ObjectiveTo analyze the current status, research hotspots, and development trends of transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) in neurorehabilitation. MethodsRelevant literature on the application of TUS in neurological rehabilitation was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang data, and Web of Science Core Collection, covering publications from inception to December 31, 2023. VOSviewer 1.6.20 and CiteSpace 6.2.R1 were used for visualized analysis. ResultsA total of 247 articles were included, with 124 in Chinese and 123 in English, showing an increasing trend in annual publications. The major contributors to English literature were China, the United States, Canada, France and South Korea. High-frequency Chinese keywords included transcranial ultrasound, neuromodulation, Parkinson's disease, stroke and clinical efficacy. The keyword clusters were transcranial ultrasound, neuromodulation, upper limb function and Parkinson's disease. Bursting keywords included rehabilitation, neural function, ultrasound therapy, closed-loop control and low intensity. High-frequency English keywords included focused ultrasound, deep brain stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, blood-brain barrier and thalamotomy. Keyword clusters covered tissue plasminogen activator, ultrasonic imaging, transcranial magnetic stimulation, thalamotomy and ultrasound. Bursting keywords featured essential tremor, neurostimulation, direct current stimulation and transcranial ultrasound stimulation. ConclusionResearch on the application of TUS in neurorehabilitation is on the rise, focusing on its efficacy and safety in Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and ischemic stroke. Future research needs to explore the mechanisms of TUS, optimize treatment plans, and promote the development of individualized therapies.

Objective:The degree of involvement of extraocular muscles varies across different regions of retrobulbar tissue in patients with thyroid eye disease, but the mechanism is unclear. This study aims to explore the relationship between differential expression of thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor(TSHR) in different parts of the extraocular muscles and the varying degrees of muscle involvement.Methods:The medial, lateral, superior, and inferior rectus muscle were separated from the retrobulbar tissue of rats, and the expression level of TSHR in four extraocular muscles was detected by immunofluorescence and qPCR. Extraocular muscle tissue of patients with strabismus was collected to detect the expression of TSHR and the cell types expressed by fluorescence.Results:The results of qPCR showed that the expression of TSHR in the medial rectus muscle was significantly higher than that in the lateral, superior, and inferior rectus muscle(medial rectus vs lateral rectus, P=0.012; medial rectus vs superior rectus, P=0.015; medial rectus vs inferior rectus, P=0.013), but there was no difference in insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1R) expression. Immunofluorescence showed that TSHR was co-expressed with PAX7, a molecular marker of muscle satellite cells, and the expression level in the medial rectus muscle of rats and humans was significantly higher than those in the other three extraocular muscles. Conclusion:The high specific expression of TSHR in the satellite cells of the medial rectus muscle may be the reason why the medial rectus muscle is most susceptible to involvement in thyroid eye disease.

