bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Electrophysiological Correlation and Prognostic Impact of Heat Shock Protein 27 in Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Hu Yu-Feng , Yeh Hung-I , Tsao Hsuan-Ming , Tai Ching-Tai , Lin Yenn-Jiang , Chang Shih-Lin , Lo Li-Wei , Tuan Ta-Chuan , Suenari Kazuyoshi , Li Cheng-Hung , Chao Tze-Fan , Chen Shih-Ann 
Published: February 2012

Background—
Heat shock protein (HSP) 27 is related to the pathogenesis of AF. However, the clinical relationship between HSP27 and AF is unclear. The present study was conducted to determine the clinical relationship between HSP27 and atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods and Results—
A case-control study was conducted (AF, n=114; control, n=100). Serum HSP27 (HSP27S) levels were measured by ELISA, and its correlations with electrophysiological characteristics and catheter ablation outcomes were investigated. The patients with AF had a larger left atrial diameter (LAD), waist circumference, and body mass index, and a lower baseline HSP27S level, than controls. After logistic multivariate analysis, low baseline HSP27S was independently associated with AF. In patients with AF, those with paroxysmal AF (PAF) had higher baseline HSP27S levels compared with those without PAF. In patients with PAF, lower baseline HSP27S was associated with larger LAD, whereas baseline HSP27S was not correlated with LAD in controls. In PAF, low baseline HSP27S (≤3.85 ng/mL) was associated with low atrial voltage and nonpulmonary vein ectopies. In non-PAF, the mean fractionated interval had a good correlation with baseline HSP27S. After catheter ablation, a high baseline HSP27S level could predict sinus rhythm maintenance in the patients with PAF. Baseline HSP27S was also correlated with interleukin 10 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels. Analysis of buffy coat mRNA levels showed the same correlations.

Conclusions—
The HSP27S levels were correlated with LAD, left atrial voltage, and fractionated intervals, and predicted AF recurrence after catheter ablation. The mechanisms could be related to inflammation.
Relationship of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale to 30‐Day Mortality in Medicare Beneficiaries With Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Fonarow Gregg C. , Saver Jeffrey L. , Smith Eric E. , Broderick Joseph P. , Kleindorfer Dawn O. , Sacco Ralph L. , Pan Wenqin , Olson DaiWai M. , Hernandez Adrian F. , Peterson Eric D. , Schwamm Lee H. 
Published: February 2012

Background
The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), a well‐validated tool for assessing initial stroke severity, has previously been shown to be associated with mortality in acute ischemic stroke. However, the relationship, optimal categorization, and risk discrimination with the NIHSS for predicting 30‐day mortality among Medicare beneficiaries with acute ischemic stroke has not been well studied.

Methods and Results

We analyzed data from 33102 fee‐for‐service Medicare beneficiaries treated at 404 Get With The Guidelines‐Stroke hospitals between April 2003 and December 2006 with NIHSS documented. The 30‐day mortality rate by NIHSS as a continuous variable and by risk‐tree determined or prespecified categories were analyzed, with discrimination of risk quantified by the
c
‐statistic. In this cohort, mean age was 79.0 years and 58% were female. The median NIHSS score was 5 (25th to 75th percentile 2 to 12). There were 4496 deaths in the first 30 days (13.6%). There was a strong graded relation between increasing NIHSS score and higher 30‐day mortality. The 30‐day mortality rates for acute ischemic stroke by NIHSS categories were as follows: 0 to 7, 4.2%; 8 to 13, 13.9%; 14 to 21, 31.6%; 22 to 42, 53.5%. A model with NIHSS alone provided excellent discrimination whether included as a continuous variable (
c
‐statistic 0.82 [0.81 to 0.83]), 4 categories (
c
‐statistic 0.80 [0.79 to 0.80]), or 3 categories (
c
‐statistic 0.79 [0.78 to 0.79]).

Conclusions
The NIHSS provides substantial prognostic information regarding 30‐day mortality risk in Medicare beneficiaries with acute ischemic stroke. This index of stroke severity is a very strong discriminator of mortality risk, even in the absence of other clinical information, whether used as a continuous or categorical risk determinant.
Exclusive Breastfeeding in the Hospital
Authors: Zakarija-Grković Irena 
Published: February 2012

