Atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and the cerebral vasodilatory reserve.

Schematic representation for the cascade model of atrial fibrillation, hypertension, the cerebral vasodilatory reserve, and cognitive decline.

Relationship between the Tortuosity of the Extracranial Internal Carotid and Vertebral Arteries on Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Angiography and Vascular Risk Factors in a Japanese Population.

Objective We aimed to investigate the relationship between tortuosity of the extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) or vertebral artery (VA) and vascular risk factors among residents of Asahikawa, northeast Japan. Methods We retrospectively surveyed participants of "brain dock" medical brain checkups, which involved magnetic resonance imaging and angiography. We measured the tortuosity of the ICA and VA, and evaluated vascular risk factors based on medical interviews, questionnaires, and medical records. Results A total of 218 participants were enrolled in the study. ICA tortuosity (right and left) was significantly correlated with age [odds ratio (OR): 2.452, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.695-3.548, p<0.001]. A more pronounced correlation was observed in females than in males (OR: 1.678, 95% CI: 1.004-2.807, p=0.048). VA tortuosity (right and left) was significantly correlated with age (OR: 1.786, 95% CI: 1.250-2.550, p=0.001) and smoking history (OR: 2.140, 95% CI: 1.235-3.707, p=0.007), and was more pronounced in females than in males (OR: 1.864, 95% CI: 1.107-3.137, p=0.019). Conclusion ICA tortuosity was correlated with age, while VA tortuosity was correlated with age and smoking history. ICA and VA tortuosity were more pronounced in females than in males.

NOTCH2NLC mutation-positive neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease with retinal dystrophy: A case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a neurodegenerative disorder that produces a broad spectrum of clinical conditions such as dementia, upper motor neuron involvement, extrapyramidal symptoms, and neuropathy. Some studies have reported ophthalmological conditions associated with the disease; however, the details of these conditions remain unclear. PATIENT CONCERNS: We report a 63-year-old Japanese female with cognitive decline, blurred vision, photophobia, and color blindness at 52 years of age who was diagnosed with cone dystrophy. She also had anxiety, insomnia, depression, delusions, hallucinations, a wide-based gait with short steps, and urinary incontinence. DIAGNOSES, INTERVENTIONS, AND OUTCOMES: Magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffuse cerebral white matter changes and subcortical hyperintensity on diffusion-weighted imaging. Skin biopsy showed p62-positive intranuclear inclusions in sweat glands. NOTCH2NLC gene analysis revealed abnormal GGC expansion; therefore, NIID was diagnosed. CONCLUSION: NOTCH2NLC mutation-positive NIID may be associated with retinal dystrophy. Brain magnetic resonance imaging and skin biopsy are helpful diagnostic clues, and gene analysis is crucial for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.

A case of myopathy and markedly elevated creatine kinase levels with hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and hyposelenemia due to short bowel syndrome after rectal cancer resection.

A 66-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital with myalgia and muscle weakness. He had a history of rectal cancer, which invaded into the urinary bladder and ileum and was treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, resection of the rectum, colostomy, and ileal conduit construction. He showed recurrent markedly elevated serum creatine kinase levels and concurrent hypocalcemia. Muscle magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated abnormal signals in the proximal limb muscles, and needle electromyography showed myopathic changes. Further examination revealed hypomagnesemia and hyposelenemia with underlying short bowel syndrome. Calcium, magnesium and selenium supplementation improved his symptoms and laboratory findings.

Possible Chronic Graft-versus-host Disease in the Central Nervous System Manifesting as Cerebellar Ataxia after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

A 44-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a fever, dizziness, and gait disturbance after undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia followed by graft-versus-host disease. She presented with cerebellar ataxia, nystagmus, and numbness of the lower extremities. Brain magnetic resonance imaging and perfusion scintigraphy showed progressive cerebellar involvement. Cerebrospinal fluid tests showed mildly elevated protein and IgG levels without pleocytosis. Anti-ganglioside antibodies were detected, but their levels did not follow the patient's clinical course. The patient did not respond sufficiently to steroids or other immunotherapies. We herein report the clinical characteristics of this case and a literature review.

