Structural and Functional Changes in Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease.

Background and Objectives: The pathophysiology of mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD-MCI) is still not fully elucidated. It has been shown in a few studies in the literature that volume loss in the occipital, parietal and frontal cortices and atrophy in the hippocampus of PD-MCI patients can occur in the early stages of PD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between gray and white matter volumes and different neuropsychological tests and volumetric magnetic resonance imaging parameters in patients with mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD-MCI). Materials and Methods: Twenty-six PD-MCI and twenty-six healthy elderly (HC) were included in this study. Results: We found that Mini Mental State Examination, Trail Making Test Part A, Clock Drawing Test, Benton Line Judgment Orientation Test and pentagon figure-copying scores were impaired in PD-MCI patients due to the decrease in brain volumes. Conclusions: Our study revealed that among PD-MCI patients, there was a more noticeable decline in White matter volume (WMV) based on volumetric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) compared to the localized loss of GMV. We think that these abnormal neuropsychological tests in PD-MCI patients can be used as pretests in the evaluation of the stage of transition to dementia.

Assessment of the relation between the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and severity of ischemic stroke in a large cohort.

AIM OF STUDY: The NLR is a simple and inexpensive parameter that is useful as a marker of subclinical inflammation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with acute cerebral ischemia at the time of initial evaluation in the emergency department. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was designed as a multicentre cross-sectional study of acute ischemic stroke patients. Neurological evaluations were assessed using the NIHSS and mRS. Evaluations included the results of patients' laboratory tests performed at the time of presentation to the emergency department. RESULTS: Seven hundred and thirty-five ischemic stroke patients were included in the study. Stroke cases assessed by the mRS as mild or severe showed significant differences with respect to age, leukocyte counts, neutrophil counts, NLR, LDL cholesterol values, and serum glucose values (P = .001). When analysed using NIHSS, lymphocyte levels were significantly higher in very severe stroke cases compared with mild, moderate, and severe cases. NLR was also significantly higher in very severe stroke cases and severe stroke cases as compared with the mild and moderate stroke groups. Neurological evaluations assessed using the mRS showed a mild positive correlation with neutrophil and leukocyte count and a weak correlation with the NLR. CONCLUSION: The NLR exhibited a significant correlation with the results of the mRS and NIHSS. The NLR measured in the very early period was also significantly associated with clinical condition. These results suggest that high NLR values may be a marker of stroke' severity.What's known Stroke is an important disease that has a significant impact on mortality and morbidity and is closely related to the aging world population. In recent years, highly innovative approaches have been developed in the treatment of stroke. Although a long distance has been covered in the early diagnosis of stroke, the ability to predict the severity of the disease with many parameters is still up to date. What's new At the time of admission, in the absence of infection, parameters such as leukocytelymphocyte count and NLR may be telling about stroke severity. Demonstrating the utility of these simple, practical, inexpensive and naninvasive parameters to predict stroke severity can contribute to the scoring to be established at the time of initial diagnosis.

Clinical-epidemiological and radiological characteristics of stroke patients: A multicentre study.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: Stroke is the leading cause of disability in adults and the second most common cause of death, at a rate of 11.8% worldwide. The purpose of this study was to examine the aetiological, demographic, and clinical characteristics of patients admitted to hospital because of acute strokes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This multicentre study retrieved information for all patients admitted to hospital because of an acute cerebrovascular event over a six-month period, and sociodemographic, aetiological, and clinical characteristics were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 1136 patients, 520 of whom were women (45.7%), with a mean age of 70.3 ± 12.8 years, were included in the study. Of these, 967 were diagnosed with ischaemic stroke (IS) (85.1%), 99 with haemorrhagic stroke (HS) (8.7%), and 70 with transient ischaemic attack (6.1%). The most common risk factor for stroke was hypertension (73%). Carotid disease and hyperlipidaemia rates were higher in patients with HS. Numbers of functionally dependent patients with severe neurological status according to the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and modified Rankin scale were significantly higher in the HS group (P < .001). When IS was classified according to the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment, small vessel disease emerged as the most common cause (41%). The most common lesion localisations were the parietal lobe (23%) in the IS group and the thalamus (35.3%) in the HS group. Eighty-eight patients (7.7%), 62 (6.4%) in the ischaemic subgroup, and 26 (26.3%) in the haemorrhagic subgroup, died within the first month. CONCLUSION: Current and accurate evaluations of stroke aetiology are essential for stroke prevention and treatment planning. This study, shows that no change occurred in the aetiology of stroke and epidemiological characteristics and that accurate identification of modifiable stroke risk factors is still a major goal.

