Ultra-early angiographic vasospasm associated with delayed cerebral ischemia and infarction following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE The clinical significance of cerebral ultra-early angiographic vasospasm (UEAV), defined as cerebral arterial narrowing within the first 48 hours of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), remains poorly characterized. The authors sought to determine its frequency, predictors, and impact on functional outcome. METHODS The authors prospectively studied UEAV in a cohort of 1286 consecutively admitted patients with aSAH between August 1996 and June 2013.

Preliminary Effectiveness and Sustainability of Group Aerobic Exercise Program in Patients with Schizophrenia.

The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility and sustained effect of a group aerobic exercise program in patients with schizophrenia. Twenty-four schizophrenic patients participated in a group-based individually tailored 90-minute outdoor cycling session per week for 3 months with intervention to enhance motivation. Physical health was evaluated by anthropometric measures, cardiorespiratory (CR) fitness, and blood tests.

Brain Multimodality Monitoring: Updated Perspectives.

The challenges posed by acute brain injury (ABI) involve the management of the initial insult in addition to downstream inflammation, edema, and ischemia that can result in secondary brain injury (SBI). SBI is often subclinical, but can be detected through physiologic changes. These changes serve as a surrogate for tissue injury/cell death and are captured by parameters measured by various monitors that measure intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral blood flow (CBF), brain tissue oxygenation (PbtO2), cerebral metabolism, and electrocortical activity.

Emotional interference modulates performance monitoring in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Background: Enhanced performance monitoring in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), typically measured by error-related negativity (ERN), provides evidence for the fronto-striatal model of OCD. Here, we examined whether performance monitoring in OCD patients is modulated by emotional interference induced by task-irrelevant emotional stimuli.

Methods: A modified version of the flanker task with emotional face stimuli (fearful vs.

The Relationship between Serum Endocan Levels and Depression in Alzheimer's Disease.

Objectives: Growing evidence suggests that angiogenic vascular factors may be involved in the pathogenic mechanism of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and recently endocan has been proposed as an angiogenic biomarker. The aim of this study was to measure serum endocan levels according to the presence of depression in AD and to investigate the association among the serum endocan levels, cognitive function, and depression in these patients.

Methods: Serum endocan levels were measured in 26 AD patients with depression, 29 AD patients without depression, and 29 healthy controls using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.

Unexpected Rapid Improvement and Neurogenic Stunned Myocardium in a Patient With Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy-type Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is a subset of GBS with either a rapidly improving or protracted course that was first described in China. We describe a 27-year-old previously healthy woman with weakness that progressed to complete tetraplegia and areflexia within 2 weeks after an upper respiratory illness. A lumbar puncture performed 4 days after onset of neurologic symptoms was inconclusive for GBS, and electromyography revealed complete motor axonal neuropathy.

Peripheral neurosteroids enhance P2X receptor-induced mechanical allodynia via a sigma-1 receptor-mediated mechanism.

The role of peripheral neurosteroids and their related mechanisms on nociception have not been thoroughly investigated. Based on emerging evidence in the literature indicating that neurosteroids and their main target receptors, i.e.

Clonidine, an alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist relieves mechanical allodynia in oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic mice; potentiation by spinal p38 MAPK inhibition without motor dysfunction and hypotension.

Cancer chemotherapy with platinum-based antineoplastic agents including oxaliplatin frequently results in a debilitating and painful peripheral neuropathy. We evaluated the antinociceptive effects of the alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist, clonidine on oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain. Specifically, we determined if (i) the intraperitoneal (i.

Repetitive Acupuncture Point Treatment with Diluted Bee Venom Relieves Mechanical Allodynia and Restores Intraepidermal Nerve Fiber Loss in Oxaliplatin-Induced Neuropathic Mice.

Unlabelled: The chemotherapeutic agent, oxaliplatin, produces a robust painful neuropathy that results in the loss of intraepidermal nerve fibers (IENFs). We have previously reported that an acupuncture point (acupoint) injection of diluted bee venom (DBV) produces a temporary antiallodynic effect in oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic mice. Herein we show a significant long-lasting antinociceptive effect of repetitive DBV acupoint treatment on oxaliplatin-induced mechanical allodynia and a significant reduction in the loss of IENFs.

Antipsychotic Prescribing Patterns in First-episode Schizophrenia: A Five-year Comparison.

Objective: Early treatment choice is critical in first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The purpose of this study was to describe prescribing trends of antipsychotics use in patients with first-episode schizophrenia in 2005 and 2010, respectively.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of newly treated patients with schizophrenia from a university psychiatric hospital in 2005 (n=47) and 2010 (n=52).

Role of peripheral sigma-1 receptors in ischaemic pain: Potential interactions with ASIC and P2X receptors.

Background: The role of peripheral sigma-1 receptors (Sig-1Rs) in normal nociception and in pathologically induced pain conditions has not been thoroughly investigated. Since there is mounting evidence that Sig-1Rs modulate ischaemia-induced pathological conditions, we investigated the role of Sig-1Rs in ischaemia-induced mechanical allodynia (MA) and addressed their possible interaction with acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) and P2X receptors at the ischaemic site.

Methods: We used a rodent model of hindlimb thrombus-induced ischaemic pain (TIIP) to investigate their role.

Clonidine Reduces Nociceptive Responses in Mouse Orofacial Formalin Model: Potentiation by Sigma-1 Receptor Antagonist BD1047 without Impaired Motor Coordination.

