Quantification of 5-hydroxytryptamine1A receptors in the cerebellum of normal and x-irradiated rats during postnatal development

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Matthiessen, L.; Daval, G.; Bailly, Y.; Gozlan, H.; Hamon, M.; Verge, D.

1992-01-01

5-Hydroxytryptamine 1A receptors were studied in rats during the first postnatal month in the normal cerebellum and in the granule cell-deprived cerebellum produced by X-irradiation at postnatal day 5. Quantitative autoradiographic studies on sagittal sections of cerebellar vermis, using [ 125 1]BH-8-MeO-N-PAT as radioligand or specific anti-receptor antibodies, revealed that 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptors existed in the molecular/Purkinje cell layer but at variable density from one lobule to another. Thus, in both normal and X-irradiated rats, the posterior lobules were more heavily labelled than the anterior ones, and the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A sites decreased progressively in all the cerebellar folia down to hardly detectable levels at postnatal day 21. However, the intensity of labelling remained higher at postnatal day 8 and postnatal day 12 in X-irradiated rats than in age-paired controls. Measurements of [ 3 H]8-OH-DPAT [8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin] specific binding to membranes from whole cerebellum confirmed that the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A sites per mg membrane protein (B max ) was higher in X-irradiated animals than in age-paired controls. However, on a ''per cerebellum'' basis, no significant difference could be detected between the total number of 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A sites, which progressively increased in both control and X-irradiated animals during the first postnatal month. These results therefore show that 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptors are not located on developing granule cells. (author)

Maturation of Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Population Activity during Postnatal Refinement of Climbing Fiber Network

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Jean-Marc Good

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Neural circuits undergo massive refinements during postnatal development. In the developing cerebellum, the climbing fiber (CF to Purkinje cell (PC network is drastically reshaped by eliminating early-formed redundant CF to PC synapses. To investigate the impact of CF network refinement on PC population activity during postnatal development, we monitored spontaneous CF responses in neighboring PCs and the activity of populations of nearby CF terminals using in vivo two-photon calcium imaging. Population activity is highly synchronized in newborn mice, and the degree of synchrony gradually declines during the first postnatal week in PCs and, to a lesser extent, in CF terminals. Knockout mice lacking P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channel or glutamate receptor δ2, in which CF network refinement is severely impaired, exhibit an abnormally high level of synchrony in PC population activity. These results suggest that CF network refinement is a structural basis for developmental desynchronization and maturation of PC population activity.

Quantification of 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] receptors in the cerebellum of normal and x-irradiated rats during postnatal development

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Matthiessen, L; Daval, G; Bailly, Y [Pierre et Marie Curie Univ., Paris (France). Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UA; Gozlan, H; Hamon, M; Verge, D [INSERM, Paris (France). Lab. de Neurobiologie Cellulaire et Fonctionnelle

1992-11-01

5-Hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] receptors were studied in rats during the first postnatal month in the normal cerebellum and in the granule cell-deprived cerebellum produced by X-irradiation at postnatal day 5. Quantitative autoradiographic studies on sagittal sections of cerebellar vermis, using [[sup 125]1]BH-8-MeO-N-PAT as radioligand or specific anti-receptor antibodies, revealed that 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] receptors existed in the molecular/Purkinje cell layer but at variable density from one lobule to another. Thus, in both normal and X-irradiated rats, the posterior lobules were more heavily labelled than the anterior ones, and the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] sites decreased progressively in all the cerebellar folia down to hardly detectable levels at postnatal day 21. However, the intensity of labelling remained higher at postnatal day 8 and postnatal day 12 in X-irradiated rats than in age-paired controls. Measurements of [[sup 3]H]8-OH-DPAT [8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin] specific binding to membranes from whole cerebellum confirmed that the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] sites per mg membrane protein (B[sub max]) was higher in X-irradiated animals than in age-paired controls. However, on a ''per cerebellum'' basis, no significant difference could be detected between the total number of 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] sites, which progressively increased in both control and X-irradiated animals during the first postnatal month. These results therefore show that 5-hydroxytryptamine[sub 1A] receptors are not located on developing granule cells. (author).

Cerebellar injury in preterm infants.

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Tam, Emily W Y

2018-01-01

Although preterm birth is best known to result in adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes through injury of the supratentorial structures, including intraventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia, the cerebellum has become increasingly recognized as an important target for injury and adverse motor and cognitive outcomes. Undergoing the most dramatic growth during the preterm period, the cerebellum is vulnerable to large and small hemorrhages, as well as hypoplasia resulting from a number of potentially modifiable risk factors. These factors include contact with intraventricular blood, crossed cerebrocerebellar diaschisis, postnatal glucocorticoid exposure, pain and opioid exposure, nutrition and somatic growth, cardiorespiratory factors, and socioeconomic status. Strategies targeting these factors may result in prevention of the motor and cognitive deficits seen after cerebellar hemorrhage or hypoplasia. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CNS development under altered gravity: cerebellar glial and neuronal protein expression in rat neonates exposed to hypergravity

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Nguon, K.; Li, G.-H.; Sajdel-Sulkowska, E. M.

2004-01-01

The future of space exploration depends on a solid understanding of the developmental process under microgravity, specifically in relation to the central nervous system (CNS). We have previously employed a hypergravity paradigm to assess the impact of altered gravity on the developing rat cerebellum [Exp. Biol. Med. 226 (2000) 790]. The present study addresses the molecular mechanisms involved in the cerebellar response to hypergravity. Specifically, the study focuses on the expression of selected glial and neuronal cerebellar proteins in rat neonates exposed to hypergravity (1.5 G) from embryonic day (E)11 to postnatal day (P)6 or P9 (the time of maximal cerebellar changes) comparing them against their expression in rat neonates developing under normal gravity. Proteins were analyzed by quantitative Western blots of cerebellar homogenates; RNA analysis was performed in the same samples using quantitative PCR. Densitometric analysis of Western blots suggested a reduction in glial (glial acidic protein, GFAP) and neuronal (neuronal cell adhesion moiecule, NCAM-L1, synaptophysin) proteins, but the changes in individual cerebellar proteins in hypergravity-exposed neonates appeared both age- and gender-specific. RNA analysis suggested a reduction in GFAP and synaptophysin mRNAs on P6. These data suggest that exposure to hypergravity may interfere with the expression of selected cerebellar proteins. These changes in protein expression may be involved in mediating the effect of hypergravity on the developing rat cerebellum.

Intrauterine Growth Restriction Alters the Postnatal Development of the Rat Cerebellum.

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McDougall, Annie R A; Wiradjaja, Vanny; Azhan, Aminath; Li, Anqi; Hale, Nadia; Wlodek, Mary E; Hooper, Stuart B; Wallace, Megan J; Tolcos, Mary

2017-01-01

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a major cause of antenatal brain injury. We aimed to characterize cerebellar deficits following IUGR and to investigate the potential underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. At embryonic day 18, pregnant rats underwent either sham surgery (controls; n = 23) or bilateral uterine vessel ligation to restrict blood flow to fetuses (IUGR; n = 20). Offspring were collected at postnatal day 2 (P2), P7, and P35. Body weights were reduced at P2, P7, and P35 in IUGR offspring (p < 0.05) compared with controls. At P7, the width of the external granule layer (EGL) was 30% greater in IUGR than control rats (p < 0.05); there was no difference in the width of the proliferative zone or in the density of Ki67-positive cells in the EGL. Bergmann glia were disorganized at P7 and P35 in IUGR pups, and by P35, there was a 10% decrease in Bergmann glial fiber density (p < 0.05) compared with controls. At P7, trophoblast antigen-2 (Trop2) mRNA and protein levels in the cerebellum were decreased by 88 and 40%, respectively, and astrotactin 1 mRNA levels were increased by 20% in the IUGR rats (p < 0.05) compared with controls; there was no difference in ASTN1 protein. The expressions of other factors known to regulate cerebellar development (astrotactin 2, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 4, neuregulin 1, sonic hedgehog and somatostatin) were not different between IUGR and control rats at P7 or P35. These data suggest that damage to the migratory scaffold (Bergmann glial fibers) and alterations in the genes that influence migration (Trop2 and Astn1) may underlie the deficits in postnatal cerebellar development following IUGR. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

CT evaluation of cerebellar atrophy with aging in healthy persons

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Nishimiya, Jin

1988-01-01

In a retrospective analysis of CT scans available from 2,102 neurologically normal persons, dilatations of the cerebellar vermis fissures (CVF), cerebellar hemispheric fissures (CHF), subarachnoid space (SAS) around the cerebellum and the fourth ventricle (FV) were examined according the age groups of persons younger than one year, one to four, five to nine, 10 to 19, 20 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and 70 years and older. An dilatation of both the CVF and CHF was associated with aging, with statistically significant differences among age groups of persons older than 20 years. This was especially noted in age groups of 60 years or older. There was a significant enlargement in the SAS around the cerebellum in age groups 60 years or more compared with age groups less than 60 years. For age groups of persons 20 years or older, both the FV transverse width and the radio of the FV transverse width to the inside diameter of the posterior fossa (PF) increased with aging. This was significant in age groups 60 years or older. For age groups younger than 10 years, however, there was inverse correlation between the ratio of the FV transverse width to the PF inside diameter and aging. Plotted curve of the ratio of the FV to the PF was U-shaped with smallest value in persons in their twenties. Since changes in the FV might reflect the volume of the cerebellar medullary substance, the cerebellar medullary substance should increase up to the age of 20. (Namekawa, K.)

Counseling a Patient with the Antenatal Diagnosis of a Cerebellar Abnormality and a Pharyngeal Cyst

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Lissa Francois

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction - Prenatal counseling with regards to the prognosis of a cerebellar abnormality is hindered not only by the diverse clinical presentations but also by the presence of subtle findings. We present a case of a distinct combination of asymmetric cerebellar hypoplasia secondary to an anterior meningoencephalocele through a clival defect that caused a severe airway obstruction in the newborn. Case Description - A 21-year-old gravida 4 para 0 mother with a dichorionic–diamniotic twin pregnancy was referred for a second trimester sonographic survey. An asymmetric cerebellar hypoplasia, mega cisterna magna, and a pharyngeal cystic mass were noted on twin A. Magnetic resonance imaging report confirmed posterior fossa abnormalities and shed no light on the differential diagnosis of the cystic mass. The pregnancy ended by Cesarean delivery at 32 weeksʼ gestation after a preterm premature rupture of the membranes. Twin A had a severe airway obstruction. Postnatal evaluation confirmed a midline anterior meningoencephalocele through a defect in the clivus. The microarray chromosomal analysis demonstrated a 5q15 variant with uncertain clinical significance. Conclusion - Antenatal recognition of the unique combination of a cerebellar hypoplasia with a pharyngeal cyst can impact the prenatal counseling as well as neonatal management.

Spatiotemporal expression of chondroitin sulfate sulfotransferases in the postnatal developing mouse cerebellum.

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Ishii, Maki; Maeda, Nobuaki

2008-08-01

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) proteoglycans are major components of the cell surface and the extracellular matrix in the developing brain and bind to various proteins via CS chains in a CS structure-dependent manner. This study demonstrated the expression pattern of three CS sulfotransferase genes, dermatan 4-O-sulfotransferase (D4ST), uronyl 2-O-sulfotransferase (UST), and N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O-sulfotransferase (GalNAc4S-6ST), in the mouse postnatal cerebellum. These sulfotransferases are responsible for the biosynthesis of oversulfated structures in CS chains such as B, D, and E units, which constitute the binding sites for various heparin-binding proteins. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the expression of UST increased remarkably during cerebellar development. The amounts of B and D units, which are generated by UST activity, in the cerebellar CS chains also increased during development. In contrast, the expression of GalNAc4S-6ST and its biosynthetic product, E unit, decreased during postnatal development. In situ hybridization experiments revealed the levels of UST and GalNAc4S-6ST mRNAs to correlate inversely in many cells including Purkinje cells, granule cells in the external granular layer, and inhibitory interneurons. In these neurons, the expression of UST increased and that of GalNAc4S-6ST decreased during development and/or maturation. D4ST was also expressed by many neurons, but its expression was not simply correlated with development, which might contribute to the diversification of CS structures expressed by distinct neurons. These results suggest that the CS structures of various cerebellar neurons change during development and such changes of CS are involved in the regulation of various signaling pathways.

[Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome secondary to a cerebellar tumour].

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Domínguez-Carral, J; Carreras-Sáez, I; García-Peñas, J J; Fournier-Del Castillo, C; Villalobos-Reales, J

2015-01-01

Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome is characterized by disturbances of executive function, impaired spatial cognition, linguistic difficulties, and personality change. The case of an 11 year old boy is presented, with behavior problems, learning difficulties and social interaction problems. In the physical examination he had poor visual contact, immature behavior, reduced expressive language and global motor disability with gait dyspraxia, with no defined cerebellar motor signs. In the neuropsychological evaluation he has a full scale overall intellectual quotient of 84, with signs of cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome. A tumour affecting inferior cerebellar vermis was observed in the magnetic resonance imaging, which had not significantly grown during 5 years of follow up. The cerebellum participates in controlling cognitive and affective functions. Cerebellar pathology must be considered in the differential diagnosis of children with cognitive or learning disorder with associated behavioral and emotional components. Copyright © 2013 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Physiological properties of afferents to the rat cerebellum during normal development and after postnatal x irradiation

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Puro, D.G.

1975-01-01

The consequences of an altered cerebellar cortical development on afferent transmission and terminal organization were analyzed in adult rats which had received x irradiation to the cerebellum postnatally. Rats, anesthetized with 0.5 percent halothane, were studied in various ages from day 3 to adult. The ascending mossy and climbing fiber systems were activated by electrical stimulation of the limbs with needle electrodes. Stimulation of the motor cortex activated the descending climbing fiber pathways. Extracellular responses from cerebellar Purkinje cells were observed on an oscilloscope as poststimulus time histograms were constructed ''on-line''. Conclusions and assertions include: (1) Synaptogenesis between incoming afferent fibers and target neurons takes place early in cerebellar cortical development. (2) Mossy fiber transmission is mature before the bulk of cerebellar synaptogenesis occurs. (3) The ascending and descending components of the climbing fiber system mature, with respect to latency, in synchrony. (4) The terminal synaptic organization has little effect on the development of transmission characteristics in these afferent systems. (5) One possible mechanism by which an adult neural structure can have an abnormal synaptic organization is to maintain immature synaptic relationships due to the neonatal loss of interneurons

Effects of ethanol and NAP on cerebellar expression of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1.

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Devon M Fitzgerald

Full Text Available The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 is critical for brain development and plays a role in learning and memory in the adult. Ethanol inhibits L1-mediated cell adhesion and neurite outgrowth in cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs, and these actions might underlie the cerebellar dysmorphology of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The peptide NAP potently blocks ethanol inhibition of L1 adhesion and prevents ethanol teratogenesis. We used quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting of extracts of cerebellar slices, CGNs, and astrocytes from postnatal day 7 (PD7 rats to investigate whether ethanol and NAP act in part by regulating the expression of L1. Treatment of cerebellar slices with 20 mM ethanol, 10(-12 M NAP, or both for 4 hours, 24 hours, and 10 days did not significantly affect L1 mRNA and protein levels. Similar treatment for 4 or 24 hours did not regulate L1 expression in primary cultures of CGNs and astrocytes, the predominant cerebellar cell types. Because ethanol also damages the adult cerebellum, we studied the effects of chronic ethanol exposure in adult rats. One year of binge drinking did not alter L1 gene and protein expression in extracts from whole cerebellum. Thus, ethanol does not alter L1 expression in the developing or adult cerebellum; more likely, ethanol disrupts L1 function by modifying its conformation and signaling. Likewise, NAP antagonizes the actions of ethanol without altering L1 expression.

Questioning the cerebellar doctrine

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Galliano, Elisa; De Zeeuw, Chris I

2014-01-01

The basic principles of cerebellar function were originally described by Flourens, Cajal, and Marr/Albus/Ito, and they constitute the pillars of what can be considered to be the classic cerebellar doctrine. In their concepts, the main cerebellar function is to control motor behavior, Purkinje cells

Changes in the cerebellar and cerebro-cerebellar circuit in type 2 diabetes.

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Fang, Peng; An, Jie; Tan, Xin; Zeng, Ling-Li; Shen, Hui; Qiu, Shijun; Hu, Dewen

2017-04-01

Currently, 422 million adults suffer from diabetes worldwide, leading to tremendous disabilities and a great burden to families and society. Functional and structural MRIs have demonstrated that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) exhibit abnormalities in brain regions in the cerebral cortex. However, the changes of cerebellar anatomical connections in diabetic patients remains unclear. In the current study, diffusion tensor imaging deterministic tractography and statistical analysis were employed to investigate abnormal cerebellar anatomical connections in diabetic patients. This is the first study to investigate the altered cerebellar anatomical connectivity in T2DM patients. Decreased anatomical connections were found in the cerebellar and cerebro-cerebellar circuits of T2DM patients, providing valuable new insights into the potential neuro-pathophysiology of diabetes-related motor and cognitive deficits. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Questioning the cerebellar doctrine.

Science.gov (United States)

Galliano, Elisa; De Zeeuw, Chris I

2014-01-01

The basic principles of cerebellar function were originally described by Flourens, Cajal, and Marr/Albus/Ito, and they constitute the pillars of what can be considered to be the classic cerebellar doctrine. In their concepts, the main cerebellar function is to control motor behavior, Purkinje cells are the only cortical neuron receiving and integrating inputs from climbing fiber and mossy-parallel fiber pathways, and plastic modification at the parallel fiber synapses onto Purkinje cells constitutes the substrate of motor learning. Yet, because of recent technical advances and new angles of investigation, all pillars of the cerebellar doctrine now face regular re-examination. In this review, after summarizing the classic concepts and recent disputes, we attempt to synthesize an integrated view and propose a revisited version of the cerebellar doctrine. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cerebro-Cerebellar Functional Connectivity is Associated with Cerebellar Excitation-Inhibition Balance in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

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Hegarty, John P; Weber, Dylan J; Cirstea, Carmen M; Beversdorf, David Q

2018-05-23

Atypical functional connectivity (FC) and an imbalance of excitation-to-inhibition (E/I) have been previously reported in cerebro-cerebellar circuits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current investigation used resting state fMRI and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS) to examine the relationships between E/I (glutamate + glutamine/GABA) and FC of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterolateral cerebellar hemisphere from 14 adolescents/adults with ASD and 12 age/sex/IQ-matched controls. In this pilot sample, cerebro-cerebellar FC was positively associated with cerebellar E/I and listening comprehension abilities in individuals with ASD but not controls. Additionally, a subgroup of individuals with ASD and low FC (n = 5) exhibited reduced E/I and impaired listening comprehension. Thus, altered functional coherence of cerebro-cerebellar circuits in ASD may be related with a cerebellar E/I imbalance.

Antioxidant supplementation upregulates calbindin expression in cerebellar Purkinje cells of rat pups subjected to post natal exposure to sodium arsenite.

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Dhar, Pushpa; Kaushal, Parul; Kumar, Pavan

2018-07-01

Optimal cytoplasmic calcium (Ca 2+ ) levels have been associated with adequate cell functioning and neuronal survival. Altered intracellular Ca 2+ levels following impaired Ca 2+ homeostasis could induce neuronal degeneration or even cell death. There are reports of arsenite induced oxidative stress and the associated disturbances in intracellular calcium homeostasis. The present study focused on determining the strategies that would modulate tissue redox status and calcium binding protein (CaBP) (Calbindin D28k-CB) expression affected adversely by sodium arsenite (NaAsO 2 ) exposure (postnatal) of rat pups. NaAsO 2 alone or along with antioxidants (AOXs) (alpha lipoic acid or curcumin) was administered by intraperitoneal (i.p.) route from postnatal day (PND) 1-21 (covering rapid brain growth period - RBGP) to experimental groups and animals receiving sterile water by the same route served as the controls. At the end of the experimental period, the animals were subjected to euthanasia and the cerebellar tissue obtained therefrom was processed for immunohistochemical localization and western blot analysis of CB protein. CB was diffusely expressed in cell body as well as dendritic processes of Purkinje cells (PCs) along the PC Layer (PCL) in all cerebellar folia of the control and the experimental animals. The multilayered pattern of CB +ve cells along with their downregulated expression and low packing density was significantly evident in the arsenic (iAs) alone exposed group as against the controls and AOX supplemented groups. The observations are suggestive of AOX induced restoration of CaBP expression in rat cerebellum following early postnatal exposure to NaAsO 2 . Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The histone demethylase Kdm6b regulates a mature gene expression program in differentiating cerebellar granule neurons.

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Wijayatunge, Ranjula; Liu, Fang; Shpargel, Karl B; Wayne, Nicole J; Chan, Urann; Boua, Jane-Valeriane; Magnuson, Terry; West, Anne E

2018-03-01

The histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) demethylase Kdm6b (Jmjd3) can promote cellular differentiation, however its physiological functions in neurons remain to be fully determined. We studied the expression and function of Kdm6b in differentiating granule neurons of the developing postnatal mouse cerebellum. At postnatal day 7, Kdm6b is expressed throughout the layers of the developing cerebellar cortex, but its expression is upregulated in newborn cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). Atoh1-Cre mediated conditional knockout of Kdm6b in CGN precursors either alone or in combination with Kdm6a did not disturb the gross morphological development of the cerebellum. Furthermore, RNAi-mediated knockdown of Kdm6b in cultured CGN precursors did not alter the induced expression of early neuronal marker genes upon cell cycle exit. By contrast, knockdown of Kdm6b significantly impaired the induction of a mature neuronal gene expression program, which includes gene products required for functional synapse maturation. Loss of Kdm6b also impaired the ability of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) to induce expression of Grin2c and Tiam1 in maturing CGNs. Taken together, these data reveal a previously unknown role for Kdm6b in the postmitotic stages of CGN maturation and suggest that Kdm6b may work, at least in part, by a transcriptional mechanism that promotes gene sensitivity to regulation by BDNF. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lack of connexin43-mediated Bergmann glial gap junctional coupling does not affect cerebellar long-term depression, motor coordination, or eyeblink conditioning

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Mika Tanaka

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Bergmann glial cells are specialized astrocytes in the cerebellum. In the mature cerebellar molecular layer, Bergmann glial processes are closely associated with Purkinje cells, enclosing Purkinje cell dendritic synapses with a glial sheath. There is intensive gap junctional coupling between Bergmann glial processes, but their significance in cerebellar functions is not known. Connexin43 (Cx43, a major component of astrocytic gap junction channels, is abundantly expressed in Bergmann glial cells. To examine the role of Cx43-mediated gap junctions between Bergmann glial cells in cerebellar functions, we generated Cx43 conditional knockout mice with the S100b-Cre transgenic line (Cx43fl/fl:S100b-Cre, which exhibited a significant loss of Cx43 in the Bergmann glial cells and astrocytes in the cerebellum with a postnatal onset. The Cx43fl/fl:S100b-Cre mice had normal cerebellar architecture. Although gap junctional coupling between the Bergmann glial cells measured by spreading of microinjected Lucifer yellow was virtually abolished in Cx43fl/fl:S100b-Cre mice, electrophysiologic analysis revealed that cerebellar long-term depression could be induced and maintained normally in thier cerebellar slices. In addition, at the behavioral level, Cx43fl/fl:S100b-Cre mice had normal motor coordination in the rotarod task and normal conditioned eyelid response. Our findings suggest that Cx43-mediated gap junctional coupling between Bergmann glial cells is not necessary for the neuron-glia interactions required for cerebellum-dependent motor coordination and motor learning.

Cerebellar abiotrophy in a miniature schnauzer

OpenAIRE

Berry, Michelle L.; Blas-Machado, Uriel

2003-01-01

A 3.5-month-old miniature schnauzer was presented for signs of progressive cerebellar ataxia. Necropsy revealed cerebellar abiotrophy. This is the first reported case of cerebellar abiotrophy in a purebred miniature schnauzer.

Cerebellar abiotrophy in a miniature schnauzer.

Science.gov (United States)

Berry, Michelle L; Blas-Machado, Uriel

2003-08-01

A 3.5-month-old miniature schnauzer was presented for signs of progressive cerebellar ataxia. Necropsy revealed cerebellar abiotrophy. This is the first reported case of cerebellar abiotrophy in a purebred miniature schnauzer.

Cerebellar cortex development in the weaver condition presents regional and age-dependent abnormalities without differences in Purkinje cells neurogenesis.

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Martí, Joaquín; Santa-Cruz, María C; Hervás, José P; Bayer, Shirley A; Villegas, Sandra

2016-01-01

Ataxias are neurological disorders associated with the degeneration of Purkinje cells (PCs). Homozygous weaver mice (wv/wv) have been proposed as a model for hereditary cerebellar ataxia because they present motor abnormalities and PC loss. To ascertain the physiopathology of the weaver condition, the development of the cerebellar cortex lobes was examined at postnatal day (P): P8, P20 and P90. Three approaches were used: 1) quantitative determination of several cerebellar features; 2) qualitative evaluation of the developmental changes occurring in the cortical lobes; and 3) autoradiographic analyses of PC generation and placement. Our results revealed a reduction in the size of the wv/wv cerebellum as a whole, confirming previous results. However, as distinguished from these reports, we observed that quantified parameters contribute differently to the abnormal growth of the wv/wv cerebellar lobes. Qualitative analysis showed anomalies in wv/wv cerebellar cytoarchitecture, depending on the age and lobe analyzed. Such abnormalities included the presence of the external granular layer after P20 and, at P90, ectopic cells located in the molecular layer following several placement patterns. Finally, we obtained autoradiographic evidence that wild-type and wv/wv PCs presented similar neurogenetic timetables, as reported. However, the innovative character of this current work lies in the fact that the neurogenetic gradients of wv/wv PCs were not modified from P8 to P90. A tendency for the accumulation of late-formed PCs in the anterior and posterior lobes was found, whereas early-generated PCs were concentrated in the central and inferior lobes. These data suggested that wv/wv PCs may migrate properly to their final destinations. The extrapolation of our results to patients affected with cerebellar ataxias suggests that all cerebellar cortex lobes are affected with several age-dependent alterations in cytoarchitectonics. We also propose that PC loss may be regionally

Sequential cranial ultrasound and cerebellar diffusion weighted imaging contribute to the early prognosis of neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants.

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Margaretha J Brouwer

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the contribution of sequential cranial ultrasound (cUS and term-equivalent age magnetic resonance imaging (TEA-MRI including diffusion weighted imaging (DWI to the early prognosis of neurodevelopmental outcome in a cohort of very preterm infants (gestational age [GA] <31 weeks. STUDY DESIGN: In total, 93 preterm infants (median [range] GA in weeks: 28.3 [25.0-30.9] were enrolled in this prospective cohort study and underwent early and term cUS as well as TEA-MRI including DWI. Early cUS abnormalities were classified as normal, mild, moderate or severe. Term cUS was evaluated for ex-vacuo ventriculomegaly (VM and enlargement of the extracerebral cerebrospinal fluid (eCSF space. Abnormalities on T1- and T2-weighted TEA-MRI were scored according to Kidokoro et al. Using DWI at TEA, apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs were measured in four white matter regions bilaterally and both cerebellar hemispheres. Neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed at two years' corrected age (CA using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition. Linear regression analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between the different neuroimaging modalities and outcome. RESULTS: Moderate/severe abnormalities on early cUS, ex-vacuo VM and enlargement of the eCSF space on term cUS and increased cerebellar ADC values on term DWI were independently associated with worse motor outcome (p<.05. Ex-vacuo VM on term cUS was also related to worse cognitive performance at two years' CA (p<.01. CONCLUSION: These data support the clinical value of sequential cUS and recommend repeating cUS at TEA. In particular, assessment of moderate/severe early cUS abnormalities and ex-vacuo VM on term cUS provides important prognostic information. Cerebellar ADC values may further aid in the prognostication of gross motor function.

Toxic agents causing cerebellar ataxias.

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Manto, Mario

2012-01-01

The cerebellum is particularly vulnerable to intoxication and poisoning, especially so the cerebellar cortex and Purkinje neurons. In humans, the most common cause of a toxic lesion to the cerebellar circuitry is alcohol related, but the cerebellum is also a main target of drug exposure (such as anticonvulsants, antineoplastics, lithium salts, calcineurin inhibitors), drug abuse and addiction (such as cocaine, heroin, phencyclidine), and environmental toxins (such as mercury, lead, manganese, toluene/benzene derivatives). Although data for the prevalence and incidence of cerebellar lesions related to intoxication and poisoning are still unknown in many cases, clinicians should keep in mind the list of agents that may cause cerebellar deficits, since toxin-induced cerebellar ataxias are not rare in daily practice. Moreover, the patient's status may require immediate therapies when the intoxication is life-threatening. 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hypertensive cerebellar hemorrhage and cerebellar hemorrhage caused by cryptic angioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Shinichi; Sano, Keiji; Kwak, Suyong; Saito, Isamu.

1981-01-01

A series of 44 patients with hypertensive cerebellar hemorrhage and nine patients with cerebellar hemorrhage caused by small angiomas is described. Hypertensive hemorrhage occurred most frequently in the patients in their seventies, whereas the onset of angioma-caused hemorrhage was often seen below the age of 40. Clinical syndromes of cerebellar hemorrhages can be categorized into three basic types: the vertigo syndrome, cerebellar dysfunction syndrome and brain stem compression syndrome. Patients with small (>= 2 cm in diameter in CT scans) and medium-sized (2 cm = 3 cm) hematomas deteriorated into unresponsive conditions and developed signs of brain stem compression. Surgical mortality was 32% in the hypertensive group, while it was 0% in the angioma group. Mortality as well as morbidity in both groups was strongly influenced by the preoperative status of consciousness. Our results suggest that substantial improvement could be obtained in the overall outcome of this disease by emergency craniectomy and removal of hematomas in all patients with large hematomas regardless of the levels of consciousness and regardless of the causes of bleeding. Furthermore, when clinical information and CT findings are suggestive of a ''cryptic'' angioma as the causative lesion, posterior fossa surgery may be indicated to extirpate the lesion, even if the hematoma is small. (author)

Cerebro-cerebellar circuits in autism spectrum disorder

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Anila M. D'Mello

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The cerebellum is one of the most consistent sites of abnormality in autism spectrum disorder (ASD and cerebellar damage is associated with an increased risk of ASD symptoms, suggesting that cerebellar dysfunction may play a crucial role in the etiology of ASD. The cerebellum forms multiple closed-loop circuits with cerebral cortical regions that underpin movement, language, and social processing. Through these circuits, cerebellar dysfunction could impact the core ASD symptoms of social and communication deficits and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. The emerging topography of sensorimotor, cognitive, and affective subregions in the cerebellum provides a new framework for interpreting the significance of regional cerebellar findings in ASD and their relationship to broader cerebro-cerebellar circuits. Further, recent research supports the idea that the integrity of cerebro-cerebellar loops might be important for early cortical development; disruptions in specific cerebro-cerebellar loops in ASD might impede the specialization of cortical regions involved in motor control, language, and social interaction, leading to impairments in these domains. Consistent with this concept, structural and functional differences in sensorimotor regions of the cerebellum and sensorimotor cerebro-cerebellar circuits are associated with deficits in motor control and increased repetitive and stereotyped behaviors in ASD. In contrast, communication and social impairments are associated with atypical activation and structure in cerebro-cerebellar loops underpinning language and social cognition. Finally, there is converging evidence from structural, functional, and connectivity neuroimaging studies that cerebellar right Crus I/II abnormalities are related to more severe ASD impairments in all domains. We propose that cerebellar abnormalities may disrupt optimization of both structure and function in specific cerebro-cerebellar circuits in ASD.

Cerebro-cerebellar circuits in autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Mello, Anila M; Stoodley, Catherine J

2015-01-01

The cerebellum is one of the most consistent sites of abnormality in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and cerebellar damage is associated with an increased risk of ASD symptoms, suggesting that cerebellar dysfunction may play a crucial role in the etiology of ASD. The cerebellum forms multiple closed-loop circuits with cerebral cortical regions that underpin movement, language, and social processing. Through these circuits, cerebellar dysfunction could impact the core ASD symptoms of social and communication deficits and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. The emerging topography of sensorimotor, cognitive, and affective subregions in the cerebellum provides a new framework for interpreting the significance of regional cerebellar findings in ASD and their relationship to broader cerebro-cerebellar circuits. Further, recent research supports the idea that the integrity of cerebro-cerebellar loops might be important for early cortical development; disruptions in specific cerebro-cerebellar loops in ASD might impede the specialization of cortical regions involved in motor control, language, and social interaction, leading to impairments in these domains. Consistent with this concept, structural, and functional differences in sensorimotor regions of the cerebellum and sensorimotor cerebro-cerebellar circuits are associated with deficits in motor control and increased repetitive and stereotyped behaviors in ASD. Further, communication and social impairments are associated with atypical activation and structure in cerebro-cerebellar loops underpinning language and social cognition. Finally, there is converging evidence from structural, functional, and connectivity neuroimaging studies that cerebellar right Crus I/II abnormalities are related to more severe ASD impairments in all domains. We propose that cerebellar abnormalities may disrupt optimization of both structure and function in specific cerebro-cerebellar circuits in ASD.

Cerebellar mutism--report of four cases.

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Ozimek, A; Richter, S; Hein-Kropp, C; Schoch, B; Gorissen, B; Kaiser, O; Gizewski, E; Ziegler, W; Timmann, D

2004-08-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the manifestations of mutism after surgery in children with cerebellar tumors. Speech impairment following cerebellar mutism in children was investigated based on standardized acoustic speech parameters and perceptual criteria. Mutistic and non-mutistic children after cerebellar surgery as well as orthopedic controls were tested pre-and postoperatively. Speech impairment was compared with the localization of cerebellar lesions (i. e. affected lobules and nuclei). Whereas both control groups showed no abnormalities in speech and behavior, the mutistic group could be divided into children with dysarthria in post mutistic phase and children with mainly behavioral disturbances. In the mutistic children involvement of dentate and fastigial nuclei tended to be more frequent and extended than in the nonmutistic cerebellar children. Cerebellar mutism is a complex phenomenon of at least two types. Dysarthric symptoms during resolution of mutism support the anarthria hypothesis, while mainly behavioral changes suggest an explanation independent from speech motor control.

Role of the miR-17∼92 cluster family in cerebellar and medulloblastoma development

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Frederique Zindy

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The miR-17∼92 cluster family is composed of three members encoding microRNAs that share seed sequences. To assess their role in cerebellar and medulloblastoma (MB development, we deleted the miR-17∼92 cluster family in Nestin-positive neural progenitors and in mice heterozygous for the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH receptor Patched 1 (Ptch1+/−. We show that mice in which we conditionally deleted the miR-17∼92 cluster (miR-17∼92floxed/floxed; Nestin-Cre+ alone or together with the complete loss of the miR-106b∼25 cluster (miR-106b∼25−/− were born alive but with small brains and reduced cerebellar foliation. Remarkably, deletion of the miR-17∼92 cluster abolished the development of SHH-MB in Ptch1+/− mice. Using an orthotopic transplant approach, we showed that granule neuron precursors (GNPs purified from the cerebella of postnatal day 7 (P7 Ptch1+/−; miR-106b∼25−/− mice and overexpressing Mycn induced MBs in the cortices of naïve recipient mice. In contrast, GNPs purified from the cerebella of P7 Ptch1+/−; miR-17∼92floxed/floxed; Nestin-Cre+ animals and overexpressing Mycn failed to induce tumors in recipient animals. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the miR-17∼92 cluster is dispensable for cerebellar development, but required for SHH-MB development.

Complex partial seizures: cerebellar metabolism

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Theodore, W.H.; Fishbein, D.; Deitz, M.; Baldwin, P.

1987-07-01

We used positron emission tomography (PET) with (/sup 18/F)2-deoxyglucose to study cerebellar glucose metabolism (LCMRglu) and the effect of phenytoin (PHT) in 42 patients with complex partial seizures (CPS), and 12 normal controls. Mean +/- SD patient LCMRglu was 6.9 +/- 1.8 mg glucose/100 g/min (left = right), significantly lower than control values of 8.5 +/- 1.8 (left, p less than 0.006), and 8.3 +/- 1.6 (right, p less than 0.02). Only four patients had cerebellar atrophy on CT/MRI; cerebellar LCMRglu in these was 5.5 +/- 1.5 (p = 0.054 vs. total patient sample). Patients with unilateral temporal hypometabolism or EEG foci did not have lateralized cerebellar hypometabolism. Patients receiving phenytoin (PHT) at the time of scan and patients with less than 5 years total PHT exposure had lower LCMRglu, but the differences were not significant. There were weak inverse correlations between PHT level and cerebellar LCMRglu in patients receiving PHT (r = -0.36; 0.05 less than p less than 0.1), as well as between length of illness and LCMRglu (r = -0.22; 0.05 less than p less than 0.1). Patients with complex partial seizures have cerebellar hypometabolism that is bilateral and due only in part to the effect of PHT.

The Cerebellar-Cerebral Microstructure Is Disrupted at Multiple Sites in Very Preterm Infants with Cerebellar Haemorrhage.

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Neubauer, Vera; Djurdjevic, Tanja; Griesmaier, Elke; Biermayr, Marlene; Gizewski, Elke Ruth; Kiechl-Kohlendorfer, Ursula

2018-01-01

Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have prompted reconsideration of the anatomical correlates of adverse outcomes in preterm infants. The importance of the contribution made by the cerebellum is now increasingly appreciated. The effect of cerebellar haemorrhage (CBH) on the microstructure of the cerebellar-cerebral circuit is largely unexplored. To investigate the effect of CBH on the microstructure of cerebellar-cerebral connections in preterm infants aged microstructure (fractional anisotropy [FA] and apparent diffusion coefficient) were quantified in 5 vulnerable regions (the centrum semiovale, posterior limb of the internal capsule, corpus callosum, and superior and middle cerebellar peduncles). Group differences between infants with CBH and infants without CBH were assessed. There were 267 infants included in the study. Infants with CBH (isolated and combined) had significantly lower FA values in all regions investigated. Infants with isolated CBH showed lower FA in the middle and superior cerebellar peduncles and in the posterior limb of the internal capsule. This study provides evidence that CBH causes alterations in localised and remote WM pathways in the developing brain. The disruption of the cerebellar-cerebral microstructure at multiple sites adds further support for the concept of developmental diaschisis, which is propagated as an explanation for the consequences of early cerebellar injury on cognitive and affective domains. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Memory transfer in cerebellar motor learning].

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Nagao, Soichi

2012-01-01

Most of our motor skills are acquired through learning. Experiments of gain adaptation of ocular reflexes have consistently suggested that the memory of adaptation is initially formed in the cerebellar cortex, and is transferred to the cerebellar (vestibular) nuclei for consolidation to long-term memory after repetitions of training. We have recently developed a new system to evaluate the motor learning in human subjects using prism adaptation of hand reaching movement, by referring to the prism adaptation of dart throwing of Martin et al. (1996). In our system, the subject views the small target presented in the touch-panel screen, and touches it with his/her finger without direct visual feedback. After 15-30 trials of touching wearing prisms, an adaptation occurs in healthy subjects: they became able to touch the target correctly. Meanwhile, such an adaptation was impaired in patients of cerebellar disease. We have proposed a model of human prism adaptation that the memory of adaptation is initially encoded in the cerebellar cortex, and is later transferred to the cerebellar nuclei after repetitions of training. The memory in the cerebellar cortex may be formed and extinguished independently of the memory maintained in the cerebellar nuclei, and these two memories work cooperatively.

Hydroxyurea Treatment and Development of the Rat Cerebellum: Effects on the Neurogenetic Profiles and Settled Patterns of Purkinje Cells and Deep Cerebellar Nuclei Neurons.

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Martí, Joaquín; Santa-Cruz, M C; Serra, Roger; Hervás, José P

2016-11-01

The current paper analyzes the development of the male and female rat cerebellum exposed to hydroxyurea (HU) (300 or 600 mg/kg) as embryo and collected at postnatal day 90. Our study reveals that the administration of this drug compromises neither the cytoarchitecture of the cerebellar cortex nor deep nuclei (DCN). However, in comparison with the saline group, we observed that several cerebellar parameters were lower in the HU injected groups. These parameters included area of the cerebellum, cerebellar cortex length, molecular layer area, Purkinje cell number, granule cell counts, internal granular layer, white matter and cerebellar nuclei areas, and number of deep cerebellar nuclei neurons. These features were larger in the rats injected with saline, smaller in those exposed to 300 mg/kg of HU and smallest in the group receiving 600 mg/kg of this agent. No sex differences in the effect of the HU were observed. In addition, we infer the neurogenetic timetables and the neurogenetic gradients of PCs and DCN neurons in rats exposed to either saline or HU as embryos. For this purpose, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine was injected into pregnant rats previously administered with saline or HU. This thymidine analog was administered following a progressively delayed cumulative labeling method. The data presented here show that systematic differences exist in the pattern of neurogenesis and in the spatial location of cerebellar neurons between rats injected with saline or HU. No sex differences in the effect of the HU were observed. These findings have implications for the administration of this compound to women in gestation as the effects of HU on the development of the cerebellum might persist throughout their offsprings' life.

A toolbox to visually explore cerebellar shape changes in cerebellar disease and dysfunction

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Abulnaga, S. Mazdak; Yang, Zhen; Carass, Aaron; Kansal, Kalyani; Jedynak, Bruno M.; Onyike, Chiadi U.; Ying, Sarah H.; Prince, Jerry L.

2016-03-01

The cerebellum plays an important role in motor control and is also involved in cognitive processes. Cerebellar function is specialized by location, although the exact topographic functional relationship is not fully understood. The spinocerebellar ataxias are a group of neurodegenerative diseases that cause regional atrophy in the cerebellum, yielding distinct motor and cognitive problems. The ability to study the region-specific atrophy patterns can provide insight into the problem of relating cerebellar function to location. In an effort to study these structural change patterns, we developed a toolbox in MATLAB to provide researchers a unique way to visually explore the correlation between cerebellar lobule shape changes and function loss, with a rich set of visualization and analysis modules. In this paper, we outline the functions and highlight the utility of the toolbox. The toolbox takes as input landmark shape representations of subjects' cerebellar substructures. A principal component analysis is used for dimension reduction. Following this, a linear discriminant analysis and a regression analysis can be performed to find the discriminant direction associated with a specific disease type, or the regression line of a specific functional measure can be generated. The characteristic structural change pattern of a disease type or of a functional score is visualized by sampling points on the discriminant or regression line. The sampled points are used to reconstruct synthetic cerebellar lobule shapes. We showed a few case studies highlighting the utility of the toolbox and we compare the analysis results with the literature.

A toolbox to visually explore cerebellar shape changes in cerebellar disease and dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Abulnaga, S Mazdak; Yang, Zhen; Carass, Aaron; Kansal, Kalyani; Jedynak, Bruno M; Onyike, Chiadi U; Ying, Sarah H; Prince, Jerry L

2016-02-27

The cerebellum plays an important role in motor control and is also involved in cognitive processes. Cerebellar function is specialized by location, although the exact topographic functional relationship is not fully understood. The spinocerebellar ataxias are a group of neurodegenerative diseases that cause regional atrophy in the cerebellum, yielding distinct motor and cognitive problems. The ability to study the region-specific atrophy patterns can provide insight into the problem of relating cerebellar function to location. In an effort to study these structural change patterns, we developed a toolbox in MATLAB to provide researchers a unique way to visually explore the correlation between cerebellar lobule shape changes and function loss, with a rich set of visualization and analysis modules. In this paper, we outline the functions and highlight the utility of the toolbox. The toolbox takes as input landmark shape representations of subjects' cerebellar substructures. A principal component analysis is used for dimension reduction. Following this, a linear discriminant analysis and a regression analysis can be performed to find the discriminant direction associated with a specific disease type, or the regression line of a specific functional measure can be generated. The characteristic structural change pattern of a disease type or of a functional score is visualized by sampling points on the discriminant or regression line. The sampled points are used to reconstruct synthetic cerebellar lobule shapes. We showed a few case studies highlighting the utility of the toolbox and we compare the analysis results with the literature.

The bihemispheric posterior inferior cerebellar artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cullen, Sean P.; Ozanne, Augustin; Alvarez, Hortensia; Lasjaunias, Pierre

2005-01-01

Rarely, a solitary posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) will supply both cerebellar hemispheres. We report four cases of this variant. We present a retrospective review of clinical information and imaging of patients undergoing angiography at our institution to identify patients with a bihemispheric PICA. There were four patients: three males and one female. One patient presented with a ruptured arteriovenous malformation, and one with a ruptured aneurysm. Two patients had normal angiograms. The bihemispheric PICA was an incidental finding in all cases. The bihemispheric vessel arose from the dominant left vertebral artery, and the contralateral posterior inferior cerebellar artery was absent or hypoplastic. In all cases, contralateral cerebellar supply arose from a continuation of the ipsilateral PICA distal to the choroidal point and which crossed the midline dorsal to the vermis. We conclude that the PICA may supply both cerebellar hemispheres. This rare anatomic variant should be considered when evaluating patients with posterior fossa neurovascular disease. (orig.)

Massive cerebellar infarction: a neurosurgical approach

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Salazar Luis Rafael Moscote

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Cerebellar infarction is a challenge for the neurosurgeon. The rapid recognition will crucial to avoid devastating consequences. The massive cerebellar infarction has pseudotumoral behavior, should affect at least one third of the volume of the cerebellum. The irrigation of the cerebellum presents anatomical diversity, favoring the appearance of atypical infarcts. The neurosurgical management is critical for massive cerebellar infarction. We present a review of the literature.

Cerebellar transcranial static magnetic field stimulation transiently reduces cerebellar brain inhibition.

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Matsugi, Akiyoshi; Okada, Y

The aim of this study was to investigate whether transcranial static magnetic field stimulation (tSMS) delivered using a compact cylindrical NdFeB magnet over the cerebellum modulates the excitability of the cerebellum and contralateral primary motor cortex, as measured using cerebellar brain inhibition (CBI), motor evoked potentials (MEPs), and resting motor threshold (rMT). These parameters were measured before tSMS or sham stimulation and immediately, 5 minutes and 10 minutes after stimulation. There were no significant changes in CBI, MEPs or rMT over time in the sham stimulation condition, and no changes in MEPs or rMT in the tSMS condition. However, CBI was significantly decreased immediately after tSMS as compared to that before and 5 minutes after tSMS. Our results suggest that tSMS delivered to the cerebellar hemisphere transiently reduces cerebellar inhibitory output but does not affect the excitability of the contralateral motor cortex.

MR imaging findings of neuroschistosomiasis manifested as the cerebellar granuloma and transverse myelitis of cervical cord

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Hong, Hyun Sook; Kwon, Kui Hyang; Kim, Ki Jung; Choi, Soon Kwan; Lee, Dong Wha [Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1994-08-15

To our knowledge, MR findings of neuroshistosomiasis has not been reported in Korea. A case of neuroshistosomiasis involving cerebellum and presumably spinal cord is reported. A 40 years old man who had lived in Middle East complained of low back pain and progressive paraparesis for 6 months, and subsequently developed headache, dizziness and diplopia. On cervical sine MRI, there was diffuse enlargement of cervical cord with increased signal intensity on T2 weighted image and nodular heterogenous enhancement after Gd-DTPA administration. Brain MR imaging obtained 4 months later showed ill- defined, irregularly enhancing heterogenous mass in cerebellar vermis which was proved to be a granulomatous lesion containing schistosomiasis mansonil ova.

Sleep disorders in cerebellar ataxias

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José L. Pedroso

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Cerebellar ataxias comprise a wide range of etiologies leading to central nervous system-related motor and non-motor symptoms. Recently, a large body of evidence has demonstrated a high frequency of non-motor manifestations in cerebellar ataxias, specially in autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA. Among these non-motor dysfunctions, sleep disorders have been recognized, although still under or even misdiagnosed. In this review, we highlight the main sleep disorders related to cerebellar ataxias focusing on REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD, restless legs syndrome (RLS, periodic limb movement in sleep (PLMS, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS, insomnia and sleep apnea.

[Formation of antioxidant defence system of geese in embryogenesis and early postnatal ontogenesis].

Science.gov (United States)

Danchenko, O O; Kalytka, V V

2002-01-01

The features of antioxidant protection of tissues of a liver and blood of the gooses in embriogenesis and early postnatal ontogenesis are found out. Maximal contents TBA active products both in a liver, and in a blood are observed in 28 diurnal embriones. Is shown, that in a liver the activity of basic antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutases, catalase and glutathione peroxidase) in a liver is developed already at early stages embriogenesis and is considerably enlarged in the end embriogenesis. The becoming of enzymatic system of a blood descends much more slower.

Rhythmic finger tapping reveals cerebellar dysfunction in essential tremor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buijink, A. W. G.; Broersma, M.; van der Stouwe, A. M. M.; van Wingen, G. A.; Groot, P. F. C.; Speelman, J. D.; Maurits, N. M.; van Rootselaar, A. F.

2015-01-01

Cerebellar circuits are hypothesized to play a central role in the pathogenesis of essential tremor. Rhythmic finger tapping is known to strongly engage the cerebellar motor circuitry. We characterize cerebellar and, more specifically, dentate nucleus function, and neural correlates of cerebellar

Distributed Cerebellar Motor Learning; a Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity Model

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Niceto Rafael Luque

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Deep cerebellar nuclei neurons receive both inhibitory (GABAergic synaptic currents from Purkinje cells (within the cerebellar cortex and excitatory (glutamatergic synaptic currents from mossy fibres. Those two deep cerebellar nucleus inputs are thought to be also adaptive, embedding interesting properties in the framework of accurate movements. We show that distributed spike-timing-dependent plasticity mechanisms (STDP located at different cerebellar sites (parallel fibres to Purkinje cells, mossy fibres to deep cerebellar nucleus cells, and Purkinje cells to deep cerebellar nucleus cells in close-loop simulations provide an explanation for the complex learning properties of the cerebellum in motor learning. Concretely, we propose a new mechanistic cerebellar spiking model. In this new model, deep cerebellar nuclei embed a dual functionality: deep cerebellar nuclei acting as a gain adaptation mechanism and as a facilitator for the slow memory consolidation at mossy fibres to deep cerebellar nucleus synapses. Equipping the cerebellum with excitatory (e-STDP and inhibitory (i-STDP mechanisms at deep cerebellar nuclei afferents allows the accommodation of synaptic memories that were formed at parallel fibres to Purkinje cells synapses and then transferred to mossy fibres to deep cerebellar nucleus synapses. These adaptive mechanisms also contribute to modulate the deep-cerebellar-nucleus-output firing rate (output gain modulation towards optimising its working range.

Postnatal Development of CB1 Receptor Expression in Rodent Somatosensory Cortex

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Deshmukh, Suvarna; Onozuka, Kaori; Bender, Kevin J.; Bender, Vanessa A.; Lutz, Beat; Mackie, Ken; Feldman, Daniel E.

2007-01-01

Endocannabinoids are powerful modulators of synaptic transmission that act on presynaptic cannabinoid receptors. Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) is the dominant receptor in the CNS, and is present in many brain regions, including sensory cortex. To investigate the potential role of CB1 receptors in cortical development, we examined the developmental expression of CB1 in rodent primary somatosensory (barrel) cortex, using immunohistochemistry with a CB1-specific antibody. We found that before postnatal day (P) 6, CB1 receptor staining was present exclusively in the cortical white matter, and that CB1 staining appeared in the grey matter between P6 and P20 in a specific laminar pattern. CB1 staining was confined to axons, and was most prominent in cortical layers 2/3, 5a, and 6. CB1 null (−/−) mice showed altered anatomical barrel maps in layer 4, with enlarged inter-barrel septa, but normal barrel size. These results indicate that CB1 receptors are present in early postnatal development and influence development of sensory maps. PMID:17210229

Cerebellar Degeneration

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... FARA) National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) National Multiple Sclerosis Society See all related organizations Publications Degeneración cerebelosa Order NINDS Publications Definition Cerebellar degeneration is a process in which neurons ( ...

Etiology, Localization and Prognosis in Cerebellar Infarctions

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Yavuz Yücel

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Cerebrovasculer disease are the most frequent disease of the brain. Cerebellar infarct remains % 1.5-4.2 of these diseases. Etiological factors, lesion localization, symptoms and findings and relationship with prognosis of our patients with cerebellar infarct were investigated in our study. For this purpose, 32 patients were evaluated who were admitted to the Dicle University Medical School Department of Neurology in 1995-2001 hospitalized with the diagnosis of clinically and radiological confirmed cerebellar infarction.All of patients in the study group, 21 (%65.6 were male and 11 (%34.3 female. Age of overall patients ranged between 40 and 75 years with a mean of 57.8±10.2 years. Atherothrombotic infarct was the most frequent reason at the etiologic clinical classification. The most frequently found localization was the posterior inferior cerebellar artery infarct (%50. The leading two risk factors were hypertension (%78.1 and cigarette smoking (%50. The most common sign and symptoms were vertigo (%93.7, vomiting (%75, headache (%68.7 and cerebellar dysfunction findings (%50. The mean duration of hospitalization was 16.3±7.6 days. Overall mortality rate was found to be % 6.2. Finally, the most remarkable risk factors at cerebellar infarct patients are hypertension and atherosclerosis at etiology. We are considering that, controlling of these factors will reduce the appearance frequency of cerebellar infarcts.

Maternal Different Degrees of Iodine Deficiency during Pregnant and Lactation Impair the Development of Cerebellar Pinceau in Offspring

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Jing Dong

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Aims: Iodine is critical for synthesis of thyroid hormones (TH. And iodine deficiency (ID is one of the most significant reasons of intellectual disability and motor memory impairment, although the potential mechanisms are still under investigation. Presently, mild ID and marginal ID are largely ignored problems for women of child bearing age. Mild ID is a subtle form of TH deficiency, which shows low levels of free thyroxine (FT4 and relatively normal free triiodothyronine (FT3 or thyroid stimulation hormone (TSH. And marginal ID is a milder form of ID with decreased total T4 (TT4 but relatively normal FT3, FT4, and TSH. Therefore, we investigated the effects of maternal different degrees of ID on the development of pinceau in cerebellar purkinje cells (PCs and studied the expression of pinceau related protein, which is crucial for the development and maturation of pinceau.Methods and Results: Three developmental iodine deficient rat models were created by feeding dam rats with an iodine-deficient diet and deionized water supplemented with potassiumiodide. Our study showed that different degrees of ID inhibited cerebellar pinceau synapse development and maturation on postnatal day (PN 14 and PN21. What's more, mild and severe ID reduced the expression of AnkG, β4-spectrin, neurofascin186 and NrCAM on PN7, PN14, and PN21. However, marginal ID rarely altered expression of these proteins in the offspring.Conclusion: These results suggested that maternal mild and severe ID impaired the development and maturation of cerebellar pinceau, which may be attributed to the decrease of AnkG, β4-spectrin, neurofascin 186, and NrCAM. And the alteration of development and maturation in cerebellar pinceau in the offspring were also observed following maternal marginal ID, which is slighter than that of mild ID.

Dyslexic Children Show Atypical Cerebellar Activation and Cerebro-Cerebellar Functional Connectivity in Orthographic and Phonological Processing.

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Feng, Xiaoxia; Li, Le; Zhang, Manli; Yang, Xiujie; Tian, Mengyu; Xie, Weiyi; Lu, Yao; Liu, Li; Bélanger, Nathalie N; Meng, Xiangzhi; Ding, Guosheng

2017-04-01

Previous neuroimaging studies have found atypical cerebellar activation in individuals with dyslexia in either motor-related tasks or language tasks. However, studies investigating atypical cerebellar activation in individuals with dyslexia have mostly used tasks tapping phonological processing. A question that is yet unanswered is whether the cerebellum in individuals with dyslexia functions properly during orthographic processing of words, as growing evidence shows that the cerebellum is also involved in visual and spatial processing. Here, we investigated cerebellar activation and cerebro-cerebellar functional connectivity during word processing in dyslexic readers and typically developing readers using tasks that tap orthographic and phonological codes. In children with dyslexia, we observed an abnormally higher engagement of the bilateral cerebellum for the orthographic task, which was negatively correlated with literacy measures. The greater the reading impairment was for young dyslexic readers, the stronger the cerebellar activation was. This suggests a compensatory role of the cerebellum in reading for children with dyslexia. In addition, a tendency for higher cerebellar activation in dyslexic readers was found in the phonological task. Moreover, the functional connectivity was stronger for dyslexic readers relative to typically developing readers between the lobule VI of the right cerebellum and the left fusiform gyrus during the orthographic task and between the lobule VI of the left cerebellum and the left supramarginal gyrus during the phonological task. This pattern of results suggests that the cerebellum compensates for reading impairment through the connections with specific brain regions responsible for the ongoing reading task. These findings enhance our understanding of the cerebellum's involvement in reading and reading impairment.

Cerebellar cortical infarct cavities and vertebral artery disease

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Cocker, Laurens J.L. de [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Kliniek Sint-Jan Radiologie, Brussels (Belgium); Compter, A.; Kappelle, L.J.; Worp, H.B. van der [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht (Netherlands); Luijten, P.R.; Hendrikse, J. [University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands)

2016-09-15

Cerebellar cortical infarct cavities are a newly recognised entity associated with atherothromboembolic cerebrovascular disease and worse physical functioning. We aimed to investigate the relationship of cerebellar cortical infarct cavities with symptomatic vertebrobasilar ischaemia and with vascular risk factors. We evaluated the MR images of 46 patients with a recent vertebrobasilar TIA or stroke and a symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis ≥50 % from the Vertebral Artery Stenting Trial (VAST) for the presence of cerebellar cortical infarct cavities ≤1.5 cm. At inclusion in VAST, data were obtained on age, sex, history of vertebrobasilar TIA or stroke, and vascular risk factors. Adjusted risk ratios were calculated with Poisson regression analyses for the relation between cerebellar cortical infarct cavities and vascular risk factors. Sixteen out of 46 (35 %) patients showed cerebellar cortical infarct cavities on the initial MRI, and only one of these 16 patients was known with a previous vertebrobasilar TIA or stroke. In patients with symptomatic vertebrobasilar ischaemia, risk factor profiles of patients with cerebellar cortical infarct cavities were not different from patients without these cavities. Cerebellar cortical infarct cavities are seen on MRI in as much as one third of patients with recently symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis. Since patients usually have no prior history of vertebrobasilar TIA or stroke, cerebellar cortical infarct cavities should be added to the spectrum of common incidental brain infarcts visible on routine MRI. (orig.)

[Degenerative cerebellar diseases and differential diagnoses].

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Reith, W; Roumia, S; Dietrich, P

2016-11-01

Cerebellar syndromes result in distinct clinical symptoms, such as ataxia, dysarthria, dysmetria, intention tremor and eye movement disorders. In addition to the medical history and clinical examination, imaging is particularly important to differentiate other diseases, such as hydrocephalus and multi-infarct dementia from degenerative cerebellar diseases. Degenerative diseases with cerebellar involvement include Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy as well as other diseases including spinocerebellar ataxia. In addition to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine imaging investigations are also helpful for the differentiation. Axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2-weighted sequences can sometimes show a signal increase in the pons as a sign of degeneration of pontine neurons and transverse fibers in the basilar part of the pons. The imaging is particularly necessary to exclude other diseases, such as normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), multi-infarct dementia and cerebellar lesions.

Origin, lineage and function of cerebellar glia.

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Buffo, Annalisa; Rossi, Ferdinando

2013-10-01

The glial cells of the cerebellum, and particularly astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, are characterized by a remarkable phenotypic variety, in which highly peculiar morphological features are associated with specific functional features, unique among the glial cells of the entire CNS. Here, we provide a critical report about the present knowledge of the development of cerebellar glia, including lineage relationships between cerebellar neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, the origins and the genesis of the repertoire of glial types, and the processes underlying their acquisition of mature morphological and functional traits. In parallel, we describe and discuss some fundamental roles played by specific categories of glial cells during cerebellar development. In particular, we propose that Bergmann glia exerts a crucial scaffolding activity that, together with the organizing function of Purkinje cells, is necessary to achieve the normal pattern of foliation and layering of the cerebellar cortex. Moreover, we discuss some of the functional tasks of cerebellar astrocytes and oligodendrocytes that are distinctive of cerebellar glia throughout the CNS. Notably, we report about the regulation of synaptic signalling in the molecular and granular layer mediated by Bergmann glia and parenchymal astrocytes, and the functional interaction between oligodendrocyte precursor cells and neurons. On the whole, this review provides an extensive overview of the available literature and some novel insights about the origin and differentiation of the variety of cerebellar glial cells and their function in the developing and mature cerebellum. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cellular and Molecular Basis of Cerebellar Development

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Salvador eMartinez

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Historically, the molecular and cellular mechanisms of cerebellar development were investigated through structural descriptions and studying spontaneous mutations in animal models and humans. Advances in experimental embryology, genetic engineering and neuroimaging techniques render today the possibility to approach the analysis of molecular mechanisms underlying histogenesis and morphogenesis of the cerebellum by experimental designs. Several genes and molecules were identified to be involved in the cerebellar plate regionalization, specification and differentiation of cerebellar neurons, as well as the establishment of cellular migratory routes and the subsequent neuronal connectivity. Indeed, pattern formation of the cerebellum requires the adequate orchestration of both key morphogenetic signals, arising from distinct brain regions, and local expression of specific transcription factors. Thus, the present review wants to revisit and discuss these morphogenetic and molecular mechanisms taking place during cerebellar development in order to understand causal processes regulating cerebellar cytoarchitecture, its highly topographically ordered circuitry and its role in brain function.

Degenerative cerebellar diseases and differential diagnoses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reith, W.; Roumia, S.; Dietrich, P.

2016-01-01

Cerebellar syndromes result in distinct clinical symptoms, such as ataxia, dysarthria, dysmetria, intention tremor and eye movement disorders. In addition to the medical history and clinical examination, imaging is particularly important to differentiate other diseases, such as hydrocephalus and multi-infarct dementia from degenerative cerebellar diseases. Degenerative diseases with cerebellar involvement include Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy as well as other diseases including spinocerebellar ataxia. In addition to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine imaging investigations are also helpful for the differentiation. Axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2-weighted sequences can sometimes show a signal increase in the pons as a sign of degeneration of pontine neurons and transverse fibers in the basilar part of the pons. The imaging is particularly necessary to exclude other diseases, such as normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), multi-infarct dementia and cerebellar lesions. (orig.) [de

Cerebellar involvement in metabolic disorders: a pattern-recognition approach

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Steinlin, M.; Boltshauser, E.; Blaser, S.

1998-01-01

Inborn errors of metabolism can affect the cerebellum during development, maturation and later during life. We have established criteria for pattern recognition of cerebellar abnormalities in metabolic disorders. The abnormalities can be divided into four major groups: cerebellar hypoplasia (CH), hyperplasia, cerebellar atrophy (CA), cerebellar white matter abnormalities (WMA) or swelling, and involvement of the dentate nuclei (DN) or cerebellar cortex. CH can be an isolated typical finding, as in adenylsuccinase deficiency, but is also occasionally seen in many other disorders. Differentiation from CH and CA is often difficult, as in carbohydrate deficient glycoprotein syndrome or 2-l-hydroxyglutaric acidaemia. In cases of atrophy the relationship of cerebellar to cerebral atrophy is important. WMA may be diffuse or patchy, frequently predominantly around the DN. Severe swelling of white matter is present during metabolic crisis in maple syrup urine disease. The DN can be affected by metabolite deposition, necrosis, calcification or demyelination. Involvement of cerebellar cortex is seen in infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy. Changes in DN and cerebellar cortex are rather typical and therefore most helpful; additional features should be sought as they are useful in narrowing down the differential diagnosis. (orig.)

Humor and laughter in patients with cerebellar degeneration.

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Frank, B; Propson, B; Göricke, S; Jacobi, H; Wild, B; Timmann, D

2012-06-01

Humor is a complex behavior which includes cognitive, affective and motor responses. Based on observations of affective changes in patients with cerebellar lesions, the cerebellum may support cerebral and brainstem areas involved in understanding and appreciation of humorous stimuli and expression of laughter. The aim of the present study was to examine if humor appreciation, perception of humorous stimuli, and the succeeding facial reaction differ between patients with cerebellar degeneration and healthy controls. Twenty-three adults with pure cerebellar degeneration were compared with 23 age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy control subjects. No significant difference in humor appreciation and perception of humorous stimuli could be found between groups using the 3 Witz-Dimensionen Test, a validated test asking for funniness and aversiveness of jokes and cartoons. Furthermore, while observing jokes, humorous cartoons, and video sketches, facial expressions of subjects were videotaped and afterwards analysed using the Facial Action Coding System. Using depression as a covariate, the number, and to a lesser degree, the duration of facial expressions during laughter were reduced in cerebellar patients compared to healthy controls. In sum, appreciation of humor appears to be largely preserved in patients with chronic cerebellar degeneration. Cerebellar circuits may contribute to the expression of laughter. Findings add to the literature that non-motor disorders in patients with chronic cerebellar disease are generally mild, but do not exclude that more marked disorders may show up in acute cerebellar disease and/or in more specific tests of humor appreciation.

CT and MR imaging of acute cerebellar ataxia

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Shoji, H.; Hirai, S.; Ishikawa, K.; Aramaki, M.; Sato, Y.; Abe, T.; Kojima, K.

1991-01-01

An adult female showed mild cerebellar ataxia and CSF pleocytosis following an acute infection of the upper respiratory tract, and was diagnosed as having acute cerebellar ataxia (ACA). CT and MR appearances in the acute stage revealed moderate swelling of the cerebellum and bilaterally increased signal intensity in the cerebellar cortex. (orig.)

Bilateral Cerebellar Cortical Dysplasia without Other Malformations: A Case Report

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Oh, Jung Seok; Ahn Kook Jin; Kim, Jee Young; Lee, Sun Jin; Park, Jeong Mi [Catholic University Yeouido St. Mary' s Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2010-06-15

Recent advances in MRI have revealed congenital brain malformations and subtle developmental abnormalities of the cerebral and cerebellar cortical architecture. Typical cerebellar cortical dysplasia as a newly categorized cerebellar malformation, has been seen in patients with Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy. Cerebellar cortical dysplasia occurs at the embryonic stage and is often observed in healthy newborns. It is also incidentally and initially detected in adults without symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, cerebellar dysplasia without any related disorders is very rare. We describe the MRI findings in one patient with disorganized foliation of both cerebellar hemispheres without a related disorder or syndrome

Repeated intermittent alcohol exposure during the third trimester-equivalent increases expression of the GABA(A) receptor δ subunit in cerebellar granule neurons and delays motor development in rats.

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Diaz, Marvin R; Vollmer, Cyndel C; Zamudio-Bulcock, Paula A; Vollmer, William; Blomquist, Samantha L; Morton, Russell A; Everett, Julie C; Zurek, Agnieszka A; Yu, Jieying; Orser, Beverley A; Valenzuela, C Fernando

2014-04-01

Exposure to ethanol (EtOH) during fetal development can lead to long-lasting alterations, including deficits in fine motor skills and motor learning. Studies suggest that these are, in part, a consequence of cerebellar damage. Cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) are the gateway of information into the cerebellar cortex. Functionally, CGNs are heavily regulated by phasic and tonic GABAergic inhibition from Golgi cell interneurons; however, the effect of EtOH exposure on the development of GABAergic transmission in immature CGNs has not been investigated. To model EtOH exposure during the 3rd trimester-equivalent of human pregnancy, neonatal pups were exposed intermittently to high levels of vaporized EtOH from postnatal day (P) 2 to P12. This exposure gradually increased pup serum EtOH concentrations (SECs) to ∼60 mM (∼0.28 g/dl) during the 4 h of exposure. EtOH levels gradually decreased to baseline 8 h after the end of exposure. Surprisingly, basal tonic and phasic GABAergic currents in CGNs were not significantly affected by postnatal alcohol exposure (PAE). However, PAE increased δ subunit expression at P28 as detected by immunohistochemical and western blot analyses. Also, electrophysiological studies with an agonist that is highly selective for δ-containing GABA(A) receptors, 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[4,5-c]pyridine-3-ol (THIP), showed an increase in THIP-induced tonic current. Behavioral studies of PAE rats did not reveal any deficits in motor coordination, except for a delay in the acquisition of the mid-air righting reflex that was apparent at P15 to P18. These findings demonstrate that repeated intermittent exposure to high levels of EtOH during the equivalent of the last trimester of human pregnancy has significant but relatively subtle effects on motor coordination and GABAergic transmission in CGNs in rats. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cerebellar medulloblastoma presenting with skeletal metastasis

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Barai Sukanta

2004-04-01

Full Text Available Medulloblastomas are highly malignant brain tumours, but only rarely produce skeletal metastases. No case of medulloblastoma has been documented to have produced skeletal metastases prior to craniotomy or shunt surgery. A 21-year-old male presented with pain in the hip and lower back with difficulty in walking of 3 months′ duration. Signs of cerebellar dysfunction were present hence a diagnosis of cerebellar neoplasm or skeletal tuberculosis with cerebellar abscess formation was considered. MRI of brain revealed a lesion in the cerebellum suggestive of medulloblastoma. Bone scan revealed multiple sites of skeletal metastases excluding the lumbar vertebrae. MRI of lumbar spine and hip revealed metastases to all lumbar vertebrae and both hips. Computed tomography-guided biopsy was obtained from the L3 vertebra, which revealed metastatic deposits from medulloblastoma. Cerebrospinal fluid cytology showed the presence of medulloblastoma cells. A final diagnosis of cerebellar medulloblastoma with skeletal metastases was made. He underwent craniotomy and histopathology confirmed medulloblastoma.

Rhythmic finger tapping reveals cerebellar dysfunction in essential tremor.

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Buijink, A W G; Broersma, M; van der Stouwe, A M M; van Wingen, G A; Groot, P F C; Speelman, J D; Maurits, N M; van Rootselaar, A F

2015-04-01

Cerebellar circuits are hypothesized to play a central role in the pathogenesis of essential tremor. Rhythmic finger tapping is known to strongly engage the cerebellar motor circuitry. We characterize cerebellar and, more specifically, dentate nucleus function, and neural correlates of cerebellar output in essential tremor during rhythmic finger tapping employing functional MRI. Thirty-one propranolol-sensitive essential tremor patients with upper limb tremor and 29 healthy controls were measured. T2*-weighted EPI sequences were acquired. The task consisted of alternating rest and finger tapping blocks. A whole-brain and region-of-interest analysis was performed, the latter focusing on the cerebellar cortex, dentate nucleus and inferior olive nucleus. Activations were also related to tremor severity. In patients, dentate activation correlated positively with tremor severity as measured by the tremor rating scale part A. Patients had reduced activation in widespread cerebellar cortical regions, and additionally in the inferior olive nucleus, and parietal and frontal cortex, compared to controls. The increase in dentate activation with tremor severity supports involvement of the dentate nucleus in essential tremor. Cortical and cerebellar changes during a motor timing task in essential tremor might point to widespread changes in cerebellar output in essential tremor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Age-related changes in functional connectivity of cerebellar PlV: a FDG PET study

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Cho, Sang Soo; Yoon, Eun Jin; Bang, Seong Ae; Park, Hyun Soo; Kim, Yu Kyeong; Kim, Sang Eun [Seoul National Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2007-07-01

The cerebellum is known to have strong connection with cerebral cortex, and it shows the greatest mean shrinkage with aging. Changes in functional connectivity between cerebellum and cortical and subcortical cerebral areas possibly occur in normal aging. In this study, we tested changes of interregional connection between cerebellar posterior inferior vermis (PIV) and cerebrum in healthy subjects divided in three classes of age group (young: 20-30, middle age: 40-50, elderly: over 60 years) using FDG PET. 211 healthy subjects (age, 20-82 y; 134 female) were studied with resting-state brain glucose utilization measured by FDG-PET, cerebellar PIV activity after count-normalization to the whole gray matter mean count was extracted. Using PIV count as a 'seed', the maps of cross-correlation coefficients were computed by measuring the correlation between 'seed' and all the other brain voxels (P < 0.001 uncorrected, k = 100). Across all age groups, positive correlations of metabolic activity in the cerebellar PIV showed in cerebellum itself and bilateral thalamus. An extended positive correlation in cuneus which is served for visual information processing was observed in middle aged and elderly group differently from the young group. Also, in elderly group, this correlation was observed in the frontal areas such as right orbital and precentral gyri. Negative correlation implicating mutual inhibition between the areas was also founded in prefrontal and cingulate cortices and temporoparietal association areas. Comparing with the young group, in theses areas, enlarged negative correlations was founded with aging. We identified age related changes in cerebrocerebellar communication loop which reflect changes in local neuroplasticity in the normal aging brain. Present result may have implication for understanding the functional decline of cerebellum related cognitive ability as well as the deficit of motor coordination in normal aging and its compensation

Age-related changes in functional connectivity of cerebellar PlV: a FDG PET study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Sang Soo; Yoon, Eun Jin; Bang, Seong Ae; Park, Hyun Soo; Kim, Yu Kyeong; Kim, Sang Eun

2007-01-01

The cerebellum is known to have strong connection with cerebral cortex, and it shows the greatest mean shrinkage with aging. Changes in functional connectivity between cerebellum and cortical and subcortical cerebral areas possibly occur in normal aging. In this study, we tested changes of interregional connection between cerebellar posterior inferior vermis (PIV) and cerebrum in healthy subjects divided in three classes of age group (young: 20-30, middle age: 40-50, elderly: over 60 years) using FDG PET. 211 healthy subjects (age, 20-82 y; 134 female) were studied with resting-state brain glucose utilization measured by FDG-PET, cerebellar PIV activity after count-normalization to the whole gray matter mean count was extracted. Using PIV count as a 'seed', the maps of cross-correlation coefficients were computed by measuring the correlation between 'seed' and all the other brain voxels (P < 0.001 uncorrected, k = 100). Across all age groups, positive correlations of metabolic activity in the cerebellar PIV showed in cerebellum itself and bilateral thalamus. An extended positive correlation in cuneus which is served for visual information processing was observed in middle aged and elderly group differently from the young group. Also, in elderly group, this correlation was observed in the frontal areas such as right orbital and precentral gyri. Negative correlation implicating mutual inhibition between the areas was also founded in prefrontal and cingulate cortices and temporoparietal association areas. Comparing with the young group, in theses areas, enlarged negative correlations was founded with aging. We identified age related changes in cerebrocerebellar communication loop which reflect changes in local neuroplasticity in the normal aging brain. Present result may have implication for understanding the functional decline of cerebellum related cognitive ability as well as the deficit of motor coordination in normal aging and its compensation mechanism of brain

Rhythmic finger tapping reveals cerebellar dysfunction in essential tremor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buijink, A. W. G.; Broersma, M.; van der Stouwe, A. M. M.; van Wingen, G. A.; Groot, P. F. C.; Speelman, J. D.; Maurits, N. M.; van Rootselaar, A. F.

Introduction: Cerebellar circuits are hypothesized to play a central role in the pathogenesis of essential tremor. Rhythmic finger tapping is known to strongly engage the cerebellar motor circuitry. We characterize cerebellar and, more specifically, dentate nucleus function, and neural correlates of

Computed tomography in alcoholic cerebellar atrophy

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Haubek, A; Lee, K [Hvidovre Hospital Copenhagen (Denmark). Dept. of Radiology; Municipal Hospital, Copenhagen (Denmark). Dept. of Neurology)

1979-01-01

This is a controlled CT evaluation of the infratentorial region in 41 male alcoholics under age 35. Criteria for the presence of atrophy are outlined. Twelve patients had cerebellar atrophy. Vermian atrophy was present in all. Atrophy of the cerebellar hemispheres was demonstrated in eight patients as well. The results are statistically significant when compared to an age-matched group of 40 non-alcoholic males among whom two cases of vermian atrophy were found. There were clinical signs of alcoholic cerebellar atrophy in one patient only. The disparity between the clinical and the radiological data are discussed with reference to previous pneumoencephalographic findings. (orig.) 891 AJ/orig. 892 MKO.

Acute Cerebellar Ataxia Induced by Nivolumab

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Kawamura, Reina; Nagata, Eiichiro; Mukai, Masako; Ohnuki, Yoichi; Matsuzaki, Tomohiko; Ohiwa, Kana; Nakagawa, Tomoki; Kohno, Mitsutomo; Masuda, Ryota; Iwazaki, Masayuki; Takizawa, Shunya

2017-01-01

A 54-year-old woman with adenocarcinoma of the lung and lymph node metastasis experienced nystagmus and cerebellar ataxia 2 weeks after initiating nivolumab therapy. An evaluation for several autoimmune-related antibodies and paraneoplastic syndrome yielded negative results. We eventually diagnosed the patient with nivolumab-induced acute cerebellar ataxia, after excluding other potential conditions. Her ataxic gait and nystagmus resolved shortly after intravenous steroid pulse therapy followed by the administration of decreasing doses of oral steroids. Nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, is known to induce various neurological adverse events. However, this is the first report of acute cerebellar ataxia associated with nivolumab treatment. PMID:29249765

Falls and cerebellar ataxia

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I. V. Damulin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper considers the main causes of falls. Whatever their cause is, falls may lead to severe maladjustment in everyday life. In nearly 1 out of 10 cases, they are accompanied by severe injuries, including fractures (most commonly those of the proximal femur and humerus, hands, pelvic bones, and vertebrae, subdural hematoma, and severe soft tissue and head injuries. This process is emphasized to be multifactorial. Particular emphasis is laid on the involvement of the cerebellum and its associations, which may be accompanied by falls. This is clinically manifested mainly by gait disorders. Walking is a result of an interaction of three related functions (locomotion, maintenance of balance and adaptive reactions. In addition to synergies related to locomotion and balance maintenance, standing at rest and walking are influenced bythe following factors: postural and environmental information (proprioceptive, vestibular, and visual, the capacity to interpret and integrate this information, the ability of the musculoskeletal system to make movements, and the capability to optimally modulate these movements in view of the specific situation and the ability to choose and adapt synergy in terms of external factors and the capacities and purposes of an individual. The clinical signs of damage to the cerebellum and its associations are considered in detail. These structures are emphasized to be involved not only in movements, but also in cognitive functions. The major symptoms that permit cerebellar dysfunction to be diagnosed are given. Symptoms in cerebellar injuries are generally most pronounced when suddenly changing the direction of movements or attempting to start walking immediately after a dramatic rise. The magnitude of ataxia also increases in a patient who tries to decrease the step size. Falling tendencies or bending to one side (in other symptoms characteristic of cerebellar diseases suggest injury of the corresponding

Metabolic anatomy of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, N.E.; Posner, J.B.; Sidtis, J.J.; Moeller, J.R.; Strother, S.C.; Dhawan, V.; Rottenberg, D.A.

