Effect of temperature in focal ischemia of rat brain studied by 31P and 1H spectroscopic imaging

³¹P, ¹H and lactate spectroscopic imaging was used to evaluate the effects of hypothermia on focal cerebral ischemia produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion. The effects on high energy phosphate metabolism, pH, lactate and NAA were investigated in 24 spontaneously hypertensive rats subjected to either permanent or transient ischemia. Under either normothermic (37.5°C) or hypothermic (32°C) conditions, with permanent 6-h occlusion, there was little difference between groups in either the NMR measurements or the volume of infarction. In animals that underwent 3 h of ischemia followed by 12 h of reperfusion, the ischemic changes in lactate, pH, NAA, and high-energy phosphate returned toward control values, and there was a protective effect of hypothermia (infarct volume of 211 ± 26 and 40 ± 14 mm³ in normothermic and hypothermic groups, respectively). Thus, hypothermia did not ameliorate the changes in lactate, pH, NAA, or high energy phosphate levels occurring during ischemia, however, during reperfusion there was an improvement in both the recovery of these metabolites and pathological outcome in hypothermic compared with normothermic animals.     

急性高血压脑出血的治疗体会

本文对62例急性高血压脑出血进行了着重于治疗的分析。脑出血病严重威胁患者生命,死亡率高,病残率高。治疗的关键是绝对卧床,避免搬动;积极治疗及控制脑水肿、降低颅内压;头置冰帽以减低脑耗氧量,减轻脑水肿,促进脑细胞功能的恢复;加强护理,预防及治疗并发症是提高患者生存时间及存活率的重要环节;对出血量多、患者一般情况较好者,作者主张手术治疗,清除颅内血肿,可减轻症状,提高存活率及降低病残率。     

Embolization of dural arteriovenous fistulas draining into the transverse or sigmoid sinus

The results of embolisation of dural arteriovenous fistulas draining into the transverse or sigmoid sinus were evaluated in 20 patients. Tinnitus was the main symptom in all patients although one also suffered from vertigo and sudden deafness. Nine patients were treated with PVA (polyvinylalcohol) alone and 11 with combined PVA and bucrylate (isobutyl-2-cyanoacrylate) in 1–9 procedures. Recurrence of symptoms, requiring repeated procedures was common but at subsequent clinical follow up 10 patients had no tinnitus, 5 were improved and only 5 experienced no change. Complications occured in six patients: four had transient neurological symptoms and one of these also developed a necrotic wound which later healed. One patient suffered from a cranial nerve palsy and one had an intracranial haemorrhage after a transvenous embolisation. This last patient recovered completely. The best clinical results were achieved in small fistulas and fistulas treated with combined bucrylate and PVA.     

Effects of L-Tetrahydropalmatine on NOSⅢ Gene Expression in Hypoxia and Cultured Porcine Cerebral Arterial Endothelial Cells during Reoxygenation

L- Tetrahydropalmatine (L- THP) ,a kind of al-kaloid extracted from traditional Chinese medicineRhizoma corydalis,posseses sedative,analgesic andhypnotic effects.Recently,it has been demonstratedthat L- THPalso had calcium- antagonistic and antiar-rythmic effects.Studies showed that L- THP had aprotective effect on acute focal and global cerebral is-chemia- reperfusion injury[1,2 ] .Many studies provedthat the production of NO wasincreased significantlyduring ischemia- reperfusion.The o…     

Predicting spontaneous early neurological recovery after acute ischemic stroke

We assessed predictors of spontaneous early neurological recovery after acute ischemic stroke by means of multivariate analysis in a cohort of 1,473 consecutive patients treated at one academic center. At hospital discharge, spontaneous neurological improvement or good outcome was defined as grades 0-2 of the Rankin scale, and poor outcome (no improvement or in-hospital death) as grades 3-5. Spontaneous recovery of neurological deficit at the time of discharge from the hospital was observed in 16% of patients with cerebral infarction (n = 238). Dysarthria-clumsy hand syndrome improved in 44% of patients and was the only variable significantly associated with in-hospital functional recovery in three logistic regression models that in addition to lacunar syndromes, included demographic variables, cardiovascular risk factors, and clinical variables [odds ratio (OR) 2.56], neuroimaging findings (OR 2.48), and outcome data (OR 2.39), respectively. Clinical factors related to severity of infarction available at stroke onset have a predominant influence upon in-hospital outcome and may help clinicians to assess prognosis more accurately. Our work gives a contribution into prognostic factors after acute ischemic stroke. With regard to patterns of stroke, dysarthria-clumsy hand syndrome was a significant predictor of spontaneous in-hospital recovery in ischemic stroke patients.     

