Objective To investigate the cognitive impairment characteristics in Parkinson's disease (PD) with mild cognitive impairment(PD-MCI)as well as their related risk factors.Methods In all of the participants, a battery of neuropsychological tests were selected to identify the cognitive deficits; the 2 cognitive screening tests utilized in this study were the MMSE and the CAMCOG-C; the severity of disease was measured using the Hoehn-Yahr;the motor portion of the UPDRS and Webster scale were used to evaluate motor function and PD-MCI were classified according to modified Petersen's criteria.Results Of the 89 PD cases, 56 (63%) were cognitively normal (PDCOGNL), 20 (22%) had MCI and 13 (15%) met criteria for PD dementia (PDD). The cognitive domain abnormal in PD-MCI was orientation, language, memory, attention, praxis, thinking and perception. The PDCOGNL group had no significant differences in age and PD onset versus the PD-MCI group, but had significant difference in the years of education (PD-MCI:4.4±4.3,PDCOGNL:7.1±4.9;q=3.270, P<0.05); PD-MCI also had no significant differences for all of them versus the PDD, but the PDD group had significant differences for them (q=-4.913, -4.997, 4.740,all P<0.01) compared with the PDCOGNL group; there were no significant differences among 3 groups in years of PD duration. Hoehn-Yahr and Webster scale, UPDRS-motor score had negative correlation with PD cognitive function. Conclusions A stage of clinical cognitive impairment in PD can be defined between PDCOGNL and PDD that characterized as PD-MCI. There are multiple domains impaired in PD-MCI. The risk factors of PD cognitive impairment include the elder, later onset and lower education level. There are negative correlation between the severity of disease, motor function and PD cognitive function.

Objective To investigate the level and value of serum uric acid (UA) in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA).Methods One hundred and one MSA patients were selected as the MSA group and 101 age and sex-matched healthy controls as control group.The UA concentrations and other biochemical indexes were measured by an enzymatic method and carefully analyzed.By comparing the UA concentrations for different genders, subtypes, and different levels of certainty of the MSA group with their counterparts in the control group, we obtained the differences between these two groups and also discussed possible reasons and factors.Results The serum UA levels of MSA patients ((283.74 ± 87.76) μmol/L) were significantly lower than the controls ((317.86 ± 76.95) μmol/L;t =-2.94, P ＜ 0.05).In addition, when the male and female groups were investigated separately, the decrease of serum UA was more significant in the male group compared to the female group (t =-3.88, P ＜ 0.01).Furthermore, by comparing different subtypes of the MSA patients with the control group, we found that the serum UA levels in both P-type or C-type MSA patients were significantly lower than in controls (t =2.92, 2.02;all P ＜ 0.05).By comparing different levels of MSA with the control group, we obtained that UA levels in both probable MSA patients and possible MSA patients were significantly lower than in controls (t =3.13, 2.09;all P ＜ 0.05).By adjusting for the confounding factors, such as age, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea nitrogen, creatinine, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, the multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that the numbers of MSA patients in the lowest level UA group (UA ＜ 263.0 μmol/L) were higher than the high level UA group (UA ＞ 370.5 μmol/L), though the difference did not reach statistical significance (P ＞ 0.05).Nevertheless, the numbers of male MSA patients in the lowest level and the lower level UA groups (UA =263.0-309.0 μmol/L) were 11.5 and 10.8 times that in the high level UA group (P =0.001, P =0.003).No obviously linear relation between the level of UA and disease progression was found.Conclusions The level of serum UA is significantly decreased in MSA patients, especially in the male patients.The UA, as an antioxidant, may be beneficial to the neurodegenerative diseases.

