Muscle MRI features of the lower extremities in patients with limb girdle muscular dystrophy type R1 / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the muscle MRI features of the lower extremities and correlations between MRI fatty degeneration total scores and other clinical features in limb girdle muscular dystrophy type R1 (LGMDR1) patients.Methods:Clinical data of 8 patients with LGMDR1 diagnosed by genetic examination in Department of Neurology, He'nan Provincial People's Hospital&People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University from May 2016 to November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Disease severity was evaluated by Gardner-Medwin and Walton (GM-W) scale. Pathological staining results of the lower limb muscles were observed; the fatty infiltration and edema of the muscles were observed by MRI T1WI and short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequences. Lower limb muscles were scored using Mercuri's scale. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlations of MRI fatty degeneration total scores of the lower extremities with age, age of onset, disease duration, GM-W scale scores and creatinine kinase (CK) level.Results:Of the 8 patients with LGMDR1, 7 had decreased muscle strength in the proximal lower extremity, including 4 with decreased muscle strength in the distal lower extremity at the same time. Muscular dystrophy-like pathological changes of skeletal muscles were noted. All 8 LGMDR1 patients showed different degrees of fatty infiltration in the lower extremities: at the thigh level, the adductor magnus, biceps femoris long head, semimembranes, semitendinosus and adductor longus were the most severely fatty degeneration muscles (mean scores>4), with relatively sparing of the sartorius and rectus femoris; regarding the calves, gastrocnemius medial head was the mostly involved, followed by soleus, with relative sparing of the tibialis posterior and anterior compartment. Edema-like changes (mild) were observed in 7 patients; the muscles that most frequently and relatively severely displayed edema-like changes were the gastrocnemius lateral head and quadriceps. The fatty degeneration total scores of the lower extremities were positively correlated with GM-W scale scores ( r=0.872, P=0.005) and negatively correlated with CK level ( r=-0.929, P=0.001), but not significantly correlated with age, age of onset or disease duration ( r=0.635, P=0.091; r=0.571, P=0.139; r=0.551, P=0.157). Conclusion:The lower limb muscles with severe fatty infiltration are less prone to show edema-like changes; fatty degeneration can be used to evaluate LGMDR1 progress; involvement pattern of muscle MRI of the lower extremities is helpful in diagnosing and differentially diagnosing LGMDR1.

Melatonin promotes osteogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by improving the inflammatory state in ovariectomized rats / 中国修复重建外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of melatonin (MT) on bone mass and serum inflammatory factors in rats received ovariectomy (OVX) and to investigate the effects of MT on the levels of inflammatory factors in culture medium and osteogenic ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) stimulated by lipopolysaccharide.@*METHODS@#Fifteen 12-week-old Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 3 groups. The rats in Sham group only received bilateral lateral abdominal incision and suture, the rats in OVX group received bilateral OVX, and the rats in OVX+MT group received 100 mg/(kg·d) MT oral intervention after bilateral OVX. After 8 weeks, the levels of serum inflammatory factors [interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)] were detected using ELISA assay. Besides, the distal femurs were detected by Micro-CT to observe changes in bone mass and microstructure, and quantitatively measured bone volume fraction, trabecular thickness, and trabecular number. The BMSCs were extracted from the femurs of three 3-week-old SD rats using whole bone marrow culture method and passaged. The 3rd-5th passage BMSCs were cultured with different concentrations of MT (0, 1, 10, 100, 1 000 µmol/L), and the cell viability was then detected using cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) to select the optimal concentration of MT for subsequent experiments. Cells were devided into osteogenic induction group (group A) and osteogenic induction+1/5/10 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide group (group B-D). The levels of inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) in cell culture medium were detected using ELISA assay after corresponding intervention. According to the results of CCK-8 method and ELISA detection, the cells were intervened with the most significant concentration of lipopolysaccharide for stimulating inflammation and the optimal concentration of MT with osteogenic induction, defining as group E, and the cell culture medium was collected to detect the levels of inflammatory factors by ELISA assay. After that, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and alizarin red staining were performed respectively in groups A, D, and E, and the expression levels of osteogenic related genes [collagen type Ⅰ alpha 1 chain (Col1a1) and RUNX family transcription factor 2 (Runx2)] were also detected by real time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR).@*RESULTS@#ELISA and Micro-CT assays showed that compared with Sham group, the bone mass of the rats in the OVX group significantly decreased, and the expression levels of serum inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in OVX group significantly increased (P<0.05). Significantly, the above indicators in OVX+MT group were all improved (P<0.05). Rat BMSCs were successfully extracted, and CCK-8 assay showed that 100 µmol/L was the maximum concentration of MT that did not cause a decrease in cell viability, and it was used in subsequent experiments. ELISA assays showed that compared with group A, the expression levels of inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in the cell culture medium of groups B-D were significantly increased after lipopolysaccharide stimulation (P<0.05), and in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, the expression levels of inflammatory factors in group D were significantly higher than those in groups B and C (P<0.05). After MT intervention, the expression levels of inflammatory factors in group E were significantly lower than those in group D (P<0.05). ALP staining, alizarin red staining, and RT-qPCR assays showed that compared with group A, the percentage of positive area of ALP and alizarin red and the relative mRNA expressions of Col1a1 and Runx2 in group D significantly decreased, while the above indicators in group E significantly improved after MT intervention (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#MT may affect the bone mass of postmenopausal osteoporosis by reducing inflammation in rats; MT can reduce the inflammation of BMSCs stimulated by lipopolysaccharide and weaken its inhibition of osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs.

