Neural Substrates of Aphasia in Acute Left Hemispheric Stroke Using Voxel-Based Lesion-symptom Brain Mapping.

It is unclear how these brain lesions fit into the language processing in acute stroke. In this study, we aimed to investigate the neuroanatomical lesion related to language processing in acute stage of stroke patients using voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM). 73 acute first-ever post-stroke patients were enrolled in this retrospective study, who had undertaken brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Korean version of the Western Aphasia Test within 1 month from onset. Each voxel was compared with aphasia quotient and subtest scores as dependent variables using VLSM. The aphasia group showed significantly much more involvement of extra-nuclear area, insula, inferior frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus compared to non-aphasia group. The deficit of spontaneous speech domain was associated with the inferior parietal lobule, inferior and middle frontal gyrus and insula. The insular cortex, inferior parietal lobule, inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus were related to deficit of comprehension. The inferior parietal lobule, insula, precentral gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus were related to the deficit of repetition. The deficit of naming was related to inferior parietal lobule, insula and inferior frontal gyrus. In conclusion, VLSM from early MRI imaging study after stroke may be useful to understand the language process network and establish early rehabilitation strategies after stroke.

Effect of immune-enhancing enteral nutrition formula enriched with plant-derived n-3 fatty acids on natural killer cell activity in rehabilitation patients.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Enteral nutrition formulas with immune-enhancing nutrients, such as n-3 fatty acids, may manage patients' nutritional status and pathophysiological processes. The aim of our study was to investigate natural killer (NK) cell activity alterations and related cytokine changes resulting from feeding with soybean oil-containing enteral nutrition formula (control group) and plant-derived n-3 fatty acid-enriched enteral nutrition formula. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Subjects participated for 14 consecutive days and consumed enteral formula containing canola and flaxseed oil (n3EN, test group) in nonsurgical patients hospitalized for rehabilitation. Blood samples were collected on the first day and 14 days after the consumption of each formula daily, and anthropometric parameters were collected. Hematology and biochemical values were analyzed, and NK cell activities and serum cytokine concentration were measured. A total of sixty subjects were included in the analysis, excluding dropouts. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in biochemical parameters. The n3EN group's NK cell activities at effector:tumor cell ratios of 10:1, 5:1, 2.5:1 and 0.625:1 were significantly higher than those of the control group after two weeks (P < 0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences in serum cytokine interleukin (IL)-12, interferon-γ, IL-1ß, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α values between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this study elucidates the beneficial effects of plant-derived n-3 fatty acid supplementation in enteral formula on NK cell activity.

Effects of Cerebrolysin® in Patients With Minimally Conscious State After Stroke: An Observational Retrospective Clinical Study.

Introduction: The neurotrophic drug Cerebrolysin is composed of low-molecular-weight peptides and amino acids and has been shown to have neuroprotective and neuroplastic properties. Cerebrolysin has been reported to promote the recovery of motor functions in central nervous system disorders; however, the effects on the consciousness improvements in post-stroke patients have not yet been studied extensively. Therefore, we aimed to examine the effectiveness of Cerebrolysin on improving the consciousness level of stroke patients with minimally conscious state (MCS). Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study we included ischemic and/or hemorrhagic stroke patients with MCS according to the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R), who were admitted to our hospital between 2014 and 2017. All patients received comprehensive rehabilitation therapy including physical and occupational therapy. We compared patients treated with Cerebrolysin against patients who did not receive Cerebrolysin. Patients were included in the verum group if they received 10 mL of Cerebrolysin IV for at least 20 days. CRS-R scores were assessed at admission and discharge. Results: Of 1,531 patients screened, 75 were included in the study (Cerebrolysin, n = 43; control, n = 32). Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. At discharge, ~2 months after onset of stroke, Cerebrolysin-treated patients improved significantly in the CRS-R (p = 0.010) after adjustment for confounders using linear mixed model (LMM), especially in the Oromotor (p = 0.003) and Arousal subscales (p = 0.038). No safety issues were observed. Conclusion: This retrospective study suggests that Cerebrolysin may improve the level of consciousness in stroke patients with MCS, which should be further investigated in a well-designed, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial.