Search for SCA2 blood RNA biomarkers highlights Ataxin-2 as strong modifier of the mitochondrial factor PINK1 levels.

Ataxin-2 (ATXN2) polyglutamine domain expansions of large size result in an autosomal dominantly inherited multi-system-atrophy of the nervous system named spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2), while expansions of intermediate size act as polygenic risk factors for motor neuron disease (ALS and FTLD) and perhaps also for Levodopa-responsive Parkinson's disease (PD). In view of the established role of ATXN2 for RNA processing in periods of cell stress and the expression of ATXN2 in blood cells such as platelets, we investigated whether global deep RNA sequencing of whole blood from SCA2 patients identifies a molecular profile which might serve as diagnostic biomarker. The bioinformatic analysis of SCA2 blood global transcriptomics revealed various significant effects on RNA processing pathways, as well as the pathways of Huntington's disease and PD where mitochondrial dysfunction is crucial. Notably, an induction of PINK1 and PARK7 expression was observed. Conversely, expression of Pink1 was severely decreased upon global transcriptome profiling of Atxn2-knockout mouse cerebellum and liver, in parallel to strong effects on Opa1 and Ghitm, which encode known mitochondrial dynamics regulators. These results were validated by quantitative PCR and immunoblots. Starvation stress of human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells led to a transcriptional phasic induction of ATXN2 in parallel to PINK1, and the knockdown of one enhanced the expression of the other during stress response. These findings suggest that ATXN2 may modify the known PINK1 roles for mitochondrial quality control and autophagy during cell stress. Given that PINK1 is responsible for autosomal recessive juvenile PD, this genetic interaction provides a concept how the degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons and the Parkinson phenotype may be triggered by ATXN2 mutations.

Cognitive Decline in Patients with Leukoaraiosis Within 5 Years after Initial Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Leukoaraiosis (LA) is closely associated with cognitive deficits. The association between LA and cognitive disorders, such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, after initial stroke has not been systematically studied. In this study, we sought to identify whether LA contributes to the occurrence of certain type of cognitive disorders after initial stroke. METHODS: Data from our Stroke Registry were examined, and 5-year follow-up data for LA and cognitive disorders were analyzed. We performed Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test to assess the predictive value of LA for risk of cognitive decline and the Cox proportional hazards model to test the risk factors studied as independent determinants of cognitive impairment. RESULTS: The frequency of patients with normal cognitive function decreased significantly at 5 years compared with initial stroke (78% vs 70%; odds ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.41-1.62). Of 8784 patients, 1659 (19%) had dementia and 964 (11%) had MCI at the final analysis. After 5 years of follow-up, survival analysis showed that all patients with LA had an increased probability of MCI compared with those without LA (P < .0001). Patients with LA had an increased chance of dementia compared with those without LA (P < .0001) at the end of follow-up. Cognitive decline probability was significantly higher in patients with severe LA compared with those with mild/moderate LA (P < .0001). Cox regression analyses showed that recurrence of stroke (hazard ratio [HR], 3.92 [95% CI, 3.26-4.72]), hypertension (HR, 1.11 [95% CI, 1.0-1.22]), LA (HR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.05-1.25]), age (HR, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.04-1.06]), hypercholesterolemia (HR, .86 [95% CI, .77-.95]), higher LDL cholesterol (HR, 1.21 [95% CI, 1.11-1.32]), lower HDL cholesterol (HR, .90 [95% CI, .83-.98]), coronary heart disease (HR, .85 [95% CI, .77-.94]), and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission (HR, .77 [95% CI, .72-.82]) were also significantly associated with cognitive impairments. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that patients with LA may be at risk of developing new cognitive impairments at long-term period after initial stroke. The evaluation of the concomitant risk factors, besides providing insights about the possible mechanisms behind the cognitive dysfunction present in LA, may be of help for the prevention of cognitive impairments.

Association of leukoaraiosis with stroke recurrence within 5 years after initial stroke.

