Scalp acupuncture targets for neurological disorders：evidence from neuroimaging studies (part 2). / åŸºäºŽç¥žç»å½±åƒå­¦çš„å¸¸è§ç¥žç»ç³»ç»Ÿç–¾ç— å¤´é’ˆåˆºæ¿€é¶ç‚¹ç ”ç©¶ï¼ˆä¸‹ï¼‰.

OBJECTIVES: Scalp acupuncture is a method of treating diseases by dividing and stimulating the corresponding function-oriented cortical scalp areas. It is a commonly used therapy for neurological disorders. However, the specific target selection for scalp acupuncture remains to be explored. This manuscript aims to initiate an attempt to develop/identify scalp acupuncture targets based on neuroimaging findings and noninvasive brain stimulation. METHODS: Neurosynth-based meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies was conducted to identify brain stimulation targets of neurological disorders. The identified target regions were further projected to the scalp. The traditional acupoints and 10-20 EEG system were referenced for the localization of these targets. In this study, the "mild cognitive impairment" (MCI), "Alzheimer's disease" (AD) and "dementia" were used as the retrieval terms respectively, and a unity detection method was used to generate brain maps, with the default FDR (false discovery rate, P<0.01) threshold of Neurosynth set for subsequent exploration of various disease-related brain regions. The literature search was conducted on July 30, 2022. RESULTS: The localization and manipulation suggestions of neuroimage-based scalp acupuncture targets for MCI, AD, and dementia were introduced in the present paper (part 2). Here are 3 target examples for each of these 3 diseases due to word limitation. 1) MCI：Based on the 81 papers retrieved, we identified 6 potential scalp acupuncture points for MCI, their corresponding brain regions, brain functions and the possible resultant effects of the scalp target acupoint stimulation respectively are as below. MCI1：the orbital part of the left inferior frontal gyrus (left Brodmann area ［BA］47), related to semantic coding, working memory and episodic memory, improving semantic coding and memory function；MCI2：the anterior motor area/left anterior central gyrus (left BA6), the motor center area, improving MCI motor function；MCI3：the left medial temporal gyrus (left BA21), related to the processing of speech, visual space, language and word understanding, improving language and memory. 2) AD：Based on the 196 papers retrieved, we found 6 potential scalp acupuncture targets for AD, their corresponding brain regions and brain functions of the 3 example targets respectively are as below. AD1：the left medial temporal gyrus (left BA21), participating in language and semantic processing, sentence and word generation, intent expression, deductive reasoning；AD2：the left angular gyrus (left BA39), related to semantic processing, word reading and comprehension, memory retrieval, attention and spatial cognition, reasoning, etc.；AD3：the left fusiform/suboccipital gyrus (left BA37), related to semantic classification, text generation, sign language, phonology processing, etc. 3) Dementia：Based on the 142 papers retrieved, we found 4 potential scalp acupuncture targets for dementia, their corresponding brain regions, brain functions and the possible targets of the proposed scalp stimulation respectively are as below. D1 and D2：the left inferior frontal gyrus (i.e., left BA46, and left BA47, respectively), being closely related to working memory, emotional response regulation, melody and other processing processes, may be suitable for treating memory decline and advanced executive dysfunction in patients with dementia；D3：the left medial temporal gyrus (left BA21), an important brain region for various sensory integration, cognitive processing and memory functions, and emotional processing, may be suitable for temporal dementia. CONCLUSIONS: We identified scalp acupuncture targets for several common neurological disorders based on neuroimaging findings and noninvasive brain stimulation. The proposed targets may also be used for treating these disorders using nerve/brain stimulation methods.

Scalp acupuncture targets for neurological disorders：evidence from neuroimaging studies (part 1). / åŸºäºŽç¥žç»å½±åƒå­¦çš„å¸¸è§ç¥žç»ç³»ç»Ÿç–¾ç— å¤´é’ˆåˆºæ¿€é¶ç‚¹ç ”ç©¶ï¼ˆä¸Šï¼‰.