A porcine model for sequential assessments of cerebral haemodynamics and metabolism

We present a physiologically stable porcine model designed for sequential assessments of pharmacological effects on mean hemispheric cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMRO2) at sustained normocapnia. The dynamic influence of continuously administered fentanyl (0.040 mg.kg-1.h-1 i.v.), nitrous oxide (70%) and pancuronium (0.30 mg.kg-1.h-1 i.v.) on these variables was studied in eight normoventilated pigs. CBF was reliably assessable at 10-min intervals by clearance of intra-arterially injected 133Xe, monitored by an extracranial scintillation detector. CMRO2 was calculated from CBF and the simultaneously measured cerebral arteriovenous difference in blood oxygen content. The intracerebral distribution of a contrast medium injected into the external and internal carotid arteries was studied by angiography, and the cerebral venous outflow was investigated by measurements of the distribution of an intra-arterially administered non-diffusible tracer, [99mTc]pertechnetate, to the internal and external jugular veins. After a 3-h equilibration period, CBF and CMRO2 were determined on six occasions over a study period lasting 1 h 40 min. The mean ranges of these variables were 56-60 and 1.9-2.0 ml.100 g-1.min-1, respectively. We conclude that the model enables repeated assessments of CBF and CMRO2 under stable physiological background conditions and thus valid cerebral pharmacodynamic investigations of drugs given for anaesthesia.     

Post-ischemic release of nucleosides and oxypurines in isolated rat hearts. Possible involvement of ventricular fibrillation

Summary In isolated perfused rat hearts global ischemia for 2, 5, and 15 min was produced. Depending on the duration of the ischemia, postischemic reperfusion led to the release of adenosine and its catabolites, and to more or less severe ventricular tachyarrhythmias. When ventricular fibrillation occurred, a highly significant increase in the purine release was observed compared with non-fibrillating hearts. Prevention of fibrillation by antiarrhythmic drugs decreased the purine release in a highly significant way. After only 2 min of ischemia, reperfusion did not lead to ventricular fibrillation. Electrical induction of fibrillation during the reperfusion in these hearts provoked the release of very high amounts of the purine compounds. A similar effect of electrically-induced fibrillation was also obtained in hearts without a previous ischemic period. The findings suggest that ventricular fibrillation is able to induce the release of purine derivatives from the heart.     

Treatment of muscle spasticity in patients with cerebral palsy using BTX-A: a pilot study

This study was designed to verify the safety and efficacy of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) used as a neuromuscular block on spastic masticatory musculature of children with cerebral palsy. Six patients who had spastic-tetraplegic cerebral-palsy, aged 5 to 20 years were selected. All patients had spasticity of the jaw muscles, bruxism, lower lip trauma, limited mouth opening, and difficulties in cleaning the oral cavity. The patients were sedated under general anesthesia, while the dentist injected the masseter and temporalis muscles bilaterally with 150 and 75 units of BTX-A each. Clinical examinations were conducted at 7, 14, 30, and 90 days after the initial appointment. We found statistically significant decreases in muscle spasticity and bruxism ( p = 0.002), improved inter-incisal opening ( p = 0.002), improved oral hygiene ( p = 0.031), and less lower lip trauma ( p = 0.060) after the neuromuscular blocking.     

Ictal Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography Imaging in Extra Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Using Statistical Parametric Mapping

PURPOSE: To examine the application of statistical parametric mapping (SPM) to analyze ictal single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans in surgical candidates with extratemporal lobe epilepsy. METHODS: The authors selected patients who underwent successful ictal SPECT acquisition in the process of surgical treatment of intractable partial epilepsy. Thirteen patients were identified who met inclusion criteria for confident seizure localization from either intracranial electroencephalogram recordings or epilepsy surgery outcome. In these cases, ictal scans were registered to an in-house-developed normal SPECT atlas composed of 14 spatially normalized brains of normal subjects. SPM96 was used to test on a voxel-by-voxel basis for statistically significant increases in blood flow associated with each patient's ictal scan. The results were then mapped back onto the patient's magnetic resonance image (MRI) for final interpretation. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis of ictal SPECT scans was compared to both conventional visual interpretation and the analysis of subtraction ictal SPECT co-registered to MRI (SISCOM). RESULTS: Ten of 13 patient scans showed localizing focal ictal increases in regional cerebral blood flow, all of which were concordant with ultimate epilepsy localization. Of the 3 cases not localized with SPM, 1 was localized by conventional visual interpretation and another, not localized by visual interpretation, was correctly localized with SISCOM. Two cases not localized by SISCOM were localized by both visual and SPM analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides supportive evidence for proof of principle that SPM can be used to provide objective, accurate analysis of ictal SPECT scans in patients with extratemporal lobe epilepsy.