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum adipokine expression and insulin resistance in individuals with different degrees of glucose intolerance, and to assess the value of these adipokines in predicting the risk of progression in prediabetes. Methods A total of 114 participants with oral glucose tolerance test were enrolled and divided into three groups based on diagnostic and classification criteria for diabetes: normal glucose tolerance (NGT, n=32), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT, n=46), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM, n=36). Serum levels of adiponectin (APN), leptin (LEP) and preadipocyte factor-1 (Pref-1) as well as homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and homeostasis model assessment for pancreatic β-cell function (HOMA-β) were compared among the three groups. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the correlations of serum APN, LEP and Pref-1 levels with HOMA-IR and HOMA-β. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive values of serum APN, LEP and Pref-1 levels for the progression of prediabetes. Results Serum APN levels were significantly lower in the T2DM and IGT groups compared to the NGT group, with further significant reduction observed in the T2DM group compared to the IGT group (P < 0.05); conversely, serum LEP, Pref-1, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-hour postprandial glucose (2 hPG), fasting insulin (FINS), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides (TG) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly higher in the T2DM and IGT groups than in the NGT group, with additional significant increases observed in the T2DM group compared to the IGT group (P < 0.05). HOMA-IR was significantly lower in both the T2DM and IGT groups than in the NGT group, with a further significant decrease in the T2DM group compared to the IGT group (P < 0.05). HOMA-β was significantly higher in both the T2DM and IGT groups compared to the NGT group, with a further significant increase in the T2DM group versus the IGT group (P < 0.05). Serum APN level was positively correlated with HOMA-IR (r=0.547, P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with HOMA-β (r=-0.506, P < 0.05); serum LEP and Pref-1 levels were negatively correlated with HOMA-IR (r=-0.325, -0.459, P < 0.05) and positively correlated with HOMA-β (r=0.317, 0.428, P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis revealed optimal cut-off values for serum APN, LEP and Pref-1 levels in predicting the progression of prediabetes were 15.98 mg/L, 4.23 mg/L and 18.85 μg/L, respectively. The combination of these three biomarkers showed a sensitivity of 80.43%, a specificity of 96.87%, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.925. Conclusion Serum levels of APN, LEP and Pref-1 abnormally change in patients with impaired glucose tolerance and are associated with insulin resistance. These adipokines can serve as sensitive indicators for predicting the progression of prediabetes, with higher predictive value when used in combination.

Clinical case studies and reporting are important to the discovery of new disorders and the advancement of medical sciences. Both clinicians and basic scientists play equally important roles leading to treatment discoveries for both cures and symptoms. In the field of movement disorders, exceptional observation of patients from clinicians is imperative, not just for phenomenology but also for the variable occurrences of these disorders, along with other signs and symptoms, throughout the day and the disease course. The Movement Disorders in Asia Task Force (TF) was formed to help enhance and promote collaboration and research on movement disorders within the region. As a start, the TF has reviewed the original studies of the movement disorders that were preliminarily described in the region. These include nine disorders that were first described in Asia: Segawa disease, PARK-Parkin, X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism, dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy, Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome, benign adult familial myoclonic epilepsy, Kufor-Rakeb disease, tremulous dystonia associated with mutation of the calmodulin-binding transcription activator 2 gene, and paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia. We hope that the information provided will honor the original researchers and help us learn and understand how earlier neurologists and basic scientists together discovered new disorders and made advances in the field, which impact us all to this day.

Nongenetic movement disorders are common throughout the world. The movement disorders encountered may vary depending on the prevalence of certain disorders across various geographical regions. In this paper, we review historical and more common nongenetic movement disorders in Asia. The underlying causes of these movement disorders are diverse and include, among others, nutritional deficiencies, toxic and metabolic causes, and cultural Latah syndrome, contributed by geographical, economic, and cultural differences across Asia. The industrial revolution in Japan and Korea has led to diseases related to environmental toxin poisoning, such as Minamata disease and β-fluoroethyl acetate-associated cerebellar degeneration, respectively, while religious dietary restriction in the Indian subcontinent has led to infantile tremor syndrome related to vitamin B12 deficiency. In this review, we identify the salient features and key contributing factors in the development of these disorders.

