Neurology Commons^™

The Default Mode Network And Executive Function: Influence Of Age, White Matter Connectivity, And Alzheimer’S Pathology, Christopher A. Brown

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

The default mode network (DMN) consists of a set of interconnected brain regions supporting autobiographical memory, our concept of the self, and the internal monologue. These processes must be maintained at all times and consume the highest amount of the brain’s energy during its baseline state. However, when faced with an active, externally-directed cognitive task, the DMN shows a small, but significant, decrease in activity. The reduction in DMN activity during the performance of an active, externally-directed task compared to a baseline state is termed task-induced deactivation (TID), which is thought to ‘free-up’ resources required to respond to external demands. …

Ion Channel Expression Patterns In Glioblastoma Stem Cells With Functional And Therapeutic Implications For Malignancy., Julia Pollak, Karan G Rai, Cory C Funk, Sonali Arora, Eunjee Lee, Jun Zhu, Nathan D Price, Patrick J Paddison, Jan-Marino Ramirez, Robert C Rostomily

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Ion channels and transporters have increasingly recognized roles in cancer progression through the regulation of cell proliferation, migration, and death. Glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs) are a source of tumor formation and recurrence in glioblastoma multiforme, a highly aggressive brain cancer, suggesting that ion channel expression may be perturbed in this population. However, little is known about the expression and functional relevance of ion channels that may contribute to GSC malignancy. Using RNA sequencing, we assessed the enrichment of ion channels in GSC isolates and non-tumor neural cell types. We identified a unique set of GSC-enriched ion channels using differential expression …

Is The Use Of Kinesio Tape (Kt) Effective In Improving Gross Motor Functionality Throughout The Sit-To-Stand Transfer Activity In Children With Cerebral Palsy (Cp)?, Rachel L. Dodies

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Kinesio tape (KT) is effective in improving gross motor functionality throughout the sit-to-stand transfer activity in children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Study Design: Review of three English language primary studies published between 2011 and 2015.

Data Sources: One not-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT), one single-blind RCT, and one cross-sectional study were found using the PubMed database.

Outcomes Measured: The outcomes that were measured were improvement in gross motor function, sitting posture, functional independence, balance, ambulation, and agility from sitting to standing. This …

Is The Use Of The Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ningdong Granule, A Safe And Effective Alternative To Haloperidol For The Treatment Of Tic Symptoms In Pediatric Patients With Tourette Syndrome (Ts)?, Vincent Russell

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether the Chinese herbal supplement, Ningdong granule, is a safe and effective alternative to haloperidol for the treatment of tic symptoms in pediatric patients with Tourette Syndrome.

STUDY DESIGN Systematic review of three randomized controlled trials published in 2009, 2010, and 2012.

DATA SOURCES Three randomized controlled trials were obtained using PubMed.

OUTCOMES MEASURED Efficacy of Ningdong granule (NDG) as compared to control groups based on decrease in tic severity and frequency as reported by Yale Global Tic Severity Scale as well as safety, as evidenced by prevalence of …

Is Droxidopa Safe And Effective In Reducing Symptoms Of Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension?, Nicholas W. Longo

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not droxidopa is safe and effective in reducing the symptoms of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension.

Study Design: Systemic review of three English-language primary studies, conducted in 2014 or later.

Data Sources: Three double-blind, randomized trials comparing the safety and efficacy of droxidopa to placebo in patients with diagnosed neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, found via PubMed in peer-reviewed journals.

Outcomes Measured: Improvement of symptoms was measured utilizing patient responses to the Orthostatic Hypotension Questionnaire (OHQ), which consists of a six item Orthostatic Hypotension Symptom Assessment (OSHA) …

Exploring The Impact Of A Training Programme On Acute Healthcare Professionals' Attitudes And Understanding Of Dementia, Orla Quirke

Theses

Acute healthcare professionals lack education and training in dementia care. This results in people with dementia having poorer outcomes when admitted to the acute healthcare setting. An overarching aim of The National Dementia Strategy (2014) is the provision of optimal care for people with dementia in all healthcare and community settings. In response to this, Dementia Elevator a national inter-professional suite of educational programmes were developed by Dublin City University and the Health Service Executive to help individuals, communities and health systems engage positively with people with dementia. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a four-hour dementia training …

Measuring The Effects Of Therapeutic Listening - Quickshifts, Hannah Tashjian, Phoebe Taasan, Donielle Hair

Student Research Posters

This study examines a structured protocol to measure the effects of daily individualized use of Therapeutic Listening - Quickshifts (TL-Q) used to improve occupational performance in children with learning and developmental disabilities. The study identifies a standardized practice-based evidence procedure to measure the outcomes of implementing TL-Q within traditional OT practice. OTs worldwide are using sound-based therapies (SBTs) despite limited supporting evidence available regarding the productivity of these interventions. Even fewer studies have been published on the effects of Therapeutic Listening (TL), a novel intervention shown to increase personal and interpersonal skills including sensory processing skills, visual motor integration, and …