OBJECTIVES: Scalp acupuncture is a unique acupuncture method developed based on brain functional and pathophysiological knowledge. In past decades, there has been significant development in the understanding of the brain pathology of many neurological disorders through cutting-edge brain imaging techniques. Yet, these findings have not been incorporated into scalp acupuncture. In the present paper, we aimed to initiate an attempt to develop/identify scalp acupuncture targets based on neuroimaging findings. METHODS: Based on the meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies in the Neurosynth database platform (http：//neurosynth.org/), the brain clusters related to neurological disorders were automatically identified according to the search terms "Parkinson's disease"(PD), "chronic pain"(CP), "aphasia"(APH), "dyslexia"(DYS), "mild cognitive impairment", "Alzheimer's disease" and "dementia". Subsequently, the discovered brain region clusters projected onto the brain surface and scalp surface were listed, and the peak points of the clusters projected to the scalp surface were proposed as the potential stimulation targets for the corresponding diseases. Further, by combining the traditional scalp acupoints (including the scalp acupuncture lines) with 10-20 EEG system sites, we made localization suggestions for scalp stimulation targets and made acupuncture operation suggestions by combining with the shape of the brain region clusters. The literature search was conducted on July 30, 2022. RESULTS: The localization and manipulation suggestions of neuroimage-based scalp acupuncture targets were introduced in two parts. This part (part 1) includes PD, CP, APH, and DYS. Here are 3 target examples of each of these 4 diseases simply introduced due to word limitation. 1) PD. Based on the 175 articles retrieved from Neurosynth, we identified 7 potential scalp acupuncture targets for PD, the locations of the acupuncture stimulation and the recommended acupuncture needle operation (RANO) as well as the corresponding brain regions (CBRs) respectively are as below. PD1：about 0.5 cun (1 cun≈33.3 mm) superior-posterior to the left Xuanlu (GB5)；puncturing subcutaneously and forward-upward；the left premotor area, subfrontal cortex of the island, inferior frontal gyrus and middle frontal gyrus. PD2：about 1 cun lateral-inferior to the left Chengling (GB18)；puncturing subcutaneously and backward-upward；the inferior parietal lobule and postcentral gyrus. PD3：about 0.5 cun lateral-anterior to the left GB18；puncturing subcutaneously and inward-backward；left anterior central gyrus and posterior central gyrus. 2) CP. Based on the retrieved 92 articles, we identified 8 potential scalp acupuncture targets, the location of the acupuncture stimulation and the RANO, and CBRs respectively are as below. CP1：about 1 cun anterior-inferior to the left Xuanli (GB8)；puncturing subcutaneously and backward-inwards；the left inferior frontal gyrus orbitalis and pars triangularis. CP2：about 0.5 cun posterior-superior to the left GB5；puncturing subcutaneously and forward-upward；the left anterior central gyrus and premotor area. CP3：about 0.5 cun posterior-superior to the left GB8；puncturing subcutaneously and forward；left inferior central area/central sulci operculum (second somatosensory area). 3) APH. Based on the retrieved 82 papers, we identified 7 potential scalp acupuncture targets for APH, their locations, RANO, and CBRs respectively are as below. APH1：close to the left GB5；puncturing subcutaneously and forward-downward；left subfrontal gyrus operculi/triangularis. APH2：about 0.5 cun posterior to the left Hanyan (GB4)；puncturing subcutaneously and backward-upward；the left anterior central gyrus and posterior central gyrus. APH3：about 0.5 cun anterior-inferior to the left Qubin (GB7)；puncturing subcutaneously and backward-downward；left medial/superior temporal gyrus. 4) DYS. Based on the retrieved 76 researches, we identified 8 potential scalp acupuncture targets for DYS, their locations, RANO and CBRs respectively are as below. DYS1：about 1 cun anterior-inferior to the left GB5；puncturing subcutaneously and forward-upward；the pars triangularis of the left inferior frontal gyrus. DYS2：about 0.5 cun posterior-superior to the left GB5；puncturing subcutaneously and forward-downward；the left subfrontal gyrus operculum, pars triangularis and anterior central gyrus. DYS3：the midpoint between the left GB5 and GB18；puncturing subcutaneously and forward；the left anterior central gyrus and posterior central gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: We identified scalp acupuncture targets for several common neurological disorders based on neuroimaging evidence for clinical application and research. The proposed targets may also be used for treating these disorders using brain stimulation methods.