Objective:To study the changes of left atrial volume and function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods:Thirty-one patients with AMI in Henan People′s Hospital from March to October 2020 were selected as AMI group and 30 healthy subjects were selected as control group.The left atrial maximum volume (LAVmax), minimum volume (LAVmin), presystolic volume (LAVpre), volume index(LAVI), emptying volume (LAEV), ejection fraction (LAEF), long axis and circumferential strain (LASr, LASr-c; LAScd, LAScd-c; LASct, LASct-c) were measured by two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), 3DE left atrial automatic quantitative technique and CMR.The differences of left atrial indices between two groups and among 2DE, 3DE left atrial automatic quantitative and CMR techniques were compared. Pearson correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman analysis were used to compare 2DE, 3DE left atrial automatic quantitative and CMR. Intra-observer and inter-observer repeatability of 2DE, 3DE left atrial automatic quantitative technique and CMR were evaluated by intra-group correlation coefficient (ICC).Results:①Compared with the control group: LAVmax, LAVmin, LAVpre, LAVI, LASct and LASct-c by 3DE left atrial automatic quantitative increased, while LAEV, LAEF, LASr, LASr-c, LAScd and LAScd-c by 3DE left atrial automatic quantitative technique decreased in AMI group (all P<0.05). ②LAVmax, LAVmin, LAVpre, LASr, LAScd, LASct measured by 3DE left atrial automatic quantitative were more strongly related to CMR than that measured by 2DE(all P<0.05). Compared with CMR, 2DE underestimated LAVmax, LAVmin, LAVpre, LASr, LAScd, LASct by (8.01±4.01)ml, (9.03±4.15)ml, (7.26±2.09 )ml, (7.26±1.23)%, (5.02±1.08)%, (6.24±0.43)%(all P<0.05); 3DE left atrial automatic quantitative technique underestimated LAVmax, LAVmin, LAVpre, LASr, LAScd, LASct by (1.67±0.62)ml, (1.95±0.90)ml, (2.52±0.76)ml, (1.97±0.59)%, (2.03±0.39)%, (1.02±0.30)% (all P>0.05); The time-consuming of 2DE and 3DE left atrial automatic quantitative technique was reduced, and the time-consuming of 3DE left atrial automatic quantitative technique was less than 2DE [(12.18±3.24)s vs (73.34±10.37)s]. ③The reproducibility of 2DE, 3DE left atrial automatic quantitative technique and CMR measurement within and between observers were good. Conclusions:3DE left atrial automatic quantitative technique can effectively evaluate the changes of left atrial volume and function in patients with AMI. Compared with 2DE and CMR, it is simple, rapid, accurate and repeatable, which provides a new and effective method for clinical study of cardiovascular diseases.

The laterodorsal tegmentum (LDT) is a brain structure involved in distinct behaviors including arousal, reward, and innate fear. How environmental stimuli and top-down control from high-order sensory and limbic cortical areas converge and coordinate in this region to modulate diverse behavioral outputs remains unclear. Using a modified rabies virus, we applied monosynaptic retrograde tracing to the whole brain to examine the LDT cell type specific upstream nuclei. The LDT received very strong midbrain and hindbrain afferents and moderate cortical and hypothalamic innervation but weak connections to the thalamus. The main projection neurons from cortical areas were restricted to the limbic lobe, including the ventral orbital cortex (VO), prelimbic, and cingulate cortices. Although different cell populations received qualitatively similar inputs, primarily via afferents from the periaqueductal gray area, superior colliculus, and the LDT itself, parvalbumin-positive (PV) GABAergic cells received preferential projections from local LDT neurons. With regard to the different subtypes of GABAergic cells, a considerable number of nuclei, including those of the ventral tegmental area, central amygdaloid nucleus, and VO, made significantly greater inputs to somatostatin-positive cells than to PV cells. Diverse inputs to the LDT on a system-wide level were revealed.

