What Are the Key Points of Treatment for Cases of Mild Cognitive Impairment? Based on the Evaluation of Cognitive Function Tasks in the ADASJcog.

Background/aims: The aims of this study were to identify the degree of atrophy of the hippocampus in image findings and which cognitive function items should be focused on when treating mild cognitive impairment.

Methods: A total of 66 cases with mild cognitive impairment were included in the study over a 1.5-year observation period.

Progressive enlargement of a mass lesion in late cerebral radionecrosis.

The progressive enlargement of a mass lesion in late cerebral radionecrosis (LCR) was studied using a surgical specimen from a woman's irradiated brain. Using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining on paraffin-embedded sections, expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), interleukin (IL)6, Flk-1, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was semi-quantitatively evaluated in the necrotic area and areas distant and adjacent to the necrotic area. High immunoreactivity for TNFα, IL6, and VEGF in regions distant to the necrotic core were strongly associated with inflammatory cell density, hyalinized vessels, and vascularization.

Phase II trial of radiotherapy after hyperbaric oxygenation with multiagent chemotherapy (procarbazine, nimustine, and vincristine) for high-grade gliomas: long-term results.

Purpose: To analyze the long-term results of a Phase II trial of radiotherapy given immediately after hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) with multiagent chemotherapy in adults with high-grade gliomas.

Methods And Materials: Patients with histologically confirmed high-grade gliomas were administered radiotherapy in daily 2 Gy fractions for 5 consecutive days per week up to a total dose of 60 Gy. Each fraction was administered immediately after HBO, with the time interval from completion of decompression to start of irradiation being less than 15 minutes.

Clinical significance of thallium-201 SPECT after postoperative radiotherapy in patients with glioblastoma multiforme.

To assess the clinical significance of 201Tl-SPECT after postoperative radiotherapy in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GM). Eighteen patients with macroscopically residual GM who underwent 201Tl-SPECT just after postoperative radiotherapy were analyzed. Fifteen patients (83%) received radiotherapy with a total dose of 60 Gy in conventional fractionation, and the remaining three patients were treated with 72 Gy with hyperfractionation schedules.

Paralimbic system and striatum are involved in motivational behavior.

Goal-directed rewarded behavior and goal-directed non-rewarded behavior are concerned with motivation. However, the neural substrates involved in goal-directed non-rewarded behaviors are unknown. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the brain activities of healthy individuals during a novel tool use (turning a screwdriver) to elucidate the relationship between the brain mechanism relevant to goal-directed non-rewarded behavior and motivation.

Reversibility of cognitive disorder after treatment of dural arteriovenous fistulae.

Introduction: Dural arteriovenous fistulae (DAVF) occasionally lead to cognitive disorders whose reversibility after DAVF treatment remains unclear. We studied changes on pre- and post-treatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans in ten patients with cognitive disorder due to DAVF.

Methods: We studied the symptoms, pre- and post-treatment MRI scans, SPECT findings, and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and treatment results in ten patients with cognitive disorder due to DAVF.

Pathological review of late cerebral radionecrosis.

Late cerebral radionecrosis may be considered to be a specific chronic inflammatory response, although it is unknown whether the initial damage by brain irradiation is to an endothelial cell or a glial cell. I discuss the pathological specificity of late cerebral radionecrosis by studying the published literature and a case that I experienced. In late cerebral radionecrosis, there are typical coagulation necrosis areas containing fibrinoid necrosis with occlusion of the lumina and poorly active inflammatory areas with many inflammatory ghost cells, focal perivascular lymphocytes, hyalinized vessels, and telangiectatic vascularization near and in the necrotic tissue, and more active inflammatory areas formed as a partial rim of the reactive zone by perivascular lymphocytes, much vascularization, and GFAP-positive astrocytes at the corticomedullary border adjacent to necrotic tissue in the white matter.

Spinal recurrence from intracranial germinoma: risk factors and treatment outcome for spinal recurrence.

Purpose: To analyze retrospectively the risk factors of spinal recurrence in patients with intracranial germinoma and clinical outcomes of patients who developed spinal recurrence.

Methods And Materials: Between 1980 and 2007, 165 patients with no evidence of spinal metastases at diagnosis were treated with cranial radiotherapy without spinal irradiation. The median follow-up in all 165 patients was 61.

Treatment and prognosis of brain metastases from gynecological cancers.

Brain metastases from gynecological cancers were retrospectively investigated in 18 patients who were treated between 1985 and 2006. Six patients received surgical resection followed by radiotherapy, and 12 patients received only radiotherapy. The median survival for all patients was 4.

Cognitive function of patients with brain tumor in pre- and postoperative stage.