Acute exacerbation of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome following asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has suggested that some autoimmune diseases develop after the occurrence of coronavirus disease 2019. Hypereosinophilic syndrome is a rare disease presenting with idiopathic eosinophilia and multiple organ involvement, including the skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, heart, and nervous system. The diagnosis of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome poses a dilemma because clinical manifestation and serum biomarkers are similar to those of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis. Only a few cases have been reported where coronavirus disease 2019 may have caused the new onset or exacerbation of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis or idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 48-year-old Japanese woman with history of asthma who developed deteriorating symptoms of insidiously developed idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome following asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019. She developed acute-onset back pain, tachycardia, abdominal discomfort, loss of appetite, weight loss, skin rash on the back, and numbness of the extremities 3 days after the quarantine period. Extreme hypereosinophilia with multiple abnormal findings including pulmonary ground-glass opacity lesions and mononeuritis multiplex was consistent with hypereosinophilic syndrome. Normal cellularity with eosinophilic proliferation in the bone marrow and negative FIP1L1-PDGFRA raised the diagnosis of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. Although the patient tested negative for anti-neutrophilic cytoplasmic antibodies and skin biopsy was negative for vasculitis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis could not be excluded. Since glucocorticoids are a standard therapy for both idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, we initiated glucocorticoids following a multidisciplinary discussion. CONCLUSION: Although the relationship between asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 and acute idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome exacerbation was uncertain, the chronological order of the symptomatic development suggested a possible link. More clinical cases and population-based studies are needed to determine the potential effect of coronavirus disease 2019 on autoimmune diseases.

Impact of Antibody Cocktail Therapy Combined with Casirivimab and Imdevimab on Clinical Outcome for patients with COVID-19 in A Real-Life Setting: A Single Institute Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Recent data from clinical trials suggest that antibody cocktail therapy, which combined casirivimab and imdevimab, is linked to the reduction of the risk of hospitalization or death among high-risk patients with COVID-19. However, it remains unclear how effective the therapy is in a real-life clinical practice. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with COVID-19 with high-risk factors who underwent the antibody cocktail therapy, compared with those who were not given the cocktail therapy while being isolated in nonmedical facilities during the same period. RESULTS: Data from 55 patients who received the antibody cocktail therapy and 53 patients with initial isolation in nonmedical facilities were analyzed. A total of 22 (41.5 %) of 53 patients staying in isolation facilities were eventually hospitalized and received medical interventions. By contrast, 13 (23.6 %) of 55 patients who received the antibody cocktail therapy subsequently underwent further medical interventions. In multivariate analysis, the antibody cocktail therapy significantly reduced the need for further medical interventions by 70 % compared with isolation (odds ratio=0.30, 95%CI [0.10-0.87], p=0.027). Patients with percutaneous oxygen saturation 96% or higher were significantly favoured for the therapy and had an advantage. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the antibody cocktail therapy is associated with reducing burden on hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meta-analysis of cerebrospinal fluid neuron-specific enolase levels in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the usefulness of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels as a candidate biomarker of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), PD with dementia (PDD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). METHODS: We performed a systematic search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Google Scholar to find studies that measured CSF NSE levels in AD, PD, DLB, and/or MSA. For each disease, we pooled all available data and performed a meta-analysis, and meta-regression analyses of age and sex were conducted if the main analysis found a significant association. RESULTS: Twenty studies were included (13 for AD, 8 for PD/PDD/DLB, and 4 for MSA). Significantly elevated CSF NSE levels were detected in AD (Hedges' g = 0.822, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.332 to 1.311, p = 0.0010), but the data exhibited high heterogeneity (I2 = 88.43%, p < 0.001). The meta-regression analysis of AD showed that age (p < 0.001), but not sex, had a significant effect on CSF NSE levels. A meta-analysis of the pooled data for PD/PDD/DLB did not show any significant changes in the CSF NSE level, but a sub-group analysis of PDD/DLB revealed significantly elevated CSF NSE levels (Hedges' g = 0.507, 95% CI 0.020 to 0.993, p = 0.0412). No significant changes in CSF NSE levels were detected in MSA. CONCLUSIONS: The CSF NSE level may be a useful biomarker of neurodegeneration in AD and PDD/DLB. Age was found to affect the CSF NSE levels of AD patients.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Parkinson's Disease: A Critical Overview of the Literature and Meta-Analyses.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder; however, well-established biochemical markers have not yet been identified. This review article covers several candidate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers for PD based on the recent literature and meta-analysis data. The decrease of α-synuclein in PD is supported by meta-analyses with modest reproducibility, and a decrease of amyloid ß42 is seen as a prognostic marker for cognitive decline. Tau, phosphorylated tau (p-tau), and neurofilament light chains have been used to discriminate PD from other neurodegenerative disorders. This article also describes more hopeful biochemical markers, such as neurotransmitters, oxidative stress markers, and other candidate biomarkers.