Advances in the study of increased malignant potential of tumor cells after radiation / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Radiotherapy is an effective anti-tumor therapy for different types of solid tumors. Over 50% of cancer patients are treated with radiotherapy at different stages in the course of the disease. According to traditional radiobiology, radiation therapy mainly kills tumor cells by causing proliferative death of tumor cells through DNA damage. However, clinical data showed that many patients still experienced tumor recurrence and metastasis after receiving radiation therapy. Current studies have found that the biological behavior of tumor cells, such as invasion and migration, were changed after radiation through epithelial-mesenchymal transition, circadian rhythm disruption, senescence, and increased stemness of cancer cells, thereby leading to tumor recurrence and metastasis. In this article, the changes and mechanisms of biological behavior in tumor cells after radiation were reviewed, providing evidence for the prevention and treatment of tumor recurrence and metastasis.

Analysis of clinical, imaging and gene mutations in 2 pedigrees with hereditary spastic paraplegia type 7 / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical, imaging and genetic characteristics of 2 pedigrees with hereditary spastic paraplegia type 7 (SPG7).Methods:The clinical data of the probands and related members of 2 families hospitalized in the Department of Neurology of Henan Provincial People′s Hospital from December 2018 to December 2021 were collected. The probands and all family members were subjected to cranial MRI imaging and genetic testing, and the clinical characteristics and genetic variation of SPG7 families were compared with those reported in the literature.Results:Four patients from the 2 families were observed with adult-onset age in this group. The main manifestations were wide-base ataxic gait in 4 cases, and spastic gait in 1 case during follow-up. Pyramidal tract involvement mainly in the lower limbs were found in all cases, and dysarthria in 3 cases. MRI of 3 patients showed varying degrees of cerebellar atrophy. Genetic testing revealed compound heterozygous or homozygous variants of the SPG7 gene in the 4 patients, of which c.2062C>T and c.2176C>T were novel mutations. At present, only 5 SPG7 families have been reported in China. Among the 12 patients in all groups, 12 cases of pyramidal tract involvement, 10 cases of cerebellar ataxia, 7 cases of dysarticulation, 3 cases of cognitive impairment, 11 cases of complex hereditary spastic paraplegia, 1 case of simple hereditary spastic paraplegia, and 9 cases of cerebellar atrophy were reported. Six novel mutations have been reported in 5 families. Conclusions:SPG7 family is rarely reported in China, mainly manifested as pyramidal tract involvement combined with cerebellar ataxia, accompanied by cerebellar atrophy. SPG7 mutation is confirmed by genetic detection, and there are many novel mutations in SPG7 family in China.

