Objective:To observe the imaging features of fundus lesions associated with COVID-19.Methods:A observational case series study. Twenty eyes of 10 patients with fundus lesions associated with COVID-19 at Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University from December 10, 2022 to January 20, 2023 were included in this study. There were 1 males and 9 females, aged from 17 to 49 years, with the median age of 26 years. The time of ocular symptoms after the diagnosis of COVID-19 was 0-2 days. The time from the onset of ocular symptoms to seeing a doctor was 1-14 days. All patients were examined by best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, color fundus photography, infra-red fundus photography (IR), optical coherence tomography (OCT). Serum D-dimer examination was performed in 3 patients. The median BCVA was 0.4. There was no abnormalities in intraocular pressure and anterior segment examination. Among 20 eyes of 10 patients, there were 10 eyes of 5 patients with acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN), 6 eyes of 3 patients with Purtscher-like retinopathy (PLR), 4 eyes of 2 patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). The imaging features of fundus were observed and analyzed.Results:Retinal lesions included AMN, paramacular central medial retinopathy (PAMM), PLR, cotton wool spots, hemorrhage, optic disc edema, macular edema. AMN was found in 10 eyes, with reddish-brown and wedge-shaped lesion in the fovea, dark area in IR and hyper reflectivity in outer nuclear layer and outer plexiform layer by OCT. The cotton wool spot showed hyper reflectivity on retinal nerve fiber layer whereas PAMM showed band-shape hyper reflectivity in inner nuclear layer by OCT. The Purtscher spot was seen at the posterior pole and/or peripapillary in 6 eyes of PLR. By OCT examination, the retinal nerve fiber layer corresponding to Purtscher flecken was significantly thickened and the reflex was enhanced. Among 6 eyes of PLR, there were 4 eyes combined with AMN, 1 eye with PAMM and macular edema. In 4 eyes of CRVO, vitreous cells, optic disc edema, retinal flame, spot hemorrhage, and atypical cotton wool spots were seen in 2 eyes.Conclusions:The manifestations of fundus lesions associated with COVID-19 are varied. The multilayer structure of retina is involved, and the microvessels of retina and choroidal capillary layer are damaged.

Objective:To observe the safety of 2-port non-vitrectomized subretinal injection (SRI) for the treatment of Bietti crystalline dystrophy (BCD).Methods:A exploratory clinical study. From February to May 2023, 6 BCD patients with 6 eyes who were confirmed by examination in Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University and were treated with SRI adeno-associated virus vector transgenic drugs were included in the study. Among them, 2 males had 2 eyes and 4 females had 4 eyes. Age were 34-60 years old. The study eye underwent adeno associated virus gene therapy via 2-port non-vitrectomized SRI. Two scleral ports were created using 25G vitrectomy trocar to place the light pipe and injection cannula. Anterior chamber paracentesis was performed to lower intraocular pressure. Under the silicone oil infusion mode of the vitrectomy machine, a 38G injection cannula penetrated the retina to reach the subretinal space. The injection speed was controlled by the foot pedal of the vitrectomy machine, and the drug was slowly injected into the subretinal space to create a subretinal bleb. if intra-ocular pressure assessed by finger palpation was high at the end of injection, drainage of the aqueous humor can be made by compressing the cornea incision until the intraocular pressure was normal. Patients were followed for 9-12 months and be examined using the same equipment and methods as before.Results:Retinal pigment epithelium and choroidal atrophy were observed in all 6 eyes of 6 patients were graded as stage Ⅲ by the fundus examination revealing atrophy of retinal pigmented epithelium and choroid, with or without yellow- white crystals and/or complex lipid. The range were operation time 9-14 minutes. No vitreous prolapse, retinal hemorrhage, or retinal tear was observed during surgery. After 24 hours, optical coherence tomogrophy examination showed absorption of subretinal fluid and retinal reattachment. None of the six patients showed corneal keratic precipitates, anterior chamber cells, vitreous cells, inflammation, high intraocular pressure, or retinal tear within the 9-month follow-up.Conclusion:Subretinal injection without vitrectomy using two ports is a safe and feasible alternative for adult gene therapy, and it shortens the surgical time.

Objective:To explore the modification effect of physical activity on the genetic effects of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods:The univariate moderation model was fitted to calculate the modifying effect of physical activity on the genetic effects of T2DM based on the data of 12 107 pairs of same gender twins aged 30 years and older enrolled by the Chinese National Twin Registry in 11 provinces/cities in China.Results:After adjusting for age and gender, the heritability of T2DM was 0.56 (0.31-0.84). Qualified physical activity could attenuate the genetic effects of T2DM. The heritability of T2DM in twin pairs with qualified physical activity was 0.46 (0.06-0.88), which was lower than that in twin pairs without qualified physical activity during the same model [0.68(0.36-0.94)].Conclusion:T2DM is a moderate genetic disease, physical activity can modify the genetic effects of T2DM.

Objective:To elucidate the patterns of neural activity alterations associated with auditory speech comprehension across the lifespan and the impact of varying listening environments on these dynamics.Methods:Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was employed to measure the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in the brains of 93 adults aged from 20 to 70 with normal hearing. These participants were recruited from Beijing Tongren Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, between March 2021 and February 2023. Brain activity was recorded as subjects passively listened to sentences in both silent and noise conditions with varying signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). The alterations in brain activity were analyzed to delineate the age-related trends under different auditory conditions. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0 software.Results:The bilateral primary auditory cortex, superior temporal gyrus, and Wernicke′s area, critical for sound signal discrimination and perception, exhibited enhanced activity post-stimulus presentation. Broca′s area, pivotal for speech production, demonstrated an initial decrease in activity followed by an increment after stimulus onset. The ventral middle temporal gyrus and dorsal postcentral gyrus showed augmented activity in later time windows. Furthermore, it was observed that in quiet conditions and at low noise levels (SNR=10 dB), auditory cortical activity diminished with age. With increasing noise levels (SNR=5 dB), compensatory brain regions (right ventral middle temporal gyrus and dorsal postcentral gyrus) showed enhanced activity with advancing age. As noise intensity further escalated (SNR=0, SNR=-5 dB), not only did auditory cortical activity decline, but also the activity in regions associated with semantic processing and motor functions reduced with age.Conclusion:During auditory speech comprehension, dual-pathway brain regions exhibit distinct activity patterns. With heightened noise exposure, an increasing number of brain regions are influenced by aging, manifesting as a general decline in activity in most dual-pathway regions, alongside a selective augmentation in some compensatory regions on the right hemisphere.

Cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) are the most common craniofacial malformations in humans. Speech problems often persist even after cleft repair, such that follow-up articulation training is usually required. However, the neural mechanism behind effective articulation training remains largely unknown. We used fMRI to investigate the differences in brain activation, functional connectivity, and effective connectivity across CLP patients with and without articulation training and matched normal participants. We found that training promoted task-related brain activation among the articulation-related brain networks, as well as the global attributes and nodal efficiency in the functional-connectivity-based graph of the network. Our results reveal the neural correlates of effective articulation training in CLP patients, and this could contribute to the future improvement of the post-repair articulation training program.
Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Cleft Lip/surgery* ; Cleft Palate/surgery* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Reading