Prediction of cerebral infarction after bypass surgery in adult moyamoya disease: using pulsatility index on TCD.

BACKGROUND: At present, the most effective treatment for symptomatic moyamoya disease (MMD) is surgery. However, the high incidence of postoperative complications is a serious problem plaguing the surgical treatment of MMD, especially the acute cerebral infarction. Decreased cerebrovascular reserve is an independent risk factor for ischemic infarction, and the pulsatility index (PI) of transcranial Doppler (TCD) is a common intuitive index for evaluating intracranial vascular compliance. However, the relationship between PI and the occurrence of ischemic stroke after operation is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To explore whether the PI in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) could serve as a potential predictor for the occurrence of ischemic infarction after bypass surgery in MMD. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 71 patients who underwent combined revascularization surgery, including superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis and encephalo-duro-myo-synangiosis (EDMS). The patients were divided into two groups according to the median of ipsilateral MCA-PI before operation, low PI group (MCA-PI < 0.614) and high PI group (MCA-PI ≥ 0.614). Univariate and multivariate regression analysis were used to explore risk factors affecting the occurrence of postoperative cerebral infarction. RESULTS: Among the 71 patients with moyamoya disease, 11 patients had cerebral infarction within one week after revascularization. Among them, 10 patients' ipsilateral MCA-PI were less than 0.614, and another one's MCA- PI is higher than 0.614. Univariate analysis showed that the lower ipsilateral MCA-PI (0.448 ± 0.109 vs. 0.637 ± 0.124; P = 0.001) and higher Suzuki stage (P = 0.025) were linked to postoperative cerebral infarction. Multivariate analysis revealed that lower ipsilateral MCA-PI was an independent risk factor for predicting postoperative cerebral infarction (adjusted OR = 14.063; 95% CI = 6.265 ~ 37.308; P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: A lower PI in the ipsilateral MCA may predict the cerebral infarction after combined revascularization surgery with high specificity. And combined revascularization appears to be safer for the moyamoya patients in early stages.

Measurement of transcranial Doppler insonation angles from three-dimensional reconstructions of CT angiography scans.

Blood velocities measured by Transcranial Doppler (TCD) are dependent on the angle between the incident ultrasound beam and the direction of blood flow (known as the Doppler angle). However, when TCD examinations are performed without imaging the Doppler angle for each vessel segment is not known. We have measured Doppler angles in the basal cerebral arteries examined with TCD using three-dimensional (3D) vessel models generated from computed tomography angiography (CTA) scans. This approach produces angle statistics that are not accessible during non-imaging TCD studies. We created 3D models of the basal cerebral arteries for 24 vasospasm patients. Standard acoustic windows were mapped to the specific anatomy of each patient. Virtual ultrasound transmit beams were generated that originated from the acoustic window and intersected the centerline of each arterial segment. Doppler angle measurements were calculated and compiled for each vessel segment. Doppler angles were smallest for the middle cerebral artery M1 segment (median 24.6°) and ophthalmic artery (median 25.0°), and largest for the anterior cerebral artery A2 segment (median 76.4°) and posterior cerebral artery P2 segment (median 75.8°). The ophthalmic artery had the highest proportion of Doppler angles that were less than 60° (99%) while the anterior cerebral artery A2 segment had the lowest proportion of Doppler angles that were less than 60° (10%). These angle measurements indicate the expected deviation between measured and true velocities in the cerebral arteries, highlighting specific segments that may be prone to underestimation of velocity.

Circulating memory PD-1+CD8+ T cells and PD-1+CD8+T/PD-1+CD4+T cell ratio predict response and outcome to immunotherapy in advanced gastric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Limited benefit population of immunotherapy makes it urgent to select effective biomarkers for screening appropriate treatment population. Herein, we have investigated the predictive values of circulating CD8+ T cells and CD8+T/CD4+T cell ratio in advanced gastric cancer patients receiving immunotherapy. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis of 187 advanced gastric cancer patients receiving sintilimab combined with oxaliplatin and capecitabine therapy in The Affiliated Xinghua People's Hospital, Medical School of Yangzhou University between December 2019 and February 2023 was conducted. The corresponding clinical outcomes of the variables were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: The optimal cutoff values for percentages of CD8+ T cells, naive CD8+ T cells (CD8+ Tn) and memory CD8+ T cells (CD8+ Tm) expressing programmed cell death -1(PD-1) as well as PD-1+CD8+T/PD-1+CD4+T cell ratio were 21.0, 21.5, 64.3 and 0.669, respectively. It was found that the mean percentages of CD8+ T and CD8+ Tm expressing PD-1 as well as PD-1+CD8+T/PD-1+CD4+T cell ratio were significantly higher in responder (R) than non-responder (NonR) advanced gastric cancer patients associated with a longer progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). We also observed this correlation in programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1) combined positive score (CPS) ≥ 5 subgroups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses demonstrated that lower CD8+ T and CD8+ Tm expressing PD-1 as well as PD-1+CD8+T/PD-1+CD4+T cell ratio were independent risk factors in advanced gastric cancer patients receiving immunotherapy plus chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: The circulating memory PD-1+CD8+ T cells and PD-1+CD8+T/PD-1+CD4+T cell ratio revealed high predictive values for response and prolonged survival outcomes in advanced gastric cancer patients receiving immunotherapy. Memory PD-1+CD8+ T cells and PD-1+CD8+T/PD-1+CD4+T cell ratio might be effective for screening benefit population of immunotherapy in advanced gastric cancer patients based on this preliminary evidence.

Hydrogen-rich gas production from disposable COVID-19 mask by steam gasification.

Globally, the demand for masks has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in 490,201 tons of waste masks disposed of per month. Since masks are used in places with a high risk of virus infection, waste masks retain the risk of virus contamination. In this study, a 1 kg/h lab-scale (diameter: 0.114 m, height: 1 m) bubbling fluidized bed gasifier was used for steam gasification (temperature: 800 °C, steam/carbon (S/C) ratio: 1.5) of waste masks. The use of a downstream reactor with activated carbon (AC) for tar cracking and the enhancement of hydrogen production was examined. Steam gasification with AC produces syngas with H2, CO, CH4, and CO2 content of 38.89, 6.40, 21.69, and 7.34 vol%, respectively. The lower heating value of the product gas was 29.66 MJ/Nm3 and the cold gas efficiency was 74.55 %. This study showed that steam gasification can be used for the utilization of waste masks and the production of hydrogen-rich gas for further applications.

Ultrasound-guided cerebral resuscitation in patients with severe traumatic brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a worldwide public health concern given its significant morbidity and mortality, years of potential life lost, reduced quality of life and elevated healthcare costs. The primary injury occurs at the moment of impact, but secondary injuries might develop as a result of brain hemodynamic abnormalities, hypoxia, and hypotension. The cerebral edema and hemorrhage of the injured tissues causes a decrease in cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), which leads to higher risk of cerebral ischemia, herniation and death. In this setting, our role as physicians is to minimize damage by the optimization of the CPP and therefore to reduce mortality and improve neurological outcomes. Performing a transcranial doppler ultrasound (TCD) allows to estimate cerebral blood flow velocities and identify states of low flow and high resistance. We propose to include TCD as an initial assessment and further monitoring tool for resuscitation guidance in patients with severe TBI. We present an Ultrasound-Guided Cardio-cerebral Resuscitation (UGCeR) protocol in Patients with Severe TBI.

Effect of Baduanjin exercise on cerebral blood flow and cognitive frailty in the community older adults with cognitive frailty: A randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: Regular Baduanjin exercise training has been shown to be beneficial to the physical and cognitive health of older adults, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be investigated. This study examined the influence of Baduanjin on cerebral hemodynamics in community-dwelling older adults with cognitive frailty. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: A total of 102 eligible participants were randomly allocated into the Baduanjin exercise intervention group (BEG) or usual physical activity control group (CG) for 24 weeks. Cerebral hemodynamic parameters of bilateral middle/anterior cerebral artery and basilar artery, cognitive ability and physical frailty were assessed using Transcranial Doppler (TCD), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Edmonton Frailty Scale (EFS) at baseline and 24 weeks post-intervention. Results: After 24 weeks intervention, the changes in peak systolic velocity (PSV), mean blood flow velocity (MBFV), and end diastolic velocity (EDV) in the right middle cerebral artery and basilar artery were better in the BEG than in the CG; the increase in MoCA scores and the decrease in EFS scores were significantly higher in the BEG than in the CG. Moreover, the interaction of exercise and time on those variables showed obvious significance. Conclusions: The 24 weeks Baduanjin exercise training had a positive beneficial effect on cerebral blood flow in community-dwelling older adults with cognitive frailty. This may be a potential mechanism by which Baduanjin exercise improves the cognitive frailty in older adults. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800020341. Date of registration: December 25, 2018, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=29846.

Clinical impact and immunological alterations in asthmatic patients allergic to grass pollen subjected to high urban pollution in Madrid.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of asthma has increased in recent decades. Among the reasons for this increase is environmental pollution. Pollutants cause bronchial inflammation and introduce modifications in the pollen, making it more allergenic. OBJECTIVE: Assess symptoms and medication requirements of asthmatic patients with grass allergies in Madrid (high urban pollution) and Ciudad Real (low pollution), and simultaneously evaluate the in vitro effects that pollen collected in both areas has on the immune cells of patients. METHODS: During two pollen seasons, patients from both cities were included. The patients recorded their symptoms and the asthma medication they took daily. In both cities, pollen data, pollutants and meteorological variables were evaluated. The response to different cell populations from patients in both areas were analysed after "in vitro" stimulation with pollen from both cities. RESULTS: The symptoms and medication use of the patients in Madrid was 29.94% higher. The NO2 concentration in Madrid was triple that of Ciudad Real (33.4 vs. 9.1 µg/m3 of air). All other pollutants had very similar concentrations during the study period. Pollen from the high pollution area caused a significant enhancement of T-CD8+ and NK cells proliferation compared with pollen of low pollution area, independently of the patient's origin. CONCLUSION: Asthmatic patients from Madrid have a worse clinical evolution than those from Ciudad Real because of higher levels of urban pollution, and this could be driven by the higher capacity of pollen of Madrid to activate T-CD8+ and NK cells.

What drives transcranial Doppler velocity improvement in paediatric sickle cell anaemia: analysis from the Sickle Cell Clinical Research and Intervention Program (SCCRIP) longitudinal cohort study.

Children with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) and conditional transcranial Doppler (TCD) flow velocities (conditional: 170-199 cm/s; normal: <170 cm/s) have an increased risk of stroke. The Sickle Cell Clinical Research and Intervention Program (SCCRIP), a lifetime observational study, assessed the influence of haematological markers on TCD velocities. In children (≤16 years) with SCA (HbSS/HbSß0 -thalassaemia) and conditional TCD velocities (n = 32), increases in haemoglobin and in fetal haemoglobin after hydroxyurea initiation were significantly associated with decreases in TCD velocities. The benefit of pharmacological intervention to increase haemoglobin and fetal haemoglobin and normalise TCD velocities was demonstrated in this real-world dataset.

Cerebral monitoring during transcarotid artery revascularization with flow reversal via transcranial doppler ultrasound examination.

OBJECTIVE: Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is a hybrid technique for carotid artery revascularization that relies on proximal carotid occlusion with flow reversal for distal embolic protection. The hemodynamic response of the intracranial circulation to flow reversal is unknown. In addition, the rate and pattern of cerebral embolization during flow reversal has yet to be investigated. The aim of this study was to characterize cerebral hemodynamic and embolization patterns during TCAR. METHODS: A single-institution retrospective study of patients with carotid artery stenosis undergoing TCAR with intraoperative transcranial Doppler (TCD) monitoring of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) was performed. Primary outcomes included changes in MCA velocity and MCA embolic signals observed throughout TCAR. RESULTS: Eleven patients underwent TCAR with TCD monitoring of the ipsilateral MCA. The average MCA velocity at baseline was 50.6 ± 16.4 cm/s. MCA flow decreased significantly upon initiation of flow reversal (50.5 ± 16.4 cm/s vs 19.1 ± 18.4 cm/s; P = .02). The reinitiation of antegrade flow resulted in a significant increase in the number of embolic events compared with baseline (P = .003), and embolic events were observed in two patients during flow reversal. CONCLUSIONS: TCD monitoring of patients undergoing TCAR revealed that the initiation of flow reversal results in a decrement in ipsilateral MCA velocity. Furthermore, embolic events can occur during flow reversal and are significantly associated with the reinitiation of antegrade flow in the internal carotid artery. However, both of these hemodynamic events were well-tolerated in our cohort. These findings suggest that TCAR remains a safe neuroprotective strategy for carotid revascularization.

Effects of Pseudomonas TCd-1 on rice (Oryza sativa) cadmium uptake, rhizosphere soils enzyme activities and cadmium bioavailability under cadmium contamination.

Microbial remediation is a promising technique to reduce Cd accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa). In present study, a set of pot experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of Cd-tolerate Pseudomonas TCd-1 inoculation on rice Cd uptake, soil enzyme activities and Cd bioavailability in the rhizosphere soils under Cd contaminated conditions. The results showed that at the ripening stage, with the inoculation of TCd-1, Cd contents in root, culm, leaf, hull and brown rice significantly reduced by 60.7%, 47.7%, 50.6%, 58.1% and 47.9%, respectively, and the cadmium bioconcentration factor (BCF) of rice lowered by 66.2% under 5 mg kg-1 Cd treatment. At the meantime, in the rhizosphere soils, pH increased by 0.05, the contents of exchangeable Cd (EX-Cd) and Fe-Mn oxides (OX-Cd) increased by 107.8% and 33.5%, whereas organic matter (OM-Cd) and residual (Res-Cd) decreased by 31.9% and 60.0%, respectively. The activity of acid phosphatase (ACP) increased by 28.3%, catalase (CAT), saccharase (SUC) activity decreased by 28.5% and 26.0%. Similarly, the Cd contents in root, culm, leaf, hull and brown rice reduced by 42.1%, 42.5%, 58.0%, 50.3%, and 68.8%, respectively, and the BCF lowered by 57.1%, under 10 mg kg-1 Cd treatment. Simultaneously, the soil pH increased by 0.06, the activities of CAT, SUC, urease (URE), ACP decreased by 26.4%, 34.6%, 63.8% and 15.3%, respectively. Furthermore, the correlation analysis showed that the inoculation of TCd-1 changed the correlation between rice Cd content and the biomass of roots, leaves, soil pH, CAT, PPO, URE activities, OM-Cd in rhizosphere soils. It suggested that Pseudomonas TCd-1 effectively reduced Cd uptake and Cd accumulation in rice was closely linked to the changes of soil pH, enzyme activities and Cd availability.

Continuous and entirely non-invasive method for cerebrovascular reactivity assessment: technique and implications.

Continuous cerebrovascular reactivity assessment in traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been limited by the need for invasive monitoring of either cerebral physiology or arterial blood pressure (ABP). This restricts the application of continuous measures to the acute phase of care, typically in the intensive care unit. It remains unknown if ongoing impairment of cerebrovascular reactivity occurs in the subacute and long-term phase, and if it drives ongoing morbidity in TBI. We describe an entirely non-invasive method for continuous assessment of cerebrovascular reactivity. We describe the technique for entirely non-invasive continuous assessment of cerebrovascular reactivity utilizing near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and robotic transcranial Doppler (rTCD) technology, with details provided for NIRS. Recent advances in continuous high-frequency non-invasive ABP measurement, combined with NIRS or rTCD, can be employed to derive continuous and entirely non-invasive cerebrovascular reactivity metrics. Such non-invasive measures can be obtained during any aspect of patient care post-TBI, and even during outpatient follow-up, avoiding classical intermittent techniques and costly neuroimaging based metrics obtained only at specialized centers. This combination of technology and signal analytic techniques creates avenues for future investigation of the long-term consequences of cerebrovascular reactivity, integrating high-frequency non-invasive cerebral physiology, neuroimaging, proteomics and clinical phenotype at various stages post-injury.

Assesment of Cerebral Blood Flow Velocities with Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography in Heart Failure Patients with Reduced Ejection Fraction.

BACKGROUND: Heart and brain interaction is a well-known entity in heart failure (HF) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction poses an increased risk for stroke and cognitive impairment. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) provides valuable information on cerebral blood flow velocities (CBFV). However, less is known about CBFV in HF patients with reduced EF. So, we aimed to evaluate CBFV by means of TCD in patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). METHODS: This study included 46 HFrEF patients (mean age 65.2±11 years, mean EF 20.1±3.8%) who underwent to TCD examination. In addition, 26 healthy individuals with sinus rhythm and EF >50% were included in the study as a control group. Peak systolic, mean and end diastolic flow velocities of the both right and left middle cerebral artery (RMCA and LMCA) were analyzed. In subgroup analysis, HFrEF patients compared according to rhythm. Correlation analyses was performed in HFrEF group between EF and TCD velocities. RESULTS: The average of RMCA and LMCA peak systolic and mean flow velocities were significantly lower in HF patients than those in control group (76,06±23,7 cm/s and 48,49±16,4 cm/s in HF group vs 87,84±14,5 cm/s and 56,41±10,7 cm/s in control group, p=0,025 and p=0,016, respectively, for RMCA and 75,1±22,3 cm/s and 47,57±14.8 cm/s in HF group vs 88,73±17,7 cm/s and 57,15±12,4 cm/s in control group, p=0,009 and p=0,007, respectively, for LMCA). The average mean flow velocity of RMCA and LMCA was significantly lower in HFrEF patients with AF than HFrEF patients with sinus rhythm. (P=0.04 and P= 0.03, respectively) In correlation analysis, EF was significantly positively correlated with both LMCA and RMCA flow velocities in HFrEF group. CONCLUSION: This study showed that HFrEF patients have lower CBFV as compared to healthy controls and HFrEF patients with AF rhythm have lower CBFV compared to HFrEF with sinus rhythm which might be one of the explanations of the adverse interaction between heart and brain in HFrEF.

Suppressive Effect of Two Cucurbitane-Type Triterpenoids from Momordica charantia on Cutibacterium acnes-Induced Inflammatory Responses in Human THP-1 Monocytic Cell and Mouse Models.

Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes) is one of the major bacterial species responsible for acne vulgaris. Numerous bioactive compounds from Momordica charantia Linn. var. abbreviata Ser. have been isolated and examined for many years. In this study, we evaluated the suppressive effect of two cucurbitane-type triterpenoids, 5ß,19-epoxycucurbita-6,23-dien-3ß,19,25-triol (Kuguacin R; KR) and 3ß,7ß,25-trihydroxycucurbita-5,23-dien-19-al (TCD) on live C. acnes-stimulated in vitro and in vivo inflammatory responses. Using human THP-1 monocytes, KR or TCD suppressed C. acnes-induced production of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 at least above 56% or 45%, as well as gene expression of these three pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, a significantly strong inhibitory effect on production and expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α was not observed. Both cucurbitanes inhibited C. acnes-induced activation of the myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) (up to 62%) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) (at least 36%). Furthermore, TCD suppressed the expression of pro-caspase-1 and cleaved caspase-1 (p10). In a separate study, KR or TCD decreased C. acnes-stimulated mouse ear edema by ear thickness (20% or 14%), and reduced IL-1ß-expressing leukocytes and neutrophils in mouse ears. We demonstrated that KR and TCD are potential anti-inflammatory agents for modulating C. acnes-induced inflammation in vitro and in vivo.

Training novice users to assess stroke aetiology in remote settings using transcranial ultrasound: pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency care delivery to patients in remote and rural areas is limited by diagnostic restrictions and long transport times to major centres of care. People with suspected acute stroke living long distances from a hospital are unlikely to receive time-critical reperfusion therapy for these reasons. Basic brain imaging assessing blood flow in the major intracranial arteries could facilitate such care in remote settings. A 3-hour training package for novice transcranial ultrasound users has been piloted on a small group of volunteers to investigate whether they could acquire transcranial ultrasound images and video clips to potentially allow remote interpretation and optimise pre-hospital management of acute stroke. METHODS: A pilot training project was set up in a university setting in Inverness, Scotland. Volunteer clinicians and students of nursing or medicine with no practical experience in transcranial ultrasound were recruited. Participants received three 1-hour training sessions combining theoretical aspects and hands-on practice on healthy volunteers provided by a qualified neurologist with more than 2 years of experience in transcranial ultrasound. Transcranial greyscale and colour-coded duplex sonography was performed to visualise midline structures and major intracranial vessels, and to measure blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery, followed by an unsupervised assessment. Qualitative analysis of the anonymised feedback from participants on the training experience and its potential application was also performed. RESULTS: A total of 11 volunteers were recruited in the current pilot study. The average time to complete transcranial ultrasound assessment was approximately 40 minutes. The brain midline and cerebral peduncles were correctly labelled by 64% (7/11) and 91% (10/11) of volunteers, respectively. Participants demonstrated a good performance in detecting major intracranial vessels. The correct labelling rate for the middle cerebral artery was 73% (8/11), and 64% (7/11) for the anterior and posterior cerebral arteries. There was agreement between the trainer and the participants on rating the quality of scans as assessed using a visual analogue scale. All participants gave positive feedback on the provided training and time allocated for each session. Generally, volunteers thought that operating the ultrasound machine and the probe simultaneously was difficult. It was also suggested that further follow-up training, with possible supervision, would be useful to retain the acquired skills. CONCLUSIONS: Transcranial ultrasound scans of a quality to allow expert interpretation can be acquired by inexperienced transcranial ultrasound operators after receiving a brief training. This could potentially be used by medical staff working in remote and rural areas to facilitate acute care for stroke patients, but further work with a larger sample is needed.

Transcranial Doppler Screening Adherence among Children with Sickle Cell Anemia Seen in the Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate adherence to annual transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) screening to prevent stroke among patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) seen in the emergency department (ED). STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective chart review included patients with SCA seen at a large pediatric ED over 64 weeks. Patients who did not need a TCD (age <2 or ≥16 years, on chronic transfusions, history of an inadequate TCD) or were not followed at the study institution were excluded. Patients who had received a TCD in the last 12 months (TCD adherent) were compared with patients who had not (TCD nonadherent). RESULTS: During the study period, 257 patients with SCA in need of an annual TCD were identified and 63 patients (25%) had not received an annual TCD, including 19 patients (7%) who had never had a TCD. All TCD adherent patients had a clinic visit in the last year compared with 75% of TCD nonadherent patients, P < .0001. The mean interval time since the last hematology clinic appointment from the ED encounter was greater for the TCD nonadherent group: 70 vs 270 days, P < .0001. Demographics including markers of socioeconomic status were not significantly different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with SCA who present to the ED and are nonadherent to TCD screening guidelines are less likely to have had a recent hematology clinic visit. Future interventions to improve screening for stroke in SCA should target this patient population seen in the ED but not clinic.

Neuropsychological Deficits in Patients with Electrical Status Epilepticus During Sleep: A Non-invasive Analysis of Neurovascular Coupling.

To evaluate the effects of electrical status epilepticus during sleep (ESES) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and explore the associated neuro-vascular coupling and neuropsychological deficits. 19 ESES patients were recruited to undergo real-time transcranial doppler ultrasonography (TCD) and video-EEG monitoring (vEEG). Patients were grouped based on their cognitive functions or their EEG patterns. The mean cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFVm) of the unilateral middle cerebral artery was measured using TCD and was used to calculate various relevant parameters. The 19 patients participated in a total of 54 effective TCD-vEEG monitoring sessions. We found a significant effect of clinical severity for the following measurements: spike wave index (SWI), peak and average deep sleep stage (N3) CBFVm, peak, average and minimum deep sleep and awake CBFVm, and CBFVm oscillations during deep sleep. Nevertheless, CBFVm oscillations were not related to SWI. Furthermore, CBFVm oscillations revealed a statistically significant difference between the near-ESES and asymmetric-ESES groups. CBFVm oscillations may reflect the neuro-vascular coupling process associated with ESES disfunction. Understanding the relationship between CBFVm oscillations and epileptic activity will be important for assessing the neuropsychological damage associated with ESES and for developing treatment options for this and other diseases.

Correlates of Cognitive Function in Sickle Cell Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive quantitative review of biological, environmental, and behavioral correlates across domains of cognitive function in sickle cell disease (SCD). METHODS: Forty-seven studies were identified in PubMed, MedLine, and PsycINFO involving 2573 participants with SCD. RESULTS: Meta-analytic findings across all identified samples indicate that hemoglobin and hematocrit were positively correlated with Full Scale IQ [FSIQ; r = .15, 95% confidence interval (CI) = .10 to .21], language and verbal reasoning (r = .18, 95% CI = .11 to .24), and executive function (r = .10, 95% CI = .01 to .19) with small effects and significant heterogeneity. Transcranial Doppler velocity was negatively associated with visual spatial and perceptual reasoning (r = -.18, 95% CI = -.31 to -.05). Socioeconomic status was positively associated with FSIQ (r = .23, 95% CI = .17 to .28), language and verbal reasoning (r = .28, 95% CI = .09 to .45), visual spatial and perceptual reasoning (r = .26, 95% CI = .09 to .41), and executive function (r = .18, 95% CI = .07 to .28) with small to medium effects. Finally, total behavioral problems were negatively associated with FSIQ (r = -.12, 95% CI = -.21 to -.02) such that participants with lower FSIQ exhibited greater behavioral and emotional problems. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide evidence for biological, environmental, and psychosocial corelates across multiple domains of cognitive function in SCD. More research on more specific cognitive domains and psychosocial correlates is needed in addition to assessments of interactional models among risk factors.

