ABSTRACT
Here we test the hypothesis that the neurodegenerative process in Parkinson's disease (PD) moves stereotypically along neural networks, possibly reflecting the spread of toxic alpha-synuclein molecules. PD patients (n = 105) and matched controls (n = 57) underwent T1-MRI at entry and 1 year later as part of the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative. Over this period, PD patients demonstrate significantly greater cortical thinning than controls in parts of the left occipital and bilateral frontal lobes and right somatomotor-sensory cortex. Cortical thinning is correlated to connectivity (measured functionally or structurally) to a "disease reservoir" evaluated by MRI at baseline. The atrophy pattern in the ventral frontal lobes resembles one described in certain cases of Alzheimer's disease. Our findings suggest that disease propagation to the cortex in PD follows neuronal connectivity and that disease spread to the cortex may herald the onset of cognitive impairment.
Subject(s)
Cerebral Cortex/pathology , Connectome , Parkinson Disease/pathology , Aged , Case-Control Studies , Cognition , Disease Progression , Female , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Middle Aged , Parkinson Disease/cerebrospinal fluid , Parkinson Disease/etiology , Parkinson Disease/psychologyABSTRACT
This report serves as a summary of a 2-day public workshop sponsored by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss the safety of drugs and biological products used during lactation. The aim of the workshop was to provide a forum to discuss the collection of data to inform the potential risks to breastfed infants with maternal use of medications during lactation. Discussions included the review of current approaches to collect data on medications used during lactation, and the considerations for future approaches to design and guide clinical lactation studies. This workshop is part of continuing efforts to raise the awareness of the public for women who choose to breastfeed their infants.
Subject(s)
Biological Products/adverse effects , Breast Feeding/adverse effects , Consensus Development Conferences as Topic , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/etiology , Lactation , Maternal Exposure/adverse effects , Congresses as Topic , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Models, Biological , Pregnancy , Risk Assessment , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
We retrospectively reviewed 33 cases of surgically managed adnexal torsion at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville. Our interest was to observe any trends in age, parity, side involved, size, previous surgery, pathologic diagnosis or preoperative diagnosis. We found that there was no dominance in the side involved, as hypothesized by others. The most common previous surgery was bilateral tubal ligation, and the most common preoperative diagnosis was a pelvic mass. There is no absolute profile for the patient with adnexal torsion, and the clinician must be suspicious in all cases involving abdominal pain.