Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is brain damage which is caused by the impact of external mechanical forces. TBI can lead to the temporary or permanent impairment of physical and cognitive abilities, resulting in abnormal behavior. We recently observed that a single session of early exercise in animals with TBI improved their behavioral performance in the absence of other cognitive abnormalities. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of continuous exercise during the early stages of TBI in rats. We found that continuous low-intensity exercise in early-stage improves the locomotion recovery in the TBI of animal models; however, it does not significantly enhance short-term memory capabilities. Moreover, continuous early exercise not only reduces the protein expression of cerebral damage-related markers, such as Glial Fibrillary Acid Protein (GFAP), Neuron-Specific Enolase (NSE), S100β, Protein Gene Products 9.5 (PGP9.5), and Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70), but it also decreases the expression of apoptosis-related protein BAX and cleaved caspase 3. Furthermore, exercise training in animals with TBI decreases the microglia activation and the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the serum, such as CCL20, IL-13, IL-1α, and IL-1β. These findings thus demonstrate that early exercise therapy for TBI may be an effective strategy in improving physiological function, and that serum protein levels are useful biomarkers for the predicition of the effectiveness of early exercise therapy.[BMB Reports 2022; 55(10): 506-511].
The mechanisms by which mobility function and neuropathic pain are mutually influenced by supraspinal plasticity in motor- and pain-related brain networks following spinal cord injury (SCI) remains poorly understood.
Abstract Rationale: Cortical deafness is a rare auditory dysfunction caused by damage to brain auditory networks. The aim was to report alterations of functional connectivity in intrinsic auditory, motor, and sensory networks in a cortical deafness patient. Patient concerns: A 41-year-old woman suffered a right putaminal hemorrhage. Eight years earlier, she had suffered a left putaminal hemorrhage and had minimal sequelae. She had quadriparesis, imbalance, hypoesthesia, and complete hearing loss. Diagnoses: She was diagnosed with cortical deafness. After 6 months, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and diffuse tensor imaging (DTI) were performed. DTI revealed that the acoustic radiation was disrupted while the corticospinal tract and somatosensory track were intact using deterministic tracking methods. Furthermore, the patient showed decreased functional connectivity between auditory and sensorimotor networks. Interventions: The patient underwent in-patient stroke rehabilitation therapy for 2 months. Outcomes: Gait function and ability for activities of daily living were improved. However, complete hearing impairment persisted in 6 months after bilateral putaminal hemorrhagic stroke. Lessons: Our case report seems to suggest that functional alterations of spontaneous neuronal activity in auditory and sensorimotor networks are related to motor and sensory impairments in a patient with cortical deafness.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunctions and may affect the cerebral functions. However, the mechanisms of plastic changes in the brain according to SCI severity remain poorly understood. Therefore, in the current study, we compared the brain activity of the entire neural network according to severity of SCI using fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) analysis in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). A total of 59 participants were included, consisting of 19 patients with complete SCI, 20 patients with incomplete SCI, and 20 healthy individuals. Their motor and sensory functions were evaluated. The rs-fMRI data of low-frequency fluctuations were analyzed based on fALFF. Differences in fALFF values among complete-SCI patients, incomplete-SCI patients, and healthy controls were assessed using ANOVA. Then post hoc analysis and two-sample t-tests were conducted to assess the differences between the three groups. Pearson correlation analyses were used to determine correlations between clinical measures and the z-score of the fALFF in the SCI groups. Patients with SCI (complete and incomplete) showed lower fALFF values in the superior medial frontal gyrus than the healthy controls, and were associated with poor motor and sensory function (p < .05). Higher fALFF values were observed in the putamen and thalamus, and were negatively associated with motor and sensory function (p < .05). In conclusion, alterations in the neural activity of the motor- and sensory-related networks of the brain were observed in complete-SCI and incomplete-SCI patients. Moreover, plastic changes in these brain regions were associated with motor and sensory function.
