1.Xiangshao Granules Ameliorate Post-stroke Depression by Inhibiting Activation of Microglia and IDO1 Expression in Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex.
Cheng-Gang LI ; Lu-Shan XU ; Liang SUN ; Yu-Hao XU ; Xiang CAO ; Chen-Chen ZHAO ; Sheng-Nan XIA ; Qing-Xiu ZHANG ; Yun XU
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(1):28-38
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the therapeutic effect of Xiangshao Granules (XSG) on post-stroke depression (PSD) and explore the underlying mechanisms.
METHODS:
Forty-three C57BL/6J mice were divided into 3 groups: sham (n=15), PSD+vehicle (n=14), and PSD+XSG (n=14) groups according to a random number table. The PSD models were constructed using chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The sham group only experienced the same surgical operation, but without MACO and CUMS stimulation. The XSG group received XSG (60 mg/kg per day) by gavage for 4 weeks. The mice in the sham and vehicle groups were given the same volume of 0.9% saline at the same time. The body weight and behavior tests including open field test, sucrose preference test, tail suspension test, and elevated plus-maze test, were used to validate the PSD mouse model. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunofluorescence staining were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of XSG. The potential molecular mechanisms were explored and verified through network pharmacology analysis, Nissl staining, Western blot, ELISA, and RT-qPCR, respectively.
RESULTS:
The body weight and behavior tests showed that MCAO combined with CUMS successfully established the PSD models. XSG alleviated neuronal damage, reduced the expressions of pro-apoptotic proteins Caspase-3 and B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2)-associated X (BAX), and increased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2 in PSD mice (P<0.05 or P<0.01). XSG inhibited microglial activation and the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1 β, and IL-6 via the toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathway in PSD mice (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Furthermore, XSG decreased the expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase1 (IDO1) and increased the concentration of 5-hydroxytryptamine in PSD mice (P<0.05 or P<0.01).
CONCLUSION
XSG could reverse the anxiety/depressionlike behaviors and reduce the neuronal injury in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of PSD mice, which may be a potential therapeutic agent for PSD.
Animals
;
Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase/metabolism*
;
Depression/etiology*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
Hippocampus/metabolism*
;
Male
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Prefrontal Cortex/pathology*
;
Microglia/metabolism*
;
Stroke/drug therapy*
;
Disease Models, Animal
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Mice
;
Behavior, Animal/drug effects*
2.Protective effect of sub-hypothermic mechanical perfusion combined with membrane lung oxygenation on a yorkshire model of brain injury after traumatic blood loss.
Xiang-Yu SONG ; Yang-Hui DONG ; Zhi-Bo JIA ; Lei-Jia CHEN ; Meng-Yi CUI ; Yan-Jun GUAN ; Bo-Yao YANG ; Si-Ce WANG ; Sheng-Feng CHEN ; Peng-Kai LI ; Heng CHEN ; Hao-Chen ZUO ; Zhan-Cheng YANG ; Wen-Jing XU ; Ya-Qun ZHAO ; Jiang PENG
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2025;28(6):469-476
PURPOSE:
To investigate the protective effect of sub-hypothermic mechanical perfusion combined with membrane lung oxygenation on ischemic hypoxic injury of yorkshire brain tissue caused by traumatic blood loss.
METHODS:
This article performed a random controlled trial. Brain tissue of 7 yorkshire was selected and divided into the sub-low temperature anterograde machine perfusion group (n = 4) and the blank control group (n = 3) using the random number table method. A yorkshire model of brain tissue injury induced by traumatic blood loss was established. Firstly, the perfusion temperature and blood oxygen saturation were monitored in real-time during the perfusion process. The number of red blood cells, hemoglobin content, NA+, K+, and Ca2+ ions concentrations and pH of the perfusate were detected. Following perfusion, we specifically examined the parietal lobe to assess its water content. The prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were then dissected for histological evaluation, allowing us to investigate potential regional differences in tissue injury. The blank control group was sampled directly before perfusion. All statistical analyses and graphs were performed using GraphPad Prism 8.0 Student t-test. All tests were two-sided, and p value of less than 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.