How Useful Is Electroencephalography In The Diagnosis Of Autism Spectrum Disorders And The Delineation Of Subtypes: A Systematic Review, Oana Gurau, William Bosl, Charles R. Newton

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are thought to be associated with abnormal neural connectivity. Presently, neural connectivity is a theoretical construct that cannot be easily measured. Research in network science and time series analysis suggests that neural network structure, a marker of neural activity, can be measured with electroencephalography (EEG). EEG can be quantified by different methods of analysis to potentially detect brain abnormalities. The aim of this review is to examine evidence for the utility of three methods of EEG signal analysis in the ASD diagnosis and subtype delineation. We conducted a review of literature in which 40 studies were …

Altered Levels Of Blood Proteins In Alzheimer's Disease Longitudinal Study: Results From Australian Imaging Biomarkers Lifestyle Study Of Ageing Cohort, Veer B. Gupta, Eugene Hone, Steve Pedrini, James D. Doecke, Sid E. O'Bryant, Ian James, Ashley I. Bush, Christopher C. Rowe, Victor L. Villemagne, David Ames, Colin L. Masters, Ralph N. Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction

A blood-based biomarker panel to identify individuals with preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) would be an inexpensive and accessible first step for routine testing.

Methods

We analyzed 14 biomarkers that have previously been linked to AD in the Australian Imaging Biomarkers lifestyle longitudinal study of aging cohort.

Results

Levels of apolipoprotein J (apoJ) were higher in AD individuals compared with healthy controls at baseline and 18 months (P =.0003) and chemokine-309 (I-309) were increased in AD patients compared to mild cognitive impaired individuals over 36 months (P =.0008).

Discussion

These data suggest that apoJ may have potential in the context …

Epidemiological, Clinical And Genetic Aspects Of Adult Onset Isolated Focal Dystonia In Ireland, L. Williams, E. Mcgovern, O. Kimmich, A. Molloy, I. Beiser, John Butler, F. Molloy, P. Logan, D.G. Healy, T. Lynch, R. Walsh, Lorraine Cassidy, P. Moriarty, H. Moore, T. Mcswiney, C. Walsh, S. O'Riordan, M. Hutchinson

Articles

Background: Adult onset idiopathic isolated focal dystonia presents with a number of phenotypes. Reported prevalence rates vary considerably; well-characterized cohorts are important to our understanding of this disorder.

Aim: To perform a nationwide epidemiological study of adult onset idiopathic isolated focal dystonia in the Republic of Ireland.

Methods: Patients with adult onset idiopathic isolated focal dystonia were recruited from multiple sources. Diagnosis was based on assessment by a neurologist with an expertise in movement disorders. When consent was obtained, a number of clinical features including family history were assessed.

Results: On the prevalence date there were 592 individuals in Ireland …

Insulin Resistance Is Associated With Reductions In Specific Cognitive Domains And Increases In Csf Tau In Cognitively Normal Adults, Simon M. Laws, Scott Gaskin, Amy Woodfield, Velandai K. Srikanth, David G. Bruce, Paul E. Fraser, Tenielle Porter, Philip N. Newsholme, Nadeeja Wijesekara, Samantha C. Burnham, Vincent Doré, Qiaoxin Li, Paul T. Maruff, Colin L. Masters, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Christopher C. Rowe, Olivier Salvado, Victor L. Villemagne, Ralph N. Martins, Giuseppe Verdile

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that type 2 diabetes (T2D) increases the risk of developing dementia. Experimental evidence from mouse models demonstrates that the induction of T2D/insulin resistance (IR) can promote the accumulation of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathological features. However, the association of T2D with pathological and clinical phenotypes in humans is unclear. Here we investigate the relationship of indices of IR (HOMA-IR) and pancreatic β-cell function (HOMA-B) with cognitive performance across several domains (Verbal/Visual Episodic Memory, Executive Function, Language and a measure of Global cognition) and AD biomarkers (CSF Aβ42, T-tau/P-tau, hippocampal volume and neocortical Aβ-amyloid burden). We reveal …

Amyloid Β–Associated Cognitive Decline In The Absence Of Clinical Disease Progression And Systemic Illness, Karra Harrington, Yen Lim, David Ames, Jason Hassenstab, Simon Laws, Ralph Martins, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Joanne Robertson, Christopher Rowe, Olivier Salvado, Vincent Dore, Victor Villemagne, Peter Snyder, Colin Masters, Paul Maruff, Aibl Research Group

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction

High levels of amyloid β (Aβ) are associated with cognitive decline in cognitively normal (CN) older adults. This study investigated the nature of cognitive decline in healthy individuals who did not progress to mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

Method

Cognition was measured over 72 months and compared between low (Aβ−) and high (Aβ+) CN older adults (n = 335) who did not progress to mild cognitive impairment or dementia and who remained free of severe or uncontrolled systemic illness.

