Purpose To investigate the curative effect of electroacupuncture on anxiety neurosis. Method Twenty-six female patients with extensive anxiety neurosis were selected according to CCMD-2-R diagnostic criteria. Evaluations based on STAI were made before and after electroacupuncture treatment for 4 times. Points Baihui ( GV 20), Shangxing ( GV 23), Neiguan ( PC 6),Shenmen ( HT 7 ), Zusanli ( ST 36), Sanyinjiao ( SP 6) and Taichong (LR 3 ) were selected for electroacupuncture treatment. One course of treatment consisted of 10 days and a total of 3 courses were carried out. Results The effective rate was 80.8% at the completion of treatment. The scores of state-anxiety index (S-Al) and typical-anxiety index (T-Al) were significantly decreased as compared with before the treatment ( P < 0.01 ), especially in the patients with recovery or improvement (P <0.01 and P < 0. 05 ). Conclusion Electroacupuncture treatment has a good effect on extensive anxiety disorder and can avoid the dependence of the patients on anxio lytics.

Multiple system atrophy(MSA)is a serious and rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease.The currently used diagnostic criteria are the second edition of MSA diagnostic criteria published in 2008.Although widely recognized in clinical research, they lack sensitivity for early diagnosis of the disease.Reliable early diagnosis of MSA is particularly important for patient care and counseling, recruitment for clinical trials of disease-modifying therapies, and development and validation of diagnostic tools.To overcome the shortcomings of the second edition of the diagnostic criteria, the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society developed a new version of diagnostic criteria for MSA, which was published in April 2022.This paper interprets the new MSA diagnostic criteria and examines the scientific research areas that need to be further explored in future research, which will be important in guiding the management of elderly patients and related research.

Ghrelin is a hormone produced by the stomach that regulates energy metabolism after acting on the central nervous system.Cocaine amphetamine-regulated transcriptional peptide(CART)neurons participate in the regulation of feeding behavior and energy balance.It is known that CART neurons are influenced by hormones to regulate energy homeostasis,but whether ghre-lin exerts its pro-appetite function by influencing CART neurons is unknown.Therefore,this study focuses on the role of VMHCART neurons in the regulation of feeding and relative body weight by ghrelin.Firstly,the whole brain expression of CART was determined by immunofluorescence.Then the effect of intraperitoneal injection of ghrelin on the expression of DMHCART neurons was evalua-ted.Finally,the ghrelin was delivered to DMH and the changes of food intake and relative body weight of mice were measured.CART immunoreactive neurons were detected in medial preoptic nucleus(MPA),arcuate nucleus(ARC),dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus(DMH),thalamic pa-raventricular nucleus(PVT)and raphe nucleus(ROb).Compared with the control group,periph-eral injection of ghrelin significantly increased the expression of DMHC ART immunoreactive neurons(P=0.037 3).DMH long-term injection of ghrelin resulted in an increase in body weight(P=0.004 0)and feed intake(P=0.023 1).The results provide anatomical evidence for the whole brain distribution of CART,which proves that ghrelin affects feed intake and body weight of mice through CART neurons in DMH,suggesting that specific neuron types and regional specificity are involved in ghrelin regulation of feed intake and energy homeostasis.

Objective:Fatigue is one of the common disabling non-motor symptoms of multiple system atrophy(MSA).This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of fatigue in MSA patients and its relationship with anxiety and depression.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 44 MSA inpatients from Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University were enrolled.Fatigue was defined as a Fatigue Severity Scale(FSS)score ≥4.The motor symptoms of the patients were evaluated using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(MDS-UPDRS)and Unified Multi-System Atrophy Rating Scale(UMSARS).The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HAMD), Geriatric Depression Scale(GDS)and Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA)were used to assess anxiety and depression.Results:The mean age of the MSA patients was 60.1±6.4 years, and the score of FSS was 4.3±2.4, with 28 patients(63.6%)having fatigue.Compared with the non-fatigue group, the fatigue group showed clear anxiety(HAMA: 16.5±8.9 vs.9.4±5.0, t=-2.292, P=0.010)and depression(HAMD: 14.4±7.0 vs.8.4±3.4, t=6.192, P=0.017; GDS: 18.2±7.4 vs.10.7±5.2, t=-3.560, P=0.044).The severity of fatigue in MSA patients was positively correlated with anxiety( r=0.516, P<0.001), depression(HAMD: r=0.551, P<0.001; GDS: r=0.636, P=0.000)and the score of activities of daily living( r=0.320, P=0.034), but not correlated with motor symptoms or disease severity. Conclusions:Nearly two-thirds of MSA patients have symptoms of fatigue, and fatigue is significantly associated with levels of anxiety and depression, affecting patients' mood and activities of daily living.

Multiple system atrophy(MSA)is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease and, along with Parkinson's disease(PD)and dementia with Lewy bodies(DLB), belongs to the group of α-synucleinopathies.Due to an overlap of clinical symptoms of similar diseases in the early stages and a lack of sensitivity of the current diagnostic criteria to detect the disease in the early stages, difficulties abound in conducting clinical trials on disease-modifying therapeutic agents for its early treatment, and progress in the development of disease-modifying therapeutic agents as well as the development and validation of diagnostic tools has been slow.Consequently, the International Movement Disorder Society(MDS)has introduced new diagnostic criteria for MSA, which, for the first time, propose a category known as possible prodromal MSA and its diagnostic criteria.This review described the diagnostic criteria for possible prodromal MSA and its differential diagnosis from other prodromal α-synucleinopathies, in order to improve the accuracy of diagnosis in the early stages and to promote research on the early stages of the disease.

In the context of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by dysregulated lipid metabolism in hepatocytes, the quest for safe and effective therapeutics targeting lipid metabolism has gained paramount importance. Sanhuang Xiexin Tang (SXT) and Baihu Tang (BHT) have emerged as prominent candidates for treating metabolic disorders. SXT combined with BHT plus Cangzhu (SBC) has been used clinically for Weihuochisheng obese patients. This retrospective analysis focused on assessing the anti-obesity effects of SBC in Weihuochisheng obese patients. We observed significant reductions in body weight and hepatic lipid content among obese patients following SBC treatment. To gain further insights, we investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of SBC in HFD-fed mice. The results demonstrated that SBC treatment mitigated body weight gain and hepatic lipid accumulation in HFD-fed mice. Pharmacological network analysis suggested that SBC may affect lipid metabolism, mitochondria, inflammation, and apoptosis-a hypothesis supported by the hepatic transcriptomic analysis in HFD-fed mice treated with SBC. Notably, SBC treatment was associated with enhanced hepatic mitochondrial biogenesis and the inhibition of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/NF-κB pathways. In conclusion, SBC treatment alleviates NAFLD in both obese patients and mouse models by improving lipid metabolism, potentially through enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis. These effects, in turn, ameliorate inflammation in hepatocytes.
Humans ; Mice ; Animals ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Organelle Biogenesis ; Retrospective Studies ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Obesity/metabolism* ; Liver ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Body Weight ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipids ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects*