Intraneural cyst of the peroneal nerve in child

This article presents an observation of an intraneural cyst of the peroneal nerve in a 16-year-old boy after a knee injury. Surgical treatment of an intraneural cyst of the peroneal nerve was performed 9 months after the appearance of peroneal nerve neuropathy. One month after the operation, the peroneal muscle strength increased from 2 to 4 points on the MRC scale; positive dynamics after the operation was also noted according to the data of electroneuromyography and ultrasound examination. Children often observed intraneural cyst of the peroneal nerve at the knee (90% of cases among all sites intraneural cysts). For diff erential diagnosis with compression-ischemic neuropathy and nerve cysts, clinical and neurophysiological data should be supplemented by ultrasound and/or MRI examination. Early diagnosis and surgical treatment are critical to the full recovery of motor and sensory function.

A Simple and Cost-Effective Weight Drop Model to Induce Contusive Spinal Cord Injury: Functional and Histological Outcomes

Background: Animal spinal cord injury (SCI) models have provided a better perception of the mechanisms related to traumatic SCI and evaluation of the effectiveness of experimental therapeutic interventions. Objectives: The aim of this study is to develop a cost-effective modified Allen's device to induce contusive spinal cord injury. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats were subjected to contusive spinal cord injury using a customized weight drop model through 10-g weights delivered from a 25-mm height onto an exposed spinal cord. Locomotor and sensory function during 28 days were assessed. Moreover, histopathological changes were assessed at one week and 28 days post SCI. Results: All the SCI rats showed hind limb paralysis up to 48 h post SCI and neuropathic pain after injury. Histological changes similar to the previous reports for contusion model were observed. Conclusions: According to our findings, little variability was observed in the BBB score of individual rats at 28 days after injury. Our customized device to induce spinal cord injury is a simple and inexpensive alternative method to the highly sophisticated contusion device commonly used to induce SCI.

Associations of Physiological State, Cognitive Function, Sensory Function, and Biochemical Index with Frailty Status Among Patients with Schizophrenia

The literature on the prevalence and effect of the frailty status of patients with schizophrenia is limited. The interactions between frailty and psychiatric disorders warrant exploration. This study primarily aimed to explore the associations of physiological state, cognitive function, sensory function, and biochemical index with frailty status among patients with schizophrenia. A cross-sectional study design was adopted. Patients with schizophrenia were selected using purposive sampling. Frailty was revealed to be more prevalent with lower educational attainment, more hospitalization days, higher skeletal muscle percentage, higher basal metabolic rate, having fallen in the past year, use of anxiolytics or tranquilizers and sleeping pills, lower cognitive function, and use of assistive equipment. In addition, physiological state, cognitive function, and sensory function differed depending on the incidence of frailty among patients with schizophrenia. Cognitive function and the reduction of frailty incidence should be emphasized. Institutional nursing staff should regularly assess patients’ frailty risk, pay attention to changes in patients’ physiological state, monitor the cognitive function of patients, and recommend physical therapy and exercises to improve the strength, conditioning, and mobility of patients with schizophrenia for health maintenance and positive aging.

Biomaterial and Therapeutic Approaches for the Manipulation of Macrophage Phenotype in Peripheral and Central Nerve Repair

Injury to the peripheral or central nervous systems often results in extensive loss of motor and sensory function that can greatly diminish quality of life. In both cases, macrophage infiltration into the injury site plays an integral role in the host tissue inflammatory response. In particular, the temporally related transition of macrophage phenotype between the M1/M2 inflammatory/repair states is critical for successful tissue repair. In recent years, biomaterial implants have emerged as a novel approach to bridge lesion sites and provide a growth-inductive environment for regenerating axons. This has more recently seen these two areas of research increasingly intersecting in the creation of ‘immune-modulatory’ biomaterials. These synthetic or naturally derived materials are fabricated to drive macrophages towards a pro-repair phenotype. This review considers the macrophage-mediated inflammatory events that occur following nervous tissue injury and outlines the latest developments in biomaterial-based strategies to influence macrophage phenotype and enhance repair.

Measuring hand sensory function and force control in older adults: Are current hand assessment tools enough?

