Neurocritical care
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Elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has been associated with thrombotic disorders including myocardial infarction, venous thromboembolism, and ischemic stroke, independent of other inflammatory and coagulation biomarkers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether elevated RDW is associated with cerebral infarction and poor outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). ⋯ RDW elevation is associated with cerebral infarction and poor outcome after aSAH. Further evaluation of this association is warranted as it may shed light on mechanistic relations between anemia, inflammation, and thrombosis after aSAH.
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Simulation is becoming a more common modality in medical education. The data regarding effectiveness of simulation in critical care neurology education are limited. ⋯ Simulation is an effective means of neurologic education for critical care trainees, with improvement in both medical knowledge and trainee confidence after completion of a three-scenario simulation experience. This course ensures the exposure of critical care trainees to neurologic diseases that are required curricular milestones to successfully complete the fellowship training program.
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The antidepressant-like effects of simvastatin on traumatic brain injury (TBI) remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of simvastatin and determine whether simvastatin attenuates TBI-induced depression-like behavior and, more specifically, acts as an antineuroinflammatory. ⋯ Intraperitoneal injection of simvastatin attenuated TBI in rats during the acute stage by reducing neuronal apoptosis, microglia, and TNF-α expression, thereby resulting in a reduction of depressive-like behavior. Our results suggest that simvastatin may be a promising treatment for TBI-induced depression-like behavior.
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Transplantation of bone marrow or adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for various neurological disorders has yielded promising results in models of focal cerebral ischemia. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are a type of MSC. In serum-free culture, they can form neurospheres that contain nestin-positive neuronal progenitor cells. We hypothesized that transplantation of dental pulp-derived neurosphere cells would ameliorate outcomes of global cerebral ischemia, the pathophysiology of which is known to resist conventional treatments. We also hypothesized that transplantation of dental pulp-derived cells would provide some neuroprotection in this pathology due to the presence of DPSCs. ⋯ Transplantation of dental pulp-derived neurosphere cells ameliorated outcomes of global cerebral ischemia. It was also demonstrated that dental pulp-derived cell administration provided some neuroprotection.