RESULTS:
The contents of red blood cells and hemoglobin during perfusion were maintained at normal levels but more red blood cells were destroyed 3 h after the perfusion. The blood oxygen saturation of the perfusion group was maintained at 95% - 98%. NA+ and K+ concentrations were normal most of the time during perfusion but increased significantly at about 4 h. The Ca2+ concentration remained within the normal range at each period. Glucose levels were slightly higher than the baseline level. The pH of the perfusion solution was slightly lower at the beginning of perfusion, and then gradually increased to the normal level. The water content of brain tissue in the sub-low and docile perfusion group was 78.95% ± 0.39%, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (75.27% ± 0.55%, t = 10.49, p < 0.001), and the difference was statistically significant. Compared with the blank control group, the structure and morphology of pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex and CA1 region of the hippocampal gyrus were similar, and their integrity was better. The structural integrity of granulosa neurons was destroyed and cell edema increased in the perfusion group compared with the blank control group. Immunofluorescence staining for glail fibrillary acidic protein and Iba1, markers of glial cells, revealed well-preserved cell structures in the perfusion group. While there were indications of abnormal cellular activity, the analysis showed no significant difference in axon thickness or integrity compared to the 1-h blank control group.
CONCLUSIONS
Mild hypothermic machine perfusion can improve ischemia and hypoxia injury of yorkshire brain tissue caused by traumatic blood loss and delay the necrosis and apoptosis of yorkshire brain tissue by continuous oxygen supply, maintaining ion homeostasis and reducing tissue metabolism level.
Animals
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Perfusion/methods*
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Disease Models, Animal
;
Brain Injuries/etiology*
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Swine
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Male
;
Hypothermia, Induced/methods*
3.International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025).
Sheng-Sheng ZHANG ; Lu-Qing ZHAO ; Xiao-Hua HOU ; Zhao-Xiang BIAN ; Jian-Hua ZHENG ; Hai-He TIAN ; Guan-Hu YANG ; Won-Sook HONG ; Yu-Ying HE ; Li LIU ; Hong SHEN ; Yan-Ping LI ; Sheng XIE ; Jin SHU ; Bin-Fang ZENG ; Jun-Xiang LI ; Zhen LIU ; Zheng-Hua XIAO ; Jing-Dong XIAO ; Pei-Yong ZHENG ; Shao-Gang HUANG ; Sheng-Liang CHEN ; Gui-Jun FEI
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2025;23(5):502-518
Functional dyspepsia (FD), characterized by persistent or recurrent dyspeptic symptoms without identifiable organic, systemic or metabolic causes, is an increasingly recognized global health issue. The objective of this guideline is to equip clinicians and nursing professionals with evidence-based strategies for the management and treatment of adult patients with FD using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The Guideline Development Group consulted existing TCM consensus documents on FD and convened a panel of 35 clinicians to generate initial clinical queries. To address these queries, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, China Biology Medicine (SinoMed) Database, Wanfang Database, Traditional Medicine Research Data Expanded (TMRDE), and the Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS). The evidence from the literature was critically appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The strength of the recommendations was ascertained through a consensus-building process involving TCM and allopathic medicine experts, methodologists, pharmacologists, nursing specialists, and health economists, leveraging their collective expertise and empirical knowledge. The guideline comprises a total of 43 evidence-informed recommendations that span a range of clinical aspects, including the pathogenesis according to TCM, diagnostic approaches, therapeutic interventions, efficacy assessments, and prognostic considerations. Please cite this article as: Zhang SS, Zhao LQ, Hou XH, Bian ZX, Zheng JH, Tian HH, Yang GH, Hong WS, He YY, Liu L, Shen H, Li YP, Xie S, Shu J, Zeng BF, Li JX, Liu Z, Xiao ZH, Xiao JD, Zheng PY, Huang SG, Chen SL, Fei GJ. International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025). J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):502-518.
Dyspepsia/drug therapy*
;
Humans
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*
;
Practice Guidelines as Topic
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
4.Association between Fish Consumption and Stroke Incidence Across Different Predicted Risk Populations: A Prospective Cohort Study from China.
Hong Yue HU ; Fang Chao LIU ; Ke Yong HUANG ; Chong SHEN ; Jian LIAO ; Jian Xin LI ; Chen Xi YUAN ; Ying LI ; Xue Li YANG ; Ji Chun CHEN ; Jie CAO ; Shu Feng CHEN ; Dong Sheng HU ; Jian Feng HUANG ; Xiang Feng LU ; Dong Feng GU
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(1):15-26
OBJECTIVE:
The relationship between fish consumption and stroke is inconsistent, and it is uncertain whether this association varies across predicted stroke risks.
METHODS:
A cohort study comprising 95,800 participants from the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China project was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on fish consumption. Participants were stratified into low- and moderate-to-high-risk categories based on their 10-year stroke risk prediction scores. Hazard ratios ( HRs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models and additive interaction by relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (SI).
RESULTS:
During 703,869 person-years of follow-up, 2,773 incident stroke events were identified. Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, particularly among moderate-to-high-risk individuals ( HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.47-0.60) than among low-risk individuals ( HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85). A significant additive interaction between fish consumption and predicted stroke risk was observed (RERI = 4.08, 95% CI: 2.80-5.36; SI = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.42-1.89; AP = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.28-0.43).
