Long-term follow-up study of SWEDD patients with mild parkinsonian signs.

Background: Whether scan without evidence of dopaminergic deficit (SWEDD) can be a reliable indication of a clinical entity of Parkinson's disease (PD) is controversial.

Objective: To evaluate the proportion of SWEDD patients with mild parkinsonian signs who are classifiable as idiopathic PD.

Methods: 32 SWEDD patients with unilateral or asymmetric finger tremor with a rest component and unilateral rigidity (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)-III scores of 3-5) were enrolled.

Anesthetic management of cesarean section in a patient with Takayasu's arteritis: a case report.

Background: Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a chronic, progressive, inflammatory arteritis. We presented the case of cesarean section in a patient with TA.

Case Presentation: A 31-year-old pregnant woman with TA underwent a planned cesarean section at 34 weeks of pregnancy.

Atlantoaxial Rotatory Fixation after Microtia Reconstruction Surgery.

Unlabelled: Nontraumatic atlantoaxial rotatory fixation after microtia reconstruction surgery is a rare complication. Intraoperative cervical hyperextension and/or excessive rotation and postoperative inflammation have been reported as causes of atlantoaxial rotatory fixation. We herein describe cases of atlantoaxial rotatory fixation after microtia reconstruction surgery.

Anesthetic Management Using Low Fraction of Inspiratory Oxygen for Living Donor Liver Transplantation in a Patient With Hepatopulmonary Syndrome Complicated by Interstitial Pneumonia: A Case Report.

Background: Hepatopulmonary syndrome frequently complicates end-stage liver disease. It causes hypoxemia and requires oxygen administration. Additionally, interstitial pneumonia causes hypoxemia; however, it is known to be aggravated by high-concentration oxygen administration.

High Prevalence of Early Parkinson's Disease in Patients With Subtle Parkinsonian Signs.

Little is known about how frequently patients with a Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS-III) score of 3 or 4, including postural and action tremor, could be classified into early Parkinson's disease (PD). To examine the prevalence of early PD in patients with subtle parkinsonian signs (rest tremor, postural tremor, and rigidity) without bradykinesia, having a UPDRS-III score of 3 or 4. Parkinsonism was assessed using UPDRS-III based on both the United Kingdom PD Society Brain Bank criteria and the Movement Disorder Society PD criteria.

A Herniorrhaphy Lamination Technique for the Reconstruction of Midline Abdominal Wall Defects.

The primary goal of abdominal wall reconstruction is to prevent hernia recurrence through robust and durable repair. Synthetic mesh utilization can provide sound strength but is susceptible to extrusion, infection, and intestinal fistulization. The use of autologous fasciae latae to reinforce the primary fascial reapproximation has mostly been abandoned, presumably because synthetic patches are readily available.

Association Between Olfactory Impairment and Disease Severity and Duration in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: The association between olfactory dysfunction and disease duration and severity in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains controversial.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between olfactory dysfunction and disease severity and duration in patients with recently diagnosed parkinsonism and patients with PD with a previous diagnosis.

Methods: Olfactory function was evaluated in 79 patients with recently diagnosed parkinsonism, 71 patients with PD with a previous diagnosis-with patients in both groups free of cognitive impairment-and 128 age-matched controls.

A Case of Logopenic Variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia with Parkinsonism and Anosmia.

A 69-year-old right-handed woman developed difficulty naming objects and word-finding. The clinical features of language disorder and predominant atrophy on MRI and predominant hypoperfusion on I-IMP SPECT in the left temporo-parietal junction area were consistent with the diagnostic criteria for the logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA). Neurological examination showed slight right-side rigidity and resting tremor (UPDRS-III: 4).

High prevalence of parkinsonism in patients with MCI or mild Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of the coexistence of parkinsonism in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: Outpatients were evaluated with Mini-Mental State Examination, Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, NIA-AA criteria, MRI, and I-IMP SPECT (3D-SSP). Parkinsonism in patients diagnosed with MCI (Mini-Mental State Examination ≥24, n = 63) or mild AD (Mini-Mental State Examination 20-23, n = 43) was examined using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-III and I-FP-CIT dopamine transporter SPECT.

High salt loading induces urinary storage dysfunction via upregulation of epithelial sodium channel alpha in the bladder epithelium in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

We aimed to investigate whether high salt intake affects bladder function via epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) by using Dahl salt-resistant (DR) and salt-sensitive (DS) rats. Bladder weight of DR + high-salt diet (HS, 8% NaCl) and DS + HS groups were significantly higher than those of DR + normal-salt diet (NS, 0.3% NaCl) and DS + NS groups after one week treatment.

Costal cartilage graft with perichondrium, a possible anti-adhesive material.

Background: Adhesion occurs as a part of the wound healing process, but it sometimes compromises patients' daily activities. The authors were looking for materials and methods that could prevent adhesion, and noticed that the costal cartilage has possibility. The anti-adhesive property of the costal cartilage was examined histologically.

Mineralocorticoid receptor stimulation induces urinary storage dysfunction via upregulation of epithelial sodium channel expression in the rat urinary bladder epithelium.

We aimed to evaluate mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) expression in rat bladder and the physiological role of the MR-epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) pathway in controlling bladder function in 10-12-week-old, male Sprague-Dawley rats. First, we examined the mRNA expression of MR and localization of MR and ENaC-α proteins in the urinary bladder. MR mRNA expression was observed in untreated-rat urinary bladders, and MR and ENaC-α proteins were localized in the epithelium.