[Neuroimaging-based study of scalp acupuncture targets for common psychiatric diseases (Part 2)].

In this study, based on the neuroimaging literature Meta analysis retrieved from Neurosynth platform, the scalp stimulation targets for common psychiatric diseases are developed, which provided the stimulation target protocols of scalp acupuncture for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. The paper introduces the functions of the brain areas that are involved in each target and closely related to the diseases, and lists the therapeutic methods of common acupuncture/scalp acupuncture and common neuromodulation methods for each disease so as to provide the references for clinical practice. Based on the study results above, the paper further summarizes the overlapped stimulation targets undergoing the intervention with scalp acupuncture for common psychiatric diseases, and the potential relationship between these stimulation targets and treatments with acupuncture and moxibustion.

[Neuroimaging-based study of scalp acupuncture targets for common psychiatric diseases].

Scalp acupuncture is a unique acupuncture method, developed based on the cerebral cortex localization. Neuroimaging technology enables the combination of contemporary brain science findings with the studies of scalp stimulation sites. In this study, based on the neuroimaging literature retrieved from Neurosynth platform, the scalp stimulation targets of common psychiatric diseases are developed, which provides the stimulation target protocol of scalp acupuncture for anxiety, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. The paper introduces the functions of the brain areas that are involved in each target and closely related to the diseases, and lists the therapeutic methods of common acupuncture and scalp acupuncture for each disease so as to provide the references for clinical practice. These targets can be used not only for the stimulation of scalp acupuncture, but also for the different neuromodulation techniques to treat related diseases.

An investigation into the response of the soil ecological environment to tourist disturbance in Baligou.

The purpose of this study is to understand the response patterns of the soil ecological environment of the Macau Wetland Park to different levels of tourist interference and to provide a scientific basis for the rational development of the Bali Gou ecological tourism plan and the protection and management of the scenic area's ecological environment. Combine the methods of field collection and laboratory physical and chemical data analysis to analyze the impact of the strength of tourism disturbance on the soil ecological environment of Baligou. During the tourist activities in Baligou, the human factors in the process have an impact on the physical aspects of the scenic area's soil, such as soil bulk density, color tone, porosity, compactness, capacity, and leaf litter. In addition, pH value, soil enzyme activity, organic matter, and heavy metals in the soil have caused some interference. The overall data show that the dynamic of soil indicators is background area < buffer area < disturbed area,where the sample area is affected by human trampling and infrastructure construction and other disturbances leading to regular changes in the content of Pb and Cr in the sample soil, while the content of other heavy metals is lower than the national standard.The range of the most extreme values of the SRI integrated soil ecological response evaluation index was A1 disturbance area = 4.679 and C1 background area = 1.263, respectively. The larger the value of the SRI response index, the greater the impact and negative effect of the disturbance influence of tourism activities on the soil ecological environment of the scenic area, and the higher the level of response of the soil ecological environment of the scenic area to the disturbance of tourism activities. Moderate and reasonable tourism development activities play a role in promoting soil quality in scenic areas. Therefore, it is suggested to carry out reasonable ecological environment planning and take certain macro-measures to prevent the deterioration of the soil ecological environment, so as to achieve a win-win situation of ecological environmental protection while developing the tourism economy in scenic areas.

Functional and structural brain reorganization in patients with ischemic stroke: a multimodality MRI fusion study.

