Elevated Astrocytic NFAT5 of the hippocampus increases epilepsy susceptibility in hypoxic-ischemic mice.

Objective: Hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) is a leading cause of neonatal mortality, resulting in brain injury and persistent seizures that can last into the late neonatal period and beyond. Effective treatments and interventions for infants affected by hypoxia-ischemia remain lacking. Clinical investigations have indicated an elevation of nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5) in whole blood from umbilical cords of severely affected HIBD infants with epilepsy.

Cell-specific NFIA upregulation promotes epileptogenesis by TRPV4-mediated astrocyte reactivity.

Background: The astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) exhibit morphological and functional diversity in brain region-specific pattern. Functional alterations of reactive astrocytes are commonly present in human temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) cases, meanwhile the neuroinflammation mediated by reactive astrocytes may advance the development of hippocampal epilepsy in animal models. Nuclear factor I-A (NFIA) may regulate astrocyte diversity in the adult brain.

-mutation congenital myasthenic syndrome in late adolescence: Case report and review of the literature.

Congenital myasthenia syndromes (CMS) are a heterogeneous group of hereditary disorders of the neuromuscular junction. The symptoms include fatigue, muscle weakness, ptosis, mastication or swallowing problem, respiratory distress. We present a 42-year-old male patient who was admitted with complaints of paroxysmal limb weakness for 25 years and got repeated apnea crisis due to using AchE inhibitors.

Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Patients With Disorders of Consciousness: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objectives: The aims of this study are to evaluate the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation for improving disorders of consciousness and to compare efficacy of the different etiologies of disorders of consciousness.

Design: Randomized controlled trials or crossover trials examining effects of transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with disorders of consciousness were searched in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. The sample characteristics, etiology, transcranial direct current stimulation treatment characteristics, and outcomes were extracted.

Neurotoxic A1 astrocytes promote neuronal ferroptosis via CXCL10/CXCR3 axis in epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder with a complex etiology. Ferroptosis, a new form of programmed cell death, is characterized by the accumulation of lipid peroxides and associated with seizures. However, the underlying mechanism of ferroptosis in epilepsy remains elusive.

Distinct mechanisms underlying therapeutic potentials of CD20 in neurological and neuromuscular disease.

Cluster of differentiation 20 (CD20) is an integral membrane protein expressed mainly on different developmental stages of B lymphocytes and rarely on T lymphocytes, and it functions as a link to B cell antigen receptor (BCR) and immune microenvironment via regulating calcium ion influx, cell cycle progression and interaction between isotypic BCRs and their co-receptors. Diverse therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting CD20 are generated and grouped into two types based on the ability to redistribute CD20 into lipid rafts, which results in huge differences in response. Currently, multiple anti-CD20 mAbs have been approved as drugs for neurological and neuromuscular diseases with promising clinical efficacy.

Inhibition of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) Mitigates Seizures.

Astrocytes are critical regulators of the immune/inflammatory response in several human central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that dysfunctional astrocytes are crucial players in seizures. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) in 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)-induced seizures and the underlying mechanism.

TRPV1 channel mediates NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent neuroinflammation in microglia.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease in the central nervous system (CNS). The NLRP3 inflammasome is considered an important regulator of immunity and inflammation, both of which play a critical role in MS. However, the underlying mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasome activation is not fully understood.

Anticonvulsant agent DPP4 inhibitor sitagliptin downregulates CXCR3/RAGE pathway on seizure models.

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder with a complex etiology. Our previous study demonstrated that dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP4) may be associated with the pathogenesis of epilepsy. However, whether the DPP4 inhibitor sitagliptin has an anticonvulsant effect and the underlying mechanism remain to be elucidated.

A retrospective study of branch atheromatous disease: Analyses of risk factors and prognosis.