CONCLUSION
Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, and this beneficial association was more pronounced in individuals with moderate-to-high stroke risk.
Humans
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China/epidemiology*
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Male
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Female
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Stroke/etiology*
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Middle Aged
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Prospective Studies
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Incidence
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Aged
;
Animals
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Fishes
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Risk Factors
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Diet
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Seafood
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Adult
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Cohort Studies
5.Waist Circumference Status and Distribution in Chinese Adults: China Nutrition and Health Surveillance (2015-2017).
Jing NAN ; Mu Lei CHEN ; Hong Tao YUAN ; Qiu Ye CAO ; Dong Mei YU ; Wei PIAO ; Fu Sheng LI ; Yu Xiang YANG ; Li Yun ZHAO ; Shu Ya CAI
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(6):757-762
6.Increased Tertiary Lymphoid Structures are Associated with Exaggerated Lung Tissue Damage in Smokers with Pulmonary Tuberculosis.
Yue ZHANG ; Liang LI ; Zi Kang SHENG ; Ya Fei RAO ; Xiang ZHU ; Yu PANG ; Meng Qiu GAO ; Xiao Yan GAI ; Yong Chang SUN
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(7):810-818
OBJECTIVE:
Cigarette smoking exacerbates the progression of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The role of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in chronic lung diseases has gained attention; however, it remains unclear whether smoking-exacerbated lung damage in TB is associated with TLS. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of pulmonary TLS in smokers with TB and to explore the possible role of TLS in smoking-related lung injury in TB.
METHODS:
Lung tissues from 36 male patients (18 smokers and 18 non-smokers) who underwent surgical resection for pulmonary TB were included in this study. Pathological and immunohistological analyses were conducted to evaluate the quantity of TLS, and chest computed tomography (CT) was used to assess the severity of lung lesions. The correlation between the TLS quantity and TB lesion severity scores was analyzed. The immune cells and chemokines involved in TLS formation were also evaluated and compared between smokers and non-smokers.
RESULTS:
Smoker patients with TB had significantly higher TLS than non-smokers ( P < 0.001). The TLS quantity in both the lung parenchyma and peribronchial regions correlated with TB lesion severity on chest CT (parenchyma: r = 0.5767; peribronchial: r = 0.7373; both P < 0.001). Immunohistochemical analysis showed increased B cells, T cells, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) expression in smoker patients with TB ( P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
Smoker TB patients exhibited increased pulmonary TLS, which was associated with exacerbated lung lesions on chest CT, suggesting that cigarette smoking may exacerbate lung damage by promoting TLS formation.
Humans
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Male
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Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/immunology*
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Middle Aged
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Tertiary Lymphoid Structures/pathology*
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Adult
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Lung/pathology*
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Smoking/adverse effects*
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Smokers
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Aged
;
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
7.Associations between Red Cell Indices and Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity in High Altitude.
Hao Lun SUN ; Tai Ming ZHANG ; Dong Yu FAN ; Hao Xiang WANG ; Lu Ran XU ; Qing DU ; Jun LIANG ; Li ZHU ; Xu WANG ; Li LEI ; Xiao Shu LI ; Wang Sheng JIN
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(10):1314-1319
8.Artificial intelligence-enhanced physics-based computational modeling technologies for proteins.
Baoyan LIU ; Shuai LI ; Hao SU ; Xiang SHENG
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(3):917-933
Computational modeling is an invaluable tool for mechanism analysis, directed engineering, and rational design of biological parts, metabolic networks, and even cellular systems. It can provide new technological solutions to address biological challenges at different levels and has become a central focus of research in biomanufacturing. In the computational modeling of proteins, which are the key parts in biological systems, the traditional physics-based methods (computer software and mathematical model) have been widely used to study the physical and chemical processes in the functioning of proteins, and have thus been recognized as a powerful tool for understanding complex biological systems and guiding experimental designs. As the scale of computational modeling continues to expand, traditional modeling techniques face difficulties in balancing computational accuracy and speed. In recent years, the explosive growth of biological data has made it possible to construct high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) models, which brings new opportunities to the computational modeling of proteins, and the AI-enhanced physics-based computational modeling technologies have emerged. This combined strategy not only incorporates the chemical knowledge and established physical principles but also is powerful in data processing and pattern recognition, which greatly improves the computational efficiency and prediction accuracy, as well as possesses stronger interpretation ability, transferability, and robustness. The AI-enhanced physics-based computational modeling technologies have already shown great potential and value in biocatalysis, paving a new way for the future development of biomanufacturing.