Understanding how structural and functional reorganization occurs is crucial for stroke diagnosis and prognosis. Previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies focused on the analyses of a single modality and demonstrated abnormalities in both lesion regions and their associated distal regions. However, the relationships of multimodality alterations and their associations with poststroke motor deficits are still unclear. In this study, 71 hemiplegia patients and 41 matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited and underwent MRI examination at baseline and at 2-week follow-up sessions. A multimodal fusion approach (multimodal canonical correlation analysis + joint independent component analysis), with amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and gray matter volume (GMV) as features, was used to extract the co-altered patterns of brain structure and function. Then compared the changes in patients' brain structure and function between baseline and follow-up sessions. Compared with HCs, the brain structure and function of stroke patients decreased synchronously in the local lesions and their associated distal regions. Damage to structure and function in the local lesion regions was associated with motor function. After 2 weeks, ALFF in the local lesion regions was increased, while GMV did not improve. Taken together, the brain structure and function in the local lesions and their associated distal regions were damaged synchronously after ischemic stroke, while during motor recovery, the 2 modalities were changed separately.

Scalp acupuncture regulates functional connectivity of cerebral hemispheres in patients with hemiplegia after stroke.

Background: Stroke is a common cause of acquired disability on a global scale. Patients with motor dysfunction after a stroke have a reduced quality of life and suffer from an economic burden. Scalp acupuncture has been proven to be an effective treatment for motor recovery after a stroke. However, the neural mechanism of scalp acupuncture for motor function recovery remains to be researched. This study aimed to investigate functional connectivity (FC) changes in region of interest (ROI) and other brain regions to interpret the neural mechanism of scalp acupuncture. Methods: Twenty-one patients were included and randomly divided into patient control (PCs) and scalp acupuncture (SAs) groups with left hemiplegia due to ischemic stroke, and we also selected 20 matched healthy controls (HCs). The PCs were treated with conventional Western medicine, while the SAs were treated with scalp acupuncture (acupuncture at the right anterior oblique line of vertex temporal). All subjects received whole-brain resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scan before treatment, and the patients received a second scan after 14 days of treatment. We use the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and the analyses of resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) as the observational indicators. Results: The contralateral and ipsilateral cortex of hemiplegic patients with cerebral infarction were associated with an abnormal increase and decrease in basal internode function. An abnormal increase in functional connectivity mainly exists in the ipsilateral hemisphere between the cortex and basal ganglia and reduces the abnormal functional connectivity in the cortex and contralateral basal ganglia. Increased RSFC was observed in the bilateral BA6 area and bilateral basal ganglia and the connectivity between bilateral basal ganglia nuclei improved. However, the RSFC of the conventional treatment group only improved in the unilateral basal ganglia and contralateral BA6 area. The RSFC in the left middle frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, precuneus, and other healthy brain regions were enhanced in SAs after treatment. Conclusion: The changes in functional connectivity between the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia in patients with cerebral infarction showed a weakening of the bilateral hemispheres and the enhancement of the connections between the hemispheres. Scalp acupuncture has the function of bidirectional regulation, which makes the unbalanced abnormal brain function state restore balance.

Efficacy and safety of LongShengZhi capsule on functional recovery after acute ischemic stroke (LONGAN): Protocol and statistical analysis plan for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Due to limited time windows and technical requirements, only a small percentage of patients can receive reperfusion therapy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Previous studies have shown that LongShengZhi (LSZ) capsule can improve neurological outcomes in patients after AIS, yet those results have not been finally verified through rigorous randomized controlled trials. Thus, this trial was designed to further clarify the efficacy and safety of LSZ capsule for patients with AIS. Methods: LSZ capsule on Functional Recovery after Acute Ischemic Stroke (LONGAN) trial is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, superiority trial that enrolls patients from stroke and rehabilitation units in China. We will enroll 1,376 patients aged 18 years or older with AIS within 7 days of symptom onset and a National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 4-15. Eligible patients will be randomized to receive either 2 g LSZ capsules three times a day or placebo LSZ capsules for 90 days. The primary outcome is the proportion of patients with favorable outcomes, as measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 90 days after randomization. The main safety outcome is the proportion of severe adverse events. Conclusion: This study will be the first randomized, double-blind trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LSZ capsule in patients with AIS. In order to improve the transparency and reproducibility of the trial, the data will be analyzed in accordance with this pre-specified plan for statistical analysis to reduce bias due to selective analysis and reporting. This trial aims to provide high-quality evidence for the efficacy and safety of LSZ capsule for AIS.

