Publications by authors named "Ana Catarina Franco"
Article Synopsis
- Scientists studied how old skin cells, called senescent cells, can make other parts of the body age faster too!
- They found that adding these old skin cells to young mice made them weaker and affected how well they could move around, as well as their thinking skills.
- This suggests that old skin cells might be spreading aging effects to other organs, like the brain, which could explain why aging can be linked to problems in both the skin and brain.
Article Synopsis
- - Senescent cells release inflammatory signals known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which are linked to aging and tissue dysfunction.
- - Mitochondrial RNA (mtRNA) accumulates in these cells and activates RNA sensors, triggering the aggregation of MAVS and enhancing SASP production.
- - Targeting the RNA sensors and understanding the role of proteins like BAX and BAK can potentially reduce SASP factors and age-related inflammation, suggesting new treatment approaches for conditions like Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH).
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated the risk of acute symptomatic seizures in patients who experience recurrent strokes compared to those having their first stroke, looking at data from stroke patients over a 5-year period.
- The findings revealed that the risk of seizures was similar for both groups, with 5.1% for recurrent stroke patients and 4.5% for first-time patients, suggesting prior stroke history doesn’t increase seizure risk.
- Other factors like age, sex, and hemorrhagic changes were linked to seizures only in first-time stroke patients, indicating different risk profiles between the two groups; further research in larger studies is encouraged to validate these results.
Article Synopsis
- Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare genetic condition caused by a mutation in the LMNA gene, leading to rapid aging in children, often resulting in death by their early teens due to cardiovascular issues.
- Research indicates that the hormone ghrelin can enhance autophagy, lower progerin levels, and reduce symptoms of premature aging in HGPS fibroblasts.
- In HGPS mouse models, administering ghrelin not only improves health by reversing signs of aging and preventing weight loss but also extends their lifespan, suggesting a promising therapeutic approach for HGPS and similar age-related diseases.
Background: Decompressive surgery has proven to be lifesaving in patients with a malignant anterior circulation ischemic stroke. Recently, some studies have shown a high frequency of epileptic seizures in patients undergoing this procedure. However, the quantification of this risk and its associated factors have not been extensively investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe skin is the largest organ and has a key protective role. Similar to any other tissue, the skin is influenced not only by intrinsic/chronological aging, but also by extrinsic aging, triggered by environmental factors that contribute to accelerating the skin aging process. Aged skin shows structural, cellular, and molecular changes and accumulation of senescent cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn epileptic seizure is one of the causes of so-called "transient neurological events" (TNEs). The differential diagnosis of a TNE relies mainly on history and physical examination. Laboratory markers are less frequently useful.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To evaluate if EEG patterns considered highly malignant are reliable predictors not only of poor neurological outcome but also reliable predictors of death.
Methods: Retrospectively, EEGs from Cardiac Arrest (CA) patients of two teaching hospitals in Lisbon were classified into 3 groups: highly malignant, malignant, and benign groups. Outcome was assessed at 6 months after CA by CPC (Cerebral Performance Categories) scale.
Objective: To identify the most accurate quantitative electroencephalographic (qEEG) predictor(s) of unfavorable post-ischemic stroke outcome, and its discriminative capacity compared to already known demographic, clinical and imaging prognostic markers.
Methods: Prospective cohort of 151 consecutive anterior circulation ischemic stroke patients followed for 12 months. EEG was recorded within 72 h and at discharge or 7 days post-stroke.
Objective: Electroencephalography (EEG) can identify biomarkers of epileptogenesis and ictogenesis. However, few studies have used EEG in the prediction of poststroke seizures. Our primary aim was to evaluate whether early EEG abnormalities can predict poststroke epilepsy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Seizures and electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities have been associated with unfavorable stroke functional outcome. However, this association may depend on clinical and imaging stroke severity. We set out to analyze whether epileptic seizures and early EEG abnormalities are predictors of stroke outcome after adjustment for age and clinical/imaging infarct severity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Positive interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) are rarely recorded from surface EEG, due to the orientation of the cortex and its neurons. Their frequency and significance in adults is unknown, and has only been studied as a phenomenon of the neonatal period and childhood. We aimed to evaluate the frequency and characteristics of positive epileptiform discharges in a large cohort of patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCerebrovascular disease is the leading cause of epilepsy in adults, although post-stroke seizures reported frequency is variable and few studies used EEG in their identification. To describe and compare EEG and clinical epileptic manifestations frequency in patients with an anterior circulation ischaemic stroke. Prospective study of acute anterior circulation ischaemic stroke patients, consecutively admitted to a Stroke Unit over 24 months and followed-up for 1 year.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction And Aim: Hereditary transthyretin-related amyloidosis (ATTR-FAP) is characterized by a progressive neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, nephropathy and ocular disease. More than 90% of amyloidogenic transthyretin is produced by the liver; however, this protein is also synthesized in the choroid plexus. Although some patients have transitory neurologic events, the impact on cognition is still unknown.
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