Neurology Commons^™

Chronic Neuropsychological Sequelae In A Patient With Nontumorous Anti-Nmda-Receptor Encephalitis, Dong Y. Han, Lisa M. Mason, Aarti Patel, Zhengqiu Zhou, Sarah Phillips, Siddharth Kapoor

Neurology Faculty Publications

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis is a neurological, autoimmune disorder tightly conceptualized only as recently as the mid-2000s. It presents itself in a combination of psychiatric, neurological, and autonomic features. We observe a unique case with probable earlier episode (prior to the mid-2000s conceptualization of the disease) and a later relapse, accompanying a comprehensive neuropsychological profile tracked after the relapse and subsequent improvement. Neurocognitive findings revealed residual frontal deficits with mood changes even in the state after plasmapheresis. This case is the first to describe posttreatment cognition in anti-NMDAR encephalitis after probable serial autoimmune episodes.

Outcomes After Diagnosis Of Mild Cognitive Impairment In A Large Autopsy Series, Erin L. Abner, Richard J. Kryscio, Frederick A. Schmitt, David W. Fardo, Daniela C. Moga, Eseosa T. Ighodaro, Gregory A. Jicha, Lei Yu, Hiroko H. Dodge, Chengjie Xiong, Randall L. Woltjer, Julie A. Schneider, Nigel J. Cairns, David A. Bennett, Peter T. Nelson

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To determine clinical and neuropathological outcomes following a clinical diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

METHODS: Data were drawn from a large autopsy series (N = 1,337) of individuals followed longitudinally from normal or MCI status to death, derived from 4 Alzheimer Disease (AD) Centers in the United States.

RESULTS: Mean follow‐up was 7.9 years. Of the 874 individuals ever diagnosed with MCI, final clinical diagnoses were varied: 39.2% died with an MCI diagnosis, 46.8% with a dementia diagnosis, and 13.9% with a diagnosis of intact cognition. The latter group had pathological features resembling those with a final clinical …

Neurofeedback Or Neuroplacebo?, Robert T. Thibault, Michael Lifshitz, Amir Raz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Better than sham? A double-blind placebo-controlled neurofeedback study in primary insomnia’, by Schabus et al.. (doi:10.1093/brain/awx011).

What Is The Contribution Of Ia-Afference For Regulating Motor Output Variability During Standing?, Niklas König Ignasiak

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Motor variability is an inherent feature of all human movements, and describes the system‘s stability and rigidity during the performance of functional motor tasks such as balancing. In order to ensure successful task execution, the nervous system is thought to be able to flexibly select the appropriate level of variability. However, it remains unknown which neurophysiological pathways are utilized for the control of motor output variability. In responding to natural variability (in this example sway), it is plausible that the neuro-physiological response to muscular elongation contributes to restoring a balanced upright posture. In this study, the postural sway of 18 …

Role Of Corpus Callosum Integrity In Arm Function Differs Based On Motor Severity After Stroke, Jill Campbell Stewart, Pritha Dewanjee, George Tran, Erin Burke Quinlan, Lucy Dodakian, Alison Mckenzie, Jill See, Steven C. Cramer

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

While the corpus callosum (CC) is important to normal sensorimotor function, its role in motor function after stroke is less well understood. This study examined the relationship between structural integrity of the motor and sensory sections of the CC, as reflected by fractional anisotropy (FA), and motor function in individuals with a range of motor impairment level due to stroke. Fifty-five individuals with chronic stroke (Fugl-Meyer motor score range 14 to 61) and 18 healthy controls underwent diffusion tensor imaging and a set of motor behavior tests. Mean FA from the motor and sensory regions of the CC and from …

Use Of The Ketogenic Diet In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-Safety And Tolerability., Lindsey M. Thompson, Erin Day Fecske, Mohammad Salim, Ara Hall

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Drug-resistant epilepsy poses a challenge in neonatal patients, especially those in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), who have various secondary comorbidities. We present results of four children with a history of drug-resistant epilepsy for whom a ketogenic diet was initiated and used in the NICU. A nonfasting induction into ketosis over 1-2 weeks was utilized, with gradual increases in the ketogenic ratio every 2-3 days. Data were collected retrospectively from a database, which included medical history, daily progress notes, relevant laboratory data, and imaging and diagnostic information. The ketogenic diet was well tolerated in all cases. The most common …

