Evaluation of motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease: electronic vs. conventional paper diaries.

Background: Paper symptom diaries are a common tool for assessing motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, but there are concerns about inaccuracies in the assessment of motor fluctuation due to recall bias and poor compliance. We, therefore, developed an electronic diary with reminder and real-time recording functions.

Objectives And Methods: To evaluate the effectiveness of the electronic diary, we compared compliance and motor fluctuation assessment with a paper diary.

New Insights into Freezing of Gait in Parkinson's Disease from Spectral Dynamic Causal Modeling.

Background: Freezing of gait is one of the most disturbing motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the effective connectivity between key brain hubs that are associated with the pathophysiological mechanism of freezing of gait remains elusive.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify effective connectivity underlying freezing of gait.

The validation of a Japanese version of the New Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (NFOG-Q).

Objective: This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the New Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (NFOG-Q) and investigate its validity and reliability.

Methods: After translating the NFOG-Q according to a standardised protocol, 56 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) were administered it. Additionally, the MDS-UPDRS parts II and III, Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage, and number of falls over 1 month were evaluated.

Decreased hepatic enzymes reflect the decreased vitamin B6 levels in Parkinson's disease patients.

The study aims to investigate the vitamin B6 levels in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and their association with liver enzymes and evaluate how much dysregulation is associated with levodopa dose. Furthermore, to evaluate the effect of Opicapone, a catechol-o-methyl-transferase inhibitor, on vitamin B6 levels by monitoring the AST and ALT levels in patients treated with Levodopa-Carbidopa Intestinal Gel Infusion (LCIG). For these aims, serum vitamin B6 levels were measured (PD, n = 72 and controls, n = 31).

Adult-onset botulism in a Japanese woman with prolonged spore excretion.

We report a case of an 80-year-old woman with botulism from 2020 in Osaka, Japan. The patient complained of dysarthria and dizziness. On the same day, the patient developed respiratory failure, and was intubated and placed on mechanical ventilation.

[Antibody production capacity after COVID-19 vaccination in immune-mediated neuromuscular diseases under immunotherapy].

The post-vaccination antibody response in patients with immune-mediated neuromuscular diseases under immuno-suppressive therapy has not been sufficiently verified. The Japanese Society of Neurology has stated that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination should be given priority in patients with immunotherapy-associated neuromuscular diseases; however, data on antibody production to a novel mRNA vaccine are scarce in these patients. In this study, we aimed to measure residual antibody titers after the second dose and produced antibodies after the third dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine in 25 patients with neuromuscular diseases under immuno-suppressive therapy (disease group).

Decreased cerebrospinal fluid orexin levels not associated with clinical sleep disturbance in Parkinson's disease: A retrospective study.

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) often suffer from sleep disturbances, including excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD). These symptoms are also experienced by patients with narcolepsy, which is characterized by orexin neuronal loss. In PD, a decrease in orexin neurons is observed pathologically, but the association between sleep disturbance in PD and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) orexin levels is still unclear.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome Associated with COVID-19 in a Japanese Male.

April 2021 saw a widespread outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Osaka, Japan. We encountered the case of a 52-year-old man who had Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). After the relief of the respiratory symptoms owing to COVID-19, the patient experienced muscle weakness, which spread from his fingers to his extremities, and was unable to walk.

Examination of a Low-density Lipoprotein Receptor Relative with 11 Ligand-binding Repeats (LR11) as a Biomarker in Esophageal Cancer.

Objectives: Some previous studies reported that the levels of a low-density lipoprotein receptor relative with 11 ligand-binding repeats (LR11) was a prognostic marker in some malignant tumors; however, whether LR11 is related to survival in patients with esophageal cancer remains unclear.

Methods: In this study, we measured LR11 in the preoperative serum of 46 patients of esophageal cancer who undergoing surgery using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method with anti-LR11 monoclonal antibodies. We investigated the correlation between the level of LR11 and survival of patients with esophageal cancer.

Development of a Non-invasive Diagnostic Method for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Gas Chromatographic Analysis of Exhaled Breath.

Objectives: Since esophageal carcinoma progresses asymptomatically, for many patients the disease is already advanced at the time of diagnosis. The main methods that are currently used to diagnose esophageal carcinoma are upper gastrointestinal radiographic contrast examinations and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, but early discovery of this disease remains difficult. There is a need to develop a diagnostic method using biomarkers that is non-invasive while both highly sensitive and specific.

Idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder in Japan: An observational study.

Introduction: Idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is one of the most specific prodromal symptoms of synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy. The Japan Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (J-PPMI) was a prospective cohort study conducted in Japanese patients with iRBD to investigate biomarkers for prodromal synucleinopathies. We carried out an initial assessment of the J-PPMI study to reveal the factors correlated with dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography (DaT) and I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy.

Cardiogenic Shock Due to Unsuspected Tachycardia in a Child.

