Predicted Brain Age in First-Episode Psychosis: Association with Inexpressivity.

Accelerated brain aging is a possible mechanism of pathology in schizophrenia. Advances in MRI-based brain development algorithms allow for the calculation of predicted brain age (PBA) for individuals. Here, we assessed PBA in 70 first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum individuals (FESz) and 76 matched healthy neurotypical comparison individuals (HC) to determine if FESz showed advanced aging proximal to psychosis onset and whether PBA was associated with neurocognitive, social functioning, or symptom severity measures.

Recovery of auditory evoked response attentional gain modulation following the first psychotic episode indexes improvements in symptom severity.

Attentional control of auditory N100/M100 gain is reduced in individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Persistent problems with executive modulation of auditory sensory activity may impact multiple aspects of psychosis. As a follow-up to our prior work reporting deficits in attentional M100 gain modulation in auditory cortex, we examined changes in M100 gain modulation longitudinally, and further examined relationships between auditory M100 and symptoms of psychosis.

Functional connectivity and gray matter deficits within the auditory attention circuit in first-episode psychosis.

Background: Selective attention deficits in first episode of psychosis (FEP) can be indexed by impaired attentional modulation of auditory M100. It is unknown if the pathophysiology underlying this deficit is restricted to auditory cortex or involves a distributed attention network. We examined the auditory attention network in FEP.

SIRT1 inactivation switches reactive astrocytes to an antiinflammatory phenotype in CNS autoimmunity.

Astrocytes are highly heterogeneous in their phenotype and function, which contributes to CNS disease, repair, and aging; however, the molecular mechanism of their functional states remains largely unknown. Here, we show that activation of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a protein deacetylase, played an important role in the detrimental actions of reactive astrocytes, whereas its inactivation conferred these cells with antiinflammatory functions that inhibited the production of proinflammatory mediators by myeloid cells and microglia and promoted the differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Mice with astrocyte-specific Sirt1 knockout (Sirt1-/-) had suppressed progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of CNS inflammatory demyelinating disease.

Attentional M100 gain modulation localizes to auditory sensory cortex and is deficient in first-episode psychosis.

Selective attention is impaired in first-episode psychosis (FEP). Selective attention effects can be detected during auditory tasks as increased sensory activity. We previously reported electroencephalography scalp-measured N100 enhancement is reduced in FEP.

Rapidly progressive ACTH-dependent Cushing's disease masquerading as ectopic ACTH-producing Cushing's syndrome: illustrative case.

Background: Cushing's disease (CD) remains a challenging condition to diagnose and treat. This case study highlights the challenges of diagnosing CD when faced with discrepant clinical, biochemical, and radiological findings.

Observations: A 62-year-old man presented with rapid evolution of symptoms, including depression, fatigue, and extreme muscle atrophy, which resulted in the patient being a wheelchair user over the course of a few months.

Intradural extramedullary capillary hemangioma of the cauda equina: case report of a rare spinal tumor.

Introduction: Intradural extramedullary capillary hemangiomas of the cauda equina are exceedingly rare, with only 20 previous cases reported. In the adult population, these tumors are rare and can arise in the central and peripheral nervous systems from the dura or spinal nerve roots. Intradural capillary hemangiomas of the cauda equina can yield symptoms such as lower extremity weakness, pain, and bladder and bowel dysfunction.

Pitch and Duration Mismatch Negativity are Associated With Distinct Auditory Cortex and Inferior Frontal Cortex Volumes in the First-Episode Schizophrenia Spectrum.

Background: Pitch and duration mismatch negativity (pMMN/dMMN) are related to left Heschl's gyrus gray matter volumes in first-episode schizophrenia (FESz). Previous methods were unable to delineate functional subregions within and outside Heschl's gyrus. The Human Connectome Project multimodal parcellation (HCP-MMP) atlas overcomes this limitation by parcellating these functional subregions.

Systemic Immune Bias Delineates Malignant Astrocytoma Survival Cohorts.

Patients with grade III anaplastic astrocytomas (AA) separate into survival cohorts based on the presence or absence of mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH). Progression to glioblastoma (GBM), morphologically distinguishable by elevated microvascular proliferation, necrosis, and cell division in tumor tissues, is considerably more rapid in IDH wild-type tumors such that their diagnosis as AA is relatively rare. More often initially presenting as GBM, these contain higher numbers of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) than most AA, and GBM patients also have higher levels of circulating M2 monocytes.

Parahippocampal area three gray matter is reduced in first-episode schizophrenia spectrum: Discovery and replication samples.

Early course schizophrenia is associated with reduced gray matter. The specific structures affected first and how deficits impact symptoms and cognition remain unresolved. We used the Human Connectome Project multimodal parcellation (HCP-MMP) to precisely identify cortical areas and investigate thickness abnormalities in discovery and replication samples of first-episode schizophrenia spectrum individuals (FESz).