Regulation Of Sleep Plasticity By A Thermo-Sensitive Circuit In Drosophila., Angelique Lamaze, Arzu Öztürk-Çolak, Robin Fischer, Nicolai Peschel, Kyunghee Koh, James E.C. Jepson

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Sleep is a highly conserved and essential behaviour in many species, including the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. In the wild, sensory signalling encoding environmental information must be integrated with sleep drive to ensure that sleep is not initiated during detrimental conditions. However, the molecular and circuit mechanisms by which sleep timing is modulated by the environment are unclear. Here we introduce a novel behavioural paradigm to study this issue. We show that in male fruit flies, onset of the daytime siesta is delayed by ambient temperatures above 29 °C. We term this effect Prolonged Morning Wakefulness (PMW). We show that …

Cerebellar Tdcs: A Novel Approach To Augment Language Treatment Post-Stroke, Rajani Sebastian, Sadhvi Saxena, Kyrana Tsapkini, Andreia V. Faria, Charltien Long, Amy Wright, Cameron Davis, Donna C. Tippett, Antonios P. Mourdoukoutas, Marom Bikson, Pablo Celnik, Argye E. Hillis

Publications and Research

People with post-stroke aphasia may have some degree of chronic deficit for which current rehabilitative treatments are variably effective. Accumulating evidence suggests that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may be useful for enhancing the effects of behavioral aphasia treatment. However, it remains unclear which brain regions should be stimulated to optimize effects on language recovery. Here, we report on the therapeutic potential of right cerebellar tDCS in augmenting language recovery in SMY, who sustained bilateral MCA infarct resulting in aphasia and anarthria. We investigated the effects of 15 sessions of anodal cerebellar tDCS coupled with spelling therapy using a randomized, …

Research Methods In Occupational Health Psychology, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Chu-Hsiang Chang

Publications and Research

http://www.springerpub.com/occupational-health-psychology.html

Occupational Health Psychology (OHP) is a rapidly expanding interdisciplinary field that focuses on the science and practice of psychology in promoting and developing workplace health- and safety-related initiatives. This comprehensive text for undergraduate and graduate survey courses is the first to encompass a wide range of key issues in OHP. It draws from the domains of psychology, public health, preventive medicine,nursing, industrial engineering, law, and epidemiology to focus on the theory and practice of protecting and promoting the health, well-being, and safety of individuals in the workplace and improving the quality of work life.

The text addresses key psychosocial …

Distinct Neural Bases Of Disruptive Behavior And Autism Symptom Severity In Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder., Y.J. Daniel Yang, Denis G Sukhodolsky, Jiedi Lei, Eran Dayan, Kevin A. Pelphrey, Pamela Ventola

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Disruptive behavior in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an important clinical problem, but its neural basis remains poorly understood. The current research aims to better understand the neural underpinnings of disruptive behavior in ASD, while addressing whether the neural basis is shared with or separable from that of core ASD symptoms.

METHODS: Participants consisted of 48 male children and adolescents: 31 ASD (7 had high disruptive behavior) and 17 typically developing (TD) controls, well-matched on sex, age, and IQ. For ASD participants, autism symptom severity, disruptive behavior, anxiety symptoms, and ADHD symptoms were measured. All participants were scanned while …

Somatosensory Deficits In Post-Acl Reconstruction Patients: A Case-Control Study, Johanna M. Hoch, William O. Perkins, Jonathan R. Hartman, Matthew C. Hoch

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Diminished cutaneous detection thresholds have been identified in patients with multiple orthopedic conditions, and these phenomena may occur in postanterior cruciate ligament reconstructed (ACLR) patients. The purpose of this study was to determine if differences in lower extremity cutaneous detection thresholds exist in post-ACLR patients when compared with healthy controls. Methods: Fifteen individuals who were post-ACLR and 15 individuals who had no history of knee injury participated. Light touch cutaneous detection thresholds were assessed at 4 locations on the foot and ankle (first metatarsal, fifth metatarsal, medial malleolus, and lateral malleolus). Nonparametric statistics examined group differences between the …

Cyclic Ac253, A Novel Amylin Receptor Antagonist, Improves Cognitive Deficits In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Rania Soudy, Aarti Patel, Wen Fu, Kamaljit Kaur, David Mactavish, David Westaway, Rachel Davey, Jeffrey Zajac, Jack Jhamandas

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: Amylin receptor serves as a portal for the expression of deleterious effects of amyloid b-protein (Ab), a key pathologic hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Previously, we showed that AC253, an amylin receptor antagonist, is neuroprotective against Ab toxicity in vitro and abrogates Ab-induced impairment of hippocampal long-term potentiation.

Methods: Amyloid precursor protein–overexpressing TgCRND8 mice received intracerebroventricularly AC253 for 5 months. New cyclized peptide cAC253 was synthesized and administered intraperitoneally three times a week for 10 weeks in the same mouse model. Cognitive functions were monitored, and pathologic changes were quantified biochemically and immunohistochemically.

Results: AC253, when administered …

Self-Reported Sleep Apnea And Dementia Risk: Findings From The Prevention Of Alzheimer's Disease With Vitamin E And Selenium Trial, Xiuhua Ding, Richard J. Kryscio, Joshua Turner, Gregory A. Jicha, Gregory E. Cooper, Allison M. Caban-Holt, Frederick A. Schmitt, Erin L. Abner

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between baseline sleep apnea and risk of incident dementia in the Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease with Vitamin E and Selenium (PREADViSE) study and to explore whether the association depends on apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 allele status.

DESIGN: Secondary analysis based on data collected during PREADViSE.

SETTING: Participants were assessed at 128 local clinical study sites during the clinical trial phase and later were followed by telephone from a centralized location.

PARTICIPANTS: Men enrolled in PREADViSE (without dementia or other active neurological conditions that affect cognition such as major psychiatric disorders, including depression; N = …

Development, Validation And Application Of A New Fornix Template For Studies Of Aging And Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease, Christopher A. Brown, Nathan F. Johnson, Amelia J. Anderson-Mooney, Gregory A. Jicha, Leslie M. Shaw, John Q. Trojanowski, Linda J. Van Eldik, Frederick A. Schmitt, Charles D. Smith, Brian T. Gold

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

We developed a merged younger-older adult template of the fornix and demonstrated its utility for studies of aging and preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD). In Experiment 1, probabilistic tractography was used to reconstruct the fornix in younger and older adults and successful streamlines were then averaged to create a merged template in standard space. The new template includes the majority of the fornix from the hippocampal formation to the subcallosal region and the thalamus/hypothalamus. In Experiment 2, the merged template was validated as an appropriate measure for studies of aging, with comparisons against manual tracing measures indicating identical spatial coverage in …

Temporary Nerve Block At Selected Digits Revealed Hand Motor Deficits In Grasping Tasks, Aude Cateron, Kerry Mcpartlan, Christina Gioeli, Emily Reid, Matt Turturro, Barry Hahn, Cynthia Benson, Wei Zhang

Publications and Research

Peripheral sensory feedback plays a crucial role in ensuring correct motor execution throughout hand grasp control. Previous studies utilized local anesthesia to deprive somatosensory feedback in the digits or hand, observations included sensorimotor deficits at both corticospinal and peripheral levels. However, the questions of how the disturbed and intact sensory input integrate and interact with each other to assist the motor program execution, and whether the motor coordination based on motor output variability between affected and non-affected elements (e.g., digits) becomes interfered by the local sensory deficiency, have not been answered. The current study aims to investigate the effect of …

5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Localizes To Enhancer Elements And Is Associated With Survival In Glioblastoma Patients, Kevin C. Johnson, E. Andres Houseman, Jessica E. King, Katharine M. Von Herrmann, Camilo E. Fadu, Brock C. Christensen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Glioblastomas exhibit widespread molecular alterations including a highly distorted epigenome. Here, we resolve genome-wide 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in glioblastoma through parallel processing of DNA with bisulfite and oxidative bisulfite treatments. We apply a statistical algorithm to estimate 5-methylcytosine, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and unmethylated proportions from methylation array data. We show that 5-hydroxymethylcytosine is depleted in glioblastoma compared with prefrontal cortex tissue. In addition, the genomic localization of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in glioblastoma is associated with features of dynamic cell-identity regulation such as tissue-specific transcription and super-enhancers. Annotation of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine genomic distribution reveal significant associations with RNA regulatory processes, immune function, stem cell maintenance and …