Objective To investigate the neuropsychological features of different mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes.Methods A neuropsychology battery was applied in this study.Seventy MCI participants were enrolled in the test and classified as:28 amnestic MCI ( aMCI),21 vascular MCI ( V-MCI),and 21 Parkinson' s disease MCI (PD-MCI).Forty six normal old people were also evaluated as control.Results First,there were significant differences in the CAMCOG-C and CAMCOG-C subscales of each MCI subtype compared with the normal control. aMCI patients showed significantly impaired orientation,language expression,recent memory,attention,calculation,abstraction and perception (t =4.580,5.150,3.053,4.070,5.918,2.121,2.952,3.175 ; all P ＜ 0.05).However,the ability of language comprehension,remote memory and execution were relatively reserved.V-MCI patients scored lower in the cognitive function of orientation,language expression,attention and execution compared with the normal control(t =2.974,3.165,4.216,3.197; all P ＜ 0.05),with no significant difference in memory,calculation,abstraction and perception.A boarder cognitive impairment was observed in PD-MCI patients who showed significantly impaired language expression,recent memory,remote memory,learning memory,attention and execution(t =4.433,3.065,3.821,3.447,5.344,0.348 ; all P ＜ 0.05).Second,aMCI (3.07 ± 0.81,11.07 ± 2.28 ) and PD-MCI (3.00 ± 0.89,11.33 ± 1.91 ) patients scored significantly lower in CAMCOG scores and CAMCOG subscales including recent memory and learning memory compared with V-MCI(3.52 ±0.87,12.48 ± 1.83;aMCI vs V-MCI:t =1.868,2.381,PD-MCI vs V-MCI:t =1.921,1.980 ; all P ＜ 0.05 ).The remote memory and execution function in PD-MCI were significantly impaired compared to the other two subtypes(PD-MCI vs aMCI:t =2.498,4.257; PD-MCI vs V-MCI:t =1.684,1.492 ;all P ＜ 0.05 ).Third,the GDS scores were different among the four groups. aMCI grouphad significant higher GDS score compared to the normal control group( t =2.850,P ＜ 0.05 ),while there were no similar changes in V-MCI and PD-MCI groups.Comparing different MCI subtypes with each other,aMCI and V-MCI groups had higher GDS scores than PD-MCI group.Conclusions The features of cognitive impairment in the 3 subtypes are all multiple domains.The characteristic impairment domains are memory in aMCI,executive function in V-MCI,and both memory and executive functions in PD-MCI.aMCI may show greater depression tendency compared to the other two subtypes.The different features in the subtypes of MCI may represent different pathophysiololgical changes in each MCI subtype.

Objective To study a processing method for EEG signals mixed with EOG and ECG signals disturbance.Methods First,the EEG was denoised by the hard threshold method,the soft threshold method,the compromise threshold method and the ? law threshold method in the second generation wavelet,and then the denoised EEG which still contained EOG and ECG was separated by fast independent component analysis( FastICA) algorithm.Results The ? law threshold method of the second generation wavelet had better denoising effect and FastICA algorithm had more ideal separate performance.Conclusion It is an effective preprocessing method for EEG in denoising with the ? law threshold method of the second generation wavelet and then in separating disturbance of independent source with FastICA algorithm.

Objective To make a genetic diagnosis of sporadic neurofibromatosis type 1 with café-au-lait spots as the only presentation in a child.Methods Blood samples were collected from an 8-year-old child patient,his parents,and 100 healthy human controls.The mutation of NF1 gene was detected by PCR and direct sequencing.Results No mutation was detected in the NF1 gene of the parents or the healthy controls.There was a de novo nonsense mutation c.3520C ＞ T (p.Q1174X) in the NF1 gene of the patient,which leaded to a premature termination codon.Conclusions The child with café-au-lait spots as the only manifestation is diagnosed with sporadic neurofibromatosis type 1 by genetic testing.The mutation c.3520C ＞ T (p.Q1174X) may be an underlying cause of neurofibromatosis type 1.

Objective To study the effect of magnetic doxorubicin stealth liposome on human gastric cancer xenografts in nude mice.Methods Human gastric cancer cell line MKN-45 was implanted into 36 nude mice.Different kinds of drug were injected through the caudal vein of tumor bearing nude mice divided into 6 groups .Permanent magnet was put into tumor in targeting group.Results The growth speed of tumor in the group of MDL (+) significantaly slowed down than other groups.The rate of tumor restrain in tumor weight and tumor volume of MDL (+) group were 71% and 70%, which were remarkably higher than those of the DOX and MDL (-) group (all P

AIMIn order to explore the mechanism of central motilin-induced feeding behavior, the effects of erythromycin, a motilin receptor agonist, on glucose responsive neurons in hypothalamus were observed.