Clinical analysis of middle-aged cases of macroencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts / 中华神经科杂志

Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC, OMIN: 604004) caused by mutations in the MLC1 gene, is an rare autosomal recessive disorder. More patients are with infancy and young children onset, whereas adult cases are rare. Only 2 patients from 1 family have been reported in domestic adult cases. Now a 58-year-old female MLC patient is reported. The clinical manifestations of the patient included large head circumference, slow responses, walking difficulties, seizures and paroxysmal loss of consciousness. The result of whole exome sequencing revealed a homozygous insertion mutation c.920_943dup in the MLC1 gene. The mutation in this patient has not been reported in the Human Gene Mutation Database.

Analysis of the clinical, pathological and genetic features of patients with myopathy-type very long chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical, pathological and genetic characteristics of myopathy-type very long chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency (VLCADD).Methods:The detailed clinical data, muscle biopsy pathology and molecular results of 4 patients with genetically confirmed myopathy-type VLCADD admitted to Henan Provincial People′s Hospital and Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from June 2014 to November 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:All of the 4 patients were late-onset myopathy-type VLCADD. The onset age ranged from 13 to 16 years, with a mean age of 14.5 years. The age at diagnosis ranged from 21 to 54 years, with a mean age of 42.5 years. The main clinical manifestation was repeated rhabdomyolysis, including myalgia, weakness and dark urine. Obvious somnolence was observerd in 1 patient. Muscle biopsy pathology revealed mild lipid accumulation, without vacuoles. Six ACADVL variations were detected in the 4 patients, including c.1283G>A (p.R428H), c.1532G>A (p.R511Q), c.833_835delAGA (p.K278del), c.1843C>T (p.R615 *), c.1748C>T (p.S583L) and c.1391C>T (p.T464I),among which c.1391C>T (p.T464I) was a novel variation, predicted to be likely pathogenic. Other 5 variations were reported pathogenic variations. Conclusions:Myopathy-type VLCADD is characterized by paroxysmal rhabdomyolysis and can be associated with somnolence. There is no specificity in muscle pathology. There are ACADVL variations, among which c.1391C>T is a novel variation.

Clinical characteristics and genetic analysis of a case with adult neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 7 due to variant of MFSD8 gene / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the clinical characteristics and genetic variants in a patient with adult ceroid lipofuscinosis neuronal type 7 (ACLN7).@*METHODS@#A female patient diagnosed with ACLN7 in Henan Provincial People's Hospital in June 2021 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data, auxiliary examination and result of genetic testing were retrospectively analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The patient, a 39-year-old female, has mainly presented progressive visual loss, epilepsy, cerebellar ataxia and mild cognitive decline. Neuroimaging analysis has revealed generalized brain atrophy, prominently cerebellum. Fundus photography has revealed retinitis pigmentosa. Ultrastructural skin examination has revealed granular lipofuscin deposits in the periglandular interstitial cells. Whole exome sequencing revealed that she has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the MSFD8 gene, namely c.1444C>T (p.R482*) and c.104G>A (p.R35Q). Among these, c.1444C>T (p.R482*) was a well established pathogenic variant, while c.104G>A (p.R35Q) was a missense variant unreported previously. Sanger sequencing confirmed that the daughter, son and elder brother of the proband have respectively carried heterozygous c.1444C>T (p.R482*), c.104G>A (p.R35Q), and c.104G>A (p.R35Q) variants of the same gene. The family has therefore fit with the autosomal recessive inheritance pattern of the CLN7.@*CONCLUSION@#Compared with previously reported cases, this patient has the latest onset of the disease with a non-lethal phenotype. Her clinical features have involved multiple systems. Cerebellar atrophy and fundus photography may be indicative of the diagnosis. The c.1444C>T (p.R482*) and c.104G>A (p.R35Q) compound heterozygous variants of the MFSD8 gene probably underlay the pathogenesis in this patient.

