Objective To evaluate the utility of short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequence in the diagnosis of hippocampal sclerosis ( HS).Methods Twenty-one patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy without neoplasm lesions or injuries by conventional MRI sequence including T1WI,T2WI and FLAIR were included in this study.STIR imaging in axial,coronal and sagittal sequences was performed on these patients. Diagnosis of HS was based on the findings of hippocampal atrophy,alteration signal,disturbed internal structure and enlargement of the inferior horn. The findings shown on conventional MRI were compared with those on STIR sequence. Furthermore,the correlation of radiologic and histological findings was investigated in 6 patients operated for refractory seizures. Results On conventional MRI sequence,14 patients (66.7％) were confirmed with unilateral HS and 4 patients were suspected with unilateral HS. In contrast,all these 18 patients (85.7％) were confirmed with unilateral HS by STIR.Particularly,STIR sequence delineated the internal structure of hippocampus more clearly than conventional MRI sequences did. C shaped contour in subiculum-CA1-CA2 was revealed in normal hippocampus on STIR sequence and disappeared in HS,correlated to the pathology finding of loss of neuron in CA1 in resected tissues in 6 operated patients.The patients with HS also showed areas of hypodensity in CA4 on STIR,in accordance with pathologic findings of gliosis in this area in the 6 operated patients.Conclusion STIR sequence could depict the internal anatomical structure of hippocampus with high resolution superior to conventional MRI sequences,and can be of great value in the diagnosis of HS.

Objective To investigate the protective effects of isopimaric acid ( ISO), the BKCa channel activator, on cognitive function and synaptic plasticity in APP/PS1 mice. Methods Alzet osmotic pump was loaded with ISO or DMSO only and assembled with ALZET Brain Infusion Kit III. The cannula was implanted into the lateral ventricle of 4-month-old male APP/PS1 mice or matched wild type ( WT) mice. Two weeks later, open field test and Morris water maze were conducted. Paired-pulse facilitation ( PPF) and TBS-induced long-term potentiation ( LTP ) were recorded in CA1 region of hippocampus. Results The open field test showed that there was no significant difference among the four groups in spontaneous activities and vertical plane movement distance within 30 minutes. Floor plane movement distance was significantly greater in APP/PS1+DMSO group than that in WT+DMSO group(P<0.05) . Compared with the WT+DMSO group, APP/PS1+DMSO group had significantly longer escape latency from the third to fifth day and lower percentage of time spent in the target quadrant ((43.27±3.24)% vs (34.19±2.56)%) and the number of crossing through the platform ((4.25±0.66)times vs (1.93±0.33)times)(P<0.05). Compared with the APP/PS1+DMSO group, the APP/PS1+ISO group had significantly shorter escape latency from the fourth to fifth day and higher percentage of time spent in the target quadrant ((46.16±3.51)%) and the number of crossing through the platform ((3.41±0.34) times) (P<0.05). PPF in APP/PS1+DMSO group significantly reduced compared with that in WT+DMSO group at 30-50ms interstimulus interval(P<0.05). PPF in APP/PS1+ISO group((224.50±13.79)%) was significantly augment compared with APP/PS1+DMSO ((174.99 ±6.68)%) group at 40 ms interstimulus interval (P<0.05). The LTP at 60 min post-TBS was significantly smaller in the APP/PS1+DMSO group ((135.19±1.32)%) than that in the WT+DMSO group ((172.17± 4.15)%)(P<0.001). The LTP of the APP/PS1+ISO group((160.48±1.19)%) became significantly in-creased compared with that in the APP/PS1+DMSO group(P<0.001).Conclusion BKCa channel activator ISO improve the learning and memory function of APP/PS1 mice by promoting PPF and increasing LTP to recover synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus.

