Archives of Neuroscience
Volume:11 Issue: 2, Apr 2024

Context: 

Planarians, zebrafish, and Xenopus laevis are able to mend damage to their spinal cords after they have been damaged. After undergoing metamorphosis, the X. laevis loses the ability to do this. This study examines the genes that are involved in the process of spinal cord regeneration in these animals, investigates the pattern of their expression at various stages after spinal cord injury (SCI), and compares them to animals that do not have the ability to regenerate their spinal cords. This study reviews gene-based studies in regenerative animals, such as zebrafish, X. laevis, and planarians, and compares their expression patterns and fold-change slopes to non-regenerative ones to identify SCI recovery milestones.

Evidence Acquisition: 

A systematic search was carried out with the intention of including all of the studies that had been conducted on the gene expression of X. laevis, zebrafish, and planarians in the context of SCI. Studies have been transferred to Endnote 2019 software. The researchers used the software to remove duplicate studies. Two researchers then assessed the titles and abstracts. A neutral third party resolved the discrepancies and extracted the data to a predesigned Microsoft Excel Worksheet. The genes were retrieved, and the data from the genome-wide studies were also combined to identify genes whose expression patterns in non-regenerative and regenerative species were significantly comparable or disagreeing with one another.

This review included 45 original and 2 genome-wide studies. Overall, 112 genes and their pathways were extracted. A total of 238 genes were common in these studies, and 9 significant expression patterns were possible. Among these 238 common genes, genes 23, 9, and 4 followed 4, 5, and 6 of these significant patterns, respectively. Additionally, pooling the genome-wide studies yielded 15 significant genes, with similar patterns in zebrafish and regenerative X. laevis and conflicting patterns between them and non-regenerative X. laevis.

The regeneration of the spinal cord involves several processes, including regulation of inflammation, promotion of glial cell proliferation, facilitation of neuroplasticity, and establishment of coordination between newly formed neurons. Genes such as FOXN4, STC1, HSPA5, EGFR, and PRTFDC1 are also important. MCAM and Dkkb genes must be timed to create the right microenvironment for SCI healing in regenerating X. laevis and zebrafish. However, humans and non-regenerative X. laevis share an insufficient microenvironment. In contrast to non-regenerative models of SCI, regenerative animals decrease early-phase agents and increase injury site neuroplasticity in the late phase. As they show parallel expression patterns in regenerative and non-regenerative animals but in competition with one another

Context: 

Obstructive sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders, and it is associated with several conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and neuropsychiatric events. Due to its significant burden and increasing prevalence, the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea is of great importance.

Evidence Acquisition: 

Continuous airway pressure (CPAP) has been the standard treatment for managing clinically significant obstructive sleep apnea in recent decades. However, compliance with CPAP treatment is as low as 60% in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Additionally, CPAP only suppresses respiratory disturbances during sleep while using the devices and does not provide a permanent resolution. Given the limitations of prevalent treatments for obstructive sleep apnea, various alternative therapies have been explored. Among these, acupuncture is a traditional yet novel treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. Acupuncture is widely accepted by many people and specialists in different fields and is commonly used to treat various conditions. Several studies have shown that acupuncture effectively improves the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). In this review article, we conducted a comprehensive literature search to assess the impact of acupuncture on obstructive sleep apnea. Our findings suggest that acupuncture may represent an effective and safe therapy option for individuals dealing with obstructive sleep apnea.

Acupuncture may also assist patients with obstructive sleep apnea in enhancing their oxygen saturation and improving their sleep quality. This discovery holds particular significance for individuals with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. However, it is worth noting that methodological weaknesses in most of the trials in this field may overstate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture therapy.

Further high-quality randomized clinical trials are warranted to establish the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for obstructive sleep apnea patients.

Context: 

Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is a rare type of juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (JIIMs). It mainly affects skeletal muscles but can also affect the skin and other organs in the body. Sporadic inclusion body myositis prevalence in children under 18 years old is very rare.

This review provides an overview of the evidence of sIBM in children, discusses the possible clinical and pathological features, and explores the proposed pathogenesis.

A literature review of over 44 articles in PubMed and other medical libraries, such as Google Scholar and Web of Science, was carried out using terms such as JIIM, IBM, Inflammatory Myopathies in Children, and Inherited IBM. Two documented reports for sIBM were found, and the rest included the disease pathogenesis, prevalence of inherited IBM, and other myopathies in children.

