The angiotensin II receptors type 1 and 2 modulate astrocytes and their crosstalk with microglia and neurons in an in vitro model of ischemic stroke.

Background: Astrocytes are the most abundant cell type of the central nervous system and are fundamentally involved in homeostasis, neuroprotection, and synaptic plasticity. This regulatory function of astrocytes on their neighboring cells in the healthy brain is subject of current research. In the ischemic brain we assume disease specific differences in astrocytic acting.

Stratifying quality of life outcome in subthalamic stimulation for Parkinson's disease.

Background: Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) for Parkinson's disease (PD) improves quality of life (QoL), motor and non-motor symptoms (NMS). However, in previous studies, 43%-49% of patients did not experience clinically relevant postoperative QoL improvement. To inform individualised prediction of postoperative QoL improvement, we developed a stratification analysis of QoL outcomes based on preoperative non-motor total burden, severity of motor progression and motor response in levodopa challenge tests.

Botulism after intragastric botulinum toxin injections for weight reduction.

Although-considering the risk-benefit ratio-botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) is unequivocally recommended to treat severe neurological diseases such as dystonia, this has not yet been determined for its endoscopic intragastric injection aimed at weight reduction in obesity. However, severe adverse effects of intragastric BoNT/A had not yet been reported, prompting some European countries to endorse its (off-label) use and treat patients transnationally. We here present three cases of botulism after intragastric BoNT/A injections for obesity treatment in a Turkish hospital.

Glia from the central and peripheral nervous system are differentially affected by paclitaxel chemotherapy modulating their neuroinflammatory and neuroregenerative properties.

Glia are critical players in defining synaptic contacts and maintaining neuronal homeostasis. Both astrocytes as glia of the central nervous system (CNS), as well as satellite glial cells (SGC) as glia of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), intimately interact with microglia, especially under pathological conditions when glia regulate degenerative as well as regenerative processes. The chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel evokes peripheral neuropathy and cognitive deficits; however, the mechanisms underlying these diverse clinical side effects are unclear.

The manifestation of affective symptoms in multiple sclerosis and discussion of the currently available diagnostic assessment tools.

Introduction: In addition to physical and cognitive symptoms, patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have an increased risk of experiencing mental health problems.

Methods: This narrative review provides an overview of the appearance and epidemiology of affective symptoms in MS such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, euphoria, and pseudobulbar affect. Furthermore, the association between affective symptoms and quality of life and the currently used diagnostic instruments for assessing these symptoms are considered whereby relevant studies published between 2009 and 2021 were included in the review.

Transcranial-Direct-Current-Stimulation Accelerates Motor Recovery After Cortical Infarction in Mice: The Interplay of Structural Cellular Responses and Functional Recovery.

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) promotes recovery after stroke in humans. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain to be elucidated. Animal models suggest tDCS effects on neuroinflammation, stem cell proliferation, neurogenesis, and neural plasticity.

Status epilepticus during the COVID-19 pandemic in Cologne, Germany: data from a retrospective, multicentre registry.

Background: The "coronavirus disease 2019" (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the "severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome-coronavirus 2" (SARS-CoV-2), challenges healthcare systems worldwide and impacts not only COVID-19 patients but also other emergencies. To date, data are scarce on the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacted status epilepticus (SE) and its treatment.

Objective: To assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence, management and outcome of SE patients.

Meaningful use of imaging resources to rule out cerebral venous sinus thrombosis after ChAdOx1 COVID-19 vaccination: Evaluation of the AHA diagnostic algorithm with a clinical cohort and a systematic data review.

Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVST) is an improbable (0.0005%), however potentially lethal complication after ChAdOx1 vaccination. On the other hand, headache is among the most frequent side effects of ChAdOx1 (29.

Osteopontin regulates proliferation, migration, and survival of astrocytes depending on their activation phenotype.

