1.The Neural Circuit Characteristics of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Over The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex for The Treatment of Migraine
Chen-Xia JIN ; Bo-Lin TAN ; Yang YE ; Ji-Qing HE ; Ling-Yan WANG ; Zhong-Ming GAO ; Yu-Jun WANG ; Hui-Li LIU ; Yong-Xing YAN ; Xian-Wei CHE
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(7):1953-1968
ObjectiveMigraine is a leading neurological disorder and the fourth most common cause of years lived with disability worldwide, affecting nearly 116 million individuals. Although pharmacological treatments are available, their efficacy is often limited by side effects and variable response rates. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) offers a safe, non-invasive alternative for migraine management. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms, particularly how rTMS modulates local cortical excitability and distributed pain-related circuits, remain poorly understood. Elucidating these mechanisms is essential for optimizing treatment protocols and improving clinical outcomes. MethodsThis study employed concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) to investigate neuroplastic and neurocircuitry mechanisms of DLPFC-rTMS in migraine. Study 1 compared 30 migraineurs and 28 healthy controls to identify abnormalities in TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) and significant current density (SCD) within sensory-discriminative regions including the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and posterior insula (pINS), cognitive-affective regions including the anterior insula (aINS) and midcingulate cortex (MCC), and a descending modulatory region, the periaqueductal gray (PAG). Study 2 used a single-blind, crossover, sham-controlled design in 34 healthy participants. Each participant received both active (10 Hz, 80% RMT, 1 500 pulses) and sham DLPFC-rTMS in counterbalanced order. TMS-EEG and cold pain tolerance were assessed before and after each session. ResultsIn Study 1, migraineurs showed a significantly less negative N120 amplitude compared to healthy controls (P=0.027, Cohen’s d=0.60), indicating local intracortical disinhibition. No group differences were observed for N40, P60, or P180 components. At the source level, migraineurs exhibited significantly higher SCD in the S1, pINS, aINS, and MCC (allQ<0.05), but not in the ventroposterior thalamus (vpTHAL), mediodorsal thalamus (mdTHAL), or PAG. In Study 2, active rTMS significantly reduced SCD from pre- to post-stimulation in the S1, aINS, and MCC (all Q<0.05). Sham stimulation also reduced SCD in the S1 (Q<0.05) but not in the aINS or MCC. Although no significant group-level analgesic effect was observed between active and sham conditions (P=0.107), correlation analyses revealed that greater SCD reductions in the S1 and MCC were significantly associated with higher post-rTMS pain tolerance (R=-0.487 and -0.495, both Q<0.01) and larger improvements in pain tolerance(R=-0.487 and -0.451, both Q<0.05). No such correlations were found following sham stimulation, suggesting that the behavioural relevance of neural changes is specific to active rTMS. ConclusionThis study provides novel evidence that migraineurs exhibit both local neuroplastic abnormalities (reduced N120 amplitude) and hyperactivity in key pain-processing regions (S1, pINS, aINS, MCC). A single session of DLPFC-rTMS reduced hyperactivity in the aINS, MCC, and S1. Notably, greater reductions in the S1 and MCC were associated with improved pain tolerance. These findings identify distinct cortical circuitries, particularly within the cognitive-affective pain network, that may serve as potential biomarkers for optimizing rTMS treatment in migraine and other chronic pain conditions. Future studies should validate these results in patient populations experiencing spontaneous migraine attacks and explore multi-session or accelerated rTMS protocols.
2.Effectiveness and safety of zoledronate in the treatment of 24 Chinese patients with Paget disease of bone
An SONG ; Jing LIU ; Jiajia WANG ; Yingyu CHEN ; Yan JIANG ; Mei LI ; Weibo XIA ; Ou WANG ; Xiaoping XING ; Xunwu MENG
Chinese Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism 2025;41(3):226-232
Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of zoledronic acid in patients with Paget′s disease of bone based on clinical data from a single medical center.Methods:This retrospective study included 24 patients diagnosed with Paget′s disease of bone and treated with zoledronic acid at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2009 and June 2020. Demographic data, clinical symptoms, treatment efficacy, and safety outcomes were collected. The primary efficacy measure was serum alkaline phosphatase(ALP) levels. Treatment was considered effective if ALP levels returned to normal or decreased by more than 75% from baseline in the difference between the ALP level and its normal median value.Results:Among the 24 patients with Paget′s bone disease, the most commonly affected site was the skull(in 17 cases). All patients received a single 5 mg intravenous infusion of zoledronic acid. Serum ALP levels significantly decreased after treatment. Among the 15 patients who completed at least 3 months of follow-up, all achieved treatment success. The median time for serum ALP levels to reach the target was 13.1(9.4, 26.1) weeks. In 12 patients, ALP levels normalized within a medium of 16.9(11.5, 37.3) weeks, and remained stable over a medium follow-up of 4.56(2.42, 5.71) years. The most common side effects were hypocalcemia(21 cases, 87.5%) and flu-like symptoms(17 cases, 70.8%). Seven patients had severe hypocalcemia(serum calcium<1.75 mmol/L), and they had higher baseline levels of ALP, calcium, and phosphorus compared to those with mild hypocalcemia.Conclusions:Zoledronic acid 5 mg intravenous infusion effectively controlled disease activity in patients with Paget′s disease of bone. Generally, Most patients achieved treatment goals within 3-4 months, with sustained remission for a median of 4 years. Hypocalcemia was the most frequent side effect, underscoring the importance of timely calcium and vitamin D supplementation.