A dual effect of ursolic acid to the treatment of multiple sclerosis through both immunomodulation and direct remyelination.

Current multiple sclerosis (MS) medications are mainly immunomodulatory, having little or no effect on neuroregeneration of damaged central nervous system (CNS) tissue; they are thus primarily effective at the acute stage of disease, but much less so at the chronic stage. An MS therapy that has both immunomodulatory and neuroregenerative effects would be highly beneficial. Using multiple in vivo and in vitro strategies, in the present study we demonstrate that ursolic acid (UA), an antiinflammatory natural triterpenoid, also directly promotes oligodendrocyte maturation and CNS myelin repair.

Potential role of CSF cytokine profiles in discriminating infectious from non-infectious CNS disorders.

Current laboratory testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) does not consistently discriminate between different central nervous system (CNS) disease states. Rapidly distinguishing CNS infections from other brain and spinal cord disorders that share a similar clinical presentation is critical. New approaches focusing on aspects of disease biology, such as immune response profiles that can have stimulus-specific attributes, may be helpful.

Poststroke exercise is as effective as skilled rehabilitation: Effects in young and aged mice.

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, though current rehabilitative strategies fail to yield complete recovery. Focused training of the impaired limb improves functional outcome in rodents, but these strategies require intensive training that is difficult to practice in humans. Because aerobic exercise has been found to induce beneficial changes in the brain, it is a promising rehabilitative strategy after stroke.

Cerebral Amyloidoma Resulting from Central Nervous System Lymphoplasmacytic Lymphoma: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Cerebral amyloidomas are rare cerebral mass lesions often associated with significant morbidity. Cerebral amyloid accumulation can be the result of a number of disease states and it is crucial for proper patient care to identify the pathogenic process leading to amyloidoma formation. Low grade clonal B-cell processes are one cause of cerebral amyloidomas.

Thoracic spinal osteochondroma: A rare presentation of spinal cord compression.

Osteochondromas are the most common benign bone tumor typically seen in the appendicular skeleton and are rarely found in the spine. We present a case of an osteochondroma of the spine presenting with spinal cord compression. 27-year-old male presented with lower extremity weakness and paresthesia, decreased lower extremity sensation, and decreased proprioception.

Spheno-Orbital Meningiomas: An Analysis Based on World Health Organization Classification and Ki-67 Proliferative Index.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical behavior of spheno-orbital meningiomas with regard to World Health Organization (WHO) tumor grade and Ki-67, a cellular marker of proliferation.

Methods: A retrospective review over a 16-year period of the demographic, clinical, radiographic, and surgical data of all patients with spheno-orbital meningioma who underwent surgical resection. Tumor specimens were examined histologically using the current WHO 2016 classification and immunohistochemically using Ki-67/MIB-1 monoclonal antibody.

Human parechovirus and enterovirus initiate distinct CNS innate immune responses: Pathogenic and diagnostic implications.

Background: Human parechovirus (HPeV) and enterovirus (EV) cause a range of human diseases including serious CNS infections. Little is known regarding the immune response to HPeV meningitis compared to EV meningitis or how the immune response to HPeV reflects its pathogenesis.

Objective: To characterize the innate immune response to HPeV CNS infection in order to increase our understanding of HPeV pathogenesis and possibly help identify HPeV in the clinical setting.

Cholesterol granulomas presenting as sellar masses: a similar, but clinically distinct entity from craniopharyngioma and Rathke's cleft cyst.

Purpose: Cholesterol granulomas in the sella are rare and can mimic the appearance of craniopharyngioma or Rathke's cleft cysts. Information regarding the clinical presentation, imaging characteristics, and clinical course of sellar cholesterol granulomas can help clinicians to differentiate these lesions from other sellar cystic lesions.

Methods: We present three cases of sellar cholesterol granulomas.

Teratoma of the spinal cord in an adult: Report of a rare case and review of the literature.

Teratomas of the spinal cord are incredibly rare, comprising less than 0.5% of all spinal cord tumors. These tumors are exceptionally rare in adults, with only a handful of cases reported in the literature.

Postpartum Granulomatous Hypophysitis: A Case Study, Review of the Literature, and Discussion of Pathogenesis.

Hypophysitis is a rare inflammatory condition of the pituitary gland that has three main histologic subtypes: lymphocytic hypophysitis (LH), granulomatous hypophysitis (GH), and xanthomatous hypophysitis (XH). Among these, LH is the most common and is strongly associated with the postpartum state, while XH is the least common. Many hypophysitis cases have been reported in the literature but only a few cases of postpartum GH have been discussed.