Transcranial Doppler Velocities among Sickle Cell Disease Patients in Steady State.

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) screening is an established tool to identify children with sickle cell disease at high risk of stroke. Our objective was to study TCD velocities among sickle cell disease patients while in a steady state. This cross-sectional study included 78 steady state sickle cell disease patients [31 Hb SS (ßS/ßS) (sickle cell anemia), 47 Hb S/ß-thalassemia (HBB: c.20A>T/ß-thal)], attending the Pediatric Hematology Clinic at Cairo University Children's Hospital, Cairo, Egypt. All patients underwent TCD velocity assessment as per the Stroke Prevention Trial in Sickle Cell Anemia (STOP) protocol. In our cohort, TCD velocities were comparable among Hb S/ß-thal vs. SS patients. Hemolysis indicators correlated significantly to TCD velocities in Hb S/ß-thal patients; positive correlation was found between total bilirubin level and right middle cerebral artery (MCA) and right distal internal carotid artery (dICA) TCD velocities (r = 0.428, p = 0.00, r = 0.360, p = 0.01), respectively as well as between reticulocyte count and right MCA, right dICA and right anterior cerebral artery (ACA) TCD velocities (r = 0.424, p = 0.01), (r = 0.40, p = 0.00), (r = 0.303, p = 0.04), respectively. On the other hand, statistically significant negative correlations were found between hemoglobin (Hb) level and right ACA, right dICA TCD velocities (r = -0.290, p = 0.05), (r = -0.324, p = 0.03). Although Hb F is considered an ameliorating factor for disease severity; hemolysis stands as an indicator of risk for TCD velocity elevation, and in turn, risk for stroke among sickle cell disease patients.

Temporal Relationship between Hyponatremia and Development of Cerebral Vasospasm in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients: A Retrospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Hyponatremia is a common complication after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Previous studies have reported an association between hyponatremia and vasospasm, however whether hyponatremia directly contributes to the pathogenesis of cerebral vasospasm (CVS), or is a by-product is still unclear. The aim of this study was to explore an association between hyponatremia and CVS after aSAH, and evaluating the temporality of these 2 events. METHODS: A retrospective study of consecutive patients with aSAH admitted to the Baylor St. Luke's Medical center between January 2008 and December 2012 was conducted. Demographics, baseline characteristics, serum sodium levels, and evidence of vasospasm detected by transcranial Doppler, CT Angiogram, MR angiogram, and digital subtracted angiography were collected. Patients were dichotomized into a hyponatremic and a normonatremic group. CVS incidence and clinical outcome was compared between groups. Timing of CVS after initial hyponatremia episodes was recorded Results: One hundred and sixty 4 patients with aSAH were included. Hyponatremia was identified in 66 patients (40.2%) and CVS occurred in 71 subjects (43.2%). The incidence of CVS was higher in the hyponatremic group compared to the normonatremic group, 65.1 % versus 28.5%, respectively (P < .001). Hyponatremia preceded CVS by median 1.5 days suggesting a temporal trend. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a significant association between hyponatremia and CVS, with hyponatremia preceding CVS events. This retrospective finding denotes the need for larger prospective studies, aiming to clarify the temporal relationship of serum sodium levels and CVS.

Bacterial Superantigens Expand and Activate, Rather than Delete or Incapacitate, Preexisting Antigen-Specific Memory CD8+ T Cells.

Superantigens (SAgs) released by common Gram-positive bacterial pathogens have been reported to delete, anergize, or activate mouse T cells. However, little is known about their effects on preexisting memory CD8+ T cell (TCD8) pools. Furthermore, whether SAgs manipulate human memory TCD8 responses to cognate antigens is unknown. We used a human peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture system and a nontransgenic mouse model in which the impact of stimulation by two fundamentally distinct SAgs, staphylococcal enterotoxin B and Mycoplasma arthritidis mitogen, on influenza virus- and/or cytomegalovirus-specific memory TCD8 could be monitored. Bacterial SAgs surprisingly expanded antiviral memory TCD8 generated naturally through infection or artificially through vaccination. Mechanistically, this was a T cell-intrinsic and T cell receptor ß-chain variable-dependent phenomenon. Importantly, SAg-expanded TCD8 displayed an effector memory phenotype and were capable of producing interferon-γ and destroying target cells ex vivo or in vivo. These findings have clear implications for antimicrobial defense and rational vaccine design.