Linking aβ42-induced hyperexcitability to neurodegeneration, learning and motor deficits, and a shorter lifespan in an Alzheimer's model.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia in the elderly. β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation in the brain is thought to be a primary event leading to eventual cognitive and motor dysfunction in AD. Aβ has been shown to promote neuronal hyperactivity, which is consistent with enhanced seizure activity in mouse models and AD patients.

Shal/K(v)4 channels are required for maintaining excitability during repetitive firing and normal locomotion in Drosophila.

Background: Rhythmic behaviors, such as walking and breathing, involve the coordinated activity of central pattern generators in the CNS, sensory feedback from the PNS, to motoneuron output to muscles. Unraveling the intrinsic electrical properties of these cellular components is essential to understanding this coordinated activity. Here, we examine the significance of the transient A-type K(+) current (I(A)), encoded by the highly conserved Shal/K(v)4 gene, in neuronal firing patterns and repetitive behaviors.

[Heterotopic gastric mucosa in the upper esophagus causing dysphagia. A case report].

The Authors report a 10-years-old boy who was diagnosed as having upper esophageal stenosis. Biopsies of the stricture showed heterotopic gastric mucosa; endoscopic treatment was safe and effective.

[Study of the reliability of a parenteral questionnaire used in a pediatric follow-up of 18-month-old children].

We are conducting a validation study of questionnaire to the parents according to the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scale, used in pediatric follow-up of obstetric studies among the Italian population. The questionnaire concerns the child's gross and fine motor and language development, swallowing, respiratory, hearing and vision problems, and hospital admissions within the first 18 months of life. The purpose of this study is to examine the degree of agreement between parental and professional assessment of normal and high-risk infants development at 18 months of life.