Prognosis Of Neurological Function Research Articles

Advanced perioperative assessment of neurological function in acute Stanford A aortic dissection

Objective Acute Stanford Type A aortic dissection (AAAD) is a critical condition in vascular surgery, and total aortic arch replacement surgery is the preferred method to save patients’ lives. In recent years, as clinical research has advanced, there has been a growing realization of the close association between poor postoperative outcomes in patients and neurological functional deficits. Neurological function monitoring is a medical technique used to evaluate and monitor the functional status of the nervous system. Methods This monitoring involves the assessment of various aspects of the nervous system, including but not limited to nerve conduction velocity, neuromuscular function, electroencephalographic activity, and sensory nerve transmission. Neurological function monitoring has broad clinical applications and can be used to diagnose and monitor many neurological disorders, helping physicians understand patients’ neurological functional status and guide treatment plans. During the postoperative recovery process, neurological function monitoring can assist physicians in assessing the potential impact of surgery on the nervous system and monitor the recovery of patients’ neurological function. Results Studies have shown that neurological function monitoring holds promise in predicting neurological functional prognosis and interventions for patients with aortic dissection. Conclusion Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of various intraoperative neurological monitoring techniques, neuroimaging examinations, and biomarkers in predicting and assessing postoperative neurological outcomes in patients undergoing AAAD surgery.

Monitoring of Perioperative Microcirculation Dysfunction by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Neurological Deterioration and Prognosis of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: An Observational, Longitudinal Cohort Study.

No evidence has established a direct causal relationship between early microcirculation disturbance after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and neurological function prognosis, which is the key pathophysiological mechanism of early brain injury (EBI) in patients with aSAH. A total of 252 patients with aSAH were enrolled in the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit of Southwest Hospital between January 2020 and December 2022 and divided into the no neurological deterioration, early neurological deterioration, and delayed neurological deterioration groups. Indicators of microcirculation disorders in EBI included regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), brain oxygen monitoring, and other clinical parameters for evaluating neurological function and determining the prognosis of patients with aSAH. Our data suggest that the rSO2 is generally lower in patients who develop neurological deterioration than in those who do not and that there is at least one time point in the population of patients who develop neurological deterioration where left and right cerebral hemisphere differences can be significantly monitored by NIRS. An unordered multiple-classification logistic regression model was constructed, and the results revealed that multiple factors were effective predictors of early neurological deterioration: reoperation, history of brain surgery, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grade4-5, Fisher grade3-4, SAFIRE grade 3-5, abnormal serum sodium and potassium levels, and reduced rSO2 during the perioperative period. However, for delayed neurological deterioration in patients with aSAH, only a history of brain surgery and perioperative RBC count were predictive indicators. The rSO2 concentration in patients with neurological deterioration is generally lower than that in patients without neurological deterioration, and at least one time point in the population with neurological deterioration can be significantly monitored via NIRS. However, further studies are needed to determine the role of microcirculation and other predictive factors in the neurocritical management of EBI after aSAH, as these factors can reduce the incidence of adverse outcomes and mortality during hospitalization.

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation versus conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation for patients with refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A retrospective propensity matching analysis.

The incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is high. Though extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) has been considered a potential treatment for refractory cardiac arrest after failure of conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CCPR), the benefit of ECPR in refractory OHCA remains uncertain. In this retrospective cohort study, we included patients with refractory OHCA who visited the Emergency Department of the Aerospace Center Hospital between January 2018 and April 2023. We divided the patients into the ECPR Group and the CCPR Group. The primary endpoint of the study was the neurological function of the patients in both groups 3months after the cardiac arrest. We used propensity score matching to reduce selection bias and identified factors associated with good neurological function when OHCA was treated with ECPR by performing univariate and multivariate correlation analyses on surviving patients with good neurological function in the ECPR group. During the study period, we enrolled 133 patients, consisting of 33 in the ECPR group and 100 in the CCPR group. The survival rate of patients with good neurological function at discharge was 18.2% (6/33 cases) in the ECPR group and 9% (9/100 cases) in the CCPR group, p = .20. Three months after discharge, the survival rate of patients with good neurological function was 15.2% (5/33 cases) in the ECPR group and 8% (8/100 cases) in the CCPR group, p = .31. Using propensity score matching, we identified 22 pairs of patients for further analysis. Among these, 3months after discharge, the survival rate of patients with good neurological function was 13.6% (3/22 cases) in the ECPR group and 4.5% (1/22 cases) in the CCPR group, p = .61, and the survival rate at discharge was 18.2% (4/22 cases) in the ECPR group and 4.5% (1/22 cases) in the CCPR group, p = .34. The univariate analysis of patients with good neurological function in the ECPR group showed that time without perfusion, hypoperfusion time, and PCI treatment were associated factors affecting the prognosis of neurological function in patients, while multivariate analysis showed that hypoperfusion time was independently associated with good neurological function, with an OR (95% CI) of 1.06 (1.00-1.14) and p = .05. Our findings suggested that ECPR failed to significantly improve neurological outcome in patients with refractory OHCA; however, the small sample size in this study may be insufficient to detect clinically relevant differences. In addition, hypoperfusion time may be a key predictive factor in identifying candidates for ECPR.

Surgical outcomes following encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis in moyamoya disease associated with hyperhomocysteinemia.

This study investigated the effect of indirect revascularization surgery in adult patients with moyamoya disease (MMD) complicated with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), and the effect of HHcy on the progression of adult MMD. A retrospective case-control study was conducted in patients with MMD, with or without HHcy (n=123). Postoperative collateral angiogenesis was evaluated using the Matsushima grading system and disease progression using the Suzuki staging system. Cerebral blood flow was evaluated before and after surgery using dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) and neurological function prognosis using the improved Rankin score (mRS). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine risk factors for the clinical outcomes. There was no significant difference in the Suzuki stage composition ratios between the HHcy group and the non-HHcy group before and after surgery. Non-HHcy patients were more likely to grow new collateral circulating vessels after encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS). Moreover, postoperative DSC-MRI indicated that the time to peak significantly improved. HHcy level may be a specific predictor of adverse clinical outcomes after EDAS in patients with MMD and a risk factor for poor collateral circulation and poor prognosis. Patients with MMD complicated with HHcy need to strictly control homocysteine levels before EDAS surgery.

Effect and Mechanism of Sodium Butyrate on Neuronal Recovery and Prognosis in Diabetic Stroke.

Ischemic stroke is a cerebrovascular lesion caused by local ischemia and hypoxia. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic inflammatory disease that disturbs immune homeostasis and predisposes patients to ischemic stroke. The mechanism by which DM exacerbates stroke remains unclear, although it may involve disturbances in immune homeostasis. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a regulatory role in many diseases, but the mechanism of Tregs in diabetes complicated by stroke remains unclear. Sodium butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that increases Treg levels. This study examined the role of sodium butyrate in the prognosis of neurological function in diabetic stroke and the mechanism by which Tregs are amplified in the bilateral cerebral hemispheres. We evaluated the brain infarct volume, observed 48-h neuronal injury and 28-day behavioral changes, and calculated the 28-day survival rate in mice. We also measured Treg levels in peripheral blood and brain tissue, recorded changes in the blood‒brain barrier and water channel proteins and neurotrophic changes in mice, measured cytokine levels and peripheral B-cell distribution in bilateral hemispheres and peripheral blood, and examined the polarization of microglia and the distribution of peripheral T-cell subpopulations in bilateral hemispheres. Diabetes significantly exacerbated the poor prognosis and neurological deficits in mice with stroke, and sodium butyrate significantly improved infarct volume, prognosis, and neurological function and showed different mechanisms in brain tissue and peripheral blood. The potential regulatory mechanism in brain tissue involved modulating Tregs/TGF-β/microglia to suppress neuroinflammation, while that in peripheral blood involved improving the systemic inflammatory response through Tregs/TGF-β/T cells.

Relationship between sleep disorders and the prognosis of neurological function after stroke.

This study aims to investigate the effects of sleep disorders on the prognosis of neurological function after stroke and other factors affecting the prognosis after stroke. We designed a cohort study. A total of 1,542 patients with their first stroke were hospitalized in the department of neurology of Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from 2015.6.1 to 2016.12.31. We recorded the personal histories of patients. The MMSE (mini-mental state examination), MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), HAMD (Hamilton Depression Scale), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, mRS (Modified Rankin Scale), BI (Barthel Index), PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), ESS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), Berlin questionnaire, and nocturnal TST (Total sleep time) were assessed before discharge, 3 months, 6 months, and 4 years (2019-2020) after stroke. Low sleep quality (OR 2.019, 95%CI 1.199-3.398, p = 0.008), nocturnal TST (<7 h) (OR 4.060, 95%CI 1.494-11.034, p = 0.006), nocturnal TST (>8 h) (OR 5.928, 95% CI 2.134-16.464, p = 0.001) were risk factors for poor neurological function recovery at 3 months after stroke. Nocturnal TST (<7 h) (OR 13.042, 95%-CI 2.576-66.027, p = 0.002) and nocturnal TST (>8 h) (OR 11.559, 95%-CI 2.108-63.390, p = 0.005) were risk factors for poor neurological function at 6 months after stroke. Nocturnal TST (<7 h) (OR 2.668, 95% CI 1.250-5.698, p = 0.011) and nocturnal TST (>8 h) (OR 2.516, 95% CI 1.080-5.861, p = 0.033) were risk factors for poor neurological function at 4 years after stroke. High risk of OSA (HR 1.582, 95%CI 1.244-2.012, p < 0.001) was a risk factor for all-cause death in patients followed up for 4 years after stroke. Low sleep quality is associated with short-term poor neurological function after stroke. Unusual nocturnal TST (long or short) is associated with short-term or long-term poor neurological function after stroke. A high risk of OSA is associated with a higher risk of all-cause death after stroke.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on treatment delay and short-term neurological functional prognosis for acute ischemic stroke during the lockdown period.

Preventive strategies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic may negatively influence the management of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Nowadays, studies have demonstrated that the pandemic has led to a delay in treatment among patients with AIS. Whether this delay contributes to meaningful short-term outcome differences warranted further exploration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on treatment delay and short-term outcomes of patients with AIS treated with IVT and MT. Patients admitted before (from 11/1/2019 to 1/31/2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (from 2/1/2020 to 3/31/2020) were screened for collecting sociodemographic data, medical history information, and symptom onset status, and comparing the effect of treatment delay. The patients treated with IVT or MT were compared for delay time and neurological outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of treatment delay on short-term neurological prognosis. In this study, 358 patients receiving IVT were included. DTN time increased from 50 min (IQR 40-75) before to 65 min (IQR 48-84), p = 0.048. 266 patients receiving MT were included. The DTP was 120 (112-148) min vs. 160 (125-199) min before and during the pandemic, p = 0.002. Patients with stroke during the pandemic had delays in treatment due to the need for additional PPE (p < 0.001), COVID-19 screening processes (p < 0.001), multidisciplinary consultation (p < 0.001), and chest CT scans (p < 0.001). Compared with pre-COVID-19, during the pandemic, patients had a higher likelihood of spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage after IVT (OR: 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.30) and a lower likelihood of mRS scores 0-2 at discharge (OR: 0.90; 95% CI, 0.78-0.99). In logistic regression analysis, high NIHSS score at admission, increasing age, worse pre-admission mRS, large vessel occlusion, admission during the lockdown period, and low mTICI grade after MT were associated with an mRS ≥ 3. The COVID-19 pandemic has had remarkable impacts on the management of AIS. The pandemic might exacerbate certain time delays and play a significant role in early adverse outcomes in patients with AIS.

Treatment Strategies and Challenges to Avoid Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunting for Pediatric Hydrocephalus

Treatment for pediatric hydrocephalus aims not only to shrink the enlarged ventricle morphologically but also to create an intracranial environment that provides the best neurocognitive development and to deal with various treatment-related problems over a long period of time. Although the primary diseases that cause hydrocephalus are diverse, the ventricular peritoneal shunt has been introduced as the standard treatment for several decades. Nevertheless, complications such as shunt infection and shunt malfunction are unavoidable; the prognosis of neurological function is severely affected by such factors, especially in newborns and infants. In recent years, treatment concepts have been attempted to avoid shunting, mainly in the context of pediatric cases. In this review, the current role of neuroendoscopic third ventriculostomy for noncommunicating hydrocephalus is discussed and a new therapeutic concept for post intraventricular hemorrhagic hydrocephalus in preterm infants is documented. To avoid shunt placement and achieve good neurodevelopmental outcomes for pediatric hydrocephalus, treatment modalities must be developed.

Serum D-dimer level as a predictor of neurological functional prognosis in cases of head injuries caused by road traffic accidents

BackgroundThe number of traffic fatalities is declining in Japan; however, a large proportion of head injuries are still attributable to traffic accidents. Severe head trauma may cause progressive and devastating coagulopathy owing to exacerbated coagulation and fibrinolysis, which results in massive bleeding and poor patient outcomes. D-dimer is a fibrinolytic marker, which remarkably increases in severe coagulopathy due to the exacerbated fibrinolytic system. Because the degree of coagulopathy is associated with patient outcomes, the D-dimer level is a useful prognostic predictor in patients with head trauma. However, the usefulness of D-dimer in cases of head trauma caused by road traffic accidents remains inadequately explored. In this study, we investigated the relationship between D-dimer levels and outcomes in head injuries caused by traffic accidents.MethodsWe extracted data on traffic injuries from Japan Neuro-Trauma Data Bank Project 2015, which is a prospective multicenter registry of head injuries. The analysis included 335 individuals with no missing data. The outcome variable was the score of the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), a neurological outcome index. The participants were categorized into the favorable outcome (GOS score ≥ 4) and poor outcome (GOS score ≤ 3) groups. The serum D-dimer levels at the time of admission were divided into four categories at the quartiles, and the reference category was less than the first quartile (< 17.4 µg/mL). We performed a logistic regression analysis with GOS as the dependent variable and D-dimer as a predictor and performed a multivariate analysis that was adjusted for 10 physiological parameters.ResultsIn the univariate analysis, all groups with serum D-dimer values ≥ 17.4 μg/dL showed significantly poorer outcomes than those of the reference group. In the multivariate analysis, after adjusting for other factors, D-dimer levels ≥ 89.3 μg/dL were an independent predictor of poor outcome.ConclusionAfter adjusting for physiological parameters, high serum D-dimer levels can be an independent factor for predicting neurological prognosis in head trauma caused by road traffic accidents.

Neurological outcomes in adult drowning patients in China.

BACKGROUND: Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death worldwide. The epidemiological characteristics of adult drownings are rarely reported.OBJECTIVE: Investigate factors associated with neurological prognosis in adult drowning inpatients.DESIGN: Multicenter medical record review.SETTING: Tertiary health care institutions.PATIENTS AND METHODS: We collected demographic and clinical data on patients who drowned but survived between September 2006 and January 2020. Neurological prognosis was compared in patients with and without cardiac arrest.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Neurological outcomes.SAMPLE SIZE AND CHARACTERISTICS: 142 patients with mean age of 50.6 (19.8) years, male/female ratio of 1.54:1.RESULT: Forty-five patients (31.7%) received CPR, 90 patients (63.4%) experienced unconsciousness, and 59 patients (41.5%) received endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the initial blood lactic acid level (OR: 7.67, 95%CI: 1.23-47.82, P=.029) was associated with a poor neurological prognosis in patients without cardiac arrest. The incidence of ICU admission (OR: 16.604, 95%CI: 1.15-239.49, P=.039) was associated with a poor neurologic prognosis in patients with cardiac arrest.CONCLUSIONS: For the drowning patients with cardiac arrest, ICU admission was associated with neurological function prognosis in these patients. Among the patients without cardiac arrest, the initial lactate value was associated with neurological function prognosis of these patients.LIMITATIONS: Retrospective.CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.

[Relationship of in-hospital mortality and using intra-aortic balloon pump with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in patients with cardiac arrest: a secondary analysis based on literature data].

To assess the effect of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) on in-hospital mortality in patients with cardiac arrest undergoing extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR). A retrospective study was performed on 696 patients with intra-hospital cardiac arrest undergoing ECPR from Samsung Medical Center in Korea between January 2004 and December 2013. According to whether IABP was used, the patients were divided into ECPR group and ECPR+IABP group. Cox regression and propensity score matching (PSM) were used to examine the correlation between IABP usage and in-hospital mortality, and standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to check the degree of PSM. Survival analysis of in-hospital mortality was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method, and further analyzed by the Log-Rank test. Using the propensity score as weights, multiple regression model and inverse probability weighting (IPW) model were used for sensitivity analysis. In-hospital mortality, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) withdrawal success rate and neurological function prognosis were compared between the two groups. A total of 199 patients with cardiac arrest undergoing ECPR were included, including 120 males and 79 females, and the average age was (60.0±16.8) years. Thirty-one patients (15.6%) were treated with ECPR and IABP, and 168 patients (84.4%) only received ECPR. The total hospitalized mortality was 68.8% (137/199). The 1 : 1 nearest neighbor matching algorithm was performed with the 0.2 caliper value. The following variables were selected to generate propensity scores, including age, gender, race, marital status, insurance, admission type, service unit, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, respiratory rate, pulse oxygen saturation, white blood cell count. After the propensity score matching, 24 pairs of patients were successfully matched, with the average age of (63.0±12.8) years, including 31 males and 17 females. The in-hospital mortality was 72.6% (122/168) and 48.4% (15/31) in the ECPR group and the ECPR+IABP group [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.48, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.28-0.82, P = 0.007]. Multiple regression model, adjusted propensity score, PSM and IPW model showed that the in-hospital mortality in the ECPR+IABP group was significantly lower compared with the ECPR group (HR = 0.44, 0.50, 0.16 and 0.49, respectively, 95%CI were 0.24-0.79, 0.28-0.91, 0.06-0.39 and 0.31-0.77, all P < 0.05). The combined application of IABP could improve the ECMO withdrawal success rate [odds ratio (OR) = 8.95, 95%CI was 2.72-29.38, P < 0.001] and neurological prognosis (OR = 4.06, 95%CI was 1.33-12.40, P = 0.014) in adult cardiac arrest patients. In patients with cardiac arrest using ECPR, the combination of IABP was independently associated with lower in-hospital mortality, higher ECMO withdrawal success rate and better neurological prognosis.

[Changes of regional saturation of cerebral oxygenation and neuron specific enolase in patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation].

To observe the changes of regional saturation of cerebral oxygenation (rScO2) and blood neuron specific enolase (NSE) in patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and to explore its value in evaluating the prognosis of patients' neurological function. From January 2012 to December 2020, 97 patients with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest (CA) treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were selected. According to the prognosis, the patients were divided into two groups: good neurological function group [Glasgow-Pittsburgh Cerebral Performance Categories (CPC) 1-2, 20 cases] and neurological dysfunction group (CPC classification 3-5, 77 cases). The clinical data of gender, age, the number of patients with defibrillable rhythm, time of ROSC, the number of CA patients outside the hospital, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), Glasgow coma scale (GCS), global non-response scale (FOUR), body temperature, mean arterial pressure (MAP), blood lactic acid (Lac) and GCS at discharge, as well as the length of ICU stay, rScO2 and blood NSE were collected. The differences of rScO2 and NSE between the two groups were compared; and the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to evaluate the value of rScO2 and NSE alone or in combination in predicting the prognosis of patients with ROSC after CA. The rScO2 of good neurological function group was significantly higher than that of neurological dysfunction group at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours (all P < 0.05). At 24 hours after admission, the rScO2 on the left and right sides of good neurological function group was significantly higher than that in neurological dysfunction group [left: 0.65 (0.59, 0.76) vs. 0.55 (0.44, 0.67), right: 0.62 (0.61, 0.73) vs. 0.50 (0.30, 0.69), both P < 0.05], and NSE was significantly lower than that in the neurological dysfunction group [ng/L: 21.42 (15.38, 29.69) vs. 45.82 (24.05, 291.26), P < 0.05]. ROC curve analysis showed that both rScO2 and NSE alone and combined detection had a certain value in predicting the prognosis of neurological function in patients with ROSC after CA, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) detected by the combination was the largest, which was higher than the AUC predicted by rScO2 or NSE (0.904 vs. 0.884, 0.792). When the cut-off value of combination was 0.83, the sensitivity and specificity were 75.7% and 100% respectively. Monitoring rScO2 and NSE can predict the prognosis of neurological function after CPR, especially the combined evaluation of the two indexes, which can greatly improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

Leukoaraiosis is associated with clinical symptom severity, poor neurological function prognosis and stroke recurrence in mild intracerebral hemorrhage: a prospective multi-center cohort study.