Background: Accurate hospital exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates, a core indicator of hospital performance, are important. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of hospital infant feeding data by comparing EBF rates obtained from standard charts in which once-daily observations are recorded with new infant feeding charts in which every feed was documented. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 157 healthy mother-infant pairs were enrolled at the University Hospital of Split, Croatia, between February and May 2008. Infant feeding data were gathered from 4 sources: (1) standard once-daily observations recorded by pediatricians; (2) new, every-feed observations recorded by nursing staff; (3) interview with the mother before discharge; and (4) Newborn Examination Form, completed on discharge by the pediatrician. WHO definitions were used to determine EBF during the first 48 hours and from birth until discharge. Results: Only 3% of infants were EBF throughout the hospital stay when calculated with the every-feed method, as opposed to 56% and 82%, with the once-daily and newborn examination methods, respectively ( P < .001). Maternal report confirmed the finding that 97% of infants were supplemented with formula, indicating that most formula supplements are not recorded in the standard once-daily charts. Conclusions: Accurate documentation of infant feeding practices is essential for obtaining reliable EBF rates. This study shows that once-daily recordings of infant feeding practices grossly underestimate the prevalence of formula supplementation in breastfed infants, resulting in significantly higher, erroneous EBF rates.
Long-term administration of Silymarin augments proinflammatory mediators in the hippocampus of rats: Evidence for antioxidant and pro-oxidant effects
Authors: Malekinejad H , Rahmani F , Valivande-Azar S , Taheri-Broujerdi M , Bazargani-Gilani B 
Published: February 2012

Silymarin (SMN) is used as an antioxidant complex to attenuate the pro-oxidant effects of toxic agents. This study was designed to investigate the impact of a long-term administration of SMN on proinflammatory mediators, oxidative stress biomarkers and on the levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) transcript in the hippocampus. A total of 40 adult male Wistar rats were assigned into control and test groups. Animals in the test group were subdivided into four subgroups according to the following treatment profile: carbon tetrachloride (CCl4, 0.5 ml/kg), SMN 25, SMN 50 and SMN 100 (mg/kg). The animals received the compounds by gastric gavage. Following the 8-week treatment period, animals in the CCl4 group showed body weight loss, while the test groups except SMN 100 revealed a significant ( p < 0.05) positive body weight gain. The levels of nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) as pro-oxidant and lipid peroxidation index, respectively, increased in CCl4- and SMN 100-treated groups, while SMN at lower dose levels did not alter the NO and MDA content. The concentration of total thiol molecules increased in the SMN 50 group and showed a remarkable decrease in CCl4 and SMN 100 groups. Animals treated with CCl4 or SMN 100 showed an upregulation of IL-1β, while animals in SMN 25 and SMN 50 groups showed a slight downregulation of expression of IL-1β at the messenger RNA level. These findings suggest that SMN at higher dosage level might exert pro-oxidant effect as an increase in the level of MDA and proinflammatory mediators such as NO, and upregulation of IL-1β in the hippocampus were shown.
Frontal Alpha Power Asymmetry in Aggressive Children and Adolescents with Mood and Disruptive Behavior Disorders
Authors: Rybak Malgorzata , Crayton John W. , Young Irving J. , Herba Edward , Konopka Lukasz M. 
Published: February 2012

Building on prior research, which has suggested a relationship between aggression and left frontal activity, our study tested the hypothesis that proneness to impulsive aggression would be related to relative left frontal overactivation. EEG one-hertz resting alpha power frontal asymmetry was examined in 65 pediatric male psychiatric patients with a history of impulsive aggression and comorbid mood and disruptive behavior disorders. The strongest finding, which emerged from this analysis, was a finding of relative increases in left frontal activity compared with right frontal activity. The results also indicated that greater left frontal activity correlated positively with the severity of psychiatric disturbance. These findings suggest that relative increases in left frontal activity may be related to a locus of neurophysiological disruption associated with psychopathology characterized by behavioral and affective disinhibition. Results are discussed within a model of behavioral inhibition system-behavioral activation system theory.
Pharmaco-EEG in Psychiatry
Authors: Mucci Armida , Volpe Umberto , Merlotti Eleonora , Bucci Paola , Galderisi Silvana 
Published: February 2012

In spite of its origins deeply rooted in the discipline, pharmaco-EEG applications in psychiatry remain limited to its achievements in the field of psychotropic drugs classification and, in few instances, discovery. In the present paper two attempts to transfer pharmaco-EEG methods to psychiatric clinical routine will be described: 1) monitoring of psychotropic drug toxicity at the central nervous system level, and 2) prediction of clinical response to treatment with psychotropic drugs. Both applications have been the object of several investigations providing promising and sometimes consistent findings which, however, had no impact on clinical practice. For the first topic, the review is limited to antipsychotics, lithium and recreational drugs, as for other psychotropic drugs mostly case studies are available, while for the response prediction it will include antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, psychostimulants and nootropics. In spite of several methodological limitations, pharmaco-EEG studies dealing with monitoring of antipsychotic- and lithium-induced EEG abnormalities went close to, but never became, a clinical routine. EEG studies of recreational drugs are flawed by several limitations, and failed, so far, to identify reliable indices of CNS toxicity to be used in clinical settings. Several QEEG studies on early predictors of treatment response to first generation antipsychotics have produced consistent findings, but had no clinical impact. For other psychotropic drug classes few and inconsistent reports have appeared. Pharmaco-EEG had the potential for important clinical applications, but so far none of them entered clinical routine. The ability to upgrade theories and methods and promote large scale studies represent the future challenge.
Alzheimer Disease: Caused by Primary Deficiency of the Cerebral Blood Flow
Authors: Niedermeyer E. 
Published: February 2012

