Both epilepsy and anti-seizure medications affect bone metabolism in children with self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes.

Objective: Bone metabolism can be influenced by a range of factors. We selected children with self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS) and lifestyles similar to those of healthy children to control for the confounding factors that may influence bone metabolism. We aimed to identify the specific effects of epilepsy and/or anti-seizure medications (ASMs) on bone metabolism.

Longitudinally tracking personal physiomes for precision management of childhood epilepsy.

Our current understanding of human physiology and activities is largely derived from sparse and discrete individual clinical measurements. To achieve precise, proactive, and effective health management of an individual, longitudinal, and dense tracking of personal physiomes and activities is required, which is only feasible by utilizing wearable biosensors. As a pilot study, we implemented a cloud computing infrastructure to integrate wearable sensors, mobile computing, digital signal processing, and machine learning to improve early detection of seizure onsets in children.

Acute Flaccid Myelitis in Children in Zhejiang Province, China.

In July-December 2018, an outbreak of polio-like acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) occurred in Zhejiang province, China. Enterovirus (EV)-D68 infection has been reported to be associated with AFM. This study aimed to investigate the clinical presentation, laboratory findings, and outcomes of AFM patients.

[A genotyping study of 13 cases of early-onset Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease].

Objective: To study the clinical characteristics and genetic variation of early-onset Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT).

Methods: Children with a clinical diagnosis of early-onset CMT were selected for the study. Relevant clinical data were collected, and electromyogram and CMT-related gene detection were performed and analyzed.

Mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) associated with bacteria meningitis caused by listeria monocytogenes: A case report.

Rationale: Mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion is a clinico-radiological syndrome mainly triggered by viral infection. Bacteria, like listeria monocytogenes, are relatively rare pathogens.

Patient Concerns: A two and a half years old girl with a 3-day history of fever and vomiting, complicated by a sudden seizure.

Genetic Variants Identified from Epilepsy of Unknown Etiology in Chinese Children by Targeted Exome Sequencing.

Genetic factors play a major role in the etiology of epilepsy disorders. Recent genomics studies using next generation sequencing (NGS) technique have identified a large number of genetic variants including copy number (CNV) and single nucleotide variant (SNV) in a small set of genes from individuals with epilepsy. These discoveries have contributed significantly to evaluate the etiology of epilepsy in clinic and lay the foundation to develop molecular specific treatment.

Clinically mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection.

Background: Clinically mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS) is a clinico-radiological syndrome characterized by transient mild symptoms of encephalopathy and a reversible lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It is often triggered by infection. The common pathogens of MERS are viruses, especially influenza virus.

Cerebral Sparganosis in Children: Epidemiologic and Radiologic Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes: A Report of 9 Cases.

Background: Pediatric cerebral sparganosis has been seldom reported. In the current study, we retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathologic records of 9 consecutive pediatric cases of cerebral sparganosis and analyzed their epidemiologic characteristics and clinical outcomes.

Methods: Our cases included 6 boys and 3 girls, all from rural areas, and their median age at diagnosis was 9.

Acute Blockage of Notch Signaling by DAPT Induces Neuroprotection and Neurogenesis in the Neonatal Rat Brain After Stroke.

Notch signaling is critically involved in various biological events. Notch undergoes cleavage by the γ-secretase enzyme to release Notch intracellular domain that will translocate into nucleus to result in expression of target gene. γ-Secretase inhibitors have been developed as potential treatments for neurological degenerative diseases, but its effects against ischemic injury remain relatively uncertain.

Novel mutations of the ATP7B gene in Han Chinese families with pre-symptomatic Wilson's disease.

Background: Wilson's disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder of copper metabolism, caused by mutations in the ATP7B gene, resulting in copper accumulation in the liver, brain, kidney, and cornea and leading to significant disability or death if untreated. Early diagnosis and proper therapy usually predict a good prognosis, especially in pre-symptomatic WD. Genetic testing is the most accurate and effective diagnostic method for early diagnosis.

Reversible bilateral striatal lesions following Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection associated with elevated levels of interleukins 6 and 8.

Background: Reversible bilateral striatal necrosis associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) infection is a rare neurological disease. The exact pathogenic mechanism remains unknown.

Inhibition of MAPK/ERK signaling blocks hippocampal neurogenesis and impairs cognitive performance in prenatally infected neonatal rats.

Hippocampus endogenous neurogenesis has been postulated to play a favorable role in brain restoration after injury. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have been insufficiently deciphered. Here we investigated the potential regulatory capacity of MAPK/ERK signaling on neurogenesis and the associated cognitive performance in prenatally infected neonatal rats.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome in a Boy With Lung Fluke Infection: Case Report and Literature Review.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is the most common acute peripheral neuropathy in children in most countries. The cause and pathogenesis of the disease have yet to be clarified. There have been only a few reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome resulting from parasite infections worldwide, no cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome after lung fluke infection have been reported.

