rudyvdbrink/CitationDatabase huggingface dataset:
Neuroimmune pharmacology as a component of pharmacology in medical school curriculum.
Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology, 2011

An introduction to the discipline of pharmacology is a standard part of the scientific foundation of medical school curricula. Neuroimmune pharmacology is a new subtopic that integrates fundamental concepts of neuroscience, immunology, infectious disease, and pharmacology. The integration of these areas is important to medical training in view of the growing concern over neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive disorders. This article introduces a submodule and concomitant syllabus for inclusion of neuroimmune pharmacology as a component of a pharmacology curriculum. The introductory lectures of neuroimmune pharmacology will concentrate on the role of the immune system in (1) schizophrenia and major depression; (2) neurodegenerative disorders; and (3) drug addiction. Emphasis will be placed on the competencies of critical thinking, problem solving, learning interest, and effectiveness of medical students. Problem-based learning and case study discussions will also be applied.
Trends in malignant melanoma mortality in 31 countries from 1985 to 2015.
The British journal of dermatology, 2020

Malignant melanoma (MM) causes the highest absolute number of deaths among skin cancers. An up-to-date analysis of international MM mortality trends is required for assessing the burden of disease, and may support the assessment of the effectiveness of new diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative strategies.
Neuronal Nitric Oxide Inhibitor 7-Nitroindazole Improved Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Attenuated Brain Tissues Oxidative Damage and Learning and Memory Impairments of Hypothyroid Juvenile Rats.
Neurochemical research, 2020

Hypothyroidism-associated learning and memory impairment is reported to be connected to oxidative stress and reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The effects of neuronal nitric oxide inhibitor 7-nitroindazole (7NI) on brain tissues oxidative damage, nitric oxide (NO), BDNF and memory impairments in hypothyroid juvenile rats were investigated. Male Wistar juvenile rats (20 days old) were divided into five groups, including Martinez et al. (J Neurochem 78 (5):1054-1063, 2001). Control in which vehicle was injected instead of 7NI, (Jackson in Thyroid 8 (10):951-956, 1998) Propylthiouracil (PTU) where 0.05% PTU was added in drinking water and vehicle was injected instead of 7NI, (Gong et al. in BMC Neurosci 11 (1):50, 2010; Alva-Sánchez et al. in Brain Res 1271:27-35, 2009; Anaeigoudari et al. in Pharmacol Rep 68 (2): 243-249, 2016) PTU-7NI 5, PTU-7NI 10 and PTU-7NI 20 in which 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg7NI was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.). Following 6 weeks, Morris water maze (MMW) and passive avoidance learning (PAL) tests were used to evaluate the memory. Finally, the hippocampus and the cortex of the rats were removed after anesthesia by urethane to be used for future analysis. The escape latency and traveled path in MWM test was increased in PTU group (P < 0.001). PTU also reduced the latency to enter the dark box of PAL and the time spent and the distance in the target quadrant in MWM test (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01). Treatment with 7NI attenuated all adverse effects of PTU (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001). PTU lowered BDNF and thiol content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in the brain but increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) metabolites. In addition, 7NI improved thiol, SOD, CAT, thiol, and BDNF but attenuated MDA and NO metabolites. The results of the current study showed that 7NI improvement in the learning and memory of the hypothyroid juvenile rats, which was accompanied with improving of BDNF and attenuation of NO and brain tissues oxidative damage.
Recognizing Emotions through Facial Expressions: A Largescale Experimental Study.
International journal of environmental research and public health, 2020

Experimental research examining emotional processes is typically based on the observation of images with affective content, including facial expressions. Future studies will benefit from databases with emotion-inducing stimuli in which characteristics of the stimuli potentially influencing results can be controlled. This study presents Portuguese normative data for the identification of seven facial expressions of emotions (plus a neutral face), on the Radboud Faces Database (RaFD). The effect of participants' gender and models' sex on emotion recognition was also examined. Participants (
The effects of high-dose corticosteroids for multiple sclerosis relapse on blood pressure: A pilot study.
Multiple sclerosis and related disorders, 2020

Multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses are often treated with short pulses of high dose corticosteroids. Previous literature demonstrates corticosteroids can increase blood pressure (BP). There are few studies regarding effects of high dose, pulse corticosteroids on BP when treating MS relapses.
Recognition of giant cell arteritis in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica who have a stroke: a cautionary tale.
Internal medicine journal, 2017

An 82-year-old woman with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) on prednisone 7 mg daily was admitted to an acute stroke unit with a right homonymous hemianopia, a left posterior cerebral artery occlusion and occipital lobe infarct. She had raised inflammatory markers, did not have a temporal artery biopsy, and was discharged on the same dose of prednisone. After 21 months, off prednisone, her ophthalmologist, concerned about giant cell arteritis (GCA), restarted prednisone 40 mg daily, with rapid, profound visual improvement. After 3 days her general practitioner, noting normal baseline inflammatory markers, stopped treatment-with rapid visual reversion. It is critical to recognise GCA in patients with PMR admitted to a stroke unit and not to withdraw prematurely corticosteroids once commenced.
Mutational analysis of telomere complex genes in Indian population with acquired aplastic anemia.
Leukemia research, 2015

Acquired aplastic anemia (AAA) is rare disorders caused due to the profound or almost complete bone marrow failure. It is a life threatening hematopoietic stem cells disorder, which is characterized by pancytopenia or complete loss of blood-forming cells. The aim of the present study is to screen for the mutations in telomerase complex genes, and to establish a molecular and hematological profile of Indian sub population.
Nikos K. Logothetis.
Neuron, 2020

In a candid interview with Neuron, Nikos K. Logothetis shares memories about his rich scientific past and argues about the importance of animal research and the role of science in society. He also talks about his new job and future plans as co-director of the International Center for Primate Brain Research in Shanghai.
Searching for remote homologs of CAML among eukaryotes.
Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark), 2020

The tryptophan rich basic protein/calcium signal-modulating cyclophilin ligand (WRB/CAML) and Get1p/Get2p complexes, in vertebrates and yeast, respectively, mediate the final step of tail-anchored protein insertion into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane via the Get pathway. While WRB appears to exist in all eukaryotes, CAML homologs were previously recognized only among chordates, raising the question as to how CAML's function is performed in other phyla. Furthermore, whereas WRB was recognized as the metazoan homolog of Get1, CAML and Get2, although functionally equivalent, were not considered to be homologous. CAML contains an N-terminal basic, TRC40/Get3-interacting, region, three transmembrane segments near the C-terminus, and a poorly conserved region between these domains. Here, I searched the NCBI protein database for remote CAML homologs in all eukaryotes, using position-specific iterated-basic local alignment search tool, with the C-terminal, the N-terminal or the full-length sequence of human CAML as query. The N-terminal basic region and full-length CAML retrieved homologs among metazoa, plants and fungi. In the latter group several hits were annotated as GET2. The C-terminal query did not return entries outside of the animal kingdom, but did retrieve over one hundred invertebrate metazoan CAML-like proteins, which all conserved the N-terminal TRC40-binding domain. The results indicate that CAML homologs exist throughout the eukaryotic domain of life, and suggest that metazoan CAML and yeast GET2 share a common evolutionary origin. They further reveal a tight link between the particular features of the metazoan membrane-anchoring domain and the TRC40-interacting region. The list of sequences presented here should provide a useful resource for future studies addressing structure-function relationships in CAML proteins.
Interview: A clinical pharmacologist's journey in pain research and treatment.
Pain management, 2012

