1.Research advances in brain aging and brain age prediction in a high-altitude hypoxic environment
Journal of Apoplexy and Nervous Diseases 2026;43(1):92-96
With the acceleration of global population aging, the assessment and prediction of brain aging have become an important research direction in neuroscience. Brain age, as an indicator for measuring the biological age of the brain, can be used to assess individual cognitive function and predict the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Neuroimaging techniques can reveal the structure and functional state of the brain, providing an important basis for brain age prediction. The hypoxic environment at high altitudes may accelerate brain aging, and its neuroimaging features provide a unique perspective for assessing brain aging. This article reviews the latest research advances in brain aging and brain age prediction under a high-altitude hypoxia environment, with a focus on the construction of brain age prediction models, the application of sMRI/DTI/fMRI, and the impact of high-altitude hypoxia on brain structure, function, and mechanisms, in order to provide a reference and directions for future research.
Neuroimaging
2.Research advances in high-altitude headache
Journal of Apoplexy and Nervous Diseases 2025;42(7):623-626
High-altitude headache (HAH) is a type of headache associated with disorder of homoeostasis, and it often appears after ascent to 2 500 m or higher and resolves within 24 hours after descent to below 2 500 m. HAH may occur independently or in association with the onset of acute mountain sickness and chronic mountain sickness. This article describes the clinical features of HAH and discusses the possible pathogenesis, risk factors, preventive measures, treatment, and prognosis of HAH, in order to provide a theoretical basis for further research on HAH.
Headache
3.Abnormalities of mirror homotopic connectivity and gray matter volume of brain in patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus: an magnetic resonance imaging study
Yifan LI ; Huayu SHEN ; Pengxin HU ; Junyi GAO ; Jianguo XIA ; Jinhua CHEN ; Ji ZHANG ; Weizhong TIAN
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(6):503-509
Objective:To investigate the characteristics of resting-state mirror homotopic connectivity and the gray matter volume of brain in patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE).Methods:From June 2020 to March 2023, a total of 35 NPSLE patients (NPSLE group) and 30 non-NPSLE patients (non-NPSLE group) were selected from Taizhou People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, another 31 healthy volunteers were recruited as the healthy controls(HC group). All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) assessments. The patients in NPSLE and non-NPSLE groups were additionally assessed using the fatigue scale for motor and cognitive functions (FSMC) and the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS).The DPABI V7.0 toolkit based on the MATLAB platform was used to preprocess the rs-fMRI data and calculate the voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity(VMHC) indexes, and the differences in VMHC between groups were evaluated by covariance analysis in SPM12.0 software, and the VMHC values of brain regions with significant differences were extracted for further comparison between the two groups.Partial correlation analysis was performed to investigate the association between VMHC values and clinical parameters in NPSLE patients.The brain regions with significant differences between NPSLE patients and non-NPSLE patients were used as region of interest (ROI), and gray matter volumes within these ROIs were then calculated by VBM8 toolbox.Results:(1)There were statistically significant differences in the VMHC values of bilateral precentral gyrus, bilateral dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral medial and paracingulate gyrus, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, bilateral middle occipital gyrus, bilateral postcentral gyrus, and bilateral superior temporal gyrus among the 3 groups( F=11.246-14.102, all P<0.05). The NPSLE group exhibited significantly lower VMHC values in these regions compared to both the non-NPSLE group and HC group (all P<0.05), but there were no significant differences in these regions between the non-NPSLE group and HC group (all P>0.05).(2) The gray matter volumes of bilateral dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus(right: (0.57±0.11)mm 3, (0.65±0.08)mm 3, t=-3.409, P=0.001; left: (0.53±0.10)mm 3, (0.60±0.07)mm 3, t=-3.082, P=0.003), bilateral precentral gyrus(right: (0.32±0.06)mm 3, (0.35±0.04)mm 3, t=-2.044, P=0.045; left: (0.39±0.06)mm 3, (0.42±0.04)mm 3, t=-2.505, P=0.015), right medial and paracingulate gyrus((0.66±0.08)mm 3, (0.70±0.07)mm 3, t=-2.491, P=0.015) and left superior temporal gyrus((0.57±0.09)mm 3, (0.61±0.06)mm 3, t=- 2.344, P=0.022) in the NPSLE group were smaller than those of non-NPSLE group.(3)Correlation analysis showed that the VMHC value of dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus was positively correlated with IgA level in NPSLE patients ( r=0.353, P=0.047). Conclusion:Patients with NPSLE generally have decreased mirror homotopy functional connectivity in the cerebral hemispheres, accompanied by a decrease in gray matter volume in some brain regions, which can provide a certain neuroimaging basis for the pathogenesis of brain injury.
