Multiple chronic lacunes predicting early neurological deterioration and long-term functional outcomes according to TOAST classification in acute ischemic stroke.

INTRODUCTION: Studies regarding multiple chronic lacunes (MCLs) and clinical outcome according to stroke etiology are scarce. We sought to evaluate the association between MCL and short-term/long-term clinical outcomes according to stroke etiology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed a prospectively collected stroke registry of acute ischemic stroke patients over 4 years. The enrolled patients were classified as having large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), small vessel occlusion (SVO), cardioembolic (CE) stroke, and other etiology. The early neurological deterioration (END) and favorable outcome at 3 months were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 1070 patients were enrolled. Patients with MCL had significantly more END compared to those without MCL both in total population (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.5; p = 0.013*) and in the LAA group (adjusted OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3-4.2, p < 0.006). Patients with MCL had a significantly lower OR for favorable outcome at 3 months compared to those without MCL both in total population (adjusted OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.5-1.0, p = 0.035) and in the LAA group (adjusted OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.3-1.0, p = 0.043). However, MCL was not associated with END or long-term functional outcome in patients with SVO, CE, or other etiology. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of MCL was an independent predictive factor for END as well as long-term poor functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients. These associations were only observed in patients with LAA, not in those with SVO, CE, or other etiology.

The Prevalence of Microembolic Signals in Transcranial Doppler Sonography With Bubble Test in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVES: Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) is noninvasive and highly sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of patent foramen ovale (PFO). We evaluated the diagnostic implications of the TCD with a saline agitation test as a routine work-up for ischemic stroke patients. METHODS: A TCD bubble study was performed in all consecutive ischemic stroke patients as a routine work-up. We evaluated the prevalence of microembolic signals (MES) for each stroke etiology and the optimal number of MES for predicting the PFO-attributable stroke. RESULTS: Subjects (N = 499) with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled. A significant fraction of patients had MES during both normal respiration (5.7-44.4%) and the Valsalva maneuver (19.5-55.6%) across all stroke etiology categories. The optimal MES threshold for the diagnosis of PFO-attributable stroke confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography was 46 MES during the Valsalva maneuver (96% sensitivity and 95% specificity). Applying ≥46 MES during the Valsalva maneuver as a threshold effectively increased the ability to differentially diagnose PFO-attributable stroke from other etiologies. The number of MES during the Valsalva maneuver was negatively correlated with increasing age (r = -.108; P = .016). CONCLUSIONS: A significant fraction of patients had right to left shunt across all Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment etiologies. A threshold number of MES facilitated the differential diagnosis of PFO-attributable stroke from other etiologies, and the optimal threshold was 46 MES during the Valsalva maneuver.

Electroencephalography in Predicting Short-Term Clinical Outcomes after Cardiac Arrest.

BACKGROUND: Early consciousness recovery after cardiac arrest (CA) is one of the most explicit and self-evident prognostic factors for clinical outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of electroencephalography (EEG) phenotypes according to the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society's Critical Care EEG classification for predicting early recovery after CA. METHODS: Consecutive patients admitted to the ICU after CA were enrolled. We analyzed Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score within 10 days after CA and evaluated mortality within 28 days according to EEG pattern subtype. RESULTS: Among the total of 71 patients, 9 had periodic discharges (PDs) EEG pattern, 4 had rhythmic delta activity (RDA), 8 had spike-and-wave (SW), 22 had low voltage, 5 had burst suppression, and 23 had other EEG patterns. Initial GCS scores, GCS scores 3 days after CA (or 3 days after targeted temperature management [TTM]), and 10 days after CA (or 10 days after TTM) were significantly different among EEG subtypes (p < 0.001, respectively) (Table 2). GCS scores were significantly higher in RDA and the other EEG group compared to the PDs, SW, low voltage, and burst suppression groups (p < 0.001). Significant group × time interactions were observed for the follow-up period between EEG phenotypes (p < 0.001) demonstrating the most increase in the other EEG pattern group. CONCLUSIONS: Consciousness states were significantly worse in the PDs, SW, burst suppression, and low-voltage groups compared to the RDA and the other EEG pattern within 10 days after CA. The degree of consciousness recovery differed significantly by EEG pattern subtype within 10 days.

