Reference Laboratory Testing for Neurologic Disorders.

Laboratory testing plays a critical role in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with neurologic disorders. Although common tests are often performed in a central hospital laboratory, an increasing number of essential but esoteric tests are performed at reference laboratories or other outside health care facilities. In this article, we analyze recent trends in neurologic disease testing within the overall context of reference laboratory testing and discuss strategies to facilitate the provision of high-quality, cost-effective laboratory services.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Testing for Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common autoimmune diseases affecting the central nervous system. Current guidelines characterize multiple sclerosis and related conditions based on clinical, imaging, and body fluid markers. In this review, we describe how laboratory analysis of cerebrospinal fluid is currently performed and discuss new approaches under development for multiple sclerosis diagnostics.

SIRT1 in neurodevelopment and brain senescence.

Sirtuins are nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent deacylases that have traditionally been linked with calorie restriction and aging in mammals. These proteins also play an important role in maintaining neuronal health during aging. During neuronal development, the SIR2 ortholog SIRT1 is structurally important, promoting axonal elongation, neurite outgrowth, and dendritic branching. This sirtuin also plays a role in memory formation by modulating synaptic plasticity. Hypothalamic functions that affect feeding behavior, endocrine function, and circadian rhythmicity are all regulated by SIRT1. Finally, SIRT1 plays protective roles in several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and motor neuron diseases, which may relate to its functions in metabolism, stress resistance, and genomic stability. Drugs that activate SIRT1 may offer a promising approach to treat these disorders.