Objective To observe age-dependent feature of damage of hippocampus to different maturational stages rats after kindling repeated seizures.Methods The effects of 5 daily pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsions in different rats beginning at postnatal day 10,20,60(P10,P20,P60)were evaluated.In the 3 groups,Thionin staining method was utilized to observe morphological changes and cell counting of dentate granule cells,CA3,CA1,and hilar neurons.Timm's method of silver sulfide staining was adopted to observe the mossy fiber sprouting.Results 1.Cell counting of CA1,CA3 and hilar neurons in P10 and P20 groups demonstrated no differences from controls in rats,whereas P60 with daily seizures had a significant decrease in CA1,CA3 neurons(8.22?1.88,5.62?1.68 vs 6.31?1.50,3.62?1.40)(t=2.246,2.587 Pa

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam (LEV) monotherapy on children with epilepsy.Methods Forty-one children (26 cases were male,15 cases were female) with epilepsy aged 7 months to 13 years were treated with LEV as monotherapy.These patients were selected from Department of Neurology ,Wuhan Children′s Hospital, from Aug.2007 to Aug.2009.The starting do-sage of LEV was (13.6?4.7) mg?kg-1?d-1,twice daily,and its objective dosage was (25.7?7.5) mg?kg-1?d-1,twice daily.LEV monotherapy was investigated by a self-controlled and open-label research,and the follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 2 years.Results The effective rate was 68.3% (28 cases),with 39.0% (16 cases) achieving seizure freedom in LEV monotherapy of children with epilepsy.Thirteen patients (31.7%) had poor efficacy in reduction of seizures,7 patients (17.1%) discontinued LEV monotherapy due to either an inadequate seizure control or aggravated seizures.Fifteen patients (36.6%) had the therapy-related adverse events in LEV monotherapy,including gastrointestinal dysfunction (5 cases),irritability (5 cases),dizziness (2 cases) and somnolence (2 cases).The adverse effects appeared in 2-4 weeks of early LEV therapy and were spontaneously disappeared in 1 week to 1 month of continuing therapy.Conclusions The LEV monotherapy is effective and safe for the control of partial and generalized seizures in children with epilepsy.LEV appears to be a broad-spectrum,first-line anti-epileptic drug in treatment of children with epilepsy.

0.05).The adverse effect of treatment group was significantly less than control group(P

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and diagnostic main points of poliomyelitis-like syndrome(PS).Met-hods The clinical data of 15 children with PS were analyzed retrospectively including nervous system manifestation,results of lab andauxiliary examination,diagnosis and reason of misdiagnosis,treatment and progress.Results PS in all 15 children was characterized by mean age of onset(3.3 years),and forerunner infection(in 11 cases,73%)with acute upper respiratory infection of diarrhea 1-2 weeks pre-onset or during onset.All cases were acute flaccid paralysis,12 cases(80%) of which were only one limb.The positive outcome of serologic examination in PS consisted of 4 cases in coxsackie virus-IgM,1 case in EB virus-IgM,1 case in herpes simplex virus-IgM and 1 case in mycoplasma-IgM.All children showed the electromyologram changes in nerve damage.The muscle force of 4 cases increased one grade.Conclusions Children with PS are characterized by the age of onset under 5 years old,acute flaccid paralysis(mostly affected one limb),and the most pathogen being enterovirus.The electromyologram examination can help establish a definite diagnosis in PS.

Objective To explore the risk factors affecting prognosis of children with Tourette syndrome(TS).Methods The follow-up visits were conducted on the clinical data of 98 cases with TS(85 male,13 female;aged 4-16 years old)from 1997 to 2005 in Wuhan children's hospital.All cases were consistent with the diagnostic criteria of TS in the 4th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-Ⅳ).The investigations were performed by the investigators who received special training using the unified questionnaire with the methods of direct inquiry or by telephone.The factors included sex,age,severity of TS,the primary symptoms,family history,coexisting diseases,basic diseases,perinatal abnormity and family-social relations.The prognosis of TS and these factors were analyzed by linear regression and stepwise regression with SPSS 12.0 software.Results About 16 cases lost follow-up and the other 82 cases with follow-up(72 male and 10 female)received retrospective review.They were 14 to 25 years old with complete data,and 50 cases healed,32 cases not healed.Results from non-conditional simple variant Logistic regression showed that such cases were associated with the following factors:age,family history of TS,severity of TS,coexisting diseases,basic diseases and perinatal abnormity(Pa0.05).Out of 6 suspicious factors,there were coexisting diseases(OR=84.088,95%CI 10.850-651.682),severity of TS(OR=13.956,95% CI 2.412-80.762),and family history of TS(OR=27.127,95% CI 1.047-702.831)of risk factors.Conclusion The long-term prognosis of children with TS may be related with coexisting disease,severity of TS and family history respectively.