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with considerably decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF) thought to be secondary, since dead neurons do not need oxygen and glucose. This view, however, needs to be critically re-examined. The role of CBF in AD was submitted to a thorough analysis, raising the question: “Is there really a lack of demand in the presence of undisturbed blood supply?” CBF decline is present in AD while the number of affected CNS systems is still quite small. The step-by-step evolution of AD mirrors a brain that progressively becomes ischemic. Areas related to memory function (hippocampus, temporal lobe cortex and vicinity) are bound to suffer first because of their particularly vulnerable blood supply. This is the scenario of a disorder caused by primary and not by secondary CBF deficiency—a deficiency perhaps attributable to the upright gait of homo sapiens. This new approach also opens new avenues for treatment and prevention, which will be briefly discussed.
Interactive Effects of Hypertension and Alcohol Dependence on the P300 Event-Related Potential in African-Americans
Authors: Bauer Lance O. , Ceballos Natalie A. , Taylor Robert E. 
Published: February 2012

Although hypertension and alcohol dependence have been linked by epidemiological surveys and clinical observations, their interactive effects on brain function have rarely been tested. The present study involved the recording of P300 event related potentials (ERP) from 106 middle-aged African-American adults assigned to one of four groups: normotensive/nondependent (n = 56), hypertensive/nondependent (n = 11), normotensive/dependent (n = 27), and hypertensive/dependent (n = 12). The numbers of Nicotine Dependence, Major Depressive Disorder, and Conduct Disorder symptoms were specified as covariates within a 2 by 2 factorial design. ERPs were recorded during separate visual and auditory oddball tasks. The major result was a synergistic effect of hypertension and alcohol dependence on auditory P300 latency: the combination of both factors was associated with greater slowing than the sum of their independent effects. Future studies should continue to examine the potential synergistic effects of alcohol dependence and hypertension with a view toward identifying and reducing neurophysiological decrements and stroke risk among middle-aged patients.
Multimodality Imaging in a Depressed Patient with Violent Behavior and Temporal Lobe Seizures
Authors: Poprawski T. J. , Pluzyczka A. N. , Park Y. , Chennamchetty V. N. , Halaris A. , Crayton J. W. , Konopka L. M. 
Published: February 2012

Patients suffering from epilepsy commonly experience behavioral symptoms. Behavioral manifestations are especially prevalent in patients with seizures originating in the limbic system. This case report illustrates how an objective, multimodality work-up can guide the clinician in the diagnosis and the treatment of a patient with a complex presentation. After the discontinuation of some medications, the patient underwent a multimodality work-up that consisted of MRI, SPECT, and conventional and quantitative EEG (LORETA). In this case, the functional imaging studies showed a convergence of findings across the three modalities: MRI, SPECT and qEEG. Because of these findings, we supported more aggressive treatment of the seizure disorder. Ultimately this treatment resulted in resolution of the aggression and the depression. In summary, when applied routinely, a comprehensive, systematic, diagnostic approach will minimize treatment false starts and failures, may reduce costs, and also, potentially decrease the severity and the duration of symptoms.
Appraisal of Sessional EEG Features as a Correlate of Clinical Changes in an rTMS Treatment of Depression
Authors: Price G.W. , Lee J.W. , Garvey C. , Gibson N. 
Published: February 2012

Previous findings on electrophysiological features related to depression predict that these correlate with clinical assessment, and potentially act as proxy measures of state changes. We investigated selected electrophysiological features to evaluate their utility as proxies for clinical ratings and in prediction of treatment outcome. Using typical EEG data from an repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment regime, we analyzed individual alpha power and frequency, and asymmetry index from 39 patients with treatment resistant depression. The prognostic utility of these features was assessed in terms of group identification, correlation with clinical rating, or association with the time course of treatment. There was no significant group difference in asymmetry between depression patients and normal and clinical controls. Background alpha was significantly less in depression patients than controls, with the schizophrenia group midway between. There was no significant group change in asymmetry index or background alpha activity with treatment. There was a weak effect of rTMS over each session on alpha power and on asymmetry, but in the opposite direction to predictions. There was weak evidence of predicted correlation between asymmetry index change and clinical rating change, as well as in final scores that was opposite to predictions. Finally there was no strong evidence that either feature fitted a linear or more complex model of daily treatment. In conclusion, the findings are not sufficient, under our current clinical treatment regime, to support the use of background alpha activity or frontal asymmetry as proxies for clinical assessment. Several findings, however, provide support for further research in this direction.
Evaluating the Relationship between Long Interval Cortical Inhibition, Working Memory and Gamma Band Activity in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Daskalakis Zafiris J. , Farzan Faranak , Barr Mera S. , Rusjan Pablo M. , Favalli Gabriela , Levinson Andrea J. , Fitzgerald Paul B. 
Published: February 2012