Blood-brain barrier permeability assessed by perfusion computed tomography predicts hemorrhagic transformation in acute reperfusion therapy.

Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is one of the most feared complications of acute recanalization therapies. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether blood-brain barrier permeability (BBBP) imaging can predict HT in the setting of acute recanalization therapy and to determine the sensitivity and specificity of BBBP for the prediction of HT according to the type of reperfusion therapy. We assessed a total of 46 patients who received recanalization therapy (intravenous (IV) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), mechanical thrombectomy with a stent retriever or both) for acute ischemic stroke within the internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery. BBBP above the threshold was significantly associated with HT after adjustment for confounding factors in all patients (OR 45.4, 95% CI 2.9~711.2, p = 0.007), patients who received IV tPA (OR 20.1, 95% CI 1.2-336.7, p = 0.037), and patients who received endovascular therapy (OR 47.2, 95% CI 1.9-1252.5, p = 0.022). The sensitivity and specificity of the initial BBBP measurement as a predictor of HT in the overall 46 patients were 80 and 71%, respectively. These values were 75 and 64% in only IV tPA group, 100 and 80% in only endovascular group, 77 and 67% in IV tPA with or without endovascular therapy group, and 86 and 76% in endovascular therapy with or without bridging IV tPA therapy group. Increased pretreatment BBBP values were significantly associated with HT after acute recanalization therapy. This correlation with HT was stronger in patients receiving endovascular mechanical thrombectomy than in patients receiving IV rtPA.

Prognostic Value of Serum D-Dimer in Noncardioembolic Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Although D-dimer levels are significantly associated with cardioembolic infarction, the significance of D-dimer levels in relation to the severity and functional outcomes of other stroke subtypes, such as lacunar and large artery atherosclerosis infarction, remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether elevated initial D-dimer levels are significantly and cross-sectionally associated with poor functional outcomes at each time point during a 9-month follow-up period. We also investigated the significance of D-dimer levels in longitudinal temporal changes of functional outcomes in these patients. METHODS: We recruited 146 patients with lacunar infarction and 161 patients with large artery atherosclerosis infarction who were consecutively admitted to our hospital after acute stroke. Serum D-dimer levels were evaluated initially and the modified Rankin scale were measured initially and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up visits. RESULTS: Patients with higher D-dimer levels had significantly worse initial functional outcomes, and these worse outcomes were maintained throughout the 9-month follow-up period compared with the low D-dimer group. However, regardless of stroke subtype, D-dimer levels did not influence long-term changes in functional outcomes over the 9-month follow-up period. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that elevated D-dimer levels can be used as a surrogate marker for poor functional outcomes only during the acute stage. Further evaluation of serum D-dimer levels could provide a helpful predictive marker for stroke prognosis.

Alteration patterns of brain glucose metabolism: comparisons of healthy controls, subjective memory impairment and mild cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Some groups have focused on the detection and management of subjective memory impairment (SMI) as the stage that precedes mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, there have been few clinical studies that have examined biomarkers of SMI to date. PURPOSE: To investigate the differences in glucose metabolism as a prodromal marker of dementia in patients with SMI, MCI, and healthy controls using brain F-18 fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-eight consecutive patients with SMI, 47 patients with MCI, and 42 age-matched healthy subjects were recruited. All subjects underwent FDG-PET and detailed neuropsychological testing. FDG-PET images were analyzed using the statistical parametric mapping (SPM) program. RESULTS: FDG-PET analysis showed glucose hypometabolism in the periventricular regions of patients with SMI and in the parietal, precentral frontal, and periventricular regions of patients with MCI compared with healthy controls. Interestingly, hypometabolism on FDG-PET was noted in the parietal and precentral frontal regions in MCI patients compared to SMI patients. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that hypometabolism in the periventricular regions as seen on FDG-PET may play a role as a predictive biomarker of pre-dementia, and the extension of reduced glucose metabolism into parietal regions likely reflects progression of cognitive deterioration.

Relationship between the hs-CRP as non-specific biomarker and Alzheimer's disease according to aging process.