Clinical and imaging features and prognoses of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody associated disorders / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical and imaging features and prognoses of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody associated disorders (MOGAD).Methods:Thirty-nine MOGAD patients, admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to April 2021, were chosen in our study. The clinical and imaging data and follow-up results of these patients at acute attack period (first-onset or relapse) were collected and their features were analyzed.Results:In these 39 patients with MOGAD, 20 patients (51.3%) had non-reversing course, and 19 patients (48.7%) had relapsing course. The clinical and imaging data of 55 episodes of these 39 patients were collected. In these 55 episodes, optic neuritis was noted in 27 episodes (49.1%), encephalitis was noted in 10 episodes (18.2%), brainstem encephalitis was noted in 8 episodes (14.5%), meningoencephalitis in 2 episodes (14.5%), myelitis in 3 episodes (5.5%), encephalomyelitis in 1 episode (1.8%), optic neuromyelitis in 1 episode(1.8%), optic neuritis+meningoencephalitis in 2 episodes (3.6%), and optic neuritis+encephalitis in 1 episode (1.8%). The positive rate of antinuclear antibody (ANA) was 11.1% (4/36); the cerebrospinal fluid results of 28 samples were collected from 22 patients, and CSF pleocytosis occurred in 67.9% of the samples with value of 54.89±67.70×10 6/L. Twenty-seven brain MRIs of 19 patients at the acute episode were collected; one completely normal MRI was recorded; among the remaining 26 MRIs, 6 were with one single lesion, 5 were with 2 lesions, and 15 were with 3 or more lesions; in terms of distribution, lesions involving brainstem and its adjacent structures were found in 9 MRIs, lesions involving diencephalon and deep gray matter were found in 7 MRIs, supratentorial white matter lesions were found in 13 MRIs, and cortical lesions were found in 13 MRIs. Meningeal enhancement were found in 4 contrast-enhanced brain MRIs (4/20). Long or short segmental myelitis in the spinal MRIs was noted in spinal lesions, involving cervical spinal cord, thoracic spinal cord and conus, and the "H" sign could be seen in the cross section. All patients received steroids therapy at the acute phase and the doses of steroids were tapered down gradually. Thirty-eight patients (97.4%) had good prognosis after 3 months of treatment. Conclusions:MOGAD is a disease entity widely involving the white matter, gray matter and meninges of the central nervous system with various clinical manifestations such as optic neuritis, encephalitis, brainstem encephalitis, meningoencephalitis and myelitis or a combination of the above. Immunotherapy is effective in most patients, but the recurrence rate is high, and some patients require long-term immunotherapy.

Clinical and genetic features of 12 families with Pompe disease / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical and genetic features of Pompe disease, and analyze the effect of enzyme replacement therapy on it.Methods:A retrospective study was performed. The clinical data and genetic results of 14 patients with Pompe disease from 12 families, admitted to our hospital from January 2017 to June 2021, were collected. Some patients were followed up after therapies.Results:Twelve of the 14 patients were late onset, with onset age ranged from 1.5 to 37.0 years (mean 15.2 years), and the other 2 patients were infantile onset. The predominant manifestations included proximal lower limb weakness, accompanied by easy fatigue and myalgia; 8 patients presented with dyspnea, of which one had dyspnea as initial presentation. Serum creatine kinase ranged from 172 to 1397 IU/L (mean 878 IU/L). Electromyography revealed myogenic pattern in 6 patients and myotonic discharge in 4 patients. Forced vital capacity decreased in 10 patients, and scoliosis was detected in 5 patients; 13 patients had decreased acid-alpha-glucosidase (GAA) activity; muscle pathology indicated vacuolar myopathy in 8 patients. Genetic test revealed 17 variants in GAA gene, among which c.2331G>C, c.1622C>T, c.1585T>C, and c.1837T>C were 4 novel likely pathogenic variants. The c.2238G>C and c.2662G>T were found in 5 and 3 families, respectively. Muscle strength and lung function got improvement in 1 patient who received enzyme replacement therapy and had regular follow-up, while muscle strength and lung function were worsened in those who did not receive enzyme replacement therapy. Conclusions:Pompe disease is characterized by skeletal muscle weakness and pulmonary dysfunction, and may be associated with spinal deformity; creatine kinase is mildly to moderately elevated, and myotonic discharge can be detected. GAA c.2238G>C and c.2662G>T are hotspot mutations in China; the 4 novel variants enrich the GAA mutational spectrum. Enzyme replacement therapy may improve motor and pulmonary function.