4.Advances in proteomic research on cognitive disorder
Journal of Apoplexy and Nervous Diseases 2025;42(3):267-272
Cognition is the intelligent processing of the brain, which affects the acquisition and realization of knowledge in the body, including learning, memory, thinking, language, emotion, spirit, and other psychological and social activities. Cognitive impairment refers to abnormalities in the processing of higher-order intellectual activities in the brain, such as learning, memory, thinking, and judgment, which leads to severe learning and memory difficulties, and it is often accompanied by pathological developments including aphasia and apraxia, which is mainly caused by Alzheimer disease, cerebrovascular diseases, and traumatic brain injury. At present, the etiology of cognitive impairment remains unclear. Nowadays, with the continuous development of modern science and technology, proteomics technology has been widely used in the field of clinical medical research and can provide a scientific basis for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and the development of new drugs. This article reviews the research advances in proteomics technologies, humoral proteomics of cognitive disorders, brain tissue proteomics, and proteomics research in cognitive disorders at high altitude, in order to further reveal the application and development of proteomics in cognitive disorders.
Biomarkers
5.TACE and apatinib combined with camrelizumab for treating giant hepatocellular carcinoma
Jie JI ; Di ZHU ; Yuguan XIE ; Fu'an WANG ; Penghua LYU ; Weizhong ZHOU ; Lele YAN
Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy 2025;22(5):310-314
Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of TACE and apatinib combined with camrelizumab for treating giant hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods Totally 78 patients with giant HCC were retrospectively collected,including 22 cases received TACE and apatinib combined with camrelizumab(TACE+AC group)and 56 cases received TACE and apatinib(TACE+A group).Propensity score matching analysis was used to select 44 cases(TACE+A'group)from TACE+A group who were matched to those in TACE+AC group at 1:2 ratio.The overall survival(OS),progression-free survival(PFS)and the adverse events were recorded and compared among groups.Results Patients in TACE+AC group had a median OS of 17.8(95%CI:17.5-18.1)months and a median PFS of 8.8(95%CI:5.4-12.3)months,which in TACE+A'group was 9.8(95%CI:7.6-12.1)months and 5.5(95%CI:2.7-8.3)months,respectively.The overall OS rate and PFS rate in TACE+AC group were significantly higher than those in TACE+A' group(both P<0.05).The incidences of thyroid dysfunction,immune pneumonia and reactive cutaneous capillary endothelial proliferation in TACE+AC group were significantly higher than those in TACE+A' group(all P<0.05).No death associated with adverse events occurred.Conclusion Compared with TACE and apatinib,further combining with camrelizumab could get better survival benefit for giant HCC patients with acceptable adverse events.
6.Correlation between different measurement methods and parameters of intravoxel incoherent motion imaging and pathological characteristics of cervical cancer
Tingting ZHOU ; Xinhua BU ; Ji ZHANG ; Weizhong TIAN
Journal of Practical Radiology 2025;41(2):251-253,279
Objective To explore the correlation between diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)and intravoxel incoherent motion(IVIM)imaging parameter values in the marginal and central areas of cervical cancer tissue and the pathological characteristics of cervical cancer.Methods Forty-six patients with cervical cancer were selected and classified based on pathology results.Region of interest(ROI)were drawn in the marginal and central areas of each lesion on DWI and IVIM images respectively.And the statistical significance of each parameter of the lesion was compared and analyzed.Results The apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)and D values measured in the marginal area between different groups were statistically significant than those in the central area(P<0.05).The ADC and D values of cervical squamous cell carcinoma in the marginal area were lower than those of adenocarcinoma,the D value had the best discrimination ability.In distinguishing moderate and low differentiation of cervical squamous cell carcinoma,the D value of the marginal area had the best discriminative ability.In distinguishing high and low differentiation of cervical squamous cell carcinoma,the ADC and D values of the marginal area had equivalent discriminative ability.Conclusion The parameter values in the marginal area of cervical cancer lesions are statistically significant than those in the central area.Among the different pathological classifications of cervical cancer,the D value in the marginal area has better discrimination ability and can more truly reflect the pathological characteristics of cervical cancer.