METHODSExtracellular recordings were made from single neurons in region of lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) and ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) in anesthetized rats. On the basis of their responsiveness to intracarotid injection of 0.58 mol/L glucose solution 0.2 ml, glucose-sensitive neurons (GSNs) in LHA and glucoreceptor neurons (GRNs) in VMH were recognized. Effects of intracerebroventricularly (i. c. v.) administration of 4 microg erythromycin on neural activities of glucose responsive neurons and non-glucose responsive neurons were examined. The mixture of EM and GM-109 1 microl were used to GSNs and GRNs which were sensitive to i. c. v. administration of EM.

RESULTSIn LHA, EM increased activity of GSNs significantly (P < 0.05 vs non-glucose-sensitive neurons group). Whereas in VMH, EM significantly decreased the activities of GRNs (P < 0.01 vs non-glucoreceptor neurons group). The mixture of EM and GM-109 had no effect on GSNs and GRNs.

CONCLUSIONEM, a motilin receptor agonist, can stimulate GSNs in LHA and suppress GRNs in VMH and this may contribute to central motilin's effect on feeding behavior.

Animals ; Erythromycin ; pharmacology ; Hypothalamus ; cytology ; Neurons ; cytology ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; metabolism ; Receptors, Gastrointestinal Hormone ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Receptors, Neuropeptide ; antagonists & inhibitors

Adult ; Herpes Zoster ; etiology ; Herpesvirus 3, Human ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation

Objective To assess the relationship of serum prealbumin level with the severity of acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods The clinical data of 2522 AIS patients who were admitted in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2000 to 2008 were retrospectively analyzed.The serum prealbumin and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were evaluated by immunoturbidimetric assay within 24 hours after admission.The AIS severity was evaluated at admission using modified Rankin Scale (mRS).Patients were divided into mild AIS group (mRS score ≤ 3 ) and severe AIS group (mRS score ＞ 3 ).The levels of serum prealbumin and hs-CRP were compared between these two groups,and the relationship between praalbumin and hs-CRP was also analyzed.Results There were 1697 patients in the mild group (average mRS score:1.67) and 825 patients in the severe group ( average mRS score:4.53 ).The severe group had significantly lower prealbumin level [ ( 191.20,82.00)versus (219.18,72.00) mg/L,P =0.000] and higher hs-CRP level [ (6.01,8.22) versus (4.15,6.93) mg/L,P =0.000 ] than the mild group,respectively.Partial regression analysis showed that the stroke severity was negatively correlated with serum prealbumin level (r =-0.115,P =0.000) and positively correlated with hs-CRP level (r =0.098,P =0.000).Serum prealbumin level was inversely correlated with hs-CRP level ( r =- 0.396,P =0.000).Conclusion The prealbumin level is relevant with the severity of AIS and inflammation.

A total of 17 cases with pelvic limb hyperhidrosis were selected for lumbar sympathetic nerve modulation.The puncture of lumbar sympathetic nerve was guided by computed tomography (CT) through the gap of L2-3 until the needle tip reached the lateral of the second or third lumbar vertebra body and outside of psoas major.A mixture of 1％ lidocaine 3 ml and 30％ Iohexol injection 0.3 ml was injected.If the diffusion of lidocaine was observed between lumbar vertebra body and psoas major.After 15 min,5 ml of absolute alcohol was injected to modulate the lumbar sympathetic nerve.After 5 min,oximetry-derived perfusion index of toe and sole temperature increased (5.9 ± 1.4) folds and (4.16± 0.89) ℃ on average respectively.Pelvic limb hyperhidrosis was all cured within 6 months and one case recurred after a year.There were no occurrences of complications.Lumbar sympathetic nerve modulation guided by CT may be used for treating female pelvic limbs hyperhidrosis.