Background: Nobody knows whether cognitive dysfunction affects survival. Furthermore, it is unknown whether the dysfunction is caused by the tumor itself or by its treatment.

Methods: Patients with 20 gliomas (LGG, 7; MG, 13 [AG, 4; GM, 9]) in the right brain (nondominant) and 11 gliomas (LGG, 1; MG, 10 [AG, 6; GM, 4]) in the left brain (dominant) were studied.

Treatment and prognosis of brain metastases from breast cancer.

Background: To analyze retrospectively the results of treatments for patients with brain metastases from breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: The records of 65 breast cancer patients with brain metastases who were treated between 1985 and 2005 were reviewed. For brain metastases, 11 patients (17%) were treated with surgical resection followed by radiotherapy, and the remaining 54 patients were treated with radiotherapy alone.

Hyperfractionated radiotherapy and multi-agent chemotherapy (procarbazine, ACNU and vincristine) for high-grade gliomas: a prospective study.

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy and toxicity of hyperfractionated radiotherapy and multi-agent chemotherapy, including procarbazine, nimustine (ACNU) and vincristine, in adults with high-grade gliomas.

Materials And Methods: Radiotherapy was administered using two fractions per day of 1.2 Gy to a total dose of 72 Gy.

Targeted tumor cell death induced by autologous tumor-specific T lymphocyte recognition of wild-type p53-derived peptides.

Autologous tumor-specific T lymphocyte (ATTL) lines were derived from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of a healthy volunteer with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) -A*0201. These lines were achieved using interleukins -1beta, -2, -4, and -6 and the p53-based peptide from the 264-272 sequence of the wild-type p53 protein with a strong affinity against HLA-A*0201.;The frequencies of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ lymphocytes were 94-96%, 30-34%, and 69-74%, respectively.

Long-term results of radiotherapy for intracranial germinoma: a multi-institutional retrospective review of 126 patients.

Purpose: Optimal management of radiotherapy (RT) for intracranial germinoma remains controversial. This study was conducted to evaluate the long-term results of RT in patients with these tumors.

Methods And Materials: The study group consisted of 126 patients with intracranial germinoma (50 patients with pathologically verified germinoma and 76 clinically diagnosed with germinoma by clinical and neuroradiologic signs) who were treated by RT alone between 1980 and 2001.

Treatment and prognosis of patients with intracranial nongerminomatous malignant germ cell tumors: a multiinstitutional retrospective analysis of 41 patients.

Background: The relative roles of surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy in the management of patients with intracranial nongerminomatous malignant germ cell tumors have been controversial. The authors retrospectively investigated the results of different treatment regimens in patients with these tumors.

Methods: The records of 41 patients who were treated between 1981 and 2001 were reviewed.

Prospective trial of radiotherapy after hyperbaric oxygenation with chemotherapy for high-grade gliomas.

Twenty-one patients with high-grade gliomas were enrolled in a prospective trial of radiotherapy after hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO). Radiotherapy was administered in daily 2-Gy fractions up to a total dose of 60 Gy, and each fraction was delivered immediately after HBO. The current study indicated that radiotherapy immediately after HBO with chemotherapy was feasible for high-grade gliomas.

Apoptotic effect in the glioma cells induced by specific protein extracted from Okinawa Habu (Trimeresurus flavoviridis) venom in relation to oxidative stress.

Okinawa Habu (Trimeresurus flavoviridis) venom is well known for its toxic efficacy, from which one kind of specific protein, Okinawa Habu apoxin protein-1 (OHAP-1) has been extracted. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether OHAP-1 could induce apoptosis in some glioma cells, and if so, to elucidate the possible mechanism involved. Three malignant glioma cell lines were tested.

Brain metastases from esophageal carcinoma: natural history, prognostic factors, and outcome.

Background: Brain metastases from esophageal carcinoma are extremely rare, and information regarding the natural history, results of treatment, and possible prognostic factors in these patients is limited.

Methods: The records of 36 patients with brain metastases from esophageal carcinoma who were treated between 1986 and 2000 were reviewed. For brain metastases, 12 patients (33%) were treated with surgical resection followed by radiation therapy (S+RT), and the remaining 24 patients were treated with radiation therapy alone.

Apoptosis induced by box jellyfish (Chiropsalmus quadrigatus) toxin in glioma and vascular endothelial cell lines.

This study was made to investigate whether Chiropsalmus Quadrigatus toxins (CqTX), which isolated from box jellyfish C. Quadrigatus venom, could induce apoptosis in human U251 and rat C6 malignant glioma cells and transformed vascular endothelial ECV 304 cell lines. Cell viability was estimated by MTT assay.