Objective:To evaluate the value of 99Tc m-methoxyisobutylisonitrile(MIBI) SPECT/CT imaging for the identification of dystonic muscles in patients with primary cervical dystonia (PCD). Methods:A total of 10 patients with PCD (3 males, 7 females, age (47.3±9.9) years) and 10 healthy subjects (4 males, 6 females, age (43.5±9.4) years; control group) between August 2019 and October 2021 in China-Japan Friendship Hospital were enrolled prospectively. All subjects underwent 99Tc m-MIBI SPECT/CT scan. The SUV max of 8 bilateral representative muscles, including rectus capitis posterior major, obliquus capitis inferior, splenius capitis, semispinalis, sternocleidomastoid, trapezius, musculus scalenus muscle and levator scapulae were evaluated in control group. In PCD group, muscles with abnormal uptake were determined. ROI was drawn and SUV max was measured. Independent-sample t test was used to analyze the differences of SUV max between normal and abnormal muscles. The detecting rates of neck MRI and SPECT/CT for abnormal muscles were analyzed by χ2 test. Results:Normal muscles of healthy subjects showed mild symmetrical radioactivity distribution, with the SUV max of 1.10±0.19. A total of 60 muscles with abnormal uptake in 10 patients were found, including 7 rectus capitis posterior major, 10 obliquus capitis inferior, 8 splenius capitis, 8 semispinalis, 10 sternocleidomastoid, 5 trapezius, 3 musculus scalenus muscle and 9 levator scapulae. The SUV max of muscles with abnormal uptake was 1.81±0.43, which was higher than that of normal muscles ( t=17.05, P<0.001). Only 30 pieces abnormal hypertrophy muscle were found by neck MRI, and the detecting rate was much lower than that of SPECT/CT (18.75%(30/160) vs 37.50%(60/160); χ2=28.03, P<0.001). Conclusion:99Tc m-MIBI SPECT/CT may be a useful method for identifying dystonic muscles and a guide to precision therapy in patients with PCD.

Objective:To investigate the clinical, neuropsychological and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) characteristics in patients with psychiatric symptoms caused by nitrous oxide abuse.Methods:Twelve patients with psychiatric symptoms caused by nitrous oxide abuse were enrolled from February 2018 to February 2020 in the Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital and the First Hospital of Tsinghua University.All patients were scored with the brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS), Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). The SPECT/CT images were collected with low-energy and high-resolution collimator.After the pictures were reconstructed, 18 brain regions were automatically sketched and calculated by Database Comparison software.The statistical value of the difference between the general mean value of each brain region and that of the corresponding region of interest in the same age group was estimated.Results:(1)The clinical manifestations of 12 patients were anxiety, depression, hallucination, delusion, and 7 patients were accompanied by cognitive decline.(2)Neuropsychological examination: BPRS score was 57.83±11.15 (anxiety depression factor was 3.94±0.47; lacking active factor was 3.25±0.85; thinking disturbance factor was 3.21±1.27; activity factor was 2.28±0.56; hostility factor was 3.14±1.24). The score of self-knowledge impairment was 2.92±1.08, the score of inability to work was 4.50±1.17, the score of HAMD was 32.75±10.13, the score of HAMA was 18.67±5.80, the score of MMSE was 27.67±2.50, and the score of MoCA was 24.58±3.78.(3)SPECT showed that compared with the general mean value of the corresponding regions of interest of normal people, the patients showed hypoperfusion in the frontal lobe (7 patients, 58.30%) and the temporal lobe (8 patients, 66.70%).Conclusion:Nitrous oxide abuse has an obvious effect on rCBF.The psychiatric symptoms include anxiety, depression, hallucination, delusion and so on, which affect the ability to work and learn.SPECT has important value in the diagnosis of nitrous oxide abuse, and indicates changes in local brain functional activity.

Humans ; Muscular Diseases/genetics* ; Cardiomyopathies/genetics* ; Lipid Metabolism, Inborn Errors/genetics* ; Mutation ; Lipids ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Acyltransferases/genetics* ; Lipase/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical, neuropathological and genetic characteristics of a patient with Perrault syndrome caused by TWNK mutation. METHODS: Potential variation of the TWNK gene was detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The patient has featured primary amenorrhoea and progressive sensorineural hearing loss since childhood. She also had gait anormaly, distal limb atrophy and weakness, and nystagmus. Further study confirmed sensory neuronopathy accompanied with upper and lower motor neuron involvement as well as cerebellum atrophy. NGS has identified two heterozygous variants of the TWNK gene, namely c.794G>A (p.Arg265His) and c.1181G>A (p.Arg394His). Sanger sequencing confirmed that c.1181G>A (p.Arg394His), a known pathogenic variant, was derived from her farther, while c.794G>A(p.Arg265His), a novel variant, was derived from her mother and likely pathogenic according to the ACMG guidelines. CONCLUSION Perrault syndrome is a group of disorders with a high phenotypic heterogeneity. The compound heterozygous variation of c.794G>A (p.Arg265His) and c.1181G>A(p.Arg394His) of the TWNK gene may underlie Perrault syndrome in the patient.
Child ; Female ; Genetic Testing ; Gonadal Dysgenesis, 46,XX ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Humans ; Pedigree