Results

Compared to the Aβ− group, the Aβ+ group showed no cognitive impairment at baseline but showed substantial decline …

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 …

Aapt Diagnostic Criteria For Chronic Sickle Cell Disease Pain, Carlton Dampier, Tonya M. Palermo, Deepika S. Darbari, Kathryn Hassell, Wally Smith, William Zempsky

Neurology Publications

Pain in sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and high health care costs. Although episodic acute pain is the hallmark of this disorder, there is an increasing awareness that chronic pain is part of the pain experience of many older adolescents and adults. A common set of criteria for classifying chronic pain associated with SCD would enhance SCD pain research efforts in epidemiology, pain mechanisms, and clinical trials of pain management interventions, and ultimately improve clinical assessment and management. As part of the collaborative effort between the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations Innovations Opportunities …

How Burroughs Plays With The Brain, Or Ritornellos As A Means To Produce Déjà-Vu, Antonio José Bonome

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In his article "How Burroughs Plays with the Brain, or Ritornellos as a Means to Produce Déjà-Vu" Antonio José Bonome discusses how the recurrence and significance of one of William S. Burroughs's most potent refrains, "dim jerky faraway," was inspired by its source text, Paul Bowles's second novel Let It Come Down (1952), where Tangiers-Interzone fuels the unwholesome descent of a US-American expatriate not unlike Bowles or Burroughs himself. "Dim jerky faraway" was used by Burroughs during more than two decades in different contexts, and its textual variations have sparked a mélange of colors, sounds, smells, and feelings oscillating in …

High Levels Of Iron Supplementation Prevents Neural Tube Defects In The Fpn1(Ffe) Mouse Model., Bethany A Stokes, Julia A Sabatino, Irene E. Zohn

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Periconception maternal nutrition and folate in particular are important factors influencing the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs). Many but not all NTDs are prevented by folic acid supplementation and there is a pressing need for additional strategies to prevent these birth defects. Other micronutrients such as iron are potential candidates, yet a clear role for iron deficiency in contributing to NTDs is lacking. Our previous studies with the flatiron (ffe) mouse model of Ferroportin1 (Fpn1) deficiency suggest that iron is required for neural tube closure and forebrain development raising the possibility that iron supplementation could prevent NTDs.

METHODS: …

Striatal Dopaminergic Innervation Regulates Subthalamic Beta-Oscillations And Cortical-Subcortical Coupling During Movements: Preliminary Evidence In Subjects With Parkinson’S Disease, Andrea Canessa, Nicolo G. Pozzi, Gabriele Arnulfo, Joachim Brumberg, Martin M. Reich, Gianni Pezzoli, Maria F. Ghilardi, Cordula Matthies, Frank Steigerwald, Jens Volkman, Ioannis U. Isais

Publications and Research

Activation of the basal ganglia has been shown during the preparation and execution of movement. However, the functional interaction of cortical and subcortical brain areas during movement and the relative contribution of dopaminergic striatal innervation remains unclear. We recorded local field potential (LFP) activity from the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and high-density electroencephalography (EEG) signals in four patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) off dopaminergic medication during a multi-joint motor task performed with their dominant and non-dominant hand. Recordings were performed by means of a fully-implantable deep brain stimulation (DBS) device at 4 months after surgery. Three patients also performed a single-photon …

The Dynamics Of Adult Neurogenesis In Human Hippocampus, Amadi O. Ihunwo, Lackson H. Tembo, Charles Dzamalala

Brain and Mind Institute

The phenomenon of adult neurogenesis is now an accepted occurrence in mammals and also in humans. At least two discrete places house stem cells for generation of neurons in adult brain. These are olfactory system and the hippocampus. In animals, newly generated neurons have been directly or indirectly demonstrated to generate a significant amount of new neurons to have a functional role. However, the data in humans on the extent of this process is still scanty and such as difficult to comprehend its functional role in humans. This paper explores the available data on as extent of adult hippocampal neurogenesis …

South Asian Contributions To The International Rehabilitation Literature: An Online Literature Survey Of 10 Years, Sermad Ahmad Mangat, Farooq Azam Rathore, Shahbaz Ali Nasir, Mubasshar Shahid, Hassaan Altaf

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM & R) deals with management, rehabilitation and community reintegration persons with disabilities. It is an emerging medical specialty in the South-Asian region (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Srilanka ,Afghanistan, Bhutan and Maldives,). The region comprises 24% of the world population with a huge burden of disability. The contributions of South Asian authors to the international rehabilitation medicine literature are unknown. The aim of this study was to document the contributions of south Asian authors in the international rehabilitation literature in the last decade.

Stroke As A First Presentation Of Malignancy, Farheen Niazi, Puneet Kakar, Ratneshwari Jha, Reena Dhami, Farook Edoo

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

Stroke is a frequent complication in patients with cancer occurring in nearly 15% of the cases. However cerebrovascular disease as the first presentation of malignancy has rarely been reported. We report two such cases who were admitted with acute stroke but were later on found to be having malignancy. Routine workup was unrewarding in both patients. Both patients developed pulmonary embolism as well during hospital stay suggesting hypercoagulable state as likely etiology. Reaching to the final diagnosis was an arduous journey but can help guide other clinicians facing similar cases. Non Hodgkins B cell lymphoma and Carcinoma Gall bladder were …