Objective: To investigate the effects of angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist valsartan on leptin, leptin receptor and collagen in rats with hepatic fibrosis. Methods: Thirty-six male wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, model group and drug-treated group, with 12 rats in each group. Liver fibrosis models were made by subcutaneous injection of carbon tetrachloride on the dorsal of the rats, simultaneously gastric gavage with Valsartan and were killed at the end of 8th week. The degree of liver fibrosis was observed by HE and Masson staining. The serum leptin (LP) and TGFβ1 were determined by ELISA. Liver LP mRNA and leptin receptor mRNA (OB-R mRNA) were detected by RT-PCR. Liver LP, OB-R and collagen I were detected by Western blot. The data of multiple groups were analyzed by one-way analysis variance (ANOVA), and linear correlation was performed between serum LP and TGF β1. Results: After the intervention of valsartan, HE and Masson staining showed that the degree of liver fibrosis was significantly reduced. The levels of serum LP and TGFβ1 in the control group were (18.92 ± 7.10) ng/ml and (9.13 ± 1.58) pg/ml respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the model group (46.92 ± 28.54) ng/ml and (16.39 ± 3.56) pg/ml, And (29.27 ± 7.27) ng/ml and (12.24 ± 2.94) pg/ml in the drug-treated group, respectively. The F values were 7.864 and 20.057 respectively. The P values were < 0.05. The differences were statistically significant. The relative expression levels of LP and OB-R mRNA in the control group were 0.35 ± 0.18 and 0.62 ± 0.18, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the model group (1.79 ± 1.79 and 1.52 ± 1.44, and drug-treated group 0.48 ± 0.34 and 0.75 ± 0.26, respectively), F values = 6.914,3.894, P values were < 0.05, the differences were statistically significant. The relative expression levels of LP, OB-R and collaten I in liver were 0.71 ± 0.13, 0.81 ± 0.11 and 0.76 ± 0.13 in the model group, 0.97 ± 0.06, 1.04 ± 0.06, and 1.05 ± 0.04 respectively in the drug-treated group and 0.74 ± 0.05, 0.93 ± 0.05 and 0.91 ± 0.05. The F values were 15.425, 13.757 and 19.130 respectively in three groups (P < 0.001), the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion Valsartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist, can reduce the expression of leptin and leptin receptor, reduce the production of TGFβ1 and collaten I, and play an anti-hepatic fibrosis effect.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of dragon-tiger contending needling at Xi-cleft points plus electroacupuncture in treating postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).Method Seventy PHN patients were randomized into a treatment group of 36 cases and a control group of 34 cases. The treatment group was intervened by dragon-tiger contending needling at Xi-cleft points plus electroacupuncture, while the control group was treated with electroacupuncture alone. In the 4-week treatment, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores right before and after the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 9th and 12th treatment sessions were recorded, “the maximum pain intensity since the last treatment session” and “real-time analgesic effect” were observed, and the total therapeutic efficacy was also evaluated.Result The real-time analgesic effects right after the 1st, 2nd and 6th treatments in the treatment group were significantly better than those in the control group (P<0.05). The “maximum pain intensities since the last treatment session” prior to the 2nd, 6th, 9th, and 12th treatment sessions were significantly different from the pain intensity before the intervention in the two groups (P<0.05). The “maximum pain intensities since the last treatment session” prior to the 6th, 9th, and 12th treatment sessions were significantly different from those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate and recovery plus markedly-effective rate were respectively 97.2% and 77.8% in the treatment group, versus 91.2% and 59.2% in the control group. There was a statistically significant difference in the recovery plus markedly-effective rate between the two groups (P<0.05).Conclusion Dragon-tiger contending needling at Xi-cleft points plus electro- acupuncture is an effective approach in treating PHN; it acts efficiently and can produce a satisfactory real-time analgesic effect.

Objective To evaluate the effect of dexmedetomidine combined with sufentanil on postoperative analgesia foRpatients with orthopedic surgery.Methods A total of 86 patients with orthopedic surgery were randomly divided into observation group and control group.The patients in the observation group were treated with dexmedetomidine combined with sufentanil foRpostoperative analgesia.The control group was treated with sufentanil foRpostoperative analgesia.The VAS and quantitative sensory testing (QST) were performed at different time points in both groups.The numbeRof postoperative patient-controlled analgesia,hemodynamics parameters,the adverse reaction and satisfaction degree were compared between the two groups.Results The VAS scores at T1 to T6 in control group were significantly higheRthan the observation group,the mechanical pain threshold was significantly loweRthan the observation group,and the HRand MAP were significantly higheRthan the observation group (P<0.05).The numbeRof patient-controlled analgesia,the dosage of sufentanil and the incidence rate of adverse reactions were significantly higheRin the control group than the observation group (P<0.05).The satisfactory degree of the observation group was significantly higheRthan the control group (P<0.05).Conclusion Dexmedetomidine can reduce the dosage of sufentanil and the incidence rate of side effects in treatment of patients with orthopedic surgery.