Objective To determine the distribution of various epilepsies and epileptic syndromes in the epileptic population treated in epilepsy clinics. Methods Totally 1191 patients with seizures visited between April and September, 2004 in epilepsy center of our hospital were analyzed based on International League Against Epilepsy (1989, ILAE) Classification. Results Of the 1191 cases, partial epilepsies and syndromes were 766 cases (64.3%), generalized epilepsies and syndromes were 240 cases (20.2%), epilepsies and syndromes undetermined whether partial or generalized were 79 cases (6.7%), special syndromes were 16 cases(1.3%),other non-epileptic disorders were 90 cases (7.6%). Symptomatic cases were dominant in partial epilepsies and syndromes, and idiopathic cases were dominant in generalized epilepsies and syndromes. Conclusions Most of epileptic patients might be classified accurately. Treatment should be administered as earlier as possible. The distribution of various epilepsies and epileptic syndromes is regular.

This study explored the accuracy of using visual evoked potentials (VEP) technology for visual acuity estimation. The enrolled 726 patients with post-traumatic unilateral decrease in visual acuity included the injured eyes served as the experimental group, and the healthy eyes as the control group. The least signal visual angle (LSVA), and amplitude and latency of P(100) were chosen as test indexes. The results under different experimental conditions were recorded by PRVEP technology. All data collected were processed and analyzed by SPSS software. The results showed that the coincidence between subjective and VEP visual acuity was 96.7% in control group, but there was very significant difference in experimental group. It was concluded that with the regression formulation for the amplitude of P(100) and vision under LSVA, visual acuity can be estimated more accurately and impartially.

Objective To compare the efficacy of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) on chronic heart failure (CHF) patients with different left bundle branch block (LBBB) morphologies. Methods Patients(n=45)who were treated with CRT were enrolled. According to the intrinsic ECG morphologies, patients were divided into 1)genuineLBBB group (n=32) who present negative dominant V1 and V2 lead wave (QS or rS);mid-QRS notching or slurring in at least 2 leads of Vl, V2, V5, V6, I and aVL as well as QRS duration≥140 ms in male or≥130 ms in female and 2)falseLBBB group (n=10) who meet traditional standards but fail to meet“genuine”LBBB diagnostic standard. The QRS duration, echocardiographic indi?ces and New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification were evaluated at the 12 months follow-up. CRT re?sponder was defined as patient with≥1 decrease in NYHA class and/or with≥15%reduction in left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV). CRT super-responder was defined as patient with≥30%reduction in LVESV. Results There was no dif?ference in basic characteristics of patients between groups. At the 12 months follow-up, 20 patients in genuine LBBB group and 6 patients infalseLBBB group were identified as responders (P>0.05). Compared with those infalseLBBB group, the responders ingenuineLBBB group showed better improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction and left ven?tricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) (both P<0.05). Conclusion Left bundle branch block morphology is less predic?tive for the efficacy of CRT. However, patients who show response to CRT withgenuineLBBB profile may get more bene?fits from CRT treatment than the patients withfalseLBBB profile.

Objective To assess the effects of MRI-positive and interictal epileptic charges(IEDs) dominance on the memory of the patients with drug-resistant medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Methods Fifty right-handed patients(age ranging from 16 to 60 years old)diagnosed as drug-resistant MTLE in our hospital with normal intelligence between September 2006 and April 2007 were investigated. All patients were classified as left MRI-positive(MRI(+)),right MRI(+),MRI(-),bilateral MR[ (+)by high-quality MR[protocol.The EEG was defined as dominant IEDs if≥75%independent IEDs was confined to one temporal lobe in all EEG recordings.Clinical memory scale was administered as memory assessment of MTLE.ANOVA and non-parametric statistics were used to analyze the data in SPSS 12.0. Results The distribution of age,sex,education,occupation,living condition,course,seizure and treat among left MRI(+),right MRI(+),MRI(-),bilateral MRI(+)groups was similar.All scores in the patients with MTLE was significantly lower than normal(P＜0.05).Right MRI(+)MTLE patients had deftcits in nonsense graphics recognition(9.42±7.46)compared to left MRI(+)and MRI(-) groups((16.26±4.43)and(18.26±5.49),F=4.281,P＜0.05).Among MRI(-)patients,left IEDs,right IEDs and bilateral IEDs groups displayed not significantly different impairment in memory. Conclusion Right MRI(+)MTLE has more severe impairment in non-verbal memory,and nonsense graphics recognition can be used to detect the deficit.