1988-01-01

Eleven patients with acquired cerebellar degeneration (10 of whom had paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration [PCD]) were evaluated using neuropsychological tests and 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose/positron emission tomography to (1) quantify motor, cognitive, and metabolic abnormalities; (2) determine if characteristic alterations in the regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (rCMRGlc) are associated with PCD; and (3) correlate behavioral and metabolic measures of disease severity. Eighteen volunteer subjects served as normal controls. Although some PCD neuropsychological test scores were abnormal, these results could not, in general, be dissociated from the effects of dysarthria and ataxia. rCMRGlc was reduced in patients with PCD (versus normal control subjects) in all regions except the brainstem. Analysis of patient and control rCMRGlc data using a mathematical model of regional metabolic interactions revealed two metabolic pattern descriptors, SSF1 and SSF2, which distinguished patients with PCD from normal control subjects; SSF2, which described a metabolic coupling between cerebellum, cuneus, and posterior temporal, lateral frontal, and paracentral cortex, correlated with quantitative indices of cerebellar dysfunction. Our inability to document substantial intellectual impairment in 7 of 10 patients with PCD contrasts with the 50% incidence of dementia in PCD reported by previous investigators. Widespread reductions in PCD rCMRGlc may result from the loss of cerebellar efferents to thalamus and forebrain structures, a reverse cerebellar diaschisis

Contribution of cerebellar sensorimotor adaptation to hippocampal spatial memory.

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Jean-Baptiste Passot

Full Text Available Complementing its primary role in motor control, cerebellar learning has also a bottom-up influence on cognitive functions, where high-level representations build up from elementary sensorimotor memories. In this paper we examine the cerebellar contribution to both procedural and declarative components of spatial cognition. To do so, we model a functional interplay between the cerebellum and the hippocampal formation during goal-oriented navigation. We reinterpret and complete existing genetic behavioural observations by means of quantitative accounts that cross-link synaptic plasticity mechanisms, single cell and population coding properties, and behavioural responses. In contrast to earlier hypotheses positing only a purely procedural impact of cerebellar adaptation deficits, our results suggest a cerebellar involvement in high-level aspects of behaviour. In particular, we propose that cerebellar learning mechanisms may influence hippocampal place fields, by contributing to the path integration process. Our simulations predict differences in place-cell discharge properties between normal mice and L7-PKCI mutant mice lacking long-term depression at cerebellar parallel fibre-Purkinje cell synapses. On the behavioural level, these results suggest that, by influencing the accuracy of hippocampal spatial codes, cerebellar deficits may impact the exploration-exploitation balance during spatial navigation.

Postnatal mandible growth in wild and laboratory mice: Differences revealed from bone remodeling patterns and geometric morphometrics.

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Martínez-Vargas, Jessica; Muñoz-Muñoz, Francesc; Martinez-Maza, Cayetana; Molinero, Amalia; Ventura, Jacint

2017-08-01

Comparative information on the variation in the temporospatial patterning of mandible growth in wild and laboratory mice during early postnatal ontogeny is scarce but important to understand variation among wild rodent populations. Here, we compare mandible growth between two ontogenetic series from the second to the eighth week of postnatal life, corresponding to two different groups of mice reared under the same conditions: the classical inbred strain C57BL/6J, and Mus musculus domesticus. We characterize the ontogenetic patterns of bone remodeling of the mandibles belonging to these laboratory and wild mice by analyzing bone surface, as well as examine their ontogenetic form changes and bimodular organization using geometric morphometrics. Through ontogeny, the two mouse groups display similar directions of mandible growth, according to the temporospatial distribution of bone remodeling fields. The allometric shape variation of the mandibles of these mice entails the relative enlargement of the ascending ramus. The organization of the mandible into two modules is confirmed in both groups during the last postnatal weeks. However, especially after weaning, the mandibles of wild and laboratory mice differ in the timing and localization of several remodeling fields, in addition to exhibiting different patterns of shape variation and differences in size. The stimulation of dentary bone growth derived from the harder post-weaning diet might account for some features of postnatal mandible growth common to both groups. Nonetheless, a large component of the postnatal growth of the mouse mandible appears to be driven by the inherent genetic programs, which might explain between-group differences. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation modulates verbal working memory.

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Boehringer, Andreas; Macher, Katja; Dukart, Juergen; Villringer, Arno; Pleger, Burkhard

2013-07-01

Neuroimaging studies show cerebellar activations in a wide range of cognitive tasks and patients with cerebellar lesions often present cognitive deficits suggesting a cerebellar role in higher-order cognition. We used cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), known to inhibit neuronal excitability, over the cerebellum to investigate if cathodal tDCS impairs verbal working memory, an important higher-order cognitive faculty. We tested verbal working memory as measured by forward and backward digit spans in 40 healthy young participants before and after applying cathodal tDCS (2 mA, stimulation duration 25 min) to the right cerebellum using a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind, cross-over design. In addition, we tested the effect of cerebellar tDCS on word reading, finger tapping and a visually cued sensorimotor task. In line with lower digit spans in patients with cerebellar lesions, cerebellar tDCS reduced forward digit spans and blocked the practice dependent increase in backward digit spans. No effects of tDCS on word reading, finger tapping or the visually cued sensorimotor task were found. Our results support the view that the cerebellum contributes to verbal working memory as measured by forward and backward digit spans. Moreover, the induction of reversible "virtual cerebellar lesions" in healthy individuals by means of tDCS may improve our understanding of the mechanistic basis of verbal working memory deficits in patients with cerebellar lesions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Age-Dependent Sexually-Dimorphic Asymmetric Development of the Ferret Cerebellar Cortex

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Kazuhiko Sawada

2017-03-01

Full Text Available A three-dimensional (3D T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI at 7-Tesla system was acquired with a high spatial resolution from fixed brains of male and female ferrets at postnatal days (PDs 4 to 90, and their age-related sexual difference and laterality were evaluated by MRI-based ex vivo volumetry. The volume of both left and right sides of cerebellar cortex was larger in males than in females on PD 10 and thereafter. When the cerebellar cortex was divided into four transverse domains, i.e., anterior zone (AZ; lobules I–V, central zone (CZ; lobules VI and VII, posterior zone (PZ; lobules VIII–IXa, and nodular zone (NZ; lobules IXb and X, an age-related significantly greater volume in males than in females was detected on either side of all four domains on PD 42 and of the AZ on PD 90, but only on the left side of the PZ on PD 90. Regarding the volume laterality, significant leftward asymmetry was obtained in the CZ and PZ volumes in males, but not in females on PD 90. From asymmetry quotient (AQ analysis, AQ scores were rightward in the AZ in both sexes already on PD 21, but gradually left-lateralized only in males in the CZ, PZ, and NZ during PDs 42 to 90. The present study suggests that a characteristic counterclockwise torque asymmetry (rostrally right-biased, and caudally left-biased or symmetrical is acquired in both sexes of ferrets during PDs 42 to 90, although the leftward laterality of the posterior half of the cerebellum was more enhanced in males.

Factors associated with the misdiagnosis of cerebellar infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Masuda, Yoko; Tei, Hideaki; Shimizu, Satoru; Uchiyama, Shinichiro

2013-10-01

Cerebellar infarction is easily misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. In this study, we investigated factors leading to misdiagnosis of cerebellar infarction in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Data on neurological and radiological findings from 114 consecutive patients with acute cerebellar infarction were analyzed. We investigated factors associated with misdiagnosis from the data on clinical findings. Thirty-two (28%) patients were misdiagnosed on admission. Misdiagnosis was significantly more frequent in patients below 60 years of age and in patients with vertebral artery dissection, and significantly less frequent in patients with dysarthria. It tended to be more frequent in patients with the medial branch of posterior inferior cerebellar artery territory infarction, and infrequent in patients with the medial branch of the superior cerebellar artery territory infarction. Thirty out of 32 (94%) misdiagnosed patients were seen by physicians that were not neurologists at the first visit. Twenty-four of 32 (75%) misdiagnosed patients were screened only by brain CT. However, patients were not checked by brain MRI or follow-up CT until their conditions worsened. Patients below 60 years of age and patients with vertebral artery dissection are more likely to have a cerebellar infarction misdiagnosed by physicians other than neurologists. Copyright © 2013 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cerebellar arteriovenous malformations in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffiths, P.D.; Humphreys, R.P.

1998-01-01

We review the presentation, imaging findings and outcome in 18 children with cerebellar arteriovenous malformations (AVM). This group is of particular interest because of the reported poor outcome despite modern imaging and neurosurgical techniques. All children had CT and 15 underwent catheter angiography at presentation. Several of the children in the latter part of the study had MRI. Of the 18 children, 17 presented with a ruptured AVM producing intracranial haemorrhage. The remaining child presented with temporal lobe epilepsy and was shown to have temporal, vermian and cerebellar hemisphere AVM. This child had other stigmata of Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome. Three other children had pre-existing abnormalities of possible relevance. One had a vascular malformation of the cheek and mandible, one a documented chromosomal abnormality and another a midline cleft upper lip and palate. Six of the 17 children with a ruptured cerebellar AVM died within 7 days of the ictus. Vascular pathology other than an AVM was found in 10 of the 14 children with a ruptured cerebellar AVM who had angiography: 4 intranidal aneurysms, 5 venous aneurysms and 2 cases of venous outflow obstruction (one child having both an aneurysm and obstruction). The severity of clinical presentation was directly related to the size of the acute haematoma, which was a reasonable predictor of outcome. (orig.)

Cerebellar arteriovenous malformations in children

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Griffiths, P.D. [Sheffield Univ. (United Kingdom). Acad. Dept. of Radiol.; Blaser, S.; Armstrong, D.; Chuang, S.; Harwood-Nash, D. [Division of Neuroradiology, The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada); Humphreys, R.P. [Division of Neurosurgery, The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada)

1998-05-01

We review the presentation, imaging findings and outcome in 18 children with cerebellar arteriovenous malformations (AVM). This group is of particular interest because of the reported poor outcome despite modern imaging and neurosurgical techniques. All children had CT and 15 underwent catheter angiography at presentation. Several of the children in the latter part of the study had MRI. Of the 18 children, 17 presented with a ruptured AVM producing intracranial haemorrhage. The remaining child presented with temporal lobe epilepsy and was shown to have temporal, vermian and cerebellar hemisphere AVM. This child had other stigmata of Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome. Three other children had pre-existing abnormalities of possible relevance. One had a vascular malformation of the cheek and mandible, one a documented chromosomal abnormality and another a midline cleft upper lip and palate. Six of the 17 children with a ruptured cerebellar AVM died within 7 days of the ictus. Vascular pathology other than an AVM was found in 10 of the 14 children with a ruptured cerebellar AVM who had angiography: 4 intranidal aneurysms, 5 venous aneurysms and 2 cases of venous outflow obstruction (one child having both an aneurysm and obstruction). The severity of clinical presentation was directly related to the size of the acute haematoma, which was a reasonable predictor of outcome. (orig.) With 4 figs., 4 tabs., 23 refs.

Contralateral cortico-ponto-cerebellar pathways reconstruction in humans in vivo: implications for reciprocal cerebro-cerebellar structural connectivity in motor and non-motor areas.

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Palesi, Fulvia; De Rinaldis, Andrea; Castellazzi, Gloria; Calamante, Fernando; Muhlert, Nils; Chard, Declan; Tournier, J Donald; Magenes, Giovanni; D'Angelo, Egidio; Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott, Claudia A M

2017-10-09

Cerebellar involvement in cognition, as well as in sensorimotor control, is increasingly recognized and is thought to depend on connections with the cerebral cortex. Anatomical investigations in animals and post-mortem humans have established that cerebro-cerebellar connections are contralateral to each other and include the cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) and cortico-ponto-cerebellar (CPC) pathways. CTC and CPC characterization in humans in vivo is still challenging. Here advanced tractography was combined with quantitative indices to compare CPC to CTC pathways in healthy subjects. Differently to previous studies, our findings reveal that cerebellar cognitive areas are reached by the largest proportion of the reconstructed CPC, supporting the hypothesis that a CTC-CPC loop provides a substrate for cerebro-cerebellar communication during cognitive processing. Amongst the cerebral areas identified using in vivo tractography, in addition to the cerebral motor cortex, major portions of CPC streamlines leave the prefrontal and temporal cortices. These findings are useful since provide MRI-based indications of possible subtending connectivity and, if confirmed, they are going to be a milestone for instructing computational models of brain function. These results, together with further multi-modal investigations, are warranted to provide important cues on how the cerebro-cerebellar loops operate and on how pathologies involving cerebro-cerebellar connectivity are generated.

Acute ethanol exposure inhibits silencing of cerebellar Golgi cell firing induced by granule cell axon input

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Paolo eBotta

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Golgi cells (GoCs are specialized interneurons that provide inhibitory input to granule cells in the cerebellar cortex. GoCs are pacemaker neurons that spontaneously fire action potentials, triggering spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents in granule cells and also contributing to the generation tonic GABAA receptor-mediated currents in granule cells. In turn, granule cell axons provide feedback glutamatergic input to GoCs. It has been shown that high frequency stimulation of granule cell axons induces a transient pause in GoC firing in a type 2-metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR2-dependent manner. Here, we investigated the effect ethanol on the pause of GoC firing induced by high frequency stimulation of granule cell axons. GoC electrophysiological recordings were performed in parasagittal cerebellar vermis slices from postnatal day 23 to 26 rats. Loose-patch cell-attached recordings revealed that ethanol (40 mM reversibly decreases the pause duration. An antagonist of mGluR2 reduced the pause duration but did not affect the effect of ethanol. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings showed that currents evoked by an mGluR2 agonist were not significantly affected by ethanol. Perforated-patch experiments in which hyperpolarizing and depolarizing currents were injected into GoCs demonstrated that there is an inverse relationship between spontaneous firing and pause duration. Slight inhibition of the Na+/K+ pump mimicked the effect of ethanol on pause duration. In conclusion, ethanol reduces the granule cell axon-mediated feedback mechanism by reducing the input responsiveness of GoCs. This would result in a transient increase of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition of granule cells, limiting information flow at the input stage of the cerebellar cortex.

Modality specificity in the cerebro-cerebellar neurocircuitry during working memory.

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Ng, H B Tommy; Kao, K-L Cathy; Chan, Y C; Chew, Effie; Chuang, K H; Chen, S H Annabel

2016-05-15

Previous studies have suggested cerebro-cerebellar circuitry in working memory. The present fMRI study aims to distinguish differential cerebro-cerebellar activation patterns in verbal and visual working memory, and employs a quantitative analysis to deterimine lateralization of the activation patterns observed. Consistent with Chen and Desmond (2005a,b) predictions, verbal working memory activated a cerebro-cerebellar circuitry that comprised left-lateralized language-related brain regions including the inferior frontal and posterior parietal areas, and subcortically, right-lateralized superior (lobule VI) and inferior cerebellar (lobule VIIIA/VIIB) areas. In contrast, a distributed network of bilateral inferior frontal and inferior temporal areas, and bilateral superior (lobule VI) and inferior (lobule VIIB) cerebellar areas, was recruited during visual working memory. Results of the study verified that a distinct cross cerebro-cerebellar circuitry underlies verbal working memory. However, a neural circuitry involving specialized brain areas in bilateral neocortical and bilateral cerebellar hemispheres subserving visual working memory is observed. Findings are discussed in the light of current models of working memory and data from related neuroimaging studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enlarged Heart

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... rheumatic fever, a heart defect, infections (infectious endocarditis), connective tissue disorders, certain medications or radiation treatments for cancer, your heart may enlarge. Disease of the heart ...

Cerebellar giant cell glioblastoma multiforme in an adult

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Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Cerebellar glioblastoma multiforme (GBM is a rare tumor that accounts for only 1% of all cases of GBM and its giant cell variant is even much rarely encountered in adults. A case of cerebellar giant cell GBM managed at our institution reporting its clinical presentation, radiological and histological findings, and treatment instituted is described. In conjunction, a literature review, including particular issues, clinical data, advances in imaging studies, pathological characteristics, treatment options, and the behavior of such malignant tumor is presented. It is very important for the neurosurgeon to make the differential diagnosis between the cerebellar GBM, and other diseases such as metastasis, anaplastic astrocytomas, and cerebellar infarct because their treatment modalities, prognosis, and outcome are different.

The cerebellar development in chinese children-a study by voxel-based volume measurement of reconstructed 3D MRI scan.

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Wu, Kuan-Hsun; Chen, Chia-Yuan; Shen, Ein-Yiao

2011-01-01

Cerebellar disorder was frequently reported to have relation with structural brain volume alteration and/or morphology change. In dealing with such clinical situations, we need a convenient and noninvasive imaging tool to provide clinicians with a means of tracing developmental changes in the cerebellum. Herein, we present a new daily practice method for cerebellum imaging that uses a work station and a software program to process reconstructed 3D neuroimages after MRI scanning. In a 3-y period, 3D neuroimages reconstructed from MRI scans of 50 children aged 0.2-12.7 y were taken. The resulting images were then statistically analyzed against a growth curve. We observed a remarkable increase in the size of the cerebellum in the first 2 y of life. Furthermore, the unmyelinated cerebellum grew mainly between birth and 2 y of age in the postnatal stage. In contrast, the postnatal development of the brain mainly depended on the growth of myelinated cerebellum from birth through adolescence. This study presents basic data from a study of ethnic Chinese children's cerebellums using reconstructed 3D brain images. Based on the technique we introduce here, clinicians can evaluate the growth of the brain.

Aberrant cerebellar connectivity in bipolar disorder with psychosis.

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Shinn, Ann K; Roh, Youkyung S; Ravichandran, Caitlin T; Baker, Justin T; Öngür, Dost; Cohen, Bruce M

2017-07-01

The cerebellum, which modulates affect and cognition in addition to motor functions, may contribute substantially to the pathophysiology of mood and psychotic disorders, such as bipolar disorder. A growing literature points to cerebellar abnormalities in bipolar disorder. However, no studies have investigated the topographic representations of resting state cerebellar networks in bipolar disorder, specifically their functional connectivity to cerebral cortical networks. Using a well-defined cerebral cortical parcellation scheme as functional connectivity seeds, we compared ten cerebellar resting state networks in 49 patients with bipolar disorder and a lifetime history of psychotic features and 55 healthy control participants matched for age, sex, and image signal-to-noise ratio. Patients with psychotic bipolar disorder showed reduced cerebro-cerebellar functional connectivity in somatomotor A, ventral attention, salience, and frontoparietal control A and B networks relative to healthy control participants. These findings were not significantly correlated with current symptoms. Patients with psychotic bipolar disorder showed evidence of cerebro-cerebellar dysconnectivity in selective networks. These disease-related changes were substantial and not explained by medication exposure or substance use. Therefore, they may be mechanistically relevant to the underlying susceptibility to mood dysregulation and psychosis. Cerebellar mechanisms deserve further exploration in psychiatric conditions, and this study's findings may have value in guiding future studies on pathophysiology and treatment of mood and psychotic disorders, in particular.

Cerebellar mutism: review of the literature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gudrunardottir, Thora; Sehested, Astrid; Juhler, Marianne

2011-01-01

Cerebellar mutism is a common complication of posterior fossa surgery in children. This article reviews current status with respect to incidence, anatomical substrate, pathophysiology, risk factors, surgical considerations, treatment options, prognosis and prevention.......Cerebellar mutism is a common complication of posterior fossa surgery in children. This article reviews current status with respect to incidence, anatomical substrate, pathophysiology, risk factors, surgical considerations, treatment options, prognosis and prevention....

Acute Cerebellar Ataxia Induced by Nivolumab

OpenAIRE

Kawamura, Reina; Nagata, Eiichiro; Mukai, Masako; Ohnuki, Yoichi; Matsuzaki, Tomohiko; Ohiwa, Kana; Nakagawa, Tomoki; Kohno, Mitsutomo; Masuda, Ryota; Iwazaki, Masayuki; Takizawa, Shunya

2017-01-01

A 54-year-old woman with adenocarcinoma of the lung and lymph node metastasis experienced nystagmus and cerebellar ataxia 2 weeks after initiating nivolumab therapy. An evaluation for several autoimmune-related antibodies and paraneoplastic syndrome yielded negative results. We eventually diagnosed the patient with nivolumab-induced acute cerebellar ataxia, after excluding other potential conditions. Her ataxic gait and nystagmus resolved shortly after intravenous steroid pulse therapy follow...

Disorganized foliation of unilateral cerebellar hemisphere as cerebellar cortical dysplasia in patients with recurrent seizures: A case report

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Baek, Hye Jin [Dept. of Radiology, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2013-09-15

We present a rare case of abnormal foliation for one cerebellar hemisphere on MR imaging, showing vertically-oriented folia. Foliation of contralateral cerebellar hemisphere and other structures in the posterior fossa were normal, and the patient has no neurologic deficits. This rare and unique abnormality is considered a kind of developmental error of the cerebellum.

Anomalous cerebellar anatomy in Chinese children with dyslexia

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Ying-Hui eYang

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The cerebellar deficit hypothesis for developmental dyslexia (DD claims that cerebellar dysfunction causes the failures in the acquisition of visuomotor skills and automatic reading and writing skills. In people with dyslexia in the alphabetic languages, the abnormal activation and structure of the right or bilateral cerebellar lobes have been identified. Using a typical implicit motor learning task, however, one neuroimaging study demonstrated the left cerebellar dysfunction in Chinese children with dyslexia. In the present study, using voxel-based morphometry, we found decreased gray matter volume in the left cerebellum in Chinese children with dyslexia relative to age-matched controls. The positive correlation between reading performance and regional gray matter volume suggests that the abnormal structure in the left cerebellum is responsible for reading disability in Chinese children with dyslexia.

Network-targeted cerebellar transcranial magnetic stimulation improves attentional control

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Esterman, Michael; Thai, Michelle; Okabe, Hidefusa; DeGutis, Joseph; Saad, Elyana; Laganiere, Simon E.; Halko, Mark A.

2018-01-01

Developing non-invasive brain stimulation interventions to improve attentional control is extremely relevant to a variety of neurologic and psychiatric populations, yet few studies have identified reliable biomarkers that can be readily modified to improve attentional control. One potential biomarker of attention is functional connectivity in the core cortical network supporting attention - the dorsal attention network (DAN). We used a network-targeted cerebellar transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) procedure, intended to enhance cortical functional connectivity in the DAN. Specifically, in healthy young adults we administered intermittent theta burst TMS (iTBS) to the midline cerebellar node of the DAN and, as a control, the right cerebellar node of the default mode network (DMN). These cerebellar targets were localized using individual resting-state fMRI scans. Participants completed assessments of both sustained (gradual onset continuous performance task, gradCPT) and transient attentional control (attentional blink) immediately before and after stimulation, in two sessions (cerebellar DAN and DMN). Following cerebellar DAN stimulation, participants had significantly fewer attentional lapses (lower commission error rates) on the gradCPT. In contrast, stimulation to the cerebellar DMN did not affect gradCPT performance. Further, in the DAN condition, individuals with worse baseline gradCPT performance showed the greatest enhancement in gradCPT performance. These results suggest that temporarily increasing functional connectivity in the DAN via network-targeted cerebellar stimulation can enhance sustained attention, particularly in those with poor baseline performance. With regard to transient attention, TMS stimulation improved attentional blink performance across both stimulation sites, suggesting increasing functional connectivity in both networks can enhance this aspect of attention. These findings have important implications for intervention applications

Recent Advances in Cerebellar Ischemic Stroke Syndromes Causing Vertigo and Hearing Loss.

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Kim, Hyun-Ah; Yi, Hyon-Ah; Lee, Hyung

2016-12-01

Cerebellar ischemic stroke is one of the common causes of vascular vertigo. It usually accompanies other neurological symptoms or signs, but a small infarct in the cerebellum can present with vertigo without other localizing symptoms. Approximately 11 % of the patients with isolated cerebellar infarction simulated acute peripheral vestibulopathy, and most patients had an infarct in the territory of the medial branch of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). A head impulse test can differentiate acute isolated vertigo associated with PICA territory cerebellar infarction from more benign disorders involving the inner ear. Acute hearing loss (AHL) of a vascular cause is mostly associated with cerebellar infarction in the territory of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA), but PICA territory cerebellar infarction rarely causes AHL. To date, at least eight subgroups of AICA territory infarction have been identified according to the pattern of neurotological presentations, among which the most common pattern of audiovestibular dysfunction is the combined loss of auditory and vestibular functions. Sometimes acute isolated audiovestibular loss can be the initial symptom of impending posterior circulation ischemic stroke (particularly within the territory of the AICA). Audiovestibular loss from cerebellar infarction has a good long-term outcome than previously thought. Approximately half of patients with superior cerebellar artery territory (SCA) cerebellar infarction experienced true vertigo, suggesting that the vertigo and nystagmus in the SCA territory cerebellar infarctions are more common than previously thought. In this article, recent findings on clinical features of vertigo and hearing loss from cerebellar ischemic stroke syndrome are summarized.

Learning of Sensory Sequences in Cerebellar Patients

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Frings, Markus; Boenisch, Raoul; Gerwig, Marcus; Diener, Hans-Christoph; Timmann, Dagmar

2004-01-01

A possible role of the cerebellum in detecting and recognizing event sequences has been proposed. The present study sought to determine whether patients with cerebellar lesions are impaired in the acquisition and discrimination of sequences of sensory stimuli of different modalities. A group of 26 cerebellar patients and 26 controls matched for…

The clinical impact of cerebellar grey matter pathology in multiple sclerosis.

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Alfredo Damasceno

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The cerebellum is an important site for cortical demyelination in multiple sclerosis, but the functional significance of this finding is not fully understood. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and cognitive impact of cerebellar grey-matter pathology in multiple sclerosis patients. METHODS: Forty-two relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients and 30 controls underwent clinical assessment including the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS and cerebellar functional system (FS score, and cognitive evaluation, including the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT and the Symbol-Digit Modalities Test (SDMT. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed with a 3T scanner and variables of interest were: brain white-matter and cortical lesion load, cerebellar intracortical and leukocortical lesion volumes, and brain cortical and cerebellar white-matter and grey-matter volumes. RESULTS: After multivariate analysis high burden of cerebellar intracortical lesions was the only predictor for the EDSS (p<0.001, cerebellar FS (p = 0.002, arm function (p = 0.049, and for leg function (p<0.001. Patients with high burden of cerebellar leukocortical lesions had lower PASAT scores (p = 0.013, while patients with greater volumes of cerebellar intracortical lesions had worse SDMT scores (p = 0.015. CONCLUSIONS: Cerebellar grey-matter pathology is widely present and contributes to clinical dysfunction in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients, independently of brain grey-matter damage.

Microvascular anatomy of the cerebellar parafloccular perforating space.

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Sosa, Pablo; Dujovny, Manuel; Onyekachi, Ibe; Sockwell, Noressia; Cremaschi, Fabián; Savastano, Luis E

2016-02-01

The cerebellopontine angle is a common site for tumor growth and vascular pathologies requiring surgical manipulations that jeopardize cranial nerve integrity and cerebellar and brainstem perfusion. To date, a detailed study of vessels perforating the cisternal surface of the middle cerebellar peduncle-namely, the paraflocculus or parafloccular perforating space-has yet to be published. In this report, the perforating vessels of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) in the parafloccular space, or on the cisternal surface of the middle cerebellar peduncle, are described to elucidate their relevance pertaining to microsurgery and the different pathologies that occur at the cerebellopontine angle. Fourteen cadaveric cerebellopontine cisterns (CPCs) were studied. Anatomical dissections and analysis of the perforating arteries of the AICA and posterior inferior cerebellar artery at the parafloccular space were recorded using direct visualization by surgical microscope, optical histology, and scanning electron microscope. A comprehensive review of the English-language and Spanish-language literature was also performed, and findings related to anatomy, histology, physiology, neurology, neuroradiology, microsurgery, and endovascular surgery pertaining to the cerebellar flocculus or parafloccular spaces are summarized. A total of 298 perforating arteries were found in the dissected specimens, with a minimum of 15 to a maximum of 26 vessels per parafloccular perforating space. The average outer diameter of the cisternal portion of the perforating arteries was 0.11 ± 0.042 mm (mean ± SD) and the average length was 2.84 ± 1.2 mm. Detailed schematics and the surgical anatomy of the perforating vessels at the CPC and their clinical relevance are reported. The parafloccular space is a key entry point for many perforating vessels toward the middle cerebellar peduncle and lateral brainstem, and it must be respected and protected during surgical approaches to the

New evidence for the cerebellar involvement in personality traits

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Eleonora ePicerni

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Following the recognition of its role in sensory-motor coordination and learning, the cerebellum has been involved in cognitive, emotional and even personality domains. This study investigated the relationships between cerebellar macro- and micro-structural variations and temperamental traits measured by Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI. High resolution T1-weighted and Diffusion Tensor Images of 100 healthy subjects aged 18-59 years were acquired by 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance scanner. In multiple regression analyses, cerebellar Gray Matter (GM or White Matter (WM volumes, GM Mean Diffusivity (MD, and WM Fractional Anisotropy (FA were used as dependent variables, TCI scores as regressors, gender, age, and education years as covariates. Novelty Seeking scores were associated positively with the cerebellar GM volumes and FA, and negatively with MD. No significant association between Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence or Persistence scores and cerebellar structural measures was found. The present data put toward a cerebellar involvement in the management of novelty.

Enlarged prostate

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... for drugs that may make your symptoms worse : SAW PALMETTO Many herbs have been tried for treating an enlarged prostate. Many men use saw palmetto to ease symptoms. Some studies have shown that ...

NATO Enlargement

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gallis, Paul E

2003-01-01

This report provides a brief summary of the last round of NATO enlargement. The report analyzes the key military and political issues in the debate over seven prospective members named at NATO's Prague summit...

Enlarged adenoids

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... lips Dry mouth Persistent runny nose or nasal congestion Enlarged adenoids may also cause sleep problems. A ... in the mouth or by inserting a flexible tube (called an endoscope) placed through the nose. Tests ...

Liver enlargement demonstrated by scintigraphy in rheumatoid arthritis

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Tiger, L.H.; Gordon, M.H.; Ehrlich, G.E.; Shapiro, B.

1976-03-01

Scintigraphic scanning employing technetium-99m sulfur colloid was used to assess the size of the liver and spleen in 32 consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The data were correlated with clinical and laboratory assessment. Seven patients had enlarged livers, three enlarged spleens. An expected correlation of liver enlargement with Sjogren's syndrome did not materialize. Splenic enlargement and liver enlargement were discordant. Liver enlargement correlation best with elevations of rheumatoid factor as measured by latex fixation. As liver enlargement is not an appreciated feature of rheumatoid arthritis, these findings suggest that hepatomegaly need not necessarily imply adverse treatment results or the development of lymphoproliferative disorders.

Verbal Memory Impairments in Children after Cerebellar Tumor Resection

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Matthew P. Kirschen

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This study was designed to investigate cerebellar lobular contributions to specific cognitive deficits observed after cerebellar tumor resection. Verbal working memory (VWM tasks were administered to children following surgical resection of cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas and age-matched controls. Anatomical MRI scans were used to quantify the extent of cerebellar lobular damage from each patient's resection. Patients exhibited significantly reduced digit span for auditory but not visual stimuli, relative to controls, and damage to left hemispheral lobule VIII was significantly correlated with this deficit. Patients also showed reduced effects of articulatory suppression and this was correlated with damage to the vermis and hemispheral lobule IV/V bilaterally. Phonological similarity and recency effects did not differ overall between patients and controls, but outlier patients with abnormal phonological similarity effects to either auditory or visual stimuli were found to have damage to hemispheral lobule VIII/VIIB on the left and right, respectively. We postulate that damage to left hemispheral lobule VIII may interfere with encoding of auditory stimuli into the phonological store. These data corroborate neuroimaging studies showing focal cerebellar activation during VWM paradigms, and thereby allow us to predict with greater accuracy which specific neurocognitive processes will be affected by a cerebellar tumor resection.

Contribution of Somatic and Dendritic SK Channels in the Firing Rate of Deep Cerebellar Nuclei: Implication in Cerebellar Ataxia

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Samira Abbasi

2016-01-01

Discussion: Therefore, inhibition of SK channel in DCN can cause cerebellar ataxia, and SK channel openers can have a therapeutic effect on cerebellar ataxia. In addition, the location of SK channels could be important in therapeutic goals. Dendritic SK channels can be a more effective target compared to somatic SK channels

Gingival Enlargement

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... cover the crowns of the teeth causing periodontal (gum) disease (due to difficulty in keeping the teeth clean) ... localized and/or generalized gingival enlargement such as pregnancy, hormonal imbalances, and leukemia. To the right is ...

Differential distribution patterns in cerebellar irrigation. A study with autopsy material

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Hernando Yesid Estupiñan

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this investigation was characterize morphologically the cerebellar artery and its branches in a specimen of autopsy material. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study evaluated the anatomical characteristics of the cerebellar arteries and their branches in 93 brain stem and cerebellum blocks obtained from fresh cadavers. The specimens were perfused bilaterally channeling the proximal segments of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries with a semi-synthetic resin (Palatal GP40L 85%; styrene 15% impregnated with mineral red dye. We evaluated the distribution patterns of the cerebellar artery and its branches. Results: The calibers of the superior cerebellar artery (SCA, anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA and posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA were 1.46 ± 0.2 mm, 1.02 ± 0.35 mm and 1.45 ± 0.37 mm, respectively. Agenesis of the SCA was observed in six specimens (3.2%, AICA in 30 (16.1%, and PICA in 14 (7.5% specimens. Usual irrigation was observed in 44 (47.3% cerebellar blocks, whereas 49 (52.7% specimens showed irrigation variants, 23 (46.9% of which appeared bilaterally. The dominant distribution of the cerebellar arteries corresponded to SCA in 9 (12.5% cases, AICA in 46 (63.9% and PICA in 7 (9.7% specimens; shared dominance was found in 10 (13.9% specimens. Conclusion: The high variability of the cerebellar arteries observed in the present study is consistent with previous reports. The diverse anatomic expressions of the cerebellar arteries were typified in relation to their dominance and territories irrigated, useful for the diagnosis and clinical-surgical management of the cerebellum blood supply.

Mathematical models of human cerebellar development in the fetal period.

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Dudek, Krzysztof; Nowakowska-Kotas, Marta; Kędzia, Alicja

2018-04-01

The evaluation of cerebellar growth in the fetal period forms a part of a widely used examination to identify any features of abnormalities in early stages of human development. It is well known that the development of anatomical structures, including the cerebellum, does not always follow a linear model of growth. The aim of the study was to analyse a variety of mathematical models of human cerebellar development in fetal life to determine their adequacy. The study comprised 101 fetuses (48 males and 53 females) between the 15th and 28th weeks of fetal life. The cerebellum was exposed and measurements of the vermis and hemispheres were performed, together with statistical analyses. The mathematical model parameters of fetal growth were assessed for crown-rump length (CRL) increases, transverse cerebellar diameter and ventrodorsal dimensions of the cerebellar vermis in the transverse plane, and rostrocaudal dimensions of the cerebellar vermis and hemispheres in the frontal plane. A variety of mathematical models were applied, including linear and non-linear functions. Taking into consideration the variance between models and measurements, as well as correlation parameters, the exponential and Gompertz models proved to be the most suitable for modelling cerebellar growth in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. However, the linear model gave a satisfactory approximation of cerebellar growth, especially in older fetuses. The proposed models of fetal cerebellar growth constructed on the basis of anatomical examination and objective mathematical calculations could be useful in the estimation of fetal development. © 2018 Anatomical Society.

A composite neurobehavioral test to evaluate acute functional deficits after cerebellar haemorrhage in rats.

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McBride, Devin W; Nowrangi, Derek; Kaur, Harpreet; Wu, Guangyong; Huang, Lei; Lekic, Tim; Tang, Jiping; Zhang, John H

2018-03-01

Cerebellar haemorrhage accounts for 5-10% of all intracerebral haemorrhages and leads to severe, long-lasting functional deficits. Currently, there is limited research on this stroke subtype, which may be due to the lack of a suitable composite neuroscoring system specific for cerebellar injury in rodents. The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive composite neuroscore test for cerebellar injury using a rat model of cerebellar haemorrhage. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to either sham surgery or cerebellar haemorrhage. Twenty-four hours post-injury, neurological behaviour was evaluated using 17 cost-effective and easy-to-perform tests, and a composite neuroscore was developed. The composite neuroscore was then used to assess functional recovery over seven days after cerebellar haemorrhage. Differences in the composite neuroscore deficits for the mild and moderate cerebellar haemorrhage models were observed for up to five days post-ictus. Until now, a composite neuroscore for cerebellar injury was not available for rodent studies. Herein, using mild and moderate cerebellar haemorrhage rat models a composite neuroscore for cerebellar injury was developed and used to assess functional deficits after cerebellar haemorrhage. This composite neuroscore may also be useful for other cerebellar injury models.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Human Cerebellar Pathways and their Interplay with Cerebral Macrostructure

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Zafer eKeser

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Cerebellar white matter connections to the central nervous system are classified functionally into the spinocerebellar, vestibulocerebellar, and cerebrocerebellar subdivisions. The Spinocerebellar (SC pathways project from spinal cord to cerebellum, whereas the vestibulocerebellar (VC pathways project from vestibular organs of the inner ear. Cerebrocerebellar connections are composed of feed forward and feedback connections between cerebrum and cerebellum including the cortico-ponto-cerebellar (CPC pathways being of cortical origin and the dentate-rubro-thalamo-cortical (DRTC pathway being of cerebellar origin. In this study we systematically quantified the whole cerebellar system connections using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI. Ten right-handed healthy subjects (7 males and 3 females, age range 20-51 years were studied. DT-MRI data were acquired with a voxel size = 2mm x 2mm x 2 mm at a 3.0 Tesla clinical MRI scanner. The DT-MRI data were prepared and analyzed using anatomically-guided deterministic tractography methods to reconstruct the SC, DRTC, fronto-ponto-cerebellar (FPC, parieto-ponto-cerebellar (PPC, temporo-ponto-cerebellar (TPC and occipito-ponto-cerebellar (OPC. The DTI-attributes or the cerebellar tracts along with their cortical representation (Brodmann areas were presented in standard Montréal Neurological Institute space. All cerebellar tract volumes were quantified and correlated with volumes of cerebral cortical, subcortical gray matter (GM, cerebral white matter (WM and cerebellar GM, and cerebellar WM. On our healthy cohort, the ratio of total cerebellar GM-to-WM was ~ 3.29 ± 0.24, whereas the ratio of cerebral GM-to-WM was approximately 1.10 ± 0.11. The sum of all cerebellar tract volumes is ~ 25.8 ± 7.3 mL, or a percentage of 1.52 ± 0.43 of the total intracranial volume.