Cerebrospinal fluid levels of alpha-synuclein, amyloid ß, tau, phosphorylated tau, and neuron-specific enolase in patients with Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies or other neurological disorders: Their relationships with cognition and nuclear medicine imaging findings.

Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are common neurodegenerative disorders, but no established biochemical markers for these diseases have been identified. We enrolled 78 subjects (27 patients with PD/DLB, 34 patients with non-PD/DLB neurodegenerative disorders [non-PD/DLB], and 17 controls). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was collected via the standard lumbar puncture technique. The CSF levels of alpha-synuclein, amyloid ß40, amyloid ß42, tau, phosphorylated tau (p-tau), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and hemoglobin were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Dopamine transporter imaging with 123I-ioflupane was also performed. The PD/DLB patients exhibited significantly lower CSF alpha-synuclein levels than non-PD/DLB group. Significantly elevated CSF levels of tau, p-tau, and NSE were detected in the non-PD/DLB group. Multivariate analysis revealed that the mini-mental state examination score was correlated with the CSF amyloid ß42 level. The specific binding ratio on 123I-ioflupane imaging was decreased in the PD/DLB group, but it was not correlated with the CSF alpha-synuclein level. These results indicate that (1) the CSF alpha-synuclein level is a useful biomarker of PD/DLB; (2) the CSF levels of tau, p-tau, and NSE can be used to discriminate PD/DLB from non-PD/DLB; and (3) the CSF amyloid ß42 level is an independent predictor of cognitive decline in neurological disorders.

The First Case of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 8 in Monozygotic Twins.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 8 (SCA8) is a rare hereditary cerebellar ataxia showing mainly pure cerebellar ataxia. We herein report cases of SCA8 in Japanese monozygotic twins that presented with nystagmus, dysarthria, and limb and truncal ataxia. Their ATXN8OS CTA/CTG repeats were 25/97. They showed similar manifestations, clinical courses, and cerebellar atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging. Some of their pedigrees had nystagmus but not ataxia. These are the first monozygotic twins with SCA8 to be reported anywhere in the world. Although not all subjects with the ATXN8OS CTG expansion develop cerebellar ataxia, these cases suggest the pathogenesis of ATXN8OS repeat expansions in hereditary cerebellar ataxia.

Anti-signal Recognition Particle Antibody-positive Necrotizing Myopathy with Secondary Cardiomyopathy: The First Myocardial Biopsy- and Multimodal Imaging-proven Case.

A 69-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to our hospital with progressive muscle weakness and dysphagia. She was taking pitavastatin for dyslipidemia. Her serum creatine kinase was 6,300 U/L. Pitavastatin was stopped, but her symptoms deteriorated, and cardiac congestion appeared. A muscle biopsy showed necrotizing myopathy (NM), and anti-signal recognition particle (SRP) antibody was positive. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography showed an abnormal uptake, and magnetic resonance imaging showed abnormal gadolinium enhancement in the left ventricular wall. An endomyocardial biopsy revealed inflammatory cardiomyopathy. Steroid, tacrolimus, and intravenous immunoglobulins were effective against the symptoms. This is the first case of biopsy-proven secondary cardiomyopathy due to anti-SRP-positive NM.