Prevalence And Incidence Of Neurological Disorders Among Adult Ugandans In Rural And Urban Mukono District; A Cross-Sectional Study, Michael Devereaux, Anthony Furlan, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Background: The burden of neurological diseases is increasing in developing countries. However, there is a prominent scarcity of literature on the incidence of neurological diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. This study was therefore undertaken to determine the prevalence and incidence of neurological diseases in this setting to serve as a baseline for planning and care for neurological disorders in Uganda. Methods: The study was conducted within rural and urban Mukono district, east of Kampala city of Uganda, central region. Over a period of six months, a cross sectional survey was conducted and screening was performed using a standardized questionnaire. All subjects …

Administration Of Electroconvulsive Therapy For Depression Associated With Deep Brain Stimulation In A Patient With Post-Traumatic Parkinson's Disease: A Case Study, Miles G. Cunningham, Golnaz Yadollahikhales, Gordana Vitaliano, Craig Van Horne

Neurosurgery Faculty Publications

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been shown to be effective for parkinsonian symptoms poorly responsive to medications. DBS is typically well-tolerated, as are the maintenance battery changes. Here we describe an adverse event during a battery replacement procedure that caused rapid onset of severe depression.

Case Presentation: The patient is a 58-year-old woman who was in a serious motor vehicle accident and sustained a concussion with loss of consciousness. Within weeks of the accident she began developing parkinsonian symptoms that progressively worsened over the subsequent 10 years. Responding poorly to medications, she received DBS, which controlled her movement symptoms. …

Spinal Cord Injury And Autonomic Dysreflexia- A Case Report, Apurva Bhatt, Brit Moore, Talal Asif, Kristy E. Steigerwalt, Rebecca R. Pauly

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a life threatening condition affecting patients with spinal cord lesions T6 level and above. A 51 year old male with a history of paraplegia due to a C6 spinal cord injury (30 years prior) presented with recurrent debilitating episodic diaphoresis, hypertension, low body temperature, and bradycardia. Previous hospitalizations presumed sepsis from UTI to be the etiology, however on further evaluation his symptoms were consistent with undiagnosed AD. This article describes a unique case presentation and reviews AD in depth, including the etiology, pathophysiology and management.

Direct Current-Induced Calcium Trafficking In Different Neuronal Preparations, Andrzej Wieraszko, Zaghloul Ahmed

Publications and Research

The influence of direct current (DC) stimulation on radioactive calcium trafficking in sciatic nerve in vivo and in vitro, spinal cord, and synaptosomes was investigated. The exposure to DC enhanced calcium redistribution in all of these preparations. The effect was dependent on the strength of the stimulation and extended beyond the phase of exposure to DC. The DC-induced increase in calcium sequestration by synaptosomes was significantly reduced by cobalt and rupture of synaptosomes by osmotic shock. Although both anodal and cathodal currents were effective, the experiments with two electrodes of different areas revealed that cathodal stimulation exerted stronger effect. The …

Interleukin-17a Promotes Cd8 T Cell Cytotoxicity To Facilitate West Nile Virus Clearance, Amber M. Paul, Dhiraj Acharya, Penghua Wang, Jianfeng Dai, David Gate

Publications

CD8 T cells are crucial components of immunity and play a vital role in recovery from West Nile virus (WNV) infection. Here, we identify a previously unrecognized function of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) in inducing cytotoxic-mediator gene expression and promoting CD8 T cell cytotoxicity against WNV infection in mice. We find that IL-17A-deficient (Il17a/) mice are more susceptible to WNV infection and develop a higher viral burden than wild-type (WT) mice. Interestingly, the CD8 T cells isolated from Il17a/ mice are less cytotoxic and express lower levels of cytotoxic-mediator genes, which can be restored by supplying recombinant IL-17A in vitro and in …

Biallelic Mutations In Tbcd, Encoding The Tubulin Folding Cofactor D, Perturb Microtubule Dynamics And Cause Early-Onset Encephalopathy., Elisabetta Flex, Marcello Niceta, Serena Cecchetti, Isabelle Thiffault, Margaret G. Au, Alessandro Capuano, Emanuela Piermarini, Anna A. Ivanova, Joshua W. Francis, Giovanni Chillemi, Balasubramanian Chandramouli, Giovanna Carpentieri, Charlotte A. Haaxma, Andrea Ciolfi, Simone Pizzi, Ganka V. Douglas, Kara Levine, Antonella Sferra, Maria Lisa Dentici, Rolph R. Pfundt, Jean-Baptist Lepichon, Emily G. Farrow, Frank Baas, Fiorella Piemonte, Bruno Dallapiccola, John M. Graham, Carol J. Saunders, Enrico Bertini, Richard A. Kahn, David A. Koolen, Marco Tartaglia

