Taste impairment in patients with Parkinsonism.

Background: Taste impairment is a prevalent issue among individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (iPD). However, understanding taste disorders among different Parkinsonism remains incomplete. Our objective was to assess the incidence and severity of taste responses to sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami substances in patients with iPD, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and multiple system atrophy (MSA).

Assessment of Piezo1 Expression in Urinary Exfoliated Cells as a Diagnostic Indicator for Multiple System Atrophy.

Background: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) shares clinical features with idiopathic Parkinson' s disease (iPD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), yet reliable biomarkers for differential diagnosis remain elusive.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate Piezo1/2 expression in urinary exfoliated cells as a potential biomarker for MSA differentiation.

Methods: Piezo1/2 expression levels were quantified in urinary exfoliated cells from 76 MSA patients, 103 iPD patients, 59 PSP patients, and 126 healthy controls (HCs) across three independent cohorts using multiple analytical techniques.

Effect of fecal microbiota transplantation on patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder marked by the progressive loss of motor neurons. Recent insights into ALS pathogenesis underscore the pivotal role of the gut microbiome, prompting an investigation into the potential therapeutic impact of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on sporadic ALS patients.

Methods: Conducted as a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial, the study enrolled 27 participants from October 2022 to April 2023.

Enlarged perivascular spaces in alcohol-related brain damage induced by dyslipidemia.

Perivascular spaces (PVSs) as the anatomical basis of the glymphatic system, are increasingly recognized as potential imaging biomarkers of neurological conditions. However, it is not clear whether enlarged PVSs are associated with alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD). We aimed to investigate the effect of long-term alcohol exposure on dyslipidemia and the glymphatic system in ARBD.

triggers α-synuclein pathology in the transgenic mouse model of PD.

Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) pathology is the hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). The leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 () gene is a major-effect risk gene for sporadic PD (sPD). However, what environmental factors may trigger the formation of α-syn pathology in carriers of risk variants are still unknown.

Cognitive Impairment in Chronic Kidney Disease Is Associated with Glymphatic System Dysfunction.

Introduction: This study was designed to explore the associations between impaired cognition in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and the dysfunction of the glymphatic system.

Method: Data were obtained from 77 CKD patients and 50 age-matched healthy control individuals from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. CKD patients were stratified into with and without impaired cognitive function.

Efficacy of faecal microbiota transplantation in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy-Richardson's syndrome: a phase 2, single centre, randomised clinical trial.

Background: Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has demonstrated efficacy in treating gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, such as infection (CDI) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). GI dysfunction is a frequent and occasionally dominating symptom of progressive supranuclear palsy-Richardson's syndrome (PSP-RS). However, it is not known whether FMT has clinical efficacy for PSP-RS.

Microbiota-ear-brain interaction is associated with generalized anxiety disorder through activation of inflammatory cytokine responses.

Introduction: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most enduring anxiety disorders, being associated with increased systemic inflammation. However, the trigger and mechanisms underlying the activation of inflammatory cytokine responses in GAD remain poorly understood.

Materials And Methods: We characterized the ear canal microbiome in GAD patients through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomic sequencing and identified the serum inflammatory markers in GAD patients.

Mutations in ARHGEF15 cause autosomal dominant hereditary cerebral small vessel disease and osteoporotic fracture.

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a prominent cause of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke and a leading cause of vascular dementia, affecting small penetrating vessels of the brain. Despite current advances in genetic susceptibility studies, challenges remain in defining the causative genes and the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Here, we reported that the ARHGEF15 gene was a causal gene linked to autosomal dominant inherited CSVD.

Impaired glymphatic drainage underlying obstructive sleep apnea is associated with cognitive dysfunction.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent but easily undiagnosed and is an independent risk factor for cognitive impairment. However, it remains unclear how OSA is linked to cognitive impairment. In the present study, we found the correlation between morphological changes of perivascular spaces (PVSs) and cognitive impairment in OSA patients.

Gut Dysbiosis Is Associated With the Severity of Cryptogenic Stroke and Enhanced Systemic Inflammatory Response.

Studies implicate that gut dysbiosis is related with many neurological diseases. However, the potential role of gut dysbiosis in cryptogenic stroke (CS) has not been elucidated yet. In this study, a high prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction and gut inflammation with increased intestinal permeability have been found in CS patients compared with normal controls (NCs).