[A case of neurolymphomatosis that was diagnosed by acoustic nerve biopsy].

A 58-year-old female was admitted to our hospital because of recurrent multiple cranial neuropathy (right facial palsy followed by involvement of the left trigeminal, facial, acoustic, pharyngeal, and vagal nerves and the right abducens nerve). Brain MRI showed gadolinium enhancement of the right abducens, bilateral facial/acoustic, and left pharyngeal/vagal nerves, and 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography revealed abnormal FDG uptake in the right facial, acoustic, pharyngeal, and vagal nerves and the left cervical lymph nodes. Blood and biochemical analyses did not show any abnormalities, including in the patient's lactate dehydrogenase and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL2R) levels. A cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination showed gradual increases in the patient's cell counts and protein, ß2-microglobulin, and sIL2R levels, but no malignant cells were detected. A thorough investigation involving repeated CSF examinations, whole-body computed tomography, bone marrow aspiration, random skin biopsies, and cervical lymph node aspiration biopsy examinations did not result in any definitive conclusions. Steroid therapy was ineffective, and the patient developed deafness in her left ear. Therefore, we performed a biopsy examination of the left acoustic nerve, which resulted in the patient being diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. High-dose MTX following the intrathecal administration of MTX, cytarabine, and prednisolone partially improved her symptoms, but she died after several episodes of clinical recurrence. Acoustic nerve biopsy may help diagnose neurolymphomatosis in carefully selected cases.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder secondary to treatment with anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab: the first report.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint blockade is developed as standard treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. However immune-related adverse events (irAE) have still unknown complications. Here, we report a patient with lung squamous cell carcinoma who developed neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder with nivolumab. CASE PRESENTATION: A 75-year-old Japanese man with lung squamous cell carcinoma was administered nivolumab as second-line treatment. Two months after treatment with nivolumab, he presented acute paralysis in the bilateral lower limbs, sensory loss. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging showed T2 hyperintense lesions between C5-6 and Th12-L1. He was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) by anti-aquaporin-4 antibody-positive in the serum and other examinations. After treatment, steroid reactivity was poor. CONCLUSION: This is the first patient who developed anti-AQP4 antibody-positive NMOSD as a nivolumab-induced irAE. Clinicians should be aware of this kind of potential neurological complication by using immune check point inhibitor and start the treatment of this irAE as soon as possible.

Biopsy-proven case of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated vasculitis of the central nervous system.

A 75-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with rapidly deteriorating consciousness disturbance. She had a 7-year history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which had been treated with methotrexate (MTX) and prednisolone. Brain T2-weighted MRI showed diffuse high-intensity lesions in the cerebral subcortical and deep white matter, bilateral basal ganglia and thalamus. A cerebrospinal fluid examination revealed elevated protein levels and positive Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA. Human immunodeficiency virus was negative. Brain biopsy showed perivascular lymphocytic infiltration in the parenchyma and meninx with EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER). Since this case did not fulfill the criteria for chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV), she was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated vasculitis of the central nervous system. High-dose methylprednisolone, acyclovir, ganciclovir and foscarnet were not effective. Although EBV is a causative agent of infectious mononucleosis (IM), lymphomas and nasopharyngeal carcinomas, vasculitic pathology of the central nervous system with EBV reactivation in the elderly is rare. Immunosuppressive drugs such as steroids and MTX are widely used to treat autoimmune disorders, but may exacerbate the reactivation of EBV. This is the first case of biopsy-proven EBV-positive/HIV-negative vasculitis during the treatment of RA with MTX and steroids. This case indicates that EBV-associated vasculitis needs to be considered as a differential diagnosis of CNS vasculitis.