Clinical features and imaging manifestations in 10 patients with genetically diagnosed adult-onset neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective:To summarize the clinical and imaging features of 10 patients with genetically diagnosed neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) to avoid clinical misdiagnosis and mismanagement of NIID.Methods:Ten patients with NIID, admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to March 2022, were chosen in our study. All patients were confirmed as having NIID by NOTCH2NLC gene assay. Their clinical data, gene detection results and skin pathological results were collected and anlyzed. Results:These patients aged from 57 to 84 years, including 8 females. The episodic symptoms as main symptoms were noted in 6 patients, including 3 patients with encephalopathy, 1 patient with TGA, 1 patient with stroke-like episode, and 1 patient with migraine-like symptoms. Chronic progressive symptoms as main symptoms were noted in 4 patients, including 3 patients with dementia and 1 patient with Parkinson's disease. There were characteristic linear hyper-intensities in diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) in the corticomedullary junction predominantly in the frontal lobes. White matter lesions appeared in T2 Flair might have been noted years before lesions appeared in DWI, with wider ranges. All had GGC repeated expansion in NOTCH2NLC gene in non-coding area, with mutation number>60. Skin biopsy was performed in 6 patients, showing the formation of intranuclear inclusion bodies in different cells; and ubiquitin and P62 were found positive in immunohistochemical staining. Conclusions:NIID patients have large clinical heterogeneity; most patients have episodic symptoms as main manifestations, often accompanied by chronic progressive symptoms; stroke attack and migraine are rare clinical phenotypes of NIID. The high signal at the cortical medullary junction in DWI is a characteristic imaging change.

Correlations of melanin concentration hormone with sleep disorder, memory dysfunction and prognoses after cerebral ischemic stroke / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the correlations of melanin concentration hormone (MCH) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum with sleep disorder, memory dysfunction and prognoses in patients with cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS).Methods:One hundred elderly CIS patients, admitted to Department of Neurology, He'nan Provincial People's Hospital from June 2021 to January 2022 were enrolled as CIS group, and 50 subjects collected from Physical Examination of the same hospital during the same period were enrolled as control group. MCH levels in the CSF and serum were detected by ELISA. Sleep quality was assessed by polysomnography and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Memory function was assessed by Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test 2 nd Edition (BMT-II). Prognoses were assessed by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 3 months after discharge. The clinical data and MCH levels of the two groups were compared; the differences in MCH levels among CIS patients with different degrees of sleep disorder, and different memory functions and prognoses were compared. Correlations of MCH level and sleep parameters with RBMT-II scores in these CIS patients were analyzed. Results:Compared with that in the control group, the proportion of patients with hypertension in CIS group was significantly higher ( P<0.05). Compared with the control group ([42.39±16.11] pg/mL), the serum MCH level in CIS group ([36.89±15.19] pg/mL) was statistically lower ( P<0.05). In CIS patients, patients with mild or severe sleep disorder had significantly decreased CSF MCH level compared with patients without sleep disorder ( P<0.05), patients with severe sleep disorder had significantly decreased CSF MCH level compared with patients with mild sleep disorder ( P<0.05); patients with severe sleep disorder had significantly decreased serum MCH level compared with patients without sleep disorder ( P<0.05); CSF MCH level was negatively correlated with PSQI scores, sleep latency and wake frequency ( P<0.05), and positively correlated with percentage of rapid eye movement ( P<0.05); serum MCH level in CIS patients was negatively correlated with PSQI scores and wake frequency ( P<0.05). In CIS patients, the CSF and serum MCH levels in patients with memory dysfunction was significantly lower compared with those with normal memory function ( P<0.05); a positive correlation was noted between RBMT-II scores and CSF MCH level ( P<0.05). In CIS patients, patients with poor prognosis had statistically lower CSF and serum MCH levels compared with those with good prognosis ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The serum MCH level in CIS patients is significantly decreased, which is closely related to the occurrence of sleep disorder and memory dysfunction after stroke; and they further affects the prognoses.