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Microtubules are dynamic cytoskeletal elements coordinating and supporting a variety of neuronal processes, including cell division, migration, polarity, intracellular trafficking, and signal transduction. Mutations in genes encoding tubulins and microtubule-associated proteins are known to cause neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Growing evidence suggests that altered microtubule dynamics may also underlie or contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegeneration. We report that biallelic mutations in TBCD, encoding one of the five co-chaperones required for assembly and disassembly of the αβ-tubulin heterodimer, the structural unit of microtubules, cause a disease with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative features characterized by early-onset cortical atrophy, secondary hypomyelination, microcephaly, thin …

An Ultrasensitive Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence-Based Immunoassay For Specific Detection Of Zika Virus, Amber M. Paul, Dhiraj Acharya, Pradip Bastola, Linda Le, Estenfani Fernandez, Michael S. Diamond, Wujian Miao, Fengwei Bai

Publications

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a globally emerging mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that can cause severe fetal abnormalities, including microcephaly. As such, highly sensitive, specific, and cost-effective diagnostic methods are urgently needed. Here, we report a novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL)-based immunoassay for ultrasensitive and specific detection of ZIKV in human biological fluids. We loaded polystyrene beads (PSB) with a large number of ECL labels and conjugated them with anti-ZIKV monoclonal antibodies to generate anti-ZIKV-PSBs. These anti-ZIKV-PSBs efficiently captured ZIKV in solution forming ZIKV-anti-ZIKV-PSB complexes, which were subjected to measurement of ECL intensity after further magnetic beads separation. Our results show that the anti-ZIKV-PSBs …

A Hypothesis For Using Pathway Genetic Load Analysis For Understanding Complex Outcomes In Bilirubin Encephalopathy, Sean M. Riordan, Douglas C. Bittel, Jean-Baptist Lepichon, Silvia Gazzin, Claudio Tiribelli, Jon F. Watchko, Richard P. Wennberg, Steven Shapiro

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

© 2016 Riordan, Bittel, Le Pichon, Gazzin, Tiribelli, Watchko, Wennberg and Shapiro.

Genetic-based susceptibility to bilirubin neurotoxicity and chronic bilirubin encephalopathy (kernicterus) is still poorly understood. Neonatal jaundice affects 60-80% of newborns, and considerable effort goes into preventing this relatively benign condition from escalating into the development of kernicterus making the incidence of this potentially devastating condition very rare in more developed countries. The current understanding of the genetic background of kernicterus is largely comprised of mutations related to alterations of bilirubin production, elimination, or both. Less is known about mutations that may predispose or protect against CNS bilirubin neurotoxicity. …

Diabetes Is Associated With Cerebrovascular But Not Alzheimer's Disease Neuropathology, Erin L. Abner, Peter T. Nelson, Richard J. Kryscio, Frederick A. Schmitt, David W. Fardo, Randall L. Woltjer, Nigel J. Cairns, Lei Yu, Hiroko H. Dodge, Chengjie Xiong, Kamal Masaki, Suzanne L. Tyas, David A. Bennett, Julie A. Schneider, Zoe Arvanitakis

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: The relationship of diabetes to specific neuropathologic causes of dementia is incompletely understood.

METHODS: We used logistic regression to evaluate the association between diabetes and infarcts, Braak neurofibrillary tangle stage, and neuritic plaque score in 2365 autopsied persons. In a subset of >1300 persons with available cognitive data, we examined the association between diabetes and cognition using Poisson regression.

RESULTS: Diabetes increased odds of brain infarcts (odds ratio [OR] = 1.57, P < .0001), specifically lacunes (OR = 1.71, P < .0001), but not Alzheimer's disease neuropathology. Diabetes plus infarcts was associated with lower cognitive scores at end of life than infarcts or diabetes alone, and diabetes plus high level of Alzheimer's neuropathologic changes was associated with lower mini-mental state examination scores than the pathology alone.