A 10-year-old girl experienced cardiac failure due to atrial tachycardia originating from a left atrial appendage. Surgical appendectomy was done after a recurrence of the atrial tachycardia just after the first attempt at catheter ablation. A second ablation attempt was avoided because of the risk of cardiac perforation.

Clinical Significance of Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients with Esophageal Cancer.

Objective: In recent years, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have attracted attention for prediction of metastasis in breast, prostate, and colon cancers. This study aimed to investigate whether detection of CTCs could be prognostic factor in esophageal cancer.

Methods: This study involved 38 patients treated at Juntendo University from May 2010 to April 2013 who provided consent.

Degree of Differentiation of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Micrometastasis to Lymph Nodes.

Objectives: The goal of the study was to examine the relationships among micrometastasis, pathological degree of differentiation and survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Design: A single-center retrospective study of patients diagnosed with thoracic esophageal SCC.

Methods: Immunostaining using CK13 was carried out for all lymph nodes resected by radical esophagectomy with three-field lymphadenectomy.

Clinicopathological and mutational analysis of esophageal basaloid squamous cell carcinoma.

Esophageal basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (EBSCC) is a poorly differentiated variant of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We aimed to investigate the clinicopathological and molecular biological characteristics of EBSCC and enrolled 58 patients with EBSCCs. Clinicopathological factors including age, sex, tumor size and location, gross tumor type (superficial, protrusive, ulcerative, and unclassifiable), lymphovascular invasion, infiltrative growth, intramural invasion, TNM stage, and dominant histological type were examined.

[Parkinson's Disease with Intolerable Painful Dystonia: Classification and Therapeutic Choices of Pain in Parkinson' Disease].

Disabling painful dystonia is one of the most burdensome symptoms that a patient with Parkinson's disease (PD) experiences. How do we treat disabling painful dystonia in PD? In this review, classification and mechanisms of pain and their management in PD especially for dystonia-related pain are described. Moreover, painful bilateral dystonic foot spasm is also an important development to be considered in the early stage of the disease.

[The efficacy of eculizumab against post-thymectomy exacerbations in thymoma associated myasthenia gravis (MG)].

We report a 62-year-old woman with thymoma associated myasthenia gravis (MG). She had significant dysphagia and was treated with corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), immunoadsorption plasmapheresis (IAPP), and immunosuppressive drugs, and the extended thymectomy. Her symptoms gradually improved, but 3 weeks after thymectomy, her bulbar symptoms recurred.

Effects of TS-142, a novel dual orexin receptor antagonist, on sleep in patients with insomnia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 study.

Rationale: Novel compound with potent antagonistic activity against orexin receptors may be new treatment option for patients with insomnia.

Objective: The aim was to investigate the efficacy and safety of single oral doses of the dual orexin receptor antagonist TS-142 in patients with insomnia.

Methods: This multicenter, double-blind, crossover randomized clinical trial included non-elderly patients with insomnia.

Magnetoencephalography detects phase-amplitude coupling in Parkinson's disease.

To characterize Parkinson's disease, abnormal phase-amplitude coupling is assessed in the cortico-basal circuit using invasive recordings. It is unknown whether the same phenomenon might be found in regions other than the cortico-basal ganglia circuit. We hypothesized that using magnetoencephalography to assess phase-amplitude coupling in the whole brain can characterize Parkinson's disease.

Residual effects of zopiclone on driving performance using a standardized driving simulator among healthy volunteers.

Rationale: The effects of hypnotics on automobile driving have been attracting increasing attention. However, few driving simulators (DSs) have been confirmed to have acceptable reliability and validity for assessing the next-day residual effects of zopiclone as a positive control on driving performance.

Objective: To investigate whether a new DS could permit detection of the next-day residual effects of zopiclone on driving performance.

Symptom Locus and Symptom Origin Incongruity in Runner's Dystonia - Case Study of an Elite Female Runner.

Runner's dystonia is a task-specific dystonia that occurs in the lower limbs and trunk, with diverse symptomatology. We aimed to identify the origin of a dystonic movement abnormality using combined three-dimensional kinematic analysis and electromyographic (EMG) assessment during treadmill running. A 20-year-old female runner who complained of right-foot collision with the left-leg during right-leg swing-phase, which mimicked right-ankle focal dystonia.

Cryptogenic new-onset refractory status epilepticus responded to anti-interleukin-6 treatment.

Objective: The aim of this case report was to describe a potential anti-interleukin (IL)-6 treatment for cryptogenic new-onset refractory status epilepticus (C-NORSE).

Background: Although an underlying immune-mediated pathogenesis is considered present in some C-NORSE cases, many cases do not respond to classical immunotherapies.

Case Report: We describe the case of a 46-year-old woman with C-NORSE who achieved cessation of long-lasting status epilepticus following administration of tocilizumab, an IL-6 receptor-blocking antibody, although the final outcome was poor.