Spinal cord stimulation restores locomotion in a Parkinson's disease patient and rodents.

Introduction: Dorsal column stimulation (DCS) of the spinal cord is emerging as a promising new technology to treat Parkinson's disease (PD). However, optimal stimulation settings that maximize its therapeutic effect on PD symptoms are yet to be determined. To optimize DCS therapy, it is necessary to understand its impact on pathological brain oscillations and to deliver stimulation triggered by neurophysiological biomarkers of PD.

Microbes and GFR in Health and CKD in Mice.

Background:: Microbes are implicated in a variety of host physiological and pathophysiological processes. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that microbes modulate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in health and chronic kidney disease.

Methods:: To uncover the effect of gut microbiota on kidney function in health and in a chronic kidney disease (CKD) model, we examined GFR, plasma creatinine, and kidney histology in mice when gut microbes were manipulated.

Vascular Closure Devices for Large Bore Femoral Access After Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Network Meta-Analysis.

Background And Aims: Large-bore femoral access is commonly required in transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TF-TAVR), but vascular access complications remain prevalent, impacting patient outcomes. Various vascular closure devices (VCDs) are used for hemostasis, including the suture-based Prostar XL, Perclose ProGlide, and ProStyle, and the plug-based MANTA device. However, comprehensive comparative evidence on these VCDs, particularly single Perclose strategies, is lacking.

Development of an Educational Curriculum for Implanting and Managing Vagus Nerve Stimulators for Epilepsy.

Background: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) devices are commonly used for extracranial neuromodulation of drug-resistant epilepsy. These devices are implanted by multiple surgical subspecialties and managed by practitioners with varying levels of epilepsy-specific expertise. The North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) education committee presents a curriculum defining level-dependent recommendations within the six-core competency rubric for the implantation and management of VNS devices.

A novel computational method for rodent electrographic recording and analysis using off-the-shelf intracerebral depth electrodes.

Electrographic recording of brain activity through either surface electrodes (electroencephalography, EEG) or implanted electrodes (electrocorticography, ECOG) are valuable research tools in neuroscience across many disciplines, including epilepsy, sleep science and more. Research techniques to perform recordings in rodents are wide-ranging and often require custom parts that may not be readily available. Moreover, the information required to connect individual components is often limited and can therefore be challenging to implement.

Bilateral Deep Brain Stimulation of the Ventral Intermediate Nucleus of the Thalamus Improves Objective Acoustic Measures of Essential Vocal Tremor.

Background And Objectives: Deep brain stimulation of the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (VIM-DBS) is an established treatment for medically refractory essential tremor. However, the effect of VIM-DBS on vocal tremor remains poorly understood, with results varying by method of vocal tremor assessment and stimulation laterality. This single-center study measures the effect of bilateral VIM-DBS on essential vocal tremor using blinded objective acoustic voice analysis.

Insights into epileptogenesis from post-traumatic epilepsy.

Post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) accounts for 5% of all epilepsies. The incidence of PTE after traumatic brain injury (TBI) depends on the severity of injury, approaching one in three in groups with the most severe injuries. The repeated seizures that characterize PTE impair neurological recovery and increase the risk of poor outcomes after TBI.

Canonical Wnt activator Chir99021 prevents epileptogenesis in the intrahippocampal kainate mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy.

The Wnt signaling pathway mediates the development of dentate granule cell neurons in the hippocampus. These neurons are central to the development of temporal lobe epilepsy and undergo structural and physiological remodeling during epileptogenesis, which results in the formation of epileptic circuits. The pathways responsible for granule cell remodeling during epileptogenesis have yet to be well defined, and represent therapeutic targets for the prevention of epilepsy.

An evolutionarily conserved olfactory receptor is required for sex differences in blood pressure.

Sex differences in blood pressure are well-established, with premenopausal women having lower blood pressure than men by ~10 millimeters of mercury; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We report here that sex differences in blood pressure are absent in olfactory receptor 558 knockout (KO) mice. localizes to renin-positive cells in the kidney and to vascular smooth muscle cells.

CAEVR: Biosignals-Driven Context-Aware Empathy in Virtual Reality.

There is little research on how Virtual Reality (VR) applications can identify and respond meaningfully to users' emotional changes. In this paper, we investigate the impact of Context-Aware Empathic VR (CAEVR) on the emotional and cognitive aspects of user experience in VR. We developed a real-time emotion prediction model using electroencephalography (EEG), electrodermal activity (EDA), and heart rate variability (HRV) and used this in personalized and generalized models for emotion recognition.

