Fetal Cerebellar Growth Curves Based on Biomathematics in Normally Developing Japanese Fetuses and Fetuses with Trisomy 18.

We used biomathematics to describe and compare cerebellar growth in normally developing and trisomy 18 Japanese fetuses. This retrospective study included 407 singleton pregnancies with fetuses at 14-39 weeks of gestation and 33 fetuses with trisomy 18 at 17-35 weeks. We used ultrasonography to measure fetal transverse cerebellar diameter (TCD) and anteroposterior cerebellar diameter (APCD). We hypothesized that cerebellar growth is proportional to cerebellar length at any given time point. We determined the formula L(t) ≒Keat+r, where e is Napier's number, t is time, L is cerebellar length, and a, K, and r are constants. We then obtained regression functions for each TCD and APCD in all fetuses. The regression equations for TCD and APCD values in normal fetuses, expressed as exponential functions, were TCD(t)=27.85e0.02788t-28.62 (mm) (adjusted R2=0.997), and APCD(t)=324.29e0.00286t-322.62 (mm) (adjusted R2=0.995). These functions indicated that TCD and APCD grew at constant rates of 2.788%/week and 0.286%/week, respectively, throughout gestation. TCD (0.0153%/week) and APCD (0.000430%/week) grew more slowly in trisomy 18 fetuses. This study demonstrates the potential of biomathematics in clinical research and may aid in biological understanding of fetal cerebellar growth.

Selective impairment of On-reading (Chinese-style pronunciation) in alexia with agraphia for kanji due to subcortical hemorrhage in the left posterior middle temporal gyrus.

We report a patient with alexia with agraphia for kanji after hemorrhage in the left posterior middle temporal gyrus. The results of single-character kanji reading and two-character on- (Chinese-style pronunciation), kun- (native Japanese pronunciation), and Jukujikun (irregular kun-) reading word tests revealed that the patient could not read kanji characters with on-reading but read the characters with kun-reading. We consider that this on-reading alexia was caused by disconnection between the posterior inferior temporal cortex (orthographic lexicon) and the posterior superior temporal gyrus (phonological lexicon), and preserved kun- and Jukujikun-reading was realized by bypassing the orthography-to-phonology route by the semantic route.

Right temporal lobe plays a role in verbal memory.

OBJECTIVES: Comparison of preoperative and postoperative neurological functions in patients undergoing resection of brain tumors, in combination with data from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies, can provide direct evidence of anatomical localization of brain function. The goal of the present study was to use these techniques to characterize memory function of the right temporal lobe in five patients with right temporal lobe brain tumors. METHODS: Memory function was tested using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) before and after surgery in five patients with right temporal lobe brain tumors. Preoperative DTI was performed in four of five cases. RESULTS: In all cases, general and verbal memory, including verbal paired association, significantly improved after surgery (P<0.05). The right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) was compressed by the tumor in all cases. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the right temporal lobe plays a role in verbal memory and that this function may be associated with the right ILF.

Deficits in the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus results in impairments in object naming.

The functional characteristics of the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) remain unclear. The present study describes a case of a right-handed 74-year-old woman with a brain tumor who showed marked deterioration in object naming ability after invasion of the tumor into the medial region of the left posterior (middle and inferior) temporal lobe just beside the atrium of the lateral ventricle. Diffusion tensor imaging showed possible interruption of the left ILF after invasion of tumor at this site. By contrast, the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) remained intact after invasion of tumor, and the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) was already disrupted prior to tumor invasion. These observations indicate that intact ILF function may be required for object naming ability.

Awake surgery with continuous motor testing for resection of brain tumors in the primary motor area.

Resection of brain tumors in the primary motor area (M1) is difficult to achieve without adversely affecting motor function. Between November 2003 and November 2006, 16 patients with 18 brain tumors involving the M1 (11 metastatic, 6 gliomas, 1 cavernous angioma) underwent craniotomy and awake surgery with continuous motor testing at our hospital. Patients were classified as either type A (9 patients), indicating that motor tracts ran in close proximity to the brain tumors, or type B (7 patients), indicating that motor tracts ran distant to the tumor. The relationship between the extent of resection and post-operative motor function was subsequently evaluated. In 17 out of 18 cases, final post-operative motor function was either preserved or improved relative to pre-operative levels, although transient deterioration of motor function and partial removal of the tumor were observed in 7 and 8 cases, respectively. The remaining patients experienced slight deterioration in motor function of the upper extremities. All type A patients experienced suboptimal outcomes, involving transient or permanent deterioration of motor function after surgery or only partial removal of the tumor. By contrast, most type B patients experienced good outcomes (no deterioration of motor function and gross total removal of the tumor). In conclusion, awake surgery with continuous motor testing allowed for resection of brain tumors in the M1 and preservation of motor function, although the patients in whom motor tracts ran in close proximity to the tumors experienced suboptimal outcomes.

[Awake surgery plays a role in neurosurgery and neuroscience].

Awake surgery has been reported to play a role in the safe removal of brain tumors and detection of the functional localization of the cortex or neuronal tracts. In our hospital, from November 2004 to May 2007, we performed awake surgery with continuous tasks in 33 cases of brain tumors within or near the primary motor area (M1). The relationship between the extent of resection and postoperative motor function in awake surgery cases was compared with that in cases of surgery under general anesthesia, which were performed prior to November 2004. In 32 of 33 cases of awake surgery, the final postoperative motor function was either preserved or improved relative to the preoperative levels; however, in 9 of 14 patients who underwent surgery under general anesthesia, deterioration in motor function was noted after surgery. Gross total removal (GTR) was achieved in 20 of 33 cases of awake surgery and in 8 of 14 cases of surgery under general anesthesia, indicating that the extent of resection was similar between awake surgery and surgery under general anesthesia. In most cases of awake surgery, neurological deterioration occurred during internal decompression of the tumors or compression of the normal brain, while surgical manipulation of the tumor margin did not induce neurological deterioration in most cases of surgery under general anesthesia. Moreover, various new findings regarding the function of the cortex or neuronal tract have been reported in awake surgery. We discussed the advantages and future directions of awake surgery. In conclusion, awake surgery plays an important role in neurosurgery and neuroscience.

[The effect on other individual presentations of the goldfish by FG7142 injection].

To research the emotional effects on goldfish shoaling behavior, the change in time spent by the stimulus shoal sizes (0, 1, 2, and 5) was investigated. Consequently, as for shoaling behavior, a difference was seen only in the presence of a shoal, independent of size. The experimental goldfish were then injected with beta-carboline (FG7142, N-Methyl-beta-carboline-3-carboxyamide at 0.1, 1, 2, or 4 mg/kg) or the vehicle and exposed to the stimulus fish (1). In the beta-carboline group with the 1 and 2 mg/kg dose, the time spent within 10 cm of the stimulus fish increased compared with the vehicle, and this increase was maintained throughout the trial. In contrast, the time spent was unchanged in the high-dose group (4 mg/kg). The subject fish motility was unchanged in all dose groups. These results are discussed in their relationship to predator avoidance.