Neurology Commons^™

Postinfectious Cerebellar Syndrome With Paraneoplastic Antibodies: An Association Or Coincidence?, Sajid Hameed, Mukesh Kumar, Pal Satyajit Singh Athwal, Sukhmanii Kahlon, Nimit Dalal

Section of Neurology

Cerebellar ataxia has a very broad differential diagnosis in adults, including paraneoplastic and postinfectious etiologies. We report a case of a 56-year-old male presented with right-sided cerebellar dysfunction preceded by fever and headache. He was diagnosed with subacute postinfectious cerebellar ataxia. Blood serology showed the presence of anti-amphiphysin and anti-Ri (ANNA-2, antineuronal nuclear autoantibody type 2) antibodies, which have a known association with cerebellar syndrome. The patient subsequently improved with the steroids. Although no evidence of an underlying tumor was found in the patient, the presence of the paraneoplastic antibodies remains a mystery. We suggest a probable association of these …

Letter: Thrombotic Neurovascular Disease In Covid-19 Patients., Ahmad Sweid, Batoul Hammoud, Joshua H. Weinberg, Mazen Oneissi, Eytan Raz, Maksim Shapiro, Maureen Deprince, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, Michael R. Gooch, Nabeel A. Herial, Hekmat Zarzour, Victor Romo, Robert Rosenwasswer, Pascal Jabbour

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Although the respiratory system is the primary target of the coronavirus, studies have demonstrated a strong tropism to the central nervous system (CNS).^1,2 The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects cells by binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. This receptor is also found in the CNS and plays a crucial role in autoregulating cerebral perfusion pressure.^3,4 Additionally, epidemiological data demonstrated increased mortality due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases during flu pandemics due to a hypercoagulable state.^5,6 The triad of neuroinvasion of SARS-CoV-2, induction of hypercoagulable state,^{5-9 …}

Nine-Year Prospective Efficacy And Safety Of Brain-Responsive Neurostimulation For Focal Epilepsy, Dileep R Nair, Kenneth D Laxer, Peter B Weber, Anthony M Murro, Yong D Park, Gregory L Barkley, Brien J Smith, Ryder P Gwinn, Michael J Doherty, Katherine H Noe, Richard S Zimmerman, Gregory K Bergey, William S Anderson, Christianne Heck, Charles Y Liu, Ricky W Lee, Toni Sadler, Robert B Duckrow, Lawrence J Hirsch, Robert E Wharen, William Tatum, Shraddha Srinivasan, Guy M Mckhann, Mark A Agostini, Andreas V Alexopoulos, Barbara C Jobst, David W Roberts, Vicenta Salanova, Thomas C Witt, Sydney S Cash, Andrew J Cole, Gregory A Worrell, Brian N Lundstrom, Jonathan C Edwards, Jonathan J Halford, David C Spencer, Lia Ernst, Christopher T Skidmore, Michael R Sperling, Ian Miller, Eric B Geller, Michel J Berg, A James Fessler, Paul Rutecki, Alica M Goldman, Eli M Mizrahi, Robert E Gross, Donald C Shields, Theodore H Schwartz, Douglas R Labar, Nathan B Fountain, W Jeff Elias, Piotr W Olejniczak, Nicole R Villemarette-Pittman, Stephan Eisenschenk, Steven N Roper, Jane G Boggs, Tracy A Courtney, Felice T Sun, Cairn G Seale, Kathy L Miller, Tara L Skarpaas, Martha J Morrell, Rns System Ltt Study

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively evaluate safety and efficacy of brain-responsive neurostimulation in adults with medically intractable focal onset seizures (FOS) over 9 years.

METHODS: Adults treated with brain-responsive neurostimulation in 2-year feasibility or randomized controlled trials were enrolled in a long-term prospective open label trial (LTT) to assess safety, efficacy, and quality of life (QOL) over an additional 7 years. Safety was assessed as adverse events (AEs), efficacy as median percent change in seizure frequency and responder rate, and QOL with the Quality of Life in Epilepsy (QOLIE-89) inventory.