Brainstem and cerebellar changes after cerebrovascular accidents: magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchino, A.; Takase, Y.; Nomiyama, K.; Egashira, R.; Kudo, S.

2006-01-01

We illustrate the various types of secondary degeneration in the brainstem and/or cerebellum detected on magnetic resonance (MR) images obtained after cerebrovascular accidents. The changes include: (a) ipsilateral nigral degeneration after striatal infarction; (b) Wallerian degeneration of the pyramidal tract in the brainstem after supratentorial pyramidal tract or motor cortex injury; (c) Wallerian degeneration of the corticopontine tract in the brainstem after frontal lobe infarction; (d) ipsilateral brainstem atrophy and crossed cerebellar atrophy due to an extensive supratentorial lesion; (e) ipsilateral superior cerebellar peduncle atrophy, contralateral rubral degeneration, contralateral inferior olivary degeneration and ipsilateral cerebellar atrophy after dentate nucleus hemorrhage; (f) ipsilateral inferior olivary degeneration after pontine tegmentum hemorrhage; (g) bilateral wallerian degeneration of the pontocerebellar tracts after ventromedial pontine infarction or basis pontis hemorrhage; and (h) ipsilateral cerebellar atrophy after middle cerebellar peduncle hemorrhage. (orig.)

Brainstem and cerebellar changes after cerebrovascular accidents: magnetic resonance imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uchino, A.; Takase, Y.; Nomiyama, K.; Egashira, R.; Kudo, S. [Saga Medical School, Department of Radiology, Saga (Japan)

2006-03-15

We illustrate the various types of secondary degeneration in the brainstem and/or cerebellum detected on magnetic resonance (MR) images obtained after cerebrovascular accidents. The changes include: (a) ipsilateral nigral degeneration after striatal infarction; (b) Wallerian degeneration of the pyramidal tract in the brainstem after supratentorial pyramidal tract or motor cortex injury; (c) Wallerian degeneration of the corticopontine tract in the brainstem after frontal lobe infarction; (d) ipsilateral brainstem atrophy and crossed cerebellar atrophy due to an extensive supratentorial lesion; (e) ipsilateral superior cerebellar peduncle atrophy, contralateral rubral degeneration, contralateral inferior olivary degeneration and ipsilateral cerebellar atrophy after dentate nucleus hemorrhage; (f) ipsilateral inferior olivary degeneration after pontine tegmentum hemorrhage; (g) bilateral wallerian degeneration of the pontocerebellar tracts after ventromedial pontine infarction or basis pontis hemorrhage; and (h) ipsilateral cerebellar atrophy after middle cerebellar peduncle hemorrhage. (orig.)

Metabolic changes and DNA hypomethylation in cerebellum are associated with behavioral alterations in mice exposed to trichloroethylene postnatally

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Blossom, Sarah J., E-mail: blossomsarah@uams.edu [Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Arkansas Children' s Hospital Research Institute, 13 Children' s Way, Little Rock, AR 72202 (United States); Cooney, Craig A. [Department of Research and Development, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital, 4300 West 7th St., Little Rock, AR 72205-5484 (United States); Melnyk, Stepan B.; Rau, Jenny L.; Swearingen, Christopher J. [Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Arkansas Children' s Hospital Research Institute, 13 Children' s Way, Little Rock, AR 72202 (United States); Wessinger, William D. [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, 4301 West Markham St., Little Rock, AR 72205 (United States)

2013-06-15

Previous studies demonstrated that low-level postnatal and early life exposure to the environmental contaminant, trichloroethylene (TCE), in the drinking water of MRL +/+ mice altered glutathione redox homeostasis and increased biomarkers of oxidative stress indicating a more oxidized state. Plasma metabolites along the interrelated transmethylation pathway were also altered indicating impaired methylation capacity. Here we extend these findings to further characterize the impact of TCE exposure in mice exposed to water only or two doses of TCE in the drinking water (0, 2, and 28 mg/kg/day) postnatally from birth until 6 weeks of age on redox homeostasis and biomarkers of oxidative stress in the cerebellum. In addition, pathway intermediates involved in methyl metabolism and global DNA methylation patterns were examined in cerebellar tissue. Because the cerebellum is functionally important for coordinating motor activity, including exploratory and social approach behaviors, these parameters were evaluated in the present study. Mice exposed to 28 mg/kg/day TCE exhibited increased locomotor activity over time as compared with control mice. In the novel object exploration test, these mice were more likely to enter the zone with the novel object as compared to control mice. Similar results were obtained in a second test when an unfamiliar mouse was introduced into the testing arena. The results show for the first time that postnatal exposure to TCE causes key metabolic changes in the cerebellum that may contribute to global DNA methylation deficits and behavioral alterations in TCE-exposed mice. - Highlights: • We exposed male mice to low-level trichloroethylene from postnatal days 1 through 42. • This exposure altered redox potential and increased oxidative stress in cerebellum. • This exposure altered metabolites important in cellular methylation in cerebellum. • This exposure promoted DNA hypomethylation in cerebellum. • This exposure enhanced locomotor

Metabolic changes and DNA hypomethylation in cerebellum are associated with behavioral alterations in mice exposed to trichloroethylene postnatally

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blossom, Sarah J.; Cooney, Craig A.; Melnyk, Stepan B.; Rau, Jenny L.; Swearingen, Christopher J.; Wessinger, William D.

2013-01-01

Previous studies demonstrated that low-level postnatal and early life exposure to the environmental contaminant, trichloroethylene (TCE), in the drinking water of MRL +/+ mice altered glutathione redox homeostasis and increased biomarkers of oxidative stress indicating a more oxidized state. Plasma metabolites along the interrelated transmethylation pathway were also altered indicating impaired methylation capacity. Here we extend these findings to further characterize the impact of TCE exposure in mice exposed to water only or two doses of TCE in the drinking water (0, 2, and 28 mg/kg/day) postnatally from birth until 6 weeks of age on redox homeostasis and biomarkers of oxidative stress in the cerebellum. In addition, pathway intermediates involved in methyl metabolism and global DNA methylation patterns were examined in cerebellar tissue. Because the cerebellum is functionally important for coordinating motor activity, including exploratory and social approach behaviors, these parameters were evaluated in the present study. Mice exposed to 28 mg/kg/day TCE exhibited increased locomotor activity over time as compared with control mice. In the novel object exploration test, these mice were more likely to enter the zone with the novel object as compared to control mice. Similar results were obtained in a second test when an unfamiliar mouse was introduced into the testing arena. The results show for the first time that postnatal exposure to TCE causes key metabolic changes in the cerebellum that may contribute to global DNA methylation deficits and behavioral alterations in TCE-exposed mice. - Highlights: • We exposed male mice to low-level trichloroethylene from postnatal days 1 through 42. • This exposure altered redox potential and increased oxidative stress in cerebellum. • This exposure altered metabolites important in cellular methylation in cerebellum. • This exposure promoted DNA hypomethylation in cerebellum. • This exposure enhanced locomotor

Improving cerebellar segmentation with statistical fusion

Science.gov (United States)

Plassard, Andrew J.; Yang, Zhen; Prince, Jerry L.; Claassen, Daniel O.; Landman, Bennett A.

2016-03-01

The cerebellum is a somatotopically organized central component of the central nervous system well known to be involved with motor coordination and increasingly recognized roles in cognition and planning. Recent work in multiatlas labeling has created methods that offer the potential for fully automated 3-D parcellation of the cerebellar lobules and vermis (which are organizationally equivalent to cortical gray matter areas). This work explores the trade offs of using different statistical fusion techniques and post hoc optimizations in two datasets with distinct imaging protocols. We offer a novel fusion technique by extending the ideas of the Selective and Iterative Method for Performance Level Estimation (SIMPLE) to a patch-based performance model. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm, Non- Local SIMPLE, for segmentation of a mixed population of healthy subjects and patients with severe cerebellar anatomy. Under the first imaging protocol, we show that Non-Local SIMPLE outperforms previous gold-standard segmentation techniques. In the second imaging protocol, we show that Non-Local SIMPLE outperforms previous gold standard techniques but is outperformed by a non-locally weighted vote with the deeper population of atlases available. This work advances the state of the art in open source cerebellar segmentation algorithms and offers the opportunity for routinely including cerebellar segmentation in magnetic resonance imaging studies that acquire whole brain T1-weighted volumes with approximately 1 mm isotropic resolution.

Cerebellar blood flow in methylmercury poisoning (Minamata disease)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Itoh, K.; Korogi, Y.; Tomiguchi, S.; Takahashi, M. [Dept. of Radiology, Kumamoto University School of Medicine (Japan); Okajima, T. [Dept. of Neurology, Johnan Hospital, Maihara, Johnan-mochi (Japan); Sato, H. [Dept. of Neurology, Minamata City General Hospital and Medical Centre (Japan)

2001-04-01

We looked at regional cerebellar blood flow in patients with Minamata disease (MD) using technetium-99 m ethyl cysteinate dimer (99m-Tc-ECD). We carried out single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) on 15 patients with MD (eight men, seven women, aged 51-78 years, mean 70.5 years) and 11 control subjects (eight men, three women, aged 62-80 years, mean 72.5 years). Regional blood flow was measured in the superior, middle, and inferior portions of the cerebellar hemispheres, and the frontal, temporal and occipital cerebral lobes. The degree of cerebellar atrophy was assessed on MRI. There were significant differences in regional blood flow in all parts of the cerebellum between patients and control, but no significant decrease was observed in the cerebrum. Blood flow was lower in the inferior cerebellum than in the other parts. Even in patients without cerebellar atrophy, flow was significantly decreased regional blood flow in the inferior part. (orig.)

Cerebellar blood flow in methylmercury poisoning (Minamata disease)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, K.; Korogi, Y.; Tomiguchi, S.; Takahashi, M.; Okajima, T.; Sato, H.

2001-01-01

We looked at regional cerebellar blood flow in patients with Minamata disease (MD) using technetium-99 m ethyl cysteinate dimer (99m-Tc-ECD). We carried out single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) on 15 patients with MD (eight men, seven women, aged 51-78 years, mean 70.5 years) and 11 control subjects (eight men, three women, aged 62-80 years, mean 72.5 years). Regional blood flow was measured in the superior, middle, and inferior portions of the cerebellar hemispheres, and the frontal, temporal and occipital cerebral lobes. The degree of cerebellar atrophy was assessed on MRI. There were significant differences in regional blood flow in all parts of the cerebellum between patients and control, but no significant decrease was observed in the cerebrum. Blood flow was lower in the inferior cerebellum than in the other parts. Even in patients without cerebellar atrophy, flow was significantly decreased regional blood flow in the inferior part. (orig.)

The Next Round of NATO Enlargement

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Simon, Jeffrey

2000-01-01

.... Political, geostrategic, and technical factors will frame policy options on enlargement though the shifting importance of these factors will likely influence any decision on enlarging the Alliance...

Postnatal Expression of V2 Vasopressin Receptor Splice Variants in the Rat Cerebellum

Science.gov (United States)

Vargas, Karina J.; Sarmiento, José M.; Ehrenfeld, Pamela; Añazco, Carolina C.; Villanueva, Carolina I.; Carmona, Pamela L.; Brenet, Marianne; Navarro, Javier; Müller-Esterl, Werner; Figueroa, Carlos D.; González, Carlos B.

2010-01-01

The V2 vasopressin receptor gene contains an alternative splice site in exon-3, which leads to the generation of two splice variants (V2a and V2b) first identified in the kidney. The open reading frame of the alternatively spliced V2b transcripten codes a truncated receptor, showing the same amino acid sequence as the canonical V2a receptor up to the 6th transmembrane segment, but displaying a distinct sequence to the corresponding 7th transmembrane segment and C-terminal domain relative to the V2a receptor. Here, we demonstrate the postnatal expression of V2a and V2b variants in the rat cerebellum. Most importantly, we showed by in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry that both V2 splice variants were preferentially expressed in Purkinje cells, from early to late postnatal development. In addition, both variants were transiently expressed in the neuroblastic external granule cells and Bergmann fibers. These results indicate that the cellular distributions of both splice variants are developmentally regulated, and suggest that the transient expression of the V2 receptor is involved in the mechanisms of cerebellar cytodifferentiation by AVP. Finally, transfected CHO-K1 .expressing similar amounts of both V2 splice variants, as that found in the cerebellum, showed a significant reduction in the surface expression of V2a receptors, suggesting that the differential expression of the V2 splice variants regulate the vasopressin signaling in the cerebellum. PMID:19281786

Age-dependent pattern of cerebellar susceptibility to bilirubin neurotoxicity in vivo in mice

Science.gov (United States)

Bortolussi, Giulia; Baj, Gabriele; Vodret, Simone; Viviani, Giulia; Bittolo, Tamara; Muro, Andrés F.

2014-01-01

Neonatal jaundice is caused by high levels of unconjugated bilirubin. It is usually a temporary condition caused by delayed induction of UGT1A1, which conjugates bilirubin in the liver. To reduce bilirubin levels, affected babies are exposed to phototherapy (PT), which converts toxic bilirubin into water-soluble photoisomers that are readily excreted out. However, in some cases uncontrolled hyperbilirubinemia leads to neurotoxicity. To study the mechanisms of bilirubin-induced neurological damage (BIND) in vivo, we generated a mouse model lacking the Ugt1a1 protein and, consequently, mutant mice developed jaundice as early as 36 hours after birth. The mutation was transferred into two genetic backgrounds (C57BL/6 and FVB/NJ). We exposed mutant mice to PT for different periods and analyzed the resulting phenotypes from the molecular, histological and behavioral points of view. Severity of BIND was associated with genetic background, with 50% survival of C57BL/6‑Ugt1−/− mutant mice at postnatal day 5 (P5), and of FVB/NJ-Ugt1−/− mice at P11. Life-long exposure to PT prevented cerebellar architecture alterations and rescued neuronal damage in FVB/NJ-Ugt1−/− but not in C57BL/6-Ugt1−/− mice. Survival of FVB/NJ-Ugt1−/− mice was directly related to the extent of PT treatment. PT treatment of FVB/NJ-Ugt1−/− mice from P0 to P8 did not prevent bilirubin-induced reduction in dendritic arborization and spine density of Purkinje cells. Moreover, PT treatment from P8 to P20 did not rescue BIND accumulated up to P8. However, PT treatment administered in the time-window P0–P15 was sufficient to obtain full rescue of cerebellar damage and motor impairment in FVB/NJ-Ugt1−/− mice. The possibility to modulate the severity of the phenotype by PT makes FVB/NJ-Ugt1−/− mice an excellent and versatile model to study bilirubin neurotoxicity, the role of modifier genes, alternative therapies and cerebellar development during high bilirubin conditions. PMID

Reduced contralateral hemispheric flow measured by SPECT in cerebellar lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soenmezoglu, K.; Sperling, B.; Lassen, N.A.; Henriksen, T.; Tfelt-Hansen, P.

1993-01-01

Four patients with clinical signs of cerebellar stroke were studied twice by SPECT using 99m Tc-HMPAO as a tracer for cerebral blood flow (CBF). When first scanned 6 to 22 days after onset, all had a region of very low CBF in the symptomatic cerebellar hemisphere, and a mild to moderate CBF reduction (average 10%) in contralateral hemispheric cortex. In all four cases clinical signs of unilateral cerebellar dysfunction were still present when rescanned 1 to 4 months later and the relative CBF decrease in the contralateral cortex of the forebrain also remained. The basal ganglia contralateral to the cerebellar lesion CBF showed variable alterations. A relative CBF decrease was seen in upper part of basal ganglia in all four cases, but it was not a constant phenomenon. A relative CBF increase in both early and late SPECT scans was seen at low levels of neostriatum in two cases. The remote CBF changes in cerebellar stroke seen in the forebrain are probably caused by reduced or abolished cerebellar output. The term ''Crossed Cerebral Diaschisis'' may be used to describe these CBF changes that would appear to reflect both decreased and increased neuronal activity. (au)

Cerebellar abiotrophy in a family of Border Collie dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandy, J R; Slocombe, R E; Mitten, R W; Jedwab, D

2002-11-01

Cerebellar abiotrophies have a nonsex-linked, autosomal, recessively inherited basis in a number of species, and lesions typically reflect profound and progressive loss of Purkinje cells. In this report, an unusual form of abiotrophy is described for two sibling Border Collies. Extensive loss of the cerebellar granular cell layer was present with relative sparing of Purkinje cells of two female pups. The biochemical basis for this form of cerebellar abiotrophy is unknown, but the lack of disease in other siblings supports an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance.

European Enlargement Across Rounds and Beyond Borders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Enlargement has been an almost constant part of European integration history – going from an improvised exercise to the EU’s most developed foreign policy tool. However, neither the longevity nor the complexity of enlargement has been properly historicised. European Enlargement across Rounds...... and Beyond Borders offers three interdisciplinary, innovative, and indeed radical, new ways of understanding and analysing EC/EU enlargements: first, tracing Longue Durée developments; second, investigating enlargement Beyond the Road to Membership; and third, exploring the Entangled Exchanges and synergies...... scholars, should engage with it. This publication will be of key interest to scholars and students of modern European history and politics, the European integration process, EU studies, and more broadly multilateral international institutions, history, law and the social sciences....

Blood harmane is correlated with cerebellar metabolism in essential tremor: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Louis, Elan D; Zheng, Wei; Mao, Xiangling; Shungu, Dikoma C

2007-08-07

On proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging ((1)H MRSI), there is a decrease in cerebellar N-acetylaspartate/total creatine (NAA/tCr) in essential tremor (ET), signifying cerebellar neuronal dysfunction or degeneration. Harmane, which is present in the human diet, is a potent tremor-producing neurotoxin. Blood harmane concentrations seem to be elevated in ET. To assess in patients with ET whether blood harmane concentration is correlated with cerebellar NAA/tCR, a neuroimaging measure of neuronal dysfunction or degeneration. Twelve patients with ET underwent (1)H MRSI. The major neuroanatomic structure of interest was the cerebellar cortex. Secondary regions were the central cerebellar white matter, cerebellar vermis, thalamus, and basal ganglia. Blood concentrations of harmane and another neurotoxin, lead, were also assessed. Mean +/- SD cerebellar NAA/tCR was 1.52 +/- 0.41. In a linear regression model that adjusted for age and gender, log blood harmane concentration was a predictor of cerebellar NAA/tCR (beta = -0.41, p = 0.009); every 1 g(-10)/mL unit increase in log blood harmane concentration was associated with a 0.41 unit decrease in cerebellar NAA/tCR. The association between blood harmane concentration and brain NAA/tCR only occurred in the cerebellar cortex; it was not observed in secondary brain regions of interest. Furthermore, the association was specific to harmane and not another neurotoxin, lead. This study provides additional support for the emerging link between harmane, a neurotoxin, and ET. Further studies are warranted to address whether cerebellar harmane concentrations are associated with cerebellar pathology in postmortem studies of the ET brain.

Thymic enlargement in patients with hyperthyroidism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myung, Jae Sung; Goo, Jin Mo; Im, Jung Gi [College of medicine and the Institute of Radiation Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Mi Young [Sejong General Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Yang Hee [National Police Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2000-08-01

To evaluate the radiologic findings and clinical feasibility of thymic enlargement in patients with hyperthyroidism. Seven patients with hyperthyroidism and anterior mediastinal bulging revealed by chest radiography were evaluated. The CT findings were analyzed with regard to the shape of the anterior mediastinal mass, surrounding infiltration, and enlargement of mediastinal lymph nodes. Whether or not tumor markers (alpha-fetoprotein, beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin, and chorionic embryonic antigen) showed increased levels was determined, and the size and thickness of the anterior mediastinal mass were measured and compared with previously described age-matched thymus data. In addition, changes in the thyroid gland were evaluated. In all seven patients, anterior mediastinal masses were bi-lobed, with no surrounding infiltration or enlarged mediastinal lymph node, and tumor marker levels showed no increase. The masses were therefore considered to be thymus. In six patients, the size of the thymus exceeded two upper standard deviations of mean value and in one patient, it was smaller than this. In three patients, PCNB (percutaneous needle biopsy) revealed normal thymic tissue and in two, follow-up chest PA demonstrated no interval change. CT showed that in three patients, the thyroid glands were diffusely enlarged. In patients with hyperthyroidism, an anterior mediastinal mass seen on chest radiographs was due to thymic enlargement. The recognition of CT findings of thymic enlargement in such patients may avoid unnecessary biopsy. (author)

Cerebellar malformations alter regional cerebral development.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolduc, Marie-Eve; Du Plessis, Adre J; Evans, Alan; Guizard, Nicolas; Zhang, Xun; Robertson, Richard L; Limperopoulos, Catherine

2011-12-01

The aim of this study was to compare total and regional cerebral volumes in children with isolated cerebellar malformations (CBMs) with those in typically developing children, and to examine the extent to which cerebellar volumetric reductions are associated with total and regional cerebral volumes. This is a case-control study of children diagnosed with isolated CBMs. Each child was matched on age and sex to two typically developing children. Using advanced three-dimensional volumetric magnetic resonance imaging, the cerebrum was segmented into tissue classes and partitioned into eight regions. Analysis of variance was used to compare cerebral volumes between children with CBMs and control children, and linear regressions to examine the impact of cerebellar volume reduction on cerebral volumes. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed at a mean age of 27 months in 20 children (10 males, 10 females) with CBMs and 40 typically developing children. Children with CBMs showed significantly smaller deep grey matter nuclei (p developing children. Greater cerebellar volumetric reduction in children with CBMs was associated with decreased total cerebral volume and deep grey matter nuclei (p = 0.02), subgenual white/grey matter (p = 0.001), midtemporal white (p = 0.02) and grey matter (p = 0.01), and parieto-occipital grey matter (p = 0.004). CBMs are associated with impaired regional cerebral growth, suggesting deactivation of principal cerebello-cerebral pathways. © The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology © 2011 Mac Keith Press.

Heat stroke induced cerebellar dysfunction: A “forgotten syndrome”

Science.gov (United States)

Kosgallana, Athula D; Mallik, Shreyashee; Patel, Vishal; Beran, Roy G

2013-01-01

We report a case of heat stroke induced acute cerebellar dysfunction, a rare neurological disease characterized by gross cerebellar dysfunction with no acute radiographic changes, in a 61 years old ship captain presenting with slurred speech and gait ataxia. A systematic review of the literature on heat stroke induced cerebellar dysfunction was performed, with a focus on investigations, treatment and outcomes. After review of the literature and detailed patient investigation it was concluded that this patient suffered heat stroke at a temperature less than that quoted in the literature. PMID:24340279

Crossed cerebellar diaschisis in ischemic stroke

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meneghetti, G; Vorstrup, S; Mickey, B

1984-01-01

Seventy measurements of CBF were performed in 12 stroke patients by 133Xe inhalation and a rapidly rotating single photon emission computerized tomograph. CBF was measured every other day during the acute phase and at 2- and 6-month follow-up visits. A persistent contralateral cerebellar blood flow....... It is concluded from this serial study that crossed cerebellar diaschisis is a common finding in completed stroke. It is probably caused by disconnection of the corticopontine pathways, a disconnection that tends to persist. The phenomenon is in fact less variable than the stroke-related CBF changes...

Cerebellar abnormalities contribute to disability including cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katrin Weier

Full Text Available The cerebellum is known to be involved not only in motor but also cognitive and affective processes. Structural changes in the cerebellum in relation to cognitive dysfunction are an emerging topic in the field of neuro-psychiatric disorders. In Multiple Sclerosis (MS cerebellar motor and cognitive dysfunction occur in parallel, early in the onset of the disease, and the cerebellum is one of the predilection sites of atrophy. This study is aimed at determining the relationship between cerebellar volumes, clinical cerebellar signs, cognitive functioning and fatigue in MS. Cerebellar volumetry was conducted using T1-weighted MPRAGE magnetic resonance imaging of 172 MS patients. All patients underwent a clinical and brief neuropsychological assessment (information processing speed, working memory, including fatigue testing. Patients with and without cerebellar signs differed significantly regarding normalized cerebellar total volume (nTCV, normalized brain volume (nBV and whole brain T2 lesion volume (LV. Patients with cerebellar dysfunction likewise performed worse in cognitive tests. A regression analysis indicated that age and nTCV explained 26.3% of the variance in SDMT (symbol digit modalities test performance. However, only age, T2 LV and nBV remained predictors in the full model (r(2 = 0.36. The full model for the prediction of PASAT (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test scores (r(2 = 0.23 included age, cerebellar and T2 LV. In the case of fatigue, only age and nBV (r(2 = 0.17 emerged as significant predictors. These data support the view that cerebellar abnormalities contribute to disability, including cognitive impairment in MS. However, this contribution does not seem to be independent of, and may even be dominated by wider spread MS pathology as reflected by nBV and T2 LV.

Magnetic resonance imaging of cerebellar Schistosomiasis mansoni

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braga, Bruno Perocco; Costa Junior, Leodante Batista da; Lambertucci, Jose Roberto

2003-01-01

A 15-year-old boy was admitted to hospital with a history of headache, dizziness, vomiting and double vision that started two weeks before. His parents denied any previous disease. During clinical examination he presented diplopia on lateral gaze to the left and horizontal nystagmus. No major neurological dysfunction was detected. He was well built, mentally responsive and perceptive. Laboratory findings revealed a leukocyte count of 10,000/mL, a normal red blood cell count and no eosinophilia. The magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brain showed a left cerebellar lesion with mass effect compressing the surrounding tissues. Contrast-enhanced images showed a mass like structure and punctate nodules (Figures A and B: axial and coronal contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR images showed the nodular - yellow arrows - enhancement pattern of a left cerebellar intraxial lesion). The lesion extended to the vermis and brachium pons and compressed the medulla. There was no hydrocephalus. He was taken to the operating room with the presumptive diagnosis of a neuroglial tumor, and submitted to a lateral suboccipital craniectomy. A brown, brittle tumoral mass without a clearly defined margin with the cerebellar tissue was removed. Microscopic examination revealed schistosomal granulomas in the productive phase in the cerebellum (Figure C). After surgery, treatment with praziquantel (50 mg/kg/dia, single dose) and prednisone (1 mg/kg/day) was offered and the patient improved quickly. Thirty days later he was seen again at the outpatient clinic: he was asymptomatic and with no neurological impairment. This is the eighth case of cerebellar involvement in schistosomiasis mansoni and the second report of a tumoral form of cerebellar schistosomiasis documented by magnetic resonance images. (author)

Defective cerebellar control of cortical plasticity in writer’s cramp

Science.gov (United States)

Hubsch, Cecile; Roze, Emmanuel; Popa, Traian; Russo, Margherita; Balachandran, Ammu; Pradeep, Salini; Mueller, Florian; Brochard, Vanessa; Quartarone, Angelo; Degos, Bertrand; Vidailhet, Marie; Kishore, Asha

2013-01-01

A large body of evidence points to a role of basal ganglia dysfunction in the pathophysiology of dystonia, but recent studies indicate that cerebellar dysfunction may also be involved. The cerebellum influences sensorimotor adaptation by modulating sensorimotor plasticity of the primary motor cortex. Motor cortex sensorimotor plasticity is maladaptive in patients with writer’s cramp. Here we examined whether putative cerebellar dysfunction in dystonia is linked to these patients’ maladaptive plasticity. To that end we compared the performances of patients and healthy control subjects in a reaching task involving a visuomotor conflict generated by imposing a random deviation (−40° to 40°) on the direction of movement of the mouse/cursor. Such a task is known to involve the cerebellum. We also compared, between patients and healthy control subjects, how the cerebellum modulates the extent and duration of an ongoing sensorimotor plasticity in the motor cortex. The cerebellar cortex was excited or inhibited by means of repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation before artificial sensorimotor plasticity was induced in the motor cortex by paired associative stimulation. Patients with writer’s cramp were slower than the healthy control subjects to reach the target and, after having repeatedly adapted their trajectories to the deviations, they were less efficient than the healthy control subjects to perform reaching movement without imposed deviation. It was interpreted as impaired washing-out abilities. In healthy subjects, cerebellar cortex excitation prevented the paired associative stimulation to induce a sensorimotor plasticity in the primary motor cortex, whereas cerebellar cortex inhibition led the paired associative stimulation to be more efficient in inducing the plasticity. In patients with writer’s cramp, cerebellar cortex excitation and inhibition were both ineffective in modulating sensorimotor plasticity. In patients with writer’s cramp, but not

Cerebro-cerebellar interactions underlying temporal information processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Aso, Kenji; Hanakawa, Takashi; Aso, Toshihiko; Fukuyama, Hidenao

2010-12-01

The neural basis of temporal information processing remains unclear, but it is proposed that the cerebellum plays an important role through its internal clock or feed-forward computation functions. In this study, fMRI was used to investigate the brain networks engaged in perceptual and motor aspects of subsecond temporal processing without accompanying coprocessing of spatial information. Direct comparison between perceptual and motor aspects of time processing was made with a categorical-design analysis. The right lateral cerebellum (lobule VI) was active during a time discrimination task, whereas the left cerebellar lobule VI was activated during a timed movement generation task. These findings were consistent with the idea that the cerebellum contributed to subsecond time processing in both perceptual and motor aspects. The feed-forward computational theory of the cerebellum predicted increased cerebro-cerebellar interactions during time information processing. In fact, a psychophysiological interaction analysis identified the supplementary motor and dorsal premotor areas, which had a significant functional connectivity with the right cerebellar region during a time discrimination task and with the left lateral cerebellum during a timed movement generation task. The involvement of cerebro-cerebellar interactions may provide supportive evidence that temporal information processing relies on the simulation of timing information through feed-forward computation in the cerebellum.

Visuomotor learning in cerebellar patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Timmann, D; Shimansky, Y; Larson, P S; Wunderlich, D A; Stelmach, G E; Bloedel, J R

1996-11-01

The aim of the present study was to demonstrate that patients with pathology affecting substantial regions of the cerebellum can improve their performance in a series of two-dimensional tracing tasks, thus supporting the view that this type of motor behavior can be acquired even when the integrity of this structure is compromised. Eight patients with chronic, isolated cerebellar lesions and eight age- and sex-matched healthy controls were tested. Three patients had mild, five had moderate upper limb ataxia. The experiment was divided into two parts. In the first, subjects traced an irregularly shaped outline over 20 consecutive trials ('Trace 1' task). Next, subjects were asked to redraw the object without any underlying template as a guide ('Memory 1' task). In the second part of the study, subjects were asked to trace a different, irregularly shaped outline over 20 consecutive trials ('Trace 2' task). Next, they were required to redraw it by memory with its axis rotated 90 degrees ('Memory 2' task). In each of the memory tasks the template was placed over the drawn image after each trial and shown to the subjects. The error of performance was determined by calculating three different measurements, each focused on different aspects of the task. Based on these measurements, the cerebellar patients showed improvement in both memory tasks. In the 'Memory 1' task the calculated error decreased significantly for the patients with mild ataxia. In the 'Memory 2' task all cerebellar patients improved their performance substantially enough to reduce significantly the magnitude of all three error measurements. The experiments demonstrate that patients with cerebellar lesions are capable of improving substantially their performance of a complex motor task involving the recall of memorized shapes and the visuomotor control of a tracing movement.

[Study of cerebellar infarction with isolated vertigo].

Science.gov (United States)

Utsumi, Ai; Enomoto, Hiroyuki; Yamamoto, Kaoru; Kimura, Yu; Koizuka, Izumi; Tsukuda, Mamoru

2010-07-01

Isolated vertigo is generally attributed to labyrinthine disease, but may also signal otherwise asymptomatic cerebellar infarction. Of 309 subjects admitted between April 2004 and March 2009 for the single symptom of acute vertigo initially thought to be labyrinthine, four were found to have cerebellar infarction of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery area (PICA). All were over 60 years old and had risk factors including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, arrhythmia, and/or hyperlipidemia. Two had trunk ataxia, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing infarction within a few days. The other two could walk without apparent trunk ataxia, however, it took 4 to 7 days to find the infarction, mainly through neurological, neurootological, and MRI findings. Neurologically, astasia, dysbasia or trunk ataxia were important signs. Neurootologically, nystagmus and electronystagmographic testing involving eye tracking, saccade, and optokinetic patttens were useful.

EU Enlargement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Peder J.; Pytlikova, Mariola

We look at migration flows from 8 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) to 5 Nordic countries over the years 1985 - 2005 and we can exploit a natural experiment that arose from the fact that while Sweden opened its labour market from the day one of the 2004 EU enlargement, the other Nordic...... countries chose a transition period in relation to the "new" EU members. We employ a differences-in-differences estimator in our analysis. The results show that the estimated effect of the opening of Swedish labour market in 2004 on migration is insignificantly different from zero. Further, we...... are interested in the overall effect of the "EU entry" on migration. Therefore we look at migration flows from CEECs during the first round EU enlargement towards CEECs in 2004 and compare them with migration flows from Bulgaria and Romania. We again used a DD estimator in our analysis. The estimated effect...

Penis-Enlargement Products: Do They Work?

Science.gov (United States)

... and surgeries. By Mayo Clinic Staff Ads for penis-enlargement products and procedures are everywhere. A plethora of ... your penis. Companies offer many types of nonsurgical penis-enlargement treatments, and often promote them with serious-looking ...

Airport Performance and Construction Enlargement Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Hanun, Y.; Setiawan, M. I.; Kurniasih, N.; Hasyim, C.; Ahmar, A. S.

2018-01-01

The evaluation of transportation infrastructure project should consider the contribution towards infrastructure growth. This research aims to analyze the effect of Construction enlargement activities towards airport performance. This research is correlation study. The population includes 148 airports in Indonesia. By using total sampling, there were 148 sample airports. The result shows that the construction enlargement activities variable has relatively strong relationship to Airport Performance variable, while the adjusted R Square score shows the increasing construction enlargement activities that affected by the other factors aside from airport performance.

Postural responses to multidirectional stance perturbations in cerebellar ataxia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, Maaike; Allum, John H J; Visser, Jasper E; Grüneberg, Christian; van de Warrenburg, Bart P; Kremer, H P H; Bloem, Bastiaan R

2006-01-01

Previous studies of patients with focal cerebellar damage underscored the importance of the cerebellum for balance control. These studies were restricted to postural control in the pitch plane, and focused mainly on leg muscle responses. Here, we examined the effect of degenerative cerebellar

Postural responses to multidirectional stance perturbations in cerebellar ataxia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, Maaike; Allum, John H J; Visser, Jasper E; Grüneberg, Christian; van de Warrenburg, Bart P; Kremer, H P H; Bloem, Bastiaan R

Previous studies of patients with focal cerebellar damage underscored the importance of the cerebellum for balance control. These studies were restricted to postural control in the pitch plane, and focused mainly on leg muscle responses. Here, we examined the effect of degenerative cerebellar

Time estimation in Parkinson's disease and degenerative cerebellar disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beudel, Martijin; Galama, Sjoukje; Leenders, Klaus L.; de Jong, Bauke M.

2008-01-01

With functional MRI, we recently identified fronto-cerebellar activations in predicting time to reach a target and basal ganglia activation in velocity estimation, that is, small interval assessment. We now tested these functions in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and degenerative cerebellar

Late Onset of Cerebellar Abiotrophy in a Boxer Dog

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjeev Gumber

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Cerebellar abiotrophy is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system and has been reported in humans and animals. This case report documents clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical findings of cerebellar abiotrophy in an adult Boxer dog. A 3.5-year-old, female, tan Boxer dog presented with a six-week history of left-sided head tilt. Neurological examination and additional diagnostics during her three subsequent visits over 4.5 months revealed worsening of neurological signs including marked head pressing, severe proprioceptive deficits in all the four limbs, loss of menace response and palpebral reflex in the left eye, and a gradual seizure lasting one hour at her last visit. Based on the immunohistochemical staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein and histopathological examination of cerebellum, cerebellar cortical abiotrophy was diagnosed. This is the first reported case of cerebellar abiotrophy in a Boxer dog to our knowledge.

Cerebellar ataxia of early onset

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamashita, Sumimasa; Miyake, Shota; Yamada, Michiko; Iwamoto, Hiroko; Yamada, Kazuhiko.

1989-01-01

Eight cases of childhood cerebellar ataxia were reported. All these cases showed chronic cerebellar ataxia with early onset, and the other diseases of cerebellum such as infections, neoplasms and storage diseases were excluded by clinical symptoms and laboratory findings including blood counts, blood chemistry, lactate, pyruvate, ceruloplasmine, urinalysis, serum immunoglobulins, amino acid analysis in blood and urine, CSF analysis, leukocyte lysosomal enzymes, MCV, EMG, EEG and brain X-CT. Two pairs of siblings were included in this study. The clinical diagnosis were cerebellar type (5), spinocerebellar type (1), one Marinesco-Sjoegren syndrome and undetermined type (1). The age of onset was 1 to 5 years. The chief complaint was motor developmental delay in 6 cases; among them 5 patients could walk alone at the ages of 2 to 3 years'. Mental retardation was observed in 7 cases and epilepsy in 2. TRH was effective in 5 cases. The MRI study revealed that the area of medial sagittal slice of the cerebellum was reduced significantly in all cases and also that of pons was reduced in 5 cases. Different from typical adult onset spinocerebellar degenerations, most of the present cases have achieved slow developmental milestones and the clinical course was not progressive. Genetic factors are suspected in the pathogenesis of this disease in some cases. (author)

Does cerebellar neuronal integrity relate to cognitive ability?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rae, C.; Lee, M.; Dixon, R.M.; Blamire, A.; Thompson, C.; Styles, P.; Radda, G.K.; University of Sydney, NSW; Karmiloff-Smith, A.; Grant, J.

1998-01-01

Full text: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) allows the non-invasive measurement of metabolite levels in the brain. One of these is N-acetylaspartate (NA), a molecule found solely in neurones, synthesised there by mitochondria. This compound can be considered as a marker of 1) neuronal density and 2) neuronal mitochondria function. We recently completed a joint MRS and neuropsychological investigation of Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS), a rare (1/20,000) autosomal dominant disorder caused by a deletion which includes the elastin locus and LIM-kinase. The syndrome has an associated behavioural and cognitive profile which includes hyperactivity, hyperacusis and excessive sociability. Spatial skills are severely affected, while verbal skills are left relatively intact Our investigation showed loss of NA from the cerebellum in WBS compared with normal controls, with the subject population as a whole displaying a continuum of cerebellar NA concentration. Ability at cognitive tests, including the Weschler IQ scale and various verbal and spatial tests, was shown to correlate significantly and positively with the concentration of NA in the cerebellum. This finding can be interpreted in one of two ways: 1. Our sampling of cerebellar metabolite levels represents a 'global' sampling of total brain neuronal density and, as such, is independent of cerebellar integrity. 2. Cerebellar neuronal integrity is associated with performance at cognitive tests. If the latter interpretation is shown to be the case, it will have important implications for our current understanding of cerebellar function. Copyright (1998) Australian Neuroscience Society

Computed tomography in hypertensive cerebellar hemorrhage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nose, T; Maki, Y; Ono, Y; Yoshizawa, T; Tsuboi, K [Tsukuba Univ., Sakura, Ibaraki (Japan)

1981-11-01

Fourteen cases of cerebellar hemorrhage were analysed from the point of CT-scan, and the following results were obtained. 1. The number of cases of cerebellar hemorrhage forms 4.4% of that of total intracranial hemorrhage. 2. Most of the cerebellar hematomas extend upward. Downward extension is rare. 3. In acute dead cases hematomas are 5 cm or more in diameter and lie over bilateral hemispheres with the extension to third or fourth ventricles in CT-scans. 4. Slowly progressive cases are detriorated by the secondary hydrocephalus. 5. In mild cases hematomas are 3cm or less in diameter on CT-scans and the hematoma evacuation is not indicated for these cases. 6. The shunt operation alone is sufficient for the life saving of the slowly progressive cases, but the hematoma evacuation is indicated in these cases if the functional prognosis is taken into consideration. 7. Immediate hematoma evacuation together with the ventricular drainage is considered to be effective for the life saving of the acute fulminant cases.

