epidemiological characteristics of rheumatic conditions in a cohort of 23,550 patients followed up in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. This...     

The vitamin B5/coenzyme A axis: A target for immunomodulation?

Coenzyme A (CoA) serves as a vital cofactor in numerous enzymatic reactions involved in energy production, lipid metabolism, and synthesis of essential molecules. Dysregulation of CoA-dependent metabolic pathways can contribute to chronic diseases, such as inflammatory diseases, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disorders. Additionally, CoA influences immune cell activation by modulating the metabolism of these cells, thereby affecting their proliferation, differentiation, and effector functions. Targeting CoA metabolism presents a promising avenue for therapeutic intervention, as it can potentially restore metabolic balance, mitigate chronic inflammation, and enhance immune cell function. This might ultimately improve the management and outcomes for these diseases. This review will more specifically focus on the contribution of pathways regulating the availability of the CoA precursor Vitamin B5/pantothenate in vivo and modulating the development of Th17-mediated inflammation, CD8-dependent anti-tumor immunity but also tissue repair processes in chronic inflammatory or degenerative diseases.     

Societal costs of insomnia

Insomnia is the most common sleeping disorder and has been recognized as a major public health issue, associated with a high societal cost. The aim of this review is firstly to understand how the socio-demographic and career characteristics of insomniacs may influence the economical consequences of this disease. Secondly, it also tries to explain how patients seek help to cope with their insomnia. The review aims to carefully describe the possible links between insomnia and public health concerns as to point out what are the certitudes and the missing data on the consequences of insomnia on work, economics, accidents, costs and health related quality of life (HrQol).