DISCUSSION: This study supports the conclusions that diabetes increases the risk of cerebrovascular but not Alzheimer's disease pathology, and at least some of diabetes' relationship to …

Encoding Of Saltatory Tactile Velocity In The Adult Orofacial Somatosensory System, Rebecca Custead

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Processing dynamic tactile inputs is a key function of somatosensory systems. Spatial velocity encoding mechanisms by the nervous system are important for skilled movement production and may play a role in recovery of motor function following neurological insult. Little is known about tactile velocity encoding in trigeminal networks associated with mechanosensory inputs to the face, or the consequences of movement.

High resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate the neural substrates of velocity encoding in the human orofacial somatosensory system during unilateral saltatory pneumotactile inputs to perioral hairy skin in 20 healthy adults. A custom multichannel, scalable …

Can Gait Signatures Provide Quantitative Measures For Aiding Clinical Decision-Making? A Systematic Meta-Analysis Of Gait Variability Behavior In Patients With Parkinson’S Disease, Niklas König Ignasiak

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

A disturbed, inconsistent walking pattern is a common feature of patients with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). Such extreme variability in both temporal and spatial parameters of gait has been associated with unstable walking and an elevated prevalence of falls. However, despite their ability to discretise healthy from pathological function, normative variability values for key gait parameters are still missing. Furthermore, an understanding of each parameter's response to pathology, as well as the inter-parameter relationships, has received little attention. The aim of this systematic literature review and meta-analysis was therefore to define threshold levels for pathological gait variability as well as to …

N-Acetyl Cysteine May Support Dopamine Neurons In Parkinson's Disease: Preliminary Clinical And Cell Line Data., Daniel A. Monti, George Zabrecky, Daniel Kremens, Tsao-Wei Liang, Nancy A. Wintering, Jingli Cai, Xiatao Wei, Anthony J. Bazzan, Li Zhong, Brendan Bowen, Charles Intenzo, Lorraine Iacovitti, Andrew B. Newberg

Marcus Institute of Integrative Health Faculty Papers

BACKGOUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the biological and clinical effects of n-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) in Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODS: The overarching goal of this pilot study was to generate additional data about potentially protective properties of NAC in PD, using an in vitro and in vivo approach. In preparation for the clinical study we performed a cell tissue culture study with human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons that were treated with rotenone as a model for PD. The primary outcome in the cell tissue cultures was the number of cells that survived the insult …

1st Place Research Paper: The Effectiveness Of Yoga Therapy On An Adult, Post-Stroke Population: A Systematic Review, Baylor E. Hogan

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

Objectives: The objectives of this paper are to (1) give a brief overview of stroke pathophysiology (2) outline yoga as a therapeutic strategy (3) present the current research on yoga rehabilitation for stroke (4) discuss the efficacy of yoga for chronic stroke.

Methods: Relevant terms were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Academic OneFile, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar electronic databases. Studies were excluded if they contained pediatric stroke, non-stroke neurological diseases, or subjects with comorbidities. Statistically significant data was extracted for the primary measures of nine trials.

Results: Four studies measured statistically significant outcomes (p<0.05). These included improvements in balance, independence, endurance, trait anxiety, fear of falling, self-efficacy, pain, strength, range of motion (ROM), activity, participation, and quality of life (QoL). Discussion: Lack of statistical significance in post-stroke depression (PSD) measures may be due to inadequate intervention length or a psychosocial cause of depression. Improvements in balance, flexibility, and strength from yoga participation permitted progress in disability and functionality. Finally, overall health-related quality of life (HRQL) is affected by the severity of mental disorders and physical disability. Yoga can have a positive effect in both domains and therefore, may improve HRQL.

Conclusion: …

Paired Associative Transspinal And Transcortical Stimulation Produces Bidirectional Plasticity Of Human Cortical And Spinal Motor Pathways, Luke Dixon, Mohamed Ibrahim, Danielle Santora

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Anatomical, physiological, and functional connectivity exists between primary motor cortex (M1) and spinal cord neurons. Paired associative stimulation (PAS) produces enduring changes in M1 based on the Hebbian principle of associative plasticity. The present study aims to discover immediate neurophysiological changes on human corticomotor pathways by pairing noninvasive transspinal and transcortical stimulation via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). We delivered paired transspinal and transcortical stimulation for 40-min at precise interstimulus intervals with TMS being delivered after (transspinal-transcortical PAS) or before (transcortical-transspinal PAS) transspinal stimulation. Transspinal-transcortical PAS markedly decreased intracortical inhibition, increased intracortical facilitation and M1 excitability with concomitant decreases of motor …