Comparison of creatinine-based equations for estimating renal function for digoxin dose adjustment in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

The aim of this study was to determine an appropriate equation for estimating renal function to dose regulate the serum digoxin trough concentration to a target of <0.9 ng/ml in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF). All patients received 0.

Indication for a skull base approach in microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm.

Background: A thorough observation of the root exit zone (REZ) and secure transposition of the offending arteries is crucial for a successful microvascular decompression (MVD) for hemifacial spasm (HFS). Decompression procedures are not always feasible in a narrow operative field through a retrosigmoid approach. In such instances, extending the craniectomy laterally is useful in accomplishing the procedure safely.

Control of Diabetes Mellitus and Long-Term Prognosis in Stroke Patients: The Shiga Stroke and Heart Attack Registry.

Background: The relationship between diabetes control status and long-term prognosis after stroke incidence remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of diabetes status at admission on long-term survival in patients with first-ever stroke.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on the Shiga Stroke and Heart Attack Registry in Japan.

Effect of high-dose delivery on the attachment of meningiomas in Gamma Knife surgery: a retrospective study.

Background: Meningiomas have vascular supply from the tumor attachment on the dura mater. Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS) is known to have a vascular obliterating effect. This study aims to determine the benefits of high-dose irradiation to the tumor attachment compared to conventional dose planning in the long-term control of tumor growth with GKS.

Bridge technique for hemifacial spasm with vertebral artery involvement.

Background: To assess efficacy and safety of a newly developed decompression technique in microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm (HFS) with vertebral artery (VA) involvement.

Methods: A rigid Teflon (Bard PTFE Felt Pledget, USA) with the ends placed between the lower pons and the flocculus creates a free space over the root exit zone (REZ) of the facial nerve (bridge technique). The bridge technique and the conventional sling technique for VA-related neurovascular compression were compared retrospectively in 60 patients.

Seasonal Variation in Incidence of Stroke in a General Population of 1.4 Million Japanese: The Shiga Stroke Registry.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate seasonal variation in stroke incidence using data from a large-scale stroke registry of general population in current Japan.

Methods: Shiga Stroke Registry (SSR) is an ongoing population-based registry of stroke that occurred in the Shiga Prefecture in central Honshu, Japan. A total 6,688 cases of first-ever stroke, with onset dates ranging from 1 January 2011 to 31 December in 2013 were included in this study.

Modulation of tongue motion and tongue pressure during liquid swallowing with different bolus volumes.

Background: The tongue functions by modulating according to bolus volume when swallowing; however, associated tongue dynamics are unclear.

Objective: We aimed to clarify how tongue motion and tongue pressure change with bolus volume during swallowing.

Methods: Sixteen healthy volunteers (age 29.

Redo surgery for trigeminal neuralgia: reasons for re-exploration and long-term outcomes.

Background: To investigate the causes of failure and recurrence after microvascular decompression (MVD) for trigeminal neuralgia (TGN) and to analyze the results of redo surgery.

Methods: Sixty-three cases of redo surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Reasons for re-exploration were categorized into 4 groups based on the operative findings.

Association of self-measured home, ambulatory, and strictly measured office blood pressure and their variability with intracranial arterial stenosis.

Objective: Hypertension and intracranial artery stenosis (ICAS) are closely related; however, few studies have compared the strength of the relationship between strictly measured office and out-of-office blood pressure (BP) measurements. The relationship of day-by-day or short-term variability in BP to asymptomatic ICAS also remains unclear.

Methods: In apparently healthy 677 men (mean age, 70 years) from a population-based cohort, we examined the association of strictly measured office BP and 7-day home BP with ICAS on magnetic resonance angiography.

Effect of hard gummy candy chewing on masticatory function.

Background: Although various training methods have been reported for improving oral function such as occlusal force, there are few reports that show the training effect of eating hard food on the oral functions.

Objective: To examine the training effects of habitually ating hard gummy candies on oral functions.

Methods: Participants of this cohort study were recruited into a training (six women, eight men; mean age 27.

Location of the abducens nerve stretched by a tortuous vertebrobasilar artery in trigeminal neuralgia.

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TGN) caused by the vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) is uncommon. The abducens nerve root is frequently dislocated by a tortuous VBA near the trigeminal nerve root. This unusual location of the root is not well known.

Petrosal Vein Involvement in Neurovascular Conflict in Trigeminal Neuralgia: Surgical Technique and Clinical Outcomes.