Computed tomography in hypertensive cerebellar hemorrhage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nose, Tadao; Maki, Yutaka; Ono, Yukio; Yoshizawa, Takashi; Tsuboi, Kohji

1981-01-01

Fourteen cases of cerebellar hemorrhage were analysed from the point of CT-scan, and the following results were obtained. 1. The number of cases of cerebellar hemorrhage forms 4.4% of that of total intracranial hemorrhage. 2. Most of the cerebellar hematomas extend upward. Downward extension is rare. 3. In acute dead cases hematomas are 5 cm or more in diameter and lie over bilateral hemispheres with the extension to third or fourth ventricles in CT-scans. 4. Slowly progressive cases are detriorated by the secondary hydrocephalus. 5. In mild cases hematomas are 3cm or less in diameter on CT-scans and the mematoma evacuation is not indicated for these cases. 6. The shunt operation alone is sufficient for the life saving of the slowly progressive cases, but the hematoma evacuation is indicated in these cases if the functional prognosis is taken into consideration. 7. Immediate hematoma evacuation togather with the ventricular dranage is considered to be effective for the life saving of the acute fulminant cases. (author)

EU ENLARGEMENT AT A CROSSROADS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreea Cătălina Paul

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The present article aims to explore the general theme of the EU enlargement strategy in the new 2012 European context. Until now, the EU’s enlargement strategy has yielded impressive results. It succeeded in transforming ten central and eastern European countries from post-communism confusion into open-market, mature and effective systems of democratic governments, and even on the economic front, they have also made astonishing progress. It is no doubt that people in the new EU countries live better then before. In this context, the EU must continue the enlargement process to help stabilize the Balkan region that lie beyond its expanded eastern border. No one can deny that major issues concerning western Balkan countries’ accession are still on the table, and they even exert a geopolitical influence of sorts. This makes it all the more important to see stability and regional co-operation there are strategically vital. An all-out effort must now be made to complete the enlargement process and ensure there is no strategic vacuum. This article provides the framework of analyses for the EU problems and the challenges for the Balkans governments as for Brussels.

Cerebellar Volume in Children With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Science.gov (United States)

Wyciszkiewicz, Aleksandra; Pawlak, Mikolaj A; Krawiec, Krzysztof

2017-02-01

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with altered cerebellar volume and cerebellum is associated with cognitive performance. However there are mixed results regarding the cerebellar volume in young patients with ADHD. To clarify the size and direction of this effect, we conducted the analysis on the large public database of brain images. The aim of this study was to confirm that cerebellar volume in ADHD is smaller than in control subjects in currently the largest publicly available cohort of ADHD subjects.We applied cross-sectional case control study design by comparing 286 ADHD patients (61 female) with age and gender matched control subjects. Volumetric measurements of cerebellum were obtained using automated segmentation with FreeSurfer 5.1. Statistical analysis was performed in R-CRAN statistical environment. Patients with ADHD had significantly smaller total cerebellar volumes (134.5±17.11cm 3 vs.138.90±15.32 cm 3 ). The effect was present in both females and males (males 136.9±14.37 cm 3 vs. 141.20±14.75 cm 3 ; females 125.7±12.34 cm 3 vs. 131.20±15.03 cm 3 ). Age was positively and significantly associated with the cerebellar volumes. These results indicate either delayed or disrupted cerebellar development possibly contributing to ADHD pathophysiology.

Location of lesion determines motor vs. cognitive consequences in patients with cerebellar stroke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine J. Stoodley

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Cerebellar lesions can cause motor deficits and/or the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS; Schmahmann's syndrome. We used voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping to test the hypothesis that the cerebellar motor syndrome results from anterior lobe damage whereas lesions in the posterolateral cerebellum produce the CCAS. Eighteen patients with isolated cerebellar stroke (13 males, 5 females; 20–66 years old were evaluated using measures of ataxia and neurocognitive ability. Patients showed a wide range of motor and cognitive performance, from normal to severely impaired; individual deficits varied according to lesion location within the cerebellum. Patients with damage to cerebellar lobules III–VI had worse ataxia scores: as predicted, the cerebellar motor syndrome resulted from lesions involving the anterior cerebellum. Poorer performance on fine motor tasks was associated primarily with strokes affecting the anterior lobe extending into lobule VI, with right-handed finger tapping and peg-placement associated with damage to the right cerebellum, and left-handed finger tapping associated with left cerebellar damage. Patients with the CCAS in the absence of cerebellar motor syndrome had damage to posterior lobe regions, with lesions leading to significantly poorer scores on language (e.g. right Crus I and II extending through IX, spatial (bilateral Crus I, Crus II, and right lobule VIII, and executive function measures (lobules VII–VIII. These data reveal clinically significant functional regions underpinning movement and cognition in the cerebellum, with a broad anterior-posterior distinction. Motor and cognitive outcomes following cerebellar damage appear to reflect the disruption of different cerebro-cerebellar motor and cognitive loops.

Hilar enlargement in respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odita, J.C.; Aghahowa, J.E.; Nwankwo, M.

1989-01-01

The clinical and radiographic features of ten children with hilar enlargement in association with proven Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection are described. Hilar enlargement was seen in 10/35 children with RSV infection, and was invariably unilateral and right sided. It is recommended that RSV pneumonia be considered in children with unilateral hilar enlargement if tuberculosis has been excluded, and the onset of disease is rapid. (orig.)

Non-neoplastic gliotic cerebellar cysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weisberg, L.A.

1982-01-01

The clinical and CT findings in 3 patients with non-neoplastic gliotic cerebellar cyst are described. CT does not permit accurate preoperative differentiation of these lesions from neoplastic disorders. (orig.)

File list: Unc.Neu.50.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Unc.Neu.50.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons mm9 Unclassified Neural Cerebellar granule neurons... http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/mm9/assembled/Unc.Neu.50.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons.bed ...

File list: His.Neu.05.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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Full Text Available His.Neu.10.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons mm9 Histone Neural Cerebellar granule neurons... http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/mm9/assembled/His.Neu.10.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons.bed ...

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Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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File list: Pol.Neu.50.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons [Chip-atlas[Archive

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File list: Pol.Neu.20.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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File list: Pol.Neu.10.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Pol.Neu.10.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons mm9 RNA polymerase Neural Cerebellar granule neurons... http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/mm9/assembled/Pol.Neu.10.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons.bed ...

Increased cerebellar PET glucose metabolism corresponds to ataxia in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Fellgiebel, Andreas; Siessmeier, Thomas; Winterer, Georg; Lüddens, Hartmut; Mann, Klaus; Schmidt, Lutz G; Bartenstein, Peter

2004-01-01

To investigate a possible relationship between cerebellar glucose metabolism and recovery from ataxia in the first months of acute Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Two cases of alcoholic Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome were followed up with the clinical status and cerebral glucose metabolism over a 4- and 9-month period. Initially both patients showed severe ataxia and elevated cerebellar glucose metabolism that decreased corresponding to the restitution of stance and gait. Increased cerebellar glucose metabolism at the onset of the illness may reflect the reorganization process of disturbed motor skills and may indicate cerebellar plasticity.

File list: Oth.Neu.50.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Oth.Neu.50.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons mm9 TFs and others Neural Cerebellar granule neurons... http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/mm9/assembled/Oth.Neu.50.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons.bed ...

File list: Oth.Neu.20.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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File list: Oth.Neu.10.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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File list: Oth.Neu.05.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available Oth.Neu.05.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons mm9 TFs and others Neural Cerebellar granule neurons... http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/mm9/assembled/Oth.Neu.05.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons.bed ...

Neurodevelopmental malformations of the cerebellar vermis in genetically engineered rats

Science.gov (United States)

The cerebellar vermis is particularly vulnerable to neurodevelopmental malformations in humans and rodents. Sprague-Dawley, and Long-Evans rats exhibit spontaneous cerebellar malformations consisting of heterotopic neurons and glia in the molecular layer of the vermis. Malformati...

Quantitative histologic study on confusion of the cerebellar cortex architecture in perinatally irradiated mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, S.

1986-01-01

This study was designed to know dose-response relationship and age-dependence for two types of confusion of the cerebellar cortex architecture. The first is inhibition of the laminar-pattern development, and the second is persistent remaining of granule cells in the molecular and Purkinje layer which implies disturbance of cell migration. Male B6C3F 1 mice were used. Animals were irradiated at day 0 to 6 of the postnatal age or day 17 of the prenatal age with doses ranging from 50 to 700 rad of γ-rays, and killed at 60 days of age. Confusion of architecture was analysed using microscopic photographs. Development of the laminar-pattern was inhibited by irradiation with 100 rad or higher doses at day 0 to 3. There was a distinct regional difference in inhibition of the laminar-pattern development. Remaining of granule cells was detected after irradiation with 50 or higher doses at day 0 or 2. Irradiation at day 1 to 4 was most effective to disturb cell migration, though ectopic granule cells were detected in all irradiated groups. (orig.)

Cerebellar contribution to feedforward control of locomotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Pisotta, Iolanda; Molinari, Marco

2014-01-01

The cerebellum is an important contributor to feedforward control mechanisms of the central nervous system, and sequencing-the process that allows spatial and temporal relationships between events to be recognized-has been implicated as the fundamental cerebellar mode of operation. By adopting such a mode and because cerebellar activity patterns are sensitive to a variety of sensorimotor-related tasks, the cerebellum is believed to support motor and cognitive functions that are encoded in the frontal and parietal lobes of the cerebral cortex. In this model, the cerebellum is hypothesized to make predictions about the consequences of a motor or cognitive command that originates from the cortex to prepare the entire system to cope with ongoing changes. In this framework, cerebellar predictive mechanisms for locomotion are addressed, focusing on sensorial and motoric sequencing. The hypothesis that sequence recognition is the mechanism by which the cerebellum functions in gait control is presented and discussed.

A cerebellar neuroprosthetic system: computational architecture and in vivo experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan eHerreros Alonso

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Emulating the input-output functions performed by a brain structure opens the possibility for developing neuro-prosthetic systems that replace damaged neuronal circuits. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of this approach by replacing the cerebellar circuit responsible for the acquisition and extinction of motor memories. Specifically, we show that a rat can undergo acquisition, retention and extinction of the eye-blink reflex even though the biological circuit responsible for this task has been chemically inactivated via anesthesia. This is achieved by first developing a computational model of the cerebellar microcircuit involved in the acquisition of conditioned reflexes and training it with synthetic data generated based on physiological recordings. Secondly, the cerebellar model is interfaced with the brain of an anesthetized rat, connecting the model's inputs and outputs to afferent and efferent cerebellar structures. As a result, we show that the anesthetized rat, equipped with our neuro-prosthetic system, can be classically conditioned to the acquisition of an eye-blink response. However, non-stationarities in the recorded biological signals limit the performance of the cerebellar model. Thus, we introduce an updated cerebellar model and validate it with physiological recordings showing that learning becomes stable and reliable. The resulting system represents an important step towards replacing lost functions of the central nervous system via neuro-prosthetics, obtained by integrating a synthetic circuit with the afferent and efferent pathways of a damaged brain region. These results also embody an early example of science-based medicine, where on the one hand the neuro-prosthetic system directly validates a theory of cerebellar learning that informed the design of the system, and on the other one it takes a step towards the development of neuro-prostheses that could recover lost learning functions in animals and, in the longer term

A Cerebellar Neuroprosthetic System: Computational Architecture and in vivo Test

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herreros, Ivan; Giovannucci, Andrea [Synthetic Perceptive, Emotive and Cognitive Systems group (SPECS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (Spain); Taub, Aryeh H.; Hogri, Roni; Magal, Ari [Psychobiology Research Unit, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv (Israel); Bamford, Sim [Physics Laboratory, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome (Italy); Prueckl, Robert [Guger Technologies OG, Graz (Austria); Verschure, Paul F. M. J., E-mail: paul.verschure@upf.edu [Synthetic Perceptive, Emotive and Cognitive Systems group (SPECS), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (Spain); Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona (Spain)

2014-05-21

Emulating the input–output functions performed by a brain structure opens the possibility for developing neuroprosthetic systems that replace damaged neuronal circuits. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of this approach by replacing the cerebellar circuit responsible for the acquisition and extinction of motor memories. Specifically, we show that a rat can undergo acquisition, retention, and extinction of the eye-blink reflex even though the biological circuit responsible for this task has been chemically inactivated via anesthesia. This is achieved by first developing a computational model of the cerebellar microcircuit involved in the acquisition of conditioned reflexes and training it with synthetic data generated based on physiological recordings. Secondly, the cerebellar model is interfaced with the brain of an anesthetized rat, connecting the model’s inputs and outputs to afferent and efferent cerebellar structures. As a result, we show that the anesthetized rat, equipped with our neuroprosthetic system, can be classically conditioned to the acquisition of an eye-blink response. However, non-stationarities in the recorded biological signals limit the performance of the cerebellar model. Thus, we introduce an updated cerebellar model and validate it with physiological recordings showing that learning becomes stable and reliable. The resulting system represents an important step toward replacing lost functions of the central nervous system via neuroprosthetics, obtained by integrating a synthetic circuit with the afferent and efferent pathways of a damaged brain region. These results also embody an early example of science-based medicine, where on the one hand the neuroprosthetic system directly validates a theory of cerebellar learning that informed the design of the system, and on the other one it takes a step toward the development of neuro-prostheses that could recover lost learning functions in animals and, in the longer term, humans.

A Cerebellar Neuroprosthetic System: Computational Architecture and in vivo Test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herreros, Ivan; Giovannucci, Andrea; Taub, Aryeh H.; Hogri, Roni; Magal, Ari; Bamford, Sim; Prueckl, Robert; Verschure, Paul F. M. J.

2014-01-01

Emulating the input–output functions performed by a brain structure opens the possibility for developing neuroprosthetic systems that replace damaged neuronal circuits. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of this approach by replacing the cerebellar circuit responsible for the acquisition and extinction of motor memories. Specifically, we show that a rat can undergo acquisition, retention, and extinction of the eye-blink reflex even though the biological circuit responsible for this task has been chemically inactivated via anesthesia. This is achieved by first developing a computational model of the cerebellar microcircuit involved in the acquisition of conditioned reflexes and training it with synthetic data generated based on physiological recordings. Secondly, the cerebellar model is interfaced with the brain of an anesthetized rat, connecting the model’s inputs and outputs to afferent and efferent cerebellar structures. As a result, we show that the anesthetized rat, equipped with our neuroprosthetic system, can be classically conditioned to the acquisition of an eye-blink response. However, non-stationarities in the recorded biological signals limit the performance of the cerebellar model. Thus, we introduce an updated cerebellar model and validate it with physiological recordings showing that learning becomes stable and reliable. The resulting system represents an important step toward replacing lost functions of the central nervous system via neuroprosthetics, obtained by integrating a synthetic circuit with the afferent and efferent pathways of a damaged brain region. These results also embody an early example of science-based medicine, where on the one hand the neuroprosthetic system directly validates a theory of cerebellar learning that informed the design of the system, and on the other one it takes a step toward the development of neuro-prostheses that could recover lost learning functions in animals and, in the longer term, humans.

Thalamic, brainstem, and cerebellar glucose metabolism in the hemiplegic monkey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimoyama, I.; Dauth, G.W.; Gilman, S.; Frey, K.A.; Penney, J.B. Jr.

1988-12-01

Unilateral ablation of cerebral cortical areas 4 and 6 of Brodmann in the macaque monkey results in a contralateral hemiplegia that resolves partially with time. During the phase of dense hemiplegia, local cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (1CMRG1c) is decreased significantly in most of the thalamic nuclei ipsilateral to the ablation, and there are slight contralateral decreases. The lCMRGlc is reduced bilaterally in most of the brainstem nuclei and bilaterally in the deep cerebellar nuclei, but only in the contralateral cerebellar cortex. During the phase of partial motor recovery, lCMRGlc is incompletely restored in many of the thalamic nuclei ipsilateral to the ablation and completely restored in the contralateral nuclei. In the brainstem and deep cerebellar nuclei, poor to moderate recovery occurs bilaterally. Moderate recovery occurs in the contralateral cerebellar cortex. The findings demonstrate that a unilateral cerebral cortical lesion strongly affects lCMRGlc in the thalamus ipsilaterally and in the cerebellar cortex contralaterally, but in the brainstem bilaterally. Partial recovery of lCMRGlc accompanies the progressive motor recovery. The structures affected include those with direct, and also those with indirect, connections to the areas ablated.

File list: DNS.Neu.50.AllAg.Cerebellar_granule_neurons [Chip-atlas[Archive

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Metronome Cueing of Walking Reduces Gait Variability after a Cerebellar Stroke

OpenAIRE

Wright, Rachel L.; Bevins, Joseph W.; Pratt, David; Sackley, Catherine M.; Wing, Alan M.

2016-01-01

Cerebellar stroke typically results in increased variability during walking. Previous research has suggested that auditory cueing reduces excessive variability in conditions such as Parkinson's disease and post-stroke hemiparesis. The aim of this case report was to investigate whether the use of a metronome cue during walking could reduce excessive variability in gait parameters after a cerebellar stroke. An elderly female with a history of cerebellar stroke and recurrent falling undertook th...

Cerebellar stroke presenting with isolated dizziness: Brain MRI in 136 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Perloff, Michael D; Patel, Nimesh S; Kase, Carlos S; Oza, Anuja U; Voetsch, Barbara; Romero, Jose R

2017-11-01

To evaluate occurrence of cerebellar stroke in Emergency Department (ED) presentations of isolated dizziness (dizziness with a normal exam and negative neurological review of systems). A 5-year retrospective study of ED patients presenting with a chief complaint of "dizziness or vertigo", without other symptoms or signs in narrative history or on exam to suggest a central nervous system lesion, and work-up included a brain MRI within 48h. Patients with symptoms commonly peripheral in etiology (nystagmus, tinnitus, gait instability, etc.) were included in the study. Patient demographics, stroke risk factors, and gait assessments were recorded. One hundred and thirty-six patients, who had a brain MRI for isolated dizziness, were included. There was a low correlation of gait assessment between ED physician and Neurologist (49 patients, Spearman's correlation r 2 =0.17). Based on MRI DWI sequence, 3.7% (5/136 patients) had acute cerebellar strokes, limited to or including, the medial posterior inferior cerebellar artery vascular territory. In the 5 cerebellar stroke patients, mean age, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin A1c, gender distribution, and prevalence of hypertension were similar to the non-cerebellar stroke patient group. Mean LDL/HDL ratio was 3.63±0.80 and smoking prevalence was 80% in the cerebellar stroke group compared to 2.43±0.79 and 22% (respectively, p valuesstroke group. Though there was preselection bias for stroke risk factors, our study suggests an important proportion of cerebellar stroke among ED patients with isolated dizziness, considering how common this complaint is. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chronic postnatal stress induces voluntary alcohol intake and modifies glutamate transporters in adolescent rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Odeon, María Mercedes; Andreu, Marcela; Yamauchi, Laura; Grosman, Mauricio; Acosta, Gabriela Beatriz

2015-01-01

Postnatal stress alters stress responses for life, with serious consequences on the central nervous system (CNS), involving glutamatergic neurotransmission and development of voluntary alcohol intake. Several drugs of abuse, including alcohol and cocaine, alter glutamate transport (GluT). Here, we evaluated effects of chronic postnatal stress (CPS) on alcohol intake and brain glutamate uptake and transporters in male adolescent Wistar rats. For CPS from postnatal day (PD) 7, pups were separated from their mothers and exposed to cold stress (4 °C) for 1 h daily for 20 days; controls remained with their mothers. Then they were exposed to either voluntary ethanol (6%) or dextrose (1%) intake for 7 days (5-7 rats per group), then killed. CPS: (1) increased voluntary ethanol intake, (2) did not affect body weight gain or produce signs of toxicity with alcohol exposure, (3) increased glutamate uptake by hippocampal synaptosomes in vitro and (4) reduced protein levels (Western measurements) in hippocampus and frontal cortex of glial glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) and excitatory amino-acid transporter-3 (EAAT-3) but increased glutamate aspartate transporter (GLAST) levels. We propose that CPS-induced decrements in GLT-1 and EAAT-3 expression levels are opposed by activation of a compensatory mechanism to prevent excitotoxicity. A greater role for GLAST in total glutamate uptake to prevent enlarged extracellular glutamate levels is inferred. Although CPS strongly increased intake of ethanol, this had little impact on effects of CPS on brain glutamate uptake or transporters. However, the impact of early life adverse events on glutamatergic neurotransmission may underlie increased alcohol consumption in adulthood.

Timing tasks synchronize cerebellar and frontal ramping activity and theta oscillations: Implications for cerebellar stimulation in diseases of impaired cognition

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Krystal Lynn Parker

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Timing is a fundamental and highly conserved mammalian capability yet the underlying neural mechanisms are widely debated. Ramping activity of single neurons that gradually increase or decrease activity to encode the passage of time, has been speculated to predict a behaviorally relevant temporal event. Cue-evoked low-frequency activity has also been implicated in temporal processing. Ramping activity and low-frequency oscillations occur throughout the brain and could indicate a network-based approach to timing. Temporal processing requires cognitive mechanisms of working memory, attention, and reasoning which are dysfunctional in neuropsychiatric disease. Therefore, timing tasks could be used to probe cognition in animals with disease phenotypes. The medial frontal cortex and cerebellum are involved in cognition. Cerebellar stimulation has been shown to influence medial frontal activity and improve cognition in schizophrenia. However, the mechanism underlying the efficacy of cerebellar stimulation is unknown. Here we discuss how timing tasks can be used to probe cerebellar interactions with the frontal cortex and the therapeutic potential of cerebellar stimulation. The goal of this theory and hypothesis manuscript is threefold. First, we will summarize evidence indicating that in addition to motor learning, timing tasks involve cognitive processes that are present within both the cerebellum and medial frontal cortex. Second, we propose methodologies to investigate the connections between these areas in patients with Parkinson’s disease, autism, and schizophrenia. We hypothesis that cerebellar transcranial stimulation may rescue medial frontal ramping activity, theta oscillations, and timing abnormalities, thereby restoring executive function in diseases of impaired cognition. These hypotheses could inspire the use of timing tasks as biomarkers for neuronal and cognitive abnormalities in neuropsychiatric disease and promote the therapeutic

A qualitative study of the acceptability of routine screening of postnatal women using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Shakespeare, Judy; Blake, Fiona; Garcia, Jo

2003-01-01

BACKGROUND: Screening for postnatal depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) has been widely recommended and implemented in primary care, although little is known about how acceptable it is to women. AIM: To explore the acceptability to women of postnatal screening by health visitors with the EPDS. DESIGN OF STUDY: Qualitative interview study. SETTING: Postnatal patients from 22 general practices within the area of Oxford City Primary Care Group. METHOD: Thirty-nine postnatal women from a purposive sample were interviewed, chosen on the basis of different general practices, EPDS results at eight weeks and eight months postnatal, and whether 'listening visits' were received. The interviews were analysed using the constant comparative method. RESULTS: Just over half of the women interviewed found screening with the EPDS less than acceptable, whatever their postnatal emotional health. The main themes identified were problems with the process of screening and, in particular, the venue, the personal intrusion of screening and stigma. The women interviewed had a clear preference for talking about how they felt, rather than filling out a questionnaire. CONCLUSION: For this sample, routine screening with the EPDS was less than acceptable for the majority of women. This is of concern, as universal screening with the EPDS for the detection of postnatal depression is already recommended and widespread in primary care. PMID:14601337

Sodium valproate induced gingival enlargement with pre-existing chronic periodontitis

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Vaibhavi Joshipura

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Gingival enlargement is a common clinical feature of gingival and periodontal diseases. Currently, more than 20 prescription medications are associated with gingival enlargement. Although the mechanisms of action may be different, the clinical and microscopic appearance of drug-induced gingival enlargement is similar with any drug. Gingival enlargement produces esthetic changes, and clinical symptoms including pain, tenderness, bleeding, speech disturbances, abnormal tooth movement, dental occlusion problems, enhancement of caries development and periodontal disorders. Sodium valproate is considered to produce gingival enlargement, but very rarely. This case report features sodium valproate induced gingival enlargement in a patient with pre-existing chronic periodontitis, who came to the Dental Department, Chinmaya Mission Hospital, Bangalore. The case is special as the patient did not develop the enlargement in spite of taking phenytoin for 1 year and developed enlargement with sodium valproate within 6 months.

Sodium valproate induced gingival enlargement with pre-existing chronic periodontitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Joshipura, Vaibhavi

2012-04-01

Gingival enlargement is a common clinical feature of gingival and periodontal diseases. Currently, more than 20 prescription medications are associated with gingival enlargement. Although the mechanisms of action may be different, the clinical and microscopic appearance of drug-induced gingival enlargement is similar with any drug. Gingival enlargement produces esthetic changes, and clinical symptoms including pain, tenderness, bleeding, speech disturbances, abnormal tooth movement, dental occlusion problems, enhancement of caries development and periodontal disorders. Sodium valproate is considered to produce gingival enlargement, but very rarely. This case report features sodium valproate induced gingival enlargement in a patient with pre-existing chronic periodontitis, who came to the Dental Department, Chinmaya Mission Hospital, Bangalore. The case is special as the patient did not develop the enlargement in spite of taking phenytoin for 1 year and developed enlargement with sodium valproate within 6 months.

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Integrated plasticity at inhibitory and excitatory synapses in the cerebellar circuit

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Lisa eMapelli

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The way long-term potentiation (LTP and depression (LTD are integrated within the different synapses of brain neuronal circuits is poorly understood. In order to progress beyond the identification of specific molecular mechanisms, a system in which multiple forms of plasticity can be correlated with large-scale neural processing is required. In this paper we take as an example the cerebellar network , in which extensive investigations have revealed LTP and LTD at several excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Cerebellar LTP and LTD occur in all three main cerebellar subcircuits (granular layer, molecular layer, deep cerebellar nuclei and correspondingly regulate the function of their three main neurons: granule cells (GrCs, Purkinje cells (PCs and deep cerebellar nuclear (DCN cells. All these neurons, in addition to be excited, are reached by feed-forward and feed-back inhibitory connections, in which LTP and LTD may either operate synergistically or homeostatically in order to control information flow through the circuit. Although the investigation of individual synaptic plasticities in vitro is essential to prove their existence and mechanisms, it is insufficient to generate a coherent view of their impact on network functioning in vivo. Recent computational models and cell-specific genetic mutations in mice are shedding light on how plasticity at multiple excitatory and inhibitory synapses might regulate neuronal activities in the cerebellar circuit and contribute to learning and memory and behavioral control.

Integrated plasticity at inhibitory and excitatory synapses in the cerebellar circuit.

Science.gov (United States)

Mapelli, Lisa; Pagani, Martina; Garrido, Jesus A; D'Angelo, Egidio

2015-01-01

The way long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) are integrated within the different synapses of brain neuronal circuits is poorly understood. In order to progress beyond the identification of specific molecular mechanisms, a system in which multiple forms of plasticity can be correlated with large-scale neural processing is required. In this paper we take as an example the cerebellar network, in which extensive investigations have revealed LTP and LTD at several excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Cerebellar LTP and LTD occur in all three main cerebellar subcircuits (granular layer, molecular layer, deep cerebellar nuclei) and correspondingly regulate the function of their three main neurons: granule cells (GrCs), Purkinje cells (PCs) and deep cerebellar nuclear (DCN) cells. All these neurons, in addition to be excited, are reached by feed-forward and feed-back inhibitory connections, in which LTP and LTD may either operate synergistically or homeostatically in order to control information flow through the circuit. Although the investigation of individual synaptic plasticities in vitro is essential to prove their existence and mechanisms, it is insufficient to generate a coherent view of their impact on network functioning in vivo. Recent computational models and cell-specific genetic mutations in mice are shedding light on how plasticity at multiple excitatory and inhibitory synapses might regulate neuronal activities in the cerebellar circuit and contribute to learning and memory and behavioral control.

Enlarged facial pores: an update on treatments.

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Dong, Joanna; Lanoue, Julien; Goldenberg, Gary

2016-07-01

Enlarged facial pores remain a common dermatologic and cosmetic concern from acne and rosacea, among other conditions, that is difficult to treat due to the multifactorial nature of their pathogenesis and negative impact on patients' quality of life. Enlarged facial pores are primarily treated through addressing associative factors, such as increased sebum production and cutaneous aging. We review the current treatment modalities for enlarged or dense facial pores, including topical retinoids, chemical peels, oral antiandrogens, and lasers and devices, with a focus on newer therapies.

Cerebellar language mapping and cerebral language dominance in pediatric epilepsy surgery patients

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Jennifer N. Gelinas, MD, PhD

2014-01-01

Conclusions: Cerebellar language activation occurs in homologous regions of Crus I/II contralateral to cerebral language activation in patients with both right and left cerebral language dominance. Cerebellar language laterality could contribute to comprehensive pre-operative evaluation of language lateralization in pediatric epilepsy surgery patients. Our data suggest that patients with atypical cerebellar language activation are at risk for having atypical cerebral language organization.

Early childhood obesity is associated with compromised cerebellar development.

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Miller, Jennifer L; Couch, Jessica; Schwenk, Krista; Long, Michelle; Towler, Stephen; Theriaque, Douglas W; He, Guojun; Liu, Yijun; Driscoll, Daniel J; Leonard, Christiana M

2009-01-01

As part of a study investigating commonalities between Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS-a genetic imprinting disorder) and early-onset obesity of unknown etiology (EMO) we measured total cerebral and cerebellar volume on volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images. Individuals with PWS (N = 16) and EMO (N = 12) had smaller cerebellar volumes than a control group of 15 siblings (p = .02 control vs. EMO; p = .0005 control vs. PWS), although there was no difference among the groups in cerebral volume. Individuals with PWS and EMO also had impaired cognitive function: general intellectual ability (GIA): PWS 65 +/- 25; EMO 81 +/- 19; and Controls 112 +/- 13 (p cognitive development, these results raise the possibility that early childhood obesity retards both cerebellar and cognitive development.

Enlargement of the Baldone near-surface radioactive waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dreimanis, A.

2007-01-01

A unified analysis of the enlargement of the Baldone near-surface radioactive waste (RW) repository RADONS considers the interplay of the existing engineering, safety and infrastructure premises, with the foreseen newly socio-technical features. This enlargement consists in construction of two additional RW disposal vaults and in building a long-term storage facility for spent sealed sources at the RADONS territory. Our approach is based on consecutive analysis of following basic elements: - the origin of enlargement - the RADONS safety analysis and a set of optimal socio-technical solutions of Salaspils research reactor decommissioning waste management; - the enlargement - a keystone of the national RW management concept, including the long-term approach; - the enlargement concept - the result of international co-operation and obligations; - arrangement optimization of new disposal and storage space; - environmental impact assessment for the repository enlargement - the update of socio-technical studies. The study of the public opinion revealed: negative attitude to repository enlargement is caused mainly due to missing information on radiation level and on the RADONS previous operations. These results indicate: basic measures to improve the public attitude to repository enlargement: the safety upgrade, public education and compensation mechanisms. A detailed stakeholders engagement and public education plan is elaborated. (author)

Early postnatal exposure to intermittent hypoxia in rodents is proinflammatory, impairs white matter integrity, and alters brain metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Darnall, Robert A; Chen, Xi; Nemani, Krishnamurthy V; Sirieix, Chrystelle M; Gimi, Barjor; Knoblach, Susan; McEntire, Betty L; Hunt, Carl E

2017-07-01

BackgroundPreterm infants are frequently exposed to intermittent hypoxia (IH) associated with apnea and periodic breathing that may result in inflammation and brain injury that later manifests as cognitive and executive function deficits. We used a rodent model to determine whether early postnatal exposure to IH would result in inflammation and brain injury.MethodsRat pups were exposed to IH from P2 to P12. Control animals were exposed to room air. Cytokines were analyzed in plasma and brain tissue at P13 and P18. At P20-P22, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) were performed.ResultsPups exposed to IH had increased plasma Gro/CXCL1 and cerebellar IFN-γ and IL-1β at P13, and brainstem enolase at P18. DTI showed a decrease in FA and AD in the corpus callosum (CC) and cingulate gyrus, and an increase in RD in the CC. MRS revealed decreases in NAA/Cho, Cr, Tau/Cr, and Gly/Cr; increases in TCho and GPC in the brainstem; and decreases in NAA/Cho in the hippocampus.ConclusionsWe conclude that early postnatal exposure to IH, similar in magnitude to that experienced in human preterm infants, is associated with evidence for proinflammatory changes, decreases in white matter integrity, and metabolic changes consistent with hypoxia.

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Inverse Stochastic Resonance in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells.

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Anatoly Buchin

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Purkinje neurons play an important role in cerebellar computation since their axons are the only projection from the cerebellar cortex to deeper cerebellar structures. They have complex internal dynamics, which allow them to fire spontaneously, display bistability, and also to be involved in network phenomena such as high frequency oscillations and travelling waves. Purkinje cells exhibit type II excitability, which can be revealed by a discontinuity in their f-I curves. We show that this excitability mechanism allows Purkinje cells to be efficiently inhibited by noise of a particular variance, a phenomenon known as inverse stochastic resonance (ISR. While ISR has been described in theoretical models of single neurons, here we provide the first experimental evidence for this effect. We find that an adaptive exponential integrate-and-fire model fitted to the basic Purkinje cell characteristics using a modified dynamic IV method displays ISR and bistability between the resting state and a repetitive activity limit cycle. ISR allows the Purkinje cell to operate in different functional regimes: the all-or-none toggle or the linear filter mode, depending on the variance of the synaptic input. We propose that synaptic noise allows Purkinje cells to quickly switch between these functional regimes. Using mutual information analysis, we demonstrate that ISR can lead to a locally optimal information transfer between the input and output spike train of the Purkinje cell. These results provide the first experimental evidence for ISR and suggest a functional role for ISR in cerebellar information processing.

Cerebellar motor learning: when is cortical plasticity not enough?

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John Porrill

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Classical Marr-Albus theories of cerebellar learning employ only cortical sites of plasticity. However, tests of these theories using adaptive calibration of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR have indicated plasticity in both cerebellar cortex and the brainstem. To resolve this long-standing conflict, we attempted to identify the computational role of the brainstem site, by using an adaptive filter version of the cerebellar microcircuit to model VOR calibration for changes in the oculomotor plant. With only cortical plasticity, introducing a realistic delay in the retinal-slip error signal of 100 ms prevented learning at frequencies higher than 2.5 Hz, although the VOR itself is accurate up to at least 25 Hz. However, the introduction of an additional brainstem site of plasticity, driven by the correlation between cerebellar and vestibular inputs, overcame the 2.5 Hz limitation and allowed learning of accurate high-frequency gains. This "cortex-first" learning mechanism is consistent with a wide variety of evidence concerning the role of the flocculus in VOR calibration, and complements rather than replaces the previously proposed "brainstem-first" mechanism that operates when ocular tracking mechanisms are effective. These results (i describe a process whereby information originally learnt in one area of the brain (cerebellar cortex can be transferred and expressed in another (brainstem, and (ii indicate for the first time why a brainstem site of plasticity is actually required by Marr-Albus type models when high-frequency gains must be learned in the presence of error delay.

Primary Cilia in the Murine Cerebellum and in Mutant Models of Medulloblastoma.

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Di Pietro, Chiara; Marazziti, Daniela; La Sala, Gina; Abbaszadeh, Zeinab; Golini, Elisabetta; Matteoni, Rafaele; Tocchini-Valentini, Glauco P

2017-01-01

Cellular primary cilia crucially sense and transduce extracellular physicochemical stimuli. Cilium-mediated developmental signaling is tissue and cell type specific. Primary cilia are required for cerebellar differentiation and sonic hedgehog (Shh)-dependent proliferation of neuronal granule precursors. The mammalian G-protein-coupled receptor 37-like 1 is specifically expressed in cerebellar Bergmann glia astrocytes and participates in regulating postnatal cerebellar granule neuron proliferation/differentiation and Bergmann glia and Purkinje neuron maturation. The mouse receptor protein interacts with the patched 1 component of the cilium-associated Shh receptor complex. Mice heterozygous for patched homolog 1 mutations, like heterozygous patched 1 humans, have a higher incidence of Shh subgroup medulloblastoma (MB) and other tumors. Cerebellar cells bearing primary cilia were identified during postnatal development and in adulthood in two mouse strains with altered Shh signaling: a G-protein-coupled receptor 37-like 1 null mutant and an MB-susceptible, heterozygous patched homolog 1 mutant. In addition to granule and Purkinje neurons, primary cilia were also expressed by Bergmann glia astrocytes in both wild-type and mutant animals, from birth to adulthood. Variations in ciliary number and length were related to the different levels of neuronal and glial cell proliferation and maturation, during postnatal cerebellar development. Primary cilia were also detected in pre-neoplastic MB lesions in heterozygous patched homolog 1 mutant mice and they could represent specific markers for the development and analysis of novel cerebellar oncogenic models.

Twisted Acceleration-Enlarged Newton-Hooke Hopf Algebras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daszkiewicz, M.

2010-01-01

Ten Abelian twist deformations of acceleration-enlarged Newton-Hooke Hopf algebra are considered. The corresponding quantum space-times are derived as well. It is demonstrated that their contraction limit τ → ∞ leads to the new twisted acceleration-enlarged Galilei spaces. (author)

Cerebellar arteries originating from the internal carotid artery: angiographic evaluation and embryologic explanations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae Young; Han, Moon Hee; Yu, In Gyu; Chang, Ki Hyun; Kim, Eui Jong; Kim, Dae Ho

1997-01-01

To find and describe the cerebellar arteries arising from the internal carotid artery, explain them embryologically, and evaluate their clinical implication. To determine the point in the internal carotid artery from which the cereballar artery arose anomalously, consecutive angiographic studies performed in the last three years were reviewed. The distribution of such anomalous cerebellar arteries, the point in the internal carotid artery from which the anomalous vessels originated, and associated findings were analyzed. Five anomalous origins of cerebellar arteries arising arising directly from the internal carotid artery were found in five patients. Three anterior inferior cerebellar arteries (AICA) and one common trunk of an AICA and a posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) were found to originate from the internal carotid artery at a point close to the origin of the primitive trigeminal artery. A PICA arose from an artery presenting a course similar to the proatlantal intersegmental artery. Intracranial aneurysms in two patients, Moyamoya disease in one, and facial arteriovenous malformation in one. In our series, AICAs supplied from the arteries considered to be persistent trigeminal artery variants were the most common type. A correlation between type of anomalous cerebellar artery and type of carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomosis may exist. Cerebellar arteries originating anomalously from the internal carotid artery seem to occur as a result of the persistence of carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses associated with incomplete fusion of the longitudinal neural arteries. An understanding of these anomalous cerebellar arteries may help prevent accidents during therapeutic embolization and surgical treatment, as well as misinterpretation

Biliary atresia and cerebellar hypoplasia in polysplenia syndrome

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Vanderdood, Kurt; Op de Beeck, Bart; Desprechins, Brigitte; Osteaux, Michel [Department of Radiology, Free University Brussels, AZ-VUB, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussels (Belgium)

2003-09-01

We report a 3.5-month-old boy with polysplenia syndrome who demonstrated hemiazygos continuation of the inferior vena cava, extrahepatic biliary atresia, multiple splenunculi, bowel malrotation, and the rare finding of brainstem and cerebellar hypoplasia. A possible pathogenesis for cerebellar hypoplasia in this syndrome is suggested after review of the literature. The importance of seeking associated anomalies in biliary atresia, which may be possible indicators of polysplenia syndrome, is stressed since these patients need appropriate management when surgery is considered. (orig.)

