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Objective:To investigate whether children with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECT) still have attention network damage and its correlative factors after complete remission.Methods:Thirty BECT patients over 16 years old and without seizures over two years (BECT group; 21 males, nine females, median age 17 years) in the Department of Neurology, Provincial Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010 and 42 healthy controls (control group; 30 males, 12 females, median age 17 years) from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University were tested by the attention network test tool.Results:There was not statistically significant difference in the accuracy rate and total reaction time of attention network test between the BECT group and the control group [97.0% (95.0%, 99.0%) vs 98.0% (95.5%, 98.0%), Z=-0.437, P=0.662; 587.50 (523.50, 668.75) ms vs 610.00 (584.25, 631.75) ms, Z=-0.320, P=0.749; respectively]. And there was not statistically significant difference in the efficiency of the alert network, directional network, and executive control network in the BECT group compared with the control group [(46.13±24.97) ms vs (48.52±27.65) ms, t=-0.376, P=0.708; (32.23±18.12) ms vs (33.21±19.68) ms, t=-0.215, P=0.830; (124.50±39.87) ms vs (117.60±50.13) ms, t=0.626, P=0.533; respectively]. The accuracy of attention network test was positively correlated with the age of onset ( b=0.925, P=0.012), and was negatively correlated with the total number of seizures ( b=-0.853, P=0.025). Conclusion:Although the accuracy of attention network test in BECT patients after remission was correlated with age of onset and total number of seizures, BECT patients had no attention network damage after complete remission compared with healthy controls.
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Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shuangyi Qushi Tongluo Capsules (SQTC) for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA).Methods A multi-center,randomized,parallel-controlled trial was carried out in 240 cases of KOA patients.The patients were divided into trial group (N =120) and control group (N =120),which was given SQTC,Xianlinggubao capsules respectively for 8 weeks.Before treatment,and 2,4 and 8 weeks after treatment,we recorded the scores of clinical symptoms and traditional Chinese medical syndromes,Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores and knee function scores.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and adverse reaction were observed.Results (1) After treatment for 8 weeks,the clinical efficacy of the trial group was superior to that of the control group (P ＜ 0.05).(2) The trial group had better effect on improving the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of knee pain,VAS scores of limitation of motion and time for morning stiffness than the control group after treatment for 8 weeks(P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01).(3) After treatment for 4 and 8 weeks,the trial group had better effect on improving scores of traditional Chinese medical syndromes,WOMAC scores and Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA) scores than the control group (P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01).(4) Before and after treatment,the results of blood,urine and stool routine examination,liver and kidney function,and electrocardiography showed no significant changes.Conclusion SQTC are effective and safe in treating KOA,and can start an effect shortly.
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Objective To explore the decision-making impulsivity in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy.Methods 39 patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy and 40 healthy controls completed delay discounting task.The participants were demanded to make a series of choices between two different rewards after a delayed period (a smaller sooner reward or a larger longer reward).Results The delay discount rate k was transformed to common logarithm lg (k),and lg (k)=-1.75±0.86 in IGE group was more larger than that in HC group lg (k)=-2.21±0.72(t=2.58,P=0.01).IGE group performed worse than HC group in verbal fluency test-semantic (M (P25,P75):16.00 (14.00,19.00) vs 18.00 (16.00,22.75),Z =-2.86,P＜0.01),verbal fluency test-voice (M (P25,P75):4.00 (3.00,6.00) vs 7.00 (6.00,10.00),Z =-4.26,P＜0.01) and digital span backward test (M(P25,P75):5.00(5.00,7.00) vs 6.00 (5.00,8.00),Z=-2.48,P=0.01).In addition,lg (k) had significant correlation with verbal fluency test-semantic (r=0.32,P=0.048).Conclusion IGE group prefer immediate rewards and show more impulsive than HC group in delay discounting task.IGE group has cognitive deficit in frontal lobe language function and attention function.In addition,impulsivity is correlated with frontal lobe function.