Objective To preliminarily evaluate the value of color power doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of sacroiliitis in ankylosing spondylitis(AS). Methods Fifty-seven sacroiliac joints in 31 patients with active AS and 40 sacroiliac joints in 20 volunteers were detected by color power doppler ultrasonography.The color flow signs inside the sacroiliac joints were observed,and the resistance index(RI) was measured. Results In active AS,color flow signs were seen in 55 joints,and the mean RI value was 0.53?0.08 in 45 joints,while the other 10 color flow signs represented reversed phase in diastolic phase on pulse doppler ultrasonography.In the volunteers,color flow signs were seen in 16 joints,and the mean RI value was 0.97?0.01 in 6 joints,while the other 10 color flow signs represented reversed phase in diastolic phase on pulse doppler ultrasonography. Conclusion The abnormal flow signs at the sacroiliac joints can be detected by color power doppler ultrasonography.Low RI values provide diagnosis evidence for active AS.

Autoimmune Diseases ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Child, Preschool ; Encephalitis ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; immunology

Appropriate selection and measurement of lead biomarkers of exposure are critically important for health care management purposes, public health decision making, and primary prevention synthesis. Lead is one of the neurotoxicants that seems to be involved in the etiology of psychologies. Biomarkers are generally classified into three groups: biomarkers of exposure, effect, and susceptibility.The main body compartments that store lead are the blood, soft tissues, and bone; the half-life of lead in these tissues is measured in weeks for blood, months for soft tissues, and years for bone. Within the brain, lead-induced damage in the prefrontal cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum can lead to a variety of neurological disorders, such as brain damage, mental retardation, behavioral problems, nerve damage, and possibly Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsons disease, and schizophrenia. This paper presents an overview of biomarkers of lead exposure and discusses the neurotoxic effects of lead with regard to children and adults.
Alzheimer Disease ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Animals ; Behavior ; drug effects ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Brain Diseases ; chemically induced ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Lead ; pharmacokinetics ; toxicity ; Lead Poisoning ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Parkinson Disease, Secondary ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Schizophrenia ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology

Objective To evaluate left atrial function in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy(ICM)and dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM)by two dimensional-speckle tracking imaging(2D-STI).Methods Twenty-two patients with ICM,twenty-six with DCM and thirty-two healthy subjects were studied.The maximum volume(LAVmax),minimum volume(LAVmin)and volume before the systole(LAVp)of left atria were acquired using biplane area-length method,and calculated the total emptying volume(LATV),expansion index(AEI),active emptying volume(LAEV)and fraction(LAEF)of left atria.The strain and strain rate during systole and late of diastole(Ss,SRs,Sa and SRa)were measured at each left atrial wall (septal,lateral,anterior and inferior).The average of them were worked out.The correlation of left atrial function and strain rate were analysed.Results ①No significant differences were found at the age,sex,heart rate and the E wave between the mitral leaflet tips during all the groups.Compared with the control group,the peak of A wave,the deceleration time of E wave and LVEF decreased in ICM and DCM groups,while the LAD,LVEDD and E/A increased significantly in the two groups(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences between ICM and DCM.②Compared with the controls,the LAVmax increased,AEI and LAEF decreased significantly in patients with ICM and DCM,even lower in DCM(p＜0.05).③Compared with the controls,the Ss,SRs,Sa and SRa reduced significantly in patients with ICM and DCM(P＜0.05),and the DCM showed much significant differences than ICM(P＜0.05).④The AEI had a positive correlation with SRs(r =0.765,P＜0.01).The LAEF had a significant correlation with SRa(r =0.830,P＜0.01).Conclusions The accumulation during systole and active emptying function during late of diastole are both lower in ICM and DCM,even worse in the latter.The 2D-STI may paly an important role in the evaluation of left atrial function.

Objective To assess the left ventricular function of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) by speckle tracking imaging (STI).Methods 75 AMI patients who had AMI for the first time and have been treated by primary PCI were enrolled.Dynamic images were acquired before PCI,at 6 months after PCI and analyzed by STI.Dynamic images were analyzed for longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS),radial peak systolic strain (RPSS) and circumferential peak systolic strain (CPSS) values by STI.According to the comparison of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) before PCI and 6 months after PCI,patients were divided into left ventricular function improved group (△LVEF≥5％) and not-improved group.Results Compared to non-improved group,LPSS (P ＜0.001),RPSS (P ＜0.05,P ＜0.001) and CPSS (P ＜0.001) of improved group were all higher before and 6 months after PCI.LPSS (r =-0.578,P ＜0.001) and CPSS (r =-0.817,P ＜0.001) before PCI were both closely related to △LVEF.In single parameter mode of ROC curve analysis,the area under the ROC curve (AUC) (0.867),sensitivity (94.7％) and specificity (74.4％) of CPSS are relatively higher than other STI parameters.In multiple parameters united mode of ROC curve analysis,AUC (0.897),sensitivity (94.7％) and specificity (74.4％) of LPSS,RPSS and CPSS united were the highest among all the combinations of all STI parameters.Conclusions Left ventricular function improvement of patients with AMI 6 months after PCI is accurately assessed and predicted by STI.CPSS is a strong predictor for left ventricular function improvement 6 months after PCI of AMI patients among all the STI parameters and is an effective indicator for the assessment of left ventricular function improvement of AMI patients.