Paul Rolan speaks to Roshaine Gunawardana, Commissioning Editor: Paul Rolan graduated in Medicine (MBBS) from the University of Adelaide, Australia, in 1979 and trained in internal medicine and clinical pharmacology. In 1987, he went to the UK to work at the Wellcome Research Laboratories where he was responsible for the exploratory development of a range of compounds, some of which became marketed (atovaquone, zolmitriptan). He was awarded an MD degree from the University of Adelaide in 1995 for novel conceptual work on the use of biomarkers in exploratory development for work performed while at Wellcome. In 1984, he was appointed Medical Director of Medeval (now part of ICON Clinical Research), a clinical pharmacology contract research organization spun out of the University of Manchester, UK. At Medeval the emphasis was on quantitative pharmacodynamics, especially in neuroscience, and increasingly focused on pain. In Manchester, his clinical practice was in management of complex headache cases and this is continued in his practice back in Australia following his return in 2005. At the University of Adelaide he continues to focus on translational research in pain especially focusing on potential immunologically directed biomarkers and therapies for pain and headache. He is a cofounder of the Pain and Anaesthesia Research Clinic at the University of Adelaide and is a member of the Australian National Medicines Policy Committee. He has been principal investigator in over 700 clinical pharmacology studies including 70 first-in-man studies.
Chronic Exposure to WIN55,212-2 During Adolescence Alters Prefrontal Dopamine Turnover and Induces Sensorimotor Deficits in Adult Rats.
Neurotoxicity research, 2020

Several lines of evidence suggest that chronic exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence may increase the risk of schizophrenia. Studies of the disorder have identified altered cortical dopaminergic neurotransmission. In this study, we hypothesised that heightened endocannabinoid system activation via chronic exposure to a highly potent cannabinoid receptors agonist in adolescent rats would cause long-lasting neurobiological changes that may dramatically alter expression and functions of dopamine metabolising enzymes, comethyl-o-transferase (COMT) and monoamine oxidases MAO-A and MAO-B. To test this hypothesis, adult male rats (70 PND) undergoing chronic treatment of the highly potent and non-selective CB agonist WIN55,212-2 (1.2 mg/kg) during adolescence (PND 30-50) were subjected after 20 days washout period to prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle test (PPI) to confirm cannabinoid-induced sensorimotor-gating impairments and afterwards examined for COMT, MAO-A and MAO-B expression and activity in the prefrontal cortex. Chronic WIN55,212-2 exposure during adolescence caused disruption of PPI, increased cortical dopamine level, decreased COMT mRNA expression and decreased MAO-A and MAO-B enzymatic activities. These results indicate that chronic exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence induces sensorimotor-gating alterations which likely result from changes in the prefrontal cortex dopaminergic signalling. This has important implications for developing methods of targeting dopamine metabolising enzymes and/or sequelae of its dysregulation in cannabinoid-induced schizoaffective-like behaviour.
Identification and validation of risk factors for antisocial behaviour involving police.
Psychiatry research, 2020

Adult antisocial behaviour has precursors in childhood and adolescence and is most successfully treated using childhood interventions. The aim of this study was to identify and validate robust risk factors for antisocial behaviour involving police contact in a data-driven, hypothesis-free framework. Antisocial behavior involving police contact (20/25% incidence) as well as 554 other behavioural and environmental measures were assessed in the longitudinal general population Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study sample (n=872). The strongest risk factors for antisocial behaviour included past substance use disorder, gender, aggressive mode of action upon provocation, and concentration difficulties and physical fighting in school at age 15 years. Prediction using the selected variables for both methods in the other, unseen cohort resulted in an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.78-0.84. Our work confirms known risk factors for antisocial behaviour as well as identifies novel specific risk factors. Together, these provide good predictive power in an unseen cohort. Our identification and validation of risk factors for antisocial behaviour can aid early intervention for at-risk individuals.
Effectiveness of a Multicomponent Treatment for Fibromyalgia Based on Pain Neuroscience Education, Exercise Therapy, Psychological Support, and Nature Exposure (NAT-FM): A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial.
Journal of clinical medicine, 2020