A Sporadic Case of Fabry Disease Involving Repeated Fever, Psychiatric Symptoms, Headache, and Ischemic Stroke in an Adult Japanese Woman.

Fabry disease can cause various neurological manifestations. We describe the case of a Japanese woman with Fabry disease who presented with ischemic stroke, aseptic meningitis, and psychiatric symptoms. The patient had a mutation in intron 4 of her α-galactosidase A gene, which was not detected in her family. This case suggests that Fabry disease should be considered in young patients who exhibit central nervous system symptoms such as ischemic stroke, even if there is no family history of the condition. The episodes of aseptic meningitis and stroke experienced by our patient suggest that persistent inflammation might be the mechanism underlying Fabry disease.

Non-vitamin k antagonist oral anticoagulants do not increase cerebral microbleeds.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac arrhythmia that frequently induces ischemic strokes. Nowadays, non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have come into widespread use for cardiogenic embolism prevention in place of warfarin. Recently, cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) have been noticed for their potential implication in cerebral small vessel disease. We hypothesized that NOACs do not have an unfavorable influence over cerebral small vessels and investigated whether NOACs increase CMBs in AF patients in a prospective manner. METHODS: We performed baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations on the 69 enrolled AF patients and re-examined second round of MRI 1 year later. The enrolled patients continued the same anticoagulation therapy during the meantime. RESULTS: CMBs did not develop in the 23 patients with NOACs for 1 year. Nine patients with antiplatelets also did not develop CMBs. On the other hand, 3 of 21 patients continued on warfarin and 3 of 9 with warfarin and antiplatelets had CMBs. When divided into 2 groups according to whether the CMBs developed, significant differences in the incidence of using NOACs were observed between the 2 groups (P = .02). A multivariate regression analysis showed that warfarin was independently related to the new development of CMBs (hazard ratio, 10.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-94.99; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report to clarify that NOACs do not increase CMBs in AF patients longitudinally in 1 year. Further consideration will be continued with a much longer follow-up in large samples.

Combination therapy for segmental craniocervical dystonia (Meige syndrome) with aripiprazole, trihexyphenidyl, and botulinum toxin: three cases reports.

Segmental craniocervical dystonia is characterized by blephalospasm and oromandibular dystonia and is also called Meige syndrome. The current treatment strategy including botulinum toxin (BTX) injections has not yet attained an acceptable level. We describe a long-term favorable response of a novel combination therapy with aripiprazole (ARP), trihexyphenidyl (THP), and BTX in three patients with segmental craniocervical dystonia. The symptoms of three patients responded promptly to the combination therapy with ARP 3-6 mg daily, THP 2-8 mg daily, and BTX. Although the patients were required to receive a BTX 50-100 IU injection every 3-6 months, their symptoms were kept in a satisfactory condition for up to 2 years without any adverse effects. ARP possesses the potential for dramatically improving dystonia. THP has the possibility to enhance the efficacy of ARP and prolong the effective period of BTX. It may be an important requisite to give all three agents together for a successful treatment. The combination therapy with ARP, THP, and BTX was well-tolerated and useful in controlling the symptoms of segmental craniocervical dystonia, however, the reason why this combination therapy succeeded is unknown. A further long-term follow-up is required to monitor the delayed neurological adverse effects.

A case of pathology-proven neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder with Sjögren syndrome manifesting aphasia and apraxia due to a localized cerebral white matter lesion.

A woman with Sjögren syndrome manifesting as aphasia with a left deep cerebral white matter lesion tested positive for anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody. Open biopsy of the lesion revealed active demyelination with edematous changes and the preservation of most axons, indicating a non-necrotic demyelinating lesion. Immunostaining for AQP4 was diffusely lost, whereas the loss of glial fibrillary acidic protein immunostaining was limited but with highly degenerated astrocytic foot processes in perivascular areas. These results suggested neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) pathology rather than Sjögren-related vasculitis. Only cerebral cortical symptoms with a cerebral white matter lesion could be observed in NMOSDs.