RESULTS: Of 256 patients treated in the initial trials, 230 participated in …

The Effects Of Direct Brain Stimulation In Humans Depend On Frequency, Amplitude, And White-Matter Proximity, Uma R Mohan, Andrew J Watrous, Jonathan F Miller, Bradley C Lega, Michael R Sperling, Gregory A Worrell, Robert E Gross, Kareem A Zaghloul, Barbara C Jobst, Kathryn A Davis, Sameer A Sheth, Joel M Stein, Sandhitsu R Das, Richard Gorniak, Md, Paul A Wanda, Daniel S Rizzuto, Michael J Kahana, Joshua Jacobs

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Researchers have used direct electrical brain stimulation to treat a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, for brain stimulation to be maximally effective, clinicians and researchers should optimize stimulation parameters according to desired outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of our large-scale study was to comprehensively evaluate the effects of stimulation at different parameters and locations on neuronal activity across the human brain.

METHODS: To examine how different kinds of stimulation affect human brain activity, we compared the changes in neuronal activity that resulted from stimulation at a range of frequencies, amplitudes, and locations with direct human brain recordings. We …

Dramatic Outcomes In Epilepsy: Depression, Suicide, Injuries, And Mortality, Boulenouar Mesraoua, Dirk Deleu, Al Hail Hassan, Melykian Gayane, Alsheikh Lubna, Musab Abdalhalim Ali, Torbjorn Tomson, Bassel Abou Khalil, J Helen Cross, Ali A Asadi-Pooya

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

In this narrative review, we will discuss some of the significant risks and dramatic consequences that are associated with epilepsy: depression, suicide, seizure-related injuries, and mortality, both in adults and in children. Considering the high prevalence of depression among people with epilepsy (PWE), routine and periodic screening of all PWE for early detection and appropriate management of depression is recommended. PWE should be screened for suicidal ideation regularly and when needed, patients should be referred for a psychiatric evaluation and treatment. When starting an antiepileptic drug (AED) or switching from one to another AED, patients should be advised to report …

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Diminishes The Effects Of Age On White Matter Hyperintensity Volume, Nathan F. Johnson, Ahmed A. Bahrani, David K. Powell, Gregory A. Jicha, Brian T. Gold

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are among the most commonly observed marker of cerebrovascular disease. Age is a key risk factor for WMH development. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with increased vessel compliance, but it remains unknown if high CRF affects WMH volume. This study explored the effects of CRF on WMH volume in community-dwelling older adults. We further tested the possibility of an interaction between CRF and age on WMH volume. Participants were 76 adults between the ages of 59 and 77 (mean age = 65.36 years, SD = 3.92) who underwent a maximal graded exercise test and structural brain …

In Reply: May Cooler Heads Prevail During A Pandemic: Stroke In Covid-19 Patients Or Covid-19 In Stroke Patients?, Pascal Jabbour, Ahmad Sweid, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, Michel Piotin, Waleed Brinjikji, Kimon Bekelis, Eytan Raz, Nader Sourour, Shahid M. Nimjee, Demetrius K. Lopes, Ameer E. Hassan, Aditya S. Pandey, L. Fernando Gonzalez, Ricardo A. Hanel, Adnan H. Siddiqui, David Hasan, Sean D. Lavine, Bernard R. Bendok

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Feasibility Of Dual-Task Gait To Estimate Alzheimer's Related Cognitive Decline In Down Syndrome, Kathryn L. Van Pelt, Lisa Mason Koehl, Allison M. Caban-Holt, Amelia J. Anderson-Mooney, Elizabeth Head, Frederick A. Schmitt

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Introduction: The striatum and frontal lobes have been shown to have early Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology and are critical for motor and cognitive function. We hypothesized gait would be associated with early-stage dementia in Down syndrome (DS), a cohort at risk for AD.

Methods: Twenty-eight participants with DS were enrolled in the study. Participants walked at their self-selected pace and while completing a dual task (counting, obstacle, or counting+obstacle).

Results: All participants were able to complete the self-paced condition and 78.57-96.42% completed the dual-task conditions. There was a trend for greater dual-task effects on gait velocity based on dementia diagnosis. …

Limbic-Predominant Age-Related Tdp-43 Encephalopathy Differs From Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration, John L. Robinson, Sílvia Porta, Filip G. Garrett, Panpan Zhang, Sharon X. Xie, Eunran Suh, Vivianna M. Van Deerlin, Erin L. Abner, Gregory A. Jicha, Justin M. Barber, Virginia M-Y Lee, Edward B. Lee, John Q. Trojanowski, Peter T. Nelson

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

TAR-DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43) proteinopathy is seen in multiple brain diseases. A standardized terminology was recommended recently for common age-related TDP-43 proteinopathy: limbic-predominant, age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE) and the underlying neuropathological changes, LATE-NC. LATE-NC may be co-morbid with Alzheimer’s disease neuropathological changes (ADNC). However, there currently are ill-defined diagnostic classification issues among LATE-NC, ADNC, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 (FTLD-TDP). A practical challenge is that different autopsy cohorts are composed of disparate groups of research volunteers: hospital- and clinic-based cohorts are enriched for FTLD-TDP cases, whereas community-based cohorts have more LATE-NC cases. Neuropathological methods also differ across laboratories. Here, …

Optimal Interventions To Address Drop Foot And Increase Gait Speed In Stroke Populations, Christopher Tran, Tommy Ngo, Dana Hazlett, Ethan Jung, Faris Alshammari

San Marcos, Summer 2020

Background: The mechanism of stroke or cerebral vascular accident (CVA) is an interruption of blood flow to the brain, which can result in many different neuromuscular impairments including drop foot. There is limited research focusing on comparative interventions for gait improvement in early stroke.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review the various physical thereapy interventions to benefit patients with drop foot following a single stroke.

Methods: A comprehensive systematic search was conducted within the PubMed and ProQuest databases. This study examined papers assessing conventional physical therapy for stroke patients with drop foot who had their 1st stroke …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Addressing Sex And Intimacy For Individuals With Progressive Neuromuscular Disorders, Lindsay N. Richards, Becki Cohill, Katrhyn Ellis, Susan Macdermott

San Marcos, Summer 2020

Individuals with progressive neuromuscular disorders (PND); specifically, Parkinson’s disease (PD), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Huntington’s Disease (HD), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) often face physical, psychological, and social challenges related to sex and intimacy. Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are experts in activity analysis and are equipped with unique knowledge of performance skills and client factors to address deficits in occupational performance.

Though there is literature presenting the effects of PND on sexual occupations, a gap exists as it relates to qualitative data from the perspective of the individual and their partners. A mixed-methods survey was conducted examining the lived experience of …

Optimization And Validation Of A Modified Radial-Arm Water Maze Protocol Using A Murine Model Of Mild Closed Head Traumatic Brain Injury, Teresa Macheda, Kelly N. Roberts, Josh M. Morganti, David J. Braun, Adam D. Bachstetter

Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center Faculty Publications

Cognitive impairments can be a significant problem after a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which affects millions worldwide each year. There is a need for establish reproducible cognitive assays in rodents to better understand disease mechanisms and to develop therapeutic interventions towards treating TBI-induced impairments. Our goal was to validate and standardize the radial arm water maze (RAWM) test as an assay to screen for cognitive impairments caused by TBI. RAWM is a visuo-spatial learning test, originally designed for use with rats, and later adapted for mice. The present study investigates whether test procedures, such us the presence of extra-maze cues …

Part Ii. High-Dose Methotrexate With Leucovorin Rescue For Severe Covid-19: An Immune Stabilization Strategy For Sars-Cov-2 Induced 'Panic' Attack, Elliot M. Frohman, Nicole R. Villemarette-Pittman, Roberto A. Cruz, Reid Longmuir, Vernon Rowe, Elizabeth S. Rowe, Thomas C. Varkey, Lawrence Steinman, Scott S. Zamvil, Teresa C. Frohman

School of Medicine Publications

Here, in Part II of a duology on the characterization and potential treatment for COVID-19, we characterize the application of an innovative treatment regimen for the prevention of the transition from mild to severe COVID-19, as well as detail an intensive immunotherapy intervention hypothesis. We propose as a putative randomized controlled trial that high-dose methotrexate with leucovorin (HDMTX-LR) rescue can abolish 'PANIC', thereby 'left-shifting' severe COVID-19 patients to the group majority of those infected with SARS-CoV-2, who are designated as having mild, even asymptomatic, disease. HDMTX-LR is endowed with broadly pleiotropic properties and is a repurposed, generic, inexpensive, and widely …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Addressing Sex And Intimacy For Individuals With Progressive Neuromuscular Disorders, Lindsay N. Richards, Becki Cohill, Kathryn Ellis, Susan Macdermott

Summer 2020 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Individuals with progressive neuromuscular disorders (PND); specifically, Parkinson’s disease (PD), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Huntington’s Disease (HD), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) often face physical, psychological, and social challenges related to sex and intimacy. Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are experts in activity analysis and are equipped with unique knowledge of performance skills and client factors to address deficits in occupational performance. Though there is literature presenting the effects of PND on sexual occupations, a gap exists as it relates to qualitative data from the perspective of the individual and their partners.