This review discussed the prevalence and incidence of JIIM, in particular sIBM in children. While IBM is typically sporadic, there have been rare cases where it is familial and inherited. Genetic susceptibility factors are believed to play a role in sIBM. Most patients with sIBM are over 50 years old and experience significant weakness in the quadriceps; however, patients with inherited IBM (h-IBM) typically present earlier in adulthood with a distinct pattern of weakness. Sporadic inclusion body myositis can be misdiagnosed as other forms of myopathies, such as juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) or limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD), during the early stages of the disease. The exact causes of sIBM are still unknown; however, environmental factors, genetic predispositions, and immune dysregulation might contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease.

Sporadic inclusion body myositis is a rare form of JIIMs. Its early diagnosis in children can be challenging due to the presence of other coexisting diseases. Discussions have revolved around potential environmental factors, such as viral infections, specific myositis-specific antibodies (MSAs), such as anti-Ro52, and possibly certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes. Given the rarity of reported cases of sIBM in children, it is important to encourage further studies to better understand the underdiagnosed instances of this condition.

Various types of xenogeneic stem cells with composite structures are employed in tissue-engineered tracheal reconstruction.

Human adipose tissue-derived stem cells have been investigated as an excellent cell source for tissues, characterized by the absence of major histocompatibility complex-II expression.

The human adipose stem cells/fibrin glue group was established by cultivating stem cells on constructs composed of fibrin glue, followed by differentiation. Additionally, undifferentiated human adipose tissue-derived stem cells were seeded on polylactic-glycolic acid and transplanted into a 13.0 cm cartilage ring within a tracheal defect model. The groups were organized as follows: Differentiatedhumanadipose stem cells/fibrin glue/polylactic-glycolic acid (DHASCs/FG/PLGA) (group 1), fibrin glue/PLGA without cells (FG/PLGA) (group 2), and PLGA/sterile normal saline as a control (PLGA/SNS) (group 3). Expression of cartilage-specific markers and tracheal cartilage formation were evaluated after 2 weeks (in vitro groups: Chondrogenic DHASCs/FG and HASCs/FG) and 2 months later (in vivo groups) using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or histology results, respectively.

No regenerated cartilage was observed in the control and group 2 tracheal cartilage defects. However, cartilage pieces were formed in the defect area where the DHASCs/FG/PLGA group was implanted, indicating the potential for cartilage tissue repair facilitated by the natural and complex structure.

The combination of synthetic and natural scaffolds demonstrates promise as a suitable structure for repairing cartilage defects.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is a virus in the coronaviridae, has caused a global pandemic with various symptoms and complications. Among the groups affected by this virus are individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects the primary central nervous system (CNS). Understanding coronavirus disease 2019’s (COVID-19) impact on MS patients is crucial for optimizing patient management and developing targeted therapies due to the challenges it presents.

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the respiratory and neurology symptoms of COVID-19 in patients with MS in comparison to the non-infected group. Furthermore, this study examined how age and gender might affect the symptoms of contracting COVID-19 and the mortality rate in patients with MS.

The data were collected from six hospitals within the Iranian Network for Research in Viral Diseases (INRVD) between March 2020 and July 2021. A total of 63 individuals diagnosed with MS were examined, with 30 testing positive for both COVID-19 and MS; however, 33 individuals were positive only for MS. These individuals had presented at the hospital experiencing respiratory symptoms, including rhinorrhea, difficulty breathing, and cough. Various clinical aspects were evaluated, including age, gender, and the presence of COVID-19 symptoms. Statistical analyses included the Mann-Whitney t-test, Fisher’s exact test, and odds ratio calculations using SPSS-27 and R 4.2.3.

The study encompassed 63 MS patients, with 29 (46%) and 34 (54%) males and females, respectively. Of these patients, 30 individuals were positive for COVID-19. Most subjects were from Tehran province, Iran. Patients in the case group were significantly younger than those in the control group. Notably, dizziness, breath shortness, and vomiting were significantly more prevalent in MS patients following COVID-19.

This study highlights the distinct clinical presentation of COVID-19 in individuals with MS. Dizziness, breath shortness, vomiting, and increased mortality were significantly associated with MS patients with COVID-19. The aforementioned findings underscore the importance of tailored management strategies for this unique patient population following the disease.

