scholarly journals Artery of Percheron infarction with persistent amnesia: a case report of bilateral paramedian thalamic syndrome

BMC Neurology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah E. Snyder ◽  
Sheliza Ali ◽  
Joanna Sue ◽  
Ayse Unsal ◽  
Crystal Fong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The artery of Percheron is an uncommon anatomic variant which supplies the bilateral paramedian thalami and rostral midbrain. While infarction of its vascular territory can result in a wide range of symptoms, paramedian thalamic syndrome is classically described as a triad of symptoms including vertical gaze disturbances, fluctuating level of consciousness, and amnesia. There is minimal evidence to date to characterize the long-term cognitive consequences of infarction of the artery of Percheron utilizing neuropsychological assessment. Case presentation We describe a 40-year-old female patient initially presenting with dizziness, confusion and falls with unremarkable head CT scans. Subsequent MRI, more than 24 h after symptom onset, identified evidence of bilateral thalamic and rostral midbrain infarction. Neuropsychological testing was administered at 4 months post-stroke, with follow up testing at 1 year. The patient was found to have profound anterograde and retrograde amnesia, which did not change significantly over the first year of rehabilitation, and which was not easily identifiable in everyday encounters due to her relatively intact working memory and social skills. Conclusions As early diagnosis of infarction of the artery of Percheron is challenging, patients have frequently missed the time window for acute management of ischemic stroke. Moreover, this case study highlights the need for further research in deciphering the role of the paramedian thalamus in memory and cognition, as well as the importance of standardized neuropsychological testing for the artery of Percheron stroke patients to identify safety and rehabilitation concerns that may be overlooked.

1993 ◽  
Vol 264 (2) ◽  
pp. C457-C463 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Dorup ◽  
T. Clausen

In young rats fed a Mg(2+)-deficient diet for 3 wk, Mg2+ and K+ contents in soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles were significantly reduced and closely correlated. In isolated soleus muscles, Mg2+ depletion induced an even more pronounced loss of K+, and Mg2+ and K+ contents were correlated over a wide range (r = 0.95, P < 0.001). Extracellular Mg2+ (0-1.2 mM) caused no change in total or ouabain-suppressible 86Rb influx. After long-term incubation in Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-free buffer with EDTA and EGTA, cellular Mg2+ and K+ contents were reduced by 35 and 15%, respectively, without any reduction in ATP and total or ouabain-suppressible 86Rb influx. In Mg(2+)-depleted muscles 42K efflux was increased by up to 42%, and repletion with Mg2+ produced a graded decrease. We conclude that Mg2+ and K+ contents are closely correlated in muscles Mg2+ depleted in vivo or in vitro and that neither extracellular nor moderate intracellular Mg2+ depletion affects total or Na(+)-K+ pump-mediated K+ influx. The reduced K+ content may rather be related to increased K+ efflux from the muscles.


2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Titov ◽  
O. E. Mozgovaya

The artery of Percheron originates from the right or left posterior cerebral artery and is one of the options for normal blood supply to the paramedian portions of the thalamus. Stroke in this area has specific MRI changes, the most informative ones in diffusion-weighted imaging mode. With the involvement of the midbrain, its pial surface can display an additional pathognomonic V-shaped sign in 67%. The clinical manifestations are non-specific. In some cases, there is a triad of symptoms, which is distinguished into paramedian thalamic syndrome (vertical gaze palsy, neuropsychological disorders, and depressed level of consciousness up to coma). The symptoms of a midbrain lesion as oculomotor nerve group diseases, contralateral hemiparesis, hemiataxia or hemianesthesia, in combination with a triad, develop a thalamopeduncular or mesencephalon thalamic syndrome. The paper presents a clinical case of a 59-year-old man who was hospitalized with acute unconsciousness, a Glasgow coma scale of 13 scores, and disorientation. A neurological examination revealed vertical gaze palsy and upper limb ataxia. Brain MRI revealed characteristic bithalamic paramedian stroke. After completing the treatment, the patient was discharged showing incomplete clinical recovery.


1997 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
LUTZ BÜNGER ◽  
WILLIAM G. HILL

To assess the role of genetic changes in sensitivity to leptin hormone in contributing to responses to long-term selection for fatness, leptin was administered to a long-term fat selected (F) and a control line (C) of mice. These lines differ almost three fold in their percentage of fat (fat%) at about 15 weeks of age. Treated (T) animals received twice-daily intraperitoneal injections of 5 mg/kg leptin from 91 to 105 days of age; untreated (U) animals received equivolume injections of phosphate-buffered saline. Treated compared with untreated animals in both lines had significantly (P<0·05) lower mean body weight, food intake and fatness at the end of test (fat%: CT 3%, CU 7·4%, FT 14·9%, FU21·1%). The differences in response between the lines [(CT−CU)−(FT−FU)] were all non-significant (P>0·05), however. There was a very wide range of fatness (estimated from dry matter content) among FT animals (3–29%), much higher than in FU (15–31%), CT (0·7–6·4%) and CU (2–15%) animals. While sensitivity to leptin remains in the fat line, response appears to vary among animals at the dose level used.


