Frontiers in neurology
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Super refractory status epilepticus (SRSE) is an important and recently recognized neurological emergency. ⋯ SRSE occurred in 13% patients with SE and 43% of them died. The SRSE patients with treatable etiology had a better outcome.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2017
Dedifferentiation Does Not Account for Hyperconnectivity after Traumatic Brain Injury.
Changes in functional network connectivity following traumatic brain injury (TBI) have received increasing attention in recent neuroimaging literature. This study sought to understand how disrupted systems adapt to injury during resting and goal-directed brain states. Hyperconnectivity has been a common finding, and dedifferentiation (or loss of segregation of networks) is one possible explanation for this finding. We hypothesized that individuals with TBI would show dedifferentiation of networks (as noted in other clinical populations) and these effects would be associated with cognitive dysfunction. ⋯ The primary hypothesis that hyperconnectivity occurs through dedifferentiation was not supported. [corrected]. Instead, enhanced connectivity post injury was observed within network. Results suggest that the relationship between increased connectivity and cognitive functioning may be both state (rest or task) and network dependent. High-cost network hubs were identical for both rest and task, and cost was negatively associated with performance on measures of psychomotor speed and set-shifting.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2017
Structural, Functional, and Metabolic Brain Markers Differentiate Collision versus Contact and Non-Contact Athletes.
There is growing concern about how participation in contact sports affects the brain. Retrospective evidence suggests that contact sports are associated with long-term negative health outcomes. However, much of the research to date has focused on former athletes with significant health problems. ⋯ In contrast, the collision group showed significant reductions in functional connectivity and the NAA/Cr metabolite ratio, relative to only the non-contact group, while the contact group overlapped with both non-contact and collision groups. For brain regions associated with contact sport participation, athletes with a history of concussion also showed greater alterations in FA and functional connectivity, indicating a potential cumulative effect of both contact exposure and concussion history on brain physiology. These findings indicate persistent differences in brain physiology for athletes participating in contact and collision sports, which should be considered in future studies of concussion and subconcussive impacts.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2017
Functional Changes of the Perigenual Part of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex after External Trigeminal Neurostimulation in Migraine Patients.
To explore the functional reorganization of the pain processing network during trigeminal heat stimulation (THS) after 60 days of external trigeminal neurostimulation (eTNS) in migraine without aura (MwoA) patients between attacks. ⋯ Our findings suggest that eTNS treatment with the Cefaly® device induces a functional antinociceptive modulation in the ACC that is involved in the mechanisms underlying its preventive anti-migraine efficacy. Nevertheless, further observations to confirm whether the observed fMRI effects of eTNS are both related to clinical improvement and specific to antinociceptive modulation in migraine patients are mandatory.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2017
Anti-Inflammatory and Neuroprotective Effects of Co-UltraPEALut in a Mouse Model of Vascular Dementia.
Vascular dementia (VaD), the second most common cause of cognitive impairment in the population, is a disease that results from reduction in regional cerebral blood flow and involves oxidative stress and inflammation. Co-ultramicronized PEALut (co-ultra PEALut) is a new compound with beneficial effects, which include anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Recently, co-ultraPEALut has been shown to exhibit neuroprotective effects in models of Parkinson's disease, cerebral ischemia and Alzheimer's disease. ⋯ Furthermore following carotid arteries ligation, mice treated with co-ultraPEALut showed a modification of proinflammatory, proapoptotic proteins and of oxidative stress as evidenced by the expression of IκB-α, NF-κB p65, Bax, Bcl-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2. In order, co-ultraPEALut treatment restored VaD-induced loss of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophins 3 (NT-3) expression in mice. These results confirmed that the neuroprotective effects of co-ultraPEALut were associated with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.