scholarly journals A Multidisciplinary Prematurity Research Cohort Study

Author(s):  
Molly J Stout ◽  
Jessica Chubiz ◽  
Nandini Raghuraman ◽  
Peinan Zhao ◽  
Methodius G Tuuli ◽  
...  

Background Worldwide, 10% of babies are born preterm, defined as a live birth before 37 weeks of gestation. Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal death, and survivors face lifelong risks of adverse outcomes. New approaches with large sample sizes are needed to identify strategies to predict and prevent preterm birth. The primary aims of the Washington University Prematurity Research Cohort Study were to conduct three prospective projects addressing possible causes of preterm birth and provide data and samples for future research. Study Design Pregnant patients were recruited into the cohort between January 2017 and January 2020. Consenting patients were enrolled into the study before 20 weeks' gestation and followed through delivery. Participants completed demographic and lifestyle surveys; provided maternal blood, placenta samples, and cord blood; and participated in up to three projects focused on underlying physiology of preterm birth: cervical imaging (Project 1), circadian rhythms (Project 2), and uterine magnetic resonance imaging and electromyometrial imaging (Project 3). Results A total of 1260 participants were enrolled and delivered during the study period. Of the participants, 706 (56%) were Black/African American, 494 (39%) were nulliparous, and 185 (15%) had a previous preterm birth. Of the 1260 participants, 1220 (97%) delivered a live infant. Of the 1220 with a live birth, 163 (14.1%) had preterm birth, of which 74 (6.1%) were spontaneous preterm birth. Of the 1220 participants with a live birth, 841 participated in cervical imaging, 1047 contributed data and/or samples on circadian rhythms, and 39 underwent uterine magnetic resonance imaging. Of the 39, 25 underwent electromyometrial imaging. Conclusion We demonstrate feasibility of recruiting and retaining a diverse cohort in a complex prospective, longitudinal study throughout pregnancy. The extensive clinical, imaging, survey, and biologic data obtained will be used to explore cervical, uterine, and endocrine physiology of preterm birth and can be used to develop novel approaches to predict and prevent preterm birth.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Hanna-Pladdy ◽  
Rao Gullapalli ◽  
Hegang Chen

BACKGROUND Cardinal features of Parkinson disease (PD) are motor symptoms, but nonmotor features such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are common early in the disease process. MCI can progress and convert to dementia in advanced stages, creating significant disability and reduced quality of life. The primary pathological substrate for cognitive decline in PD is unclear, and there are no reliable biomarkers predicting the risk of conversion to dementia. A subgroup of PD patients with visual hallucinations may display more rapid conversion to dementia, suggesting that regional markers of visuoperceptual dysfunction may be sensitive to pathologic density in posterior cortical regions. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this project is to characterize PD-MCI and evaluate the utility of genetic and neuroimaging biomarkers in predicting cognitive outcomes with a prospective longitudinal study. We will evaluate whether accelerated cognitive progression may be reflected in biomarkers of early posterior cortical changes reflective of α-synuclein deposition. METHODS We will evaluate a cohort of early-stage PD patients with the following methods to predict cognitive progression: (1) serial neuropsychological evaluations including detailed visuoperceptual functioning across 4 years; (2) genetic analysis of SNCA (α-synuclein), MAPT (microtubule-associated tau), and APOE (apolipoprotein E); (3) an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm of object recognition memory; and (4) anatomical and regional brain activation changes (resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging) across 4 years. RESULTS The project received funding from the National Institutes of Health in August 2017, and data collection began in February 2018. Enrollment is ongoing, and subjects will be evaluated annually for 4 years extended across a 5-year project including data analysis and image processing. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive, genetic, and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging will characterize neural network changes predictive of cognitive progression in PD across 4 years. Identification of biomarkers with sensitivity for early prediction and estimation of risk for conversion to dementia in PD will pave the way for effective intervention with neuroprotective therapies during the critical stage when treatment can have the greatest impact. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPOR DERR1-10.2196/12870


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-96
Author(s):  
Yanzhi Bi ◽  
Li Hu

Tobacco smoking is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although a number of smokers are aware of the adverse outcomes of smoking and express a strong desire to stop smoking, most smoking quit attempts end in relapse within the first few days of abstinence, primarily resulting from the aversive aspects of the nicotine withdrawal syndrome. Therefore, studying the neural mechanisms of smoking abstinence, identifying smokers with heightened relapse vulnerability prior to quit attempts, and developing effective smoking cessation treatments appear to be promising strategies for improving the success of quit attempts. In recent years, with the development of magnetic resonance imaging, the neural substrates of smoking abstinence have become extensively studied. In this review, we first introduce the psychophysiological changes induced by smoking abstinence, including affective, cognitive, and somatic signs. We then provide an overview of the magnetic resonance imaging-based evidence regarding abstinence-related functional changes accompanied by these psychophysiological changes. We conclude with a discussion of the neural markers that could predict relapse during quit attempts and a summary of the psychophysiological interventions that are currently often used to help with smoking cessation. This review extends our understanding of the role of the central nervous system in smoking abstinence.


BMJ ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 350 (jun22 8) ◽  
pp. h2863-h2863 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. C. M. Stephan ◽  
C. Tzourio ◽  
S. Auriacombe ◽  
H. Amieva ◽  
C. Dufouil ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Schneider K. Rancy ◽  
Morgan M. Swanstrom ◽  
Edward F. DiCarlo ◽  
Darryl B. Sneag ◽  
Steve K. Lee ◽  
...  

We followed 35 consecutive patients with scaphoid nonunions in a prospective longitudinal registry. All nonunions were treated with curettage, non-vascularized autogenous grafting and headless screw fixation. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging, intraoperative bleeding points and histopathological analysis of cancellous bone in the proximal pole were recorded as measures of viability. Healing was categorized as ≥50% bony bridging on computed tomographic images in the plane of the scaphoid. Nine of 23 proximal poles demonstrated ischaemia on magnetic resonance imaging but none were interpreted as infarcted. Twenty-eight of 33 were found to have impaired vascularity as assessed by intraoperative bleeding. Fourteen of 32 demonstrated ≥50% trabecular necrosis and four of 33 demonstrated ≥50% tissue necrosis on histopathological analysis. Thirty of 33 demonstrated focal or robust remodelling activity. Despite pathological evidence of impaired vascularity in over half of the patients, 33 of the 35 scaphoids had healed by 12 weeks. We conclude that proximal pole infarction is decidedly rare and that vascularized bone grafting is seldom required. Level of evidence: IV


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