Cerebral palsy is classified as a 'brain lesion', and there are few studies conducted in the residential architecture fieldfor people with cerebral lesions. The purpose of this study is to suggest the direction of residential space planning forpeople with cerebral palsy by analyzing daily living behavior at home, the characteristics of sub-behavior, the degree ofdifficulty, and the method of performance. For this purpose, this study conducted a home-visit-survey and an in-depthinterviewamong the people with cerebral palsy in Seoul and the Seoul metropolitan area who had the first and seconddegree of disability. Daily living behaviors at home were surveyed based on 10 types of behaviors and 45 types of sub-.behaviors. As a result, when planning housing for severe cerebral palsy, the planning of the kitchen or the utility roomrelated to the housework should be planned for the convenience of the caregivers rather than the disabled person. Inaddition, behaviors that take place in the bathroom, changing clothes, and going out are difficult to carry out without thehelp of somebody. Therefore, when planning a living space, facilities should be supported to reduce the efforts of caregivers. In addition, there is a need for a comfortable space plan for carrying out activities with and without caretakers.
Abstract Background The disease burden of parkinsonism is extremely costly in the United States. Unlike Parkinson's disease, drug‐induced parkinsonism (DIP) is acute and reversible; exploring the causative drug is important to prevent DIP in patients at high‐risk of parkinsonism. Objective To examine whether the use of gastrointestinal (GI) prokinetics is associated with an increased risk of parkinsonism. Methods We conducted a case‐crossover study using nationally representative data. We included patients who were newly diagnosed with parkinsonism (ICD‐10 G20, G21.1, G25.1) between January 1, 2007 and December 1, 2015. The first prescription date of G20, G21.1, or G25.1 diagnoses was defined as the index date (0 day). Patients with prior extrapyramidal and movement disorders or brain tumors were excluded. We assessed the exposure within the risk (0–29 days) and control periods (60–89 days), before or on the index date. Conditional logistic regression estimated the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for parkinsonism. Results Overall, 2268 and 1674 patients were exposed to GI prokinetics during the risk and control periods, respectively. The use of GI prokinetics significantly increased the occurrence of parkinsonism (aOR = 2.31; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 2.06–2.59). The use of GI prokinetics was associated with a higher occurrence of parkinsonism in elderly patients (≥65 years old; aOR = 2.69; 95% CI, 2.30–3.14) than in younger patients (aOR = 1.90; 95% CI, 1.59–2.27). Conclusions The use of GI prokinetics was significantly associated with higher occurrences of parkinsonism, necessitating close consideration when using GI prokinetics.
Parkinson's disease (PD) significantly impacts the quality of life via both motor and nonmotor symptoms. Exercise is a valuable nonpharmacological intervention that can alleviate PD symptoms and slow disease progression. Understanding the factors that motivate and restrict exercise in PD patients is essential for promoting engagement. This study aimed to identify the motivators and barriers affecting exercise in PD patients. This cross-sectional study assessed exercise habits, motivators, and barriers among PD patients with a modified Hoehn and Yahr stage of ≤2.5. Participants were categorized into non-, low-, and high-exercise groups based on the World Health Organization guidelines. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Korean version of the Sport Motivation Scale, and a barriers-to-exercise questionnaire were utilized. Data from 165 of 196 enrolled patients were analyzed: 28 (17.0%), 88 (53.3%), and 49 (29.7%) in the non-, low-, and high-exercise groups, respectively. The nonexercise group demonstrated higher levels of fatigue and apathy, and more-severe cardiovascular, mood, intellectual, attention, gastrointestinal, and urinary symptoms. While all groups recognized the benefit of exercise, those in the nonexercise group viewed PD symptoms and depressive mood as major barriers, whereas those in the high-exercise group were primarily motivated by personal satisfaction. This study highlights the importance of enjoyment and personal satisfaction to the maintenance of exercise habits among PD patients. By enhancing specific motivators and overcoming barriers, particularly PD symptoms and related nonmotor symptoms, tailored interventions can be implemented to increase exercise adherence and, eventually, improve the quality of life of PD patients.
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