Plos One
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Previous neuroimaging studies have provided evidence of structural and functional reorganization of brain in patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). However, it remains unknown whether the spontaneous brain activity changes in acute SCI. In this study, we investigated intrinsic brain activity in acute SCI patients using a regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. ⋯ Our findings indicate that acute distant neuronal damage has an immediate impact on spontaneous brain activity. In acute SCI patients, the ReHo was prominently altered in brain regions involved in motor execution and cognitive control, default mode network, and which are associated with sensorimotor compensatory reorganization. Abnormal ReHo values in the left thalamus and right insula could serve as potential biomarkers for assessment of neuronal damage and the prediction of clinical outcomes in acute SCI.
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Recently, the noble gas argon attracted significant attention due to its neuroprotective properties. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is still poorly understood. There is growing evidence that the extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) is involved in Argon´s protective effect. We hypothesized that argon mediates its protective effects via the upstream located toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2 and 4. ⋯ These findings suggest that argon-mediated anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective effects are mediated via inhibition of TLR2 and TLR4.
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Pain-related anxiety and fear are associated with increased difficulties in attention, increased awareness of pain, impaired disengagement from pain, and can moderate the effects of attentional coping attempts. Accurately assessing the direct impact of pain-related anxiety and fear on pain behavior has proved difficult. Studies have demonstrated no or limited influence of pain-related fear and anxiety on behavior but this may be due to inherent problems with the scales used. ⋯ Similarly, increased BOLD responses in patients compared to controls in the frontal pole, paracingulate and the supplementary motor cortex may be suggestive of a memory component to the responses The amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, substantia nigra/ventral tegmentum, putamen, thalamus, pallidum, inferior parietal (supramarginal and angular gyrus) and cingulate cortex were also seen to have greater differences in BOLD signal changes in patients compared with controls and many of these regions are also associated with general phobic responses. Therefore, we suggest that PIT is a useful task to explore pain- and movement-related anxiety and fear in fMRI studies. Regions in the Default Mode Network remained active or were less deactivated during the PIT task in patients with CMSKP compared to healthy controls supporting the contention that the DMN is abnormal in patients with CMSKP.
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To understand the barriers and enablers for UK healthcare workers who are considering going to work in the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa, but have not yet volunteered. ⋯ More UK healthcare workers would volunteer to help tackle Ebola in West Africa if there was better information available, including clarity about roles, cover arrangements, and training. This could be achieved with a well-publicised high quality portal of reliable information.
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midregional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) is a prognostic biomarker in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We sought to confirm whether MR-proADM added to Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) improves the potential prognostic value of PSI alone, and tested to what extent this combination could be useful in predicting poor outcome of patients with CAP in an Emergency Department (ED). ⋯ MR-proADM in combination with PSI may be helpful in individual risk stratification for short-term poor outcome of CAP patients, allowing a better reclassification of patients compared with PSI alone.