Hippocampal Subfield Volumes before and after Treatment for Mild Alzheimer's Disease: Study with Magnetic Resonance Imaging / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To investigate the hippocampal subfield volumes before and after taking hydrochloric donepezil in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods:From January, 2017 to June, 2018, 25 mild AD patients accepted hydrochloric donepezil (treatment group), 25 patients accepted placebo (placebo group) and 25 age- and gender-matched healthy old people (control group) were scanned with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) under 3D-T1 TFE sequence before and after a six-month treatment, and the automated segmentation of the hippocampus subfields was fulfilled with FreeSurfer and the hippocampus subfield volumes were compared, while the patients were assessed with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Results:Compared with the control group, the volumes of left CA1， CA2-3 and CA4-DG, and right CA1 and CA2-3 were reduced in patients before treatment (t > 2.294, P < 0.05). The volume of left CA4-DG increased in the treatment group compared with that of the placebo group after treatment (t = 2.196, P < 0.05), and the volume of bilateral CA1 and CA2-3 tended to increase but not significantly (t < 1.888, P > 0.065). The MMSE score was more in the treatment group than in the placebo group after treatment (t = 2.764, P < 0.05). Conclusion:The association with asymmetric atrophy in the hippocampal subfields has been found in mild AD patients, especially in left CA4-DG, which may be used as a valuable marker for diagnosis and evaluation for treatment at early stage.

Effect of catgut implantation at acupoint on gonadal hormone and beta-endorphin in patients of climacteric syndrome / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinical therapeutic effect of catgut implantation at acupoint on climacteric syndrome (CS) and its mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty cases were randomly divided into a catgut implantation group and a western medicine group, 30 cases in each group. The catgut implantation group was treated by catgut implantation at Shenshu (BL 23), Zigong (EX-CA 1), Sanyinjiao (SP 6). The western medicine group was treated by oral administration of Diethylstilbestrol tablet. Their therapeutic effects and changes of content of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteotrophic hormone (LH), estradiol (E2) and beta-endorphin (beta-EP) in serum were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate was 93.3% in the catgut implantation group and 70.0% in the western medicine group with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). After treatment, the beta-EP concentration in the catgutation implant group was significantly increased (P < 0.05), the FSH concentration was significantly reduced and E2 concentration was significantly increased as compared with those in the western medicine group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Catgut implantation at acupoint has an obvious therapeutic effects on CS. It can significantly improve the ovaries function and has a favorable regulative action on the endogenous opioid peptides.</p>

Pathological analysis of heroin spongiform leukoencephalopathy / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the pathological characteristics of heroin spongiform leukoencephalopathy (HSLE).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cerebral tissue specimens were obtained from 15 patients with HSLE and the histological observations under optical and electron microscopes were carried out by HE, Bielschowsky's, and chromotrope 2R-brilliant green staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HSLE was characterized primarily by spongiform vacuolar degeneration of the cerebral white matter. Neurons in the gray matter, Purkinje and granular cells in the cerebella remain intact in all the cases. Numerous vacuoles, which merged to form larger cavities, appeared in the damaged white matter, and the axons survived in the deep white matter. The myelin sheath in the cerebellar white matter sustained more severe damages than those in the cerebral white matter. No vacuoles or lymphocyte infiltration occurred in the small peripheral vessels.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HSLE is pathologically characterized by vacuolar degeneration due to primary damage of the myelin, and the spongiform vacuolar degeneration is closely associated with the severity of demyelination in the white matter.</p>

Event-related potentials of emotional excitement in middle-aged and aged adults / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore how adjustment of the negative and neutral emotion excitement contribute to the well-being of middle-aged and aged adults in their health, intelligence, working and living.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-five middle-aged and aged participants performed recognition tasks of schematic facial representations of positive, neutral and negative emotions and also Chinese characters (equivalent to happy, thinking and fear).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The main effects of the facial recognition task occurred in the left temporal-parietal area (40 to 80 ms), bilateral parietal-occipital and temporal-parietal area (160-180 ms and 310-340 ms). The effects of stimulation with the 3 Chinese characters were found in the anterior region (375-475 ms), posterior region (195-255 ms), and whole scalp region (135-175 ms and 275-355 ms). There were no significant interactive effects between schematic facial recognition and stimulation with Chinese characters.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Positive emotional excitement may promote the well-being of the adults in their health, intelligence, working performance and living.</p>