Objective To investigate clinical features and the pathophysiology of 43 children with atypical idiopathic partial epilepsies of childhood(IPEC)that is unclassified according to the International League Against Epilepsy classification.Methods All the children with partial epilepsy of childhood in out hospital were followed up,including those age-related cases with benign process and excluding those with benign epilepsy of childhood with centro-temporal EEG foci,Panayiotopoulos type and Gastaut type.We reviewed their EEGs,seizures and therapeutic data to analyze the semiologieal characters and the interietal activities during they were awake and sleeping.Results The average age of onset of epilepsy was 8.84years old.Frontal absences(43.2%),adversive seizures(47.7%)were more common.Everyday seizures occurred in 38.6%of patients and monthly seizures in 56.8%of patients.Atypical focal(43.2%),multifocal(27.3%),and generalized spike and waves(29.5%),were more predominant in frontal location when they were awake.During sleep,sharp waves generalized or the amplitude increased.At the last follow-up,88.6%of patients were in complete clinical remission and EEG in 22.7%of cases was normal.Among them 2 patients had stopped taking antiepileptic drugs(AEDs)and 6 patients were reducing the doses of AEDs.EEG Was abnormal only in sleep or decreased synchronization.The patients were more responsive to earbamazepine combined with sodium valproate(P<0.01).Conclusion Special partial epileptic syndrome is age-related,having excellent prognosis,which might origin from the frontal lobe.

Objective To investigate the neural circuit of inhibitory control in late-onset depressed patients(LOD) by functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI). Methods Fourteen late-onset depressed patients (LOD group) and thirteen elderly healthy subjects( control group) were recruited. The two groups were age, gender, and education matched. All the subjects performed a visual Go/Nogo task during the fMRI scan. Erect or inverted isosceles triangular figures were used for stimuli. The two groups were instructed to press a button as quickly and correctly as possible when the erect triangular figures(Go) were presented, but not to response when the inverted triangular figures(Nogo) were presented. The differences of brain activation between the two groups were compared. Results ( 1 ) During Go trials, there were no significant differences in reaction time and hit rate between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05 ). During Nogo trials, however, the late-onset depressed patients showed much higher false alarm rate(0.09 ±0.06) compared with control group(0.04 ±0.02) (P＜0.05＝. (2) During Go trials , LOD group showed significantly greater activity in left postcentral gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, right precentral gyrus, left paracentral lobule, right inferior parietal lobule, right anterior cingulate cortex, left middle frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus compared with the control group. Whereas during Nogo trials, LOD group exhibited greater activity in left inferior parietal lobule and left middle frontal gyrus compared with the control group. Conclusion This study suggests that inhibitory control dysfunction in late-onset depressed patients may be closely related to frontostriatal circuit impairment. Over activation in left middle frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus and right anterior cingulate cortex may contribute to the pathogenesis of late-onset depression.