A recent study (FIBROWALK has supported the effectiveness of a multicomponent treatment based on pain neuroscience education (PNE), exercise therapy (TE), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and mindfulness in patients with fibromyalgia. The aim of the present RCT was: (a) to analyze the effectiveness of a 12-week multicomponent treatment (nature activity therapy for fibromyalgia, NAT-FM) based on the same therapeutic components described above plus nature exposure to maximize improvements in functional impairment (primary outcome), as well as pain, fatigue, anxiety-depression, physical functioning, positive and negative affect, self-esteem, and perceived stress (secondary outcomes), and kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing thoughts, personal perceived competence, and cognitive emotion regulation (process variables) compared with treatment as usual (TAU); (b) to preliminarily assess the effects of the nature-based activities included (yoga, Nordic walking, nature photography, and Shinrin Yoku); and (c) to examine whether the positive effects of TAU + NAT-FM on primary and secondary outcomes at post-treatment were mediated through baseline to six-week changes in process variables. A total of 169 FM patients were randomized into two study arms: TAU + NAT-FM vs. TAU alone. Data were collected at baseline, at six-week of treatment, at post-treatment, and throughout treatment by ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Using an intention to treat (ITT) approach, linear mixed-effects models and mediational models through path analyses were computed. Overall, TAU + NAT-FM was significantly more effective than TAU at posttreatment for the primary and secondary outcomes evaluated, as well as for the process variables. Moderate-to-large effect sizes were achieved at six-weeks for functional impairment, anxiety, kinesiophobia, perceived competence, and positive reappraisal. The number needed to treat (NNT) was 3 (95%CI = 1.6-3.2). The nature activities yielded an improvement in affective valence, arousal, dominance, fatigue, pain, stress, and self-efficacy. Kinesiophobia and perceived competence were the mediators that could explain a significant part of the improvements obtained with TAU + NAT-FM treatment. TAU + NAT-FM is an effective co-adjuvant multicomponent treatment for improving FM-related symptoms.
Methodological Considerations for Neuroimaging in Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus in Parkinson's Disease Patients.
Journal of clinical medicine, 2020

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus is a neurosurgical intervention for Parkinson's disease patients who no longer appropriately respond to drug treatments. A small fraction of patients will fail to respond to DBS, develop psychiatric and cognitive side-effects, or incur surgery-related complications such as infections and hemorrhagic events. In these cases, DBS may require recalibration, reimplantation, or removal. These negative responses to treatment can partly be attributed to suboptimal pre-operative planning procedures via direct targeting through low-field and low-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). One solution for increasing the success and efficacy of DBS is to optimize preoperative planning procedures via sophisticated neuroimaging techniques such as high-resolution MRI and higher field strengths to improve visualization of DBS targets and vasculature. We discuss targeting approaches, MRI acquisition, parameters, and post-acquisition analyses. Additionally, we highlight a number of approaches including the use of ultra-high field (UHF) MRI to overcome limitations of standard settings. There is a trade-off between spatial resolution, motion artifacts, and acquisition time, which could potentially be dissolved through the use of UHF-MRI. Image registration, correction, and post-processing techniques may require combined expertise of traditional radiologists, clinicians, and fundamental researchers. The optimization of pre-operative planning with MRI can therefore be best achieved through direct collaboration between researchers and clinicians.
Polioencephalomalacia secondary to hypernatremia in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus).
Veterinary pathology, 2014

