Objective To explore the effects of leukoaraiosis on cognitive function in elderly patients after acute cerebral infarction.Methods From May 2010 to August 2011,a total of 147 elderly patients with acute cerebral infarction were enrolled,including 96 patients with leukoaraiosis and 51 patients without leukoaraiosis.The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) and the correlative factors of cognitive function were assessed in all patients.Results There was no statistical difference in general information between patients with and without leukoaraiosis.There were significant differences in the MoCA scores between patients with and without leukoaraiosis (x2 =19.15,P＜0.01),as well as between the vital and non-vital positions of cerebral infarction (x2=21.41,P＜0.01).The Logistic regression analysis showed that the vital position of infarction and leukoaraiosis were related to the cognitive impairment (OR=12.27,6.60,both P＜0.01),while the area of infarction and the type of cerebral infarction in Oxford County Community Stroke Project (OCSP) had no effects on cognitive impairment.Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a positive relationship between the degree of white matter lesions and the decline in cognitive function (r=-0.87,P＜0.01).Conclusions The position of acute cerebral infarction and leukoaraiosis are independent risk factors for cognitive function after acute cerebral infarction,and the former plays a more important role than does the latter.

Objective To explore the effect of occupational therapy on the cognitive function and P300 event-related potentials (ERPs) of patients with acute cerebral infraction.Methods Ninety-eight acute cerebral infarction patients with cognitive impairment were selected using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE).They were randomly divided into an observation group (n =49) who received occupational therapy plus routine rehabilitation treatment and a control group (n =49) who received only the routine rehabilitation treatment.Before and after 8 weeks of treatment,the patients' cognitive function and their ability in the activities of daily living(ADL) were evaluated using the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) and the modified Barthel index (MBI),respectively.P300 ERPs were also detected.Results There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to various scores before the treatment (P ＞ 0.05).After 8 weeks of treatment,the LOTCA and MBI scores and the latency and amplitude of ERPs were significantly better than those before treatment in both groups (P ＜ 0.05).In the observation group,the scores of LOTCA (99.4 ± 8.4),MBI (80.7 ± 5.9) and the latency and amplitude of ERPs [(373.45 ± 52.13) ms and (5.87 ± 2.63) μV,respectively] were significantly better than those in the control group(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Occupational therapy program based on conventional rehabilitation training can promote the ADL ability and cognitive function of patients with acute cerebral infraction.It is worth applying in clinical practice.

Objective To explore the the characteristics of non-motor symptoms of essential tremor(ET).Methods Totally 50 ET patients and 45 age-gender-matched healthy volunteers,admitted in Department of Neurology,The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from May 2015 to April 2016,were included.Clinical data and tremor analyses under different postures were obtained.The non-motor symptoms were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI),Hamilton anxiety scale(HAMA),Hamilton's Depression Scale(HAMD),and the MOS item short from health survey (SF-36).Cognitive functions were evaluated by the Minimental state examination(MMSE).Results ET group had lower MMSE total score of (25.81 ±2.75 vs.28.16 ± 1.71),increased rate of dyssomnia (62.0％ vs.15.6％) and higher PQSI score (6.42±2.71 vs.3.84±2.13)compared with the control group(all P＜0.05).Moreover,more patients in the ET group had moderate and severe anxiety(60.0 ％ vs.37.8 ％),moderate and severe depression (34.0％ vs.15.6％)than the control group(both P ＜ 0.05).Anxiety and depression had effects on physical and mental health and were also related to the quality of life.Conclusions Non-motor symptoms,such as mild cognitive deficits,depression,anxiety and dyssomnia are common in ET patients.Furthermore,depression and anxiety have negative effects on physical and mental health.

Lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based drug delivery systems have become the most clinically advanced non-viral delivery technology. LNPs can encapsulate and deliver a wide variety of bioactive agents, including the small molecule drugs, proteins and peptides, and nucleic acids. However, as the physicochemical properties of small- and macromolecular cargos can vary drastically, every LNP carrier system needs to be carefully tailored in order to deliver the cargo molecules in a safe and efficient manner. Our group applied the combinatorial library synthesis approach and in vitro and in vivo screening strategy for the development of LNP delivery systems for drug delivery. In this Review, we highlight our recent progress in the design, synthesis, characterization, evaluation, and optimization of combinatorial LNPs with novel structures and properties for the delivery of small- and macromolecular therapeutics both in vitro and in vivo. These delivery systems have enormous potentials for cancer therapy, antimicrobial applications, gene silencing, genome editing, and more. We also discuss the key challenges to the mechanistic study and clinical translation of new LNP-enabled therapeutics.