3.Non-pharmacological interventions in chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome:A network meta-analysis
Xiao-hui WEI ; Meng-yao MA ; Hang SU ; Tong HU ; Yu-xin ZHAO ; Xing-chao LIU ; Hong-yan BI
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(3):234-245
Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of shockwave therapy,acupuncture,hyperthermia,biofeedback therapy,elec-trical nerve stimulation,magnetotherapy and ultrasound therapy in the treatment of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome(CP/CPPS),and to provide evidence-based support for clinical decision-making.Methods:Two researchers independently searched PubMed,Web of Science,Embase,Cochrane Library,CNKI,Wanfang,VIP and Chinese Biomedical Literature databases for randomized controlled trials(RCTs)on the effects of different interventions on CP/CPPS from the establishment of the databases to August 2024.We evaluated the quality of the included literature and extracted the relevant data according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions,followed by network meta-analysis using Revman 5.3,R 4.33 and Stata17 software.Results:A total of 25 RCTs involving 1 794 cases were included.The results of network meta-analysis showed that electrical nerve stimulation,shockwave therapy,biofeedback therapy,magnetotherapy,ultrasound therapy and acupuncture were significantly superior to conventional medication and placebo in the total NIH-CPSI scores(P<0.05),and so were electrical nerve stimulation and shock-wave therapy to acupuncture and hyperthermia(P<0.05),magnetic therapy to hyperthermia,and ultrasound therapy to placebo(P<0.05).Shockwave therapy,biofeedback therapy,electrical nerve stimulation,magnetotherapy and ultrasound therapy achieved re-markably better clinical efficacy than conventional medication and placebo in the treatment of CP/CPPS,and so did shockwave therapy than electrical nerve stimulation,hyperthermia,ultrasonic therapy,magnetotherapy and acupuncture.Conclusion:For the treat-ment of CP/CPPS,electrical nerve stimulation is advantageous over the other interventions in improving total NIH-CPSI scores,and shockwave therapy is advantageous in relieving pain symptoms and clinical efficacy.This conclusion,however,needs to be further veri-fied by more high-quality clinical studies.
4.Construction and clinical validation of a machine learning-based nomogram model for predicting lymphatic leakage following radical prostatectomy
Xiudong YANG ; Xing LIU ; Xin LIU ; Yan JIANG ; Wei WANG ; Zongbin HE ; Sha HUANG ; Meihong WEN ; Yazhen LIU
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(21):3378-3384
Objective To identify risk factors associated with lymphatic leakage after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy(LRP)and to develop a machine learning-based nomogram for predicting such outcomes to support clinical prevention strategies.Methods We retrospectively analyzed perioperative data from 248 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer between January 2020 and January 2024.Independent risk factors were identified through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.A predictive model was developed,and its diagnostic performance was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC).Five-fold cross-validation was performed to evaluate the model's generalizability.A nomogram was subsequently constructed to facilitate individualized risk quantification.Results Among the 248 patients,89(35.9%)developed lymphatic leakage,while 159(64.1%)did not.Independent risk factors for lymphatic leakage included intraopera-tive lymph node dissection(OR=5.415,95%CI:2.167~13.532,P<0.001),intraoperative plasma transfusion(OR=2.952,95%CI:1.524~5.718,P=0.001),and postoperative fasting duration of≥2 days(OR=1.412,95%CI:1.089~1.829,P=0.009).The predictive model showed good discrimination and calibration(AUC=0.711,95%CI:0.647~0.776,P<0.001;sensitivity:0.764;specificity:0.597).Model robustness was confirmed through five-fold cross-validation(training set AUC=0.822;test set AUC=0.829).The nomogram provided a clinically useful tool for quantifying individual risk of lymphatic leakage.Conclusions Intraoperative lymph node dissection,plasma transfusion,and postoperative fasting lasting≥2 days are independent risk factors for lymphatic leakage following radical prostatectomy.The validated predictive model demonstrates favorable clinical utility.
