Effects of sub-chronic combined treatment with pergolide and caffeine on contralateral rotational behavior in unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-denervated rats

We studied the synergistic effects of pergolide and bromocriptine with caffeine on turning behavior in 6-OHDA denervated rats. Both pergolide and bromocriptine were synergistic with caffeine, and prevented tolerance to caffeine-induced turning. When caffeine was removed, tolerance to bromocriptine effects was observed for 1 day only, while no tolerance was observed to pergolide. These results suggest that caffeine could be useful in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, preferentially as an adjuvant of mixed dopaminergic agonists like pergolide.     

CT-Based Needle Marking of Superficial Intracranial Lesions for Minimal Invasive Neurosurgery

A CT-based method of marking superficial intracranial lesions with a needle is presented. This form of neuronavigation can be applied in every neurosurgical centre. Owing to its rapid application it is also suitable for cases of emergency. The neurosurgical approach can be centred precisely over the lesion providing for a minimally invasive operation. The method has proved its efficacy in numerous cases of haematomas and cystic lesions.     

CT三维容积重建在颌骨疾病诊治中的应用

目的　评价CT三维容积重建在颌面骨病变诊治中的应用价值。方法　用MX 80 0 0双排螺旋CT机的 4D Angio软件处理容积数据得到高度仿真的三维CT ,可直观清晰地显示颌骨病变的部位、范围、程度及其与邻近结构的关系 ,有利临床作出准确诊断 ,正确选择手术方法和确定手术进路。结果　CT三维容积重建可以直观地显示颌合骨的复杂结构及其病变的整体形态 ,对骨折复位和病变彻底切除起到重要作用。结论　与常规断面CT以及三维表面遮蔽 (SSD)重建相比 ,MX 80 0 0的 4D Angio软件 (相当于volumerender ing软件 ,即VR)做出的CT三维容积重建 (VR)更有立体感 ,更能展现解剖结构的自然形态 ,而且其为容积数据的全息处理 ,可显示骨质内部结构 ,因而能为临床提供更直观 ,详实的形态学资料 ,便于确诊并可优化手术方案和最大限度减少手术创伤 ,有利于功能和形态的更好恢复     

肾脏偶发性小占位病变的诊治分析

目的 探讨直径〈3cm的肾脏小占位病变的常见类型、影像学特征和常规诊疗步骤。方法 回顾性分析1998年1月至2005年10月间偶然发现的58例〈3cm的肾脏占位病变的临床资料。结果 58例患者共发现肾脏占位病变70个。直径〈1cm的占位病变5个，1～2cm为11个，2～3cm为54个。B超发现囊性占位36个，实质性占位34个，其中高回声占位21个，等回声占位4个，低回声占位9个。增强CT明显强化的病变19个，轻度强化20个，无明显强化31个。首诊时B超结合CT获确诊54例，未能确诊的4例，MRI、肾动脉造影及穿刺活检亦不确切。结论 对〈3cm的肾脏占位病变，B超结合CT检查可基本满足鉴别诊断的需要。少数诊断不确切的病例，腹腔镜肾部分切除术兼有诊断和治疗作用。手术耐受力差或不接受手术探查的未能确诊的患者可考虑影像学密切随访。     

中药防治癌前病变现状及其机制

中药在防治食道癌前病变、口腔癌前病变、鼻咽癌前病变、胃癌前病变、肝癌前病变和宫颈癌前病变等方面取得了显著成效,其逆转癌前病变主要是通过调节细胞周期调控基因,细胞生长、增殖、分化调控基因及相关蛋白基因,细胞凋亡基因,转录因子等表达来发挥作用,另外中药还可对端粒酶活性、DNA水平等进行调整,也可能通过改善免疫相关基因如细胞黏附分子来提高机体的抗癌变能力。     

Assessment of optic nerve and optic tract alterations in patients with orbital space-occupying lesions using probabilistic diffusion tractography

AIM: To investigate the diffusion changes in both the optic nerve and optic tract in orbital space-occupying lesion patients with decreased visual acuity, and its clinical significance using probabilistic diffusion tractography (PDT). METHODS: Twenty patients with orbital space-occupying lesions and 25 age- and gender-matched healthy persons were included. All patients and controls underwent routine orbital magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), using a 3.0T magnetic resonance scanner (Trio Tim Siemens). After the image data were preprocessed, each DTI parameters of the optic nerve and optic tract was obtained by PDT, including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD). The asymmetry index (AI) of each parameter was calculated. Compared the parameters of the affected side optic nerve and ipsilateral optic tract with the contralateral side by paired sample t-test; compared AI of parameters of optic nerve and optic tract between the patient group and the control group by independent sample t-test. Patients were divided into three subgroups according to the low vision grade standard of WHO, compared the FA and AI of FA between the three subgroups by single factor variance analysis. RESULTS: The affected side optic nerve presented significantly decreased FA, increased MD, AD, and RD values compared to the unaffected side (P<0.05). The AI of FA, MD, AD, and RD of optic nerve in the patients was significantly higher than that of the controls (P<0.05). The comparison results of the optic tract showed that there was no significant difference between the patient group and control group in terms of the bilateral optic tracts in patients (P>0.05). The AIs of the FA value of the optic nerve in the eyesight <0.1 subgroup was significantly higher than that in the other groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: FA, MD, AD, and RD of the affected side optic nerve of the orbital space-occupying lesions have significantly changed, the FA value is the most sensitive. The PDT could be a useful tool to provide valid quantitative markers of optic nerve injuries and evaluate the severity of orbital diseases, which other examinations cannot be acquired.     

Topographical,Autobiographical and Semantic Memory in a Patient with Bilateral Mesial Temporal and Retrosplenial Infarction

The relationship between clinical symptoms and neurocognitive impairment has been a growing interest in the field of schizophrenia research. We review the empirical evidence for whether some schizophrenia symptoms can be viewed as expressions of disordered executive functioning. A specific focus of our review is Frith’s (1992) neurocognitive theory of negative symptoms, and whether this theory is supported by studies of executive functioning in schizophrenia. The current trend towards viewing executive functioning in terms of fractionable cognitive processes is discussed. Difficulties with traditional clinical measures (e.g. the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; WCST) in separating these processes are highlighted. Neurocognitive studies of schizophrenia are then reviewed in terms of this fractionated view of executive processes. We conclude that a more specific approach to executive functioning deficits in schizophrenia using more selective measures is needed before stronger conclusions can be drawn about their relationship to clinical symptoms.     

Resolution of retracted scar after 585-nm pulse dye laser surgery

BACKGROUND: Laser scar revision has been an effective method for improving several aspects of scarring through ablative and non-ablative sources. The 585-nm pulsed dye laser (PDL) is an important non-ablative instrument for reducing scar bulk and symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of a 585-nm PDL for the treatment of a retracted and atrophic facial scar. METHODS: We report the case of a 26-year-old patient who presented with a retracted facial scar following surgical excision of an aggressive benign tumor. Treatment was carried out using the 585-nm PDL. RESULTS: Treatment of the scar using two low-level PDL therapies significantly altered the appearance of the scar and augmentation of the retracted defect was avoided. CONCLUSION: Treatment of this retracted and atrophic facial scar with the 585-nm PDL was very effective and safe.