Exoscopic-Endoscopic Resection of Intramedullary Spinal Cord Metastasis From Renal Cell Carcinoma With Ventral Exophytic Extension.

Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) is a rare manifestation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). A 73-year-old man presented with left shoulder pain and left upper extremity weakness for two months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed intramedullary and intradural extramedullary lesions at the C5 level, compressing the spinal cord from the center of the cord and the left ventral side.

Effects of physiotherapy on degenerative cerebellar ataxia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Evidence of the effectiveness of physiotherapy, including muscle strength training, coordination training, aerobic exercise, cycling regimen, balance training, gait training, and activity of daily living training, in patients with degenerative cerebellar ataxia (DCA) was insufficient for clinical decision making. We aimed to explore clinical outcomes and examine the parameters associated with physical impairment and activity in people with DCA based on preregistration (PROSPERO: CRD42024493883).

Methods: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, CHINAL, and PEDro databases were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Clinical and genetic spectrum of patients with IRF2BPL syndrome.

Interferon regulatory factor 2 binding protein-like (IRF2BPL) is a single-exon gene that is ubiquitously expressed in various tissues, including the brain. IRF2BPL encodes a transcription factor with two zinc-finger domains that potentially downregulate WNT signaling in the nervous system. Pathogenic IRF2BPL variants have been reported to cause developmental delay, seizures, myoclonus epilepsies, autistic spectrum disorder, and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Depressive Symptoms and Amyloid Pathology.

Importance: Depressive symptoms are associated with cognitive decline in older individuals. Uncertainty about underlying mechanisms hampers diagnostic and therapeutic efforts. This large-scale study aimed to elucidate the association between depressive symptoms and amyloid pathology.

Detection of epileptogenic zones in people with epilepsy using optimized EEG-fMRI.

Purpose: Concurrent electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have been used to assist in the presurgical localization of seizure foci in people with epilepsy. Our study aimed to examine the clinical feasibility of an optimized concurrent EEG-fMRI protocol.

Methods: The optimized protocol employed a fast-fMRI sequence (sampling rate = 10 Hz) with a spare arrangement, which allowed a time window of 1.

Hydrogel coils in intracranial aneurysm treatment: a multicenter, prospective, randomized open-label trial.

Objective: Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of hydrogel-coated coils (HGCs) to achieve the composite endpoint of decreased recanalization rates and greater safety. Herein, the authors aimed to assess the true ability of second-generation HGCs to prevent recanalization.

Methods: This randomized controlled study, the HYBRID (Hydrocoil Versus Bare Platinum Coil in Recanalization Imaging Data) trial, comparing HGCs with bare platinum coils (BPCs), was conducted in 43 Japanese institutions.

Recommendations for mitochondria transfer and transplantation nomenclature and characterization.

Intercellular mitochondria transfer is an evolutionarily conserved process in which one cell delivers some of their mitochondria to another cell in the absence of cell division. This process has diverse functions depending on the cell types involved and physiological or disease context. Although mitochondria transfer was first shown to provide metabolic support to acceptor cells, recent studies have revealed diverse functions of mitochondria transfer, including, but not limited to, the maintenance of mitochondria quality of the donor cell and the regulation of tissue homeostasis and remodelling.

Glucose transporter 1 in vascular smooth muscle cells is dispensable for abdominal aortic aneurysm induced by angiotensin II.

Treatment with an inhibitor of glucose use via glucose transporters (GLUT) has been shown to attenuate experimental abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) development in mice. Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) signaling seems to be essential for angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced AAA in mice. Accordingly, we have tested a hypothesis that VSMC silencing of the major GLUT, GLUT1, prevents AAA development and rupture in mice treated with Ang II plus β-aminopropionitrile.

Motor involvement in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa type C.

The degeneration of pyramidal tracts has been reported in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 (TAR DNA-binding protein 43) pathology (FTLD-TDP) type C. Herein, we examined the detailed pathology of the primary motor area and pyramidal tracts in the central nervous system in four autopsy cases of FTLD-TDP type C, all of which were diagnosed by neuropathological, biochemical, and genomic analyses. Three patients showed right dominant atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes, while the other patient showed left dominant atrophy.

Characteristics and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest among students under school supervision in Japan: a descriptive epidemiological study (2008-2021).

Background: A comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurring under school supervision is lacking. We aimed to comprehensively describe the characteristics and outcomes of OHCA among students in elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, and technical colleges in Japan.

Methods: OHCA data from 2008-2021 were obtained from the SPIRITS study, which provides a nationwide database of OHCAs occurring under school supervision across Japan.

L-arginine in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial.

Background: Therapeutic advancements for the polyglutamine diseases, particularly spinocerebellar degeneration, are eagerly awaited. We evaluated the safety, tolerability, and therapeutic effects of L-arginine, which inhibits the conformational change and aggregation of polyglutamine proteins, in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6).

Methods: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial (clinical trial ID: AJA030-002, registration number: jRCT2031200135) was performed on 40 genetically confirmed SCA6 patients enrolled between September 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021.

Severe Delayed-Onset Meningitis Developed One Year After a Basilar Skull Fracture Without a Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak: A Case Report.

Traumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage from skull base fractures increases the risk of bacterial meningitis, which is associated with a high mortality rate in adults, and commonly results in severe neurological outcomes. While most cases of CSF leakage occur within three months post-injury and generally resolve spontaneously, delayed-onset meningitis remains a challenging complication. Herein, we report a rare case of severe bacterial meningitis with an intraventricular abscess one year following a frontal skull base fracture, despite no CSF leak.

Comparison of hypothermic and normothermic targeted temperature management in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with acute coronary syndrome: a nationwide retrospective study.

Background: Targeted temperature management (TTM) is considered a beneficial treatment for improving outcomes in patients with OHCA due to acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The comparative benefits of hypothermic TTM (32-34°C) versus normothermic TTM (35-36°C) are unclear. This study compares these TTM strategies in improving neurological outcomes and survival rates in OHCA patients with ACS.

Ethical Use of Cadaveric Images in Anatomical Textbooks, Atlases, and Journals: A Consensus Response From Authors and Editors.

Nowadays, consent to use donor bodies for medical education and research is obtained from the body donors and their families before the donation. Recently, the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA) published guidelines that could restrict the appearance of cadaveric images in commercial anatomical resources such as textbooks and other educational products. These guidelines state that the donor must expressly consent to using such images for this purpose.

Animacy processing by distributed and interconnected networks in the temporal cortex of monkeys.

Animacy perception, the ability to discern living from non-living entities, is crucial for survival and social interaction, as it includes recognizing abstract concepts such as movement, purpose, and intentions. This process involves interpreting cues that may suggest the intentions or actions of others. It engages the temporal cortex (TC), particularly the superior temporal sulcus (STS) and the adjacent region of the inferior temporal cortex (ITC), as well as the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC).

Gait instability and compensatory mechanisms in Parkinson's disease with camptocormia: An exploratory study.

Objective: Camptocormia has been considered to contribute to vertical gait instability and, at times, may also lead to forward instability in experimental settings in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, these aspects, along with compensatory mechanisms, remain largely unexplored. This study comprehensively investigated gait instability and compensatory strategies in PD patients with camptocormia (PD+CC).

Peripheral nerve excitability abnormalities in Neuronal Intranuclear Inclusion Disease: Assessment with histopathological analysis.

Objective: Neuronal Intranuclear Inclusion Disease (NIID) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting the central and peripheral nerves. We aimed to assess the pathophysiological features of peripheral nerve dysfunction in NIID.

Methods: We observed six unrelated NIID patients through clinical records, nerve conduction studies, and multiple measures of motor nerve excitability.

C5 palsy following one- or two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: Incidence and neurological recovery in a retrospective neurosurgical multicenter study.

Background: C5 palsy is a frequent complication following cervical spine surgery, particularly after posterior approaches. Although several risk factors have been proposed, the incidence of C5 palsy after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) remains less well understood. This study aims to elucidate the risk factors and neurological recovery associated with C5 palsy following ACDF.

Evidence-based diagnostic prediction score for pediatric NMDA receptor encephalitis.

Objective: Early diagnosis and treatment of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis (NMDARE) are crucial for a favorable prognosis. Detecting the causative autoantibodies can be challenging. Probable diagnostic criteria are useful in adults less so in children.

Case report: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy with severe central nervous system demyelination: a clinicopathological study.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is an immune-mediated disease that mainly affects the peripheral nerves and nerve roots and typically presents with distal dominant motor and sensory disturbances as clinical symptoms. Central nervous system (CNS) demyelination with inflammation occurs infrequently in patients with CIDP. Here, we present a unique autopsy report of CIDP causing severe demyelination along the entire spinal cord.

The effect of time to neurosurgical or neuroradiological intervention therapy on outcomes and quality of care after traumatic brain injury, a registry-based observational study.

Background: Evidence regarding the effect of time to neurosurgical and neuroradiological intervention on outcomes in traumatic brain injury (TBI) across Asia-Pacific region is limited. This study evaluates the quality of care and outcomes for TBI patients undergoing neurosurgical and neuroradiological procedures at different timings.

Methods: Adult TBI patients who received any neurosurgical or neuroradiological interventions during the year 2015-2022 in the Pan-Asian Trauma Outcome Study database were analyzed.

The Utility of Long-Read Sequencing in Diagnosing Early Onset Parkinson's Disease.

Objective: Variants in PRKN and PINK1 are the leading cause of early-onset autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease, yet many cases remain genetically unresolved. We previously identified a 7 megabases complex structural variant in a pair of monozygotic twins using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-read sequencing. This study aims to determine if ONT long-read sequencing can detect a second variant in other unresolved early-onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD) cases with 1 heterozygous PRKN or PINK1 variant.

Structural variant allelic heterogeneity in MECP2 duplication syndrome provides insight into clinical severity and variability of disease expression.

Background: MECP2 Duplication Syndrome, also known as X-linked intellectual developmental disorder Lubs type (MRXSL; MIM: 300260), is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by copy number gains spanning MECP2. Despite varying genomic rearrangement structures, including duplications and triplications, and a wide range of duplication sizes, no clear correlation exists between DNA rearrangement and clinical features. We had previously demonstrated that up to 38% of MRXSL families are characterized by complex genomic rearrangements (CGRs) of intermediate complexity (2 ≤ copy number variant breakpoints < 5), yet the impact of these genomic structures on regulation of gene expression and phenotypic manifestations have not been investigated.

Combination of Probe Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Mass Spectrometry Imaging to Analyze Plant Alkaloids in .

Plant alkaloids are used in a variety of medicines, such as anti-cancer drugs and analgesics. Among these plant alkaloids, galanthamine is an Amaryllidaceae type alkaloid with acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity used in the treatment of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Although the chemical synthesis of galanthamine has been successfully achieved, is the main source of its production.

Neuron-associated retroelement-derived protein Arc/Arg3.1 assists in the early stages of alphaherpesvirus infection in human neuronal cells.

Alphaherpesviruses, including herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and pseudorabies virus (PRV), are neurotropic double-stranded DNA viruses. Alphaherpesviruses control the expression of various host factors to ensure efficient infection and propagation. Recently, HSV-1 was found to upregulate Arc/Arg3.