Frontiers in neurology
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2020
ReviewGut Microbiota in Acute Ischemic Stroke: From Pathophysiology to Therapeutic Implications.
The microbiota-gut-brain axis is considered a central regulator of the immune system after acute ischemic stroke (AIS), with a potential role in determining outcome. Several pathways are involved in the evolution of gut microbiota dysbiosis after AIS. Brain-gut and gut-brain signaling pathways involve bidirectional communication between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the autonomic nervous system, the enteric nervous system, and the immune cells of the gut. ⋯ Furthermore, the systemic inflammatory response after AIS may yield liver, renal, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular impairment, including the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. This review focus on biochemical, immunological, and neuroanatomical modulation of gut microbiota and its possible systemic harmful effects after AIS, as well as the role of ischemic stroke on microbiota composition. Finally, we highlight the role of gut microbiota as a potential novel therapeutic target in acute ischemic stroke.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2020
Case ReportsA Case of Recurrent Painful Ophthalmoplegic Neuropathy.
Ophthalmoplegic migraine (OM) is characterized by recurrent episodes of headache with unilateral ophthalmoplegia due to paresis of cranial nerve III, IV, or VI. The recent revision to the International Headache Classification has reclassified it as recurrent painful ophthalmoplegic neuropathy (RPON). However, it is of note that the presentation of oculomotor nerve tumors may mimic RPON. ⋯ MRI performed during this attack revealed a nodular enhancing lesion described as schwannoma of the left oculomotor nerve, and on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), the nerve was isointense to the midbrain. The nodular enhancement became weaker, and the nerve's signal on DWI disappeared 3 months later as the patient's symptoms resolved mostly. This is the first case of RPON demonstrating an obvious change in signal of the affected nerve on DWI during the attack and remission.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2020
Electroacupuncture Alleviates Mechanical Allodynia of a Rat Model of CRPS-I and Modulates Gene Expression Profiles in Dorsal Root Ganglia.
Complex regional pain syndrome type-I (CRPS-I) is chronic neurological disorder accompanied with devastating pain. Most conventional medical treatments lack effectiveness, making CRPS-I a challenging clinical condition. Electroacupuncture (EA) showed effectiveness in alleviating the pain symptoms of CRPS-I patients. ⋯ Further bioinformatics analysis identified the up-regulation of an array of genes involved in biological process such as neutrophil chemotaxis and immune response in the DRGs of CPIP model rats after EA treatment. Thus, these results suggest that EA may alleviate pain response in CPIP model rats via regulating multiple genes. Our work may help to further advance the understandings of the molecular mechanisms underlying EA's therapeutic effects on CRPS-I and help to identify novel targets for CRPS-I treatment.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2020
Long-Term Effect of Acupuncture on the Medical Expenditure and Risk of Depression and Anxiety in Migraine Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.
Background: Migraine, a common neurological disorder, increases the risk of psychiatric disorders. Currently, the efficacy of conventional therapies is considered unsatisfactory. Acupuncture has been gaining popularity in treatment of neuropsychiatric disease. ⋯ The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the cumulative incidence of depression and anxiety was significantly lower in the acupuncture cohort than in the non-acupuncture cohort during the 13-year follow-up period (log-rank test, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Acupuncture could reduce medical expenditure and the risk of depression and anxiety during the long-term follow-up period in migraine patients. However, the regulatory effects and mechanisms should be assessed in further clinical research.
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Frontiers in neurology · Jan 2020
Effect of Low Intensity Transcranial Ultrasound (LITUS) on Post-traumatic Brain Edema in Rats: Evaluation by Isotropic 3-Dimensional T2 and Multi-TE T2 Weighted MRI.
Background: Brain edema is one of the important factors affecting the prognosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound (LITUS) has significant anti-cerebral edema effect. T2-weighted image-based volume and T2 value measurements can sensitively reflect tissue edema. ⋯ The edema volume at day 7 and 14 in the LITUS group was significantly lower than the TBI group (P = 0.0004 and P < 0.0001, respectively). AQP-4 and β-APP protein staining showed a strong positive reaction near the CCI point, TBI+LITUS group showed a medium positive reaction, and the sham control group showed a weak positive reaction. Conclusion: The therapeutic effect of LITUS on post-traumatic brain edema was confirmed through T2 value and edema volume, and the mechanism may be related to inhibiting the expression of AQP-4 and promoting the removal of β-APP.