Laparoscopic Versus Open Radical Cystectomy for Patients Older than 75 Years: a Single-Center Comparative Analysis.

Background: To explore the safety, efficacy, and oncological outcome of 3-port laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) compared to open radical cystectomy (ORC) in patients older than 75 years.

Materials And Methods: From June 2010 to July 2014, we analyzed 16 radical cystectomies in patients older than 75 years (LRC group=8; ORC group=8). Demographic parameters, operative variables, and perioperative outcome in the 2 groups were retrospectively collected, analyzed, and compared.

Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Kidney and Bladder with Loss of Heterozygosity and Changes in Chromosome 3 Copy Number.

Background: Neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) of the urological organs are observed occasionally, although simultaneous development in the kidney and blabber has not been reported.

Case Report: We report a case of a metastatic NEC of the kidney and bladder in a 77-year-old woman who underwent renal biopsy and transurethral resection of the bladder tumor. Pathological examination revealed NEC in the kidney and the bladder samples.

Alterations of the blood-spinal cord barrier in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) of the spinal cord capillary consists of non-fenestrated endothelial cells with tight junctions, basal laminae, pericytes and astrocyte feet processes, referred to as a "neurovascular unit." The primary function of the BSCB is the maintenance and control of homeostasis of the spinal cord parenchyma by the selective transport of molecules and cells from the systemic compartment. Dysfunction of the BSCB shows important function in the etiology or progression of several pathological conditions of the spinal cord, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Flail arm syndrome with cytoplasmic vacuoles in remaining anterior horn motor neurons: A peculiar variant of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Flail arm (FA) syndrome, a minor subtype of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is characterized by progressive weakness and upper girdle wasting, but the associated pathological changes remain unclear. A 59-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a 3-year history of upper girdle weakness. Bulbar symptom and gait disturbance gradually developed, and he was clinically diagnosed with FA syndrome.

Successful Combination Therapy with Rituximab and Glucocorticoids for Autoimmune Optic Neuropathy.

Background: Autoimmune optic neuropathy is optic neuropathy caused by an autoimmune mechanism. As treatment, steroid is usually used. If steroid is ineffective to improve visual function, other immunosuppressive agents are used as needed.

Autophagy in spinal motor neurons of conditional ADAR2-knockout mice: An implication for a role of calcium in increased autophagy flux in ALS.

In the motor neurons of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, an RNA editing enzyme called adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 2 (ADAR2) is down-regulated and consequently GluA2 mRNAs unedited at the Q/R site is expressed in contrast to normal motor neurons that express only GluA2 edited at this site. Motor neurons of the mice lacking ADAR2 undergo Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptor-mediated slow death. We investigated the spinal cords of conditional ADAR2-knockout mice modeling ALS for the involvement of autophagy.

Alterations in the blood-spinal cord barrier in TDP-43 conditional knockout mice.

We investigated whether the loss of motor neuron-specific TDP-43 protein causes any change in the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) in the spinal cord of TDP-43 conditional knockout (TDP CKO) mice. The TDP CKO mice were divided into four groups: early presymptomatic, late presymptomatic, early symptomatic, and late symptomatic stages. The spinal cords were pathologically examined.

Epstein-Barr virus-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma following acute myeloid leukemia: a common clonal origin indicated by chromosomal translocation t(3;4)(p25;q21).

Secondary non-Hodgkin lymphoma following acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is extremely rare. We here describe a unique case involving a patient who developed Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) during complete remission (CR) of AML. A 75-year-old Japanese man was initially diagnosed with AML with maturation (FAB M2), bearing chromosomal translocation t(3,4)(p25;q21).

The Effects of an Uninterrupted Switch from Donepezil to Galantamine without Dose Titration on Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia in Alzheimer's Disease.

Aims: To elucidate the efficacy of galantamine on cognition and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in outpatients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) who have switched from donepezil to galantamine.

Materials And Methods: We performed an uninterrupted switch from donepezil to galantamine without a washout period or dose titration in 44 ambulatory outpatients with amnestic MCI (n = 12) or mild-to-moderate AD (n = 32). Three months after the switch, the efficacy of galantamine was evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and NPI Brief Questionnaire Form (NPI-Q), respectively, using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Interleukin-18 may lead to benign prostatic hyperplasia via thrombospondin-1 production in prostatic smooth muscle cells.

Background: Although inflammation plays an important role in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), little is known about the exact mechanism underlying this pathogenesis. Here, we investigated the relationship between the inflammatory reaction and BPH.

Methods: cDNA microarray analysis was used to identify changes in inflammation-related gene expression in a recently established rat model that mimics human BPH.

Dendritic retraction, but not atrophy, is consistent in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-comparison between Onuf's neurons and other sacral motor neurons.

Background: Fundamental cytological changes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) were looked for by comparing relatively preserved Onuf's nucleus (ON) and severely affected neighboring motor neuron groups (dorsolateral alpha motoneurons (DL) and other anterior horn neurons (OAH)). The second sacral segments from 11 ALS patients and 5 controls were initially quadruple-labeled for phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP43), and p62 with DAPI to identify TDP43-related changes. After digital recording of these fluorescence data encompassing the entire specimen at a high resolution, the same sections were stained with Klüver-Barrera method to obtain their exact bright-field counterparts.