GABA Receptor Autoantibodies Decrease GABAergic Synaptic Transmission in the Hippocampal CA3 Network.

Autoimmune encephalitis associated with antibodies (Abs) against α1, β3, and γ2 subunits of γ-aminobutyric acid receptor A (GABAR) represents a severe form of encephalitis with refractory seizures and status epilepticus. Reduction in inhibitory GABAergic synaptic activity is linked to dysfunction of neuronal networks, hyperexcitability, and seizures. The aim in this study was to investigate the direct pathogenic effect of a recombinant GABAR autoantibody (rAb-IP2), derived from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a patient with autoimmune GABAR encephalitis, on hippocampal CA1 and CA3 networks.

Effect of Sex on Outcomes of Mechanical Thrombectomy in Basilar Artery Occlusion: A Multicentre Cohort Study.

Introduction: Identifying differences in outcome of basilar artery occlusion (BAO) between males and females may be useful in aiding clinical management. Recent studies have demonstrated widespread underrepresentation of women in acute stroke clinical trials. This international multicentre study aimed to determine sex differences in outcome after mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for patients with acute BAO.

Enhancing the decoding accuracy of EEG signals by the introduction of anchored-STFT and adversarial data augmentation method.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) enable communication between humans and machines by translating brain activity into control commands. Electroencephalography (EEG) signals are one of the most used brain signals in non-invasive BCI applications but are often contaminated with noise. Therefore, it is possible that meaningful patterns for classifying EEG signals are deeply hidden.

Performance of the Liver Maximum Function Capacity Test, Fibrinogen, and Transient Elastography in Patients with Acute Liver Injury.

Background: Acute liver failure (ALF) occurs as a rare, sudden, extensive loss of liver function in a previously healthy liver. In advanced cases, ALF may require liver transplantation (LT). Available prognostic parameters have limited accuracy to decide, which patient to consider for LT.

Cortical thickness in default mode network hubs correlates with clinical features of dissociative seizures.

Background: Dissociative seizures (DS) are a common subtype of functional neurological disorder (FND) with an incompletely understood pathophysiology. Here, gray matter variations and their relationship to clinical features were investigated.

Methods: Forty-eight patients with DS without neurological comorbidities and 43 matched clinical control patients with syncope with structural brain MRIs were identified retrospectively.

Bridging Thrombolysis versus Direct Mechanical Thrombectomy in Stroke Due to Basilar Artery Occlusion.

Background And Purpose: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is an effective treatment for patients with basilar artery occlusion (BAO) acute ischemic stroke. It remains unclear whether bridging intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) prior to MT confers any benefit. This study compared the outcomes of acute BAO patients who were treated with direct MT versus combined IVT plus MT.

Differential interferon-α subtype induced immune signatures are associated with suppression of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Type I interferons (IFN-I) exert pleiotropic biological effects during viral infections, balancing virus control versus immune-mediated pathologies, and have been successfully employed for the treatment of viral diseases. Humans express 12 IFN-alpha (α) subtypes, which activate downstream signaling cascades and result in distinct patterns of immune responses and differential antiviral responses. Inborn errors in IFN-I immunity and the presence of anti-IFN autoantibodies account for very severe courses of COVID-19; therefore, early administration of IFN-I may be protective against life-threatening disease.

Interruption of bile acid uptake by hepatocytes after acetaminophen overdose ameliorates hepatotoxicity.

Background & Aims: Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose remains a frequent cause of acute liver failure, which is generally accompanied by increased levels of serum bile acids (BAs). However, the pathophysiological role of BAs remains elusive. Herein, we investigated the role of BAs in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity.

ERCP in critically ill patients is safe and does not increase mortality.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is the gold standard for minimally-invasive treatment of biliary or pancreatic tract disease. When treating patients on intensive care units (ICU) with ERCP, interventionalists are faced with considerably higher morbidity compared to patients in ambulatory settings. However, data on complications and outcome of critical ill patients undergoing emergency ERCP are limited.

Using the Biopsychosocial Model to Guide Patient-Centered Neurological Treatments.

The biopsychosocial model was defined by George L. Engel to propose a holistic approach to patient care. Through this model, physicians can understand patients in their context to aid the development of tailored, individualized treatment plans that consider relevant biological, psychological, and social-cultural-spiritual factors impacting health and longitudinal care.

Pharmacological Investigations in Glia Culture Model of Inflammation.

Astrocytes and microglia are the main cell population besides neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). Astrocytes support the neuronal network maintenance of transmitter and ion homeostasis. They are part of the tripartite synapse, composed of pre- and postsynaptic neurons and perisynaptic astrocytic processes as a functional unit.

Comparative proteome analysis identified CD44 as a possible serum marker for docetaxel resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Baseline or acquired resistance to docetaxel (DOC) represents a significant risk for patients with metastatic prostate cancer (PC). In the last years, novel therapy regimens have been approved providing reasonable alternatives for DOC-resistant patients making prediction of DOC resistance of great clinical importance. We aimed to identify serum biomarkers, which are able to select patients who will not benefit from DOC treatment.