This study explored the accuracy of using visual evoked potentials (VEP) technology for visual acuity estimation. The enrolled 726 patients with post-traumatic unilateral decrease in visual acuity included the injured eyes served as the experimental group, and the healthy eyes as the control group. The least signal visual angle (LSVA), and amplitude and latency of P100 were chosen as test indexes. The results under different experimental conditions were recorded by PRVEP technology. All data collected were processed and analyzed by SPSS software. The results showed that the coincidence between subjective and VEP visual acuity was 96.7% in control group, but there was very significant difference in experimental group. It was concluded that with the regression formulation for the amplitude of P100 and vision under LSVA, visual acuity can be estimated more accurately and impartially.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined use of ticagrelor and cilostazol for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) complicated with upper digestive tract diseases following percutaneous coronary intervention ( PCI).Methods A total of 262 consecutive ACS patients complicated with upper digestive tract diseases followed-up for one-year after PCI were included in this study.The patients were allocated into control group (combined use of ticagrelor and aspirin , n＝184) and cilostazol group ( combined use of ticagrelor and cilostazol , n ＝78) for antiplatelet treatment.The basic characteristics of the patients , change of the treatment regimens , cardiovascular events and hemorrhagic events were compared between two groups .Results After one year of follow-up, 16.8%(31/184)patients in control group and 3.8%(3/78)in cilostazol group changed antiplatelet regimens (χ2＝8.200,P＝0.004).There was no statistical difference in use of statins and ACEI/ARB between two groups(P＞0.05).The rate of proton pump inhibitor use in control group was significantly higher than that in cilostazol group [82.1%(151/184) vs.52.6%(41/78), χ2＝24.35, P＝0.000].However, the dosage of β-blockers in cilostazol group was significantly higher than that in control group [(39.1 ±12.4) mg vs.(28.6 ±10.1) mg, t ＝7.174,P＝0.000].No statistical difference was found in total cardiovascular events between two groups [21.7%(40/184) vs.12.8%(10/78),χ2＝2.822,P＝0.121].The incidence of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in control group was significantly increased compared with cilostazol group [12.0%(22/184) vs.2.6%(2/78),χ2＝5.807,P ＝0.018], however, there was no significant difference in hemorrhagic events concerning the thrombolysis for myocardial infarction between two groups [17.4%(32/184) vs.9.0%(7/78), χ2＝3.063,P＝0.089].Conclusion Combined use of cilostazol and ticagrelor is effective and safe for ACS patients with gastrointestinal hemorrhage or a higher risk of hemorrhage .

BACKGROUNDPericytes, located on microvessels, help to maintain vascular stability and blood-brain barrier integrity. The influence of pericytes on microvessels after spinal cord injury (SCI) is less clear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether pericytes took a protective effect on microvessels in melatonin-treated SCI.

METHODSC57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups: sham group, SCI group, and melatonin group (n = 27 per group). Functional recovery was evaluated using the Basso Mouse Scale. Motor neurons were observed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Pericyte coverage was analyzed using immunofluorescence. Permeability of blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) was assessed by administration of Evan's Blue. Protein levels of occludin, aquaporin-4 (AQP4), angiopoietin-1 (Ang1), intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), Bcl-2, and Bax were determined using Western blotting. Mimicking the pathological conditions of SCI, melatonin-treated primary pericytes were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R). Secretion of Ang1 was analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression of ICAM-1 was detected by immunofluorescence.

RESULTSMelatonin treatment improved locomotor functional outcome and rescued motor neurons. Pericyte coverage was significantly reduced after SCI; melatonin treatment alleviated the loss of pericyte coverage and rescued perfused microvessels 7 days after injury. The permeability of BSCB and loss of occludin were attenuated, and edema formation and upregulation of AQP4 were inhibited, after melatonin treatment. The expression of Ang1 and Bcl-2 was improved, while the expression of ICAM-1 and Bax was inhibited, in melatonin-treated SCI mice. Furthermore, the secretion of Ang1 was increased and the expression of ICAM-1 was inhibited in melatonin-treated pericytes after OGD/R.

CONCLUSIONSMelatonin ameliorated the loss of blood vessels and disruption of BSCB to exert a protective effect on SCI, which might be mediated by increased pericyte coverage. The upregulation of Ang1 in pericytes could inhibit inflammation and apoptosis to protect the microvessels.

Angiopoietin-1 ; metabolism ; Animals ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Male ; Melatonin ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Microvessels ; cytology ; Occludin ; metabolism ; Pericytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; drug therapy ; metabolism