1.Clinical and electrophysiological features of patients with coexistence of epilepsy and narcolepsy
Gengyao HU ; Lang JIN ; Na YUAN ; Zezhi WANG ; Ze CHEN ; Jingwen LI ; Yonghong LIU
Chinese Journal of Neurology 2021;54(6):560-566
Objective:To describe the electroclinical features of the coexistence of epilepsy and narcolepsy.Methods:The electroencephalography database was searched using the terms “epilepsy” and “narcolepsy” over a four-year period from January 2016 to December 2019 in the Xijing Hospital. The clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of patients with coexistence of epilepsy and narcolepsy were studied.Results:Five patients with comorbidity for epilepsy and narcolepsy were found, of which three patients were female, two patients were male. The age at epilepsy onset and narcolepsy onset was 2-12 years and 8-17 years, respectively. There were two patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, one with sleep-related hypermoter epilepsy, one with epilepsy with retardation of brain development, one with symptomatic epilepsy with cognitive decline. All the patients had narcolepsy with cataplexy, which followed the onset of epilepsy by three months to eight years. All the patients accepted 24 h video electroencephalography monitoring and multiple sleep latency test. Interictal epileptic discharges were found, mean sleep latency was<8 min, and two or more sleep onset rapid eye movement periods were recorded. Duloxetine hydrochloride can effectively improve the drowsiness and catalepsy symptoms of narcolepsy, and seizures did not worsen in patients using duloxetine hydrochloride.Conclusions:Both generalized and focal epilepsy can occur in narcolepsy with cataplexy. Duloxetine hydrochloride may be safe and effective in treating narcolepsy in patients with epilepsy.
2.Clinical and electrophysiological study of neck myoclonus during sleep
Gengyao HU ; Na YUAN ; Zezhi WANG ; Ze CHEN ; Yonghong LIU
Chinese Journal of Neurology 2021;54(7):665-669
Objective:To discuss the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of neck myoclonus during sleep.Methods:The clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of 31 patients in the Electroencephalography Monitoring Center of Xijing Hospital from January 2020 to August 2020 were studied retrospectively. All the patients received video-polysomnography and video-electroencephalography.Results:There were 22 males (71%) and nine females (29%) in the 31 patients. The mean age of the patients at the time of inclusion in the study was 27.8 years. Neck myoclonus was most common in patients with narcolepsy ( n=8), followed by epilepsy ( n=4), obstructive sleep apnea syndrome ( n=4), anxiety and depression ( n=3), snoring ( n=3), etc. A total of 555 motor events were considered and analyzed, 89.5% (497/555) of which occurred during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The mean neck myoclonus index in REM sleep (5.8) was significantly higher than that in non-rapid eye movement sleep (0.2). Totally 48.3% (268/555) of neck myoclonus were accompanied by an arousal, 0.7% (4/555) by a full awakening, and 2.7% (15/555) by limb movements. Conclusions:Neck myoclonus is common during REM sleep, which can occur in patients with sleep disorders and epilepsy. Physiological or pathological significance of neck myoclonus has to be investigated in further studies.
3.Mechanism of CD226-dependant NK cell regulation in mouse obesity
Wei HU ; Dongliang ZHANG ; Xueqin LIU ; Gengyao ZHOU ; Jinxue ZHANG ; Xin YI ; Bo ZHOU ; Jiangang XIE ; Yuan ZHANG ; Ran ZHUANG
Chinese Journal of Microbiology and Immunology 2019;39(2):131-139
Objective To investigate the effects of CD226 knockout ( KO) on obese mice fed with high fat diet and to analyze the composition of immune cells in CD226KO obese mice for further elucidating the immunological mechanism of CD226 involved in high fat diet-induced obesity. Methods Both wild-type ( WT) and CD226KO mice were randomly divided into two groups, high-fat and normal diet groups, and fed for 14 weeks to establish the type 2 diabetes model. Immune cells in mouse spleen and peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry. In in vitro experiments, NK92-MI cells were infected with pshRNA-CD226 lenti-virus to silence CD226 expression, and then qPCR was performed to detect the expression of Foxp3, TNF-αand IFN-γ at mRNA level. Results In the high-fat diet groups, CD226KO mice had lower blood glucose, serum insulin and HOMA-IR than WT mice, but higher HOMA-IS and HOMA-β. CD226KO could reduce compensatory hyperplasia of islet tissue, and significantly down-regulate the proportion of spleen NK cells in mice. The proportion of CD3-CD49b+CD25+Foxp3+regulatory NK cells (NKreg) increased significantly in CD226KO mice. CD226KO could significantly increase Foxp3 expression in NK92-MI cells and decrease the expression of TNF-α and IFN-γ. Conclusions CD226KO can alleviate insulin resistance, increase the number of islet β-cell and improve islet β-cell function in obese mice. The mechanism might be related to the up-regulation of Foxp3+ NKreg ratio.
4.A case of leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter confirmed by gene report reinterpretation
Min LI ; Mengli WU ; Ya BAI ; Zhijun ZHANG ; Gengyao HU ; Xuedong LIU ; Yanchun DENG
Chinese Journal of Neurology 2022;55(7):738-742
Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter (VWM) is one of the most prevalent inherited childhood white-matter disorders, and the pathogenic gene has been confirmed as EIF2B gene. VWM is characterized by chronic progressive neurological deterioration with cerebellar ataxia, usually less prominent spasticity and relatively mild mental decline. There are episodes of rapid and major neurological deterioration provoked by stresses, such as fever, minor physical trauma and acute fright, which is a characteristic clinical feature of VWM. Brain magnetic resonance imaging findings are diagnostic in almost all patients,and the disappearance of the cerebral white matter occurs in a diffuse "melting away" pattern. The onset of VWM can be at any age from fetal stage to adult stage, and the clinical phenotypes vary immensely. Gene diagnosis is the golden standard for VWM. This article reported a patient with a course of 17 years, who was misdiagnosed as Wilson′s disease because of low serum ceruloplasmin, and was finally diagnosed as VWM by reinterpretation of whole exome sequencing, which is worthy of clinicians′ vigilance and consideration.
5.Clinical and electrophysiological features of epilepsy combined with neck myoclonus
Gengyao HU ; Na YUAN ; Zezhi WANG
Journal of Apoplexy and Nervous Diseases 2021;38(11):998-1000
To describe the electroclinical features of epilepsy and neck myoclonus.Methods We searched the EEG database using the terms “epilepsy” and “neck myoclonus” over a 2-year period from January 2018 to January 2020 in the Xijing Hospital,Xi’an,China. The clinical and electrophysiological characteristics were studied. Results Four patients with epilepsy and neck myoclonus were male.They were diagnosed with genetic generalized epilepsy,of which 3 patients were epilepsy of generalized tonic-clonic seizures alone,1 patient was epilepsy of eyelid myoclonia with absences.The mean age at epilepsy onset was 9~27 years. Epilepsy and valproate treatment preceded neck myoclonus in two patients,and the neck myoclonus disappeared after discontinuation of valproate in one of them. A total of 254 neck myoclonus were recorded,92.5% of the events occurred during Rapid eye movement sleep,and then non-rapid eye movement 1 sleep. Conclusion Neck myoclonus may be more common in genetic generalized epilepsy. Video electroencephalography monitoring may be helpful to confirm the type of the myoclonus. The electroclinical features and mechanisms of the coexistence of epilepsy and neck myoclonus need further study.