Slowly expanding lesions are associated with disease activity and gray matter loss in relapse-onset multiple sclerosis.

Background And Purpose: Slowly expanding lesions (SELs) have been proposed as novel MRI markers of chronic active lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the mechanism through which SELs affect brain volume loss in patients with MS remains unknown. Additionally, the prevalence and significance of SELs in Asian patients with MS remain unclear.

Characterization of Japanese multiple sclerosis patients with progression independent of relapse activity: A 2-year multicenter cohort study.

Progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) is prevalent among Caucasian patients with relapsing and remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). However, there is limited knowledge regarding the characteristics of PIRA in Asian patients with RRMS. Therefore, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical and radiological progression of 95 Japanese patients with RRMS during a 2-year observation period.

Continuous diffuse brain atrophy independent of relapse as a hallmark of multiple sclerosis beginning from relapsing-remitting stage.

Background: Neurodegenerative changes are observed in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and are prominent in secondary progressive MS (SPMS). However, whether neurodegenerative changes accelerate and are altered after the transition into SPMS or in the presence of relapses remains uncertain.

Methods: In this study, 73 patients with MS (seven with relapsing RRMS, 56 with relapse-free RRMS, and 10 with relapse-free SPMS) were evaluated for brain segmental volume changes over a 2-year follow-up period.

Early-onset herpes simplex encephalitis type 1 triggered by COVID-19 disease: A case report.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes a systemic inflammatory response and a temporary immunosuppression of hosts. Several reports have showed that reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is strongly associated with COVID-19. We present a case of a 66-year-old female, who developed HSV-1 encephalitis, showing impaired consciousness and typical MRI findings such as hyperintense lesions in the temporal lobe, insular cortices, bilateral medial frontal lobe on diffusion-weighted imaging, 7 days after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms.

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging of plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma with histopathological correlation: A case report.

Plasmacytoid urothelial carcinomas of the bladder are rare, aggressive variants with a poor prognosis. Few reports have described the correlation of histopathological features with multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging findings in the local staging of plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma. An 82-year-old woman with hematuria was referred to our hospital.

Theory of mind and its neuroanatomical correlates in people with multiple sclerosis.

Background Theory of mind (ToM) is one of the several different concepts in social cognition and is defined as the ability to access the mental states of others or to adopt the point of view of others. Although studies have shown that ToM is impaired in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), the results based on individual ToM tasks are conflicting; some studies have shown deficits only in the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' Test (RMET), while others have reported poor performance in the Faux Pas Test (FPT) as well as RMET. Furthermore, little is known about the relationship between ToM performance and neuroanatomical characteristics in MS.

Serum amyloid A level correlates with T2 lesion volume and cortical volume in patients with multiple sclerosis.

It is unclear whether brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with not only neuroinflammation but also systemic inflammation. Here we found that systemic inflammatory marker serum amyloid A (SAA) was moderately correlated with cortical volume in the patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and MS (r = -0.41, p = 0.

A case of anti-AQP4 antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder with MRI-proven lesions in lumbar nerve roots.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) affects the central nervous system but is rarely reported to cause peripheral nervous system damage. We report a case of a 57-year-old woman with numbness and muscle weakness of the left lower limb during the course of 12 years of anti-AQP4 antibody-positive NMOSD. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a contrast effect on the left L4, L5, and S1 nerve roots, which is a highly unusual presentation.

Secondary cardiac involvement in anti-SRP-antibody-positive myopathy: an 87-year-old woman with heart failure symptoms as the first clinical presentation.

Background: Necrotizing myopathy (NM) is defined by the dominant pathological feature of necrosis of muscle fibers without substantial lymphocytic inflammatory infiltration. Anti-signal recognition particle (SRP)-antibody-positive myopathy is related to NM. Anti-SRP-antibody-positive myopathy can comorbid with other disorders in some patients, however, comorbidity with malignant tumor and myopericarditis has still not been reported.

[A case of antisynthetase syndrome with anti-EJ antibody complicated by pericarditis].

A 69-year-old man was admitted with neck muscle weakness, symmetric proximal muscle weakness, skin rash and elevated serum creatine kinase levels. Muscle biopsy showed perifascicular necrosis and perimysial alkaline phosphatase activity. Chest CT revealed interstitial lung disease and colorectal cancer was diagnosed on colonoscopy.

Brain volume loss is present in Japanese multiple sclerosis patients with no evidence of disease activity.

No evidence of disease activity-3 (NEDA-3), defined as absence of clinical relapse, disability progression, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity, has emerged as the therapeutic target of disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS). However, recent studies have revealed that NEDA-3 might not be sufficient to prevent cognitive deterioration and predict long-term disability. In addition to NEDA-3, brain atrophy has recently been recognized as a pivotal biomarker that is closely associated to disability in patients with MS.

Association between Delirium and Prehospitalization Medication in Poststroke Patients.

Purpose: Medication is an important risk factor for delirium; however, the association between delirium and prehospitalization medication is unclear. We investigated the association between prestroke medication and poststroke delirium.

Materials And Methods: All patients hospitalized in the stroke care unit from September 2011 to September 2012 were selected, and their delirium symptoms, patient information, and pre- and poststroke medications were analyzed.

Serum retinol levels are associated with brain volume loss in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Although predicting future brain volume loss (BVL) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is important, studies have shown only a few biomarkers that can predict BVL.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to elucidate the association between longitudinal BVL and serum biomarker candidates.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective, observational study intended to cover MS patients during January 2008 to March 2016.

Retrospective survey to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Japanese botulinum antitoxin therapy in Japan.

Japanese botulinum antitoxins have been used for more than 50 years; however, their safety and therapeutic efficacy are not clear. In order to analyze the available data on botulinum antitoxin therapy in Japan, we surveyed published reports about botulism cases in which botulinum antitoxins were used, and retrospectively analyzed the safety and efficacy of the therapy. A total of 134 patients administered botulinum antitoxins were identified from published reports.

Freeze-dried live attenuated smallpox vaccine prepared in cell culture "LC16-KAKETSUKEN": Post-marketing surveillance study on safety and efficacy compliant with Good Clinical Practice.

Background: In Japan, production of smallpox vaccine LC16m8 (named LC16-KAKETSUKEN) was restarted and was determined to be maintained as a national stockpile in March 2002.

Objective: To conduct a post-marketing surveillance study of the vaccination of freeze-dried live attenuated smallpox vaccine prepared in cell culture LC16-KAKETSUKEN using attenuated vaccinia strain LC16m8. The study complied with Good Clinical Practice, focusing on a comparison between primary vaccinees and re-vaccinees.