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Objective To investigate the memory monitoring ability in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) and explore the mechanism of the memory impairment.Methods The feeling of knowing (FOK) paradigm of episodic memory (EM) and semantic memory (SM) were established and subsequently administered in 31 patients with IGE (IGE group) and 30 healthy controls (HC group) participants who were matched in age,sex and educational level.Results Compared with HC group (feeling of knowing of episodic memory (FOK-EM) FOK accuracy (85.29± 16.84) ％;feeling of knowing of sematic memory (FOK-SM) recall (76.61± 18.66) ％),the FOK-EM FOK accuracy ((64.03± 22.10) ％) and FOK-SM recall ((53.27±26.91) ％) in IGE group were significantly decreased(t=-4.215,P＜0.01;t=-3.677,P＜0.01).The correct judgment and correct recognition of FOK-EM ((51.16±32.93) ％) and the false judgment and correct recognition ((21.07±24.38) ％) of FOK-EM in the IGE group were significantly different with the HC group (the correct judgment and correct recognition of FOK-EM:(79.34±27.26)％ and the false judgment and correct recognition of FOK-EM:(2.45±5.38) ％;t=-3.634,P＜0.01;t=4.149,P＜0.01).Most importantly,the false judgment and correct recognition of FOK-EM were correlated with the Digital Span Test,Vocabulary Fluency Test and the Stroop effect in IGE group (r=-0.309,P＜0.05;r=-0.355,P＜0.01;r=-0.354,P＜0.05;r=0.602,P＜0.01).Conclusion The results show that the IGE group made less accurate metamemory monitoring than the HC group by underestimating their memoU performance on FOK-EM,whereas the semantic metamemory monitoring is not impaired in IGE group.More importantly,the impairment of memory monitoring was correlated with the deficit of executive function,indicating that this mechanism can be an influential factor of memory disorder in IGE.It also indicates that the episodic and semantic metamemory monitoring depend on different neural networks.
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Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Shuangyi Qushi Tongluo Capsules ( SQTC) in treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and to explore the synergistic action of SQTC combined with sulfasalazine. Methods A randomized and parallel-controlled trial was carried out in 80 AS patients. The enrolled subjects were evenly randomized into testing group and control group. Both groups were given oral use of sulfasalazine enteric-coated tablets, and the testing group was additionally given oral use of SQTC, which is mainly composed of silky ant (Formica Fusca), black-winged Termitidae, Scorpio, Radix Ginseng, Radix Astragali, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Flos Carthami, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae, Caulis Spatholobi, Herba Epimedii, and Radix Morindae Officinalis. The treatment for the two groups covered 24 weeks. On treatment week 4, 12, 24, we recorded the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), visual analog scale (VAS) scores of rachialgia, patients’ general assessment (PGA), VAS scores of night pain, spondylitis scores, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index ( BASFI) , Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index ( BASMI) , scores of the quality of life ( QOL) , erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( ESR) , C-reactive protein ( CRP). Moreover, the adverse reaction of the two groups was also monitored. Results ( 1) Compared with the control group, testing group had high ASAS 20 percentage on treatment week 4, 12 and 24 (P0.05). Conclusion SQTC are effective and safe in treating AS, starting an effect shortly and having synergistic effect on salfasalazine for the treatment of AS.
