Alterations of brain local functional connectivity in amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies using a regional homogeneity (ReHo) method have reported that amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) was associated with abnormalities in local functional connectivity. However, their results were not conclusive. METHODS: Seed-based d Mapping was used to conduct a coordinate-based meta-analysis to identify consistent ReHo alterations in aMCI. RESULTS: We identified 10 studies with 11 datasets suitable for inclusion, including 378 patients with aMCI and 435 healthy controls. This meta-analysis identified significant ReHo alterations in patients with aMCI relative to healthy controls, mainly within the default mode network (DMN) (bilateral posterior cingulate cortex [PCC], right angular gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyri, and left parahippocampal gyrus/hippocampus), executive control network (right superior parietal lobule and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), visual network (right lingual gyrus and left middle occipital gyrus), and sensorimotor network (right paracentral lobule/supplementary motor area, right postcentral gyrus and left posterior insula). Significant heterogeneity of ReHo alterations in the bilateral PCC, left parahippocampal gyrus/hippocampus, and right superior parietal lobule/angular gyrus was observed. Exploratory meta-regression analyses indicated that general cognitive function, gender distribution, age, and education level partially contributed to this heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides provisional evidence that aMCI is associated with abnormal ReHo within the DMN, executive control network, visual network, and sensorimotor network. These local functional connectivity alterations suggest coexistence of functional deficits and compensation in these networks. These findings contribute to the modeling of brain functional connectomes and to a better understanding of the neural substrates of aMCI. Confounding factors merit much attention and warrant future investigations.

Cerebral glucose metabolic prediction from amnestic mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's dementia: a meta-analysis.

Brain 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) has been utilized to monitor disease conversion from amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) to Alzheimer's dementia (AD). However, the conversion patterns of FDG-PET metabolism across studies are not conclusive. We conducted a voxel-wise meta-analysis using Seed-based d Mapping that included 10 baseline voxel-wise FDG-PET comparisons between 93 aMCI converters and 129 aMCI non-converters from nine longitudinal studies. The most robust and reliable metabolic alterations that predicted conversion from aMCI to AD were localized in the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus. Furthermore, meta-regression analyses indicated that baseline mean age and severity of cognitive impairment, and follow-up duration were significant moderators for metabolic alterations in aMCI converters. Our study revealed hypometabolism in the left PCC/precuneus as an early feature in the development of AD. This finding has important implications in understanding the neural substrates for AD conversion and could serve as a potential imaging biomarker for early detection of AD as well as for tracking disease progression at the predementia stage.

Correction to: Alterations of brain local functional connectivity in amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s40035-018-0134-8.].

Aberrant pattern of regional cerebral blood flow in Alzheimer's disease: a voxel-wise meta-analysis of arterial spin labeling MR imaging studies.

Many studies have applied arterial spin labeling (ASL) to characterize cerebral perfusion patterns of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, findings across studies are not conclusive. A quantitatively voxel-wise meta-analysis to pool the resting-state ASL studies that measure regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) alterations in AD was conducted to identify the most consistent and replicable perfusion pattern using seed-based d mapping. The meta-analysis, including 17 ASL studies encompassing 327 AD patients and 357 healthy controls, demonstrated that decreased rCBF in AD patients relative to healthy controls were consistently identified in the bilateral posterior cingulate cortices (PCC)/precuneus, bilateral inferior parietal lobules (IPLs), and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The meta-regression analysis showed that more severe cognitive impairment in the AD samples correlated with greater decreases of rCBF in the bilateral PCC and left IPL. This study characterizes an aberrant ASL-rCBF perfusion pattern of AD involving the posterior default mode network and executive network, which are implicated in its pathophysiology and hold promise for developing imaging biomarkers.

Grey matter anomalies in drug-naïve childhood absence epilepsy: A voxel-based morphometry study with MRI at 3.0T.

BACKGROUND: Little is known, so far, about the cerebral structural abnormalities in drug-naïve patients with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE). We aimed to investigate regional grey matter (GM) volume differences using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in patients and closely matched healthy control subjects. METHODS: Twenty drug-naïve patients diagnosed with CAE and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects were recruited. All participants underwent structural MRI scans with a 3.0T MR system. The differences in regional GM volumes between the two groups were determined by VBM analysis. Additional regression analyses were performed to identify any associations between regional GM volume and clinical seizure variables. RESULTS: Compared with controls, the patients with CAE showed less GM volume in the bilateral thalami. Furthermore, the GM volume in the bilateral thalami was negatively correlated with disease duration and age of onset in the CAE group. CONCLUSIONS: By excluding the potential effect of medication on brain structures, our study demonstrates less GM volume in the bilateral thalami in drug-naïve patients with idiopathic CAE. Our study further provides structural neuroimaging evidence on the pathophysiology of absence seizures.