7.Abnormalities of mirror homotopic connectivity and gray matter volume of brain in patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus: an magnetic resonance imaging study
Yifan LI ; Huayu SHEN ; Pengxin HU ; Junyi GAO ; Jianguo XIA ; Jinhua CHEN ; Ji ZHANG ; Weizhong TIAN
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(6):503-509
Objective:To investigate the characteristics of resting-state mirror homotopic connectivity and the gray matter volume of brain in patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE).Methods:From June 2020 to March 2023, a total of 35 NPSLE patients (NPSLE group) and 30 non-NPSLE patients (non-NPSLE group) were selected from Taizhou People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, another 31 healthy volunteers were recruited as the healthy controls(HC group). All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) assessments. The patients in NPSLE and non-NPSLE groups were additionally assessed using the fatigue scale for motor and cognitive functions (FSMC) and the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS).The DPABI V7.0 toolkit based on the MATLAB platform was used to preprocess the rs-fMRI data and calculate the voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity(VMHC) indexes, and the differences in VMHC between groups were evaluated by covariance analysis in SPM12.0 software, and the VMHC values of brain regions with significant differences were extracted for further comparison between the two groups.Partial correlation analysis was performed to investigate the association between VMHC values and clinical parameters in NPSLE patients.The brain regions with significant differences between NPSLE patients and non-NPSLE patients were used as region of interest (ROI), and gray matter volumes within these ROIs were then calculated by VBM8 toolbox.Results:(1)There were statistically significant differences in the VMHC values of bilateral precentral gyrus, bilateral dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral medial and paracingulate gyrus, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, bilateral middle occipital gyrus, bilateral postcentral gyrus, and bilateral superior temporal gyrus among the 3 groups( F=11.246-14.102, all P<0.05). The NPSLE group exhibited significantly lower VMHC values in these regions compared to both the non-NPSLE group and HC group (all P<0.05), but there were no significant differences in these regions between the non-NPSLE group and HC group (all P>0.05).(2) The gray matter volumes of bilateral dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus(right: (0.57±0.11)mm 3, (0.65±0.08)mm 3, t=-3.409, P=0.001; left: (0.53±0.10)mm 3, (0.60±0.07)mm 3, t=-3.082, P=0.003), bilateral precentral gyrus(right: (0.32±0.06)mm 3, (0.35±0.04)mm 3, t=-2.044, P=0.045; left: (0.39±0.06)mm 3, (0.42±0.04)mm 3, t=-2.505, P=0.015), right medial and paracingulate gyrus((0.66±0.08)mm 3, (0.70±0.07)mm 3, t=-2.491, P=0.015) and left superior temporal gyrus((0.57±0.09)mm 3, (0.61±0.06)mm 3, t=- 2.344, P=0.022) in the NPSLE group were smaller than those of non-NPSLE group.(3)Correlation analysis showed that the VMHC value of dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus was positively correlated with IgA level in NPSLE patients ( r=0.353, P=0.047). Conclusion:Patients with NPSLE generally have decreased mirror homotopy functional connectivity in the cerebral hemispheres, accompanied by a decrease in gray matter volume in some brain regions, which can provide a certain neuroimaging basis for the pathogenesis of brain injury.