A mixed-methods survey was conducted examining the lived experience of …

Arteriovenous Malformation With Associated Multiple Flow-Related Distal Anterior Cerebral Artery Aneurysms: A Case Report With Poor Outcomes, Ummey Hani, Muhammad Ehsan Bari, Syed Sarmad Bukhari

Section of Neurosurgery

Background: Low-grade arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) associated with multiple flow-related distal anterior cerebral artery (DACA) aneurysms are rare occurrences. Here, we present a case of a frontal AVM with three associated DACA aneurysms arising from a single feeder.
Case description: A 36-year-old male presented to us in the ER with acute-onset dysphasia and altered mental status. Head computed tomography and angiogram showed a spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage with intraventricular extension and revealed a Spetzler Martin Grade II AVM, being fed by two feeders, with the major feeder from the DACA bearing three flow-related aneurysms. As the patient awaited digital subtraction angiography, his …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Uric Acid And Substantia Nigra Brain Connectivity In Patients With Rem Sleep Behavior Disorder And Parkinson’S Disease, Timothy M. Ellmore, Jessika Suescun, Richard J. Castriotta, Mya C. Schiess

Publications and Research

Low levels of the natural antioxidant uric acid (UA) and the presence of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) are both associated with an increased likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD). RBD and PD are also accompanied by basal ganglia dysfunction including decreased nigrostriatal and nigrocortical resting state functional connectivity. Despite these independent findings, the relationship between UA and substantia nigra (SN) functional connectivity remains unknown. In the present study, voxelwise analysis of covariance was used in a cross-sectional design to explore the relationship between UA and whole-brain SN functional connectivity using the eyes-open resting state fMRI method in controls without …

Dha Modulates Manf And Trem2 Abundance, Enhances Neurogenesis, Reduces Infarct Size, And Improves Neurological Function After Experimental Ischemic Stroke, Ludmila Belayev, Sung Ha Hong, Raul S. Freitas, Hemant Menghani, Shawn J. Marcell, Larissa Khoutorova, Pranab K. Mukherjee, Madigan M. Reid, Reinaldo B. Oria, Nicolas G. Bazan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Aims: Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) is a secretory neurotrophic factor protein that promotes repair after neuronal injury. The microglia cell surface receptor (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2; TREM2) regulates the production of pro- and antiinflammatory mediators after stroke. Here, we study MANF and TREM2 expression after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) and explore if docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) treatment exerts a potentiating effect. Methods: We used 2 hours of the MCAo model in rats and intravenously administered DHA or vehicle at 3 hours after the onset of MCAo. Neurobehavioral assessment was performed on days 1, 3, 7, and 14; …

Considerations For Studying Sex As A Biological Variable In Spinal Cord Injury, Andrew N. Stewart, Steven M. Maclean, Arnold J. Stromberg, Jessica P. Whelan, William M. Bailey, John C. Gensel, Melinda E. Wilson

Physiology Faculty Publications

In response to NIH initiatives to investigate sex as a biological variable in preclinical animal studies, researchers have increased their focus on male and female differences in neurotrauma. Inclusion of both sexes when modeling neurotrauma is leading to the identification of novel areas for therapeutic and scientific exploitation. Here, we review the organizational and activational effects of sex hormones on recovery from injury and how these changes impact the long-term health of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. When determining how sex affects SCI it remains imperative to expand outcomes beyond locomotor recovery and consider other complications plaguing the quality of …

Glut1 Deficiency: Retinal Detrimental Effects Of Gliovascular Modulation, Matt Henry, John Kitchens, Juan M. Pascual, Ramiro S. Maldonado

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Temperature Management In Neurologic Outcomes Of Adult Cardiac Arrests:, Trenton Christensen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Targeted Temperature control for post cardiac arrest patients has a long history dating back to the ancient Greeks. In the last twenty years there has been a push to define and implement a protocol for targeted temperature control for post cardiac arrest patients, specifically those with ventricular fibrillation arrests, to improve neurological outcomes and post-arrest quality of life. In this review, literature from the last twenty years and beyond was examined to attempt to determine whether populations treated with therapeutic hypothermia experienced improved neurological results.

Methods: Literature searches were preformed using the PubMed database as well as Google Scholar. …

Value Of Achieving A Watertight Dural Closure, And The Use Of Dural Sealants After Supratentorial Cranial Surgery, Ummey Hani, Fatima Aziz, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Section of Neurosurgery

Dural closure at the end of cranial surgery is considered an extremely important step to maintain anatomical continuity, separate the intradural space with the extradural one, and to prevent possible complications related to cerebrospinal fluid leak. Wherein its usefulness in posterior fossa craniotomy is established, many surgeons do not perform it routinely in supratentorial craniotomies, citing unnecessary delay and lack of evidence supporting it. Herein, we have reviewed the data to find evidence in support of watertight suture based dural closures compared to other dural closure techniques, in supratentorial craniotomies.