The glycoprotein osteopontin is highly upregulated in central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as ischemic stroke. Osteopontin regulates cell growth, cell adhesion, homeostasis, migration, and survival of various cell types. Accordingly, osteopontin is considered an essential regulator of regeneration and repair in the ischemic milieu.

Assessment of Affective-Behavioral States in Parkinson's Disease Patients: Towards a New Screening Tool.

Background: Assessment of affective-behavioral states in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) is essential.

Objective: To analyze well-established questionnaires as a pilot-study with the long term aim to develop a screening tool evaluating affective-behavioral dysfunction, including depression, anxiety, apathy, mania, and impulse control disorders, in PD patients screened for DBS.

Methods: Two hundred ninety-seven inpatients with PD underwent standardized neuropsychiatric testing including German versions of Beck Depression Inventory-II, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Apathy Evaluation Scale, Self-Report Manic Inventory, and Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in PD-Rating Scale, to assess appropriateness for DBS.

Mental symptoms in MS (MeSyMS): Development and validation of a new assessment.

Background: Patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have an increased risk of suffering from mental and neuropsychiatric symptoms. So far, a fundamental problem in the clinical care of MS patients is that these symptoms are underdiagnosed and, as a consequence, often remain untreated. Present assessment tools have not been developed to be applied in patients with MS.

Comparison of Accuracy of Arrival-Time-Insensitive and Arrival-Time-Sensitive CTP Algorithms for Prediction of Infarct Tissue Volumes.

The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of arrival-time-insensitive (ATI) and arrival-time-sensitive (ATS) computed tomography perfusion (CTP) algorithms in Philips IntelliSpace Portal (v9, ISP) and to investigate optimal thresholds for ATI regarding the prediction of final infarct volume (FIV). Retrospective, single-center study with 54 patients (mean 67.0 ± 13.

A prospective, controlled study of non-motor effects of subthalamic stimulation in Parkinson's disease: results at the 36-month follow-up.

Objective: To examine 36-month effects of bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) on non-motor symptoms (NMS) compared with standard-of-care medical treatment (MED) in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: Here we report the 36-month follow-up of a prospective, observational, controlled, international multicentre study of the NILS cohort. Assessments included NMSScale (NMSS), PDQuestionnaire-8 (PDQ-8), Scales for Outcomes in PD (SCOPA)-motor examination, -activities of daily living, and -complications, and levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD).

The impact of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) and voltage-gated potassium KCNQ/Kv7 channels on primary microglia function.

Background: Microglia are essential to maintain cell homeostasis in the healthy brain and are activated after brain injury. Upon activation, microglia polarize towards different phenotypes. The course of microglia activation is complex and depends on signals in the surrounding milieu.

Crosstalk between stressed brain cells: direct and indirect effects of ischemia and aglycemia on microglia.

Background: In cerebral ischemia, microglia have a dichotomous role in keeping the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators to avoid deleterious chronic inflammation and to leverage repair processes.

Methods: We examined functional and inflammatory markers in primary rat microglia in vitro after oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) or glucose deprivation (aglycemia). We then investigated the preconditioning effect of OGD or aglycemia upon a subsequent strong inflammatory stimulus, here lipopolysaccharides (LPS).

Transcranial Current Stimulation Alters the Expression of Immune-Mediating Genes.

Despite its extensive use in clinical studies, the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) remain to be elucidated. We previously described subacute effects of tDCS on immune- and stem cells in the rat brain. To investigate the more immediate effects of tDCS regulating those cellular responses, we treated rats with a single session of either anodal or cathodal tDCS, and analyzed the gene expression by microarray; sham-stimulated rats served as control.

Heparin for prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in intracerebral haemorrhage.

Objective: To determine the occurrence of intracranial haemorrhagic complications (IHC) on heparin prophylaxis (low-dose subcutaneous heparin, LDSH) in primary spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) (not oral anticoagulation-associated ICH, non-OAC-ICH), vitamin K antagonist (VKA)-associated ICH and non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC)-associated ICH.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study (RETRACE) of 22 participating centres and prospective single-centre study with 1702 patients with VKA-associated or NOAC-associated ICH and 1022 patients with non-OAC-ICH with heparin prophylaxis between 2006 and 2015. Outcomes were defined as rates of IHC during hospital stay among patients with non-OAC-ICH, VKA-ICH and NOAC-ICH, mortality and functional outcome at 3 months between patients with ICH with and without IHC.

