Efficacy of mental practice on paralyzed upper extremity function in the acute phase of stroke: a case study.

[Purpose] Mental practice (MP) is a method of rehabilitating upper extremity function on the affected side of the body post-stroke, with the aim of improving motor task performance through the sustained repetition of motor imagery (MI). However, most studies thus far have investigated MP for post-stroke paralytic upper limb function in patients in the chronic phase. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain evidence regarding whether MP is an effective intervention modality in the acute phase of stroke.

A novel mechanism of idiopathic orthostatic hypotension and hypocatecholaminemia due to autoimmunity against aromatic l-Amino acid decarboxylase.

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a common condition. Many potential etiologies of OH have been identified, but in clinical practice the underlying cause of OH is often unknown. In the present study, we identified a novel and extraordinary etiology of OH.

Exploring Methodological Issues in Mental Practice for Upper-Extremity Function Following Stroke-Related Paralysis: A Scoping Review.

In this scoping review, we aimed to comprehensively clarify the methodology of Mental practice (MP) by systematically mapping studies documenting the application of MP to post-stroke paralytic upper-extremity function. Specifically, when is an MP intervention most commonly applied after stroke onset? What is the corresponding MP load (intervention time, number of intervention days, and intervention period)? What are the most common methods of Motor Imagery (MI) recall and MI tasks used during the application of MP? Is MP often used in conjunction with individual rehabilitation? What are the paralyzed side's upper-limb and cognitive function levels at the start of an MP intervention? The research questions were identified according to PRISMA-ScR. The PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and Cochrane Library databases were used to screen articles published until 19 July 2022.

Role of NT5DC2 in tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation based on the analysis of NT5DC2-binding proteins.

The gene encoding 5'-nucleotidase domain-containing protein 2 (NT5DC2) has been associated with neuropsychiatric disorders related to the abnormality of dopamine activity in the brain. However, its physiological functions remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed the features of NT5DC2 that influence its binding with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and its effects on dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) synthesis, using NT5DC2 overexpressed in PC12D cells by the pCMV vector.

[Hemorrhagic Colon Cancer with Left Atrial Thrombus Formation after Anticoagulant Therapy Discontinuation-A Case Report].

The patient was a 72-year-old female. She had been taking rivaroxaban for chronic atrial fibrillation; however, she stopped taking it due to anemia and was hospitalized urgently. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT)scan showed a 30 mm mass in the ascending colon, and a colonoscopy revealed ascending colon cancer(cT3, cN0, cM0, cStage Ⅱa).

Comparing movement-related cortical potential between real and simulated movement tasks from an ecological validity perspective.

Introduction: Concerns regarding the ecological validity of movement-related cortical potential (MRCP) experimental tasks that are related to motor learning have recently been growing. Therefore, we compared MRCP during real movement task (RMT) and simulated movement task (SMT) from an ecological validity perspective.

Methods: The participants performed both RMT and SMT, and MRCP were measured using electroencephalogram (EEG).

Effects of a virtual reality-based mirror therapy system on upper extremity rehabilitation after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Introduction: Virtual reality-based mirror therapy (VRMT) has recently attracted attention as a novel and promising approach for treating upper extremity dysfunction in patients with stroke. However, the clinical efficacy of VRMT has not been investigated.

Methods: This study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of VRMT on upper extremity dysfunction in patients with stroke.

Different post-pancreatectomy glucagon responses to a meal test between surgical approaches.

Residual pancreatic endocrine function is important for maintaining metabolic status after pancreatectomy and is closely related to patient nutritional status and prognosis. In contrast to insulin secretion, the significance of glucagon secretion following pancreatectomy remains unclear. In this study, we assessed the changes in pancreatic glucagon secretion during pancreatectomy to determine their pathophysiological significance.

Novel application to evaluate endometrial blood flow using transvaginal superb microvascular imaging: A preliminary study describing physiological changes from ovulation to mid-luteal phase.

Introduction: We aimed to describe physiological changes in endometrial blood flow (minute arterioles running through the endometrium) from ovulation to the mid-luteal phase using superb microvascular imaging.

Material And Methods: The study involved 17 women (median age, 32.5 years; first to third interquartile range, 29.

The role of tyrosine hydroxylase as a key player in neuromelanin synthesis and the association of neuromelanin with Parkinson's disease.

The dark pigment neuromelanin (NM) is abundant in cell bodies of dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and norepinephrine (NE) neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) in the human brain. During the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD), together with the degeneration of the respective catecholamine (CA) neurons, the NM levels in the SN and LC markedly decrease. However, questions remain among others on how NM is associated with PD and how it is synthesized.

Long-range axonal projections of transplanted mouse embryonic stem cell-derived hypothalamic neurons into adult mouse brain.

The hypothalamus is comprised of heterogenous cell populations and includes highly complex neural circuits that regulate the autonomic nerve system. Its dysfunction therefore results in severe endocrine disorders. Although recent experiments have been conducted for in vitro organogenesis of hypothalamic neurons from embryonic stem (ES) or induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, whether these stem cell-derived hypothalamic neurons can be useful for regenerative medicine remains unclear.

Continuous Repetition Motor Imagery Training and Physical Practice Training Exert the Growth of Fatigue and Its Effect on Performance.

Continuous repetition of motor imagery leads to mental fatigue. This study aimed to examine whether fatigue caused by motor imagery training affects improvement in performance and the change in corticospinal excitability. The participants were divided into "physical practice training" and "motor imagery training" groups, and a visuomotor task (set at 50% of maximal voluntary contraction in participants) was performed to assess the training effect on fatigue.

EpCAM Is a Surface Marker for Enriching Anterior Pituitary Cells From Human Hypothalamic-Pituitary Organoids.

