Hub-connected functional connectivity within social brain network weakens the association with real-life social network in schizophrenia patients.

Hubs in the brain network are the regions with high centrality and are crucial in the network communication and information integration. Patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) exhibit wide range of abnormality in the hub regions and their connected functional connectivity (FC) at the whole-brain network level. Study of the hubs in the brain networks supporting complex social behavior (social brain network, SBN) would contribute to understand the social dysfunction in patients with SCZ.

Neural correlates of prospection impairments in schizophrenia: Evidence from voxel-based morphometry analysis.

Prospection, which has a close relationship with motivation and goal-directed behavior, could be a potential target for alleviating negative symptoms. The present study aimed to examine the structural neural correlates of prospection impairments and the involvement of working memory in prospection in schizophrenia patients. Thirty-seven patients with schizophrenia and 28 healthy controls were recruited and all of them completed a prospection task.

Functional connectivity of the default mode network is associated with prospection in schizophrenia patients and individuals with social anhedonia.

Background: Prospection, which is closely related to negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, is mainly associated with the Default Mode Network (DMN). Although abnormalities of the DMN have been reported in schizophrenia patients and at-risk individuals, little is known about the relationship between functional connectivity of the DMN and prospection in these clinical and subclinical populations.

Method: Study 1 recruited 40 schizophrenia patients and 29 healthy controls, while 31 individuals with social anhedonia (SocAhn) and 28 controls participated in Study 2.

Nitrous oxide induced subacute combined degeneration with longitudinally extensive myelopathy with inverted V-sign on spinal MRI: a case report and literature review.

Background: Nitrous oxide (N2O), a long-standing anesthetic, is also neurotoxic by interfering with the bioavailability of vitamin B12 if abused. A few case studies have reported the neurological and psychiatric complications of N2O.

Case Presentation: Here, we reported a patient of N2O induced subacute combined degeneration (SCD) with longitudinally extensive myelopathy with inverted V-sign exhibiting progressive limb paresthesia and unsteady gait.

Disconnections of Cortico-Subcortical Pathways Related to Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Leukoaraiosis: A Preliminary Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study.

Background: We aimed to explore the relation between the microstructural integrity of white matter using the technique of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and changes of cognition in leukoaraiosis (LA).

Methods: Fifty patients with LA and 50 age- and gender-matched controls were recruited consecutively. The average values of mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were quantified both within white matter lesions (WMLs) and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) from the regions of interest (ROIs).

Effect of smoking on resting-state functional connectivity in smokers: An fMRI study.

Background And Objective: Smoking is a leading cause of death in the world. Aberrant brain function has been repeatedly linked to tobacco smoking. However, little is known about insula-based resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in non-deprived tobacco-dependent smokers.

Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis following Vaccination against Hepatitis B in a Child: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, which has been associated with several vaccines such as rabies, diphtheria-tetanus-polio, smallpox, measles, mumps, rubella, Japanese B encephalitis, pertussis, influenza, and the Hog vaccine. Here, we presented a case of 12-year-old child who suffered from ADEM three weeks after hepatitis B vaccination. He was admitted to our hospital with symptoms of weakness of limbs, high fever, and alteration of consciousness.

[Effect of Electroacupuncture Intervention on Expression of Pain Sensory and Affective Proce- ssing-related µ-opioid Receptor, etc. in the Amygdala in Chronic Neuropathy Pain Rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on expression of pain sensory and affective processing-related µ-opioid receptor (MOR), glutamatergic AMPA receptor subunit GIuA 1, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK 1/2), cAMP response element binding protein(CREB) in the amygdala in chronic constrictive injury (CC) + negative affection(NA) rats, so as to reveal its mechanism underlying pain relief.

Methods: A total of 32 male Wistar rats were randomized into normal control, model, EA, and anesthesia+ EA (AEA) groups (n = 8 in each group). The neuropathic pain NA model was established by ligation of the left sciatic nerve and repeated electrical stimulation of the paw-bottom in the pain-paired compartment.

[Effects of Electroacupuncture Stimulation of "Neiguan" (PC 6) at Different Frequencies on Plasma Vasoactive Substance Levels in Myocardial Ischemic Reperfusion Rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Neiguan" (PC 6) at different frequencies on plasma vasoactive substance levels in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MIR) injury rats, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of acute myocardial ischemia.

Methods: A total of 40 Wistar rats were randomized into control, model, high frequency (HF, 120 Hz) and low frequency (LF, 20 Hz) groups (n = 10 in each group). The MIR model was established by occlusion of the anterior descending branch (ADB) of the left coronary artery for 30 min, followed by reperfusion for 40 min.

[Correlates of cognitive impairment in patients with leukoaraiosis by magnetic resonance spectroscopy].

Objective: To explore the pathological changes in patients with leukoaraiosis (LA) by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and examine its relationship with cognitive function.

Methods: Twenty-three LA patients and 23 age and gender-matched healthy subjects were recruited from the Department of Neurology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University between August 2010 and November 2010. All participants underwent the neuropsychological tests.

[Characteristics of cognitive impairment in patients with leukoaraiosis].

Objective: To explore the characteristics of cognitive impairment in patients with leukoaraiosis (LA).

Methods: Forty-six LA patients and 38 age and gender-matched healthy subjects were recruited from the Department of Neurology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University between September 2010 and March 2011. All participants underwent the neuropsychological tests recommended by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Canadian Stroke Network Vascular Cognitive Impairment Harmonization Standards (NINDS/CSN).

Acute infarct of the corpus callosum presenting as alien hand syndrome: evidence of diffusion weighted imaging and magnetic resonance angiography.

Background: Infarcts of the corpus callosum are rare and have not been well documented previously. As for a variety of signs and symptoms presented, alien hand syndrome (AHS) can be easily overlooked.

Case Presentation: In this report, we present a patient with a mixed types of AHS coexistence secondary to the corpus callosum infarction, including a motor type of AHS by intermanual conflict (callosal type AHS) and a sensory type of AHS by alien hand and left hemianesthesia (posterior AHS).