Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology
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Serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has been reported to have high diagnosis accuracy for differentiating intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) from ischemic stroke (IS) in patients within acute phase of stroke symptom onset. Our purpose was to perform a systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis to evaluate the valuation of serum GFAP in the early identification of ICH and IS. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and other electronic databases for diagnostic accuracy studies that compared serum GFAP with standard clinical diagnosis of ICH and IS in patients with symptoms of acute stroke. ⋯ The summarized estimates of serum GFAP for the differentiation of ICH and IS within 24 h of symptom onset were as follows: SEN, 81.1% (95% CI, 72.6-87.5%); SPE, 95.2% (95% CI 82.1-98.9%); PLR, 16.945 (95% CI 4.173-68.803); NLR, 0.198 (95% CI 0.133-0.296), significant heterogeneity was present. The four summary estimates of serum GFAP for patients within 1-6 h of symptom onset were 81.1% (95% CI 72.5-88.0%), 97.0% (95% CI 94.3-98.4%), 26.786 (95% CI 13.979-51.324), 0.191 (95% CI 0.126-0.291), respectively, with no obvious heterogeneity. Serum GFAP is a sensitive and specific test for differentiating ICH and IS in patients within 1-6 h of acute stroke symptom onset.
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Review Meta Analysis
Gray matter atrophy in progressive supranuclear palsy: meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies.
Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies have provided cumulative evidence of gray matter (GM) atrophy in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) relative to healthy controls (HC). However, not all findings have been entirely concordant. Herein, we performed a quantitative meta-analysis study in order to consistently quantify GM anomalies in PSP. ⋯ These findings remained largely unchanged following jackknife sensitivity analyses. The present meta-analysis provided evidence of PSP-specific GM atrophy. This finding might help contribute to our understanding of the neurobiological basis underlying PSP.
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Review Meta Analysis
Chronic smoking and brain gray matter changes: evidence from meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies.
Structural neuroimaging studies on chronic smokers using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) had provided cumulative evidence of gray matter (GM) changes relative to nonsmokers. However, not all the studies reported entirely consistent findings. Here, we aimed at identifying consistent GM anomalies in chronic smokers by performing a meta-analysis, and a systematic search of VBM studies on chronic smokers and nonsmokers published in PubMed and Embase database from 2000 to April 2012. ⋯ A considerable regional GM volume decrease was detected in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) (BA 24) extending to BA32 in chronic smokers. The findings remain largely unchanged in the entire brain jackknife sensitivity analyses. The results of the present meta-analysis provide evidence of GM changes in ACC in chronic smokers which may be an important potential therapeutic neuro-target for nicotine dependence.
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Review Meta Analysis
Gray matter atrophy in Parkinson's disease with dementia: evidence from meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies.
Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies have provided cumulative evidence of gray matter (GM) atrophy in patients with Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) relative to healthy controls (HC). However, not all the studies reported entirely consistent findings. A systematic search for VBM studies of PDD patients and HC subjects published in PubMed and Embase databases from January 2000 to June 2012 was conducted. ⋯ Meta-regression showed dementia severity correlated with the left MTL. The present meta-analysis provided evidence of PDD-related GM atrophy, which suggested MTL and basal ganglia were implicated in PDD. This finding could give us further insight about the pathophysiological basis revealed by structure abnormalities in PDD.