BACKGROUND: Microglia are involved in immune surveillance in intact brains and become activated in response to inflammation and neurodegeneration. Microglia have different functions, neuroprotective or neurotoxic, according to aging in patients with PD. The clinical effect of microglia in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is poorly defined. This prospective study was conducted to investigate the clinical effects of microglia according to the aging process in newly diagnosed AD. METHODS: We examined 532 patients with newly diagnosed AD and 119 healthy controls, and the differences in hs-CRP between these groups were investigated. The patients with AD were classified into 3 subgroups according to age of newly diagnosed AD to investigate the relationship between hs-CRP and the aging process in newly diagnosed AD. RESULTS: There was significantly higher serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), levels in patients with AD compared with healthy controls. A post-hoc analysis of the 3 AD subgroups showed no significant differences in serum hs-CRP level between each group. CONCLUSION: We assumed that neuroinflammation play a role in the pathogenesis of AD, but found no clinical evidence that microglia senescence underlies the microglia switch from neuroprotective in young brains to neurotoxic in aged brains. To clarify the role of microglia and aging in the pathogenesis of AD, future longitudinal studies involving a large cohort are required.

Changes in regional brain glucose metabolism measured with F-18-FDG-PET in essential tremor.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that essential tremor (ET) is a multiple-system disorder. Previous PET studies in ET typically have measured brain oxygen consumption and cerebral blood flow. PURPOSE: To compare ET patients with control subjects to investigate any regional change in cerebral glucose metabolism through statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (F-18-FDG-PET). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied 17 patients with ET (17 men; mean age, 67.3 ± 4.8 years) and age-sex matched normal subjects. All subjects underwent FDG-PET imaging, and evaluated severity of tremor symptoms was measured as score on the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin rating scale (FTM). We also evaluated detailed the medical history and neurological examinations in all patients. RESULTS: The mean age of tremor onset was 57.6 ± 12.9 years and the mean FTM score was 15.1 ± 4.9. Brain FDG-PET analysis demonstrated hypometabolism in the medial frontal lobe, medial temporal lobe, and the precuneus of parietal lobe. However, there was no significant difference of glucose metabolism in the cerebellum. CONCLUSION: We propose that motor symptom of ET are caused by electrophysiological disturbances within cortical-cerebellar networks, rather than degenerative process of cerebellum, because the metabolism of the cerebellum was normal at rest. Furthermore, the abnormal glucose metabolism in the cerebral regions that do not mainly participate in motor function suggest that these regions may play a role as early markers of non-motor manifestations.

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease associated with dementia using cerebral perfusion SPECT.

BACKGROUND: Since patterns of cognitive dysfunction in mild Parkinson's disease associated with dementia (PDD) are similar to those in mild Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is difficult to accurately differentiate between these two types of dementia in their early phases using neuropsychological tests. The purpose of the current study was to investigate differences in cerebral perfusion patterns of patients with AD and PDD at the earliest stages using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). METHODS: We consecutively recruited 31 patients with mild PDD, 32 patients with mild probable AD and 33 age-matched healthy subjects. All subjects underwent (99m)Tc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime perfusion SPECT and completed general neuropsychological tests. RESULTS: We found that both mild PDD and AD patients showed distinct hypoperfusion in frontal, parietal and temporal regions, compared with healthy subjects. More importantly, hypoperfusion in occipital and cerebellar regions was observed only in mild PDD. CONCLUSION: The observation of a significant decrease in cerebral perfusion in occipital and cerebellar regions in patients with mild PDD is likely useful to differentiate between PDD and AD at the earliest stages.

Differences in cerebral perfusion according to phenotypes of essential tremor: brain perfusion SPECT study using SPM analysis.

Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common movement disorders. However, few studies regarding the differences of pathophysiology according to phenotypes of ET have been reported. We investigated whether a functional difference occurs between ET with only a limb tremor (L-ET) and ET with only a head tremor (H-ET). We recruited 13 patients with L-ET, 10 patients with H-ET, and 33 healthy subjects. We compared the severity of tremor symptoms using the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin rating scale (FTM) to compare L-ET with H-ET. All subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging and perfusion SPECT of the brain. The total score of FTM was significantly higher in the L-ET than in the H-ET. However, Part A in FTM did not show significant differences between the two ET groups. A brain perfusion SPECT analysis demonstrated no significant difference between L-ET and H-ET, but a regional perfusion of subjects with ET compared with healthy subjects showed hypoperfusion in the insular, cingulate gyrus, frontal lobe, and cerebellum. In conclusion, we suggested that cerebellar dysfunction might be involved in the pathogenesis of ET. In addition, we assumed that ET has the same pathogenesis in the origin of the disease, regardless of the clinical difference of ET.