Squirrel monkeys (Saimiri spp) are one of the most consistently used New World primates in biomedical research and are increasingly being used in neuroscience research, including models of drug abuse and addiction. Spontaneous neurologic disease in the squirrel monkey is uncommonly reported but includes various infectious diseases as well as cerebral amyloidosis. Hypernatremia is an extremely serious condition of hyperosmolarity that occurs as a result of water loss, adipsia, or excess sodium intake. Neurologic effects of hypernatremia reflect the cellular dehydration produced by the shift of water from the intracellular fluid space into the hypertonic extracellular fluid space. Severe hypernatremia may result in cerebrocortical laminar necrosis (polioencephalomalacia) in human patients as well as in a number of domestic species, including pigs, poultry, and ruminants. We report the clinical, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical findings of polioencephalomalacia in 13 squirrel monkeys. Polioencephalomalacia in these animals was associated with hypernatremia that was confirmed by serum levels of sodium greater than 180 mmol/L (reference range, 134.0-154.0 mmol/L [mEq/L]). All animals had concurrent diseases or experimental manipulation that predisposed to adipsia. Immunohistochemical investigation using antibodies to neuronal nuclei (NeuN), CNPase, Iba-1, and CD31 revealed necrosis of predominantly cerebral cortical layers 3, 4, and 5 characterized by neuronal degeneration and loss, oligodendrocytic loss, microglial proliferation, and vascular reactivity. The squirrel monkey is exquisitely sensitive to hyperosmolar metabolic disruption and it is associated with laminar cortical necrosis.
Frequency and etiology of acute transverse myelitis in Southern Finland.
Multiple sclerosis and related disorders, 2020

Acute transverse myelitis is a relatively rare, frequently debilitating but potentially treatable emergency. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence and etiology of acute transverse myelitis in two major hospital districts in Southern Finland.
White matter volume alterations in hair-pulling disorder (trichotillomania).
Brain imaging and behavior, 2020

Trichotillomania (TTM) is a disorder characterized by repetitive hair-pulling resulting in hair loss. Key processes affected in TTM comprise affective, cognitive, and motor functions. Emerging evidence suggests that brain matter aberrations in fronto-striatal and fronto-limbic brain networks and the cerebellum may characterize the pathophysiology of TTM. The aim of the present voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study was to evaluate whole brain grey and white matter volume alteration in TTM and its correlation with hair-pulling severity. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (3 T) data were acquired from 29 TTM patients and 28 age-matched healthy controls (CTRLs). All TTM participants completed the Massachusetts General Hospital Hair-Pulling Scale (MGH-HPS) to assess illness/pulling severity. Using whole-brain VBM, between-group differences in regional brain volumes were measured. Additionally, within the TTM group, the relationship between MGH-HPS scores, illness duration and brain volumes were examined. All data were corrected for multiple comparisons using family-wise error (FWE) correction at p < 0.05. Patients with TTM showed larger white matter volumes in the parahippocampal gyrus and cerebellum compared to CTRLs. Estimated white matter volumes showed no significant association with illness duration or MGH-HPS total scores. No significant between-group differences were found for grey matter volumes. Our observations suggest regional alterations in cortico-limbic and cerebellar white matter in patients with TTM, which may underlie deficits in cognitive and affective processing. Such volumetric white matter changes may precipitate impaired cortico-cerebellar communication leading to a reduced ability to control hair pulling behavior.
Trepanation of the Outer Table as a Treatment for Scalping Injuries: Historical Perspective and Modern Applications.
World neurosurgery, 2021

Complex cranial wounds represent complex surgical problems. In modern times, these are mostly due to accidental trauma. During the period of the American Frontier, violent scalping was a common practice. Innovative techniques were utilized to improve outcomes for this condition that still have relevance in today's practice. We provide a historical perspective with vignettes that identify survivors of violent scalping from the American Frontier as well as the surgical techniques used to treat them. The techniques identified were then modified for modern practice and applied to a complex cranial wound. A review of primary and secondary historical sources was carried out. Nine separate incidences of violent scalping were identified from this period. Successful treatment relied on exposure of the diploe leading to granulation tissue formation and eventual scalp coverage. This was accomplished as a byproduct of the violence of the scalping or as an application of the technique first described by Augustin Belloste in 1696. Application of this technique in a modern setting may allow for improved wound healing. Trepanation of the outer table to aid in healing and closure of complex cranial wounds has a long history of successful practice and can be successfully applied to modern practice.