Visual Evoked Potential Using Head-Mounted Display Versus Cathode Ray Tube: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: To present a new stimulation method based on the use of a head-mounted display (HMD) during pattern reversal visual evoked potential (PR-VEP) testing and to compare variables of HMD to those of conventional cathode ray tube (CRT). METHODS: Twenty-three normal subjects without visual problems were recruited. PR-VEPs were generated using CRT or HMD stimuli. VEP outcome measures included latencies (N75, P100, and N145) and peak-to-peak amplitudes (N75-P100 and P100-N145). Subjective discomfort associated with HMD was determined using a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: PR-VEPs generated by HMD stimuli showed typical triphasic waveforms, the components of which were found to be correlated with those obtained using conventional CRT stimuli. Self-administered discomfort questionnaires revealed that HMD was more comfortable in some aspects. It allowed subjects to concentrate better than CRT. CONCLUSION: The described HMD stimulation can be used as an alternative to the standard CRT stimulation for PR-VEPs. PR-VEP testing using HMD has potential applications in clinical practice and visual system research because HMD can be used on a wider range of subjects compared to CRT.

Ultrasound-guided myofascial trigger point injection into brachialis muscle for rotator cuff disease patients with upper arm pain: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of trigger point injection into brachialis muscle for rotator cuff disease patients with upper arm pain. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, and single-blinded clinical pilot trial was performed at university rehabilitation hospital. Twenty-one patients clinically diagnosed with rotator cuff disease suspected of having brachialis myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) were randomly allocated into two groups. Effect of ultrasound (US)-guided trigger point injection (n=11) and oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) (n=10) was compared by visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: US-guided trigger point injection of brachialis muscle resulted in excellent outcome compared to the oral NSAID group. Mean VAS scores decreased significantly after 2 weeks of treatment compared to the baseline in both groups (7.3 vs. 4.5 in the injection group and 7.4 vs. 5.9 in the oral group). The decrease of the VAS score caused by injection (ДVAS=-2.8) was significantly larger than caused by oral NSAID (ДVAS=-1.5) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In patients with rotator cuff disease, US-guided trigger point injection of the brachialis muscle is safe and effective for both diagnosis and treatment when the cause of pain is suspected to be originated from the muscle.

Comparison of ultrasound-guided anterior and posterior approaches for needle insertion into the tibialis posterior in hemiplegic children with spastic cerebral palsy.

OBJECTIVE: Although the tibialis posterior is a potentially difficult muscle to locate for botulinum toxin injection because of its deep location, needle insertion is usually performed using anatomic landmarks for guidance. Accordingly, the ultrasonographic anatomy of the lower leg was investigated in hemiplegic children with spastic cerebral palsy to improve the safety and the accuracy of needle placement into the tibialis posterior. DESIGN: Twenty-five subjects (2 yrs 2 mos to 5 yrs 11 mos; 12 boys, 13 girls; Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I-II) were recruited. B-mode, real-time ultrasonography was performed using a 5- to 12-MHz linear array transducer. During anterior and posterior approaches, safety window width (tibia to the neurovascular bundle) and depth (skin to the midpoint of the tibialis posterior) were measured at the upper third and at the midpoint of the tibia. RESULTS: For the anterior approach, the safety window width at the upper third of the tibia (mean [SD], 0.63 [0.12] cm, range, 0.44-0.93 cm) was significantly larger than that at the midpoint (0.38 [0.09] cm, range from 0.22 to 0.59 cm, P < 0.05) of the affected leg. However, for the posterior approach, the safety window width at the midpoint (0.74 [0.23] cm, range from 0.21 to 1.18 cm) was significantly larger than that at the upper third of the tibia (0.48 [0.23] cm, range from 0.10 to 0.97 cm, P < 0.05) on the affected leg. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonographic guidance is a useful, safe, and accurate tool for needle insertion into the tibialis posterior. Considering the safety window width, this study suggests needle placement at the upper third point of the tibia for the anterior approach and at the midpoint for the posterior approach.