Clinical features in 8 patients of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with positive real-time quaking-induced conversion / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To report 8 patients of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) with real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) positive and analyze their clinical characteristics.Methods:The medical records of patients discharged from Henan Provincial People′s Hospital from January 2018 to May 2021 who were diagnosed with clinically probable sCJD and had RT-QuIC test were retrospectively analyzed. General information (gender, age, initial symptom, main clinical manifestations), accessory examination [brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalogram, cerebrospinal fluid 14-3-3 protein, prion protein gene, antibodies related to autoimmune encephalitis and paraneoplastic syndrome] were collected. By a telephone-based follow-up survey, data about morality and total duration of course were collected. The patients were divided into two groups according to electroencephalogram, 14-3-3 protein, duration of disease and MRI results, and the differences of fluorescence peak time and fluorescence peak value in RT-QuIC results between groups were compared.Results:Among 8 patients, 7 patients had subacute onset and 1 patient had chronic onset. Main clinical manifestations included progressive cognitive decline (8/8), pyramid sign (5/8), walking instability (4/8), mental and behavior disorder (4/8), myoclonus (4/8), akinetic mutism (4/8), dizziness (3/8), limb shaking (2/8), dysarthria (2/8), visual hallucination (1/8), impaired vision (1/8). All cases had abnormal electroencephalogram and typical periodic sharp slow compound waves (PSWCs) were observed in 5 cases. Brain MRI showed high signal intensity in the cerebral cortex and/or basal ganglia on diffusion-weighted imaging in 7 cases, of which 6 cases involved bilateral basal ganglia. Cerebrospinal fluid 14-3-3 protein was positive in 2 cases, and RT-QuIC was positive in all cases. The fluorescence peak time of RT-QuIC was shorter in patients with PSWCs [(7.617±2.164) h vs (10.602±2.247) h, t=2.84, P=0.010] and high total MRI score [ (7.600±1.907) h vs (9.760±2.457) h, t=2.26, P=0.032]. Conclusions:RT-QuIC detection is a reliable method for early diagnosis of sCJD. RT-QuIC results were related to PSWCs and degree of MRI involvement.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation at low frequency can promote the recovery of neurological functioning after a stroke / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To explore any effect of repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the recovery of neurological functioning and the expression of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and inflammatory factors after ischemic stroke.Methods:Sixty-four C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a normal control group, a model group, a sham stimulation group and an observation group, each of 16. All mice except those of the normal control group received middle cerebral artery occlusion using the suture method to model an ischemic stroke. After the modeling the observation group was given 1Hz rTMS daily for 7 consecutive days, while the sham stimulation group was given sham rTMS. After the intervention, Zea-Longa scores were used for all of the groups, and the size of the cerebral infarct was measured using triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. The expression of NLRP3 around the cerebral infarction was detected using immunofluorescence, while that in the brain tissue was measured using Western blotting. The expression of interleukin-1β and IL-18 in the brain tissue was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.Results:Compared with the normal control group, a significant increase was observed in the other groups′ average neurological function impairment scores. Expression of NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 in the model and sham stimulation groups also increased, with large cerebral infarcts in the cortex and hippocampus. Compared with the sham stimulation and model groups, there was a significant decrease in the average neurological dysfunction scores, the area of cerebral infarction in the cortex and hippocampus, as well as the expression of NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 in the observation group.Conclusions:Low-frequency rTMS can promote the recovery of damaged nerve function after an ischemic stroke, at least in mice. It can reduce the size of cerebral infarction, and inhibit neuronal pyroptosis, which is closely related to the down-regulation of NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 expression.