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Objective To investigate the abilities of emotion recognition and social cognition in patients with idiopathic epilepsy and further explore the factors related to the impairments.Methods After 24-hour EEG monitoring,70 people with idiopathic epilepsy were administered with a neuropsychological battery for basic cognitive assessment and then were tested with the Eye Basic Emotion Discrimination Task (EBEDT) and the Eye Complex Emotion Discrimination Task (ECEDT).Results Compared with health controls,people with epilepsy got significantly lower score in recognizing happy (19.3±2.0 vs 19.9±0.2),angry (17.9±2.0 vs 18.9±1.0),sadness (18.1±2.3 vs 19.2±1.0),fear (16.4±1.9 vs 17.6±1.3),disgust (17.6±2.1 vs 18.6±1.2) and surprise (18.3±1.5 vs 19.1±1.1) (P＜0.05,respectively),as well as complex emotions ((23.3±4.2) vs (27.1±2.8),P＜0.05).There was no significant difference between the two groups in gender recognition (P＞0.05).Significant positive correlation was found between the total score of basic emotions and the mind reading (r=0.444,P=0.000) in the patient group.Correlation analysis revealed significant relation between the total correct number of emotion recognition and the level of anxiety,depression and the executive function in epilepsy group (P＜0.05,respectively).Significant associations were found between the ECEDT and the Digital Span test,the Stroop test,Beck Depression Index and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (P＜0.05,respectively).Conclusion People with epilepsy have general impairments of emotion recognition and theory of mind,the impairments may be associated with the state of mood disorder and the weakened executive function.
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Objective To explore different aspects of empathy in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy and to study the effect of epileptiform discharges from different areas of the brain on empathy.Methods One hundred and fifty healthy controls and 62 patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy were administered with a neuropsychological battery for basic cognitive assessment and an empathy scale after 24-hour electroencephalography monitoring.Results Compared with healthy controls,patients with epilepsy obtained significantly lower total scores and the cognitive empathy scores including perspectivetaking and fantasy subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index-China (46.39 ± 9.74 vs 50.99 ± 9.97,t =-2.893,P=0.004; 23.31 ±7.10 vs 27.24 ±6.22,t =-3.974,P =0.000; 10.18 ±4.21 vs 11.84 ± 3.67,t =-2.838,P =0.005 ; 13.13 ± 4.46 vs 15.40 ± 3.84,t =-3.698,P =0.000,respectively).In contrast,the individuals with epilepsy did not score significantly different on the affective empathy,empathic concern and personal distress (P ＞ 0.05,respectively).Patients with frontal epileptiform discharges suffered the most on the total empathy scores,cognitive empathy and perspective-taking subscale when compared with other three groups of individuals (P ＜0.05,respectively),whereas the groups did not differ from each other in affective empathy,empathic concern and personal distress (P ＞0.05,respectively).No correlation was found between the empathy ability and other cognitive neuropsychological tests.Conclusions Patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy is not associated with a general empathy deficit,but rather with a dissociated pattern combining impaired cognitive empathy and preserved affective one,which leads to a double-dissociation,supports the notion that affective and cognitive empathies are two distinct abilities.The activation of epileptiform discharges from the frontal lobe is a key factor that could diminish the empathy ability.
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Objective To explore further the abilities of cerebellar lesions in skills of time estimation, and to test the hypothesis that cerebellum is involved in the special network of time perception. Methods Time reproduction was required for 3 time intervals of 600-milliseconds, 3 and 5 seconds with visual discrimination for control. Participants reproduce those time intervals after 1-second or 5-seconds of delay. Twenty-six patients with cerebellar lesions were compared to 26 healthy controls, matched for age, handedness, education. Results 600-milliseconds was overestimated by both cerebellar lesions and healthy controls, however, both 3-seconds and 5-seconds were underestimated. Patients with cerebellar lesions were significantly impaired on 600-milliseconds reproduction task ( delaying 1 s or 5 s, 1.37 ± 0.24, 1.26 ± 0.29 respectively, Z=-5.347, -4.230, both P<0.01). No group differences were found for the 3-seconds and 5-seconds time reproduction (delaying 1 s or 5 s, Z=-1.200,-0.092,-1.519, -0.723, all P>0.05). Conclusion The findings suggest that patients with cerebellar lesions perform poorly during measurement of the shorter interval, but show no impairment of longer intervals perception, supporting the hypotheses that cerebellum is specifically involved in the perception of sub-second intervals.