Clinical features and associated abnormalities in children and adolescents with corpus callosal anomalies.

Callosal anomalies are frequently associated with other central nervous system (CNS) and/or somatic anomalies. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical features of corpus callosal agenesis/hypoplasia accompanying other CNS and/or somatic anomalies. We reviewed the imaging and clinical information of patients who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging in our hospital, between 2005 and 2012. Callosal anomalies were isolated in 13 patients, accompanied by other CNS anomalies in 10 patients, associated with only non-CNS somatic anomalies in four patients, and with both CNS and non-CNS abnormalities in four patients. Out of 31 patients, four developed normally, without impairments in motor or cognitive functions. Five of nine patients with cerebral palsy were accompanied by other CNS and/or somatic anomalies, and showed worse Gross Motor Function Classification System scores, compared with the other four patients with isolated callosal anomaly. In addition, patients with other CNS anomalies also had a higher seizure risk.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter of the CDK5 gene and lung cancer risk in a Korean population.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5), a proline-directed serine/threonine kinase, which was originally known for its regulatory role in neuronal activities, has recently been suggested to play a role in extraneuronal activities. For example, a recent study detected overexpression of the CDK5 gene in non-small-cell lung cancer. Therefore, in order to explore the association of the CDK5 gene with lung cancer risk in a Korean population, the genotypes of the CDK5 promoter region were determined in 407 lung cancer patients and 402 normal participants. The result showed that the -904 G>A genotype affected susceptibility to lung cancer risk (odd ratios (OR)=1.53, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.02-2.32). Furthermore, subsequent haplotype analysis of three single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) regions suggested that the A-G-C haplotype was associated with a higher overall risk of lung cancer (OR=1.59, 95% CI=1.16-2.18). These results suggest that CDK5 promoter polymorphisms contribute to the genetic susceptibility to lung cancer in the Korean population.

Molecular changes of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and KRAS and their impact on the clinical outcomes in surgically resected adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Recent studies have reported that clinical response to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors is associated with somatic changes of EGFR in the advanced stage of lung cancer. However, there is no clear data demonstrating whether such molecular changes of EGFR per se can affect the clinical outcome of early stage cancer after surgical resection. DNA mutations of EGFR and KRAS were investigated in 71 adenocarcinoma patients who received surgical resection. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of EGFR gene amplification was performed in 48 samples. We detected EGFR mutations in 25 patients (35.2%). EGFR mutation was more frequently found in cases with BAC features (13/22 (59.1%):13/49 (26.5%); p=0.008) and in non-smokers (19/41 (46.3%):7/30 (23.3%); p=0.047). However, the EGFR mutation was not associated with age, gender, or clinical stage. The amplification of EGFR copy was frequently observed in the female gender (12/29 (41.4%):3/19 (15.8%); p=0.061) and in the advanced stage (> or =Stage IIIA, 9/19 (47.4%):6/29 (20.7%); p=0.051). KRAS mutations were present in five patients (7.0%) and none of them showed EGFR mutation. KRAS mutations (p=0.000), male gender (p=0.001), absence of BAC feature (p=0.003), advanced stage (p=0.039), and smoking history (p=0.030) were poor prognostic factors for overall survival, whereas EGFR mutation (p=0.184) and amplification (p=0.756) were not. The presence of EGFR mutation was not a prognostic factor of the clinical outcome of early lung cancer after surgical resection. This result provides an important message for the protocol design of future trials of EGFR inhibitors in early lung cancer. As the KRAS mutation was a poor prognostic factor and it presents reciprocally with EGFR mutation, KRAS mutation should be investigated in such trials. DNA mutations of EGFR and KRAS were investigated in 71 adenocarcinoma patients who received surgical resection. Whereas KRAS mutation was a poor prognostic factor, EGFR mutation was not, and its presence per se did not affect the clinical outcome of early lung cancer after surgical resection.