The causes of schizophrenia spectrum disorders are believed to be multifactorial, with both genetic and environmental factors, as well as gene-environment interactions, influencing the course of this disorder. Research suggests that immunological factors may play a role in the development of psychotic disorders.

The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-12 (IL-12), as well as the expression levels of IL-6 and IL-12 genes, between an Iranian Azeri population of patients with first-episode psychosis and healthy controls.

Forty patients who had recently experienced first-episode non-affective psychosis were allocated to the patient group. Forty healthy volunteers, matched for age and gender, were also recruited as controls. The study was conducted in 2020 in Tabriz, Iran. Peripheral blood samples were collected (using the Ficoll-Paque process) and assessed to determine the expression levels of IL-6 and IL-12 mRNA (using real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction-PCR- system), as well as the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-12 (with a sandwich ELISA kit). GraphPad Prism Version 6.0 was used for all statistical analyses.

Each group consisted of 40 participants in this study. Patients had significantly higher levels of IL-6 mRNA expression compared to the healthy controls (P < 0.0001), while no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of IL12 mRNA expression (P = 0.5697). A similar pattern was reported for the serum levels of IL-6 (P < 0.0001) and IL-12 (P = 0.0777). The area under the curve (AUC), which indicates the accuracy of the predictive model, was 0.9669 for the level of IL-6 mRNA expression (P < 0.0001). This Area (AUC) was 0.9584 for the serum concentration of IL-6 (P < 0.0001). The levels of IL-6 or IL-12 were not correlated with the severity of symptoms, gender, or age of the patients.

The expression level of IL-6 mRNA and the serum concentration of IL-6 were altered in patients with first-episode non-affective psychosis. This finding supports the role of inflammatory pathways in the pathogenesis of psychosis. According to our results, measurement of the circulating level of IL-6 may be useful in distinguishing patients with first-episode psychosis from healthy individuals.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a widely prevalent neurodegenerative disorder in the central nervous system, predominantly affecting older adults and frequently coexisting with other health conditions. The heightened vulnerability of individuals with chronic diseases and advanced age to adverse outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests an increased risk of COVID-19 infection in PD patients.

This cross-sectional study, conducted from July to September 2021, aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on PD patients by examining infection rates, associated complications, and outcomes.

We utilized hospital records to reach out to 567 PD patients during the designated timeframe. If a patient had passed away, their families were contacted to ascertain whether COVID-19 was a contributing factor.

Among the 558 PD patients who participated, 25.4% were tested for COVID-19, with 42.2% of those tested returning positive results. Significantly, 34.4% of the positive cases required oxygen therapy, 32.8% were admitted to the hospital, and 9.8% needed intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The prevalence of COVID-19 among the families of the patients was 29.8%, with 13.7% requiring hospitalization and 4.2% resulting in death. Common complications included worsening of movement issues (21.3%), weight loss (19.7%), and urinary problems (14.8%). Early-onset Parkinson’s was associated with a decreased risk of COVID-19 (OR: 0.976, 95% CI: 0.953 - 0.999, P = 0.037), whereas the use of Levodopa was linked to an increased risk of infection (OR: 3.672, 95% CI: 1.095 - 12.31, P = 0.037).

This study underscores the changing clinical manifestations of PD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research is crucial to clarify the complex interaction between COVID-19 and Parkinson’s disease.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of focal epilepsy and increases the risk of cognitive impairment, negatively impacting the quality of life of affected individuals.

This study aimed to investigate cognitive function in patients with low socioeconomic status affected by TLE and identify factors influencing such function.

This case-control study, conducted between July 2021 and August 2022, compared the cognitive function of 40 patients affected by TLE to 92 healthy controls. The Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) was used for neurocognitive evaluation. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0 for Windows.

The mean age of the patient group was 33.35 years, compared to 35.37 years in the control group. Moreover, 70% of patients affected by TLE displayed cognitive impairment and demonstrated lower performance in cognitive functions than the control group (P < 0.05). Significant correlations were identified between overall MoCA scores and several factors, including seizure frequency, educational level, polytherapy, disease duration, and self-esteem scores (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that seizure control and higher educational level were statistically significant predictors of overall MoCA scores in patients affected by TLE.

In low-income patients affected by TLE, seizure control and a higher educational level emerged as predictors of cognitive performance. These findings underscore the importance of identifying and managing comorbidities and the need for tailored cognitive rehabilitation programs for this population.