Cerebellar modulation of frontal cortex dopamine efflux in mice: relevance to autism and schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mittleman, Guy; Goldowitz, Daniel; Heck, Detlef H; Blaha, Charles D

2008-07-01

Cerebellar and frontal cortical pathologies have been commonly reported in schizophrenia, autism, and other developmental disorders. Whether there is a relationship between prefrontal and cerebellar pathologies is unknown. Using fixed potential amperometry, dopamine (DA) efflux evoked by cerebellar or, dentate nucleus electrical stimulation (50 Hz, 200 muA) was recorded in prefrontal cortex of urethane anesthetized lurcher (Lc/+) mice with 100% loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells and wildtype (+/+) control mice. Cerebellar stimulation with 25 and 100 pulses evoked prefrontal cortex DA efflux in +/+ mice that persisted for 12 and 25 s poststimulation, respectively. In contrast, 25 pulse cerebellar stimulation failed to evoke prefrontal cortex DA efflux in Lc/+ mice indicating a dependency on cerebellar Purkinje cell outputs. Dentate nucleus stimulation (25 pulses) evoked a comparable but briefer (baseline recovery within 7 s) increase in prefrontal cortex DA efflux compared to similar cerebellar stimulation in +/+ mice. However, in Lc/+ mice 25 pulse dentate nucleus evoked prefrontal cortex DA efflux was attenuated by 60% with baseline recovery within 4 s suggesting that dentate nucleus outputs to prefrontal cortex remain partially functional. DA reuptake blockade enhanced 100 pulse stimulation evoked prefrontal cortex responses, while serotonin or norepinephrine reuptake blockade were without effect indicating the specificity of the amperometric recordings to DA. Results provide neurochemical evidence that the cerebellum can modulate DA efflux in the prefrontal cortex. Together, these findings may explain why cerebellar and frontal cortical pathologies co-occur, and may provide a mechanism that accounts for the diversity of symptoms common to multiple developmental disorders.

Cerebellar Ataxia from Multiple Potential Causes: Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Thalamic Stimulation, and Essential Tremor

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Natalya V. Shneyder

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Both hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT can rarely be associated with cerebellar ataxia. Severe essential tremor (ET as well as bilateral thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS may lead to subtle cerebellar signs. Case Report: We report a 74-year-old male with hypothyroidism and a 20-year history of ET who developed cerebellar ataxia after bilateral thalamic DBS. Extensive workup revealed elevated thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroperoxidase antibody titers confirming the diagnosis of HT. Discussion: Our case demonstrates multiple possible causes of cerebellar ataxia in a patient, including hypothyroidism, HT, chronic ET, and bilateral thalamic DBS. Counseling of patients may be appropriate when multiple risk factors for cerebellar ataxia coexist in one individual.

The organization of plasticity in the cerebellar cortex: from synapses to control.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Angelo, Egidio

2014-01-01

The cerebellum is thought to play a critical role in procedural learning, but the relationship between this function and the underlying cellular and synaptic mechanisms remains largely speculative. At present, at least nine forms of long-term synaptic and nonsynaptic plasticity (some of which are bidirectional) have been reported in the cerebellar cortex and deep cerebellar nuclei. These include long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression at the mossy fiber-granule cell synapse, at the synapses formed by parallel fibers, climbing fibers, and molecular layer interneurons on Purkinje cells, and at the synapses formed by mossy fibers and Purkinje cells on deep cerebellar nuclear cells, as well as LTP of intrinsic excitability in granule cells, Purkinje cells, and deep cerebellar nuclear cells. It is suggested that the complex properties of cerebellar learning would emerge from the distribution of plasticity in the network and from its dynamic remodeling during the different phases of learning. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors may hold the key to explain how the different forms of plasticity cooperate to select specific transmission channels and to regulate the signal-to-noise ratio through the cerebellar cortex. These factors include regulation of neuronal excitation by local inhibitory networks, engagement of specific molecular mechanisms by spike bursts and theta-frequency oscillations, and gating by external neuromodulators. Therefore, a new and more complex view of cerebellar plasticity is emerging with respect to that predicted by the original "Motor Learning Theory," opening issues that will require experimental and computational testing. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regional cerebellar volume and cognitive function from adolescence to late middle age.

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Bernard, Jessica A; Leopold, Daniel R; Calhoun, Vince D; Mittal, Vijay A

2015-03-01

Cerebellar morphology and function have been implicated in a variety of developmental disorders, and in healthy aging. Although recent work has sought to characterize the relationships between volume and age in this structure during adolescence, young, and older adulthood, there have been no investigations of regional cerebellar volume from adolescence through late middle age. Middle age in particular has been largely understudied, and investigating this period of the lifespan may be especially important for our understanding of senescence. Understanding regional patterns of cerebellar volume with respect to age during this portion of the lifespan may provide important insight into healthy aging and cognitive function as well as pathology from adolescence into later life. We investigated regional cerebellar volume using a highly novel lobular segmentation approach in conjunction with a battery of cognitive tasks in a cross-sectional sample of 123 individuals from 12 to 65 years old. Our results indicated that regional cerebellar volumes show different patterns with respect to age. In particular, the more posterior aspect of the neocerebellum follows a quadratic "inverse-U" pattern while the vermis and anterior cerebellum follow logarithmic patterns. In addition, we quantified the relationships between age and a variety of cognitive assessments and found relationships between regional cerebellar volumes and performance. Finally, exploratory analyses of sex differences in the relationships between regional cerebellar volume, age, and cognition were investigated. Taken together, these results provide key insights into the development and aging of the human cerebellum, and its role in cognitive function across the lifespan. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Olivary degeneration after cerebellar or brain stem haemorrhage: MRI

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Uchino, A. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Univ. Hospital, Fukuoka (Japan) Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Rosai Hospital, Kitakyushu (Japan)); Hasuo, K. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Univ. Hospital, Fukuoka (Japan)); Uchida, K. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Rosai Hospital, Kitakyushu (Japan)); Matsumoto, S. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Univ. Hospital, Fukuoka (Japan)); Tsukamoto, Y. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Rosai Hospital, Kitakyushu (Japan)); Ohno, M. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Rosai Hospital, Kitakyushu (Japan)); Masuda, K. (Dept. of Radiology, Kyushu Univ. Hospital, Fukuoka (Japan))

1993-05-01

Magnetic resonance (MR) images of seven patients with olivary degeneration caused by cerebellar or brain stem haemorrhages were reviewed. In four patients with cerebellar haemorrhage, old haematomas were identified as being located in the dentate nucleus; the contralateral inferior olivary nuclei were hyperintense on proton-density- and T2-weighted images. In two patients with pontine haemorrhages, the old haematomas were in the tegmentum and the ipsilateral inferior olivary nuclei, which were hyperintense. In one case of midbrain haemorrhage, the inferior olivary nuclei were hyperintense bilaterally. The briefest interval from the ictus to MRI was 2 months. Hypertrophic olivary nuclei were observed only at least 4 months after the ictus. Olivary degeneration after cerebellar or brain stem haemorrhage should not be confused with ischaemic, neoplastic, or other primary pathological conditions of the medulla. (orig.)

Distinct Critical Cerebellar Subregions for Components of Verbal Working Memory

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Freya E.; Grube, Manon; Von Kriegstein, Katharina; Kumar, Sukhbinder; English, Philip; Kelly, Thomas P.; Chinnery, Patrick F.; Griffiths, Timothy D.

2012-01-01

A role for the cerebellum in cognition has been proposed based on studies suggesting a profile of cognitive deficits due to cerebellar stroke. Such studies are limited in the determination of the detailed organisation of cerebellar subregions that are critical for different aspects of cognition. In this study we examined the correlation between…

The Cerebellum and Language: Evidence from Patients with Cerebellar Degeneration

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Stoodley, Catherine J.; Schmahmann, Jeremy D.

2009-01-01

Clinical and imaging studies suggest that the cerebellum is involved in language tasks, but the extent to which slowed language production in cerebellar patients contributes to their poor performance on these tasks is not clear. We explored this relationship in 18 patients with cerebellar degeneration and 16 healthy controls who completed measures…

Novel homozygous missense mutation in ALDH7A1 causes neonatal pyridoxine dependent epilepsy.

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Coci, Emanuele G; Codutti, Luca; Fink, Christian; Bartsch, Sophie; Grüning, Gunnar; Lücke, Thomas; Kurth, Ingo; Riedel, Joachim

2017-04-01

Pyridoxine dependent epilepsy (PDE) (OMIM#266100) is a neonatal form of epilepsy, caused by dysfunction of the enzyme α-aminoadipic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH7A1 or Antiquitin). This enzyme converts α-aminoadipic semialdehyde (α-AASA) into α-aminoadipate (AAA), a critical step in the lysine metabolism of the brain. ALDH7A1 dysfunction causes an accumulation of α-AASA and δ 1 -piperideine-6-carboxylic acid (P6C), which are in equilibrium with each other. P6C binds and inactivates pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), the active form of pyridoxine. Individuals affected by ALDH7A1 deficiency show pre-natal and post-natal seizures, which respond to oral pyridoxine but not to other pediatric anti-epileptic drugs. We discovered a novel missense mutation (c.566G > A, p.Gly189Glu) in homozygous state residing in the NAD+ binding domain coding region of exon 6 and affecting an highly conserved amino acid residue. The seizures stopped under post-natal pyridoxine therapy, nevertheless a longer follow-up is needed to evaluate the intellectual development of the child, who is additionally treated with oral l-arginine since the 13th month of life. Developmental delay with or without structural cortex abnormalities were reported in several patients. A brain MRI scan revealed hyperintense white matter in the right cerebellum compatible with cerebellar gliosis. Taken together, our studies enlarge the group of missense pathogenic mutations of ALDH7A1 gene and reveal a novel cerebellar finding within the PDE patients cohort. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The "New Politics" of EU's Eastern Enlargement

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Zank, Wolfgang

The paper gives an overview of EU's eastern enlargement and draws some theoretical conclusions. In particular, it stresses the point that the EU member states in the process of enlargement have entered a phase of "new politics", characterised by multilateralism, conditionality, help and binding...

Direct and indirect spino-cerebellar pathways: shared ideas but different functions in motor control

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Juan eJiang

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The impressive precision of mammalian limb movements relies on internal feedback pathways that convey information about ongoing motor output to cerebellar circuits. The spino-cerebellar tracts (SCT in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal cord have long been considered canonical neural substrates for the conveyance of internal feedback signals. Here we consider the distinct features of an indirect spino-cerebellar route, via the brainstem lateral reticular nucleus (LRN, and the implications of this pre-cerebellar ‘detour’ for the execution and evolution of limb motor control. Both direct and indirect spino-cerebellar pathways signal spinal interneuronal activity to the cerebellum during movements, but evidence suggests that direct SCT neurons are mainly modulated by rhythmic activity, whereas the LRN also receives information from systems active during postural adjustment, reaching and grasping. Thus, while direct and indirect spino-cerebellar circuits can both be regarded as internal copy pathways, it seems likely that the direct system is principally dedicated to rhythmic motor acts like locomotion, while the indirect system also provides a means of pre-cerebellar integration relevant to the execution and coordination of de

Ataxias and Cerebellar or Spinocerebellar Degeneration

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... and conducts a broad range of basic and clinical research on cerebellar and spinocerebellar degeneration, including work aimed at finding the cause(s) of ataxias and ways to ... Publications Definition Ataxia ...

Cerebellar contribution to motor and cognitive performance in multiple sclerosis: An MRI sub-regional volumetric analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Ambrosio, Alessandro; Pagani, Elisabetta; Riccitelli, Gianna C; Colombo, Bruno; Rodegher, Mariaemma; Falini, Andrea; Comi, Giancarlo; Filippi, Massimo; Rocca, Maria A

2017-08-01

To investigate the role of cerebellar sub-regions on motor and cognitive performance in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Whole and sub-regional cerebellar volumes, brain volumes, T2 hyperintense lesion volumes (LV), and motor performance scores were obtained from 95 relapse-onset MS patients and 32 healthy controls (HC). MS patients also underwent an evaluation of working memory and processing speed functions. Cerebellar anterior and posterior lobes were segmented using the Spatially Unbiased Infratentorial Toolbox (SUIT) from Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM12). Multivariate linear regression models assessed the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures and motor/cognitive scores. Compared to HC, only secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patients had lower cerebellar volumes (total and posterior cerebellum). In MS patients, lower anterior cerebellar volume and brain T2 LV predicted worse motor performance, whereas lower posterior cerebellar volume and brain T2 LV predicted poor cognitive performance. Global measures of brain volume and infratentorial T2 LV were not selected by the final multivariate models. Cerebellar volumetric abnormalities are likely to play an important contribution to explain motor and cognitive performance in MS patients. Consistently with functional mapping studies, cerebellar posterior-inferior volume accounted for variance in cognitive measures, whereas anterior cerebellar volume accounted for variance in motor performance, supporting the assessment of cerebellar damage at sub-regional level.

Distal anterior inferior cerebellar artery syndrome after acoustic neuroma surgery.

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Hegarty, Joseph L; Jackler, Robert K; Rigby, Peter L; Pitts, Lawrence H; Cheung, Steven W

2002-07-01

To define a clinicopathologic syndrome associated with persistent cerebellar dysfunction after acoustic neuroma (AN) excision. Case series derived from radiographic and clinical chart review. Tertiary referral center. In 12 patients with AN, persistent cerebellar dysfunction developed after AN removal. Each case demonstrated abnormality in the ipsilateral cerebellar peduncle on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Cerebellar function and ambulatory status over the first postoperative year. On magnetic resonance imaging scans, the extent of cerebellar peduncle infarcts was variable. It ranged from focal brain injury (2 cm) spanning the full thickness of the peduncle. Peduncular infarcts were associated with large tumor size (average 3.8 cm, range 2.0-5.5 cm diameter). The long-term functional outcomes (>1 yr) varied. Dysmetria was unchanged or improved in over half of the patients (6 of 11 patients). Gait recovered to normal or to preoperative levels in 5 patients. In the 6 patients with persistent impaired mobility, 2 had mild gait disturbance, 3 required regular use of a cane, and 1 has been dependent on a walker. One patient had sustained mild motor weakness. Three of 11 patients remained dependent on others for activities of daily living. Peduncle injury most likely stems from interruption of distal branches of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA). These small vessels are intimately related to the capsule of the tumor and may supply both the neoplasm and the brain parenchyma. It has long been recognized that interruption of the proximal segment of the AICA results in severe injury to the pons, with devastating neurologic sequelae. A limited AICA syndrome caused by loss of its distal ramifications seems a more plausible explanation for peduncular infarction than either venous insufficiency or direct surgical trauma.

Reduced contralateral hemispheric flow measured by SPECT in cerebellar lesions

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Sönmezoğlu, K; Sperling, B; Henriksen, T

1993-01-01

Four patients with clinical signs of cerebellar stroke were studied twice by SPECT using 99mTc-HMPAO as a tracer for cerebral blood flow (CBF). When first scanned 6 to 22 days after onset, all had a region of very low CBF in the symptomatic cerebellar hemisphere, and a mild to moderate CBF reduct...

CHANGING FROM WITHIN? THE INTRA-ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS OF EU ENLARGEMENT

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Velibor JAKOVLESKI

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper opens up the black box of enlargement, focusing on how the intra-organizational relationships among the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, and the European Parliament affect the process of enlargement. Formally speaking, enlargement is an intergovernmental process, suggesting that member states are firmly in control of its outcomes. However, the EU’s supranational actors, specifically the European Parliament and European Commission also attempt to influence enlargement at various stages. I posit that the process of enlargement to the Western Balkans has evolved, influenced by changing constraints which are operating on the aforementioned actors. The added value of this work is in disaggregating the enlargement process based on its institutionalized relationships in both a vertical and horizontal dimension. It provides a supply-side argument for how enlargement policy has evolved from within the EU, rather than simply as a function of external factors.

Enlargement of filtration with finance in view

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Aksamit, Anna

2017-01-01

This volume presents classical results of the theory of enlargement of filtration. The focus is on the behavior of martingales with respect to the enlarged filtration and related objects. The study is conducted in various contexts including immersion, progressive enlargement with a random time and initial enlargement with a random variable.  The aim of this book is to collect the main mathematical results (with proofs) previously spread among numerous papers, great part of which is only available in French. Many examples and applications to finance, in particular to credit risk modelling and the study of asymmetric information, are provided to illustrate the theory. A detailed summary of further connections and applications is given in bibliographic notes which enables to deepen study of the topic.  This book fills a gap in the literature and serves as a guide for graduate students and researchers interested in the role of information in financial mathematics and in econometric science. A basic knowledge of...

Parvovirus associated cerebellar hypoplasia and hydrocephalus in day-old broiler chickens

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Cerebellar hypoplasia and hydrocephalus were detected in day-old broiler chickens. Brains of chickens evaluated at necropsy appeared to be abnormal; some were disfigured and cerebellae appeared to be smaller than normal. Histopathologic examination of brains revealed cerebellar folia that were sho...

Dyke–Davidoff–Masson syndrome with crossed cerebellar atrophy

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Sanjay M. Khaladkar

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Dyke–Davidoff–Masson syndrome is a rare condition with classical, clinical and radiological changes – mental retardation, hemiparesis, facial asymmetry, seizures and cerebral hemiatrophy with calvarial changes. Contralateral cerebellar atrophy is rare and occurs if insult occurs after 1 month of age. We report a case of a 6-year-old female child presenting with right-sided hemiparesis, convulsions and left cerebral hemiatrophy with an old infarct in left middle cerebral artery (MCA territory, ipsilateral calvarial thickening and right (crossed cerebellar atrophy.

A PET study of cerebellar metabolism in normal and abnormal states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kushner, M.; Alavi, A.; Chawluk, J.; Silver, F.; Dann, R.; Rosen, M.; Reivich, M.

1985-01-01

The authors studied cerebellar metabolism under varying conditions of sensory stimulation. Cerebellar glucose consumption was measured by positron emission scanning and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose in 64 subjects. Cerebellar metabolism relative to the whole brain (CM), and the asymmetry of metabolism between the cerebellar hemispheres (CA) was determined. The lowest CM occurred with maximal sensory deprivation, eyes and ears closed, (CM=96%, n=6). CM increased nonsignificantly with visual stimulation (CM=99%,n=17) and was highest for auditory stimulation (CM=104%,n=10,p<.05). CA was unaffected by sensory input. Under ambient conditions the CM values were 101%, 113% and 135% respectively for young controls (n=9, age=22), old controls (n=8, age=61) and Alzheimer patients (SDAT, n=14, age=69). This difference was significant for SDAT vs young and old controls and was nearly significant for young vs old controls

Clinical characteristics of patients with cerebellar ataxia associated with anti-GAD antibodies

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Tiago Silva Aguiar

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD, present in GABAergic neurons and in pancreatic beta cells, catalyzes the conversion of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA. The cerebellum is highly susceptible to immune-mediated mechanisms, with the potentially treatable autoimmune cerebellar ataxia associated with the GAD antibody (CA-GAD-ab being a rare, albeit increasingly detected condition. Few cases of CA-GAD-ab have been described. Methods This retrospective and descriptive study evaluated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with CA-GAD-ab. Result Three patients with cerebellar ataxia, high GAD-ab titers and autoimmune endocrine disease were identified. Patients 1 and 2 had classic stiff person syndrome and insidious-onset cerebellar ataxia, while Patient 3 had pure cerebellar ataxia with subacute onset. Patients received intravenous immunoglobulin therapy with no response in Patients 1 and 3 and partial recovery in Patient 2. Conclusion CA-GAD-ab is rare and its clinical presentation may hamper diagnosis. Clinicians should be able to recognize this potentially treatable autoimmune cerebellar ataxia.

Cerebellar and pontine tegmental hypermetabolism in miller-fisher syndrome

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Kim, Yu Kyrong; Kim, Ji Soo; Lee, Won Woo; Kim, Sang Eun [Seoul National Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2007-07-01

Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) has been considered as a variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a type of acute immune neuropathies involving peripheral nerve system. Unlike GBS, presence of cerebellar type ataxia and supranuclear ophthalmioplesia in MFS suggests additional involvement of the central nervous system. To determine involvement of the central nervous system in MFS, we investigated the cerebral metabolic abnormalities in patients with MFS using FDG PET. Nine patients who were diagnosed as MFS based on acute ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and areflexia without other identifiable causes participated in this study. In six patients, serum antibodies possibly related with symptom of MFS (anti- GQ1b or anti-GM1) were detected at the time of the study. With the interval of 25 26 days (range: 3-83 days) from the symptom on set, brain FDG PET were underwent in patients and compared with those from healthy controls. In group analysis comparing with healthy controls, FDG PET of patients revealed increased metabolism in the bilateral cerebellar hemispheres and vermis, and the thalamus. In contrast, the occipital cortex showed decreased metabolism. Individual analyses disclosed hypermetabolism in the cerebellar vermis or hemispheres in 5, and in the pontine tegmentum in 2 of the 9 patients. We also found that the cerebellar vermian hypermetabolism was inversely correlated with the interval between from the symptom on set to PET study. Moreover, follow-up PET of a patient demonstrated that cerebellar hypermetabolism decreased markedly with an improvement of the ophthalmoplegia and ataxia. These findings indicate an involvement of the central nervous system in MFS and suggest an antibody-associated acute inflammatory process as a mechanism of this disorder.

Cerebellar and pontine tegmental hypermetabolism in miller-fisher syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yu Kyrong; Kim, Ji Soo; Lee, Won Woo; Kim, Sang Eun

2007-01-01

Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS) has been considered as a variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a type of acute immune neuropathies involving peripheral nerve system. Unlike GBS, presence of cerebellar type ataxia and supranuclear ophthalmioplesia in MFS suggests additional involvement of the central nervous system. To determine involvement of the central nervous system in MFS, we investigated the cerebral metabolic abnormalities in patients with MFS using FDG PET. Nine patients who were diagnosed as MFS based on acute ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and areflexia without other identifiable causes participated in this study. In six patients, serum antibodies possibly related with symptom of MFS (anti- GQ1b or anti-GM1) were detected at the time of the study. With the interval of 25 26 days (range: 3-83 days) from the symptom on set, brain FDG PET were underwent in patients and compared with those from healthy controls. In group analysis comparing with healthy controls, FDG PET of patients revealed increased metabolism in the bilateral cerebellar hemispheres and vermis, and the thalamus. In contrast, the occipital cortex showed decreased metabolism. Individual analyses disclosed hypermetabolism in the cerebellar vermis or hemispheres in 5, and in the pontine tegmentum in 2 of the 9 patients. We also found that the cerebellar vermian hypermetabolism was inversely correlated with the interval between from the symptom on set to PET study. Moreover, follow-up PET of a patient demonstrated that cerebellar hypermetabolism decreased markedly with an improvement of the ophthalmoplegia and ataxia. These findings indicate an involvement of the central nervous system in MFS and suggest an antibody-associated acute inflammatory process as a mechanism of this disorder

Cerebellar mutism: review of the literature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gudrunardottir, Thora; Sehested, Astrid; Juhler, Marianne

2011-01-01

Cerebellar mutism is a common complication of posterior fossa surgery in children. This article reviews current status with respect to incidence, anatomical substrate, pathophysiology, risk factors, surgical considerations, treatment options, prognosis and prevention....

Gravity-dependent nystagmus and inner-ear dysfunction suggest anterior and posterior inferior cerebellar artery infarct.

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Shaikh, Aasef G; Miller, Benjamin R; Sundararajan, Sophia; Katirji, Bashar

2014-04-01

Cerebellar lesions may present with gravity-dependent nystagmus, where the direction and velocity of the drifts change with alterations in head position. Two patients had acute onset of hearing loss, vertigo, oscillopsia, nausea, and vomiting. Examination revealed gravity-dependent nystagmus, unilateral hypoactive vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), and hearing loss ipsilateral to the VOR hypofunction. Traditionally, the hypoactive VOR and hearing loss suggest inner-ear dysfunction. Vertigo, nausea, vomiting, and nystagmus may suggest peripheral or central vestibulopathy. The gravity-dependent modulation of nystagmus, however, localizes to the posterior cerebellar vermis. Magnetic resonance imaging in our patients revealed acute cerebellar infarct affecting posterior cerebellar vermis, in the vascular distribution of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). This lesion explains the gravity-dependent nystagmus, nausea, and vomiting. Acute onset of unilateral hearing loss and VOR hypofunction could be the manifestation of inner-ear ischemic injury secondary to the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) compromise. In cases of combined AICA and PICA infarction, the symptoms of peripheral vestibulopathy might masquerade the central vestibular syndrome and harbor a cerebellar stroke. However, the gravity-dependent nystagmus allows prompt identification of acute cerebellar infarct. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enlarged prostate - after care

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... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000398.htm Enlarged prostate - after care To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. The prostate is a gland that produces the fluid that ...

Neurologic function during developmental and adult stages in Dab1(scm) (scrambler) mutant mice.

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Jacquelin, C; Strazielle, C; Lalonde, R

2012-01-01

Homozygous Dab1(scm) mouse mutants with cell ectopias in cerebellar cortex, hippocampus, and neocortex were compared to non-ataxic controls on the SHIRPA primary screening battery on postnatal days 8, 15, and 22, as well as in the adult period. Dab1(scm) mutants were distinguished from non-ataxic controls as early as postnatal day 8 based on body tremor, gait anomalies, and body weight. On postnatal day 15, motor coordination deficits were evident on horizontal bar and inclined or vertical grid tests in association with a weaker grip strength. Likewise, mutants were distinguished from controls on drop righting and hindpaw clasping tests. Further differences were detected on postnatal day 22 in the form of fewer visual placing, touch escape, trunk curl, freezing, and vocalization responses, as well as squares traversed in the open-field. Evaluation at the adult age demonstrated similar impairments, indicative of permanent motor alterations. Neuronal metabolic activity was estimated by cytochrome oxidase histochemistry on cerebellar sections. Cerebellar cortical layers and efferent deep nuclei of Dab1(scm) mice appeared hypometabolic relative to non-ataxic mice despite normal metabolism in both regular and ectopic Purkinje cells. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language Impairment in Cerebellar Ataxia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Gaalen, Judith; de Swart, Bert J. M.; Oostveen, Judith; Knuijt, Simone; van de Warrenburg, Bart P. C.; Kremer, Berry (H. ) P. H.

Background: Several studies have suggested that language impairment can be observed in patients with cerebellar pathology. The aim of this study was to investigate language performance in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6). Methods: We assessed speech and language in 29 SCA6 patients

Postnatal depression and socio-cultural practices among postnatal mothers in Kota Bahru, Kelantan, Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Azidah, A K; Shaiful, B I; Rusli, N; Jamil, M Y

2006-03-01

This is a cross sectional study to determine the relationship of postnatal depression (PND) and socio-cultural practices post-delivery among women in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Four hundred and twenty one pregnant women were screened for depression between 36 - 42 weeks of pregnancy, 1 week and 4 - 6 weeks postpartum using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The women also completed questionnaires on socio-demography, psychosocial support and traditional postnatal care. The prevalence of PND at 4-6 weeks postpartum was 20.7%. Depressive symptoms at the end of pregnancy (p<0.05) and one week postpartum (p<0.05), worry about the baby (p<0.05), use of traditional medication (p<0.05) and traditional massage (p<0.05) were significantly associated with PND.

The experiences of postnatal patients regarding postnatal care in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

At home they receive care and advice from traditional birth attendants. ... exploratory, descriptive and contextual research method was used in this study. ... relatives when giving health advice on discharge; conflicting postnatal care advice; ...

Sodium valproate induced gingival enlargement with pre-existing chronic periodontitis

OpenAIRE

Joshipura, Vaibhavi

2012-01-01

Gingival enlargement is a common clinical feature of gingival and periodontal diseases. Currently, more than 20 prescription medications are associated with gingival enlargement. Although the mechanisms of action may be different, the clinical and microscopic appearance of drug-induced gingival enlargement is similar with any drug. Gingival enlargement produces esthetic changes, and clinical symptoms including pain, tenderness, bleeding, speech disturbances, abnormal tooth movement, dental oc...

Cerebellar patients demonstrate preserved implicit knowledge of association strengths in musical sequences.

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Tillmann, Barbara; Justus, Timothy; Bigand, Emmanuel

2008-03-01

Recent findings suggest the involvement of the cerebellum in perceptual and cognitive tasks. Our study investigated whether cerebellar patients show musical priming based on implicit knowledge of tonal-harmonic music. Participants performed speeded phoneme identification on sung target chords, which were either related or less-related to prime contexts in terms of the tonal-harmonic system. As groups, both cerebellar patients and age-matched controls showed facilitated processing for related targets, as previously observed for healthy young adults. The outcome suggests that an intact cerebellum is not mandatory for accessing implicit knowledge stored in long-term memory and for its influence on perception. One patient showed facilitated processing for less-related targets (suggesting sensory priming). The findings suggest directions for future research on auditory perception in cerebellar patients to further our understanding of cerebellar functions.

Dicer Is Required for Normal Cerebellar Development and to Restrain Medulloblastoma Formation.

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Frederique Zindy

Full Text Available Dicer, a ribonuclease III enzyme, is required for the maturation of microRNAs. To assess its role in cerebellar and medulloblastoma development, we genetically deleted Dicer in Nestin-positive neural progenitors and in mice lacking one copy for the Sonic Hedgehog receptor, Patched 1. We found that conditional loss of Dicer in mouse neural progenitors induced massive Trp53-independent apoptosis in all proliferative zones of the brain and decreased proliferation of cerebellar granule progenitors at embryonic day 15.5 leading to abnormal cerebellar development and perinatal lethality. Loss of one copy of Dicer significantly accelerated the formation of mouse medulloblastoma of the Sonic Hedgehog subgroup in Patched1-heterozygous mice. We conclude that Dicer is required for proper cerebellar development, and to restrain medulloblastoma formation.

Changes in cerebro-cerebellar interaction during response inhibition after performance improvement.

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Hirose, Satoshi; Jimura, Koji; Kunimatsu, Akira; Abe, Osamu; Ohtomo, Kuni; Miyashita, Yasushi; Konishi, Seiki

2014-10-01

It has been demonstrated that motor learning is supported by the cerebellum and the cerebro-cerebellar interaction. Response inhibition involves motor responses and the higher-order inhibition that controls the motor responses. In this functional MRI study, we measured the cerebro-cerebellar interaction during response inhibition in two separate days of task performance, and detected the changes in the interaction following performance improvement. Behaviorally, performance improved in the second day, compared to the first day. The psycho-physiological interaction (PPI) analysis revealed the interaction decrease from the right inferior frontal cortex (rIFC) to the cerebellum (lobule VII or VI). It was also revealed that the interaction increased from the same cerebellar region to the primary motor area. These results suggest the involvement of the cerebellum in response inhibition, and raise the possibility that the performance improvement was supported by the changes in the cerebro-cerebellar interaction. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long term clinical and neurophysiological effects of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with neurodegenerative ataxia.

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Benussi, Alberto; Dell'Era, Valentina; Cotelli, Maria Sofia; Turla, Marinella; Casali, Carlo; Padovani, Alessandro; Borroni, Barbara

Neurodegenerative cerebellar ataxias represent a group of disabling disorders for which we currently lack effective therapies. Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive technique, which has been demonstrated to modulate cerebellar excitability and improve symptoms in patients with cerebellar ataxias. The present study investigated whether a two-weeks' treatment with cerebellar anodal tDCS could improve symptoms in patients with neurodegenerative cerebellar ataxia and could modulate cerebello-motor connectivity, at short and long term. We performed a double-blind, randomized, sham controlled trial with cerebellar tDCS (5 days/week for 2 weeks) in twenty patients with ataxia. Each patient underwent a clinical evaluation pre- and post-anodal tDCS or sham stimulation. A follow-up evaluation was performed at one and three months. Cerebello-motor connectivity was evaluated using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at baseline and at follow-up. Patients who underwent anodal tDCS showed a significant improvement in all performance scores (scale for the assessment and rating of ataxia, international cooperative ataxia rating scale, 9-hole peg test, 8-m walking time) and in cerebellar brain inhibition compared to patients who underwent sham stimulation. A two-weeks' treatment with anodal cerebellar tDCS improves symptoms in patients with ataxia and restores physiological cerebellar brain inhibition pathways. Cerebellar tDCS might represent a promising future therapeutic and rehabilitative approach in patients with neurodegenerative ataxia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Speech Prosody in Cerebellar Ataxia

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Casper, Maureen A.; Raphael, Lawrence J.; Harris, Katherine S.; Geibel, Jennifer M.

2007-01-01

Persons with cerebellar ataxia exhibit changes in physical coordination and speech and voice production. Previously, these alterations of speech and voice production were described primarily via perceptual coordinates. In this study, the spatial-temporal properties of syllable production were examined in 12 speakers, six of whom were healthy…

Computed tomography findings in cases of Minamata disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirakawa, Kenichi; Hirota, Koichi; Tsubaki, Tadao; Tanimura, Kenichi; Yamamoto, Tsuneo.

1979-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) was used to evaluate 57 patients with Minamata disease (methylmercury poisoning); it was proved to be an objective and practical screening procedure. A typical patient who presented an acute onset of concentric constriction of visual fields and cerebellar ataxia showed a low-density area in both occipital regions; cerebellar atrophy and enlarged cerebral cortical sulci. On the other hand, the majority of patients who presented a chronic onset, with only a mild concentric constriction of visual fields, dysdiadochokinesis, and sensory disturbance showed only a questionable or a mild cerebellar atrophy. An enlarged paracerebellar space in mild cerebellar atrophy was easily identified at the pontine angle cistern, the paravermian cistern, and the triangular space of the rectal sinus in the coronal section on an enhanced CT scan. These findings were compatible with pathological findings of mild cases of Minamata disease. The correlation of dysdiadochokinesis with the degree of cerebellar atrophy was demonstrated. (author)

Abnormality in cerebellar blood flow in solo vertigo patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagahori, Takeshi [Shakaihoken Takaoka Hospital, Toyama (Japan); Nishijima, Michiharu; Endo, Shunro; Takaku, Akira

1997-03-01

Little is known about the blood flow of the vertebrobasilar system as a cause of vertigo and dizziness. We used Xe-CT to study cerebellar blood flow in 53 patients who ranged in age from 35 to 85 years. The patients were divided into two groups. One of them was the vertigo group that comprised 28 patients with rotatory sensation, and the other, the non-vertigo group of 25 patients with a sensation other than rotation. At the stage of severe symptoms, there was decreased cerebellar blood flow in all patients of both, the vertigo and the non-vertigo groups, and a decrease in the bilateral cerebellar hemisphere was observed in five patients and in a unilateral hemisphere in three patients of the vertigo group. By comparison, in the non-vertigo group, unilateral decrease of cerebellar blood flow was observed in only one patient, and a bilateral decrease in five. At the stage of severe symptoms, the mean regional cerebellar blood flow was 40.5{+-}8.0 ml/100 g/min (n=16 sides) in the vertigo group and 45.3{+-}9.5 ml/100 g/min (n=12 sides) in the non-vertigo group. At the stage of moderate symptoms, blood flow image was normal in four of 14 vertigo patients and in seven of 12 non-vertigo patients. The mean regional blood flow was 47.8{+-}8.6 ml/100 g/min (n=28 sides) in the vertigo group and 47.1{+-}5.1 ml/100 g/min (n=24 sides) in the non-vertigo group. At the asymptomatic stage, a high proportion of normal blood flow images (nine of 16 vertigo patients and 10 of 10 non-vertigo patients) was observed. The mean regional cerebellar blood flow was 51.6{+-}10.7 ml/100 g/min (n=32 sides) in the vertigo group and 52.8{+-}8.5 ml/100 g/min (n=20 sides) in the non-vertigo group. This study demonstrates that a unilateral or bilateral decrease in blood flow of the vertebrobasilar system may cause vertigo and dizziness. It also shows that Xe-CT of the cerebellum may be a valuable examination modality for the diagnosis and treatment of vertigo and dizziness. (author)

Abnormality in cerebellar blood flow in solo vertigo patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagahori, Takeshi; Nishijima, Michiharu; Endo, Shunro; Takaku, Akira

1997-01-01

Little is known about the blood flow of the vertebrobasilar system as a cause of vertigo and dizziness. We used Xe-CT to study cerebellar blood flow in 53 patients who ranged in age from 35 to 85 years. The patients were divided into two groups. One of them was the vertigo group that comprised 28 patients with rotatory sensation, and the other, the non-vertigo group of 25 patients with a sensation other than rotation. At the stage of severe symptoms, there was decreased cerebellar blood flow in all patients of both, the vertigo and the non-vertigo groups, and a decrease in the bilateral cerebellar hemisphere was observed in five patients and in a unilateral hemisphere in three patients of the vertigo group. By comparison, in the non-vertigo group, unilateral decrease of cerebellar blood flow was observed in only one patient, and a bilateral decrease in five. At the stage of severe symptoms, the mean regional cerebellar blood flow was 40.5±8.0 ml/100 g/min (n=16 sides) in the vertigo group and 45.3±9.5 ml/100 g/min (n=12 sides) in the non-vertigo group. At the stage of moderate symptoms, blood flow image was normal in four of 14 vertigo patients and in seven of 12 non-vertigo patients. The mean regional blood flow was 47.8±8.6 ml/100 g/min (n=28 sides) in the vertigo group and 47.1±5.1 ml/100 g/min (n=24 sides) in the non-vertigo group. At the asymptomatic stage, a high proportion of normal blood flow images (nine of 16 vertigo patients and 10 of 10 non-vertigo patients) was observed. The mean regional cerebellar blood flow was 51.6±10.7 ml/100 g/min (n=32 sides) in the vertigo group and 52.8±8.5 ml/100 g/min (n=20 sides) in the non-vertigo group. This study demonstrates that a unilateral or bilateral decrease in blood flow of the vertebrobasilar system may cause vertigo and dizziness. It also shows that Xe-CT of the cerebellum may be a valuable examination modality for the diagnosis and treatment of vertigo and dizziness. (author)

Cerebellar Shaping of Motor Cortical Firing Is Correlated with Timing of Motor Actions

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Abdulraheem Nashef

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Summary: In higher mammals, motor timing is considered to be dictated by cerebellar control of motor cortical activity, relayed through the cerebellar-thalamo-cortical (CTC system. Nonetheless, the way cerebellar information is integrated with motor cortical commands and affects their temporal properties remains unclear. To address this issue, we activated the CTC system in primates and found that it efficiently recruits motor cortical cells; however, the cortical response was dominated by prolonged inhibition that imposed a directional activation across the motor cortex. During task performance, cortical cells that integrated CTC information fired synchronous bursts at movement onset. These cells expressed a stronger correlation with reaction time than non-CTC cells. Thus, the excitation-inhibition interplay triggered by the CTC system facilitates transient recruitment of a cortical subnetwork at movement onset. The CTC system may shape neural firing to produce the required profile to initiate movements and thus plays a pivotal role in timing motor actions. : Nashef et al. identified a motor cortical subnetwork recruited by cerebellar volley that was transiently synchronized at movement onset. Cerebellar control of cortical firing was dominated by inhibition that shaped task-related firing of neurons and may dictate motor timing. Keywords: motor control, primates, cerebellar-thalamo-cortical, synchrony, noise correlation, reaction time

Cerebellar atrophy is frequently associated with non-paraneoplastic sensory neuronopathy

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Alfredo Damasceno

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Sensory neuronopathies (SN are peripheral nervous system disorders associated with degeneration of dorsal root ganglion neurons. Despite the evidence of a defective proprioceptive sensory input in SN,the prominent gait and truncal ataxia raises the question of a concomitant involvement of the cerebellum. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate cerebellar atrophy in SN. METHOD: We analyzed MRI-based volumetry of anterior lobe (paleocerebellum and total cerebellum in patients with non-paraneoplastic chronic SN and compared to age- and gender-matched controls. RESULTS: Cerebellum and anterior lobe MRI volumetry were performed in 20 patients and nine controls. Mean anterior lobe and cerebellar volume were not statistically different. Three patients (15%, however, had an abnormal anterior lobe and cerebellar volume index (values outside 2.5 standard deviations. One of them also had a specific atrophy of the anterior lobe. All these patients had infectious or dysimmune associated SN. CONCLUSION: Cerebellar atrophy is infrequently associated with SN, but can be found in some patients with SN related to infectious or immune mediated conditions. It can be more prominent in the anterior lobe and may contribute to the ataxia seen in these patients.