An FP-CIT PET comparison of the difference in dopaminergic neuronal loss in subtypes of early Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: Patients with tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease (PD) have slower disease progression, show less cognitive decline, and have more favorable outcomes than patients with non-tremor PD. However, the pathophysiology of PD tremor remains unclear. Whether there are differences in nigrostriatal dopaminergic dysfunction between the two PD subtypes is unknown. PURPOSE: To evaluate the differences in regional dopamine transporter (DAT) density in the brain between different subtypes of early PD using FP-CIT PET/CT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We recruited 43 patients with PD (21 tremor-dominant PD [TP] and 22 non-tremor-dominant PD [NTP]) and 18 age-matched healthy controls. All patients with PD underwent FP-CIT PET/CT imaging and evaluated Parkinsonian motor severity by using the Hoehn and Yahr stage and Part III of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). We also compared tremor and non-tremor symptoms with motor phenotype scores between two subtypes of PD. RESULTS: All patients with PD demonstrated a significantly decreased FP-CIT uptake in the putamen compared to healthy controls. Differences in putamen FP-CIT uptake versus caudate nucleus FP-CIT uptake in PD showed putamen uptake was significantly more impaired than that in the caudate nucleus. However, there was no significant difference in FP-CIT uptake in the striatum between both PD groups at the same early stage of disease. CONCLUSION: We suggest that differential of DAT uptake in the striatum did not allow for a reliable separation of subtypes into tremor-dominant and non-tremor-dominant, especially in the early stages of PD. Therefore, we assumed that many systems besides the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system are involved in the generation of tremors in PD.

An FP-CIT PET comparison of the differences in dopaminergic neuronal loss between idiopathic Parkinson disease with dementia and without dementia.

Previous studies have demonstrated a decreased density of dopamine transporters (DAT) in basal ganglia in patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease (IPD) using I-n-fluoropropyl-2b-carbomethoxy-3b-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane (FP-CIT), and the reductions in striatal DAT levels were inversely correlated with the severity of motor dysfunction in IPD. However, there has been no study on the correlation of DAT levels between IPD patients with and without cognitive dysfunction. Thus, we evaluated the differences in regional DAT density in the brain of patients with IPD without dementia and those with dementia using FP-CIT positron emission tomography. We recruited 24 consecutive patients with IPD, including 7 with IPD without dementia and 17 with IPD with dementia, and 18 healthy controls. FP-CIT positron emission tomography scans were acquired 90 and 210 minutes after the FP-CIT injection. The DAT density did not differ in the caudate nucleus or the putamen between patients with IPD without dementia and those with dementia. However, the DAT density between the 2 groups with IPD demonstrated a significantly decreased density compared with that of healthy controls in the putamen. We cautiously suggest that there is no relationship between DAT density and cognitive severity because there were no significant differences in the DAT density between IPD with dementia and those without dementia.

Orthostatic hypotension, non-dipping and striatal dopamine in Parkinson disease.

Orthostatic hypotension and non-dipping are relatively common autonomic dysfunctions in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). These abnormalities have been thought to occur independently of striatal dopaminergic depletion; however, only little preliminary information is available. In this study, we investigated the association of neurocirculatory changes with striatal dopamine transporter status in 69 patients with early PD. Seventeen patients had orthostatic hypotension and 55 patients were non-dippers. A comparison between cases with and without orthostatic hypotension was insignificant for striatal dopamine transporter uptake. These insignificances continued in a comparison of dippers and non-dippers. These results suggest that sympathetic noradrenergic dysfunctions in PD are independent of striatal dopamine transporter depletion.

A clinical study of 288 patients with anterior cerebral artery infarction.

