Recovery of Visuospatial Neglect Subtypes and Relationship to Functional Outcome Six Months After Stroke

Background/Objective. This study aims to investigate how complex visuospatial neglect behavioural phenotypes predict long-term outcomes, both in terms of neglect recovery and broader functional outcomes after 6 months post-stroke. Methods. This study presents a secondary cohort study of acute and 6-month follow-up data from 400 stroke survivors who completed the Oxford Cognitive Screen’s Cancellation Task. At follow-up, patients also completed the Stroke Impact Scale questionnaire. These data were analysed to identify whether any specific combination of neglect symptoms is more likely to result in long-lasting neglect or higher levels of functional impairment, therefore warranting more targeted rehabilitation. Results. Overall, 98/142 (69%) neglect cases recovered by follow-up, and there was no significant difference in the persistence of egocentric/allocentric (X2 [1] = .66 and P = .418) or left/right neglect (X2 [2] = .781 and P = .677). Egocentric neglect was found to follow a proportional recovery pattern with all patients demonstrating a similar level of improvement over time. Conversely, allocentric neglect followed a non-proportional recovery pattern with chronic neglect patients exhibiting a slower rate of improvement than those who recovered. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the initial severity of acute allocentric, but not egocentric, neglect impairment acted as a significant predictor of poor long-term functional outcomes (F [9,300] = 4.742, P < .001 and adjusted R2 = .098). Conclusions. Our findings call for systematic neuropsychological assessment of both egocentric and allocentric neglect following stroke, as the occurrence and severity of these conditions may help predict recovery outcomes over and above stroke severity alone.

Effect of Chronic Exposure to Pesticide Methomyl on Antioxidant Defense System in Testis of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Its Recovery Pattern

The chronic effect of environmental methomyl on the antioxidant system in testis of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and its recovery pattern was investigated. Tilapia were exposed to sublethal concentrations of 0.2, 2, 20 and 200 μgL−1 methomyl for 30 days and thereafter moved to methomyl-free water for 18 days. Antioxidant levels in testis, including glutathione peroxidase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, oxidized glutathione were measured every 6 days during the period of exposure, and at 18 days after being transferred to methomyl-free water. The results showed that lower methomyl concentration (0.2 μgL−1) had no effect on the above antioxidants, thus 0.2 μgL−1 could be seen as NOAEL for methomyl to tilapia. However, higher methomyl concentration of 2, 20 and 200 μgL−1 could significantly influence the above antioxidants. Glutathione peroxidase and oxidized glutathione increased significantly. On the contrary, reduced glutathione decreased significantly. Catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase increased at lower methomyl (2 and 20 μgL−1), but decreased at higher methomyl (200 μgL−1). The recovery test showed that oxidative damage caused by lower methomyl of 2 and 20 μgL−1 was reversible, and oxidative damage caused by higher methomyl of 200 μgL−1 was irreversible within 18 days of recovery period.

Visuospatial neglect: Recovery & Functional outcome after 6 months.

Background/Objective: This study aims to investigate how complex visuospatial neglect behavioural phenotypes predict long-term outcomes, both in terms of neglect recovery and broader functional outcomes. Methods: This study presents a secondary cohort study of acute and 6 month follow up data from 400 stroke survivors who completed the Oxford Cognitive Screen Cancellation Task. At follow-up, patients also completed the Stroke Impact Scale questionnaire. These data were analysed to identify whether any specific combination of neglect symptoms is more likely to result in long-lasting neglect or higher levels of functional impairment, therefore warranting more targeted rehabilitation. Results: Overall, 98/142(69%) neglect cases recovered by follow-up and there was no significant difference in the persistence of egocentric/allocentric (X2(1)=0.66, p=0.418) or left/right neglect (X2(2)=0.781, p= 0.677). Egocentric neglect was found to follow a proportional recovery pattern with all patients demonstrating a similar level of improvement over time. Conversely, allocentric neglect followed a non-proportional recovery pattern with chronic neglect patients exhibiting a slower rate of improvement than those who recovered. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the initial severity of acute allocentric, but not egocentric, neglect impairment acted as a significant predictor of poor long-term functional outcomes (F(9,383)=3.96, p<0.001, R2=0.066). Conclusions: Our findings call for systematic neuropsychological assessment of both egocentric and allocentric neglect following stroke, as the occurrence and severity of these conditions may help predict recovery outcomes.

Sex Influence on the Functional Recovery Pattern After a Graded Running Race: Original Analysis to Identify the Recovery Profiles

This study investigated the sex influence on the acute and delayed fatigue effects of a 20 km graded running race. Eighteen recreational runners, 10 women and 8 men, completed the race. The testing protocol included five sessions: a week before the race (PRE), 35 ± 15 min after (POST), 2 h, 2 and 4 days (2D and 4D) later. Each session included uni- and bilateral maximal isometric voluntary contractions of the knee extensors (MVC), a squat jump (SJ), and a drop jump (DJ). Acute and delayed muscle soreness (DOMS) were evaluated for the quadriceps, hamstring and triceps surae muscle groups. The 2D and 4D sessions included also a horizontal force-velocity test (HF-V) performed under five resistive conditions. For each test, a set of key variables was computed to characterize the lower limb functional recovery. Mixed ANOVA analyses revealed significant (sex × time) interactions, with larger acute drops for men in MVCs and earlier recovery for women in the bilateral MVC (p &lt; 0.001) and DJ (p &lt; 0.05) tests. Only women reported DOMS for the hamstrings at 2D (p &lt; 0.001) and showed small improvements in pure concentric SJ (p &lt; 0.05) and HF-V (p &lt; 0.01) tests at 4D. As expected, DOMS disappeared prior to the complete functional recovery. These results confirmed the combined influence of testing task and sex on the functional recovery pattern while supporting a lesser and faster recovery in women. The originality of this study lies in the complexity and sex-dependence of the functional recovery pattern revealed by a multiple factorial analysis which was used to identify the most discriminating tests and variables in the recovery pattern. The obtained clusters highlighted some recovery profiles associated with greater risks of injury when starting to run again. However, the lack of sex × time interaction for normalized values emphasizes the major influence of men’s initially higher functional values compared to women.

Histopathology of the Foot, Gill and Digestive Gland Tissues of Freshwater Mussel, Lamellidens marginalis Exposed to Oil Effluent

We investigated the histopathological alterations in the tissues of freshwater mussel, Lamellidens marginalis in response to oil effluent. Based on the previous acute toxicity, two sub lethal [1/4th (11.88ppt) and 1/10th (8.55ppt)] concentrations of oil effluent (hydrocarbon) were prepared and exposed to mussels. In a first series of experiment, animals were exposed/accumulated for 30 days [Ist, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 30th days] by two sub lethal concentrations of oil. In a second series of experiment, oil exposed animals were thereafter transferred to clean water and kept in it up to 30 days [Ist, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 30th days] to assess the recovery pattern (depuration). At seven-day intervals, histopathological alterations were analyzed in foot, gill and digestive gland tissues of mussel. First series of experimental observation showed remarkable damages in foot (disorganized outer epithelium, necrosis of the cell, the formation of lumina, disorganized muscle bundle); in gill (disruption of gill filaments, odema formation, necrosis, dis-aggregated cilia) and in digestive gland (stoma, detached glandular epithelium, vertical clefts, presence of leucocytes, dense accumulation of luminal material) and also oil effluent inducement are confirmed with the aforementioned results. At second series of experiment, it was found that oil effluent tended to accumulate in tissues in a duration-dose-dependent manner. Tissue burden by oil effluent of mussels completely were restored at 30th day. The present experimental findings may be of early warning signals of oil effluent pollution. In conclusion oil effluent are highly toxic to the Lamellidens marginalis.

Neuromodulatory Control and Language Recovery in Bilingual Aphasia: An Active Inference Approach

Understanding the aetiology of the diverse recovery patterns in bilingual aphasia is a theoretical challenge with implications for treatment. Loss of control over intact language networks provides a parsimonious starting point that can be tested using in-silico lesions. We simulated a complex recovery pattern (alternate antagonism and paradoxical translation) to test the hypothesis—from an established hierarchical control model—that loss of control was mediated by constraints on neuromodulatory resources. We used active (Bayesian) inference to simulate a selective loss of sensory precision; i.e., confidence in the causes of sensations. This in-silico lesion altered the precision of beliefs about task relevant states, including appropriate actions, and reproduced exactly the recovery pattern of interest. As sensory precision has been linked to acetylcholine release, these simulations endorse the conjecture that loss of neuromodulatory control can explain this atypical recovery pattern. We discuss the relevance of this finding for other recovery patterns.