Human stem cell-derived organoid culture enables the analysis of the cellular function in three-dimensional aggregates mimicking native organs, and also provides a valuable source of specific cell types in the human body. We previously established organoid models of the hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) complex using human pluripotent stem cells. Although the models are suitable for investigating developmental and functional HP interactions, we consider that isolated pituitary cells are also useful for basic and translational research on the pituitary gland, such as stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.

Neuromelanin in Parkinson's Disease: Tyrosine Hydroxylase and Tyrosinase.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an aging-related disease and the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease. The main symptoms of PD are movement disorders accompanied with deficiency of neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) in the striatum due to cell death of the nigrostriatal DA neurons. Two main histopathological hallmarks exist in PD: cytosolic inclusion bodies termed Lewy bodies that mainly consist of α-synuclein protein, the oligomers of which produced by misfolding are regarded to be neurotoxic, causing DA cell death; and black pigments termed neuromelanin (NM) that are contained in DA neurons and markedly decrease in PD.

Characterization of Hypothalamic MCH Neuron Development in a 3D Differentiation System of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.

Hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons are important regulators of multiple physiological processes, such as sleep, feeding, and memory. Despite the increasing interest in their neuronal functions, the molecular mechanism underlying MCH neuron development remains poorly understood. We report that a three-dimensional culture of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) can generate hypothalamic-like tissues containing MCH-positive neurons, which reproduce morphologic maturation, neuronal connectivity, and neuropeptide/neurotransmitter phenotype of native MCH neurons.

Efficacy of combined hand exercise intervention in patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Previous evidence regarding the impact of exercise interventions on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy often focuses on lower-extremity functions, such as muscle strength and balance ability, while their effects on upper extremities remain unknown. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of combined hand exercise intervention on upper-extremity function, symptoms, and quality-of-life in patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

Methods: After screening 341 patients, 42 were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 21) or control (n = 21) group.

Effects of attentional bias modification on chronic low back pain in older outpatients: A randomized crossover trial (pilot study).

Objectives: In the present study, the effect of attentional bias modification (ABM) on older outpatients, with chronic low back pain, was examined.

Design: This was a single-center, randomized, single-blinded, crossover trial and patients were randomly divided in a 1:1 allocation ratio into two groups: an ABM Leading group and an ABM Trailing group.

Participants: Forty-three outpatients with chronic low back pain participated.

Spontaneous rupture of the umbilical vein associated with liver cirrhosis: A case report.

Introduction: A decompensated cirrhosis sometimes develops collateral circulation due to severe fibrosis. Rupture of this collateral circulation can induce a fatal situation.

Case Presentation: A 59-year-old man with alcoholic cirrhosis was admitted to our emergency department with a chief complaint of impaired consciousness.

Amino Acid Composition of Amniotic Fluid during the Perinatal Period Reflects Mother's Fat and Carbohydrate Intake.

Dietary content during pregnancy is important because it is necessary for the growth of the fetus. With the assumption that the nutritional status of the fetus can be monitored by measuring amino acid concentrations in the amniotic fluid, we investigated whether the habitual dietary intake of pregnant women affected the composition of the amniotic fluid and the significance of performing amniotic fluid analysis. The subjects were 34 mothers who delivered full-term babies by cesarean section.

How to do it: endovascular stent and ligament resection during pancreaticoduodenectomy for coeliac axis stenosis in median arcuate ligament syndrome.

To decrease complications associated with the treatment of coeliac axis (CA) stenosis due to median arcuate ligament (MAL) syndrome in pancreaticoduodenectomy, we performed combined preoperative endovascular stenting and intraoperative MAL resection. This technique can secure the CA blood flow to the hepatic artery before surgery in one stage and prevent CA restenosis and stent dislocation because there is no extrinsic compression of the CA after MAL resection.

A method for using video presentation to increase the vividness and activity of cortical regions during motor imagery tasks.

In recent years, mental practice (MP) using laterally inverted video of a subject's non-paralyzed upper limb to improve the vividness of presented motor imagery (MI) has been shown to be effective for improving the function of a paralyzed upper limb. However, no studies have yet assessed the activity of cortical regions engaged during MI task performance using inverse video presentations and neurophysiological indicators. This study sought to investigate changes in MI vividness and hemodynamic changes in the cerebral cortex during MI performance under the following three conditions in near-infrared spectroscopy: MI-only without inverse video presentation (MI-only), MI with action observation (AO) of an inverse video presentation of another person's hand (AO + MI (other hand)), and MI with AO of an inverse video presentation of a participant's own hand (AO + MI (own hand)).

Corticospinal excitability during motor imagery is diminished by continuous repetition-induced fatigue.

Application of continuous repetition of motor imagery can improve the performance of exercise tasks. However, there is a lack of more detailed neurophysiological evidence to support the formulation of clear standards for interventions using motor imagery. Moreover, identification of motor imagery intervention time is necessary because it exhibits possible central fatigue.

The Vividness of Motor Imagery Is Correlated With Corticospinal Excitability During Combined Motor Imagery and Action Observation.

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between motor imagery (MI) assessment (ability and quality) and neurophysiological assessment [transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-induced motor-evoked potentials (MEPs)] during combined MI and action observation (AO; MI + AO). Sixteen subjects completed an MI task playing the piano with both hands, and neurophysiological assessment was performed during the MI task. The Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised was adopted to evaluate MI ability, while the visual analogue scale (VAS) was adopted to evaluate MI quality.

Comparison of cerebral activation between motor execution and motor imagery of self-feeding activity.

Motor imagery is defined as an act wherein an individual contemplates a mental action of motor execution without apparent action. Mental practice executed by repetitive motor imagery can improve motor performance without simultaneous sensory input or overt output. We aimed to investigate cerebral hemodynamics during motor imagery and motor execution of a self-feeding activity using chopsticks.