OBJECTIVE: Acute ischemic stroke in the territory of anterior cerebral artery (ACA) is uncommon. Therefore, large population studies evaluating ACA infarction are scarce. We sought to evaluate epidemiological and etiological characteristics of ACA infarction compared to other territorial infarctions. METHODS: We analyzed a prospectively collected stroke registry of all acute ischemic stroke patients for 19 years at two tertiary hospitals. We included patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by large vessel stenosis or occlusion including ACA, middle cerebral artery (MCA), posterior cerebral artery (PCA), and vertebrobasilar artery (VBA). RESULTS: A total of 4171 patients were enrolled. Patients with ACA infarction (N = 288) were significantly older with more females than those with MCA, PCA, or VBA infarction. There were more patients with history of prior ischemic stroke in the ACA infarction group than in other groups. The etiology of the ACA infarction was similar to those of the MCA, PCA and also the total population (66.7-71.8% of LAA and 17.9-20.9% of CE). When patients had prior ischemic stroke history, ACA infarction was more likely to be caused by LAA than MCA or PCA infarction (OR = 6.2, 95% CI 2.0-19.2, p = 0.002 and OR = 4.0, 95% CI 1.1-14.6, p = 0.038, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ACA infarction had significantly more prior ischemic stroke than those with MCA, PCA, or VBA infarction. The etiology of ACA infarction in patients with prior ischemic stroke showed significantly more LAA than that of MCA or PCA infarction.

Association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and risk of early idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

Although neuroinflammation is known to play an important role in the pathogeneses of neurodegenerative diseases, few studies have been conducted on the association between Parkinson's disease (PD) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), which is the most studied biomarker of systemic inflammation. Therefore, we conducted this study to determine the clinical correlates of hs-CRP levels in early PD patients by comparing findings with those of normal controls. Sixty-three drug-naïve patients with early PD and 117 healthy subjects were recruited, and hs-CRP level differences were investigated in these two groups. It was found that hs-CRP levels in the early PD group were higher than those of healthy controls. Furthermore, when compared with normal controls, the odds ratio for PD based on hs-CRP level cut-off of 0.5 was 2.094 (95% CI = 1.017-4.311, P = 0.045). In this study, our findings support the hypothesis that neuroinflammatory reactions play an important role in the pathogenesis of PD.

The association between serum sodium level and tuberculous meningitis compared with viral and bacterial meningitis.

We evaluated the association between hyponatremia and tuberculous meningitis (TBM) with the aim of providing additional information for differential diagnosis from other types of infectious meningitis, especially viral meningitis (VM). Cross-sectional and longitudinal data involving 5026 participants older than 18 years were analyzed in the total population and a propensity-matched population. The initial and lowest sodium levels and longitudinal changes in TBM, bacterial meningitis (BM), and VM patients were compared. Participants in the TBM group were enrolled when they were diagnosed as possible, probable, or definite TBM according to the Marais' criteria. The initial serum sodium level was significantly lower in TBM patients than in BM and VM patients (136.9 ± 5.9 vs. 138.3 ± 4.7 mmol/L, p < 0.001 for TBM vs. BM, and 139.0 ± 3.1, p < 0.001 for TBM vs. VM), and it decreased significantly more steeply to lower levels in both the TBM and BM patients compared with VM patients. The lowest serum sodium level was in the order of TBM < BM < VM patients, and the change was statistically significant in all subgroups (131.8 ± 6.4, 133.1 ± 5.1, 137.4 ± 3.7, respectively, p < 0.001). Participants with lower serum sodium level were more likely to have a diagnosis of TBM rather than VM, and this association was more pronounced for the lowest sodium level than the initial sodium level [OR 4.6 (95% CI 2.4-8.8, p < 0.001)]. These findings indicate that baseline and longitudinal evaluation of serum sodium level can provide information for differential diagnosis of TBM from BM or VM.

The prevalence and patterns of pharyngoesophageal dysmotility in patients with early stage Parkinson's disease.