Early post-natal exposure to intermittent hypoxia in rodents is pro-inflammatory, impairs white matter integrity and alters brain metabolism

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Darnall, Robert A.; Chen, Xi; Nemani, Krishnamurthy V.; Sirieix, Chrystelle M.; Gimi, Barjor; Knoblach, Susan; McEntire, Betty L.; Hunt, Carl E.

2017-01-01

Background Preterm infants are frequently exposed to intermittent hypoxia (IH) associated with apnea and periodic breathing that may result in inflammation and brain injury that later manifests as cognitive and executive function deficits. We used a rodent model to determine whether early postnatal exposure to IH would result in inflammation and brain injury. Methods Rat pups were exposed to IH from P2–P12. Control animals were exposed to room air. Cytokines were analyzed in plasma and brain tissue at P13 and P18. At P20–P22, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) were performed. Results Pups exposed to IH had increased plasma Gro/CXCL1 and cerebellar IFN-γ and IL-1β at P13, and brainstem enolase at P18. DTI showed a decrease in FA and AD in the corpus callosum (CC) and cingulate gyrus and an increase in RD in the CC. MRS revealed decreases in NAA/Cho, Cr, Tau/Cr and Gly/Cr and increases in TCho and GPC in the brainstem and decreases in NAA/Cho in the hippocampus. Conclusions We conclude that early postnatal exposure to IH, similar in magnitude experienced in human preterm infants, is associated with evidence for pro-inflammatory changes, decreases in white matter integrity, and metabolic changes consistent with hypoxia. PMID:28388601

Neuroprotective effects of thymoquinone against cerebellar ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

cerebellum mainly functions to coordinate motor functions and control ... development of the brain and life-long cognitive function [2]. ... and serial equidistant sections of the right cerebellar ... Cells outside of the left vertical and bottom bars ...

Post-traumatic cerebellar infarction due to vertebral artery foramina fracture: case report

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Moscote-Salazar Luis Rafael

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Posttraumatic cerebral infarction is an uncommon cause of morbidity and mortality and many studies have highlighted that trauma needs to considered as causative factor for cerebellar infarction. We present a case of cerebellar infarction in a 35 year old young patient secondary to vertebral fracture involving the vertebral foramen and vertebral artery injury. CT scan cervical spine showed C2-3 fracture on left side with fracture extending into the left vertebral foramen. A CT scan angiogram could not be performed because of poor neurological status. Possibly the infarction was due to left vertebral artery injury. Without surgical intervention prognosis of these patients remain poor. Prognosis of patients with traumatic cerebellar infarction depends on the neurological status of the patient, intrinsic parenchymal damage and more importantly extrinsic compression of the brainstem by the edematous cerebellar hemispheres.

Comparative neuronal morphology of the cerebellar cortex in afrotherians, carnivores, cetartiodactyls, and primates

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Bob eJacobs

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Although the basic morphological characteristics of neurons in the cerebellar cortex have been documented in several species, virtually nothing is known about the quantitative morphological characteristics of these neurons across different taxa. To that end, the present study investigated cerebellar neuronal morphology among eight different, large-brained mammalian species comprising a broad phylogenetic range: afrotherians (African elephant, Florida manatee, carnivores (Siberian tiger, clouded leopard, cetartiodactyls (humpback whale, giraffe and primates (human, common chimpanzee. Specifically, several neuron types (e.g., stellate, basket, Lugaro, Golgi, and granule neurons; N = 317 of the cerebellar cortex were stained with a modified rapid Golgi technique and quantified on a computer-assisted microscopy system. There was a 64-fold variation in brain mass across species in our sample (from clouded leopard to the elephant and a 103-fold variation in cerebellar volume. Most dendritic measures tended to increase with cerebellar volume. The cerebellar cortex in these species exhibited the trilaminate pattern common to all mammals. Morphologically, neuron types in the cerebellar cortex were generally consistent with those described in primates (Fox et al., 1967 and rodents (Palay and Chan-Palay, 1974, although there was substantial quantitative variation across species. In particular, Lugaro neurons in the elephant appeared to be disproportionately larger than those in other species. To explore potential quantitative differences in dendritic measures across species, MARSplines analyses were used to evaluate whether species could be differentiated from each other based on dendritic characteristics alone. Results of these analyses indicated that there were significant differences among all species in dendritic measures.

Rib enlargement in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

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Yoon, Hye Kyung; Han, Kim Bokyung; Chang, Yun Sil; Choo, In Wook [Samsung Medical Center, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kyeong Ah [Anyang General Hospital, Anyang (Korea, Republic of)

2000-04-01

The purpose of this study is to describe the rib changes seen in patients with brochopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Serial chest radiographs of nine premature infants with BPD who showed diffuse rib enlargement were reviewed for hyperinflation, which was compared with the observed degree of rib enlargement. Vibrator chest physiotherapy was performed in all cases, and five infants underwent conventional ventilation plus high frequency oscillatory ventilation therapy. Their calcium level was normal whereas alkaline phosphatase and phosphate levels were high. In all infants except one, liver enzyme levels were normal. For the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus, infection, and BPD, medications including indomethacin, antibiotics, and dexamethasone were administered. Vitamin D was given to all patients with total parenteral nutrition. Rib enlargement was found to be severe (n=3D4), moderate (n=3D3), or mild (n=3D2) with undulating margins or posterior tapering (n=3D2). Hyperinflation was noted in eight patients, in seven of whom it was moderate to severe. Among these seven, rib enlargement was severe (n=3D2), moderate (n=3D3), or mild (n=3D2). In one infant with mild hyperinflation, rib enlargement was severe. Bilateral irregular infiltrates and atelectases were noted in all patients. In BPD patients, rib enlargement may be seen. In order to differentiate this process from systemic bone disease or bony dysplasia, an awareness of the rib changes occurring in patients with BPD may be important. (author)

Rib enlargement in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Hye Kyung; Han, Kim Bokyung; Chang, Yun Sil; Choo, In Wook; Kim, Kyeong Ah

2000-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe the rib changes seen in patients with brochopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Serial chest radiographs of nine premature infants with BPD who showed diffuse rib enlargement were reviewed for hyperinflation, which was compared with the observed degree of rib enlargement. Vibrator chest physiotherapy was performed in all cases, and five infants underwent conventional ventilation plus high frequency oscillatory ventilation therapy. Their calcium level was normal whereas alkaline phosphatase and phosphate levels were high. In all infants except one, liver enzyme levels were normal. For the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus, infection, and BPD, medications including indomethacin, antibiotics, and dexamethasone were administered. Vitamin D was given to all patients with total parenteral nutrition. Rib enlargement was found to be severe (n=3D4), moderate (n=3D3), or mild (n=3D2) with undulating margins or posterior tapering (n=3D2). Hyperinflation was noted in eight patients, in seven of whom it was moderate to severe. Among these seven, rib enlargement was severe (n=3D2), moderate (n=3D3), or mild (n=3D2). In one infant with mild hyperinflation, rib enlargement was severe. Bilateral irregular infiltrates and atelectases were noted in all patients. In BPD patients, rib enlargement may be seen. In order to differentiate this process from systemic bone disease or bony dysplasia, an awareness of the rib changes occurring in patients with BPD may be important. (author)

Women's views of postnatal care in the context of the increasing pressure on postnatal beds in Australia.

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McLachlan, Helen L; Gold, Lisa; Forster, Della A; Yelland, Jane; Rayner, Joanne; Rayner, Sharon

2009-12-01

Despite limited evidence evaluating early postnatal discharge, length of hospital stay has declined dramatically in Australia since the 1980s. The recent rising birth rate in Victoria, Australia has increased pressure on hospital beds, and many services have responded by discharging women earlier than planned, often with little preparation during pregnancy. We aimed to explore the views of women and their partners regarding a number of theoretical postnatal care 'packages' that could provide an alternative approach to early postnatal care. Eight focus groups and four interviews were held in rural and metropolitan Victoria in 2006 with participants who had experienced a mix of public and private maternity care. These included 8 pregnant women, 42 recent mothers and 2 male partners. All were fluent in English. Focus groups explored participants' experiences and/or expectations of early postnatal care in hospital and at home and their views of alternative packages of postnatal care where location of care shifted from hospital to home and/or hotel. This paper describes the packages and explores and describes what 'value' women placed on the various components of care. Overall, women expressed a preference for what they had experienced or expected, which may be explained by the 'what is must be best' phenomenon where women place value on the status quo. They generally did not respond favourably towards the alternative postnatal care packages, with concerns about any shorter length of hospital stay, especially for first time mothers. Women were concerned about the safety and wellbeing of their new baby and reported that they lacked confidence in their ability to care for their baby. The physical presence and availability of professional support was seen to alleviate these concerns, especially for first time mothers. Participants did not believe that increased domiciliary visits compensated for forgoing the perceived security and value of staying in hospital. Women

Psychosocial stress affects the acquisition of cerebellar-dependent sensorimotor adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gheorghe, Delia A; Panouillères, Muriel T N; Walsh, Nicholas D

2018-03-27

Despite being overlooked in theoretical models of stress-related disorders, differences in cerebellar structure and function are consistently reported in studies of individuals exposed to current and early-life stressors. However, the mediating processes through which stress impacts upon cerebellar function are currently unknown. The aim of the current experiment was to test the effects of experimentally-induced acute stress on cerebellar functioning, using a classic, forward saccadic adaptation paradigm in healthy, young men and women. Stress induction was achieved by employing the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST), a task employing mental arithmetic and negative social feedback to generate significant physiological and endocrine stress responses. Saccadic adaptation was elicited using the double-step target paradigm. In the experiment, 48 participants matched for gender and age were exposed to either a stress (n = 25) or a control (n = 23) condition. Saliva for cortisol analysis was collected before, immediately after, and 10, and 30 min after the MIST. Saccadic adaptation was assessed approximately 10 min after stress induction, when cortisol levels peaked. Participants in the stress group reported significantly more stress symptoms and exhibited greater total cortisol output compared to controls. The stress manipulation was associated with slower learning rates in the stress group, while control participants acquired adaptation faster. Learning rates were negatively associated with cortisol output and mood disturbance. Results suggest that experimentally-induced stress slowed acquisition of cerebellar-dependent saccadic adaptation, related to increases in cortisol output. These 'proof-of-principle' data demonstrate that stress modulates cerebellar-related functions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cerebellar leukoencephalopathy: most likely histiocytosis-related

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Knaap, M.S.; Arts, W.F.M.; Garbern, J.Y.; Hedlund, G.; Winkler, F.; Barbosa, C.; King, M.D.; Bjornstad, A.; Hussain, N.; Beyer, M.K.; Gomez, C.; Patterson, M.C.; Grattan-Smith, P.; Timmons, M.; van der Valk, P.

2008-01-01

Background: Histiocytosis, both Langerhans and non-Langerhans cell type, can be associated with cerebellar white matter abnormalities, thought to be paraneoplastic. The associated clinical picture consists of ataxia, spasticity, and cognitive decline. Hormonal dysfunction is frequent. MRI shows

Postnatal growth standards for preterm infants: the Preterm Postnatal Follow-up Study of the INTERGROWTH-21(st) Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Villar, José; Giuliani, Francesca; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A; Bertino, Enrico; Ohuma, Eric O; Ismail, Leila Cheikh; Barros, Fernando C; Altman, Douglas G; Victora, Cesar; Noble, Julia A; Gravett, Michael G; Purwar, Manorama; Pang, Ruyan; Lambert, Ann; Papageorghiou, Aris T; Ochieng, Roseline; Jaffer, Yasmin A; Kennedy, Stephen H

2015-11-01

Charts of size at birth are used to assess the postnatal growth of preterm babies on the assumption that extrauterine growth should mimic that in the uterus. The INTERGROWTH-21(st) Project assessed fetal, newborn, and postnatal growth in eight geographically defined populations, in which maternal health care and nutritional needs were met. From these populations, the Fetal Growth Longitudinal Study selected low-risk women starting antenatal care before 14 weeks' gestation and monitored fetal growth by ultrasonography. All preterm births from this cohort were eligible for the Preterm Postnatal Follow-up Study, which included standardised anthropometric measurements, feeding practices based on breastfeeding, and data on morbidity, treatments, and development. To construct the preterm postnatal growth standards, we selected all live singletons born between 26 and before 37 weeks' gestation without congenital malformations, fetal growth restriction, or severe postnatal morbidity. We did analyses with second-degree fractional polynomial regression models in a multilevel framework accounting for repeated measures. Fetal and neonatal data were pooled from study sites and stratified by postmenstrual age. For neonates, boys and girls were assessed separately. From 4607 women enrolled in the study, there were 224 preterm singleton births, of which 201 (90%) were enrolled in the Preterm Postnatal Follow-up Study. Variance component analysis showed that only 0·2% and 4·0% of the total variability in postnatal length and head circumference, respectively, could be attributed to between-site differences, justifying pooling the data from all study sites. Preterm growth patterns differed from those for babies in the INTERGROWTH-21(st) Newborn Size Standards. They overlapped with the WHO Child Growth Standards for term babies by 64 weeks' postmenstrual age. Our data have yielded standards for postnatal growth in preterm infants. These standards should be used for the assessment of

Cerebellar interaction with the acoustic reflex.

Science.gov (United States)

Jastreboff, P J

1981-01-01

The involvement of the cerebellar vermis in the acoustic reflex was analyzed in 12 cats, decerebrated or in pentobarbital anesthesia. Anatomical data suggested the existence of a connection of lobules VIII with the ventral cochlear nucleus. Single cell recording and evoked potential techniques demonstrated the existence of the acoustic projection to lobulus VIII. Electrical stimulation of this area changed the tension of the middle ear muscle and caused evoked potential responses in the caudal part of the ventral cochlear nucleus. Electrical stimulation of the motor nucleus of the facial nerve evoked a slow wave in the recording taken from the surrounding of the cochlear round window. A hypothesis is proposed which postulates the involvement of the acoustic reflex in space localization of acoustic stimuli and the action of cerebellar vermis in order to assure the stability and plasticity of the acoustic reflex arc.

Surgical approach to posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysms.

Science.gov (United States)

La Pira, Biagia; Sturiale, Carmelo Lucio; Della Pepa, Giuseppe Maria; Albanese, Alessio

2018-02-01

The far-lateral is a standardised approach to clip aneurysms of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). Different variants can be adopted to manage aneurysms that differ in morphology, topography, ruptured status, cerebellar swelling and surgeon preference. We distinguished five paradigmatic approaches aimed to manage aneurysms that are: proximal unruptured; proximal ruptured requiring posterior fossa decompression (PFD); proximal ruptured not requiring PFD; distal unruptured; distal ruptured. Preoperative planning in the setting of PICA aneurysm surgery is of paramount importance to perform an effective and safe procedure, to ensure an adequate PFD and optimal proximal control before aneurysm manipulation.

Pontomedullary disconnection: fetal and neonatal considerations

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McCann, Emma; Sweeney, Elizabeth [Royal Liverpool Children' s Hospital, Department of Clinical Genetics, Liverpool (United Kingdom); Pilling, David [Royal Liverpool Children' s Hospital, Department of Paediatric Radiology, Liverpool (United Kingdom); Hesseling, Markus; Subhedar, Nim [Liverpool Women' s Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Liverpool (United Kingdom); Roberts, Devender [Liverpool Women' s Hospital, Department of Fetal Medicine, Liverpool (United Kingdom)

2005-08-01

The cerebellar and pontocerebellar hypoplasias present a unique challenge when detected in the developing fetus. A diverse aetiology and prognosis make counselling of these families difficult. Advances in fetal imaging allow for more accurate diagnosis and counselling, but postnatal MRI is still required. A case is presented in which cerebellar hypoplasia was detected at 20 weeks gestation. Later fetal imaging provided further information, but a diagnosis of pontomedullary disconnection was not made until the postnatal MRI scan. The clinical findings and possible causes of such pontocerebellar abnormalities are discussed. (orig.)

Pontomedullary disconnection: fetal and neonatal considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCann, Emma; Sweeney, Elizabeth; Pilling, David; Hesseling, Markus; Subhedar, Nim; Roberts, Devender

2005-01-01

The cerebellar and pontocerebellar hypoplasias present a unique challenge when detected in the developing fetus. A diverse aetiology and prognosis make counselling of these families difficult. Advances in fetal imaging allow for more accurate diagnosis and counselling, but postnatal MRI is still required. A case is presented in which cerebellar hypoplasia was detected at 20 weeks gestation. Later fetal imaging provided further information, but a diagnosis of pontomedullary disconnection was not made until the postnatal MRI scan. The clinical findings and possible causes of such pontocerebellar abnormalities are discussed. (orig.)

A Multiple-Plasticity Spiking Neural Network Embedded in a Closed-Loop Control System to Model Cerebellar Pathologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Geminiani, Alice; Casellato, Claudia; Antonietti, Alberto; D'Angelo, Egidio; Pedrocchi, Alessandra

2018-06-01

The cerebellum plays a crucial role in sensorimotor control and cerebellar disorders compromise adaptation and learning of motor responses. However, the link between alterations at network level and cerebellar dysfunction is still unclear. In principle, this understanding would benefit of the development of an artificial system embedding the salient neuronal and plastic properties of the cerebellum and operating in closed-loop. To this aim, we have exploited a realistic spiking computational model of the cerebellum to analyze the network correlates of cerebellar impairment. The model was modified to reproduce three different damages of the cerebellar cortex: (i) a loss of the main output neurons (Purkinje Cells), (ii) a lesion to the main cerebellar afferents (Mossy Fibers), and (iii) a damage to a major mechanism of synaptic plasticity (Long Term Depression). The modified network models were challenged with an Eye-Blink Classical Conditioning test, a standard learning paradigm used to evaluate cerebellar impairment, in which the outcome was compared to reference results obtained in human or animal experiments. In all cases, the model reproduced the partial and delayed conditioning typical of the pathologies, indicating that an intact cerebellar cortex functionality is required to accelerate learning by transferring acquired information to the cerebellar nuclei. Interestingly, depending on the type of lesion, the redistribution of synaptic plasticity and response timing varied greatly generating specific adaptation patterns. Thus, not only the present work extends the generalization capabilities of the cerebellar spiking model to pathological cases, but also predicts how changes at the neuronal level are distributed across the network, making it usable to infer cerebellar circuit alterations occurring in cerebellar pathologies.

Drug-induced gingival enlargement: Series of cases

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Isabella Manzur-Villalobos

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Gingival enlargement (GA is a benign condition of the oral cavity that is characterized by the excessive growth of the gingiva in mass and volume. This lesion is not only caused by hereditary factors or poor oral hygiene, but also by the intake of medications, including antihypertensive, anticonvulsant and immunosuppressive drugs. Objective: To sensitize the prevention or early care in patients with pathologies that merit the use of antihypertensive and anticonvulsants in conjunction with the dentist, to treat or avoid the drug-induced gingival enlargement (DIGE. Materials and methods: A series of clinical cases of patients with gingival enlargement by various drugs are reported, including Phenytoin, Amlodipine and Nifedipine. Periodontal and gingivectomy hygienic phase measures were applied to obtain better effects. Results: Satisfactory results were obtained with a considerable decrease in DIGE. Conclusions: The integral management is important in conjunction with the treating physician to follow up the drug that can be generating gingival enlargement. It is necessary to employ an initial approach with strategies of periodontal hygiene, and in severe cases and, as last resort, the periodontal surgery with gingivectomy and gingivoplasty.

Enlarged Adenoids (For Parents)

Science.gov (United States)

... frequent "sinus" symptoms ongoing middle ear infections or middle ear fluid in a school-aged child If enlarged adenoids are suspected, the doctor may ... apnea repeated infections frequent sinus infections ear infections, ... your child's adenoids removed is especially important if repeated infections ...

Bilateral, Mirror-imaged, Postero-inferior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysms: Report of a Rare Case

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G R Sharma

2011-06-01

Full Text Available A 60-year-old right-handed lady presented with the features of subarachnoid haemorrhage. The CT angiogram showed a pair of very rare bilateral, mirror-imaged distal postero-inferior cerebellar artery aneurysms. Both aneurysms were clipped via the midline posterior fossa craniectomy under general anaesthesia. The literatures is reviewed on the incidence, presentation, management and outcome of bilateral distal posterior-inferior cerebellar artery aneurysms. Keywords: bilateral mirror image, distal postero-inferior cerebellar artery aneurysms, posterior fossa craniectomy, microsurgical clipping

Enhancing the Temporal Complexity of Distributed Brain Networks with Patterned Cerebellar Stimulation

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Farzan, Faranak; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro; Schmahmann, Jeremy D.; Halko, Mark

2016-01-01

Growing evidence suggests that sensory, motor, cognitive and affective processes map onto specific, distributed neural networks. Cerebellar subregions are part of these networks, but how the cerebellum is involved in this wide range of brain functions remains poorly understood. It is postulated that the cerebellum contributes a basic role in brain functions, helping to shape the complexity of brain temporal dynamics. We therefore hypothesized that stimulating cerebellar nodes integrated in different networks should have the same impact on the temporal complexity of cortical signals. In healthy humans, we applied intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) to the vermis lobule VII or right lateral cerebellar Crus I/II, subregions that prominently couple to the dorsal-attention/fronto-parietal and default-mode networks, respectively. Cerebellar iTBS increased the complexity of brain signals across multiple time scales in a network-specific manner identified through electroencephalography (EEG). We also demonstrated a region-specific shift in power of cortical oscillations towards higher frequencies consistent with the natural frequencies of targeted cortical areas. Our findings provide a novel mechanism and evidence by which the cerebellum contributes to multiple brain functions: specific cerebellar subregions control the temporal dynamics of the networks they are engaged in. PMID:27009405

Humor, laughter, and the cerebellum: insights from patients with acute cerebellar stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, B; Andrzejewski, K; Göricke, S; Wondzinski, E; Siebler, M; Wild, B; Timmann, D

2013-12-01

Extent of cerebellar involvement in cognition and emotion is still a topic of ongoing research. In particular, the cerebellar role in humor processing and control of laughter is not well known. A hypermetric dysregulation of affective behavior has been assumed in cerebellar damage. Thus, we aimed at investigating humor comprehension and appreciation as well as the expression of laughter in 21 patients in the acute or subacute state after stroke restricted to the cerebellum, and in the same number of matched healthy control subjects. Patients with acute and subacute cerebellar damage showed preserved comprehension and appreciation of humor using a validated humor test evaluating comprehension, funniness and aversiveness of cartoons ("3WD Humor Test"). Additionally, there was no difference when compared to healthy controls in the number and intensity of facial reactions and laughter while observing jokes, humorous cartoons, or video sketches measured by the Facial Action Coding System. However, as depression scores were significantly increased in patients with cerebellar stroke, a concealing effect of accompanying depression cannot be excluded. Current findings add to descriptions in the literature that cognitive or affective disorders in patients with lesions restricted to the cerebellum, even in the acute state after damage, are frequently mild and might only be present in more sensitive or specific tests.

Isolated rhomboencephalosynapsis – a rare cerebellar anomaly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paprocka, Justyna; Jamroz, Ewa; Ścieszka, Ewa; Kluczewska, Ewa

2012-01-01

Rhomboencephalosynapsis (RES, RS) is a unique entity usually recognized in infancy based on neuroimaging. Cerebellar fusion and absence of cerebellar vermis is often associated with supratentorial findings. Since now there are about 50 cases described worldwide, with approximately 36 patients diagnosed by MRI. The authors present the first in Poland case of this uncommon malformation and review the literature. The authors describe a 28-month-old-girl with microcephaly and proper psychomotor development. The family history was unrelevant. Based on MRI the congenital malformation of posterior fossa-rhombencephalosynapsis was confirmed Presented patient is a typical example of MRI usefulness especially in patients with RES. RES symptoms are mild and that is why the diagnosis is usually made only in adulthood

Adaptive filters and internal models: multilevel description of cerebellar function.

Science.gov (United States)

Porrill, John; Dean, Paul; Anderson, Sean R

2013-11-01

Cerebellar function is increasingly discussed in terms of engineering schemes for motor control and signal processing that involve internal models. To address the relation between the cerebellum and internal models, we adopt the chip metaphor that has been used to represent the combination of a homogeneous cerebellar cortical microcircuit with individual microzones having unique external connections. This metaphor indicates that identifying the function of a particular cerebellar chip requires knowledge of both the general microcircuit algorithm and the chip's individual connections. Here we use a popular candidate algorithm as embodied in the adaptive filter, which learns to decorrelate its inputs from a reference ('teaching', 'error') signal. This algorithm is computationally powerful enough to be used in a very wide variety of engineering applications. However, the crucial issue is whether the external connectivity required by such applications can be implemented biologically. We argue that some applications appear to be in principle biologically implausible: these include the Smith predictor and Kalman filter (for state estimation), and the feedback-error-learning scheme for adaptive inverse control. However, even for plausible schemes, such as forward models for noise cancellation and novelty-detection, and the recurrent architecture for adaptive inverse control, there is unlikely to be a simple mapping between microzone function and internal model structure. This initial analysis suggests that cerebellar involvement in particular behaviours is therefore unlikely to have a neat classification into categories such as 'forward model'. It is more likely that cerebellar microzones learn a task-specific adaptive-filter operation which combines a number of signal-processing roles. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adams Oliver syndrome: Description of a new phenotype with cerebellar abnormalities in a family

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D’Amico, Alessandra; Melis, Daniela; D’Arco, Felice; Di Paolo, Nilde; Carotenuto, Barbara; D’Anna, Gennaro; Russo, Carmela; Boemio, Pasquale; Brunetti, Arturo

2013-01-01

To describe cerebellar abnormalities in a family composed by a father and two affected sibs with Adams Oliver syndrome (AOS) (OMIM 100300). Brain MRI and MR angiography were performed at 1.5T. The siblings presented cerebellar cortex dysplasia characterized by the presence of cysts. Abnormalities of CNS are an unusual manifestation of AOS. To our knowledge, this is the first report of cerebellar cortical dysplasia in a family with AOS

Cerebellar Ataxia from Multiple Potential Causes: Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Thalamic Stimulation, and Essential Tremor

OpenAIRE

Shneyder, Natalya; Lyons, Mark K.; Driver-dunckley, Erika; Evidente, Virgilio Gerald H.

2012-01-01

Background: Both hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) can rarely be associated with cerebellar ataxia. Severe essential tremor (ET) as well as bilateral thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) may lead to subtle cerebellar signs. Case Report: We report a 74-year-old male with hypothyroidism and a 20-year history of ET who developed cerebellar ataxia after bilateral thalamic DBS. Extensive workup revealed elevated thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroperoxidase antibody titers c...

Sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease with cerebellar ataxia at onset in the UK

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, S A; Murray, K L; Heath, C A; Will, R G; Knight, R S G

2006-01-01

Objective To determine the frequency, in the UK, of sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease (sCJD) with a cerebellar ataxic onset, and to describe the clinical features of the syndrome. Methods A retrospective review of autopsy‐proved cases of sCJD cases in the UK, 1990–2005, identifying those presenting with cerebellar features without early cognitive decline. Results 29 of 618 (5%) patients with sCJD had an isolated cerebellar onset. Mean illness duration was 9 months. Subsequently, 21 (72%) developed myoclonus and 23 (79%) developed pyramidal features. Magnetic resonance imaging showed high signal in the basal ganglia in 11 of 14 (79%) patients. 7 of 15 (47%) patients were valine homozygotic at prion protein gene (PRNP)‐129. Only 8 (28%) cases were referred to the surveillance unit after death. Conclusion A better definition of sCJD presenting with an isolated cerebellar syndrome might improve future case recognition and contribute to the determination of its cause. PMID:16835290

Transient cerebellopontine demyelinisation revealed by MRI in acute cerebellar ataxia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aufricht, C.A.; Tenner, W.; Rosenmayr, F.; Stiglbauer, R.

1990-01-01

An eight year old boy was admitted to our ward with a history of abrupt onset of rapidly progressive gait disorder, nausea, vertigo and vomiting. The clinical as well as the laboratory findings suggested the diagnosis of acute cerebellar ataxia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), however, showed marked demyelinisation in the cerebellar region and visual evoked potentials were pathologic. After immunosuppression the patient promptly improved clinically and the lesions depicted by MRI disappeared almost completely. (orig.)

Radiation-induced cerebellar chondrosarcoma. Case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernstein, M.; Perrin, R.G.; Platts, M.E.; Simpson, W.J.

1984-01-01

The authors report a case of chondrosarcoma arising in the cerebellum 16 years after treatment of a cerebellar malignant astrocytoma by subtotal resection and irradiation. It is thought that the chondrosarcoma arising within the intracranial cavity was a probable consequence of previous ionizing radiation

Cerebellar Plasticity in Health and Disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.P.H. Coesmans (Michiel)

2004-01-01

textabstractThe cerebellum helps fine-tuning movements by evaluating disparities between intention and action, in order to adjust the execution of movements ‘online’, and to keep movements calibrated in the long term. The cerebellar capacity to store information, which provides the ‘memory’ needed

The performance of a centrifugal fan with enlarged impeller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Chunxi; Song Lingwang; Jia Yakui

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The influence of impeller enlargement is evaluated numerically and experimentally. → Variation equations of the operation points for enlarged impellers are derived. → Impeller enlargement leads to louder fan noise due to reduced impeller-volute gap. - Abstract: The influence of enlarged impeller in unchanged volute on G4-73 type centrifugal fan performance is investigated in this paper. Comparisons are conducted between the fan with original impeller and two larger impellers with the increments in impeller outlet diameter of 5% and 10% respectively in the numerical and experimental investigations. The internal characteristics are obtained by the numerical simulation, which indicate there is more volute loss in the fan with larger impeller. Experiment results show that the flow rate, total pressure rise, shaft power and sound pressure level have increased, while the efficiency have decreased when the fan operates with larger impeller. Variation equations on the performance of the operation points for the fan with enlarged impellers are suggested. Comparisons between experiment results and the trimming laws show that the trimming laws for usual situation can predict the performance of the enlarged fan impeller with less error for higher flow rate, although the situation of application is not in agreement. The noise frequency analysis shows that higher noise level with the larger impeller fan is caused by the reduced impeller-volute gap.

The performance of a centrifugal fan with enlarged impeller

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Chunxi, E-mail: leechunxi@163.com [School of Energy and Power Engineering, North China Electric Power University, 071003 Baoding, Hebei (China); Song Lingwang [School of Energy and Power Engineering, North China Electric Power University, 071003 Baoding, Hebei (China); Jia Yakui [Hebei Electric Power Design and Research Institute, 050031 Shijiazhuang, Hebei (China)

2011-08-15

Highlights: {yields} The influence of impeller enlargement is evaluated numerically and experimentally. {yields} Variation equations of the operation points for enlarged impellers are derived. {yields} Impeller enlargement leads to louder fan noise due to reduced impeller-volute gap. - Abstract: The influence of enlarged impeller in unchanged volute on G4-73 type centrifugal fan performance is investigated in this paper. Comparisons are conducted between the fan with original impeller and two larger impellers with the increments in impeller outlet diameter of 5% and 10% respectively in the numerical and experimental investigations. The internal characteristics are obtained by the numerical simulation, which indicate there is more volute loss in the fan with larger impeller. Experiment results show that the flow rate, total pressure rise, shaft power and sound pressure level have increased, while the efficiency have decreased when the fan operates with larger impeller. Variation equations on the performance of the operation points for the fan with enlarged impellers are suggested. Comparisons between experiment results and the trimming laws show that the trimming laws for usual situation can predict the performance of the enlarged fan impeller with less error for higher flow rate, although the situation of application is not in agreement. The noise frequency analysis shows that higher noise level with the larger impeller fan is caused by the reduced impeller-volute gap.

Use of Macrolane VRF 30 in emicircumferential penis enlargement.

Science.gov (United States)

Sito, Giuseppe; Marlino, Sergio; Santorelli, Adriano

2013-02-01

Penis enlargement is increasingly in demand. Methods for penis enlargement can be classified into surgical, nonsurgical (filling), and mechanical. Each method has shown only relatively successful results. A new formulation of injectable, stabilized, hyaluronic acid (HA)-based, nonanimal gel is available that may have applications for this use. The authors propose a new technique for emicircumferential-injection filling of the penis and assess the safety and efficacy of this procedure compared with lipofilling. The authors retrospectively reviewed the charts of 83 patients who underwent penis enlargement with either their HA-injection technique or lipofilling between December 2007 and July 2011. Safety, efficacy, and patient satisfaction were assessed. The circumferential enlargement obtained from both techniques ranged from 3.2 to 4.5 cm, with a decrement during erection. In all patients, the increase in penis length ranged from 1.8 to 3.6 cm. No complications were seen in patients treated with HA, whereas 8 patients treated with lipofilling developed granuloma, and another experienced fat necrosis. The vast majority (n = 72) of patients reported being "very satisfied" with the results. The ideal technique for penis enlargement should be nonsurgical, with a satisfactory and predictable result, a low rate of complications, and long-term stability. Emicircumferential enlargement with HA filler meets these requirements. However, results have been durable but not definitive, and repeated treatment (with associated costs) is necessary.

Normalization of Bilateral Adrenal Gland Enlargement after Treatment for Cryptococcosis

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Yuka Muraoka

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Cryptococcosis usually occurs in immunocompromised patients and can cause enlargement of the adrenal glands, although the morphologic changes after treatment have not been reported in detail. We report the case of 24-year-old man with fevers, headaches, and impaired consciousness who had been treated with glucocorticoids for a protein-losing gastroenteropathy. The cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed cryptococcal meningitis. Computed tomography showed bilateral adrenal enlargement. A retrospective analysis revealed that the enlargement had been detected 5 months before admission and gradually increased. The enlargement was improved with antifungal therapy and normalized 6 months later. This is the first report describing morphological changes in the adrenal glands associated with cryptococcal meningitis. Adrenal enlargement by cryptococcosis can be improved without any abnormal findings, including calcifications, which may be a unique characteristic from other diseases, including tuberculosis.

Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS on left cerebellar hemisphere affects mental rotation tasks during music listening.

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Silvia Picazio

Full Text Available Converging evidence suggests an association between spatial and music domains. A cerebellar role in music-related information processing as well as in spatial-temporal tasks has been documented. Here, we investigated the cerebellar role in the association between spatial and musical domains, by testing performances in embodied (EMR or abstract (AMR mental rotation tasks of subjects listening Mozart Sonata K.448, which is reported to improve spatial-temporal reasoning, in the presence or in the absence of continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS of the left cerebellar hemisphere. In the absence of cerebellar cTBS, music listening did not influence either MR task, thus not revealing a "Mozart Effect". Cerebellar cTBS applied before musical listening made subjects faster (P = 0.005 and less accurate (P = 0.005 in performing the EMR but not the AMR task. Thus, cerebellar inhibition by TBS unmasked the effect of musical listening on motor imagery. These data support a coupling between music listening and sensory-motor integration in cerebellar networks for embodied representations.

Stars and Stripes in the Cerebellar Cortex: A Voltage Sensitive Dye Study

Science.gov (United States)

Rokni, Dan; Llinas, Rodolfo; Yarom, Yosef

2007-01-01

The lattice-like structure of the cerebellar cortex and its anatomical organization in two perpendicular axes provided the foundations for many theories of cerebellar function. However, the functional organization does not always match the anatomical organization. Thus direct measurement of the functional organization is central to our understanding of cerebellar processing. Here we use voltage sensitive dye imaging in the isolated cerebellar preparation to characterize the spatio-temporal organization of the climbing and mossy fiber (MF) inputs to the cerebellar cortex. Spatial and temporal parameters were used to develop reliable criteria to distinguish climbing fiber (CF) responses from MF responses. CF activation excited postsynaptic neurons along a parasagittal cortical band. These responses were composed of slow (∼25 ms), monophasic depolarizing signals. Neither the duration nor the spatial distribution of CF responses were affected by inhibition. Activation of MF generated responses that were organized in radial patches, and were composed of a fast (∼5 ms) depolarizing phase followed by a prolonged (∼100 ms) negative wave. Application of a GABAA blocker eliminated the hyperpolarizing phase and prolonged the depolarizing phase, but did not affect the spatial distribution of the response, thus suggesting that it is not the inhibitory system that is responsible for the inability of the MF input to generate beams of activity that propagate along the parallel fiber system. PMID:18958242

Stars and stripes in the cerebellar cortex: a voltage sensitive dye study

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Dan Rokni

2007-08-01

Full Text Available The lattice-like structure of the cerebellar cortex and its anatomical organization in two perpendicular axes provided the foundations for many theories of cerebellar function. However, the functional organization does not always match the anatomical organization. Thus direct measurement of the functional organization is central to our understanding of cerebellar processing. Here we use voltage sensitive dye imaging in the isolated cerebellar preparation to characterize the spatio-temporal organization of the climbing and mossy fiber (MF inputs to the cerebellar cortex. Spatial and temporal parameters were used to develop reliable criteria to distinguish climbing fiber (CF responses from MF responses. CF activation excited postsynaptic neurons along a parasagittal cortical band. These responses were composed of slow (~25 ms, monophasic depolarizing signals. Neither the duration nor the spatial distribution of CF responses were affected by inhibition. Activation of MF generated responses that were organized in radial patches, and were composed of a fast (~5 ms depolarizing phase followed by a prolonged (~100 ms negative wave. Application of a GABAA blocker eliminated the hyperpolarizing phase and prolonged the depolarizing phase, but did not affect the spatial distribution of the response, thus suggesting that it is not the inhibitory system that is responsible for the inability of the MF input to generate beams of activity that propagate along the parallel fiber system.