BACKGROUND: Leukoaraiosis (LA) is closely associated with stroke. Despite the fact that LA has consistently been shown to predict development of recurrent stroke, prior studies on the association of LA and stroke subtypes have been unsatisfactory. In this study, we sought to identify whether LA contributes to the recurrence of certain subtypes of stroke at long term. METHODS: Data from the Ege Stroke Registry were examined, and 5 years follow-up data for LA and stroke recurrence were analyzed. We performed survival curves using the Kaplan-Meier method (unadjusted) and log-rank tests in patients with stroke to determine the relationship between LA and recurrent stroke by stroke subtypes within a time period of 5 years. Multivariate survival analyses were undertaken using Cox proportional hazards models to determine the prognostic value of LA, stroke subtypes, and other vascular risk factors before recurrent stroke. RESULTS: Of 9522 patients with stroke, 1280 (26%) with LA and 901 (19%) without LA experienced a stroke recurrence within 5 years of follow-up (odds ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.39-1.69). After stratification by stroke subtypes, multivariable analysis revealed a significant association between LA and large artery disease (LAD; odds ratio [OR], 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-1.64), small artery disease (SAD; OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.27-1.94), and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH; OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.32-2.66), except cardioembolic stroke and "other" stroke subtypes at 5 years after stroke onset. The survival analysis showed that stroke recurrence was significantly higher in patients with severe LA compared with those with mild/moderate LA (log-rank test [Mantel-Cox], P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that LA is related to the recurrent strokes in patients with stroke within 5 years after stroke, specifically to the LAD, SAD and ICH.

Contralateral Facial Innervation in Healthy Subjects and in Patients with Peripheral Facial Palsy.

Background: We aimed to investigate the extent of the response of the orbicularis oris muscle to stimulation of the contralateral facial nerve both in patients with peripheral facial palsy (PFP) and in healthy subjects. Methods: EMG was performed at 2-6 weeks after the onset of PFP in the patient group and at any time in the healthy control group. We performed nerve conduction testing, electroneurography, and surface and needle EMG. Results: A total of 276 participants (patients/healthy controls: 218/58) were analyzed. The extent of the response of the contralateral orbicularis oris muscles to facial nerve stimulation was higher in healthy controls compared to that in the affected group. The response of the contralateral orbicularis oris muscles to stimulation of the paralyzed facial nerve was more extensive in those patients to whom glucocorticoid or physical therapy had been given. Cross-facial innervation in the orbicularis oris muscle extended up to 1.5 cm in one-third of healthy controls and was higher than that in those with PFP. Glucocorticoid or physical therapy seemed to improve cross-innervation in facial palsy. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the stimulus leading to the contralateral muscular response is mediated through crossing axons rather than muscular fibers.

The Relationship between CT Angiography Collateral Score and Biochemical Parameters during Acute Ischemic Stroke Caused by Middle Cerebral Artery Infarct.

Background/Objectives: Collateral development after AIS is important for prognosis and treatment. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship and correlation between biochemical parameters and CT angiography collateral score within the first 9 h and its effect on the neurological outcomes of patients with AIS due to MCA infarction. Methods: A total of 98 patients with MCA infarction were hospitalized for diagnosis and treatment after undergoing CT angiography within 9 h of suffering a stroke. Demographic data, admission biochemical parameters, hospitalization data, and discharge NIHSS scores were recorded. Souza's scoring system for collateral distribution was used to evaluate collaterals. Souza CS system and clinical disability comparison outcomes identified. Results: According to the Souza CS system, 13 patients were in the malignant profile category, and 85 patients were in the good profile category. The NIHSS value of patients with a malignant profile was 27, while the mean NIHSS value of patients with a good profile was 9. There was a statistically significant difference in uric acid, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, CRP, hsCRP, D-Dimer, troponin I, vitamin B12, fibrinogen, NSE, homocysteine, aPTT, and INR levels according to collateral distribution. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that biochemical parameters can influence the distribution of malignant and benign collaterals in AIS independent of age and gender.

What does epileptic nystagmus show us in cases presenting acute neurological symptoms?

PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the clinical significance of epileptic nystagmus in patients with acute neurological symptoms. METHOD: The clinical findings of patients with documented epileptic nystagmus, their original video and EEG data, and cranial imaging and laboratory tests were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: 20 patients were included in the study and 21 epileptic nystagmus attacks were determined from patients' clinical and video-EEG recordings. All recorded seizures with epileptic nystagmus were focal onset in nature. The ictal discharge pattern was rhythmic fast activity with a mean frequency of 15 Hz. The ictal discharges originated from the parieto-occipital (n = 8), temporo-occipital (n = 7), parieto-occipito-temporal (n = 3), temporal (n = 2), occipital (n = 1), and centroparietal (n = 1) areas. In the fast phase, the nystagmus was beating away from the side of ictal discharges. The origin of the ictal discharges on EEG images was compatible with the lesion localization at cranial MRI in all patients. Etiologies were epilepsy in seven patients, non-ketotic hyperglycemia in four, ketotic hyperglycemia in one, PRES in three, acute stroke in three, HSV encephalitis in one, and MELAS in one. CONCLUSIONS: Epileptic nystagmus represents a guide to the lateralization and localization of the lesion in cases presenting with acute neurological symptoms. In these patients, the lesion is frequently in the posterior regions of the hemispheres. Although various diseases affect these regions in terms of etiology, such cases should be evaluated in terms of the presence of hyperglycemia.