Conventional stents versus stents loaded with (125)iodine seeds for the treatment of unresectable oesophageal cancer: a multicentre, randomised phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: The combination of stent insertion and single high-dose brachytherapy is a feasible and safe palliative treatment regimen in patients with unresectable oesophageal cancer. We aimed to further assess the efficacy of this treatment strategy compared to a conventional covered stent in patients with dysphagia caused by unresectable oesophageal cancer. METHODS: In this multicentre, single-blind, randomised, phase 3 trial, we enrolled patients with unresectable oesophageal cancer from 16 hospitals in China. We included adult patients (aged ≥ 20 years) with progressive dysphagia, unresectable tumours due to extensive lesions, metastases, or poor medical condition, and with clear consciousness, cooperation, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status score of 0-3. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (in 1:1 ratio, no stratification) to receive either a stent loaded with (125)iodine radioactive seeds (irradiation group) or a conventional oesophageal stent (control group). The primary endpoint was overall survival. Survival analyses were done in a modified intention-to-treat group. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01054274. FINDINGS: Between Nov 1, 2009, and Oct 31, 2012, 160 patients were randomly assigned to receive treatment with either an irradiation stent (n=80) or a conventional stent (n=80). During a median follow-up of 138 days (IQR 72-207), 148 stents (73 in the irradiation group and 75 in the control group) were successfully placed into the diseased oesophagus in 148 participants. Median overall survival was 177 days (95% CI 153-201) in the irradiation group versus 147 days (124-170) in the control group (p=0.0046). Major complications and side-effects of the treatment were severe chest pain (17 [23%] of 73 patients in the irradiation group vs 15 [20%] of 75 patents in the control group), fistula formation (six [8%] vs five [7%]), aspiration pneumonia (11 [15%] vs 14 [19%]), haemorrhage (five [7%] vs five [7%]), and recurrent dysphagia (21 [28%] vs 20 [27%]). INTERPRETATION: In patients with unresectable oesophageal cancer, the insertion of an oesophageal stent loaded with (125)iodine seeds prolonged survival when compared with the insertion of a conventional covered self-expandable metallic stent.

[Investigation on the migration and biologic effects of nano FeOx powders under the exposure of extremely low frequency altering electric magnetic field in human heptoma-bearing nude mice in vivo].

To investigate the mechanism and biologic effects of 37 nm magnetic nano FeOx powders (MNPs) on human hepatoma-bearing nude mice. 37 nm MNPs were prepared by coprecipitation methods and then injected into human hepatoma (Bel-7402) bearing-nude mice through the tail vein. After injection of MNPs, the mice were first exposed under static magnetic field and then treated under extremely low frequency altering-electric magnetic field directing to the tumor area. The migration and trafficking of MNPs were determined by MMR. Tumor growth was monitored with calipers every 5 days and tumor volume was calculated on the basis of three-dimensioned measurements. The apoptosis of tumor cells was analyzed by flow cytometry analysis. The expressions of apoptosis-associated proteins Bcl-2, Bax and HSP27 were determined using western-blot analysis. Static magnetic field could direct the migration and trafficking of MNPs to the tumor site with a higher ratio of 98.9%. Extremely Low Frequency Electric-Magnetic Field (EMF) treatment could inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and prolong the survive time of tumor-bearing mice injected with MNPs. In addition, the survival time of tumor-bearing mice and percentages of prohibition on tumor cell growth were 27.4+/-0.7 days and 37.5+/-0.8% (F = 0.005, P is less than to 0.05), respectively. The results of flow cytometry analyses showed that about 18.1+/-0.6% (F = 0.030, P is less than to 0.05) of tumor cells were induced into early apoptosis. Furthermore, expressions of apoptosis-associated proteins Bcl-2 and Bax were significantly induced by MNPs under EMF treatment. The ratio of Bcl/Bax in both MNPs and EMF treatment group was 0.07+/-0.01, which was much lower than that of control group (0.23+/-0.02) (F = 0.016, P is less than to 0.05). Heat shock protein-27 (Hsp-27) was not significantly induced in different treatment groups. Injection of MNPs with EMF exposure on human hepatoma-bearing nude mice could significantly prolong the survival time, inhibit the tumor proliferation and growth, and induce tumor cells into apoptosis.

Clinical profile of musculoskeletal injuries associated with the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China.

BACKGROUND: The Wenchuan earthquake was an enormous devastating disaster and caused mass casualties. The descriptive analysis presented here serves as a reference not only for present injury intervention but also for future earthquake disaster response. METHODS: A total of 205 patients with a musculoskeletal injury were admitted in two teaching hospitals. We conducted a retrospective review of medical records to document the injury profile, chief complaints, damage locations and types, subsequent treatment, and prognosis. RESULTS: Of the 205 patients, fracture was the major type of injury (78.0%). Forty patients were determined to have crush injuries and 19 patients had crush syndromes. Open fractures, multiple fractures and comminuted fractures were common. Fracture-associated neural injuries and trauma-associated infections were also common. Surgical treatments included debridement, bone traction, external fixation, open reduction and internal fixation, and spinal fixation. All the patients were effectively treated with few complications, a low deformity rate and no death. CONCLUSION: For emergency conditions after a major earthquake, pre-hospital emergency care is highly important. After the patients are transported to the hospital, we should plan individualized treatment according to the patients' respective clinical features, and at the same time, prevent and cure the related complications in a timely manner in order to reduce mortality and disability rates.

The relationship between PTEN expression and anoikis in human lung carcinoma cell lines.

The relationship between PTEN expression and anoikis in 8 different human lung carcinoma cell (HLCC) lines, and PKB and FAK effects in the process were studied. Northern blots and Western blots were carried out to analyze PTEN expression at mRNA and protein levels and the phosphorylation level of PKB /FAK in HLCC lines, and anoikis was examined by using DNA Ladder analysis. It was shown that PTEN mRNA expression was at similar level in 8 HLCC lines. But protein expression did not accord with it's mRNA expression. There were no PTEN protein detectable in 95C 95D and A(1) cells; very low PTEN protein was expressed in A(549) and A(4) A(7) cells; and high PTEN protein expressed in H(460) cells. There were no deletion and point mutation in 95D and H(460) cells; and mRNA stability in 95D cells was much lower than that of H(460) cells. Anoikis was observed in PTEN high-expressed H(460) cells with serum lack and loss of adhesion, and 10% serum prevented it from anoikis. PTEN decreased the phosphorylation level of PKB and down-regulated FAK expression in HLCC. These results suggest that PTEN expression is different in 8 HLCC lines, and PTEN was involved in anoikis.