[Correlation of vasogenic white matter lesions and retinal vascular network parameters].

Objective: To investigate the correlation of vasogenic white matter lesions with retinal vascular network parameters using fully automatic retinal image analysis of fundus photographs. Methods: A total of 106 patients with cerebral small vessel disease who were hospitalized in Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University during March and October 2015, and were able to undertake cerebral MRI and fundus photography in a sitting position were included. They were divided into two groups (mild or moderate-severe) according to the Fazekas scores of periventricular white matter lesions and deep white matter lesions shown by MRI. The clinical data and retinal vascular network parameters were compared between mild and moderate-severe groups. Results: According to the severity of periventricular white matter lesions, Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting baseline information, decreased asymmetry index of artery (OR=1.71, 95%CI 1.02-2.88, P<0.05)was associated with periventricular white matter lesions. As for deep white matter lesions, Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting baseline information, decreased central retinal artery equivalent(OR=5.19, 95%CI 1.06-25.44, P<0.05), decreased asymmetry index of artery (OR=2.96, 95%CI 1.42-6.17, P<0.05), decreased asymmetry index of venule (OR=2.99, 95%CI 1.48-6.02, P<0.05) and increased central retinal vein equivalent (OR=0.14, 95%CI 0.03-0.67, P<0.05) were associated with deep white matter lesions. Conclusions: White matter lesions of different places could be contributed to different pathological process. Therefore, the early diagnosis and observation of them are applicable to different retinal vascular network parameters.

Effect of bilateral deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE: A prospective cohort study to evaluate the efficacy of bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) on freezing of gait (FOG) in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. METHODS: Patients (n = 10) with advanced Parkinson's disease were surgically implanted with microelectrodes to facilitate STN-DBS. Evaluations of FOG, motor function, activities of daily living and neuropsychological function were carried out in on-medication and off-medication states (with and without levodopa treatment), before surgery and at 6 and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: STN-DBS was associated with significant improvement in FOG score and neuropsychological function at both 6 and 12 months postoperatively, compared with preoperatively. Significant postoperative improvements were also observed in motor function and activities of daily living. Daily levodopa dosage was significantly lower at both 6 and 12 months postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: STN-DBS improved FOG in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. The significant reduction in levodopa dosage and improvement in neuropsychological function may be the reason for the therapeutic effect seen with STN-DBS.