Screening for Early Stages of Nigrostriatal Alteration (I): MR-T2-Relaxation and TCS in Healthy Subjects with Increased Echogenity of the SN

ABSTRACT Studies which have investigated muscular performance during the initial stages of Parkinson´s disease (PD) without L-dopa treatments were not found. Objective to assess whether muscular performance, work and power, of the trunk and lower limbs in L-dopa naïve patients in the early stages of PD was lower than those of healthy subjects and to compare muscular performance between the lower limbs. Method Ten subjects with PD, Hoehn and Yahr (HY) I-II, L-dopa naïve and 10 subjects in the control group were assessed with the isokinetic dynamometer. Results ANOVAs revealed that work and power measures of the trunk, hip, knee, and ankle muscular groups were lower in PD compared with the control group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in muscular performance between the lower limbs. Conclusion The results suggested the use of specific exercises, as rehabilitation strategies, to improve the ability to produce work and power with this population.

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Influence of hydration status on cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial T1 and T2 relaxation time assessment: an intraindividual study in healthy subjects

Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance ◽

10.1186/s12968-020-00661-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Julian A. Luetkens ◽

Marilia Voigt ◽

Anton Faron ◽

Alexander Isaak ◽

Narine Mesropyan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance ◽

Relaxation Time ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Hydration Status ◽

T2 Relaxation Time ◽

T2 Relaxation ◽

Myocardial T1 ◽

Influence Of Hydration ◽

Time Assessment

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Association of T2 relaxation time determined by magnetic resonance imaging and intramyocellular lipid content of the soleus muscle in healthy subjects

Journal of Diabetes Investigation ◽

10.1111/j.2040-1124.2011.00108.x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2 (5) ◽

pp. 356-358 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yuko Sakurai ◽

Yoshifumi Tamura ◽

Kageumi Takeno ◽

Fumihiko Sato ◽

Yoshio Fujitani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Relaxation Time ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Lipid Content ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Intramyocellular Lipid ◽

T2 Relaxation Time ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

T2 Relaxation ◽

Intramyocellular Lipid Content

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Expression Profiling of Blood microRNAs 885, 361, and 17 in the Patients with the Parkinson’s disease: Integrating Interaction Data to Uncover the Possible Triggering Age-Related Mechanisms

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-50256-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Molood Behbahanipour ◽

Maryam Peymani ◽

Mehri Salari ◽

Motahare-Sadat Hashemi ◽

Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Disease Severity ◽

Cellular Senescence ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Target Genes ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Early Stages ◽

Age Related ◽

Advanced Stages

Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to contribute to the pathophysiology of the Parkinson’s disease (PD), an age related-neurodegenerative disorder. The aim of present study was to compare the expression profiles of a new set of candidate miRNAs related to aging and cellular senescence in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from the PD patients with healthy controls and then in the early and advanced stages of the PD patients with their controls to clarify whether their expression was correlated with the disease severity. We have also proposed a consensus-based strategy to interpret the miRNAs expression data to gain a better insight into the molecular regulatory alterations during the incidence of PD. We evaluated the miRNA expression levels in the PBMCs obtained from 36 patients with PD and 16 healthy controls by the reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR and their performance to discriminate the PD patients from the healthy subjects assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Also, we applied our consensus and integration approach to construct a deregulated miRNA-based network in PD with the respective targets and transcription factors, and the enriched gene ontology and pathways using the enrichment analysis approach were obtained. There was a significant overexpression of miR-885 and miR-17 and the downregulation of miR-361 in the PD patients compared to the controls. The blood expression of miR-885 and miR-17 tended to increase along with the disease severity. On the other hand, the lower levels of miR-361 in the early stages of the PD patients, as compared to controls, and its higher levels in the advanced stages of PD patients, as compared to the early stages of the PD patients, were observed. Combination of all three miRNAs showed an appropriate value of AUC (0.985) to discriminate the PD patients from the healthy subjects. Also, the deregulated miRNAs were linked to the known PD pathways and the candidate related target genes were presented. We revealed 3 candidate biomarkers related to aging and cellular senescence for the first time in the patients with PD. Our in-silico analysis identified candidate target genes and TFs, including those related to neurodegeneration and PD. Overall, our findings provided novel insights into the probable age-regulatory mechanisms underlying PD and a rationale to further clarify the role of the identified miRNAs in the PD pathogenesis.