The theory of branch atheromatous disease (BAD) has been commonly underused in clinical practice and research since it was proposed in 1989. In this study, we sought to explore clinical characteristics of its substypes and biomarkers for prognosis of BAD. A total of 176 consecutive patients with BAD were classified into two groups: paramedianpontine artery group (PPA group, n=70) and lenticulostriate artery group (LSA group, n=106).

Decreased Methylation Level of H3K27me3 Increases Seizure Susceptibility.

Epigenetic modifications including histone modifications are associated with seizure development and epileptogenesis; however, its underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) and IL6 are identified as febrile seizure (FS)-related genes using gene microarray analysis in hyperthermia prone (HP) rats. This purpose of the study focused on exploring whether epigenetic modifications marker histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3)-regulated DPP4 and IL6 expression further affected seizures development.

Radix Angelica Sinensis Promotes Synaptic Plasticity During Cognitive Recovery in Chronically Stressed Rats.

The accumulation of chronic stress is associated with cognitive dysfunction. Radix Angelica Sinensis (RAS) has been shown to have neuroprotective potential for treating Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. However, the impact of RAS on cognitive impairment induced by chronic stress has not been studied.

Long-term metabolic alterations in a febrile seizure model.

Objective: Febrile seizures (FS) are the most common neurological disease in infancy and early childhood, it can lead to metabolic changes and have long-term health implications. Aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of FS on metabolism.

Methods: We measured certain metabolic parameters in hyperthermia-prone (HP) rats, which were developed using a selective breeding process and showed a lower seizure threshold than wild-type (WT) rats.

Transcriptome analysis of the hippocampus in novel rat model of febrile seizures.

Febrile seizures (FS) are the most common type of convulsive events in infants and young children, but the precise underlying genetic mechanism remains to be explored. To investigate the underlying pathogenic factors in FS and subsequent epilepsy, alterations in gene expression between the two new strains of rats (hyperthermia-prone [HP] vs hyperthermia-resistant [HR]), were investigated by using the Whole Rat Genome Oligo Microarray. This process identified 1,140 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; 602 upregulated and 538 downregulated), which were analyzed to determine significant Gene Ontology (GO) categories, signaling pathways and gene networks.

Effects of fluoxetine on brain-derived neurotrophic factor serum concentration and cognition in patients with vascular dementia.

Background: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors improve cognition in patients with stroke and increase the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the rat hippocampus. However, the effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on cognition and serum BDNF levels in patients with vascular dementia are largely unknown. We performed an open-label study to investigate the effects of fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, on cognition and serum BDNF levels in patients with vascular dementia.

Abnormal levels of brain metabolites may mediate cognitive impairment in stroke-free patients with cerebrovascular risk factors.

Objective: conventional vascular risk factors (VRFs) are associated with cognitive impairment independent of stroke and detectable cerebral lesions. We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H MRS) to examine the hypotheses that abnormal levels of brain metabolites may mediate the relationship between VRFs and cognitive impairment.

Methods: a group of 54 stroke-free subjects with various VRFs underwent comprehensive cognitive assessments and (1)H MRS scan of the left hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

Fluoxetine enhances Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor Serum Concentration and Cognition in Patients with Vascular Dementia.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) improve cognition in patients with stroke and increase the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the rat hippocampus. However, the effects of SSRIs on cognition and BDNF level in vascular dementia (VaD) patients are largely unknown. We performed an open-label study to investigate the effects of fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, on mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score and serum BDNF level in VaD patients.

Hyperthermia-induced seizures: development of hyperthermia-prone and hyperthermia-resistant rats.

Febrile seizures (FS), as a multifactorial and genetic disease, are the most common type of convulsive event in infants and young children. Their genetic basis, however, remains elusive. To investigate the genetic mechanisms involved in FS and to identify novel susceptibility genes, we developed two new strains of rats that are hyperthermia-prone (HP, lower seizure threshold) and hyperthermia-resistant (HR, higher seizure threshold) using an established model of hyperthermia-induced seizures combined with selective breeding process.