Balloon-Assisted Catheterization of Occluded Carotid Artery (BOCA) Technique in Acute Stroke.

Background: Acute ischemic stroke from tandem occlusion of internal carotid artery (ICA) poses a technical challenge to neurointerventionalists.

Objective: To present a novel balloon-assisted catheterization of occluded carotid artery (BOCA) technique used for rapid and effective catheterization of occluded/critically stenosed ICA in tandem occlusion.

Methods: A retrospective review of 10 patients with tandem carotid occlusion, treated with BOCA technique for revascularization between July 2020 and June 2021, was performed.

A 62-Year-Old Man Presenting with Bilateral Tremor of the Upper Limb After a Diagnosis of COVID-19 with Confirmed Volumetric Brain Loss.

BACKGROUND The SARS-CoV-2 viral infection is associated with respiratory and multi-organ systemic disease. It has been shown to affect the central nervous system and produce varied neurological symptoms, including ischemic strokes, seizures, and encephalitis. Neurological manifestations of this viral infection are thought to be due to neurotropic reactions on the central nervous system or post-infectious immune-mediated damage.

Approach to Limb Weakness.

"Approach to limb weakness" provides an overview of the pathways of the motor system and the type of weakness seen with pathology at each level from the cortex to the muscle. This article provides the clinical pearls needed to identify different patterns of weakness and accurately localize the level of weakness. It offers important pointers that help distinguish among the different etiologies of weakness at each level, as well as various diagnostic approaches and treatments of diseases that lead to limb weakness.

Sleep Fragmentation and Atherosclerosis: is There a Relationship?

Sleep fragmentation refers to the disruption of sleep architecture with poor quality of sleep despite optimal duration of sleep. Sleep fragmentation has been shown to have multiple effects on different body systems. This article reviews the effect of sleep fragmentation on the rate of atherosclerosis which has been linked to comorbidities like myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary artery disease with an aim to educate patients regarding the importance of sleep hygiene and to incorporate a good amount and quality of sleep as life style modification along with diet and exercise.

A case report of COVID-19 in refractory myasthenia: Outcome with remdesivir and dexamethasone.

Rationale: Myasthenia gravis (MG) patients are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection and its complications due to chronic immunosuppression. COVID-19 infection can also increase the risk of myasthenia exacerbation.

Patient Concerns: The patient presented with respiratory distress, fever and chills and was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Current Endovascular Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Acute ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability in the United States. Intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) has been the mainstay of acute therapy. However, multiple randomized clinical trials have been published that have shown higher rates of recanalization and improved functional outcomes with endovascular therapy compared with intravenous rt-PA in patients with ischemic stroke from large vessel occlusion.

Brachial plexopathy with Sjögren syndrome.

This report will explain an unusual presentation of brachial plexopathy associated with manifestation of Sjögrens and will emphasize that Sjögrens may also present initially with neurological involvement only.

Glia Maturation Factor in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disease characterized by the presence of extracellular amyloid plaques (APs) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brain. There is no disease modifying therapeutic options currently available for this disease. Hippocampus, entorhinal cortex (Broadmann area 28), perirhinal cortex (Broadmann area 35) and insular cortices are areas within the brain that are first ones to be severely affected in AD.

Recurrent Opportunistic Infections in a Thymectomised Patient with Myasthenia Gravis and Good's Syndrome.

We report the case of a 65-year-old man with myasthenia gravis, who developed recurrent opportunistic infections following thymectomy and immunosuppressive therapy. Subsequent evaluation including immunological studies, flow cytometry, and bone marrow studies confirmed the diagnosis of Good's syndrome. The patient was successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and has remained stable with a monthly IVIG regimen.

Are Tanycytes the Missing Link Between Type 2 Diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease?

Tanycytes are highly specialized bipolar ependymal cells that line the ventrolateral wall and the floor of the third ventricle in the brain and form a blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier at the level of the median eminence. They play a pivotal role in regulating metabolic networks that control body weight and energy homeostasis. Due to the glucosensing function of tanycytes, they could be considered as a critical player in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.

Mast Cell Activation in Brain Injury, Stress, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis.

Mast cells are localized throughout the body and mediate allergic, immune, and inflammatory reactions. They are heterogeneous, tissue-resident, long-lived, and granulated cells. Mast cells increase their numbers in specific site in the body by proliferation, increased recruitment, increased survival, and increased rate of maturation from its progenitors.

Co-Expression of Glia Maturation Factor and Apolipoprotein E4 in Alzheimer's Disease Brain.

Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) is a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The E4 allele of ApoE plays a crucial role in the inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes associated with AD. This is evident from the multiple effects of the ApoE isoforms in amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation.