AIM:To evaluate the clinical characteristics in retinal nerve fiber layer ( RNFL) thickness of the 8~17 years old near sightedness, provide the basis for juvenile glaucoma diagnosis, to avoid missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis.
METHODS:A total of 165 eyes from 99 healthy subjects ( age range 8 ~ 17 years ) were divided into low, moderate, high myopia and normal group. Cirrus HD OCT was used to measure the RNFL thickness. Each subject was performed circular scans around the optic nerve with a circle size of 3. 46mm. Total average, mean quadrant and clock - hour RNFL thicknesses were recorded and compared between the four groups. The characteristics of the RNFL thickness of myopia were observed.
RESULTS: Compared myopia groups with normal group, the mean RNFL thickness decreased, there was statistically significant difference in high myopia group (P<0. 05). The mean RNFL thickness of superior, inferior and nasal quadrant decreased, temporal quadrant was thickened. Compared moderate and high myopia groups with normal group, superior, inferior quadrant RNFL thickness were thinning, temporal quadrant was thickening, the differences had statistical significance ( P< 0. 05 ). The RNFL measurements were statistically significant thinner in the myopia groups compared with normal group at 1:00, 5:00, 6:00 and 12:00 o'clock ( P<0.05) and thicker at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 o'clock (P<0. 05). The RNFL measurement was statistically significant thicker in the low myopia group compared with normal group at 3:00 o'clock (P<0. 05).
CONCLUSION: Compared adolescent myopia with normal, the Avg ( mean RNFL thickness ) , S ( superior quadrant RNFL thickness ) , I ( inferior quadrant RNFL thickness), 1:00, 5:00, 6:00 and 12:00 o'clock RNFL thickness is thinner, which is decreased with the increasing SE. While the temporal ( T) quadrant, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 o'clock RNFL thickness is thicker, which increased with the increasing SE. Analysis of RNFL thickness in the evaluation of glaucoma should always be interpreted with reference to the refractive status, so as not to cause misdiagnosis of glaucoma. The highest diagnosis efficiency position of glaucoma is infratemporal (7:00~8:00 o'clock) and superior temporal (10:00 ~11:00 o'clock), which is not thinner in juvenile myopia, if these positions become thinner, it may be the possibility of glaucoma.

ObjectiveTo standardize the process in making the model of acute regional cerebral ischemia in Sprague-Dawley rats, and to economize time and material.MethodsRegional cerebral ischemia rat's models were induced and modified according to Koizumi's method.ResultsThe time duration was controllable and the volume of cerebral infarct was determined by adverting the approaches such as the preparation of suture, anaesthesia of the animal, and the details of surgical operation.ConclusionThe acute regional cerebral ischemic model in rats made by Koizumi's method is stable and reliable, and is easy for the beginner to carry out under limited conditions.

Objective: To investigate the value of the trigeminocervical response (TCR) for revealing bulbar involvement in patients with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). Methods: Thirty patients with SBMA and 30 healthy male controls were included in this study. In all of the normal controls, stimulation of the infraorbital nerve on one side produced bilateral short latency waves consisting of a positive/negative wave, p19/n31, the mean latency of which was measured. The mean square root of the ratio between the amplitude of p19/n31 and the mean rectifi ed surface electromyography (EMG) activity preceding the stimulus, the A value, was estimated. The parameters of the TCR were compared between the two groups. Results: Among the patients with SBMA, 21 (70.0%) had delayed latencies of p19/n31 (P < 0.01) and all (100%) had reduced A values (P < 0.01) relative to the normal controls. Conclusions: All parameters of the TCR were signifi cantly different between the patients with SBMA and the normal controls. T

Objective To evoke cerebral potentials by stimulating nociceptive fibers with contact heat evoked potentials stimulator (CHEPS)and estimate the nerve conduction velocities of peripheral nerve fibers mediating these responses.Methods Subjects were set in supine position.A heat-foil technology with a rapid rising speed at 70 ℃/s was used to elicit pain and contact heat evoked potentials(CHEP).Contact heat was delivered via one circular thermode (diameter 27 mm,area 573 mm~2).Thermal stimuli were sent at two intensity levels (49.5 ℃ and 54.5 ℃) to three body sites:thenar eminence,the dorsum of hand and proximal volar forarm.Contact heat evoked potentials were recorded from Cz and Pz.A systemic effect between stimulus intensities and pain rating were observed,the main components of this evoked potential were observed.Nerve conduction velocity was calculated from latency difference of CHEP and center to center distance of distal and proximal stimulus arrays.Results The pain intensity rating was 3.2?0.3 and 4.4?0.5 when thenar eminence was stimulated at the temperature of 49.5 ℃ and 54.5 ℃ respectively;the rating was 6.3?0.8 and 7.2?0.5 when the dorsum of hand and proximal volar forarm were stimulated at the temperature of 54.5 ℃ respectively.Three components,Cz/N550,Cz/P750 and Pz/P1000,were found in the evoked potentials.Nerve conduction velocities of the fibers were (12.9?7.5) and (1.7?0.4) m/s respectively,which were corresponding to those of A8 fiber and C fiber.Conclusions CHEPs can be elicited reliably and stably.Velocities of peripheral nerve fibers demonstrate that A8 fiber and C fiber mediate the response.

Objective To establish the method of contact heat evoked potential(CHEP)and to explore the value of this evoked potential in pain testing of patients with cerebral infarction.Methods A total of 100 healthy volunteers and 30 patients were examined.The healthy volunteers were divided into 3 groups according to the length of their arms:(Group A:56.0～65.0 cm ;Group B :65.5～74.0 cm ;Group C :74.5～83.0 cm).A recently de- veloped heat-foil technique with a rapid temperature rising rate at 70℃/s was used to elicit pain and contact heat e- voked potentials.Contact heat was delivered via one circular thermode(diameter 27 mm,area 573 mm~2)and set at two intensity levels(49.5℃and 54.5℃)to three body sites:the thenar eminence,the dorsum of hand and proximal volar forearm.The subjects were asked to rate the pain with numerical rating scale after each stimulus and CHEP was recorded from Cz and Pz.The association between stimulus intensities and pain rating was explored,the main compo- nents of the evuked potential were watched.CHEP,sensory conduction velocity(SCV)and somatosensory evoked potentials(SEP)were performed in patients with hemi-anesthesia caused by cerebral infarction.Results The pain intensity ratings were 3.2?0.3 and 4.4?0.5 at thenar eminence,5.0?0.7 and 6.3?0.8 at the dorsum of hand and 5.3?0.6 and 7.2?0.5 at the proximal volar forearm when the temperature of 49.5℃and 54.5℃was applied, respectively;Three components,Cz/N550,Cz/P750 and Pz/P1000,were identified in the evoked potentials.Cz/ N550 and Cz/P750 appeared when the dorsum of hand and proximal volar forearm were stimulated.In contrast,Pz/ P1000 could be identified when nociceptors of thenar eminence and proximal volar fbrearm were excited.In the pa- tients with cerebral infarction,CHEP disappeared or became abnormal on one side,while SCV and SEP were normal on that side.Conclusion It was suggested that CHEP could be elicited reliably in the controls.CHEP is helpful in the assessment of analgesia in patients with cerebral infarction.

Through searching domestic and foreign medical journals in CNKI, Wanfang database, VIP database and Pubmed database from January of 2003 to November of 2013, 39 articles regarding musical electroacupuncture (MEA) were analyzed. The result showed that MEA was clinically used to treat neurological and psychotic disorders; because it was combined with musical therapy and overcame the acupuncture tolerability, and MEA was superior to traditional electroacupuncture. However, problems such as low research efficiency and the mechanism of MEA superiority and the musical specificity not being revealed by research design still exist. In future, large-sample multi-center RCT researches should be performed to clarify MEA clinical efficacy. With modern science and technology and optimized study design, guided by five-element theory of TCM, researches on different musical elements and characteristics of musical pulse current as well as MEA's correlation with meridians and organs should be studied, so as to make a further exploration on MEA mechanisms and broaden the range of its clinical application.
Acupuncture Points ; Bibliometrics ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Music Therapy

Water soluble extract (WSE) is an important index for the quality evaluation of Astragali Radix (AR). In this study, the WSE of the wild AR from Shanxi province (SX) and the cultivated AR from Gansu Province (GS) were compared. The WSEs of two types of AR were determined according to the appendix of Chinese pharmacopoeia. Then the WSEs were subjected to NMR analysis, and the obtained data were analyzed using HCA, PCA, OPLS-DA, microarray analysis, and Spearman rank analysis. In addition, the Pearson correlation of differential metabolites were also calculated. The results showed that the WSE content of GS-AR (37.80%) was higher than that of SX-AR (32.13%). The main constituent of WSE was sucrose, and other 18 compounds, including amino acids, organic acids, were also detected. Multivariate analysis revealed that SX-AR contained more choline, succinic acid, citric acid, glutamate, taurine and aspartate, while GS samples contained more sucrose, arginine and fumaric acid. In addition, the Pearson correlations between different metabolites of the two types of AR also showed apparent differences. The results suggested that the WSE of two types of AR differs not only in the content, but also in the chemical compositions. Thus, the cultivation way is important to the quality of AR. This study supplied a new method for the comparison of extract of herbal drugs.
Arginine ; analysis ; Aspartic Acid ; analysis ; Choline ; analysis ; Citric Acid ; analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; chemistry ; Fumarates ; analysis ; Glutamic Acid ; analysis ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Multivariate Analysis ; Phylogeography ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Succinic Acid ; analysis ; Sucrose ; analysis ; Taurine ; analysis

BACKGROUNDMitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We aimed to demonstrate mitochondrial dysfunction in ALS using a lactate stress test and to examine the relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction with motor deterioration.

METHODSWe enrolled 116 patients and observed clinical variables, including the survival state.

RESULTSPatients with a rapid slope of revised ALS functional rating scales (ALSFRS-r) (>20 U/year) exhibited the slowest elimination rate (median -4.67 × 10-3 mmol·L-1·min-1 , coefficient of variation, 590.15%), the shortest duration (0.63 ± 0.28 years) and the worst ALSFRS-r (32.59 ± 4.93). Patients with a moderate slope of ALSFRS-r (10-20 U/year) showed a moderate elimination rate (median -11.33 × 10-3 mmol·L-1·min-1 , coefficient of variation, 309.89%), duration (1.16 ± 0.45 years), and ALSFRS-r (34.83 ± 6.11). The slower progressing (<10 U/year group) patients exhibited a rapid elimination rate (median: -12.00 × 10-3 mmol·L-1·min-1 , coefficient of variation: 143.08%), longer duration (median: 3 years, coefficient of variation: 193.33%), and adequate ALSFRS-r values (39.58 ± 9.44). Advanced-phase ALS patients also showed slower elimination rate (ER, quartiles -17.33, -5.67, 4.00) and worse ALSFRS-r (34.88 ± 9.27), while early-phase patients showed a more rapid ER (quartiles -25.17, -11.33, -3.50) and better ALSFRS-r (39.28 ± 7.59). These differences were statistically significant. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed strong direct associations among ER, ALSFRS-r slope (standard beta = 0.33, P = 0.007), and forced vital capacity (predict %) (standard beta = -0.458, P = 0.006, adjusted for ALSFRS-r, course and onset region). However, the data obtained from 3 years of follow-up showed no statistically significant difference in the survival rates between the most rapid and slowest ER groups.

CONCLUSIONThere is a potential linear relationship between ER and motor deterioration in ALS. Slower ER might be associated with faster disease progression.

Adult ; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ; blood ; mortality ; pathology ; Analysis of Variance ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lactic Acid ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

AIM:To investigate the effect of intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs combined with other methods in the treatment of Coats disease.METHODS:Selected 13 patients 13 eyes with Coats disease in our hospital from May 2013 to May 2016.All eyes were treated with intravitreal injection of ranibizumab and combined with scleral drainage, laser photocoagulation and so on.We observed visual acuity and retinal reattachment.RESULTS:In 13 eyes, the treatment of 4 eyes with intravitreal injection of ranibizumab and combined with scleral drainage, 3 eyes combined laser photocoagulation, 6 eyes combined vitrectomy, membrane peeling, freezing, silicone oil filling or other treatments.Eyeball retention rate was 100%.Visual acuity at 6mo after treatment significantly improved compared with before treatment (P<0.05).The visual acuity was ≥0.05-0.1, 0.01-<0.05, counting finger, light perception and hand moving before treatment in 0, 0, 38%, 38% and 23%, after treatment were 23%, 23%, 38%, 15% and 0.Complete retinal reattachment was achieved in 5 eyes, accounting for 38%;basic reset in 3 eyes, accounting for 23%;5 eyes were not reset, accounting for 38%.CONCLUSION:Intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drugs combined with other methods for the treatment of Coats disease have a certain effect, can improve or maintain the limited visual function, avoid enucleation of eyeball due to disease progression.

Objective To investigate the dynamic changes of the spinal cord during neck flexion in Hirayama disease for diagnosis.Methods MRI examinations in neutral neck position and a fully flexed neck position were performed on 18 cases of Hirayama disease and 31 young normal control subjects.We measured an antero-posterior diameter(APD)and transverse diameter(TD)of the cervical cord at the superior margin of the C6 vertebral body for each position,and investigate the dynamic changes.The different in frequency of these findings between the control and patient groups was examined by means of the x~2 test.The group means were compared by independent-sample t-test.Significance was defined as P