5.Value of intratumor and peritumor imaging radiomics features in predicting efficacy of radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
Xing-yu DU ; Jin-kai LI ; Yuan-yuan TANG ; Xiao-yan XU ; Xi-Sheng LIU
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(11):50-56
Objective To develop a fused model based on combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features and clinical risk factors to accurately predict the efficacy of radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 124 HCC patients(95 males and 29 females)undergoing IMRT at the radiotherapy center of some hospital,who were divided into a training set and a validation set in a 7∶3 ratio.According to relevant standards for evaluating solid tumor treatment efficacy the patients at the progressive disease phase were enrolled into a non-response group,and the ones at the phases of complete response,partial response and stable disease were included into a response group.Firstly,radiomics features were extracted from pre-radiotherapy contrast-enhanced CT images,and were screened with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)regression to obtain valuable radiomics features;secondly,the scores of intratumor radiomics features,peritumor radiomics features and combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features underwent binary Logistic regression(LR)analysis by using the glmnet package in R software(version 4.2.0),so as to construct three models for intratumor radiomics features,peritumor radiomics features and combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features;finally,a fused model was established based on the scores of combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features and clinical risk factors,and the corresponding Nomogram,calibration curve and clinical decision curve were plotted.R software(version 4.4.1)was used for image analysis and statistical analysis.Results The fused model based on the scores of combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features and clinical risk factors achieved an AUC of 0.87 on both the training and validation sets,outperforming the models based solely on intratumor radiomics features,peritumor radiomics features or combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features.The Nomogram plot showed the prediction probability of the fused model for the short-term treatment response rate was 10%-90%within the total score range of 42-93 points,and the calibration and clinical decision curves indicated that the fused model gained advantages in prediction and clinical application.Conclusion The fused model based on the scores of combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features and clinical risk factors predicts the short-term efficacy of HCC radiotherapy effectively,providing references for formulating radiotherapy plans and guiding subsequent treatment decisions.
6.Development and Validation of a Risk Prediction Model for Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Children With Congenital Heart Disease After Surgery
Yafei LIU ; Haiying XING ; Qian ZHANG ; Wolei FENG ; Fangfei ZHU ; Yanjiao WANG ; Shiqiong LIU ; Yan MA
Chinese Circulation Journal 2025;40(3):254-260
Objectives:To develop a risk prediction model for sudden cardiac arrest(CA)in children with congenital heart disease(CHD)after surgery and validate its predictive efficacy,providing a reference for the prevention of CA and risk stratification.Methods:Medical records were retrospectively analyzed from 5 029 children who were hospitalized in Fuwai Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 1,2020 to May 31,2022 and underwent CHD surgery.The patients were divided into two groups:those who experienced CA after surgery(n=33)and those who did not(n=4 996).A random forest model for predicting the risk of postoperative CA was established on the training dataset using R software,and the predictive effect of the model was evaluated on the validation dataset using indicators of predictive accuracy,sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value.Results:The incidence of CA in this center was 0.66%,survival rate is 72.73%.Using the random forest algorithm,the importance of risk factors for sudden CA after CHD surgery was ranked by variable importance scoring,with the following top 6 important predictive variables:blood pressure,lactate levels,heart rate,cardiac rhythm,arterial oxygen partial pressure,and blood oxygen saturation on the first day after surgery.The model established by the random forest algorithm on the training set was validated on the test set,yielding a predictive accuracy of 99.8%,specificity of 87.5%,sensitivity of 99.9%,kappa coefficient of 0.8225,positive predictive value of 99.9%,and negative predictive value of 77.8%.Conclusions:The established prediction model of sudden CA in children with CHD after surgery had good performance.It might help medical staffon decision making of early intervention,preventing the occurrence of CA,and improving the outcomes of children with high risk of CA post surgery.
