Brain : a journal of neurology
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Alterations in brain structure and functional connectivity in prescription opioid-dependent patients.
A dramatic increase in the use and dependence of prescription opioids has occurred within the last 10 years. The consequences of long-term prescription opioid use and dependence on the brain are largely unknown, and any speculation is inferred from heroin and methadone studies. Thus, no data have directly demonstrated the effects of prescription opioid use on brain structure and function in humans. ⋯ Finally, changes in amygdala functional connectivity were observed to have a significant dependence on amygdala volume and white matter anisotropy of efferent and afferent pathways of the amygdala. These findings suggest that prescription opioid dependence is associated with structural and functional changes in brain regions implicated in the regulation of affect and impulse control, as well as in reward and motivational functions. These results may have important clinical implications for uncovering the effects of long-term prescription opioid use on brain structure and function.
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Comparative Study
Subthalamic span of beta oscillations predicts deep brain stimulation efficacy for patients with Parkinson's disease.
The significance of oscillations that characterize the subthalamic nucleus in Parkinson's disease is still under debate. Here, we analysed the spectral and spatial characteristics of 314 microelectrode trajectories from 128 patients undergoing subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation surgery for Parkinson's disease. We correlated the subthalamic nucleus pathophysiology with the outcome of surgery, as evaluated by the third section of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (motor score), which was subdivided into tremor, rigidity, limb-bradykinesia and axial-bradykinesia subscores. beta-oscillatory activity (13-30 Hz) comprised a continuous stretch within the subthalamic nucleus, and was limited to a distinctly-bounded dorsolateral oscillatory region. ⋯ On average, the location of the active contact was not significantly different from the dorsolateral oscillatory region centre (P=0.10), but was significantly different from the subthalamic nucleus centre (P<0.0001). We conclude that the spatial extent of the dorsolateral oscillatory region, which overlaps the motor territories of the subthalamic nucleus, predicts the outcome of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation. Thus the frequency and spatial characteristics of the subthalamic nucleus trajectory may be used for deep brain stimulation outcome optimization.
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Comparative Study
The natural history of multiple sclerosis: a geographically based study 10: relapses and long-term disability.
The relationship of relapses to long-term disability in multiple sclerosis is uncertain. Relapse reduction is a common therapeutic target but clinical trials have shown dissociation between relapse suppression and disability accumulation. We investigated relationships between relapses and disability progression for outcomes of requiring assistance to walk, being bedridden and dying from multiple sclerosis [Disability Status Scale 6, 8, 10] by analysing 28 000 patient-years of evolution in 806-bout onset patients from the London Ontario natural history cohort. ⋯ Higher early relapse frequencies and shorter first inter-attack intervals herald more rapid deterioration via interaction with the neurodegeneration characterizing secondary progression. They increase the probability of its occurrence, its latency and influence--to a lesser degree--its slope. The prevention or delay of the progressive phase of the disease is implicated as a key therapeutic target in relapsing-remitting patients.