2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (18) ◽  
pp. 9107-9114 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. K. W. Chu ◽  
L. L. M. Poon ◽  
Y. Guan ◽  
J. S. M. Peiris

ABSTRACT Bats are increasingly recognized to harbor a wide range of viruses, and in most instances these viruses appear to establish long-term persistence in these animals. They are the reservoir of a number of human zoonotic diseases including Nipah, Ebola, and severe acute respiratory syndrome. We report the identification of novel groups of astroviruses in apparently healthy insectivorous bats found in Hong Kong, in particular, bats belonging to the genera Miniopterus and Myotis. Astroviruses are important causes of diarrhea in many animal species, including humans. Many of the bat astroviruses form distinct phylogenetic clusters in the genus Mamastrovirus within the family Astroviridae. Virus detection rates of 36% to 100% and 50% to 70% were found in Miniopterus magnater and Miniopterus pusillus bats, respectively, captured within a single bat habitat during four consecutive visits spanning 1 year. There was high genetic diversity of viruses in bats found within this single habitat. Some bat astroviruses may be phylogenetically related to human astroviruses, and further studies with a wider range of bat species in different geographic locations are warranted. These findings are likely to provide new insights into the ecology and evolution of astroviruses and reinforce the role of bats as a reservoir of viruses with potential to pose a zoonotic threat to human health.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Parker ◽  
Chi Dang Hornik ◽  
Staci Bilbo ◽  
Zoie E. Holzknecht ◽  
Lauren Gentry ◽  
...  

The wide range of factors associated with the induction of autism is invariably linked with either inflammation or oxidative stress, and sometimes both. The use of acetaminophen in babies and young children may be much more strongly associated with autism than its use during pregnancy, perhaps because of well-known deficiencies in the metabolic breakdown of pharmaceuticals during early development. Thus, one explanation for the increased prevalence of autism is that increased exposure to acetaminophen, exacerbated by inflammation and oxidative stress, is neurotoxic in babies and small children. This view mandates extreme urgency in probing the long-term effects of acetaminophen use in babies and the possibility that many cases of infantile autism may actually be induced by acetaminophen exposure shortly after birth.


2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Minor ◽  
Don Sutton ◽  
Ardys Kozbial ◽  
Brad Westbrook ◽  
Michael Burek ◽  
...  

The Chronopolis Digital Preservation Initiative, one of the Library of Congress’ latest efforts to collect and preserve at-risk digital information, has completed its first year of service as a multi-member partnership to meet the archival needs of a wide range of domains.Chronopolis is a digital preservation data grid framework developed by the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at UC San Diego, the UC San Diego Libraries (UCSDL), and their partners at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Colorado and the University of Maryland's Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS).Chronopolis addresses a critical problem by providing a comprehensive model for the cyberinfrastructure of collection management, in which preserved intellectual capital is easily accessible, and research results, education material, and new knowledge can be incorporated smoothly over the long term. Integrating digital library, data grid, and persistent archive technologies, Chronopolis has created trusted environments that span academic institutions and research projects, with the goal of long-term digital preservation.A key goal of the Chronopolis project is to provide cross-domain collection sharing for long-term preservation. Using existing high-speed educational and research networks and mass-scale storage infrastructure investments, the partnership is leveraging the data storage capabilities at SDSC, NCAR, and UMIACS to provide a preservation data grid that emphasizes heterogeneous and highly redundant data storage systems.In this paper we will explore the major themes within Chronopolis, including:a) The philosophy and theory behind a nationally federated data grid for preservation. b) The core tools and technologies used in Chronopolis. c) The metadata schema that is being developed within Chronopolis for all of the data elements. d) Lessons learned from the first year of the project.e) Next steps in digital preservation using Chronopolis: how we plan to strengthen and broaden our network with enhanced services and new customers.