Artificial Intelligence
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Proteins/chemistry*
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Computer Simulation
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Software
;
Computational Biology/methods*
9.Epidemiological characteristics and relationship analysis of food intolerance in children in Zhuzhou area
Xiang CHEN ; Sheng LI ; Hui LIN ; Xiuying YI ; Juan LI ; Manling TANG
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2025;46(18):2226-2230,2236
Objective To investigate the prevalence of food intolerance among children in Zhuzhou area and its relationship with age,gender,systemic diseases,and food allergies,so as to provide a basis for the scientific adjustment of children's dietary structure.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on totally 1 592 children who underwent food intolerance and food allergen testing in the hospital,the positive rate and distri-bution of 14 kinds of food intolerance were assessed,and their correlation with various factors was analyzed.Results Among 14 kinds of food tested,milk and eggs had the highest positive rates of intolerance,at 82.22%and 55.78%,respectively.The majority of children were intolerant to 1 to 2 kinds of food,with a de-creasing trend in the number of children intolerant to multiple kinds of food.Among the 14 types of food,ex-cept for mushrooms and pork,there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of negative,mild,moderate,and severe intolerance in other foods(P<0.05).Children tended to have moderate or even se-vere intolerance to milk and eggs,while they tended to have mild intolerance to other foods.There was no sta-tistically significant difference in the overall food intolerance rate between boys and girls(P=0.654),but the positive rate of tomato intolerance in girls was slightly higher than that in boys(P=0.043).Except for pork,there were statistically significant differences in the positive rates of intolerance to 14 different foods among different age groups(P<0.05).The positive rates of intolerance to cod,mushrooms,and crabs increased with age,while the positive rates of intolerance to beef decreased with age.There was a statistically significant difference in the positive rate of milk intolerance between healthy children and children with skin allergies(P<0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of individuals who were tolerant and not allergic to milk compared to hose who were intolerant and allergic to milk(P<0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of individuals who were tolerant and not allergic to eggs compared to those who were intolerant and allergic to eggs(P<0.05).Conclusion The positive rate of food intolerance among children in Zhuzhou area is relatively high,with milk and eggs being the main intolerant foods.There are differences in the positive rate of intolerance among different gender and age groups,and in-tolerance to milk and eggs is associated with food allergies to some extent.
10.Randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, multicenter, equivalence clinical trial of Jiuwei Xifeng Granules(Os Draconis replaced by Ostreae Concha) for treating tic disorder in children.
Qiu-Han CAI ; Cheng-Liang ZHONG ; Si-Yuan HU ; Xin-Min LI ; Zhi-Chun XU ; Hui CHEN ; Ying HUA ; Jun-Hong WANG ; Ji-Hong TANG ; Bing-Xiang MA ; Xiu-Xia WANG ; Ai-Zhen WANG ; Meng-Qing WANG ; Wei ZHANG ; Chun WANG ; Yi-Qun TENG ; Yi-Hui SHAN ; Sheng-Xuan GUO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(6):1699-1705
Jiuwei Xifeng Granules have become a Chinese patent medicine in the market. Because the formula contains Os Draconis, a top-level protected fossil of ancient organisms, the formula was to be improved by replacing Os Draconis with Ostreae Concha. To evaluate whether the improved formula has the same effectiveness and safety as the original formula, a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, equivalence clinical trial was conducted. This study enrolled 288 tic disorder(TD) of children and assigned them into two groups in 1∶1. The treatment group and control group took the modified formula and original formula, respectively. The treatment lasted for 6 weeks, and follow-up visits were conducted at weeks 2, 4, and 6. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference in Yale global tic severity scale(YGTSS)-total tic severity(TTS) score from baseline after 6 weeks of treatment. The results showed that after 6 weeks of treatment, the declines in YGTSS-TSS score showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The difference in YGTSS-TSS score(treatment group-control group) and the 95%CI of the full analysis set(FAS) were-0.17[-1.42, 1.08] and those of per-protocol set(PPS) were 0.29[-0.97, 1.56], which were within the equivalence boundary [-3, 3]. The equivalence test was therefore concluded. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary efficacy endpoints of effective rate for TD, total score and factor scores of YGTSS, clinical global impressions-severity(CGI-S) score, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) response rate, or symptom disappearance rate, and thus a complete evidence chain with the primary outcome was formed. A total of 6 adverse reactions were reported, including 4(2.82%) cases in the treatment group and 2(1.41%) cases in the control group, which showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No serious suspected unexpected adverse reactions were reported, and no laboratory test results indicated serious clinically significant abnormalities. The results support the replacement of Os Draconis by Ostreae Concha in the original formula, and the efficacy and safety of the modified formula are consistent with those of the original formula.
Adolescent
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Child
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Child, Preschool
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Double-Blind Method
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
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Tic Disorders/drug therapy*
;
Treatment Outcome

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