Susceptibility-Weighted MRI Approximates Intraoperative Microelectrode Recording During Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus for Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) for Parkinson's disease can be performed with intraoperative neurophysiological and radiographic guidance. Conventional T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging sequences, however, often fail to provide definitive borders of the STN. Novel magnetic resonance imaging sequences, such as susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), might better localize the STN borders and facilitate radiographic targeting.

Acute calcific periarthritis of acromioclavicular joint: A case report.

Key Clinical Message: It is of utmost importance to be aware of acute calcific periarthritis, as it may confuse the clinicians leading to misdiagnosis. Furthermore, patients may be subjected to various diagnostic and invasive procedures due to a lack of familiarity with this condition.

Abstract: Deposition of hydroxyapatite crystals in the para-articular soft tissues is a well-known condition, often involving the shoulder joint.

Multifocal polymorphous cutaneous tuberculosis with Poncet's disease: A case report.

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (ETB) involving skin with multiple lesions is an uncommon presentation of mycobacterial infection. Cutaneous tuberculosis (TB) having multiple lesions with Poncet's disease (tuberculous Rheumatism) is rarely reported. We hereby report a multifocal cutaneous tuberculosis with Poncet's disease in a 19-year-old immunocompetent female.

A transient biological fouling model for constant flux microfiltration.

Microfiltration is a widely used engineering technology for fresh water production and water treatment. The major concern in many applications is the formation of a biological fouling layer leading to increased hydraulic resistance and flux decline during membrane operations. The growth of bacteria constituting such a biological layer implicates the formation of a multispecies biofilm and the consequent increase of operational costs for reactor management and cleaning procedures.

DiFiR-CT: Distance field representation to resolve motion artifacts in computed tomography.

Background: Motion during data acquisition leads to artifacts in computed tomography (CT) reconstructions. In cases such as cardiac imaging, not only is motion unavoidable, but evaluating the motion of the object is of clinical interest. Reducing motion artifacts has typically been achieved by developing systems with faster gantry rotation or via algorithms which measure and/or estimate the displacement.

Transcriptome Profiling of the Hippocampal Seizure Network Implicates a Role for Wnt Signaling during Epileptogenesis in a Mouse Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) is a life-threatening condition characterized by recurrent hippocampal seizures. mTLE can develop after exposure to risk factors such as febrile seizure, trauma, and infection. Within the latent period between exposure and onset of epilepsy, pathological remodeling events occur that contribute to epileptogenesis.

Fecal Microbiota Transplant in Recurrent Clostridium Difficile Infections: A Systematic Review.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) is the process of transferring the fecal microbiome from a healthy donor to an individual with repeated multiple episodes of Clostridium difficile infection. It is also known as stool transplant. Fecal microbiota transplant is effective and safe in various studies, the approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) remains pending.

Case Report: Novel Anchoring Technique and Surgical Nuances for Trigeminal Ganglion Stimulation in the Treatment of Post-Herpetic Trigeminal Neuropathic Facial Pain.

Introduction: Trigeminal ganglion stimulation is a neuromodulatory surgical procedure utilized to treat trigeminal neuropathic pain. This technique involves the placement of a stimulating electrode adjacent to the trigeminal ganglion and can be trialed before permanent implantation. Wider adoption by surgical practitioners is currently limited by complications such as lead migration from the trigeminal ganglion, which can result in loss of therapy and cannot be rectified without repeat surgery.

Globus Pallidus Interna and Ventral Intermediate Nucleus of the Thalamus Deep Brain Stimulation for Adductor Laryngeal Dystonia: a Case Report of Blinded Analyses of Objective Voice Outcomes in 2 Patients.

Background: Adductor laryngeal dystonia (ADLD) is a substantially debilitating focal progressive neurological voice disorder. Current standard of care is symptomatic treatment with repeated injections of botulinum toxin into specific intrinsic laryngeal muscles with extremely variable and temporary benefits. We report the use of bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of globus pallidus (GPi) for long-term improvement of ADLD voice symptoms.

Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Stent Implantation, Still an Enigma: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials.

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is used in patients after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation to prevent stent thrombosis and ischemic events. The ideal duration of DAPT in patients after DES implantation is a topic of debate among clinicians. In the past, many research studies were published related to an optimal duration of DAPT after DES implantation.