Substrate elasticity induces quiescence and promotes neurogenesis of primary neural stem cells-A biophysical in vitro model of the physiological cerebral milieu.

In the brain, neural stem cells (NSC) are tightly regulated by external signals and biophysical cues mediated by the local microenvironment or "niche." In particular, the influence of tissue elasticity, known to fundamentally affect the function of various cell types in the body, on NSC remains poorly understood. We, accordingly, aimed to characterize the effects of elastic substrates on critical NSC functions.

Clinical Outcome After Mechanical Thrombectomy in Patients with Diabetes with Major Ischemic Stroke of the Anterior Circulation.

Background: Among patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT), patients with diabetes (DP) show a poorer outcome compared with patients without diabetes (NDP). This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of factors associated with unfavorable outcome in DP receiving MT for stroke of the anterior circulation.

Methods: This study included 317 of 498 consecutive patients who received interventional treatment for acute ischemic stroke in the terminal internal carotid artery and/or middle cerebral artery, including 46 DP.

The plasticity of primary microglia and their multifaceted effects on endogenous neural stem cells in vitro and in vivo.

Background: Microglia-the resident immune cells of the brain-are activated after brain lesions, e.g., cerebral ischemia, and polarize towards a classic "M1" pro-inflammatory or an alternative "M2" anti-inflammatory phenotype following characteristic temporo-spatial patterns, contributing either to secondary tissue damage or to regenerative responses.

Order of Treatment Matters in Ischemic Stroke: Mechanical Thrombectomy First, Then Carotid Artery Stenting for Tandem Lesions of the Anterior Circulation.

Background: One endovascular treatment option of acute ischemic stroke due to tandem occlusion (TO) comprises intracranial thrombectomy and acute extracranial carotid artery stenting (CAS). In this setting, the order of treatment may impact the clinical outcome in this stroke subtype.

Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on data prospectively collected in 4 international stroke centers between 2013 and 2017.

Bioluminescence imaging visualizes osteopontin-induced neurogenesis and neuroblast migration in the mouse brain after stroke.

Background: Osteopontin (OPN), an acidic phosphoglycoprotein, is upregulated in the brain after cerebral ischemia. We previously reported that OPN supports migration, survival, and proliferation of neural stem cells (NSC) in primary cell culture, as well as their differentiation into neurons. We here analyzed the effects of OPN on neuroblasts in vivo in the context of cerebral ischemia.

Correction to: Mechanical Thrombectomy in Basilar Artery Occlusion : Presence of Bilateral Posterior Communicating Arteries is a Predictor of Favorable Clinical Outcome.

Correction to: Clin Neuroradiol 2017 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00062-017-0651-3 The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake.

Mechanical Thrombectomy in Basilar Artery Occlusion : Presence of Bilateral Posterior Communicating Arteries is a Predictor of Favorable Clinical Outcome.

Background: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) of basilar artery occlusions (BAO) is a subject of debate. We investigated the clinical outcome of MT in BAO and predictors of a favorable outcome.

Material And Methods: A total of 104 MTs of BAO (carried out between 2010 and 2016) were analyzed.

Carotid Artery Stenosis Contralateral to Acute Tandem Occlusion: An Independent Predictor of Poor Clinical Outcome after Mechanical Thrombectomy with Concomitant Carotid Artery Stenting.

Background And Purpose: Cerebral ischemic strokes due to extra-/intracranial tandem occlusions (TO) of the anterior circulation are responsible for causing mechanical thrombectomy (MT). The impact of concomitant contralateral carotid stenosis (CCS) upon outcome remains unclear in this stroke subtype.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of 4 international stroke centers between 2011 and 2017.