Association of corneal endothelial cell morphology with neurodegeneration in mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Introduction: Corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) detects neurodegeneration in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia and identifies subjects with MCI who develop dementia. This study assessed whether abnormalities in corneal endothelial cell (CEC) morphology are related to corneal nerve morphology, brain volumetry, cerebral ischemia, and cognitive impairment in MCI and dementia.

Methods: Participants with no cognitive impairment (NCI), MCI, and dementia underwent CCM to quantify corneal endothelial cell density (CECD) and area (CECA), corneal nerve fiber morphology, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain volumetry, and severity of brain ischemia.

Glucose-lowering medication associated with weight loss may limit the progression of diabetic neuropathy in type 2 diabetes.

Aim: Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in type 2 diabetes (T2D). This study investigated the effect of glucose lowering medication associated with weight change on DPN.

Methods: Participants with T2D were grouped based on whether their glucose lowering medications were associated with weight gain (WG) or weight loss (WL).

Sustained corneal nerve loss predicts the development of diabetic neuropathy in type 2 diabetes.

Introduction: This study was undertaken to investigate whether sustained rather than a single measure of corneal nerve loss was associated with the onset of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and the progression of neuropathic symptoms and deficits in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: Participants underwent clinical, metabolic testing and assessment of neuropathic symptoms, vibration perception threshold (VPT), sudomotor function, and corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) at baseline, 1, 2, and 4-7 years. Sustained corneal nerve loss was defined as abnormal corneal nerve fiber density (CNFD, <24 fibers/mm), corneal nerve branch density (CNBD, <21 branches/mm), and corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL, <16 mm/mm) persisting for ≥50% of the study duration.

Association between left atrial volume index and infarct volume in patients with ischemic stroke.

Background: Left atrial volume index (LAVI) is one marker of atrial myopathy, which is increasingly being recognized as a cause of cardioembolic stroke even in the absence of atrial fibrillation. Cardiac embolism is associated with larger strokes than other stroke mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between LAVI and total brain infarct volume in patients with ischemic stroke.

Extracranial Carotid Plaque Calcification and Cerebrovascular Ischemia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Although coronary calcification quantification is an established approach for cardiovascular risk assessment, the value of quantifying carotid calcification is less clear. As a result, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between extracranial carotid artery plaque calcification burden and ipsilateral cerebrovascular ischemic events.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in the following databases: Ovid MEDLINE(R) 1946 to July 6, 2022; OVID Embase 1974 to July 6, 2022; and The Cochrane Library (Wiley).