Effect of Qizhitongluo capsule on lower limb rehabilitation after stroke: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: An individual's level of lower limb motor function is associated with his or her disability level after stroke, and motor improvement may lead to a better prognosis and quality of life. Data from animal models show that Qizhitongluo (QZTL) capsule facilitates recovery after focal brain injury. We aimed to validate the efficacy and safety of the QZTL capsule for promoting lower limb motor recovery in poststroke patients. METHODS: In this randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled trial from 13 sites in China, participants with ischemic stroke and Fugl-Meyer motor scale (FMMS) scores of <95 were eligible for inclusion. Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1:1 ratio to the QZTL group, Naoxintong (NXT) group or placebo group for 12 weeks at 15-28 days after the onset of stroke. The primary outcome was the change in the Lower Limb FMMS (FMMS-LL) score from baseline over the 12-week intervention period. RESULTS: 622 participants were randomly assigned to the QZTL group (309), NXT group (159), or placebo group (154). The FMMS-LL score increased by 4.81 points (95 % CI, 4.27-5.35) in the QZTL group, by 3.77 points (95 % CI, 3.03-4.51) in the NXT group and by 3.00 points (95 % CI, 3.03-4.51) in the placebo group at week 12. The QZTL group showed significantly larger improvements compared with the placebo group at each interview from weeks 4-12 (difference, 0.89 [0.30,1.49] at week 4, P = 0.0032; difference, 1.83[1.01,2.66] at 90 days poststroke, P < 0.0001; difference, 1.81[0.88,2.74] at week 12, P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The QZTL capsule is an effective treatment for lower limb motor impairment. The finding indicates that the QZTL capsule may be used as a potential new strategy for stroke rehabilitation.

Acupuncture Modulates Disrupted Whole-Brain Network after Ischemic Stroke: Evidence Based on Graph Theory Analysis.

Background: Stroke can lead to disruption of the whole-brain network in patients. Acupuncture can modulate the functional network on a large-scale level in healthy individuals. However, whether and how acupuncture can make a potential impact on the disrupted whole-brain network after ischemic stroke remains elusive. Methods: 26 stroke patients with a right hemispheric subcortical infarct were recruited. We gathered the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) from patients with stroke and healthy controls in the resting state and after acupuncture intervention, to investigate the instant alterations of the large-scale functional networks. The graph theory analysis was applied using the GRETNA and SPM12 software to construct the whole-brain network and yield the small-world parameters and network efficiency. Results: Compared with the healthy subjects, the stroke patients had a decreased normalized small-worldness (σ), global efficiency (E g), and the mean local efficiency (E loc) of the whole-brain network in the resting state. There was a correlation between the duration after stroke onset and E loc. Acupuncture improved the patients' clustering coefficient (C p) and E loc but did not make a significant impact on the σ and E g. The postacupuncture variables of the whole-brain network had no association with the time of onset. Conclusion: The poststroke whole-brain network tended to a random network with reduced network efficiency. Acupuncture was able to modulate the disrupted patterns of the whole-brain network following the subcortical ischemic stroke. Our findings shed light on the potential mechanisms of the functional reorganization on poststroke brain networks involving acupuncture intervention from a large-scale perspective.

Acupuncture Enhances Communication between Cortices with Damaged White Matters in Poststroke Motor Impairment.

Stroke is a leading cause of motor disability. Acupuncture is an effective therapeutic strategy for poststroke motor impairment. However, its mechanism is still elusive. Twenty-two stroke patients having a right-hemispheric subcortical infarct and 22 matched healthy controls were recruited to undergo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. The resting-state fMRI was implemented before and after needling at GB34 (Yanglingquan). The stroke patients presented a substantially reduced fractional anisotropy value in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), corticospinal tract, and corpus callosum. The structural integrity of the frontoparietal part of the SLF (SLF-FP) correlated with the motor scores of lower limbs in stroke patients. This corticocortical association bundle originated from the premotor cortex (PM) and the adjacent supplementary motor area (SMA), known as secondary motor areas, and terminated in the supramarginal gyrus (SMG). After acupuncture intervention, the corresponding functional connectivity between the PM/SMA and SMG was enhanced in stroke patients compared with healthy controls. These findings suggested that the integrity of the SLF is a potential neuroimaging biomarker for motor disability of lower limbs following a stroke. Acupuncture could increase the communication between the cortices connected by the impaired white matter tracts, implying the neural mechanism underlying the acupuncture intervention.

