[Influence of Pre-existing Cognitive Impairment on Rehabilitation Outcomes in Patients with Cerebral Infarction].

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The present study determined the effects of pre-existing cognitive impairment (PreCI) on the rehabilitation outcomes in patients with cerebral infarction. METHODS: From June 2013 to August 2015, we classified 52 patients with unilateral cerebral hemispheric infarction into the PreCI and non-PreCI group based on three-dimensional stereotactic surface projection (3D-SSP) cerebral blood flow (CBF) decrease images and the past history of dementia. Furthermore we investigated the related clinical factors and functional independence measure (FIM). RESULTS: 1. Multivariate analysis revealed that the most important factors that affect total FIM at discharge were age, National institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (R2=0.756). 2. The mean CBF values (P<0.05) were significantly associated with lesion volume, (P<0.001, P<0.05), the NIHSS score (P<0.001, P<0.01), the MMSE score (P<0.001, P<0.005), and total FIM (P<0.005, P<0.05) at discharge. 3. Both cognitive and motor FIM at discharge were significantly lower in the PreCI group (P<0.005, P<0.005). 4. The MMSE score of ZSAM abnormal group was significantly lower in the case of NIHSS score<10 of lesion and non lesion sides. CONCLUSIONS: PreCI, age, and neurological severity, affected the outcomes of stroke rehabilitation Therefore, the diagnosis of PreCI is considered important for effective stroke rehabilitation. (Received August 3, 2017; Accepted February 9, 2018; Published June 1, 2018).

Prediction of stroke rehabilitation outcome with xenon-enhanced computed tomography cerebral blood flow study.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral blood flow (CBF) of stroke patients in the chronic stage is supposed to reflect brain functions. We examined the relation between rehabilitation outcome and CBF values. METHODS: The study group comprised 101 consecutive patients (mean age, 69±12 years) including 61 patients with cerebral infarction, 32 patients with cerebral hemorrhage, and 8 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Xenon-enhanced computed tomography was performed on 39 days on average after stroke onset. Regions of interest were in the cerebral cortices, putamen and thalamus, and CBF values were statistically compared with the functional independence measure (FIM). Furthermore, we performed a multivariate analysis for predictive factors. RESULTS: 1. The right mean CBF (mCBF) tended to be more closely correlated with the FIM total scores at discharge (r=0.495, P<.001) than the left mCBF (r=0.351, P<.001), in case of significance level 0.1 and statistical power 0.65. 2. The FIM total and motor scores at discharge showed the highest correlations to regional CBF (rCBF) in the right frontal cortex, and the FIM cognitive scores at discharge showed the highest correlation to rCBF in the left frontal cortex. 3. Right cerebral infarct subgroup (n=30) showed significant correlations between FIM total scores at discharge and mCBF values of the right (r=0.582, P<.001) and the left (r=0.563, P<.005) brain, respectively. 4. Rehabilitation outcome evaluated with the FIM total scores could be led by the formulae with the factors of age, gender, NIHSS, right/left hemispheric lesions and the right mCBF values (r=0.837, P<.001). CONCLUSION: The CBF of the right brain proved to be more influencing to rehabilitation results.

Stachyflin and acetylstachyflin, novel anti-influenza A virus substances, produced by Stachybotrys sp. RF-7260. I. Isolation, structure elucidation and biological activities.

Two novel compounds, stachyflin and acetylstachyflin, have been isolated by solid-state fermentation of Stachybotrys sp. RF-7260. The structures of both metabolites, determined by detailed NMR analyses and X-ray crystallographic analysis, are novel with a pentacyclic moiety including cis-fused decalin. The absolute stereochemistry of stachyflins was determined by circular dichroism analysis. Stachyflin showed antiviral activity against influenza A virus (H1N1) in vitro with an IC50 value of 0.003 microM. Acetylstachyflin was about 77-fold less active than stachyflin.