Brainstem Ischemic Syndrome In Juvenile Nf2., John W Henson, Tara Benkers, Connor Mccormick

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Objective: A new case of brainstem ischemic necrosis in a young woman with de novo neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is reported, and given notable similarities to 7 prior cases of brainstem stroke in the literature, features defining a possible syndrome were sought.

Methods: Case review including detailed clinical assessment, neuroimaging analysis, genetic testing, and brain biopsy, followed by a multicase analysis.

Results: Brainstem ischemia in juvenile NF2 typically occurs in teenagers without previously known NF2 as an acute, monophasic presentation with restricted diffusion in the midbrain or pons following a recent hypoperfusion event, normal vascular imaging, obvious intracranial imaging features …

Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome Caused By A Frameshift Insertion Mutation In, Szabolcs Szelinger, Jonida Krate, Keri Ramsey, Samuel P Strom, Perry B Shieh, Hane Lee, Newell Belnap, Chris Balak, Ashley L Siniard, Megan Russell, Ryan Richholt, Matt De Both, Ana M Claasen, Isabelle Schrauwen, Stanley F Nelson, Matthew J Huentelman, David W Craig, Samuel Yang, Steven A Moore, Kumaraswamy Sivakumar, Vinodh Narayanan, Sampathkumar Rangasamy, Ucla Clinical Genomics Center

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Objective: Description of a new variant of the glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate transaminase 1 (GFPT1) gene causing congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) in 3 children from 2 unrelated families.

Methods: Muscle biopsies, EMG, and whole-exome sequencing were performed.

Results: All 3 patients presented with congenital hypotonia, muscle weakness, respiratory insufficiency, head lag, areflexia, and gastrointestinal dysfunction. Genetic analysis identified a homozygous frameshift insertion in the GFPT1 gene (NM_001244710.1: c.686dupC; p.Arg230Ter) that was shared by all 3 patients. In one of the patients, inheritance of the variant was through uniparental disomy (UPD) with maternal origin. Repetitive nerve stimulation and single-fiber EMG was consistent …

Biomarker Application For Precision Medicine In Stroke, Alexis N. Simpkins, Miroslaw Janowski, Helieh S. Oz, Jill Roberts, Gregory Bix, Sylvain Doré, Ann M. Stowe

Neurosurgery Faculty Publications

Stroke remains one of the leading causes of long-term disability and mortality despite recent advances in acute thrombolytic therapies. In fact, the global lifetime risk of stroke in adults over the age of 25 is approximately 25%, with 24.9 million cases of ischemic stroke and 18.7 million cases of hemorrhagic stroke reported in 2015. One of the main challenges in developing effective new acute therapeutics and enhanced long-term interventions for stroke recovery is the heterogeneity of stroke, including etiology, comorbidities, and lifestyle factors that uniquely affect each individual stroke survivor. In this comprehensive review, we propose that future biomarker studies …

De Novo Variants Of Nr4a2 Are Associated With Neurodevelopmental Disorder And Epilepsy., Sakshi Singh, Aditi Gupta, Michael Zech, Ashley N. Sigafoos, Karl J. Clark, Yasemin Dincer, Matias Wagner, Jennifer B. Humberson, Sarah Green, Koen Van Gassen, Tracy Brandt, Rhonda E. Schnur, Francisca Millan, Yue Si, Volker Mall, Juliane Winkelmann, Ralitza H. Gavrilova, Eric W. Klee, Kendra Engleman, Nicole P. Safina, Rachel Slaugh, Emily M. Bryant, Wen-Hann Tan, Jorge Granadillo, Sunita N. Misra, G Bradley Schaefer, Shelley Towner, Eva H. Brilstra, Bobby P C Koeleman

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

PURPOSE: This study characterizes the clinical and genetic features of nine unrelated patients with de novo variants in the NR4A2 gene.

METHODS: Variants were identified and de novo origins were confirmed through trio exome sequencing in all but one patient. Targeted RNA sequencing was performed for one variant to confirm its splicing effect. Independent discoveries were shared through GeneMatcher.