Leukoaraiosis (LA) results from ischemic injury in small cerebral vessels, which may be attributable to decreased vascular density, reduced cerebrovascular angiogenesis, decreased cerebral blood flow, or microcirculatory dysfunction in the brain. In this study, we enrolled 357 patients with mild intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) from five hospitals in China and analyzed the relationships between LA and clinical symptom severity at admission, neurological function prognosis at 3 months, and 1-year stroke recurrence. Patients were divided into groups based on Fazekas scale scores: no LA (n = 83), mild LA (n = 64), moderate LA (n = 98) and severe LA (n = 112). More severe LA, larger hematoma volume, and higher blood glucose level at admission were associated with more severe neurological deficit. More severe LA, older age and larger hematoma volume were associated with worse neurological function prognosis at 3 months. In addition, moderate-to-severe LA, admission glucose and symptom-free cerebral infarction were associated with 1-year stroke recurrence. These findings suggest that LA severity may be a potential marker of individual ICH vulnerability, which can be characterized by poor tolerance to intracerebral attack or poor recovery ability after ICH. Evaluating LA severity in patients with mild ICH may help neurologists to optimize treatment protocols. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University (approval No. 12) on March 10, 2011.

RNA-seq analysis of ischemia stroke and normal brain in a tree shrew model with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Nowadays, similar strategies have been used for the treatment and prevention of acute stroke in both diabetes mellitus (DM) and non-DM populations. These strategies were analyzed to provide an experimental basis for the clinical prevention and treatment of stroke in patients both with and without DM. Tree shrews were randomly divided into control, DM, ischemic stroke (IS), and DMIS groups with 18 animals in each group. Serum biochemical indicators were used to assess metabolic status. Neural tissue damage was determined using triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, H-E staining, and electron microscopy. Differential gene expression of neural tissue between the DM and control groups and the IS and DMIS groups was measured using RNA-seq analysis. The serum glucose levels of the DM and DMIS groups were significantly higher than other groups. In the DMIS group, the infarct size was significantly larger than in the IS group (19.56 ± 1.25%), with a more obvious abnormal ultrastructure of neural cells. RNA-seq analysis showed that the expression of IL-8, C-C motif chemokine 2 (CCL2), and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin was significantly higher in the DM group than in the control group. The CCL7, ATP-binding cassette sub-family A member 12, and adhesion G protein-coupled receptor E2 levels were significantly higher in the DMIS group than in the IS group. For the prevention and treatment of stroke in patients with DM, reducing the inflammatory state of the nervous system may reduce the incidence of stroke and improve the prognosis of neurological function after IS.

The Association Between Heart Rate Variability and 90-Day Prognosis in Patients With Transient Ischemic Attack and Minor Stroke.

Background: Low heart rate variability (HRV) is known to be associated with increased all-cause, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular mortality but its association with clinical outcomes in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke is unclear.Methods: We selected TIA and minor stroke patients from a prospective registration study. From each continuous electrocardiograph (ECG) record, each QRS complex was detected and normal-to-normal (N-N) intervals were determined. The standard deviation of all N-N intervals (SDNN) and the square root of the mean squared differences of successive N-N intervals (RMSSD) were calculated. Logistic regression analysis and Cox regression analysis were performed to assess the outcomes of patients at 90 days, and the odds and risk ratios (OR/HR) of each index quartile were compared.Results: Compared with SDNN patients in the lowest quartile, neurological disability was significantly reduced in other quartile groups at 90 days, with significant differences [OR of group Q2 was 0.659; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.482–0.900; p = 0.0088; OR of group Q3 was 0.662; 95% CI, 0.478–0.916; p = 0.0127; OR of group Q4 was 0.441; 95% CI, 0.305–0.639; p <0.0001]. Compared with the lowest quartile, the recurrence rate of TIA or minor stroke in patients of the two higher quartiles (Q3 and Q4) of SDNN was significantly reduced at 90 days (HR of Q3 group was 0.732; 95% CI, 0.539–0.995; p = 0.0461; HR of Q4 group was 0.528; 95% CI, 0.374–0.745; p = 0.0003).Conclusions: Based on our findings, autonomic dysfunction is an adverse indicator for neurological function prognosis and stroke recurrence 90 days after TIA or minor stroke.

Young plasma attenuates cognitive impairment and the cortical hemorrhage area in cerebral amyloid angiopathy model mice.

BackgroundCerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is characterized by the deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) in leptomeningeal vessels and penetrating arterioles. Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the most destructive complications in CAA. Young plasma has been shown to improve cognitive, learning, and memory functions in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) model mice and is a new potential therapy. However, it is not clear whether young plasma can reduce cerebral hemorrhage and improve the prognosis of neurological function in APP/PS1 (which express APP695swe and PS1-dE9 mutations) mice with CAA disease.MethodsThe Y-maze, new object recognition (NOR), forced swimming, open field, sucrose consumption, and corner tests were used to evaluate the learning and memory, cognitive ability, and emotional changes in CAA model mice. The effect of young plasma on neurogenesis was analyzed by immunofluorescence. The level of Aβ in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of mice was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Finally, the area of cortical hemorrhage in mice was analyzed by fast blue-staining.ResultsWe proved that young plasma improved cognition, learning and memory impairment, and anxiety in CAA model mice, prevented neuronal apoptosis, and enhanced neurogenesis in APP/PS1 mice. However, young plasma did not reduce the level of Aβ in the cortex and hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. We also found that young plasma reduced the area of cerebral hemorrhage in APP/PS1 mice.ConclusionsOur results show that young plasma can improve learning and memory, cognitive impairment, and anxiety in CAA model mice and can reduce the area of cortical hemorrhage.

Rehabilitation therapy for patients with glioma

Background:Glioma is the most common type of brain tumor because of the destructiveness of the disease itself and the side effects of treatment, patients often leave symptoms of neurological defects. At present, rehabilitation treatment is not popular in glioma patients. There is a lack of definite evidence to prove the benefits of rehabilitation therapy for glioma patients. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to determine whether rehabilitation therapy can significantly improve the prognosis of neurological function and improve the quality of life of patients with glioma.Methods:The articles about rehabilitation treatment of glioma in Cochrane, PubMed, and Embase, Web of Science, and Medline database from January 1990 to May 2020 were searched. Before rehabilitation as the control group, after rehabilitation as the experimental group. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) was used as the outcome index, including total FIM, motor FIM, and cognitive FIM. Use STATA12.0 for meta-analysis.Results:A total of 8 articles were included in the study, with a total of 375 glioma patients. Meta-analysis of total FIM (SMD = 0.96, 95%CI = 0.66–1.26, P < .001), motor FIM (SMD = 0.75, 95%CI = 0.54–0.96, P < .001) and cognitive FIM (SMD = 0.35, 95%CI = 0.19–0.50, P < .001) indicated that the neurological function of rehabilitation was significantly improved in total, motor and consciousness.Conclusion:The published studies show that rehabilitation therapy can improve the functional prognosis and quality of life of glioma patients. More attention should be paid to the therapeutic value of rehabilitation for glioma patients in the future.PROSPERO registration number:PROSPERO CRD42020188740.

Potential Efficacy of Erythropoietin on Reducing the Risk of Mortality in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of erythropoietin (EPO) on mortality, neurological outcomes, and adverse event in the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods We searched databases including PubMed, OVID, and the Cochrane Library from inception until October 18, 2019 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare EPO treatment group and placebo in patients with TBI. Two authors independently processed the data and evaluated the quality of inclusion studies. Statistical analysis was performed with heterogeneity test with I2 and chi-square tests. We summarized the mortality, prognosis of neurological function, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) outcomes and presented as risk ratio (RR) or risk difference (RD) with a 95% CI. Results Seven RCTs accounting for 1180 patients were included after meeting the inclusion criteria. Compared with placebo, the overall mortality of EPO-treated patients was significantly reduced (RR 0.68 [95% CI 0.50-0.93]; p = 0.02). EPO therapy did not improve neurological prognosis (RR 1.21 [95% CI 0.93-1.15]; p = 0.16) or increase the occurrence of DVT (RR 0.83 [95% CI 0.61–1.13]; p = 0.242), which showed no significant difference. Conclusions The results showed that the administration of EPO may reduce the risk of mortality without enhancing the occurrence of DVT in TBI patients. However, the effect of EPO on neurological outcome remains indistinct. Through subgroup analysis, we demonstrated that the dose of EPO may be a potential factor affecting the heterogeneity in neurological function and that the follow-up duration may influence the stability of the result.

Diving Accident Evacuations by Helicopter and Immersion Pulmonary Edema.

BACKGROUND: Scuba diving activities expose divers to serious accidents, which can require early hospitalization. Helicopters are used for early evacuation. On the French Mediterranean coast, rescue is made offshore mainly by a French Navy Dauphin or at a landing zone by an emergency unit EC 135 helicopter.METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed diving accidents evacuated by helicopter on the French Mediterranean coast from 1 September 2014 to 31 August 2016. We gathered data at the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Diving Expertise (SMHEP) of the Sainte-Anne Military Hospital (Toulon, France), the 35 F squadron at Hyres (France) Naval Air Station, and the SAMU 83 emergency unit (Toulon, France).RESULTS: A total of 23 diving accidents were evacuated offshore by Dauphin helicopter and 23 at a landing zone on the coast by EC 135 helicopter without hoist. Immersion pulmonary edema (IPE) accounted for one-third of the total diving accidents evacuated by helicopter with identified causes. It was responsible for at least half of the deaths at the dive place. A quarter of the rescued IPE victims died because of early cardiac arrest.DISCUSSION: Helicopter evacuation is indicated when vital prognosis (IPE and pulmonary overpressure in particular) or neurological functional prognosis (decompression sickness) is of concern. IPE is the primary etiology in patients with serious dive injuries that are life-threatening and who will benefit from helicopter evacuation. A non-invasive ventilation device with inspiratory support and positive expiratory pressure must be used, in particular for IPE.Corgie L, Huiban N, Pontier J-M, Brocq F-X, Boulard J-F, Monteil M. Diving accident evacuations by helicopter and immersion pulmonary edema. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(10):806811.

Application of transcranial Doppler in prognosis assessment of nerve function in patients with acute cerebral infarction after intracranial mechanical thrombectomy

To investigate the application value of transcranial Doppler (TCD) in the prognosis assessment of nerve function in patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI) after intracranial mechanical thrombectomy. A retrospective analysis was conducted. The clinical data of 43 patients with acute anterior circulation cerebral infarction who received intra-arterial mechanical thrombotomy for recanalization admitted to Taizhou Central Hospital from January 2018 to December 2019 were analyzed. The modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of patients were followed up by telephone at 3 months after surgery to evaluate the prognosis of neurologic outcome. Patients with mRS score 0-2 were enrolled in the good prognosis group, while those with a score of 3-6 were enrolled in the poor prognosis group. The gender, age, past history, underlying diseases, occluded arteries, atherosclerotic stenosis and bridging treatment, time from onset to reperfusion, blood flow dynamics under TCD at 1 day after thrombectomy, and National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) scores before and 1, 7, and 14 days after thrombectomy were compared between the two groups. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the prognostic factors of nerve function at 3 months after mechanical thrombectomy in patients with ACI. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the prognostic value for neurological function assessed by TCD. Forty-three patients were enrolled in the final analysis, with 23 patients in the good prognosis group and 20 in the poor prognosis group. The recanalization was successfully achieved in both groups without complications. However, the hemodynamics of intracranial arteries evaluated by TCD 1 day after operation in both groups still showed partial or complete occlusion, and the hemodynamics of patients in the poor prognosis group was worse than that in the good prognosis group (poor blood flow: 40.0% vs. 0%, inadequate blood flow: 30.0% vs. 17.4%, good blood flow: 30.0% vs. 82.6%), and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.01). Before thrombotomy, there was no significant difference in NIHSS score between the two groups. After thrombotomy, the NIHSS score of the two groups gradually decreased with the extension of time, but the NIHSS score at 14 days after operation of the poor prognosis group was still significantly higher than that of the good prognosis group (10.55±2.93 vs. 4.65±1.70, P < 0.01). Univariate analysis showed that compared with the good prognosis group, the proportion of patients with diabetes and arteriosclerosis stenosis in the poor prognosis group were significantly increased (30.0% vs. 4.3%, 45.0% vs. 17.4%, both P < 0.05), and the time from onset to reperfusion was prolonged (minutes: 385.9±96.2 vs. 294.5±95.1, P < 0.01). Multivariable Logistic regression analysis showed that the therosclerosis stenosis [odds ratio (OR) = 9.334, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.092-79.775, P = 0.041] and the reperfusion time (OR = 1.016, 95%CI was 1.006-1.027, P = 0.002) were associated with prognosis of nerve function at 3 months after mechanical thrombectomy in patients with ACI. ROC curve analysis suggested that the evaluation of intracranial hemodynamics by TCD might be able to predict the prognosis of neurological function in patients with ACI after 3 months of intracranial mechanical thrombectomy, the area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.768 (95%CI was 0.620-0.917), the sensitivity was 65.0%, the specificity was 87.0%, the positive predictive value was 82.6%, and the negative predictive value was 70.0%. The evaluation of intracranial hemodynamics assessed by TCD is helpful in early judging the prognosis of neurological function in patients with ACI after intracranial mechanical thrombectomy.