Regulation of gap junctional communication by astrocytic mitochondrial K(ATP) channels following neurotoxin administration in in vitro and in vivo models.

It is known that neuronal ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels and astrocytic gap junctions (GJs) are involved in the mechanism underlying neurodisorders. The K(ATP) channels exist also in glial cells, and the objective of this study was to determine whether the astrocytic K(ATP) channels exert their effect on neurotoxin-induced neurodysfunction through regulating the astrocytic GJ function. The results showed that diazoxide, a selective mitochondrial K(ATP) (mitoK(ATP)) channel opener, enhanced the GJ coupling, but 5-hydroxydecanoate, a selective mitoK(ATP) channel blocker that significantly inhibits GJ coupling in vitro did not.

The role of an Ommaya reservoir in the management of children with cryptococcal meningitis.

Cryptococcal meningitis is the most common life-threatening fungal infection and is associated with high mortality in children. Amphotericin B plus flucytosine and fluconazole is the optimal current therapy. Implantation of an Ommaya reservoir for intraventricular infusion of medication and aspiration of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for the treatment of increased intracranial pressure (ICP) has been reported.

Effects of topiramate on weight and metabolism in children with epilepsy.

Aim: To explore the mechanism of topiramate-induced weight loss in epilepsy children by monitoring metabolism indices.

Methods: Children with epilepsy were treated with topiramate at their first clinical visit. Metabolism indices including body mass index (BMI) and its SD scores, leptin, adiponectin, leptin/adiponectin (L/A), lipid profile-insulin and Homeostasis Model Assessments (HOMA) index were collected before and after treatment.

[Cannabinoid receptor 1 expression and pathological changes in rat hippocampus after deprivation of rapid eye movement sleep].

Objective: To observe the expression of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) mRNA and pathological changes in rat hippocampus after deprivation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Methods: Totally 42 Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into cage control (CC), tank control (TC) and the sleep deprivation groups (SD). The SD and TC rats were sacrificed at the end of 1 d, 3 d and 5 d sleep deprivation periods, respectively.

Activation of ATP-sensitive potassium channels prevents the cleavage of cytosolic mu-calpain and abrogates the elevation of nuclear c-Fos and c-Jun expressions after hypoxic-ischemia in neonatal rat brain.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether activation of ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels with diazoxide (DIZ) is able to prevent the cleavage of cytosolic mu-calpain and abrogate the elevation of nuclear c-Fos and c-Jun protein (c-Fos, c-Jun) expressions after hypoxic-ischemia (HI) in brain. The model of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) was made in the 7-day-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by left carotid arterial ligation and hypoxia (8% oxygen). DIZ was injected into the left lateral ventricle (5 microl, 1 mg/ml) before or post-hypoxic-ischemia (HI) insults.

Effect of diazoxide on regulation of vesicular and plasma membrane GABA transporter genes and proteins in hippocampus of rats subjected to picrotoxin-induced kindling.

Epileptiform discharges and behavioral seizures may be the consequences of excess excitation from inadequate inhibitory effects associated with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is taken up and accumulated in synaptic vesicles by the action of vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) before its release into the synaptic cleft, and removed from synaptic regions by the action of transporter proteins GABA transporter-1 (GAT-1) and GABA transporter-3 (GAT-3). In this experiment, the effects of diazoxide (DIZ) on the VGAT, GAT-1 and GAT-3 mRNA and protein levels in hippocampus, and on the seizure activities of picrotoxin (PTX)-induced kindling rats were observed.

Changes in the gene and protein expression of K(ATP) channel subunits in the hippocampus of rats subjected to picrotoxin-induced kindling.

ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels couple the intracellular metabolic state to electrical activity, which is important in the control of neuronal excitability and seizure propagation. In this study, we investigated the changes in the gene and protein expression of KATP channel subunits in the brain of picrotoxin (PTX)-kindled rats, which were daily administered with a subconvulsant dose of PTX for 20 days. At 14 days after the last administration of PTX, kindled rats were retreated with PTX and killed by decapitation at 12 h, 1 and 3 days, as well as retreated with vehicle and killed at 0 h after starting the retreatment.

[Time-course of mu-calpain activation, c-Fos, c-Jun, HSP70 and HSP27 expression in hypoxic-ischemic neonatal rat brain].

Objective: The cascade of physiological events underlying hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) remains to be fully established. The perinatal brain shows both an increased tolerance to hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury and a faster and more complete recovery than the adult. It is, therefore, important to understand the sequence of events following hypoxia and ischemia in young animals.