Although the administration of clonidine, an alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist, significantly attenuates nociception and hyperalgesia in several pain models, clinical trials of clonidine are limited by its side effects such as drowsiness, hypotension and sedation. Recently, we determined that the sigma-1 receptor antagonist BD1047 dose-dependently reduced nociceptive responses in a mouse orofacial formalin model. Here we examined whether intraperitoneal injection of clonidine suppressed the nociceptive responses in the orofacial formalin test, and whether co-administration with BD1047 enhances lower-dose clonidine-induced anti-nociceptive effects without the disruption of motor coordination and blood pressure.

Spinal sigma-1 receptor activation increases the production of D-serine in astrocytes which contributes to the development of mechanical allodynia in a mouse model of neuropathic pain.

We have previously demonstrated that activation of the spinal sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) plays an important role in the development of mechanical allodynia (MA) via secondary activation of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Sig-1Rs have been shown to localize to astrocytes, and blockade of Sig-1Rs inhibits the pathologic activation of astrocytes in neuropathic mice. However, the mechanism by which Sig-1R activation in astrocytes modulates NMDA receptors in neurons is currently unknown.

Repetitive Treatment with Diluted Bee Venom Attenuates the Induction of Below-Level Neuropathic Pain Behaviors in a Rat Spinal Cord Injury Model.

The administration of diluted bee venom (DBV) into an acupuncture point has been utilized traditionally in Eastern medicine to treat chronic pain. We demonstrated previously that DBV has a potent anti-nociceptive efficacy in several rodent pain models. The present study was designed to examine the potential anti-nociceptive effect of repetitive DBV treatment in the development of below-level neuropathic pain in spinal cord injury (SCI) rats.

The effect of depression on serum VEGF level in Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: Growing evidence suggests that angiogenesis might represent a new pathogenic mechanism involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Among angiogenic cytokines, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in AD patients have been evaluated, but the results are controversial among studies. We investigated serum levels of VEGF in AD patients with depression, AD patients without depression, and the controls, respectively.

Microglial interleukin-1β in the ipsilateral dorsal horn inhibits the development of mirror-image contralateral mechanical allodynia through astrocyte activation in a rat model of inflammatory pain.

Damage on one side of the body can also result in pain on the contralateral unaffected side, called mirror-image pain (MIP). Currently, the mechanisms responsible for the development of MIP are unknown. In this study, we investigated the involvement of spinal microglia and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the development of MIP using a peripheral inflammatory pain model.

Intrathecal RGS4 inhibitor, CCG50014, reduces nociceptive responses and enhances opioid-mediated analgesic effects in the mouse formalin test.

Background: The regulator of G-protein signaling protein type 4 (RGS4) accelerates the guanosine triphosphatase activity of G(αi) and G(αo), resulting in the inactivation of G-protein-coupled receptor signaling. An opioid receptor (OR), a G(αi)-coupled receptor, plays an important role in pain modulation in the central nervous system. In this study, we examined whether (1) spinal RGS4 affected nociceptive responses in the formalin pain test, (2) this RGS4-mediated effect was involved in OR activation, and (3) the µ-OR agonist-induced antinociceptive effect was modified by RGS4 modulation.

Bilateral thermal capsulotomy with MR-guided focused ultrasound for patients with treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: a proof-of-concept study.

Despite optimal pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavioral treatments, a proportion of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) remain refractory to treatment. Neurosurgical ablative or nondestructive stimulation procedures to treat these refractory patients have been investigated. However, despite the potential benefits of these surgical procedures, patients show significant surgery-related complications.

σ1 receptors activate astrocytes via p38 MAPK phosphorylation leading to the development of mechanical allodynia in a mouse model of neuropathic pain.

Background And Purpose: Spinal astrocytes have emerged as important mechanistic contributors to the genesis of mechanical allodynia (MA) in neuropathic pain. We recently demonstrated that the spinal sigma non-opioid intracellular receptor 1 (σ1 receptor) modulates p38 MAPK phosphorylation (p-p38), which plays a critical role in the induction of MA in neuropathic rats. However, the histological and physiological relationships among σ1, p-p38 and astrocyte activation is unclear.

Structural control of hierarchically-ordered TiO2 films by water for dye-sensitized solar cells.

A facile way of controlling the structure of TiO(2) by changing the amount of water to improve the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is reported. Hierarchically ordered TiO(2) films with high porosity and good interconnectivity are synthesized in a well-defined morphological confinement arising from a one-step self-assembly of preformed TiO(2) (pre-TiO(2)) nanocrystals and a graft copolymer, namely poly(vinyl chloride)-g-poly(oxyethylene methacrylate). The polymer-solvent interactions in solution, which are tuned by the amount of water, are shown to be a decisive factor in determining TiO(2) morphology and device performance.

Anti-inflammatory effects of glutamine on LPS-stimulated human dental pulp cells correlate with activation of MKP-1 and attenuation of the MAPK and NF-κB pathways.

Aim: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of glutamine and the underlying signal pathway mechanisms in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human dental pulp cells (HDPCs).

Methods: Human dental pulp cells were exposed to 10 μg mL(-1) LPS and various concentrations of glutamine for 24 h. The production of PGE2 and nitric oxide was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Griess reagent kit, respectively.

Dual-functionalized mesoporous TiO(2) hollow nanospheres for improved CO(2) separation membranes.

Simultaneous improvement in CO2 permeability and CO2/N2 selectivity was obtained from mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) containing dual-functionalized mesoporous TiO2 hollow nanospheres (f-MTHS). Dual functionality resulted in the increased CO2 affinity and improved interfacial properties between inorganic nanofillers and the polymer matrix.