The Dysfunction of the Cerebellum and Its Cerebellum-Reward-Sensorimotor Loops in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria.

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a common itchy skin disease. Despite its prevalence, the neuropathology of CSU is uncertain. In this study, we explored resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) changes in CSU, as well as how the symptom changes following intervention can modulate rs-FC. Forty patients and 40 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Following an intervention, 32 patients participated in a second scan approximately 6 weeks after the first scan. Compared with healthy controls, CSU subjects exhibited higher regional homogeneity (ReHo) values in the cerebellum, which were positively associated with urticaria activity scores over 7 days (UAS7) at baseline. After an intervention accompanied with clinical improvement, we found that ReHo values decreased at the cerebellum and increased at the bilateral primary somatosensory cortex (SI)/primary motor cortex (MI)/supplementary motor area (SMA). Using the cerebellum as a seed, CSU subjects exhibited increased rs-FC with reward regions when compared with HCs and exhibited decreased rs-FC at the right orbitofrontal cortex and right sensorimotor region following the intervention. The improvement rate values were positively associated with reduced rs-FC values in the two regions. Using the cluster of SI/MI/SMA as a seed, CSU patients exhibited decreased rs-FC with the left putamen, caudate, accumbens, and thalamus following the intervention. These results demonstrate the altered cerebellar activity and cerebellum-reward-sensorimotor loops in CSU.

Characterization and overexpression of a glycosyl hydrolase family 16 beta-agarase YM01-1 from marine bacterium Catenovulum agarivorans YM01T.

Agar, usually extracted from seaweed, has a wide variety of industrial applications due to its gelling and stabilizing characteristics. Agarases are the enzymes which hydrolyze agar into agar oligosaccharides. The produced agar oligosaccharides have been widely used in cosmetic, food, and medical fields due to their biological functions. A beta-agarase gene, YM01-1, was cloned and expressed from a marine bacterium Catenovulum agarivorans YM01T. The encoding agarase of YM01-1 consisted of 331 amino acids with an apparent molecular mass of 37.7 kDa and a 23-amino-acids signal peptide. YM01-1 belongs to glycoside hydrolase 16 (GH16) family based on the amino acid sequence homology. The optimum pH and temperature for its activity was 7.0 and 50 °C, respectively. YM01-1 was stable at a pH of pH 6.0-9.0 and temperatures below 45 °C. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) and ion trap mass spectrometer of the YM01-1 hydrolysis products displayed that YM01-1 was an endo-type ß-agarase and degrades agarose, neoagarohexaose, neoagarotetraose into neoagarobiose. The Km, Vmax, Kcat and Kcat/Km values of the YM01-1 for agarose were 8.69 mg/ml, 4.35 × 103 U/mg, 2.4 × 103 s-1 and 2.7 × 106 s-1 M-1, respectively. Hence, the enzyme with high agarolytic activity and single end product was different from other GH16 agarases, which has potential applications for the production of oligosaccharides with remarkable activities.

