Frontiers in neuroscience
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Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2021
The Relationships Among Transverse Sinus Stenosis Measured by CT Venography, Venous Trans-stenotic Pressure Gradient and Intracranial Pressure in Patients With Unilateral Venous Pulsatile Tinnitus.
To assess a non-invasive means of predicting a venous trans-stenotic pressure gradient (TPG) and intracranial pressure (ICP) as opposed to invasive examinations in unilateral venous pulsatile tinnitus (PT) patients. ⋯ TSS, TPG, and ICP are interrelated. TSS measured by CTV can predict TPG in patients with unilateral venous PT.
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Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2021
The Effect of Spinal Cord Stimulation Frequency on the Neural Response and Perceived Sensation in Patients With Chronic Pain.
The effect of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) amplitude on the activation of dorsal column fibres has been widely studied through the recording of Evoked Compound Action Potentials (ECAPs), the sum of all action potentials elicited by an electrical stimulus applied to the fibres. ECAP amplitude grows linearly with stimulus current after a threshold, and a larger ECAP results in a stronger stimulus sensation for patients. This study investigates the effect of stimulus frequency on both the ECAP amplitude as well as the perceived stimulus sensation in patients undergoing SCS therapy for chronic back and/or leg pain. ⋯ This work supports the hypothesis that SCS-induced paraesthesia is conveyed through both frequency coding and population coding, fitting known psychophysics of tactile sensory information processing. The inverse relationship between ECAP amplitude and sensation for increasing frequencies at fixed stimulus amplitude questions common assumptions of monotonic relationships between ECAP amplitude and sensation strength.
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Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2021
Systematic Review: Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) of Brain Iron Profile in Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Iron has been increasingly implicated in the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. In the past decade, development of the new magnetic resonance imaging technique, quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), has enabled for the more comprehensive investigation of iron distribution in the brain. The aim of this systematic review was to provide a synthesis of the findings from existing QSM studies in neurodegenerative diseases. ⋯ As a general pattern, QSM revealed increased magnetic susceptibility (suggestive of increased iron content) in the brain regions associated with the pathology of each disorder, such as the amygdala and caudate nucleus in Alzheimer's disease, the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease, motor cortex in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, basal ganglia in Huntington's disease, and cerebellar dentate nucleus in Friedreich's ataxia. Furthermore, the increased magnetic susceptibility correlated with disease duration and severity of clinical features in some disorders. Although the number of studies is still limited in most of the neurodegenerative diseases, the existing evidence suggests that QSM can be a promising tool in the investigation of neurodegeneration.
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Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2021
ReviewRole of Neuroimmune Crosstalk in Mediating the Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Effects of Acupuncture on Inflammatory Pain.
Inflammatory pain is caused by peripheral tissue injury and inflammation. Inflammation leads to peripheral sensitization, which may further cause central sensitization, resulting in chronic pain and progressive functional disability. Neuroimmune crosstalk plays an essential role in the development and maintenance of inflammatory pain. ⋯ It also reduces the excitability of the pain pathway by reducing the release of excitatory neurotransmitters and promoting the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters from neurons and glial cells. In conclusion, the regulation of neuroimmune crosstalk at the peripheral and central levels mediates the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of acupuncture on inflammatory pain in an integrated manner. These findings provide novel insights enabling the clinical application of acupuncture in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
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Frontiers in neuroscience · Jan 2021
ReviewNeurofilament Light Chain as Biomarker for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are two related currently incurable neurodegenerative diseases. ALS is characterized by degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons causing relentless paralysis of voluntary muscles, whereas in FTD, progressive atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain results in deterioration of cognitive functions, language, personality, and behavior. In contrast to Alzheimer's disease (AD), ALS and FTD still lack a specific neurochemical biomarker reflecting neuropathology ex vivo. ⋯ The latter has promoted innovative studies demonstrating longitudinal kinetics of NFL in presymptomatic individuals harboring gene mutations causing ALS and FTD. Especially in ALS, NFL levels are generally stable over time, which, together with their correlation with progression rate, makes NFL an ideal pharmacodynamic biomarker for therapeutic trials. In this review, we illustrate the significance of NFL as biomarker for ALS and FTD and discuss unsolved issues and potential for future developments.