Thalamic chronotaraxis: isolated time disorientation.

BACKGROUND: Acute isolated disorientation of time, chronotaraxis, is an uncommon manifestation of thalamic stroke. To our knowledge, acute thalamic chronotaraxis with MRI findings has not previously been reported. OBJECTIVE: To describe five patients with chronotaraxis after thalamic stroke and attempt to demonstrate the correlation between lesion location and neurological findings. PATIENTS, METHODS AND RESULTS: Isolated time disorientation and loss of time sense were found in five of 120 patients (4%) with ischaemic thalamic stroke in our centre. All patients had disorientation to actual date, inability to know the exact time of the day and under or overestimation of the time passed during examination. Patients expressed themselves as having time blindness with an inability to estimate and guess the actual time. CONCLUSION: Acute thalamic chronotaraxis is a specific clinical picture that accurately predicts a small artery disease of the thalamus involving the mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus. This clinical syndrome appears to have a good clinical recovery.

Diagnostic Accuracy Comparison of Artificial Immune Algorithms for Primary Headaches.

The present study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of immune system algorithms with the aim of classifying the primary types of headache that are not related to any organic etiology. They are divided into four types: migraine, tension, cluster, and other primary headaches. After we took this main objective into consideration, three different neurologists were required to fill in the medical records of 850 patients into our web-based expert system hosted on our project web site. In the evaluation process, Artificial Immune Systems (AIS) were used as the classification algorithms. The AIS are classification algorithms that are inspired by the biological immune system mechanism that involves significant and distinct capabilities. These algorithms simulate the specialties of the immune system such as discrimination, learning, and the memorizing process in order to be used for classification, optimization, or pattern recognition. According to the results, the accuracy level of the classifier used in this study reached a success continuum ranging from 95% to 99%, except for the inconvenient one that yielded 71% accuracy.

The distinct genetic pattern of ALS in Turkey and novel mutations.

The frequency of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mutations has been extensively investigated in several populations; however, a systematic analysis in Turkish cases has not been reported so far. In this study, we screened 477 ALS patients for mutations, including 116 familial ALS patients from 82 families and 361 sporadic ALS (sALS) cases. Patients were genotyped for C9orf72 (18.3%), SOD1 (12.2%), FUS (5%), TARDBP (3.7%), and UBQLN2 (2.4%) gene mutations, which together account for approximately 40% of familial ALS in Turkey. No SOD1 mutations were detected in sALS patients; however, C9orf72 (3.1%) and UBQLN2 (0.6%) explained 3.7% of sALS in the population. Exome sequencing revealed mutations in OPTN, SPG11, DJ1, PLEKHG5, SYNE1, TRPM7, and SQSTM1 genes, many of them novel. The spectrum of mutations reflect both the distinct genetic background and the heterogeneous nature of the Turkish ALS population.

Effects of a Dynamic Warm-Up, Static Stretching or Static Stretching with Tendon Vibration on Vertical Jump Performance and EMG Responses.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term effects of static stretching, with vibration given directly over Achilles tendon, on electro-myographic (EMG) responses and vertical jump (VJ) performances. Fifteen male, college athletes voluntarily participated in this study (n=15; age: 22±4 years old; body height: 181±10 cm; body mass: 74±11 kg). All stages were completed within 90 minutes for each participant. Tendon vibration bouts lasted 30 seconds at 50 Hz for each volunteer. EMG analysis for peripheral silent period, H-reflex, H-reflex threshold, T-reflex and H/M ratio were completed for each experimental phases. EMG data were obtained from the soleus muscle in response to electro stimulation on the popliteal post tibial nerve. As expected, the dynamic warm-up (DW) increased VJ performances (p=0.004). Increased VJ performances after the DW were not statistically substantiated by the EMG findings. In addition, EMG results did not indicate that either static stretching (SS) or tendon vibration combined with static stretching (TVSS) had any detrimental or facilitation effect on vertical jump performances. In conclusion, using TVSS does not seem to facilitate warm-up effects before explosive performance.