Dysphagia occurs in the majority of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and is known to correlate with abnormalities of oropharyngeal function. The aim of this study was to evaluate pharyngoesophageal activity in patients with early-stage PD. Newly diagnosed PD patients with a symptom duration not exceeding 3 years were included. All PD patients were questioned about symptoms of dysphagia and underwent combined multichannel intraluminal impedance manometry and multiple rapid swallow tests. Fifty-four patients (22 men and 32 women, 67.1 ± 10.3 years) were enrolled. The duration of Parkinsonian motor symptoms was 11.5 ± 8.8 months, the Hoehn and Yahr stage was 1.6 ± 0.4, and the total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale was 25.1 ± 18.6. Esophageal manometry in the liquid swallow and viscous swallow tests was abnormal in 22 (40.7%) and 31 (67.4%) patients, respectively. Although manometric abnormalities were more common in patients with more severe dysphagia symptoms, many patients with no or minimal symptoms also had manometric abnormalities. Repetitive deglutition significantly correlated with failed peristalsis and incomplete bolus transit. Abnormal responses to multiple rapid swallow tests were found in 33 out of 54 patients; 29 with incomplete inhibition (repetitive contraction) and 4 with failed peristalsis. These results suggest that the majority of patients with early-stage PD showed pharyngeal and esophageal dysfunction even before clinical manifestations of dysphagia, which may reflect selective involvement of either the brain stem or the esophageal myenteric plexus in early-stage PD.

Can high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and plasma homocysteine levels independently predict the prognosis of patients with functional disability after first-ever ischemic stroke?

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of functional disability in patients with cerebrovascular disease has not been well established. Therefore, we conducted this study to determine the prognostic significance of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and homocysteine (Hcy) levels in patients with functional disability after acute first-ever ischemic stroke. METHOD: A total of 309 patients with first-ever stroke were examined within 24 h after symptom onset. Hcy was measured at admission, and hs-CRP measurements were made at admission and on the seventh hospital day. The correlations between the concentration of hs-CRP or Hcy and functional disability at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after stroke onset were analyzed. RESULTS: The present study showed that both hs-CRP values on admission and on the seventh hospital day were significantly correlated with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores obtained at 4 times after the onset of stroke. These results also demonstrated that mRS scores are more closely associated with hs-CRP values on the seventh hospital day than on admission. However, there was no significant relationship between Hcy and mRS scores during the 12-month follow-up period. CONCLUSION: According to the present study, we cautiously suggest that hs-CRP values on the subacute phase have sufficient value as a predictor of the prognosis of functional disability after first-ever stroke.

Association Between Long-term Functional Outcome and Change in hs-CRP Level in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) has been suggested as a risk factor for ischemic stroke. However, the predictive value of hs-CRP for long-term outcomes is poorly defined. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate whether change in hs-CRP level plays a role in the prognostic value of long-term functional disability. METHODS: We studied 263 patients with acute ischemic stroke and 104 healthy controls (67.5±11.26 and 68.17±11.21 y, respectively). hs-CRP was measured on admission and on the seventh day of hospitalization. The patients were classified into 2 groups on the basis of difference in hs-CRP level from admission to the seventh day of hospitalization (group 1, hs-CRP on admission>the seventh hospital day; group 2, hs-CRP on admission

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease: Clinical and Regional Cerebral Blood Flow SPECT Outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Over the course of treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), the clinical effects of dopaminergic medication diminish and side effects emerge. Therefore, searching for new therapeutic alternatives or complementary treatments is required. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could potentially complement the current therapeutic armamentarium, but only a few studies have investigated the therapeutic effects of tDCS in PD. The present pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of repeated tDCS treatment on motor symptoms and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in patients with PD using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). METHODS: Four patients with PD received tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex two times per week (anode F3/cathode F4, 2 mA for 30 minutes) over a period of 12 months. Patients underwent brain SPECT scans and clinical motor evaluation at baseline and 12-month follow-up. For SPECT data, voxel-wise changes in rCBF were analyzed. RESULTS: There was no significant change of the motor severity scale, but the follow-up SPECT showed significant hyperperfusion in the left superior frontal gyrus medial segment and left superior parietal lobule compared to baseline (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that tDCS application may improve rCBF in the frontal and parietal lobes in patients with PD, suggesting beneficial effects of tDCS on brain function. Our results are preliminary and further large-scale studies are needed to confirm our findings.