[A case of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis concomitant with polyneuropathy associated with anti-lactosylceramide antibody].

We report a case of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) concomitant with polyneuropathy associated with anti-lactosylceramide antibody. A 68-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with ophthalmoparesis, bulbar palsy, tetraplegia after suffering from upper respiratory infection and headache. Subsequently, he developed respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation.

Incipient progressive supranuclear palsy is more common than expected and may comprise clinicopathological subtypes: a forensic autopsy series.

We investigated 998 serial Japanese forensic autopsy cases (0-101 years old, mean age 61.7 ± 21.9), with no case selection, using immunohistochemistry to detect cases with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

A Novel Imaging Technique (X-Map) to Identify Acute Ischemic Lesions Using Noncontrast Dual-Energy Computed Tomography.

Background: We evaluated whether X-map, a novel imaging technique, can visualize ischemic lesions within 20 hours after the onset in patients with acute ischemic stroke, using noncontrast dual-energy computed tomography (DECT).

Materials And Methods: Six patients with acute ischemic stroke were included in this study. Noncontrast head DECT scans were acquired with 2 X-ray tubes operated at 80 kV and Sn150 kV between 32 minutes and 20 hours after the onset.

Neuropsychological Characteristics and Their Association with Higher-Level Functional Capacity in Parkinson's Disease.

Background/aims: Little is known about the relationship between cognitive functions and higher-level functional capacity (e.g. intellectual activity, social role, and social participation) in Parkinson's disease (PD).

[A case of phenytoin intoxication caused by interaction between phenytoin and capecitabine].

We report a case of phenytoin intoxication caused by an interaction between phenytoin and capecitabine. A 41-year-old woman was started on phenytoin (200 mg p.o.

[A case of neuro-Sweet disease showing the close association between disease activity and levels of soluble IL-2 receptor].

A 76-year-old man was admitted to our hospital presenting with fever, redness and pain in both the periocular regions, and disturbance of consciousness. He had neck stiffness, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis suggested aseptic meningoencephalitis. Laboratory tests showed increased levels of C-reactive protein, soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and MPO-ANCA.

Impact of bilateral subthalamic stimulation on motor/cognitive functions in Parkinson's disease.

It is still unclear whether deep brain stimulation targeted to the bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) affects cognitive function in Parkinson's disease (PD). This prospective study was aimed to systemically evaluate the impact of bilateral STN-DBS on motor and cognitive functions in patients with PD. This study included totally 11 Japanese patients with medically intolerant PD.

Evaluation of SLC20A2 mutations that cause idiopathic basal ganglia calcification in Japan.

Objective: To investigate the clinical, genetic, and neuroradiologic presentations of idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC) in a nationwide study in Japan.

Methods: We documented clinical and neuroimaging data of a total of 69 subjects including 23 subjects from 10 families and 46 subjects in sporadic cases of IBGC in Japan. Mutational analysis of SLC20A2 was performed.

Findings of 123I-iomazenil SPECT during and after stroke-like episodes in a patient with MELAS.

Reduced cortical benzodiazepine receptor binding potential in late images of I-iomazenil SPECT indicates neuronal damage in the cortex. We present the case of a 31-year-old woman with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) who had focal seizures in the right hand. FLAIR imaging in the ictal state revealed a high-intensity lesion in the left post-central gyrus, while I-iomazenil SPECT showed decreased tracer uptake in this lesion.

[A survey of psychiatrists to determine their level of familiarity with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis].

As anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis develops with incipient psychiatric symptoms in most patients, they initially seek medical care at psychiatric services. It would be desirable, therefore, for psychiatrists to be well aware of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. From this point of view, we conducted a questionnaire survey of psychiatrists to explore the present status of their level of awareness about anti-NMDAR encephalitis.

Transesophageal echocardiographic findings are independent and relevant predictors of ischemic stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Background And Purpose: Not only clinical factors, including the CHADS(2) score, but also echocardiographic findings have been reported to be useful for predicting the risk of ischemic stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). However, it remains to be determined which of these factors might be more relevant for evaluation of the risk of stroke in each patient.

Methods: In 490 patients with NVAF who underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), we examined the long-term incidence of ischemic stroke events (mean follow-up time, 5.

Clinical and transesophageal echocardiographic variables for prediction of thromboembolic events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at low-intermediate risk.

Background: There is no clear consensus about antithrombotic treatment in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients at low-intermediate thromboembolic risk. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is useful for prediction of thromboembolic events in AF.

Methods And Results: Of 498 patients with nonvalvular AF, incidence of stroke, cardiac events, and mortality was investigated in 280 patients with CHADS(2) score 0 or 1 (mean age 64 years, mean follow-up 6.

Study of hemostatic biomarkers in acute ischemic stroke by clinical subtype.

Background: We studied the usefulness of hemostatic biomarkers in assessing the pathology of thrombus formation, subtype diagnosis, prognosis in the acute phase of cerebral infarction, and differences between various hemostatic biomarkers.

Methods: Our study included 69 patients with acute cerebral infarction who had been hospitalized within 2 days of stroke onset. Fibrin monomer complex (FMC), soluble fibrin (SF), D-dimer, thrombin-antithrombin III complex, fibrinogen, antithrombin III, and fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDPs) were assayed as hemostatic biomarkers on days 1, 2, 3, and 7 of hospitalization.

Predictors of poor outcome in patients with acute cerebral infarction.

Background And Purpose: Plasma D-dimer levels are elevated during the acute phase of cerebral infarction (CI). We investigated whether the D-dimer level on admission and other clinical characteristics could be used to predict the poor outcome of patients with acute CI.

Methods: The clinical characteristics and plasma D-dimer levels measured within 3 days of onset were compared according to outcome among patients with acute CI.

Detection of autoantibody against extracellular epitopes of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor by cell-based assay.

The concept of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis, a severe, potentially lethal, treatment-responsive disorder, mediated by autoantibodies against NMDAR was proposed. Because paraneoplastic anti-NMDAR encephalitis has a better prognosis after tumor resection and immunotherapy, rapid quantitative systems for detecting functional autoantibodies against extracellular epitopes of NMDAR are necessary. To detect autoantibodies recognizing extracellular epitopes of NMDAR, we stably expressed mutant NMDAR that decreases Ca(2+) permeability on a heterologous cell surface without any antagonist.