RESULTS: Missense and loss-of-function variants in NR4A2 were identified in patients from eight unrelated families. One patient carried a larger deletion including adjacent genes. The cases presented with developmental delay, hypotonia (six cases), and epilepsy (six cases). De novo status was …

Out-Patient Neurological Disorders In Tanzania: Experience From A Private Institution In Dar Es Salaam, Philip Adebayo, Omar Aziz, Rose E. Mwakabatika, Mandela Makakala, Mugisha Clement, Shabbir Adamjee, Noureen Mushi, Ahmed Jusabani, Eric Aris

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background and introduction: Low and middle-income countries (LMIC) have a considerable burden of neurological disorders. Available profile of neurological disorders in our environment is biased towards neurological admissions. There is a paucity of data on out-patient neurological conditions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: To determine the frequency and demographic data of neurological illnesses being managed at the adult out-patient neurology clinic of the Aga Khan Hospital, Dar es Salaam (AKHD).

Materials and methods: The electronic medical records of all cases with neurological diseases who presented to the adult neurology clinic of the AKHD between January 2018, and December 2019 were retrospectively …

Bdnf-Related Gene Expression Of Laser Capture Microdissected Glutamate Neurons From The Anterior Cingulate Cortex In Mouse Models Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Misty Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting social behaviors. ASD affects 1 in 59 children with males affected more frequently. ASD is postulated to result from excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission imbalances. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling affects ASD by influencing synaptogenesis, plasticity, and survival. Studying early in-utero neuropathological changes within ASD requires the use of animal models. Expression of BDNF-associated genes were analyzed within laser capture microdissected pyramidal neurons from the anterior cingulate cortex of male and female BTBR and valproic acid mouse models. No expression differences were found in any gene comparing the three groups. Gender comparisons …

Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging As A Diagnostic Biomarker Of Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (Hand), Mikki Schantell

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objective: The goal of this study was to do an exploratory analysis to determine if gray matter brain volumes and cortical thickness measures obtained from structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) can discriminate people with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), neurocognitively unimpaired people with HIV (NU PWH), and HIV-negative controls (HIV- controls) using linear discriminant analyses.

Methods: A total of 231 participants, including 110 PWH and 121 HIV- controls, completed a neuropsychological (NP) battery and an sMRI protocol. The bilateral gray matter volumes and cortical thickness brain regions were analyzed using 18 linear discriminant models to assess the discriminability of gray matter …

Perioperative Anticoagulation Management In Spine Surgery: Initial Findings From The Ao Spine Anticoagulation Global Survey., Philip Louie, Garrett Harada, James Harrop, Thomas Mroz, Khalid Al-Saleh, Giovanni Barbanti Brodano, Jens Chapman, Michael Fehlings, Serena Hu, Yoshiharu Kawaguchi, Michael Mayer, Venugopal Menon, Jong-Beom Park, Sheeraz Qureshi, Shanmuganathan Rajasekaran, Marcelo Valacco, Luiz Vialle, Jeffrey C Wang, Karsten Wiechert, K Daniel Riew, Dino Samartzis

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional, international survey.

OBJECTIVES: This study addressed the global perspectives concerning perioperative use of pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis during spine surgery along with its risks and benefits.

METHODS: A questionnaire was designed and implemented by expert members in the AO Spine community. The survey was distributed to AO Spine's spine surgeon members (N = 3805). Data included surgeon demographic information, type and region of practice, anticoagulation principles, different patient scenarios, and comorbidities.

Results: A total of 316 (8.3% response rate) spine surgeons completed the survey, representing 64 different countries. Completed surveys were primarily from Europe (31.7%), South/Latin America (19.9%), and …

The Implications Of Paraspinal Muscle Atrophy In Low Back Pain, Thoracolumbar Pathology, And Clinical Outcomes After Spine Surgery: A Review Of The Literature., Kevin He, Jeffery Head, Nikolaos Mouchtouris, Kevin Hines, Phelan Shea, Richard Schmidt, Christian Hoelscher, Geoffrey Stricsek, James Harrop, Ashwini Sharan

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

STUDY DESIGN: Literature review.

OBJECTIVES: Paraspinal muscle integrity is believed to play a critical role in low back pain (LBP) and numerous spinal deformity diseases and other pain pathologies. The influence of paraspinal muscle atrophy (PMA) on the clinical and radiographic success of spinal surgery has not been established. We aim to survey the literature in order to evaluate the impact of paraspinal muscle atrophy on low back pain, spine pathologies, and postoperative outcomes of spinal surgery.

METHODS: A review of the literature was conducted using a total of 267 articles identified from a search of the PubMed database and …