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Evaluation of Regional Lung Function in Pulmonary Fibrosis with Xenon-129 MRI

Tomography ◽

10.3390/tomography7030039 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 452-465

Author(s):

Jaime Mata ◽

Steven Guan ◽

Kun Qing ◽

Nicholas Tustison ◽

Yun Shim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Shift ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Blood Oxygenation ◽

T2 Relaxation ◽

Hyperpolarized Xenon ◽

Lung Physiology ◽

Regional Lung Function ◽

Regional Lung

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a pattern of interstitial lung disease, is often clinically unpredictable in its progression. This paper presents hyperpolarized Xenon-129 chemical shift imaging as a noninvasive, nonradioactive method of probing lung physiology as well as anatomy to monitor subtle changes in subjects with IPF. Twenty subjects, nine healthy and eleven IPF, underwent HP Xe-129 ventilation MRI and 3D-SBCSI. Spirometry was performed on all subjects before imaging, and DLCO and hematocrit were measured in IPF subjects after imaging. Images were post-processed in MATLAB and segmented using ANTs. IPF subjects exhibited, on average, higher Tissue/Gas ratios and lower RBC/Gas ratios compared with healthy subjects, and quantitative maps were more heterogeneous in IPF subjects. The higher ratios are likely due to fibrosis and thickening of the pulmonary interstitium. T2* relaxation was longer in IPF subjects and corresponded with hematocrit scores, although the mechanism is not well understood. A lower chemical shift in the red blood cell spectroscopic peak correlated well with a higher Tissue/RBC ratio and may be explained by reduced blood oxygenation. Tissue/RBC also correlated well, spatially, with areas of fibrosis in HRCT images. These results may help us understand the underlying mechanism behind gas exchange impairment and disease progression.

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Microstructural and metabolic disorders in CC of juvenile schizophrenia patients

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.02.327 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. S350-S351

Author(s):

M. Ublinskiy ◽

N. Semenova ◽

T. Akhadov ◽

I. Melnikov ◽

D. Kupriyanov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diffusion Coefficient ◽

Corpus Callosum ◽

Fractional Anisotropy ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Metabolic Disorders ◽

Early Stages ◽

Icd 10 ◽

Male Patients ◽

Competing Interest ◽

Sense Coil

IntroductionThe aim of the study was to analyze the microstructural and metabolic features of the corpus callosum in recently onset schizophrenia.Objectives13 young (17–28 years old) male patients with recently onset schizophrenia (F20, ICD-10) and 15 sex and age matched mentally healthy subjects were examined.Methods3 T Philips Achieva scanner with 8-channel SENSE coil was used. DTI was conducted with EPI SENSE (TR = 9431 ms; TE = 70 ms). The values of diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), radial (RD) and parallel (PD) diffusivity were calculated using workstation Philips EBWS 2.6.3.4. Spectroscopic voxel (2 × 1 × 1 cm) was placed consequently in the corpus callosum genu and splenium. PRESS (TR/TE = 1500/40) was used.ResultsIn patients, increased ADC (P = 0.02) and RD (P = 0.008), decreased FA (P = 0.008) and NAA (P = 0.03) were found in the corpus callosum genu, No intergroup differences by PD, Cho, Cr, Glx were found in this area. Also, no statistically significant intergroup differences were observed for the DTI and MRS characteristics of the corpus callosum splenium.ConclusionsIt has been shown that RD increase is associated with demyelination process. So, an increase of RD in the present study could reflect demyelination in CC genu. Cells membranes abnormalities should lead to an increase of Cho which was not found. NAA reduction could be caused by reduction of axonal integrity. The latter process is considered to precede demyelination and not to be accompanied by PD rise. Thus, the present study revealed axonal integrity reduction and low demyelination in the genu of the corpus callosum in the early stages of schizophrenia.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Analysis of the configuration of maximum expiratory flow-volume curves

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/jappl.1978.44.2.156 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 156-165 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

J. Mead

Keyword(s):

Lung Disease ◽

Chronic Bronchitis ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Obstructive Lung Disease ◽

Flow Volume ◽

Early Stages ◽

Maximum Expiratory Flow ◽

Expiratory Flow ◽

Age Range

The ratios of the instantaneous tangent slopes to corresponding chord slopes are sensitive to curvatures of flow-volume curves; and these dimensionless slope ratios, SR, plotted against fractional volumes remaining to be expired, VCf, are sensitive to the shape of flow-volume curves but insenitive to flow or volume magnitudes. SR-VCf curves predicted for lungs which empty homogeneously differ substantially from those predicted for lungs which empty nonhomogeneously, the latter showing systematic increases in SR with VCf which may extend beyond the homogeneous range. SR-VCf curves for some 80 healthy subjects show systematic changes with age (range 6–64 yr), but all are consistent with advanced obstructive lung disease (chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma) are consistent with nonhomogeneous emptying, but it does not seem likely that SR-VCf curves will prove useful for detecting early stages of disease.

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