Author(s):  
M. Zaman ◽  
B.F. Quin

The commercial introduction of reactive phosphate rock (RPR) to the New Zealand market in 1987 was the subject of much dispute regarding its efficacy, and the differing interpretations of field trial results. Twenty-five years on, it was considered time to seek the views of farmers who are long-term users of RPR, across a wide range of geographic, soil type, fertility, climate and farming operations. The fact that the farmers interviewed have all been farming successfully with RPR for many years enables conditions suitable for RPR use to be identified more clearly compared to earlier advice. This progress is discussed in the context of utilising the proven reduced phosphorus (P) run-off with RPR to reduce P eutrophication in P-sensitive catchments. Key words: Reactive phosphate rock, RPR, superphosphate, SSP, long-term use, phosphorus runoff, eutrophication, water quality, recommendations


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Höning

&lt;p&gt;Earth&amp;#8217;s long-term carbonate-silicate cycle is continuously perturbed by processes of mountain building and erosion. Mountain uplift near convergent plate boundaries causes steep slopes, which in turn imply high rates of continental erosion. Erosion rates ultimately affect the weatherability and thereby the regulation of Earth&amp;#8217;s climate. Using a simple 1D-model that includes the outlines processes, I investigate the resulting climate oscillations over timescales from thousands to millions of years. With a simple model of the long-term carbon cycle that includes biological enhancement of weathering and marine biogenic calcite precipitation, I study the role of Earth&amp;#8217;s biosphere in damping these oscillations [1]. I show that both mechanisms play a role: Biological enhancement of weathering damps oscillations mainly on timescales &gt; 1 Ma and marine calcification mainly on shorter timescales. Altogether, the results indicate that Earth&amp;#8217;s biosphere contributes to a stable climate over a wide range of timescales.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the context of anthropogenic emissions, a dramatic elevation in the atmospheric CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; and related temperature is known to damage Earth&amp;#8217;s biosphere [2] and may even trigger runaway processes [3]. The results presented here indicate that a damaged biosphere may furthermore cause the Earth system to react more sensitive to oscillations from geological forcing and may also affect climate recovery.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;References:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[1] H&amp;#246;ning 2020, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 21(9), e2020GC009105&lt;br&gt;[2] Sully et al. 2019, Nat. Comm. 10, 1264&lt;br&gt;[3] Lenton 2013, Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 38, 1-29&lt;/p&gt;


Minerals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Economou-Eliopoulos ◽  
George Tsoupas ◽  
Vasilis Skounakis

The role of post-magmatic processes in the composition of chromitites hosted in ophiolite complexes, the origin of super-reduced phases, and factors controlling the carbon recycling in a supra-subduction zone environment are still unclear. The present contribution compiles the first scanning electron microscope/energy-dispersive (SEM/EDS) data on graphite-like amorphous carbon, with geochemical and mineral chemistry data, from chromitites of the Skyros, Othrys, Pindos, and Veria ophiolites (Greece). The aim of this study was the delineation of potential relationships between the modified composition of chromite and the role of redox conditions, during the long-term evolution of chromitites in a supra-subduction zone environment. Chromitites are characterized by a strong brittle (cataclastic) texture and the presence of phases indicative of super-reducing phases, such as Fe–Ni–Cr-alloys, awaruite (Ni3Fe), and heazlewoodite (Ni3S2). Carbon-bearing assemblages are better revealed on Au-coated unpolished sections. Graphite occurs in association with hydrous silicates (chlorite, serpentine) and Fe2+-chromite, as inclusions in chromite, filling cracks within chromite, or as nodule-like graphite aggregates. X-ray spectra of graphite–silicate aggregates showed the presence of C, Si, Mg, Al, O in variable proportions, and occasionally K and Ca. The extremely low fO2 during serpentinization facilitated the occurrence of methane in microfractures of chromitites, the precipitation of super-reducing phases (metal alloys, awaruite, heazlewoodite), and graphite. In addition, although the origin of Fe–Cu–Ni-sulfides in ultramafic parts of ophiolite complexes is still unclear, in the case of the Othrys chromitites, potential reduction-induced sulfide and/or carbon saturation may drive formation of sulfide ores and graphite-bearing chromitites. The presented data on chromitites covering a wide range in platinum-group element (PGE) content, from less than 100 ppb in the Othrys to 25 ppm ΣPGE in the Veria ores, showed similarity in the abundance of graphite-like carbon. The lack of any relationship between graphite (and probably methane) and the PGE content may be related to the occurrence of the (Ru–Os–Ir) minerals in chromitites, which occur mostly as oxides/hydroxides, and to lesser amounts of laurite, with pure Ru instead activating the stable CO2 molecule and reducing it to methane (experimental data from literature).


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilla Paragh ◽  
Daniel Törőcsik

The role of factor XIII subunit A (FXIII-A) is not restricted to hemostasis. FXIII-A is also present intracellularly in several human cells and serves as a diagnostic marker in a wide range of dermatological diseases from inflammatory conditions to malignancies. In this review, we provide a guide on the still controversial interpretation of dermal cell types expressing FXIII-A and assess the previously described mechanisms behind their accumulation under physiological and pathological conditions of the human skin. We summarize the intracellular functions of FXIII-A as well as its possible sources in the extracellular space of the dermis with a focus on its relevance to skin homeostasis and disease pathogenesis. Finally, the potential role of FXIII-A in wound healing, as a field with long-term therapeutic implications, is also discussed.


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