Altered Functional Connectivity of Striatal Subregions in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Abnormal corticostriatal resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) has been implicated in the neuropathology of multiple sclerosis. The striatum, a component of the basal ganglia, is involved in diverse functions including movement, cognition, emotion, and limbic information processing. However, the brain circuits of the striatal subregions contributing to the changes in rsFC in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients remain unknown. We used six subdivisions of the striatum in each hemisphere as seeds to investigate the rsFC of striatal subregions between RRMS patients and matched healthy controls (HCs). In addition, we also scanned a subcohort of RRMS patients after an average of 7 months to test the reliability of our findings. Compared to HCs, we found significantly increased dorsal caudal putamen (DCP) connectivity with the premotor area, dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), insula, precuneus, and superior parietal lobule, and significantly increased connectivity between the superior ventral striatum and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in RRMS patients following both scans. Furthermore, we found significant associations between the Expanded Disability Status Scale and the rsFC of the left DCP with the DLPFC and parietal areas in RRMS patients. Our results suggest that the DCP may be a critical striatal subregion in the pathophysiology of RRMS.

Enhanced Functional Connectivity between the Bilateral Primary Motor Cortices after Acupuncture at Yanglingquan (GB34) in Right-Hemispheric Subcortical Stroke Patients: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

Increasing neuroimaging researches in stroke rehabilitation had revealed the neural mechanisms of rehabilitation therapy. However, little was known about the neural mechanisms of acupuncture therapy in subcortical stroke patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of functional connectivity (FC) between the bilateral primary motor cortices (M1s) after acupuncture intervention in right subcortical stroke patients. Twenty right-hemispheric subcortical stroke patients and 20 healthy subjects were recruited to undergo one functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. The scanning consisted of resting-state fMRI before and after needling at Yanglinquan (GB34), and task-evoked fMRI. The most significant active point during the left passive thumb-to-index task was chosen as the seed point. The seed-based FC analysis of the bilateral M1s was performed. Stroke patients revealed decreased FC between the bilateral M1s compared with healthy subjects, and the decreased FC was significantly enhanced after acupuncture at GB34. Acupuncture could increase the intrinsically decreased FC between the bilateral M1s which provided further insight into the neural mechanisms of acupuncture for motor function recovery in stroke patients.

Disrupted functional connectivity of striatal sub-regions in Bell's palsy patients.

The striatum plays an important role in controlling motor function in humans, and its degeneration has the ability to cause severe motor disorders. More specifically, previous studies have demonstrated a disruption in the connectivity of the cortico-striatal loop in patients suffering from motor disorders caused by dopamine dysregulation, such as Parkinson's disease. However, little is known about striatal functional connectivity in patients with motor dysfunction not caused by dopamine dysregulation. In this study, we used early-state Bell's palsy (BP) patients (within 14 days of onset) to investigate how functional connectivity between the striatum and motor cortex is affected by peripheral nerve injury in which the dopamine system remains fully functional. We found a significant increase in the connectivity between the contralateral putamen, and the ipsilateral primary sensory (S1) and motor cortex (M1) in BP patients compared to healthy controls. We also found increased connectivity between the ventral striatum and supplementary motor area (SMA), and the dorsal caudate and medial prefrontal lobe in BP patients compared to healthy controls. Our results demonstrate that the entirety of the striatum is affected following acute peripheral nerve injury, and suggests that this disrupted striatal functional connectivity may reflect a compensatory mechanism for the sensory-motor mismatch caused by BP.

Altered structural and functional connectivity between the bilateral primary motor cortex in unilateral subcortical stroke: A multimodal magnetic resonance imaging study.

A large number of functional imaging studies have focused on the understanding of motor-related neural activities after ischemic stroke. However, the knowledge is still limited in the structural and functional changes of the interhemispheric connections of the bilateral primary motor cortices (M1s) and their potential influence on motor function recovery following stroke.Twenty-four stroke patients with right hemispheric subcortical infarcts and 25 control subjects were recruited to undergo multimodal magnetic resonance imaging examinations. Structural impairments between the bilateral M1s were measured by fractional anisotropy. Functional changes of the bilateral M1s were assessed via M1-M1 resting-state functional connectivity. Task-evoked activation analysis was applied to identify the roles of the bilateral hemispheres in motor function recovery. Compared with control subjects, unilateral subcortical stroke patients revealed significantly decreased fractional anisotropy and functional connectivity between the bilateral M1s. Stroke patients also revealed higher activations in multiple brain regions in both hemispheres and that more regions were located in the contralesional hemisphere.This study increased our understanding of the structural and functional alterations between the bilateral M1s that occur in unilateral subcortical stroke and provided further evidence for the compensatory role played by the contralesional hemisphere for these alterations during motor function recovery.