Background: Contact of the main stem of the petrosal vein (PV) to the nerve root is a rare cause of trigeminal neuralgia (TGN). The implication of the PV in relation with neurovascular contact (NVC) is not fully understood.

Objective: To assess the operative procedures in microvascular decompression (MVD) in patients with PV involvement in the long-term.

Long-Term Survival after Stroke in 1.4 Million Japanese Population: Shiga Stroke and Heart Attack Registry.

Background And Purpose: Although numerous measures for stroke exist, stroke remains one of the leading causes of death in Japan. In this study, we aimed to determine the long-term survival rate after first-ever stroke using data from a large-scale population-based stroke registry study in Japan.

Methods: Part of the Shiga Stroke and Heart Attack Registry, the Shiga Stroke Registry is an ongoing population-based registry study of stroke, which covers approximately 1.

A convexity meningioma presenting with an acute subdural hematoma.

Background: Meningiomas presenting with acute subdural hematomas are extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, only 45 cases have been reported to date. We report on a case of a meningioma mimicking an acute subdural hematoma as well as a thorough literature review.

Microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia attributable to the vertebrobasilar artery: decompression technique and significance of separation from the nerve root.

Background: Separation of the vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) from the trigeminal nerve root in microvascular decompression (MVD) is technically challenging. This study aimed to review the clinical features of VBA involvement in trigeminal neuralgia and evaluate surgical decompression techniques in the long term.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the surgical outcomes of 26 patients (4.

Coordination between lingual motion and pressure production during dipper/tipper type swallows.

Background: Tongue motor biomechanics during swallowing was not fully elucidated due to the technical difficulty.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between tongue motion and tongue pressure production by simultaneously measuring tongue motion and tongue pressure during water swallowing.

Methods: In 12 healthy male participants (mean age, 30.

Two-Year Recurrence After First-Ever Stroke in a General Population of 1.4 Million Japanese Patients - The Shiga Stroke and Heart Attack Registry Study.

Background: Despite many effective strategies for the prevention of recurrent stroke, individuals who survive an initial stroke have been shown to be at high risk of recurrent stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the current status of stroke recurrence after first-ever stroke using a population-based stroke registry in Japan.

Methods and results: As part of the Shiga Stroke and Heart Attack Registry, the Shiga Stroke Registry is an ongoing population-based stroke registry study that covers approximately 1.

Estimation of pharyngeal residue after swallowing by retronasal aroma.

Background: Pharyngeal residue can trigger aspiration and choking after swallowing. Various studies to assess the amount of pharyngeal residue have been conducted; however, an easy and quantitative method is yet to be established. The aroma released from the pharyngeal residue is thought to be delivered from the pharynx to the nasal cavity via velopharynx by expiration, that is, retronasal pathway.

Preoperative Evaluation of the Effects of Sigmoid Sinus Ligation with both Endovascular and Open-Field Occlusion Tests before Removal of Petroclival Tumors.

 Surgery for petroclival tumors is very challenging for neurosurgeons because the position of the tumor in relation to the brainstem, cranial nerves, and posterior fossa vessels greatly restricts the surgical field. Some papers have described using sigmoid sinus ligation to open the surgical field; however, pre- and intraoperative evaluations of the safety of ligation have been limited, despite the risk of complications from venous insufficiency. Here, we describe our method of preoperatively evaluating the potential safety of a retrolabyrinthine transsigmoid approach with nondominant ipsilateral sigmoid sinus ligation (RLTSwSSL).

Microfluidic screening system based on boron-doped diamond electrodes and dielectrophoretic sorting for directed evolution of NAD(P)-dependent oxidoreductases.

We report the development of a micro total analysis system (μTAS) based on electrochemical measurements and dielectrophoretic sorting for screening of NAD(P)-dependent oxidoreductases. In this system, the activity of enzymes immobilized on microbeads, together with their encoding DNA, can be measured with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode in each compartment (∼30 nL) of the microfluidic system. The 30 nL droplets containing microbead-displayed genes of enzymes with higher activity can then be recovered by dielectrophoretic sorting.

Abnormal organization during neurodevelopment in a mouse model of Sandhoff disease.

Sandhoff disease (SD) is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation of HEXB, which is the β-subunit gene of β-hexosaminidase A and B (HexA and HexB) in humans. HEXB mutation reduces HexA and HexB enzymatic activities, and results in the massive accumulation of ganglioside GM2 in the nervous system. Severe phenotypes of SD show progressive neurodegeneration in human infants, and lysosomal dysfunction that may affect the early development of the nervous system.