Cannabinoid receptor 2 agonist AM1241 alleviates epileptic seizures and epilepsy-associated depression via inhibiting neuroinflammation in a pilocarpine-induced chronic epilepsy mouse model.

Increasing evidence suggests that cannabinoid receptor 2 (CBR) serves as a promising anti-inflammatory target. While inflammation is known to play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, the involvement of CBR in epilepsy remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a CBR agonist, AM1241, on epileptic seizures and depressive-like behaviors in a mouse model of chronic epilepsy induced by pilocarpine.

A Method to Extract Task-Related EEG Feature Based on Lightweight Convolutional Neural Network.

Unlocking task-related EEG spectra is crucial for neuroscience. Traditional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) effectively extract these features but face limitations like overfitting due to small datasets. To address this issue, we propose a lightweight CNN and assess its interpretability through the fully connected layer (FCL).

Roles of NG2 Glia in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease.

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is one of the most prevalent pathologic processes affecting 5% of people over 50 years of age and contributing to 45% of dementia cases. Increasing evidence has demonstrated the pathological roles of chronic hypoperfusion, impaired cerebral vascular reactivity, and leakage of the blood-brain barrier in CSVD. However, the pathogenesis of CSVD remains elusive thus far, and no radical treatment has been developed.

Timing matters: there are significant differences in short-term outcomes between two time points of status epilepticus.

Background: In 2015, the International League Against Epilepsy proposed a new conceptual definition of status epilepticus (SE) with two operational dimensions (t1 and t2) to guide emergency treatment. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical characteristics and prognoses of patients at these two different time points.

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational cohort study of consecutive adults diagnosed with SE.

Inhibiting SRC activity attenuates kainic-acid induced mouse epilepsy via reducing NR2B phosphorylation and full-length NR2B expression.

Objective: To explore the effect of SRC activation on spontaneously recurrent seizures and to investigate the underlying mechanisms of NR2B phosphorylation.

Methods: C57BL/6 mice were injected intrahippocampally with kainic acid (KA, 0.4 μg/25 g) to induce status epilepticus (SE).

Deeper cerebral hypoperfusion leads to spatial cognitive impairment in mice.

Background: Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is the second-leading cause of dementia worldwide, which is caused by cerebrovascular diseases or relevant risk factors. However, there are no appropriate animal models, which can be used to study changes of neuropathology in the human VCI. To better understand the development of VCI, we modified three mouse models of chronical vascular diseases, and further compared the advantage and disadvantage of these models.

Association between gait features assessed by artificial intelligent system and cognitive function decline in patients with silent cerebrovascular disease: study protocol of a multicenter prospective cohort study (ACCURATE-2).

Background: Gait disturbances may appear prior to cognitive dysfunction in the early stage of silent cerebrovascular disease (SCD). Subtle changes in gait characteristics may provide an early warning of later cognitive decline. Our team has proposed a vision-based artificial intelligent gait analyzer for the rapid detection of spatiotemporal parameters and walking pattern based on videos of the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test.

Efficacy of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation on electroencephalographic functional networks in patients with focal epilepsy: Preliminary findings.

Background: Neuromodulation is a promising therapeutic alternative for epilepsy. We aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of cathodal transcranial current direct stimulation (ctDCS) on electroencephalographic functional networks in focal epilepsy.

Methods: A sham-controlled, double-blinded, randomized study was conducted on 25 participants with focal epilepsy who underwent a 5-day, -1.

Diagnostic value of a vision-based intelligent gait analyzer in screening for gait abnormalities.

Background: Early detection of gait abnormalities is critical for preventing severe injuries in future falls. The timed up and go (TUG) test is a commonly used clinical gait screening test; however, the interpretation of its results is limited to the TUG total time.

Research Question: What is diagnostic accuracy of the low-cost, markerless, automated gait analyzer, with the aid of vision-based artificial intelligence technology, which extract gait spatiotemporal features and screen for abnormal walking patterns through video recordings of the TUG test?

Methods: Our dataset contained retrospective data from outpatients from the Department of Neurology or Rehabilitation of two tertiary hospitals in Shanghai.

GABAergic Interneuron and Neurotransmission Are mTOR-Dependently Disturbed in Experimental Focal Cortical Dysplasia.

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a major cause for drug-resistant epilepsies. The molecular and cellular mechanisms of epileptogenesis in FCD are still poorly understood. Some studies have suggested that deficiencies of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system may play an important role in type II FCD, but it remains controversial.

Anti-inflammatory treatment with a soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor attenuates seizures and epilepsy-associated depression in the LiCl-pilocarpine post-status epilepticus rat model.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether 1-trifluoromethoxyphenyl-3-(1-propionylpiperidin-4-yl) urea (TPPU), a soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor with anti-inflammatory effects, could alleviate spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) and epilepsy-associated depressive behaviours in the lithium chloride (LiCl)-pilocarpine-induced post-status epilepticus (SE) rat model.

Methods: The rats were intraperitoneally (IP) injected with LiCl (127 mg/kg) and pilocarpine (40 mg/kg) to induce SE. A video surveillance system was used to monitor SRS in the post-SE model for 6 weeks (from the onset of the 2nd week to the end of the 7th week after SE induction).

Exosomes derived from PEDF modified adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulation of autophagy and apoptosis.

Increasing evidence suggest that exosomes from mesenchymal stem cells have therapeutic effects in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a multifunctional protein that exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and neuroprotective properties. We investigated the involvement of PEDF in I/R, using adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) isolated from rat.

Functional network changes in the hippocampus contribute to depressive symptoms in epilepsy.

Purpose: Our study aimed to investigate the functional connectivity (FC) between the hippocampus and other brain regions in epilepsy patients with depressive symptoms.

Methods: Epilepsy patients with and without depressive symptoms, assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores, were enrolled. Healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group.

Different behavioral and pathological changes between epilepsy-associated depression and primary depression models.

Purpose: Comorbid depression is common in patients with epilepsy. However, the epilepsy-associated depression is generally atypical and has not been fully recognized by neurologists. This study aimed to compare the behavioral and pathological changes between the chronic lithium chloride-pilocarpine rat epilepsy model (Licl-pilocarpine model) and the Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress rat depression model (CUMS model), to evaluate for differences between epilepsy-associated depression and primary depression.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor NR2B subunit involved in depression-like behaviours in lithium chloride-pilocarpine chronic rat epilepsy model.

Depression is a common comorbidity in patients with epilepsy with unclear mechanisms. This study is to explore the role of glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor NR1, NR2A and NR2B subunits in epilepsy-associated depression. Lithium chloride (Licl)-pilocarpine chronic rat epilepsy model was established and rats were divided into epilepsy with depression (EWD) and epilepsy without depression (EWND) subgroups based on forced swim test.