ABSTRACT
At present the parkinsonian rigidity assessment depends on subjective judgment of neurologists according to their experience. This study presents a parkinsonian rigidity quantification system based on the electromechanical driving device and mechanical impedance measurement method. The quantification system applies the electromechanical driving device to perform the rigidity clinical assessment tasks (flexion-extension movements) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, which captures their motion and biomechanical information synchronously. Qualified rigidity features were obtained through statistical analysis method such as least-squares parameter estimation. By comparing the judgments from both the parkinsonian rigidity quantification system and neurologists, correlation analysis was performed to find the optimal quantitative feature. Clinical experiments showed that the mechanical impedance has the best correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.872, < 0.001) with the clinical unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) rigidity score. Results confirmed that this measurement system is capable of quantifying parkinsonian rigidity with advantages of simple operation and effective assessment. In addition, the mechanical impedance can be adopted to help doctors to diagnose and monitor parkinsonian rigidity objectively and accurately.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:Different types of nerve regulatory factors and glial cells have been reported to exert different roles in the differentiation and maturation of neural stem cells, but culturing neural stem cells in large animals is relatively rarely reported. OBJECTIVE:To explore the way for culturing goat neural stem cells and to detect the outcome after in vitro differentiation. METHODS:The neural stem cellwas separated and cultured from the newborn goat cerebral cortex and the anti-nestin immunocytochemical staining was performed for cellidentification. At the same time, anti-S100 active Schwann cells were gotten from the sciatic nerve. Then in vitro differentiation was preformed and the outcome was detected by the immunocytochemical stain of anti-glial fibril ary acidic protein, anti-microtubule-associated protein 2 and anti-S100. cells without primary antibodies served as controls. Gray values were calculated and compared. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The Schwann cells were cultured successful y, which were active to the anti-nestin immunocytochemical staining and anti-S100 staining. After differentiation, the products were active to anti-glial fibril ary acidic protein and anti-microtubule-associated protein 2 immunocytochemical stain, but Abstract BACKGROUND:Different types of nerve regulatory factors and glial cells have been reported to exert different roles in the differentiation and maturation of neural stem cells, but culturing neural stem cells in large animals is relatively rarely reported. OBJECTIVE:To explore the way for culturing goat neural stem cells and to detect the outcome after in vitro differentiation. METHODS:The neural stem cellwas separated and cultured from the newborn goat cerebral cortex and the anti-nestin immunocytochemical staining was performed for cellidentification. At the same time, anti-S100 active Schwann cells were gotten from the sciatic nerve. Then in vitro differentiation was preformed and the outcome was detected by the immunocytochemical stain of anti-glial fibril ary acidic protein, anti-microtubule-associated protein 2 and anti-S100. cells without primary antibodies served as controls. Gray values were calculated and compared. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The Schwann cells were cultured successful y, which were active to the anti-nestin immunocytochemical staining and anti-S100 staining. After differentiation, the products were active to anti-glial fibril ary acidic protein and anti-microtubule-associated protein 2 immunocytochemical stain, but negative to the anti-S100. And significant difference was found in gray values. The goat neural stem cells and Schwann cells were successful y cultured and identified. After the differentiation, the astrocytes and neurons were detected, but the Schwann cells were not found.