7.Moxibustion combined with low-dose tadalafil for diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction:A prospective,single-center,three-arm randomized controlled trial
Tao LIU ; Zhao-xu YANG ; Yan XU ; Qi ZHAO ; Xue LIU ; Xin-fei HUANG ; Zhi-xing SUN ; Yun CHEN ; Jian-huai CHEN
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(1):55-60
Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of moxibustion(Mox)combined with low-dose tadalafil(TAD)in the treatment of diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction(DMED)with the syndrome of Qi deficiency and blood stasis.Meth-ods:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,we selected 90 patients with DMED for this trial and equally randomized them into a Mox,a TAD,and a Mox combined with TAD(Mox+TAD)group to be treated by mild Mox applied to the acupoints Zusanli,Sanyinjiao and Yinlingquan qd alt,oral medication with low-dose TAD at 5 mg per dose qd,and combination of the above two thera-pies,respectively,all for 4 weeks.We obtained from the patients their IIEF-5 scores,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)symptoms scores,Erectile Hardness Scale(EHS)scores,corpus cavernosal hemodynamic indexes,and the peak systolic velocity(PSV),end diastolic velocity(EDV)and resistance index(RI)of the corpus cavernosal arteries before and after treatment,and compared them among the three groups.Results:The total effectiveness rate was significantly higher in the Mox+TAD(90.0%)than in the Mox(46.7%)and TAD groups(60.0%)(P<0.05).Compared with the baseline,the IIEF-5 and EHS scores were increased,while the TCM symptoms scores decreased in all the three groups after treatment,more significantly in the Mox+TAD group than in the other two(P<0.05).And the PSV and RI were remarkably increased,while the EDV decreased(P<0.05)in all the three groups(P<0.05)after treatment,with PSV even higher in the Mox+TAD than in the Mox and TAD groups(P<0.05).Conclusion:Moxi-bustion combined with tadalafil has a definite efficacy and safety for the treatment of DMED,which can effectively improve the erectile function of the patients by increasing penile blood supply,benefiting qi and activating blood circulation.
8.Value of intratumor and peritumor imaging radiomics features in predicting efficacy of radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma
Xing-yu DU ; Jin-kai LI ; Yuan-yuan TANG ; Xiao-yan XU ; Xi-Sheng LIU
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(11):50-56
Objective To develop a fused model based on combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features and clinical risk factors to accurately predict the efficacy of radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 124 HCC patients(95 males and 29 females)undergoing IMRT at the radiotherapy center of some hospital,who were divided into a training set and a validation set in a 7∶3 ratio.According to relevant standards for evaluating solid tumor treatment efficacy the patients at the progressive disease phase were enrolled into a non-response group,and the ones at the phases of complete response,partial response and stable disease were included into a response group.Firstly,radiomics features were extracted from pre-radiotherapy contrast-enhanced CT images,and were screened with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)regression to obtain valuable radiomics features;secondly,the scores of intratumor radiomics features,peritumor radiomics features and combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features underwent binary Logistic regression(LR)analysis by using the glmnet package in R software(version 4.2.0),so as to construct three models for intratumor radiomics features,peritumor radiomics features and combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features;finally,a fused model was established based on the scores of combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features and clinical risk factors,and the corresponding Nomogram,calibration curve and clinical decision curve were plotted.R software(version 4.4.1)was used for image analysis and statistical analysis.Results The fused model based on the scores of combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features and clinical risk factors achieved an AUC of 0.87 on both the training and validation sets,outperforming the models based solely on intratumor radiomics features,peritumor radiomics features or combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features.The Nomogram plot showed the prediction probability of the fused model for the short-term treatment response rate was 10%-90%within the total score range of 42-93 points,and the calibration and clinical decision curves indicated that the fused model gained advantages in prediction and clinical application.Conclusion The fused model based on the scores of combined intratumor-peritumor radiomics features and clinical risk factors predicts the short-term efficacy of HCC radiotherapy effectively,providing references for formulating radiotherapy plans and guiding subsequent treatment decisions.
9.Effects of vitamin D deficiency on IVF-ET pregnancy outcomes in women with PCOS and normal ovarian reserve
Jingjing XING ; Yan YUE ; Rong LI ; Fuqing ZHANG ; Min LIU ; Xinxiang MA
Chinese Journal of Reproduction and Contraception 2025;45(2):142-153
Objective:To investigate the impact of vitamin D deficiency on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and normal ovarian reserve (NOR). Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted on infertile women undergoing their first IVF-ET cycle in the Department of Reproductive Genetics, Zhengzhou Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital from January 2018 to December 2023, including 318 PCOS patients (group P) and 528 NOR patients (group N). Each group was divided into three subgroups according to serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels: severe deficiency [25(OH)D<12 μg/L], deficiency [12 μg/L≤25(OH)D<20 μg/L], and non-deficiency [25(OH)D≥20 μg/L]. The impact of vitamin D deficiency on pregnancy outcomes was analyzed in each group. 1∶1 propensity score matching was applied to match the baseline characteristics between group P and group N , resulting in 158 matched cases of PCOS (group P) and NOR (group N). Pregnancy outcomes were compared between the two groups under the same vitamin D status.Results:1) Among PCOS patients, there were no significant differences in general characteristics and pregnancy outcomes among the three subgroups (all P>0.05). The two pronuclei (2PN) rate in the severe deficiency subgroup [59.93% (721/1 203)] was significantly lower than that in the deficiency subgroup [63.70% (1 032/1 620)], with a statistically significant difference ( P=0.045), and both were lower than that in the non-deficiency subgroup [68.06% (554/814)], with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.001, P=0.037). There were no statistically significant differences in the number of oocytes retrieved and MⅡ oocytes, MⅡ oocyte rate, 2PN number, 2PN rate, cleavage number, cleavage rate, number of available embryos on day 3 (day 3, D3), number of high-quality embryos on D3, D3 high-quality embryo rate, clinical pregnancy rate, embryo implantation rate, early miscarriage rate, live birth rate, and premature birth rate among subgroups (all P>0.05). Female age ( OR=0.930, 95% CI: 0.871-0.992, P=0.028), endometrial thickness on the day of transfer ( OR=0.877, 95% CI: 0.791-0.971, P=0.012), number of D3 high-quality embryos ( OR=1.135, 95% CI: 1.050-1.228, P=0.001), and ovulation stimulating protocol ( OR=2.230, 95% CI: 1.153-4.314, P=0.017) were independent factors influencing clinical pregnancy. 2) Among NOR patients, there were no significant differences in general characteristics, pregnancy outcomes, laboratory parameters, or other outcome-related indices among the three subgroups (all P>0.05). Female age ( OR=0.944, 95% CI: 0.900-0.990, P=0.018), number of D3 high-quality embryos ( OR=1.070, 95% CI: 1.004-2.597, P=0.037), and number of transferred embryos ( OR=1.753, 95% CI: 1.184-2.597, P=0.005) were independent factors influencing clinical pregnancy. 3) After matching, there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics and pregnancy outcomes between group P and group N (all P>0.05). In the severe vitamin D deficiency state, group P had significantly lower MⅡ oocyte rate [76.64% (525/685)], 2PN rate [59.69% (345/578)], embryo implantation rate [35.71% (30/84)], and live birth rate [34.00% (17/50)] compared with group N [81.58% (465/570), P=0.033; 67.00% (335/500), P=0.013; 51.28% (40/78), P=0.046; 55.32% (26/47), P=0.035]. In the vitamin D deficiency state, the 2PN rate in group P [66.50% (532/800)] was significantly lower than that in group N [72.00% (725/1 007), P=0.012]. Conclusion:Vitamin D deficiency may adversely affect IVF-ET outcomes in patients with PCOS, with more pronounced effects in cases of severe deficiency. However, it has no impact on the assisted reproductive outcomes in NOR patients.
10.Comprehensive evaluation of compound trace element preparations used in Beijing
Na YANG ; Han LIU ; Yan XING ; Rongrong LI ; Fang LIU ; Guang YANG ; Xiaoxiao LI
Chinese Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2025;33(2):98-104
Objective:To compare the types and contents of trace elements in compound trace element preparations used in parenteral nutrition in Beijing against the doses recommended by the guidelines, so as to facilitate optimal choice of preparations for different populations in clinical practice.Methods:The available compound trace element preparations were determined according to the drug list from the Medical Insurance Recruitment and Procurement System of Beijing and the recommended doses of trace elements in the guidelines released by Chinese domestic and foreign nutrition societies were collected and compared.Results:The compound trace element preparations used in Beijing comprised 4 varieties and 6 specifications, with the daily cost ranging from 11.32 to 471 Chinese Yuan. There were 3 varieties of trace element preparations for adults, including multi-trace elements injection (Ⅱ), multi-trace elements injection (Ⅲ), and multi-trace elements injection. Among those, multi-trace elements injection (Ⅲ) met the guideline recommendations best and the price was moderate. For pediatric populations, multi-trace elements injections (Ⅰ) satisfied better the trace element requirements for preterm infants and infants from term to 3 months, while multi-trace elements injections (Ⅲ) outperformed in meeting the trace element requirements for 3-to-12-month infants and children. However, there were still some differences in the trace element contents between the two preparations and the guideline recommendations.Conclusion:The currently available varieties and specifications of trace element preparations basically meet the recommendations of evidence-based guidelines, but there is still the need to improve the instructions for and evidence on the pediatric application of certain preparations.

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