Transcriptome-Wide Analysis of Human Liver Reveals Age-Related Differences in the Expression of Select Functional Gene Clusters and Evidence for a PPP1R10-Governed 'Aging Cascade'.

A transcriptome-wide analysis of human liver for demonstrating differences between young and old humans has not yet been performed. However, identifying major age-related alterations in hepatic gene expression may pinpoint ontogenetic shifts with important hepatic and systemic consequences, provide novel pharmacogenetic information, offer clues to efficiently counteract symptoms of old age, and improve the overarching understanding of individual decline. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) data analyzed by the Mann-Whitney nonparametric test and Ensemble Feature Selection (EFS) bioinformatics identified 44 transcripts among 60,617 total and 19,986 protein-encoding transcripts that significantly ( = 0.

Legionella contamination of a cold-water supplying system in a German university hospital - assessment of the superheat and flush method for disinfection.

Introduction: In case of a contamination of water-supplying systems in hospitals with legionella, usually chemical disinfection measures are used for remediation. Unfortunately, it is reported, that these methods may not be sustainable, have an impact on water quality, and can even fail. As an alternative, the superheat and flush method does not need any special equipment, can be initiated in a short lead of time and does not affect the water quality.

Anti-inflammatory properties of lacosamide in an astrocyte-microglia co-culture model of inflammation.

Purpose: Understanding the effects of antiepileptic drugs on glial cells and glia-mediated inflammation is a new approach to future treatment of epilepsy. Little is known about direct effects of the antiepileptic drug lacosamide (LCM) on glial cells. Therefore, we aimed to study the LCM effects on glial viability, microglial activation, expression of gap-junctional (GJ) protein Cx43 as well as intercellular communication in an in vitro astrocyte-microglia co-culture model of inflammation.

Prognosis in functional and recognised pathophysiological neurological disorders - a shared basis.

Objective: To compare self-reported outcomes, clinical trajectory and utility of baseline questionnaire responses in predicting prognosis in functional and recognised pathophysiological neurological disorders.

Methods: Baseline data on 2581 patients included health-related quality of life, psychological and physical symptoms, illness perceptions, consultation satisfaction and demographics. The prospective cohort included neurology outpatients classified with a functional (reporting symptoms 'not at all' or 'somewhat explained' by 'organic disease'; n = 716) or recognised pathophysiological disorder ('largely' or 'completely explained'; n = 1865).

Flow diversion for internal carotid artery aneurysms with compressive neuro-ophthalmologic symptoms: clinical and anatomical results in an international multicenter study.

Background: Scientific data on the safety and efficacy of flow diverter stents (FDS) for the treatment of unruptured internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms with compressive neuro-ophthalmological symptoms are scarce. We studied this subject in a retrospective international multicenter series, pooling data of 9 tertiary care neurointerventional departments.

Objective: To investigate, in a retrospective, multicentric cohort of patients presenting with visual or oculomotor symptoms attributed to a compressive carotid artery in an unruptured intracranial aneurysm, the safety and efficacy profiles of FDS, by analyzing neuro-opthalmologic symptom evolution following FDS placement, complications, and aneurysm obliteration rates.

Effects of Lamotrigine and Topiramate on Glial Properties in an Astrocyte-Microglia Co-Culture Model of Inflammation.

Background: Astrocytes and microglia are involved in the pathophysiology of epilepsy and bipolar disorder with a link to inflammation. We aimed to investigate the effects of the antiepileptic and mood-stabilizing drugs lamotrigine (LTG) and topiramate (TPM) on glial viability, microglial activation, cytokine release, and expression of gap-junctional protein connexin 43 (Cx43) in different set-ups of an in vitro astrocyte-microglia co-culture model of inflammation.

Methods: Primary rat co-cultures of astrocytes containing 5% (M5, representing "physiological" conditions) or 30% (M30, representing "pathological, inflammatory" conditions) of microglia were treated with different concentrations of LTG and TPM for 24 hours.

NTRK1/TrkA Signaling in Neuroblastoma Cells Induces Nuclear Reorganization and Intra-Nuclear Aggregation of Lamin A/C.

(1) Background: Neuroblastomas (NBs) are the most common extracranial solid tumors of children. The amplification of the Myc-N proto-oncogene (MYCN) is a major driver of NB aggressiveness, while high expression of the neurotrophin receptor NTRK1/TrkA is associated with mild disease courses. The molecular effects of NTRK1 signaling in MYCN-amplified NB, however, are still poorly understood and require elucidation.

The role of dendritic cells and their interactions in the pathogenesis of antibody-associated autoimmune encephalitis.

Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is an inflammatory brain disease which is frequently associated with antibodies (Abs) against cell-surface, synaptic or intracellular neuronal proteins. There is increasing evidence that dendritic cells (DCs) are implicated as key modulators in keeping the balance between immune response and tolerance in the CNS. Migratory features of DCs to and from the brain are linked to initiating and maintaining of neuroinflammation.