Pay attention to the relationship between cognitive reserve and vascular cognitive impairment / 中华神经科杂志

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), one of the most common causes of cognitive impairment, severely influences the lifetime and daily life abilities in the elder population. Cognitive reserve (CR) can compensate the damage caused by aging and brain pathology. The risk factors of CR include intelligence quality, education, occupation achievement, leisure activities, bilingualism, traumatic brain injury and vascular risk factors. Single proxy indicator and questionnaire composed of several different proxy indicators have been developed to measure CR. Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire is the most commonly used scale of CR. CR is not only associated with the severity of post-stroke cognitive impairment, but also the rapid cognitive recovery early after stroke. CR also plays a great role in the cognitive impairment related to small cerebral vessel diseases. Many problems on CR exist among the clinical application and clinical research, such as the underlying biological mechanisms, excessively emphasizing socioeconomic indicators in the CR questionnaire and unclear weighting score of single indicators in the CR questionnaire. More attention should be paid to mechanism research and relationship between CR and VCI.

Mechanism of blood brain barrier in the pathogenesis and therapeutics of multiple sclerosis / 中华神经科杂志

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system, the underlying cause of which has not been cleared. Previous studies have shown that the pathogenesis of MS is related to the destruction of blood brain barrier, furthermore the drugs used to treat MS have a certain protective effect on the function of blood brain barrier. Therefore, this review combines the research progress at home and abroad to clarify the relationship between the blood brain barrier and MS in pathogenesis and treatment, proposing possible orientation of development.

A family of adult-onset autosomal dominant leukodystrophy / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical data and gene mutation of a family of adult-onset autosomal dominant leukodystrophy (ADLD).Methods:The clinical data and neuroimaging features of a family of ADLD (4 generation, 5 patients), admitted to our hospital in January 2020, were retrospectively analyzed. Whole exome sequencing was performed in DNA from peripheral blood of the proband and some family members. Fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to verify the pathogenic genes of the proband and family members.Results:The clinical manifestations included abnormal autonomic dysfunction (transient hypoglycemia and dilated pupil), chronic spastic paraplegia, and movement disorder in the proband and other patients in the family; their neuroimaging features included extensive involvement of the white matter, cerebellar peduncles, corpus callosum, and spinal cord. A duplication of 1-11 coding exons in the LMNB1 gene was identified in the proband. Fluorescent quantitative PCR verified that duplication of 1, 5 and 11 coding exons in the LMNB1 gene was identified in the proband and 2 sisters. Conclusion:The duplication of 1-11 coding exons in the LMNB1 gene can cause ADLD, and the clinical manifestations, neuroimaging and genetic characteristics should be comprehensively analyzed in the diagnosis of ADLD .

Clinical and genetic features of three Chinese patients with myotonia congenita / 中风与神经疾病杂志

@#ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical，pathological features and gene mutation of three Chinese patients with myotonia congenita（MC）. Methods The clinical，muscle pathology and molecular information of 3 unrelated Chinese patients with MC were analyzed retrospectively from January 2016 to November 2018 at Department of Neurology，Henan Provincial People’s Hospital，1 of which had a family history. Results Onset of the disease of the 3 patients with MC started at infancy or early adolescence. Among the 3 patients，patient 1 and patient 2 had the first symptom of lower limb stiffness，later the upper limbs were or were not involved as the disease progresses，which appears upon initiating movement，and patient 3 had the first symptom of upper limb stiffness，later the orbicularis oris，eyelid muscles and lower limbs were also involveded as the disease progresses，which appears upon initiating movement and long time running. The symtoms of the 3 patients all improved after repetitive muscle contractions. The symptoms of patient 2 and patient 3 tended to aggravate during cold weather，patient 1 tended to aggravate when she was tired or stressed. Electromyography in the 3 patients all showed myotonia discharges. Muscle pathlogy of the 3 patients showed mild myopathic changes or normal. Genetic testing revealed that patient 1 had a heterozygous p.W303R mutation in the chloride channel 1（CLCN1） gene，patient 2 had a heterozygous p.C254W mutation in the CLCN1 gene，and patient 3 had the compound heterozygous mutations of p.R626* mutation and p.M470V mutation in the CLCN1 gene. Conclusions Muscle stiffness at motor initiation and improved with several repetitions of the same movement are the classic characteristics of MC. The p.C254W and p.M470V mutations may be two new missense mutations in the CLCN1 gene.

