Trait anxiety is related to Nx4's efficacy on stress-induced changes in amygdala-centered resting state functional connectivity: a placebo-controlled cross-over trial in mildly to moderately stressed healthy volunteers.

Background: The multicomponent drug Neurexan (Nx4) was shown to reduce the neural stress network activation. We now investigated its effects on stress-induced resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in dependence of trait anxiety (TA), an acknowledged vulnerability factor for stress-induced psychopathologies.

Methods: Nx4 was tested in a randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial.

Nx4 Modulated Resting-State Functional Connectivity Between Amygdala and Prefrontal Cortex in a Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial.

The basic functional organization of the resting brain, assessed as resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC), can be affected by previous stress experience and it represents the basis on which subsequent stress experience develops. Notably, the rsFC between the amygdala and the cortical regions associated with emotion regulation and anxiety are affected during stress. The multicomponent drug Neurexan (Nx4) has previously demonstrated a reduction in amygdala activation in an emotional face matching task and it ameliorated stress-related symptoms.

Nx4 attenuated stress-induced activity of the anterior cingulate cortex-A post-hoc analysis of a randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial.

Objective: Stress-related symptoms are associated with significant health and economic burden. Several studies suggest Nx4 for the pharmacological management of the stress response and investigated the underlying neural processes. Here we hypothesized that Nx4 can directly affect the stress response in a predefined stress network, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is linked to various stress-related symptoms in patients.

Nx4 Reduced Susceptibility to Distraction in an Attention Modulation Task.

Stress adversely affects the attentional focus, the active concentration on stimuli, and increases susceptibility to distraction. To experimentally explore the susceptibility to distraction, the Attention Modulation by Salience Task (AMST) is a validated paradigm measuring reaction times (RT) for processing auditory information while presenting task-irrelevant visual distractors of high or low salience. We extended the AMST by an emotional dimension of distractors and an EEG-based evaluation.

Cerebrolysin after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: prospective meta-analysis of the CAPTAIN trial series.

Introduction: This prospective meta-analysis summarizes results from the CAPTAIN trial series, evaluating the effects of Cerebrolysin for moderate-severe traumatic brain injury, as an add-on to usual care.

Materials And Methods: The study included two phase IIIb/IV prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Eligible patients with a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) between 6 and 12 received study medication (50 mL of Cerebrolysin or physiological saline solution per day for ten days, followed by two additional treatment cycles with 10 mL per day for 10 days) in addition to usual care.

fMRI Revealed Reduced Amygdala Activation after Nx4 in Mildly to Moderately Stressed Healthy Volunteers in a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Trial.

Social stress contributes to major societal health burdens, such as anxiety disorders and nervousness. Nx4 has been found to modulate stress responses. We investigated whether dampening of such responses is associated with neuronal correlates in brain regions involved in stress and anxiety.

Regeneration of Denervated Skeletal Muscles - Brunelli's CNS-PNS Paradigm.

The restoration of voluntary muscle activity in posttraumatic paraplegia in both animal experiments and other clinical applications requires reproducibility of a technically-demanding microsurgical procedure, limited by physicians' understanding of Brunelli's spinal cord grafting paradigm. The insufficient clinical investigation of the long-term benefits of the CNS-PNS graft application warrants additional inquiry. The objective of this study is to explore the potential benefits of the first replicated, graft-induced neuroregeneration of denervated skeletal muscle regarding long-term clinical outcomes and to investigate the effect of Cerebrolysin on neuromodulation.

Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life after Traumatic Brain Injury between Varying Patient Groups: Sensitivity of a Disease-Specific (QOLIBRI) and a Generic (SF-36) Instrument.

Factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients after traumatic brain injury (TBI) include severity of initial injury, different grades of trauma recovery, sociodemographic status, and psychological characteristics. Yet, sensitivity of HRQOL instruments to such effects is often underexplored. Thus, we aimed to compare the capacity of the disease-specific QOLIBRI (Quality of Life after Brain Injury) and the generic Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey(SF-36) to detect significant differences in HRQOL between patients.

Effects of a systemic enzyme therapy in healthy active adults after exhaustive eccentric exercise: a randomised, two-stage, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Systemic enzyme therapy may improve symptoms of exhaustive eccentric exercise due to anti-inflammatory properties.

Methods: In a randomised, placebo-controlled, two-stage clinical trial, systemic enzyme therapy (Wobenzym) was administered for 72 hours before and 72 hours following a day on which subjects performed an exhaustive eccentric exercise (isokinetic loading of the quadriceps). Efficacy criteria (maximal strength and pain) and time points were selected to account for the multidimensional nature of exercise-induced muscle damage symptoms.

Cerebrolysin and Recovery After Stroke (CARS): A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Multicenter Trial.

Background And Purpose: The aim of this trial was to investigate whether stroke patients who receive Cerebrolysin show improved motor function in the upper extremities at day 90 compared with patients who receive a placebo.

Methods: This study was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, parallel-group study. Patients were treated with Cerebrolysin (30 mL/d) or a placebo (saline) once daily for 21 days, beginning at 24 to 72 hours after stroke onset.

GFAP and antibodies against NMDA receptor subunit NR2 as biomarkers for acute cerebrovascular diseases.

We studied whether the serum levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and of antibodies against the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor subunit NR2 (NR2 RNMDA ) can discriminate between intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) and ischaemic stroke (IS) in stroke patients. We prospectively recruited patients with suspected stroke (72 confirmed) and 52 healthy controls. The type of brain lesion (ICH or IS) was established using brain imaging.

Clinically relevant effectiveness of focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis: a randomized, controlled multicenter study.

Background: The effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in the treatment of plantar fasciitis is controversial. The objective of the present study was to test whether focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy is effective in relieving chronic heel pain diagnosed as plantar fasciitis.

Methods: Two hundred and fifty subjects were enrolled in a prospective, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled U.

Cerebrolysin in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

Objective: The aim of this study was to provide a systematic and quantitative summary of benefit and risk of Cerebrolysin in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to avoid major deficiencies of an earlier meta-analysis.

Design: This is a meta-analysis of randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials.

Data Sources: Trials were identified with the help of PubMed, the Cochrane Dementia Group database, the Center for Collaborative Neurosciences, and references from reviews; no language restrictions were applied.

Placebo controlled, prospectively randomized, double-blinded study for the investigation of the effectiveness and safety of the acoustic wave therapy (AWT(®)) for cellulite treatment.

Placebo controlled double-blinded, prospectively randomized clinical trial with 17 patients (11 verum, 5 placebo) for evaluation of cellulite treatment with Acoustic Wave Therapy, (AWT(®)) was performed. The patients were treated once a week for 7 weeks, a total of 8 treatments with the D-ACTOR(®) 200 by Storz Medical AG. Data were collected at baseline, before 8th treatment, at 1 month (follow-up 1) and at 3 months (follow-up 2) after the last treatment with a patients' questionnaire, weight control, measurement of circumference and standardized photography.

Comparison of radial versus focused extracorporeal shock waves in plantar fasciitis using functional measures.

Background: Recent literature shows evidence for effective treatment for plantar fasciitis using either focused or radial shock waves. Up to now no research has been available which compares these different procedures. We hypothesized (H(0) Hypothesis) that for plantar fasciitis, outcomes following focused or radial shock wave treatment were equal.