Background The ability to grasp and manipulate objects is essential for performing activities of daily living. However, there is limited information regarding age-related behavioral differences in hand sensorimotor function due, in part, to the lack of assessment tools capable of measuring subtle but important differences in hand function. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate performance differences in submaximal force control and tactile pattern recognition in healthy older adults using two custom-designed sensorimotor assessment tools. Methods Sensorimotor function was assessed in 13 healthy older adults (mean age 72.2 ±5.5y, range: 65-84y) and 13 young adults (mean age 20 ±1.4y, range: 19-23y). Clinical assessments included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), monofilament testing, maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), and Grooved Pegboard Test. Sensorimotor assessments included submaximal (5, 20% MVC) grip force step-tracking and tactile pattern recognition tasks. Results Clinical assessments revealed no or minimal group differences in MVC, monofilament thresholds, and MoCA. However, sensorimotor assessments showed that older adults took longer to discriminate tactile patterns and had poorer accuracy than young adults. Older adults also produced submaximal forces less smoothly than young adults at the 20% force level while greater variability in force maintenance was seen at 5% but not 20% MVC. Conclusions These results demonstrate the ability to integrate higher-order tactile information and control low grip forces is impaired in older adults despite no differences in grip strength or cognition. These findings underscore the need for more sensitive evaluation methods that focus on sensorimotor ability reflective of daily activities.

Reconstruction of Sciatic Nerve Using Bilateral Vascularized Sural Nerve Grafts: A Case Report

Injury of peripheral nerve may require reconstruction for motor and sensory function recovery. However, when the nerve defect is long, especially in the lower extremities, reconstruction with successful function recovery proved to be difficult. We documented a case of bilateral vascularized sural nerve graft repair of a large and long sciatic nerve defect following malignant tumor resection on posterior thigh. Although we were unable to achieve satisfactory outcomes in motor function recovery, we did accomplish some sensory function recovery.

Regenerated crustacean limbs are precise replicas

Animals can regenerate complex organs, yet this frequently results in imprecise replicas of the original structure. In the crustacean Parhyale, embryonic and regenerating legs differ in gene expression dynamics but produce apparently similar mature structures. We examine the fidelity of Parhyale leg regeneration using complementary approaches to investigate microanatomy, sensory function, cellular composition and cell molecular profiles. We find that regeneration precisely replicates the complex microanatomy and spatial distribution of external sensory organs, and restores their sensory function. Single-nuclei sequencing shows that regenerated and uninjured legs are indistinguishable in terms of cell type composition and transcriptional profiles. This remarkable fidelity highlights the ability of organisms to achieve identical outcomes via distinct processes.

In Vivo Reflectance Microscopy of Meissner Corpuscles and Bedside Measures of Large Fiber Sensory Function: A Normative Data Cohort

Background and Objectives:To establish age-, gender- and body dimension-adjusted normal cut-off values for Meissner’s corpuscle (MC) densities via in-vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), timed vibration sensory thresholds using a 128Hz tuning fork, and touch-pressure sensory thresholds using standardized monofilaments, for clinical and research application.Methods:77 prospectively recruited individuals without signs or symptoms of peripheral neuropathy or a condition or neurotoxin exposure that can alter sensory function underwent cross-sectional evaluation of MC densities via in-vivo RCM, monofilament touch-pressure sensory thresholds, and timed vibration sensory thresholds in non-dominant upper and lower extremities. Age-, gender-, and body dimension- (e.g., height) adjusted normal values were developed. The 5th percentile for MC densities and timed vibration thresholds and 95th percentile for MF touch-pressure thresholds were selected as normal cut-off points.Results:Subjects were aged 9 to 89 years old. Age and gender were uniformly distributed. Timed vibration and touch-pressure thresholds were less sensitive with increasing age and were more sensitive in the hand than in the leg or foot within individuals. Timed vibration thresholds did not differ by gender or body dimensions. Touch-pressure thresholds were lower (more sensitive) at the thenar eminence and digit V in the hand in women compared to men but otherwise did not differ by gender at other measurement locations. Body dimensions did not affect touch-pressure thresholds. There were no apparent age-related floor effects for the 5th and 95th percentile normal cutoff values for timed vibration or touch-pressure thresholds, respectively. MC densities also declined with age and were highest at digit V and lowest at the arch within individuals. MC densities were affected by gender or body dimensions at all imaging sites, with lower densities seen in males or larger individuals. MC densities were quantifiable in the hand of all participants and were associated with touch-pressure thresholds at all locations.Discussion:This study establishes age-, gender- and body dimension-adjusted normal cut-off values for two easily applied measures of large fiber sensory function and RCM assessment of MC densities for multiple limb locations. These results will aid in the detection and monitoring of peripheral sensory nerve disorders.