Recent reports have demonstrated that long interval cortical inhibition (LICI) can be indexed in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in healthy controls. LICI is a neurophysiology process indexed using transcranial magnetic stimulation and is closely associated with cortical GABAB receptor mediated inhibitory neurotransmission. Several previous studies have also reported that gamma band activity represents a neurophysiological process that is mediated, in part, through GABAergic inhibitory neurotransmission and may subserve several cognitive operations including working memory (WM) in the DLPFC. The intension of the current study, therefore, was to directly evaluate the relationship between these neurophysiological processes in healthy subjects. Eleven right-handed healthy subjects participated in this experiment in which gamma band activity was measured through simultaneous recording of electroencephalography (EEG) during the N-back task, a cognitive task designed to index WM. LICI was recorded through EEG from the left DLFPC, left motor cortex and through EMG of peripheral hand muscles in a separate session according to previously published methods. There was no evidence for a relationship in the DLPFC between LICI and gamma band activity elicited during the N-back task, though there was a significant relationship between LICI and performance on the 3-back condition, the N-back condition of greatest difficulty. In conclusion these data provide evidence to suggest that in the DLPFC, there is no direct relationship between GABAB receptor mediated inhibitory neurotransmission and gamma band activity. However, our data does suggest that LICI was related to 3-back performance providing evidence implicating DLPFC GABAergic inhibitory neurotransmission in WM performance.
Temporospatial Characterization of Brain Oscillations (TSCBO) Associated with Subprocesses of Verbal Working Memory in Schizophrenia
Authors: Stephane Massoud , Ince Nuri F. , Leuthold Arthur , Pellizzer Giuseppe , Tewfik Ahmed H. , Surerus Christa , Kuskowski Michael , McClannahan Kate 
Published: February 2012

The studies of the neural correlates of verbal working memory in schizophrenia are somewhat inconsistent. This could be related to experimental paradigms that engage differentially working memory components or methodological limitations in terms of characterization of brain activity. Magnetoencephalographic recordings were obtained on 10 schizophrenia patients and 11 healthy controls while performing a modified Sternberg paradigm to investigate subprocesses of verbal working memory. A new method for temporospatial characterization of brain oscillations was applied to whole head recordings and a 1–48 Hz frequency range. Patients differed from controls in event-related synchronization/desynchronization (ERS/ERD) patterns during the encode phase, the mid-maintain phase, and the end of the maintain phase. During the encode phase, patients did not show 1–4 Hz ERS in the left anterior frontal and left parietal lobes. In the mid-maintain phase, the left anterior frontal and left parietal lobes 1–4 Hz ERS, and the bilateral occipital lobes 8–32 Hz ERS were not observed in patients. At the end of the maintain phase, patients did not exhibit 12–48 Hz ERD in the left frontal and parietal lobes. The behavioral data showed reduced primacy effect In schizophrenia, the encode and maintain subprocesses were associated with less ERS and less ERD, respectively. These ERS/ERD abnormalities had specificity in terms of frequency and spatial location. Less ERD reflects reduced complexity of the neural activity, while reduced ERS reflects failure of the neural systems to resume idle state. The impaired primacy effect appears related to specific ERS/ERD patterns in the encode and maintain phases.
Dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Quantitative EEG in Patients with Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Fonseca L.C. , Tedrus G.M.A.S. , Letro G.H. , Bossoni A.S. 
Published: February 2012

The objective of this study was to evaluate relationships between quantitative EEG (qEEG) changes and cognitive disturbance (mild cognitive impairment or dementia) and the motor disturbance stage in Parkinson's disease (PD). Thirty-two PD patients (age=67.2±10.0) and 26 normal subjects (age=68.4±4.7) were assessed using a neurological evaluation, modified Hoehn and Yahr (HY) scale for PD, a Portuguese version of the CERAD neuropsychological battery (consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer's disease) incorporating the Mini-mental Status Examination, Clinical Dementia Rating and an EEG analysis of absolute and relative band amplitude at rest. Four groups were compared: three with PD (7 patients with dementia, 10 with mild cognitive impairment and 15 with no cognitive disturbances) and the control group. The qEEG showed no significant differences between the control group and PD patients without cognitive disturbance. Abnormalities on the qEEG were essentially associated with the occurrence of mild cognitive impairment or dementia in patients with PD. There was an increase in the absolute and relative posterior theta amplitude in the groups with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and of the posterior absolute and relative delta amplitude in the group with dementia This study suggested qEEG as a possible physiological tool in the assessment of cognitive aspects in PD.