Efficacy and safety of Fasudil on vasospasm caused by subarachnoid hemorrhage in elderly patients / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of fasudil on vasospasm caused by subarachnoid hemorrhage in elderly patients.Methods:A total of 100 elderly patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage admitted to our hospital from January 2015 to May 2018 were enrolled as research objects.They were randomly divided into the Fasudil group(n=50, receiving the Rho kinase inhibitor Fasudil therapy)and the Nimodipine group(n=50, receiving Nimodipine therapy). The cerebral vasospasm and cerebral infarction lesions, the ability of daily life, clinical prognostic score, the incidence of symptomatic cerebral vasospasm and adverse reactions during treatment were evaluated and compared between the two groups.Results:After treatment, the incidences of cerebral vasospasm and cerebral infarction in Fasudil group were 2.04%(1/49)and 6.12%(3/49), respectively, which were lower than those in the Nimodipine group[12.50%(6/48)and 20.83%(10/48), respectively]( χ2=6.134 and 6.794, P=0.047 and 0.033). The scores of daily living ability was better in the Fasudil group than in the Nimodipine group(16.09±1.06 vs.22.91±1.66, t=7.721, P=0.026). The incidence of adverse reactions was lower in the Fasudil group than in the Nimodipine group(4.08% or 2/49 vs.16.7% or 8/48, χ2=6.362, P=0.040). There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients with good prognosis between Fasudil group and Nimodipine group. Conclusions:Rho kinase inhibitor Fasudil can effectively prevent and improve cerebral vasospasm caused by subarachnoid hemorrhage, which is beneficial for improving the clinical prognosis and quality of life of the elderly patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage.

A Chinese pedigree of familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusions bodies / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To report the clinical and genetic features of a pedigree with familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusions bodies (FENIB) and to enhance the understanding of the disease.Methods:The proband was admitted to Department of Neurology, Henan Provincial People′s Hospital in June 2020 due to cognitive impairment and epilepsy. Detailed medical history inquiry, physical examinations, and neuroimaging examination of the family were conducted. The proband completed the examination of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalogram (EEG), cerebrospinal fluid examinations. Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were used to screen the genetic variations in the proband. Sanger sequencing was performed in some family members to verify the mutation. Through literature review, the characteristics of the disease were summarized.Results:The proband was a 23-year-old young female with progressive cognitive impairment, epilepsy as the main manifestations. Brain MRI indicated moderate atrophy of bilateral cerebral cortex. Genetic sequencing revealed a heterozygous missense mutation (c.1013A>G; p.H338R) of SERPINI1 gene encoding the neuroserine protease inhibitor protein. The proband′s mother and brother had similar clinical symptoms in adolescence. Both of them passed away several years later. This mutation was a proven pathogenic mutation for FENIB. The clinical phenotype was consistent within the family. Genotype and clinical phenotype were co-segregated.Conclusion:FENIB due to SERPINI1 gene mutations should be considered in young cases of cognitive decline, epilepsy and myoclonus.

Exploration and challenge of CADASIL genetics research / 中华神经科杂志

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is the most common single gene hereditary cerebral small vessel disease in adults. With the development of gene sequencing technology and imaging, the disease is more and more recognized by people. In this paper, according to the research progress in recent years, the mutation types of NOTCH3 gene in CADASIL patients, the hot spot regions and sites of mutation in different populations, and the relationship between genotype and phenotype were summarized from the perspective of genetics. The future gene therapy of the disease was prospected.