Protective Effects of Extracellular and Intracellular Polysaccharides on Hepatotoxicity by Hericium erinaceus SG-02.

The protective effects of extracellular and intracellular polysaccharides from Hericium erinaceus SG-02 on the CCl4-induced hepatic injury of mice were investigated in this work. By the analysis of GC, the extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) were composed of arabinose, mannose, galactose, and glucose with a ratio of 1:7:14:52, and the composition of intracellular polysaccharides (IPS) was rhamnose, xylose, mannose, galactose, and glucose with a ratio of 3:4:7:14:137. The model of hepatic injury of mice was induced by CCl4 and three tested levels (200, 400, and 800 mg/kg) of EPS and IPS were set as the experimental group. Results showed that the aspartate aminotransferase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase activities in serum were reduced by the supplement of EPS and IPS, while the blood lipid levels including cholesterol, triglyceride, and albumin were improved. In liver tissue, the lipid peroxidation and malondialdehyde were largely decreased, and the superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were significantly increased. The evidence demonstrated that the EPS and IPS of H. erinaceus SG-02 were protective for liver injury. The histopathological observations of mice liver slices indicated that EPS and IPS had obvious effects on liver protection.

[Imaging Observation of Scalp Acupuncture on Brain Gray Matter Injury in Stroke Patients with Cerebral Infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To study features of brain gray matter injury in cerebral infarction patients and intervention of scalp acupuncture by using voxel-based morphology. METHODS: A total of 16 cerebral infarction patients were recruited in this study, and assigned to the scalp acupuncture group and the control group, 8 in each group. Another 16 healthy volunteers were recruited as a normal group. All patients received scanning of T1 structure. Images were managed using VBM8 Software package. Difference of the gray matter structure was compared among the scalp acupuncture group, the control group, and the healthy volunteers. RESULTS: Compared with healthy volunteers, gray matter injury of cerebral infarction patients mainly occurred in 14 brain regions such as cingulate gyrus, precuneus, cuneus, anterior central gyrus, insular lobe, and so on. They were mainly distributed in affected side. Two weeks after treatment when compared with healthy volunteers, gray matter injury of cerebral infarction patients in the scalp acupuncture group still existed in 8 brain regions such as bilateral lingual gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus, left cuneus, right precuneus, and so on. New gray matter injury occurred in lingual gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus. Two weeks after treatment when compared with healthy volunteers, gray matter injury of cerebral infarction patients in the control group existed in 23 brain regions: bilateral anterior cingulum, caudate nucleus, cuneate lobe, insular lobe, inferior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, precuneus, paracentral lobule, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, lingual gyrus, right postcentral gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus, precentral gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and so on. New gray matter injury still existed in 9 cerebral regions such as lingual gyrus, posterior cingulate gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and so on. CONCLUSIONS: Brain gray matter structure is widely injured after cerebral infarction. Brain gray matter volume gradually decreased as time went by. Combined use of scalp acupuncture might inhibit the progression of gray matter injury more effectively.

Antioxidative and renoprotective effects of residue polysaccharides from Flammulina velutipes.

Three extractable polysaccharides including Ac-RPS, Al-RPS and En-RPS were extracted from the residue of Flammulina velutipes and their antioxidative and renoprotective effects on STZ-induced mice were investigated. Biochemical and antioxidant analysis showed that the En-RPS had potential effects in decreasing the serum levels of CRE, BUN, ALB and GLU significantly, increasing the renal activities of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px remarkably, and reducing the renal contents of MDA prominently. Furthermore, the histopathological observations also displayed that En-RPS could alleviate kidney damage. These results demonstrated that En-RPS extracted from the residue of F. velutipes possessed potent antioxidant activities, and could be used as a promising therapeutic agent for inhibiting the progression of diabetic nephropathy. In addition, the monosaccharide compositions of these three RPS were also analyzed.