8.TACE and apatinib combined with camrelizumab for treating giant hepatocellular carcinoma
Jie JI ; Di ZHU ; Yuguan XIE ; Fu'an WANG ; Penghua LYU ; Weizhong ZHOU ; Lele YAN
Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy 2025;22(5):310-314
Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of TACE and apatinib combined with camrelizumab for treating giant hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods Totally 78 patients with giant HCC were retrospectively collected,including 22 cases received TACE and apatinib combined with camrelizumab(TACE+AC group)and 56 cases received TACE and apatinib(TACE+A group).Propensity score matching analysis was used to select 44 cases(TACE+A'group)from TACE+A group who were matched to those in TACE+AC group at 1:2 ratio.The overall survival(OS),progression-free survival(PFS)and the adverse events were recorded and compared among groups.Results Patients in TACE+AC group had a median OS of 17.8(95%CI:17.5-18.1)months and a median PFS of 8.8(95%CI:5.4-12.3)months,which in TACE+A'group was 9.8(95%CI:7.6-12.1)months and 5.5(95%CI:2.7-8.3)months,respectively.The overall OS rate and PFS rate in TACE+AC group were significantly higher than those in TACE+A' group(both P<0.05).The incidences of thyroid dysfunction,immune pneumonia and reactive cutaneous capillary endothelial proliferation in TACE+AC group were significantly higher than those in TACE+A' group(all P<0.05).No death associated with adverse events occurred.Conclusion Compared with TACE and apatinib,further combining with camrelizumab could get better survival benefit for giant HCC patients with acceptable adverse events.
9.Correlation between different measurement methods and parameters of intravoxel incoherent motion imaging and pathological characteristics of cervical cancer
Tingting ZHOU ; Xinhua BU ; Ji ZHANG ; Weizhong TIAN
Journal of Practical Radiology 2025;41(2):251-253,279
Objective To explore the correlation between diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)and intravoxel incoherent motion(IVIM)imaging parameter values in the marginal and central areas of cervical cancer tissue and the pathological characteristics of cervical cancer.Methods Forty-six patients with cervical cancer were selected and classified based on pathology results.Region of interest(ROI)were drawn in the marginal and central areas of each lesion on DWI and IVIM images respectively.And the statistical significance of each parameter of the lesion was compared and analyzed.Results The apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)and D values measured in the marginal area between different groups were statistically significant than those in the central area(P<0.05).The ADC and D values of cervical squamous cell carcinoma in the marginal area were lower than those of adenocarcinoma,the D value had the best discrimination ability.In distinguishing moderate and low differentiation of cervical squamous cell carcinoma,the D value of the marginal area had the best discriminative ability.In distinguishing high and low differentiation of cervical squamous cell carcinoma,the ADC and D values of the marginal area had equivalent discriminative ability.Conclusion The parameter values in the marginal area of cervical cancer lesions are statistically significant than those in the central area.Among the different pathological classifications of cervical cancer,the D value in the marginal area has better discrimination ability and can more truly reflect the pathological characteristics of cervical cancer.
10.TIPS combined with catheter-directed thrombolysis and percutaneous transhepatic portal vein catheterization thrombolysis for acute non-cirrhotic non-neoplastic portal vein thrombosis
Jie JI ; Bifei WU ; Lele YAN ; Penghua LYU ; Weizhong ZHOU ; Fu'an WANG
Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy 2024;21(10):583-587
Objective To comparatively observe the value of TIPS combined with catheter-directed thrombolysis and percutaneous transhepatic portal vein catheterization thrombolysis for acute non-cirrhotic non-neoplastic portal vein thrombosis(PVT).Methods Twenty-five patients with acute non-cirrhotic non-neoplastic PVT were retrospectively enrolled and clustered into TIPS group(n=17,underwent TIPS combined with catheter-directed thrombolysis)and liver puncture group(n=8,underwent percutaneous transhepatic portal vein catheterization thrombolysis)according to the access of thrombolysis.The technical success rate,duration of catheter-directed thrombolysis,complications within 7 days,as well as portal vein patency 3 months after treatment,Child-Pugh grading of liver function and occurrence of hepatic encephalopathy(HE)were recorded and compared between groups.Results The technical success rates were both 100%in 2 groups.There was no significant difference of the duration of catheter-directed thrombolysis between groups(P>0.05).The thrombolytic effect in TIPS group was better than that in liver puncture group(P<0.05).No significant difference of the occurrence of bleeding within 7 days was found between groups(P>0.05).After 3 months'follow-up,the degree of portal vein patency in TIPS group was higher than that in liver puncture group(P<0.05).No significant difference of Child-Pugh grading of liver function nor occurrence of HE was found between groups(both P>0.05).Conclusion Both TIPS combined with catheter-directed thrombolysis and percutaneous transhepatic portal vein catheterization thrombolysis were effective for treating acute non-cirrhotic non-neoplastic PVT,and the thrombolytic effect of the former was better than the latter.

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