Resting-State Magnetoencephalography Reveals Neurobiological Bridges Between Pain and Cognitive Impairment.

INTRODUCTION: Pain has been identified as a risk factor for cognitive dysfunction, which in turn affects pain perception. Although pain, cognitive dysfunction, and their interaction are clinically important, the neural mechanism connecting the two phenomena remains unclear. METHODS: The resting-state brain activity of 38 participants was measured using magnetoencephalography before and after the patients underwent selective nerve root block (SNRB) for the treatment of their pain. We then assessed the extent to which these data correlated with the subjective levels of pain experienced by the patients across SNRB based on the visual analogue scale and the cognitive status of the patients measured after SNRB using the Japanese versions of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-J). RESULTS: Slow oscillations (delta) in the right precentral gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, and left superior frontal gyrus were negatively correlated with the subjective level of pain, and fast oscillations (gamma) in the right insular cortex and right middle temporal gyrus before SNRB were negatively correlated with the MMSE-J score afterwards. These correlations disappeared after SNRB. CONCLUSION: The presently observed changes in neural activity, as indicated by oscillation changes, might represent the transient bridge between pain and cognitive dysfunction in patients with severe pain. Our findings underscore the importance of treating pain before a transient diminishment of cognitive function becomes persistent.

Perfluoroalkyl Grignard Reagents: NMR Study of 1-Heptafluoropropylmagnesium Chloride in Solution.

We report on the generation of a perfluoroalkyl Grignard reagent ((F)RMgX) by exchange reaction between a perfluoroalkyl iodide ((F)R-I) and a Grignard reagent (RMgX). (19)F NMR was applied to monitor the generation of n-C3F7MgCl. Additional NMR techniques, including (19)F COSY, NOESY, and pulsed gradient spin-echo (PGSE) diffusion NMR, were invoked to assign peaks observed in (19)F spectrum. Schlenk equilibrium was observed and was significantly influenced by solvent, diethyl ether, or THF.

Chemo-, regio-, and stereo-selective perfluoroalkylations by a Grignard complex with zirconocene.

The synthesis of highly reactive perfluoroalkyl Grignard reagents with early transition metal zirconocene complexes and their new types of highly chemo-, regio-, and stereo-selective perfluoroalkylation reactions are reported with epoxides in particular. The zirconocene complex is advantageous in activating the perfluoroalkyl Grignard species. The zirconocene·Grignard complexes were clarified by DOSY. Both (1)H and (19)F DOSY analyses show that the addition of MAO and dioxane to the mixture of RFMgCl and Cp2ZrCl2 connects Cp2Zr and RFMg to generate the zirconocene/perfluoroalkyl-Grignard/dioxane complex.