Adaptive robotic control driven by a versatile spiking cerebellar network.

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Claudia Casellato

Full Text Available The cerebellum is involved in a large number of different neural processes, especially in associative learning and in fine motor control. To develop a comprehensive theory of sensorimotor learning and control, it is crucial to determine the neural basis of coding and plasticity embedded into the cerebellar neural circuit and how they are translated into behavioral outcomes in learning paradigms. Learning has to be inferred from the interaction of an embodied system with its real environment, and the same cerebellar principles derived from cell physiology have to be able to drive a variety of tasks of different nature, calling for complex timing and movement patterns. We have coupled a realistic cerebellar spiking neural network (SNN with a real robot and challenged it in multiple diverse sensorimotor tasks. Encoding and decoding strategies based on neuronal firing rates were applied. Adaptive motor control protocols with acquisition and extinction phases have been designed and tested, including an associative Pavlovian task (Eye blinking classical conditioning, a vestibulo-ocular task and a perturbed arm reaching task operating in closed-loop. The SNN processed in real-time mossy fiber inputs as arbitrary contextual signals, irrespective of whether they conveyed a tone, a vestibular stimulus or the position of a limb. A bidirectional long-term plasticity rule implemented at parallel fibers-Purkinje cell synapses modulated the output activity in the deep cerebellar nuclei. In all tasks, the neurorobot learned to adjust timing and gain of the motor responses by tuning its output discharge. It succeeded in reproducing how human biological systems acquire, extinguish and express knowledge of a noisy and changing world. By varying stimuli and perturbations patterns, real-time control robustness and generalizability were validated. The implicit spiking dynamics of the cerebellar model fulfill timing, prediction and learning functions.

Adaptive robotic control driven by a versatile spiking cerebellar network.

Science.gov (United States)

Casellato, Claudia; Antonietti, Alberto; Garrido, Jesus A; Carrillo, Richard R; Luque, Niceto R; Ros, Eduardo; Pedrocchi, Alessandra; D'Angelo, Egidio

2014-01-01

The cerebellum is involved in a large number of different neural processes, especially in associative learning and in fine motor control. To develop a comprehensive theory of sensorimotor learning and control, it is crucial to determine the neural basis of coding and plasticity embedded into the cerebellar neural circuit and how they are translated into behavioral outcomes in learning paradigms. Learning has to be inferred from the interaction of an embodied system with its real environment, and the same cerebellar principles derived from cell physiology have to be able to drive a variety of tasks of different nature, calling for complex timing and movement patterns. We have coupled a realistic cerebellar spiking neural network (SNN) with a real robot and challenged it in multiple diverse sensorimotor tasks. Encoding and decoding strategies based on neuronal firing rates were applied. Adaptive motor control protocols with acquisition and extinction phases have been designed and tested, including an associative Pavlovian task (Eye blinking classical conditioning), a vestibulo-ocular task and a perturbed arm reaching task operating in closed-loop. The SNN processed in real-time mossy fiber inputs as arbitrary contextual signals, irrespective of whether they conveyed a tone, a vestibular stimulus or the position of a limb. A bidirectional long-term plasticity rule implemented at parallel fibers-Purkinje cell synapses modulated the output activity in the deep cerebellar nuclei. In all tasks, the neurorobot learned to adjust timing and gain of the motor responses by tuning its output discharge. It succeeded in reproducing how human biological systems acquire, extinguish and express knowledge of a noisy and changing world. By varying stimuli and perturbations patterns, real-time control robustness and generalizability were validated. The implicit spiking dynamics of the cerebellar model fulfill timing, prediction and learning functions.

Ataxia-telangiectasia: the pattern of cerebellar atrophy on MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tavani, F.; Zimmerman, R.A.; Gatti, R.; Bingham, P.; Berry, G.T.; Sullivan, K.

2003-01-01

We describe MRI of the brain in 19 patients with ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) and correlate the appearances with the degree of neurologic deficit. We examined 10 male and nine female patients; 17 were aged between 2 and 12 years (mean 8 years) but a woman and her brother were 35 and 38 years old, and had a variant of AT. Ataxia was the first recognized sign of the disease in every patient. We detected the following patterns of cerebellar atrophy: in the youngest patient, aged 2 years, the study was normal; in the five next youngest patients 3-7 years of age, the lateral cerebellum and superior vermis showed the earliest changes of atrophy; and all but one of the other patients had moderate to marked diffuse atrophy of vermis and cerebellar hemispheres. There were 12 patients aged 9 years and above; one, who was normal, was 9 years old. The five patients who at the time of examination were unable to walk all had diffuse atrophy involving both vermis and cerebellar hemispheres. (orig.)

The Cerebellar Deficit Hypothesis and Dyslexic Tendencies in a Non-Clinical Sample

Science.gov (United States)

Brookes, Rebecca L.; Stirling, John

2005-01-01

In order to assess the relationship between cerebellar deficits and dyslexic tendencies in a non-clinical sample, 27 primary school children aged 8-9 completed a cerebellar soft signs battery and were additionally assessed for reading age, sequential memory, picture arrangement and knowledge of common sequences. An average measure of the soft…

HIV/AIDS and Postnatal Depression at the University Teaching ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To study the contribution of HIV/AIDS to the problem of postnatal depression among women receiving postnatal care at University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Lusaka, Zambia. Background: Postnatal depression (PND), a major depressive episode during the puerperium, affects between 10% and 22% of adult ...

Ubx regulates differential enlargement and diversification of insect hind legs.

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Najmus Mahfooz

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Differential enlargement of hind (T3 legs represents one of the hallmarks of insect evolution. However, the actual mechanism(s responsible are yet to be determined. To address this issue, we have now studied the molecular basis of T3 leg enlargement in Oncopeltus fasciatus (milkweed bug and Acheta domesticus (house cricket. In Oncopeltus, the T3 tibia displays a moderate increase in size, whereas in Acheta, the T3 femur, tibia, and tarsus are all greatly enlarged. Here, we show that the hox gene Ultrabithorax (Ubx is expressed in the enlarged segments of hind legs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that depletion of Ubx during embryogenesis has a primary effect in T3 legs and causes shortening of leg segments that are enlarged in a wild type. This result shows that Ubx is regulating the differential growth and enlargement of T3 legs in both Oncopeltus and Acheta. The emerging view suggests that Ubx was co-opted for a novel role in regulating leg growth and that the transcriptional modification of its expression may be a universal mechanism for the evolutionary diversification of insect hind legs.

Epidemiology of Cerebellar Ataxia on the Etiological Basis: A Cross Sectional Study

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Simindokht Hosseini Seyede

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Cerebellar ataxias are a heterogenous group of disorders, clinically and etiologically, that result in considerable health burden. Finding out about the various etiologies, and their relative prevalences in the population suffering from cerebellar ataxia helps the clinician to perform a better management, in treatment process. This is a cross sectional study designed to estimate the relative prevalence of each etiologic factor. One-hundred and thirty-five patients ,in the range of 6 to 73 years from march 1993 to march1999, were classified in different groups on the basis of etiological findings. Relative prevalence of each of the etiological factors , common accompanying disorders besides ataxia in the patients,CT and MRI changes,and CSF alterations are studied and recorded. A widely spread age group, and the extended number of the cases under study, are the advantages of the current study over the previously reported case series. Among the etiologic groups, multiple sclerosis, cerebrovascular accidents and hereditary cerebellar ataxia, were the most common etiologic factors associated with cerebellar ataxia respectively.

Structure–function relationships in the developing cerebellum: evidence from early-life cerebellar injury and neurodevelopmental disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Stoodley, Catherine J.; Limperopoulos, Catherine

2016-01-01

SUMMARY The increasing appreciation of the role of the cerebellum in motor and non-motor functions is crucial to understanding the outcomes of acquired cerebellar injury and developmental lesions in high-risk fetal and neonatal populations, children with cerebellar damage (e.g. posterior fossa tumors), and neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. autism). We review available data regarding the relationship between the topography of cerebellar injury or abnormality and functional outcomes. We report emerging structure–function relationships with specific symptoms: cerebellar regions that interconnect with sensorimotor cortices are associated with motor impairments when damaged; disruption to posterolateral cerebellar regions that form circuits with association cortices impact long-term cognitive outcomes; and midline posterior vermal damage is associated with behavioral dysregulation and an autism-like phenotype. We also explore the impact of age and the potential role for critical periods on cerebellar structure and child function. These findings suggest that the cerebellum plays a critical role in motor, cognitive, and social–behavioral development, possibly via modulatory effects on the developing cerebral cortex. PMID:27184461

Surgical Treatment of A Dissecting Aneurysm of the Superior Cerebellar Artery: Case Report

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Stefanescu Florin

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Dissecting aneurysm located in the peripheral region of the superior cerebellar artery is very rare. There is little experience regarding their surgical or endovascular treatment. We present the case of a peripheral dissecting superior cerebellar artery aneurysm treated by surgical clipping.

Modality Specific Cerebro-Cerebellar Activations in Verbal Working Memory: An fMRI Study

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Matthew P. Kirschen

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Verbal working memory (VWM engages frontal and temporal/parietal circuits subserving the phonological loop, as well as, superior and inferior cerebellar regions which have projections from these neocortical areas. Different cerebro-cerebellar circuits may be engaged for integrating aurally- and visually-presented information for VWM. The present fMRI study investigated load (2, 4, or 6 letters and modality (auditory and visual dependent cerebro-cerebellar VWM activation using a Sternberg task. FMRI revealed modality-independent activations in left frontal (BA 6/9/44, insular, cingulate (BA 32, and bilateral inferior parietal/supramarginal (BA 40 regions, as well as in bilateral superior (HVI and right inferior (HVIII cerebellar regions. Visual presentation evoked prominent activations in right superior (HVI/CrusI cerebellum, bilateral occipital (BA19 and left parietal (BA7/40 cortex while auditory presentation showed robust activations predominately in bilateral temporal regions (BA21/22. In the cerebellum, we noted a visual to auditory emphasis of function progressing from superior to inferior and from lateral to medial regions. These results extend our previous findings of fMRI activation in cerebro-cerebellar networks during VWM, and demonstrate both modality dependent commonalities and differences in activations with increasing memory load.

Modality Specific Cerebro-Cerebellar Activations in Verbal Working Memory: An fMRI Study

Science.gov (United States)

Kirschen, Matthew P.; Chen, S. H. Annabel; Desmond, John E.

2010-01-01

Verbal working memory (VWM) engages frontal and temporal/parietal circuits subserving the phonological loop, as well as, superior and inferior cerebellar regions which have projections from these neocortical areas. Different cerebro-cerebellar circuits may be engaged for integrating aurally- and visually-presented information for VWM. The present fMRI study investigated load (2, 4, or 6 letters) and modality (auditory and visual) dependent cerebro-cerebellar VWM activation using a Sternberg task. FMRI revealed modality-independent activations in left frontal (BA 6/9/44), insular, cingulate (BA 32), and bilateral inferior parietal/supramarginal (BA 40) regions, as well as in bilateral superior (HVI) and right inferior (HVIII) cerebellar regions. Visual presentation evoked prominent activations in right superior (HVI/CrusI) cerebellum, bilateral occipital (BA19) and left parietal (BA7/40) cortex while auditory presentation showed robust activations predominately in bilateral temporal regions (BA21/22). In the cerebellum, we noted a visual to auditory emphasis of function progressing from superior to inferior and from lateral to medial regions. These results extend our previous findings of fMRI activation in cerebro-cerebellar networks during VWM, and demonstrate both modality dependent commonalities and differences in activations with increasing memory load. PMID:20714061

Multiple effects of theobromine on fetus development and postnatal status of the immune system.

Science.gov (United States)

Chorostowska-Wynimko, J; Skopińska-Rózewska, E; Sommer, E; Rogala, E; Skopiński, P; Wojtasik, E

2004-01-01

controls. Moreover in the treated group of 6-week-old sucklings, considerable variations in the immune system's functional activity were registered as far as cellular and immune response were concerned. Respectively, the splenocytes' mitogen-induced proliferative activity was significantly suppressed while the graft-versus-host reaction was up-regulated, and the serum antibodies titer was elevated in correspondence to the observed spleen enlargement. We concluded that a theobromine-enriched diet affects progeny development in both prenatal and postnatal periods. Consequently, particular attention should be paid to the reduction of theobromine consumption, and most probably that of other methyloxanthines, during pregnancy and lactation.

Activity-Dependent Plasticity of Spike Pauses in Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

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Giorgio Grasselli

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The plasticity of intrinsic excitability has been described in several types of neurons, but the significance of non-synaptic mechanisms in brain plasticity and learning remains elusive. Cerebellar Purkinje cells are inhibitory neurons that spontaneously fire action potentials at high frequencies and regulate activity in their target cells in the cerebellar nuclei by generating a characteristic spike burst-pause sequence upon synaptic activation. Using patch-clamp recordings from mouse Purkinje cells, we find that depolarization-triggered intrinsic plasticity enhances spike firing and shortens the duration of spike pauses. Pause plasticity is absent from mice lacking SK2-type potassium channels (SK2−/− mice and in occlusion experiments using the SK channel blocker apamin, while apamin wash-in mimics pause reduction. Our findings demonstrate that spike pauses can be regulated through an activity-dependent, exclusively non-synaptic, SK2 channel-dependent mechanism and suggest that pause plasticity—by altering the Purkinje cell output—may be crucial to cerebellar information storage and learning.

Morphological Constraints on Cerebellar Granule Cell Combinatorial Diversity.

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Gilmer, Jesse I; Person, Abigail L

2017-12-13

Combinatorial expansion by the cerebellar granule cell layer (GCL) is fundamental to theories of cerebellar contributions to motor control and learning. Granule cells (GrCs) sample approximately four mossy fiber inputs and are thought to form a combinatorial code useful for pattern separation and learning. We constructed a spatially realistic model of the cerebellar GCL and examined how GCL architecture contributes to GrC combinatorial diversity. We found that GrC combinatorial diversity saturates quickly as mossy fiber input diversity increases, and that this saturation is in part a consequence of short dendrites, which limit access to diverse inputs and favor dense sampling of local inputs. This local sampling also produced GrCs that were combinatorially redundant, even when input diversity was extremely high. In addition, we found that mossy fiber clustering, which is a common anatomical pattern, also led to increased redundancy of GrC input combinations. We related this redundancy to hypothesized roles of temporal expansion of GrC information encoding in service of learned timing, and we show that GCL architecture produces GrC populations that support both temporal and combinatorial expansion. Finally, we used novel anatomical measurements from mice of either sex to inform modeling of sparse and filopodia-bearing mossy fibers, finding that these circuit features uniquely contribute to enhancing GrC diversification and redundancy. Our results complement information theoretic studies of granule layer structure and provide insight into the contributions of granule layer anatomical features to afferent mixing. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cerebellar granule cells are among the simplest neurons, with tiny somata and, on average, just four dendrites. These characteristics, along with their dense organization, inspired influential theoretical work on the granule cell layer as a combinatorial expander, where each granule cell represents a unique combination of inputs

Cerebellar infarct patterns: The SMART-Medea study

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Laurens J.L. De Cocker, MD

2015-01-01

Conclusions: Small cerebellar infarcts proved to be much more common than larger infarcts, and preferentially involved the cortex. Small cortical infarcts predominantly involved the posterior lobes, showed sparing of subcortical white matter and occurred in characteristic topographic patterns.

THE CRUCIAL THEMES OF EU ENLARGEMENT

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Jacques Pelkmans

2001-12-01

Full Text Available This article provides a critical review of the “terms” of the ongoing EU enlargement, in the light of the European public interest. The European public interest ought to include the prospective (Central European members, within a perspective of an enlarged Union in 2010, or so. The following forms a personalised summary of a major report published (in Dutch in September 2001 by the WRR in The Hague (a think-tank, formally under the Dutch Prime Minister, but by statute fully independent. The author was one of the lead-writers of this report. The present article merely focuses on the policy recommendations of the report. It is hoped that these kinds of critical analyses will help to stimulate solid policy debate on the EU in Romania, on the road to EU membership. The article discusses why the notion of a “core-acquis” would improve the enlargement strategy; the application of the core acquis to the internal market, environment and justice and home affairs; judicial and administrative capacity; accession to “euro-land”; the rapid reform of the CAP; a reform of “cohesion” approaches; and a note on the EU budgetary implications.

Repeated prenatal exposure to valproic acid results in cerebellar hypoplasia and ataxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Main, Stacey L; Kulesza, Randy J

2017-01-06

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental brain disorder characterized by restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, social and communication defects, and is commonly associated with difficulties with motor coordination. The etiology of ASD, while mostly idiopathic, has been linked to hereditary factors and teratogens, such as valproic acid (VPA). VPA is used clinically to treat epilepsy, mood disorders, and in the prevention of migraines. The use of VPA during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of ASD in the offspring. Neuropathological studies show decreased cerebellar function in patients with ASD, resulting in gait, balance and coordination impairments. Herein, we have exposed pregnant rats to a repeated oral dose of VPA on embryonic days 10 and 12 and performed a detailed investigation of the structure and function of the cerebellar vermis. We found that throughout all ten lobules of the cerebellar vermis, Purkinje cells were significantly smaller and expression of the calcium binding protein calbindin (CB) was significantly reduced. We also found that dendritic arbors of Purkinje cells were shorter and less complex. Additionally, animals exposed to a repeated dose of VPA performed significantly worse in a number of motor tasks, including beam walking and the rotarod. These results suggest that repeated embryonic exposure to VPA induces significant cerebellar dysfunction and is an effective animal model to study the cerebellar alterations in ASD. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metronome cueing of walking reduces gait variability after a cerebellar stroke

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachel Lindsey Wright

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Cerebellar stroke typically results in increased variability during walking. Previous research has suggested that auditory-cueing reduces excessive variability in conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and post-stroke hemiparesis. The aim of this case report was to investigate whether the use of a metronome cue during walking could reduce excessive variability in gait parameters after a cerebellar stroke. An elderly female with a history of cerebellar stroke and recurrent falling undertook 3 standard gait trials and 3 gait trials with an auditory metronome. A Vicon system was used to collect 3-D marker trajectory data. The coefficient of variation was calculated for temporal and spatial gait parameters. Standard deviations of the joint angles were calculated and used to give a measure of joint kinematic variability. Step time, stance time and double support time variability were reduced with metronome cueing. Variability in the sagittal hip, knee and ankle angles were reduced to normal values when walking to the metronome. In summary, metronome cueing resulted in a decrease in variability for step, stance and double support times and joint kinematics. Further research is needed to establish whether a metronome may be useful in gait rehabilitation after cerebellar stroke, and whether this leads to a decreased risk of falling.

Metronome Cueing of Walking Reduces Gait Variability after a Cerebellar Stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Rachel L; Bevins, Joseph W; Pratt, David; Sackley, Catherine M; Wing, Alan M

2016-01-01

Cerebellar stroke typically results in increased variability during walking. Previous research has suggested that auditory cueing reduces excessive variability in conditions such as Parkinson's disease and post-stroke hemiparesis. The aim of this case report was to investigate whether the use of a metronome cue during walking could reduce excessive variability in gait parameters after a cerebellar stroke. An elderly female with a history of cerebellar stroke and recurrent falling undertook three standard gait trials and three gait trials with an auditory metronome. A Vicon system was used to collect 3-D marker trajectory data. The coefficient of variation was calculated for temporal and spatial gait parameters. SDs of the joint angles were calculated and used to give a measure of joint kinematic variability. Step time, stance time, and double support time variability were reduced with metronome cueing. Variability in the sagittal hip, knee, and ankle angles were reduced to normal values when walking to the metronome. In summary, metronome cueing resulted in a decrease in variability for step, stance, and double support times and joint kinematics. Further research is needed to establish whether a metronome may be useful in gait rehabilitation after cerebellar stroke and whether this leads to a decreased risk of falling.

Early detection and treatment of postnatal depression in primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Bronwen R; Howells, Sarah; Jenkins, Meryl

2003-11-01

Postnatal depression has a relatively high incidence and gives rise to considerable morbidity. There is sound evidence supporting the use of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale as a screening tool for possible postnatal depression. This paper reports on a project developed by two health visitors and a community mental health nurse working in the United Kingdom. The aim of the project was to improve the early detection and treatment of postnatal depression in the population of the general practice to which they were attached. The health visitors screened for postnatal depression in the course of routine visits on four occasions during the first postpartum year. Women identified as likely to be suffering from postnatal depression were offered 'listening visits' as a first-line intervention, with referral on to the general practitioner and/or community mental health nurse if indicated. Data collected over 3 years showed that the project succeeded in its aim of enhancing early detection and treatment of postnatal depression. These findings replicate those of other studies. The data also showed that a substantial number of women were identified for the first time as likely to be suffering from postnatal depression at 12 months postpartum. Women screened for the first time at 12 months were at greater risk than those who had been screened earlier than this. Health visitors should screen for postnatal depression throughout the period of their contact with mothers, not solely in the immediate postnatal period. It is particularly important to screen women who, for whatever reason, were not screened when their child was younger. The knowledge and skills needed to use the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and provide first-line intervention and onward referral can be developed at practitioner level through close collaborative working.

Determinants of postnatal care non-utilization among women in Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Somefun, Oluwaseyi Dolapo; Ibisomi, Latifat

2016-01-11

Although, there are several programs in place in Nigeria to ensure maternal and child health, maternal and neonatal mortality rates remain high with maternal mortality rates being 576/100,000 and neonatal mortality rates at 37/1000 live births (NDHS, 2013). While there are many studies on the utilization of maternal health services such as antenatal care and skilled delivery at birth, studies on postnatal care are limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the factors associated with the non-utilization of postnatal care among mothers in Nigeria using the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2013. For analysis, the postnatal care uptake for 19,418 children born in the 5 years preceding the survey was considered. The dependent variable was a composite variable derived from a list of questions on postnatal care. A multinomial logistic regression model was applied to examine the adjusted and unadjusted determinants of non-utilization of postnatal care. Results from this study showed that 63% of the mothers of the 19,418 children did not utilize postnatal care services in the period examined. About 42% of the study population between 25 and 34 years did not utilize postnatal care and 61% of the women who did not utilize postnatal care had no education. Results from multinomial logistic regression show that antenatal care use, distance, education, place of delivery, region and wealth status are significantly associated with the non-utilization of postnatal care services. This study revealed the low uptake of postnatal care service in Nigeria. To increase mothers' utilization of postnatal care services and improve maternal and child health in Nigeria, interventions should be targeted at women in remote areas who don't have access to services and developing mobile clinics. In addition, it is crucial that steps should be taken on educating women. This would have a significant influence on their perceptions about the use of postnatal care services in

Crossed cerebellar atrophy in children: a neurologic sequela of extreme prematurity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rollins, N.K.; Wen, T.S.; Dominguez, R.

1995-01-01

We retrospectively identified eight children, aged 8 months to 13 years, in whom cerebellar atrophy associated with cerebral injury was diagnosed on MR or CT, and reviewed their past medical history, neurologic findings, and neuroimaging studies. Seven patients were born extremely premature, EGA 25-28 weeks, and had severe perinatal intracranial hemorrhage. Neurologic problems include severe developmental delay in seven, spastic paresis in six, and seizures in five. Neuroimaging showed severe unilaterial holohemispheric atrophy in four, bilateral asymmetric holohemispheric atrophy in two, and left temporoparietal atrophy in one. Cerebellar atrophy was unilateral in five and bilateral but asymmetric in two. Gliosis of the atrophic cerebellum occurred in one patient. Sequential neuroimaging in one patient showed evolution of crossed cerebellar atrophy at 8 months of age. The final patient, a term infant, had an idiopathic perinatal left cerebral infarct. (orig./MG)

Prevalence of enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes in heavy smokers - a comparative study

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Kirchner, Johannes; Lorenz, Vivian-Wilma [Allgemeines Krankenhaus Hagen, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Hagen (Germany); Kirchner, Esther Maria [Staedtisches Klinikum Wedau, Clinic for Medicine, Duisburg (Germany); Goltz, Jan Peter; Kickuth, Ralph [University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Department of Radiology, Wuerzburg (Germany)

2011-08-15

To evaluate the frequency of enlarged hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes in heavy smokers (more than 10 pack years) compared with non- smokers. In a prospective study the CT findings of 88 consecutive patients (44 heavy smokers, 44 non- smokers) were analysed. Exclusion criteria were history of thoracic malignancy, sarcoidosis, occupational dust exposure or clinical evidence of pneumonia. Prevalence, size and site of enlarged lymph nodes were assessed by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and correlated with the cigarette consumption and the CT- findings of bronchitis and emphysema. Twenty-three of the 44 heavy smokers (52%) showed enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes. Non- smokers showed enlarged lymph nodes in 9% (4/44). The most common site of enlarged lymph nodes was the regional station 7 according to the ATS mapping (subcarinal). The difference between the frequency of enlarged lymph nodes in heavy smokers and non- smokers was significant (chi- square 19.3, p < 0.0001). Airway wall thickening and emphysema were often associated with an increased number of enlarged nodes. The present study demonstrates that enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes may occur in a rather high percentage of heavy smokers, especially in those with a MDCT finding of severe bronchitis. (orig.)

Prevalence of enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes in heavy smokers - a comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirchner, Johannes; Lorenz, Vivian-Wilma; Kirchner, Esther Maria; Goltz, Jan Peter; Kickuth, Ralph

2011-01-01

To evaluate the frequency of enlarged hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes in heavy smokers (more than 10 pack years) compared with non- smokers. In a prospective study the CT findings of 88 consecutive patients (44 heavy smokers, 44 non- smokers) were analysed. Exclusion criteria were history of thoracic malignancy, sarcoidosis, occupational dust exposure or clinical evidence of pneumonia. Prevalence, size and site of enlarged lymph nodes were assessed by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and correlated with the cigarette consumption and the CT- findings of bronchitis and emphysema. Twenty-three of the 44 heavy smokers (52%) showed enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes. Non- smokers showed enlarged lymph nodes in 9% (4/44). The most common site of enlarged lymph nodes was the regional station 7 according to the ATS mapping (subcarinal). The difference between the frequency of enlarged lymph nodes in heavy smokers and non- smokers was significant (chi- square 19.3, p < 0.0001). Airway wall thickening and emphysema were often associated with an increased number of enlarged nodes. The present study demonstrates that enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes may occur in a rather high percentage of heavy smokers, especially in those with a MDCT finding of severe bronchitis. (orig.)

Structural and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Cerebellum: Considerations for Assessing Cerebellar Ataxias.

Science.gov (United States)

Deistung, Andreas; Stefanescu, Maria R; Ernst, Thomas M; Schlamann, Marc; Ladd, Mark E; Reichenbach, Jürgen R; Timmann, Dagmar

2016-02-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain is of high interest for diagnosing and understanding degenerative ataxias. Here, we present state-of-the-art MRI methods to characterize structural alterations of the cerebellum and introduce initial experiments to show abnormalities in the cerebellar nuclei. Clinically, T1-weighted MR images are used to assess atrophy of the cerebellar cortex, the brainstem, and the spinal cord, whereas T2-weighted and PD-weighted images are typically employed to depict potential white matter lesions that may be associated with certain types of ataxias. More recently, attention has also focused on the characterization of the cerebellar nuclei, which are discernible on spatially highly resolved iron-sensitive MR images due to their relatively high iron content, including T2 (*)-weighted images, susceptibility-weighted images (SWI), effective transverse relaxation rate (R2 (*)) maps, and quantitative susceptibility maps (QSM). Among these iron-sensitive techniques, QSM reveals the best contrast between cerebellar nuclei and their surroundings. In particular, the gyrification of the dentate nuclei is prominently depicted, even at the clinically widely available field strength of 3 T. The linear relationship between magnetic susceptibility and local iron content allows for determination of iron deposition in cerebellar nuclei non-invasively. The increased signal-to-noise ratio of ultrahigh-field MRI (B0 ≥ 7 T) and advances in spatial normalization methods enable functional MRI (fMRI) at the level of the cerebellar cortex and cerebellar nuclei. Data from initial fMRI studies are presented in three common forms of hereditary ataxias (Friedreich's ataxia, spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, and spinocerebellar ataxia type 6). Characteristic changes in the fMRI signal are discussed in the light of histopathological data and current knowledge of the underlying physiology of the fMRI signal in the cerebellum.

Ultrasonically detectable cerebellar haemorrhage in preterm infants.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McCarthy, Lisa Kenyon

2011-07-01

To determine the frequency and pattern of cerebellar haemorrhage (CBH) on routine cranial ultrasound (cUS) imaging in infants of ≤32 weeks gestation, and to investigate how extremely preterm infants with CBH differ from those with severe intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH).

Synaptic glutamate spillover increases NMDA receptor reliability at the cerebellar glomerulus

OpenAIRE

Mitchell, Cassie S.; Lee, Robert H.

2011-01-01

Glutamate spillover in the mossy fiber to granule cell cerebellar glomeruli has been hypothesized to increase neurotransmission reliability. In this study, we evaluate this hypothesis using an experimentally-based quantitative model of glutamate spillover on the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDA-Rs) at the cerebellar glomerulus. The transient and steady-state responses of NMDA-Rs were examined over a physiological range of firing rates. Examined cases included direct glutamate release acti...

Stereotactic biopsy of cerebellar lesions: straight versus oblique frame positioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Quick-Weller, Johanna; Brawanski, Nina; Dinc, Nazife; Behmanesh, Bedjahn; Kammerer, Sara; Dubinski, Daniel; Seifert, Volker; Marquardt, Gerhard; Weise, Lutz

2017-10-26

Biospies of brain lesions with unknown entity are an everyday procedure among many neurosurgical departments. Biopsies can be performed frame-guided or frameless. However, cerebellar lesions are a special entity with a more complex approach. All biopsies in this study were performed stereotactically frame guided. Therefore, only biopsies of cerebellar lesions were included in this study. We compared whether the frame was attached straight versus oblique and we focused on diagnostic yield and complication rate. We evaluated 20 patients who underwent the procedure between 2009 and 2017. Median age was 56.5 years. 12 (60%) Patients showed a left sided lesion, 6 (30%) showed a lesion in the right cerebellum and 2 (10%) patients showed a midline lesion. The stereotactic frame was mounted oblique in 12 (60%) patients and straight in 8 (40%) patients. Postoperative CT scan showed small, clinically silent blood collection in two (10%) of the patients, one (5%) patient showed haemorrhage, which caused a hydrocephalus. He received an external ventricular drain. In both patients with small haemorrhage the frame was positioned straight, while in the patient who showed a larger haemorrhage the frame was mounted oblique. In all patients a final histopathological diagnosis was established. Cerebellar lesions of unknown entity can be accessed transcerebellar either with the stereotactic frame mounted straight or oblique. Also for cerebellar lesions the procedure shows a high diagnostic yield with a low rate of severe complications, which need further treatment.

β-Catenin is critical for cerebellar foliation and lamination.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Wen

Full Text Available The cerebellum has a conserved foliation pattern and a well-organized layered structure. The process of foliation and lamination begins around birth. β-catenin is a downstream molecule of Wnt signaling pathway, which plays a critical role in tissue organization. Lack of β-catenin at early embryonic stages leads to either prenatal or neonatal death, therefore it has been difficult to resolve its role in cerebellar foliation and lamination. Here we used GFAP-Cre to ablate β-catenin in neuronal cells of the cerebellum after embryonic day 12.5, and found an unexpected role of β-catenin in determination of the foliation pattern. In the mutant mice, the positions of fissure formation were changed, and the meninges were improperly incorporated into fissures. At later stages, some lobules were formed by Purkinje cells remaining in deep regions of the cerebellum and the laminar structure was dramatically altered. Our results suggest that β-catenin is critical for cerebellar foliation and lamination. We also found a non cell-autonomous role of β-catenin in some developmental properties of major cerebellar cell types during specific stages.

Bilateral cerebellar activation in unilaterally challenged essential tremor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marja Broersma

2016-01-01

Conclusions: Our results expand on previous findings of bilateral cerebellar involvement in ET. We have identified specific areas in the bilateral somatomotor regions of the cerebellum: lobules V, VI and VIII.

Effect of early postnatal exposure to valproate on neurobehavioral development and regional BDNF expression in two strains of mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bath, Kevin G; Pimentel, Tiare

2017-05-01

Valproate has been used for over 30years as a first-line treatment for epilepsy. In recent years, prenatal exposure to valproate has been associated with teratogenic effects, limiting its use in women that are pregnant or of childbearing age. However, despite its potential detrimental effects on development, valproate continues to be prescribed at high rates in pediatric populations in some countries. Animal models allow us to test hypotheses regarding the potential effects of postnatal valproate exposure on neurobehavioral development, as well as identify potential mechanisms mediating observed effects. Here, we tested the effect of early postnatal (P4-P11) valproate exposure (100mg/kg and 200mg/kg) on motor and affective development in two strains of mice, SVE129 and C57Bl/6N. We also assessed the effect of early valproate exposure on regional BDNF protein levels, a potential target of valproate, and mediator of neurodevelopmental outcomes. We found that early life valproate exposure led to significant motor impairments in both SVE129 and C57Bl/6N mice. Both lines of mice showed significant delays in weight gain, as well as impairments in the righting reflex (P7-8), wire hang (P17), open field (P12 and P21), and rotarod (P25 and P45) tasks. Interestingly, some of the early locomotor effects were strain- and dose-dependent. We observed no effects of valproate on early markers of anxiety-like behavior. Importantly, early life valproate exposure had significant effects on regional BDNF expression, leading to a near 50% decrease in BDNF levels in the cerebellum of both strains of mice, while not impacting hippocampal BDNF protein levels. These observations indicate that postnatal exposure to valproate may have significant, and region-specific effects, on neural and behavioral development, with specific consequences for cerebellar development and motor function. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sonic hedgehog-induced histone deacetylase activation is required for cerebellar granule precursor hyperplasia in medulloblastoma.

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Seung Joon Lee

Full Text Available Medulloblastoma, the most common pediatric brain tumor, is thought to arise from deregulated proliferation of cerebellar granule precursor (CGP cells. Sonic hedgehog (Shh is the primary mitogen that regulates proliferation of CGP cells during the early stages of postnatal cerebellum development. Aberrant activation of Shh signaling during this time has been associated with hyperplasia of CGP cells and eventually may lead to the development of medulloblastoma. The molecular targets of Shh signaling involved in medulloblastoma formation are still not well-understood. Here, we show that Shh regulates sustained activation of histone deacetylases (HDACs and that this activity is required for continued proliferation of CGP cells. Suppression of HDAC activity not only blocked the Shh-induced CGP proliferation in primary cell cultures, but also ameliorated aberrant CGP proliferation at the external germinal layer (EGL in a medulloblastoma mouse model. Increased levels of mRNA and protein of several HDAC family members were found in medulloblastoma compared to wild type cerebellum suggesting that HDAC activity is required for the survival/progression of tumor cells. The identification of a role of HDACs in the early steps of medulloblastoma formation suggests there may be a therapeutic potential for HDAC inhibitors in this disease.

Magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients presenting with (sub)acute cerebellar ataxia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, Tanja [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hamburg (Germany); The Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Division of Neuroradiology, Baltimore, MD (United States); Thomalla, Goetz [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Neurology, Hamburg (Germany); Goebell, Einar [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hamburg (Germany); Piotrowski, Anna [The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD (United States); Yousem, David Mark [The Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Division of Neuroradiology, Baltimore, MD (United States)

2015-02-17

Acute or subacute cerebellar inflammation is mainly caused by postinfectious, toxic, neoplastic, vascular, or idiopathic processes and can result in cerebellar ataxia. Previous magnetic resonance (MR) studies in single patients who developed acute or subacute ataxia showed varying imaging features. Eighteen patients presenting with acute and subacute onset of ataxia were included in this study. Cases of chronic-progressive/hereditary and noncerebellar causes (ischemia, multiple sclerosis lesions, metastasis, bleedings) were excluded. MR imaging findings were then matched with the clinical history of the patient. An underlying etiology for ataxic symptoms were found in 14/18 patients (postinfectious/infectious, paraneoplastic, autoimmune, drug-induced). In two of five patients without MR imaging findings and three of eight patients with minimal imaging features (cerebellar atrophy, slight signal alterations, and small areas of restricted diffusion), adverse clinical outcomes were documented. Of the five patients with prominent MR findings (cerebellar swelling, contrast enhancement, or broad signal abnormalities), two were lost to follow-up and two showed long-term sequelae. No correlation was found between the presence of initial MRI findings in subacute or acute ataxia patients and their long-term clinical outcome. MR imaging was more flagrantly positive in cases due to encephalitis. (orig.)

Magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients presenting with (sub)acute cerebellar ataxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Tanja; Thomalla, Götz; Goebell, Einar; Piotrowski, Anna; Yousem, David Mark

2015-06-01

Acute or subacute cerebellar inflammation is mainly caused by postinfectious, toxic, neoplastic, vascular, or idiopathic processes and can result in cerebellar ataxia. Previous magnetic resonance (MR) studies in single patients who developed acute or subacute ataxia showed varying imaging features. Eighteen patients presenting with acute and subacute onset of ataxia were included in this study. Cases of chronic-progressive/hereditary and noncerebellar causes (ischemia, multiple sclerosis lesions, metastasis, bleedings) were excluded. MR imaging findings were then matched with the clinical history of the patient. An underlying etiology for ataxic symptoms were found in 14/18 patients (postinfectious/infectious, paraneoplastic, autoimmune, drug-induced). In two of five patients without MR imaging findings and three of eight patients with minimal imaging features (cerebellar atrophy, slight signal alterations, and small areas of restricted diffusion), adverse clinical outcomes were documented. Of the five patients with prominent MR findings (cerebellar swelling, contrast enhancement, or broad signal abnormalities), two were lost to follow-up and two showed long-term sequelae. No correlation was found between the presence of initial MRI findings in subacute or acute ataxia patients and their long-term clinical outcome. MR imaging was more flagrantly positive in cases due to encephalitis.

Cerebellar stem cells do not produce neurons and astrocytes in adult mouse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Xin; Guan, Wuqiang; Yu, Yong-Chun; Fu, Yinghui

2014-01-01

Highlights: • No new neurons and astrocytes are generated in adult mouse cerebellum. • Very few mash1 + or nestin + stem cells exist, and most of them are quiescent. • Cell proliferation rate is diversified among cerebellar regions and decreases over time. - Abstract: Although previous studies implied that cerebellar stem cells exist in some adult mammals, little is known about whether these stem cells can produce new neurons and astrocytes. In this study by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection, we found that there are abundant BrdU + cells in adult mouse cerebellum, and their quantity and density decreases significantly over time. We also found cell proliferation rate is diversified in different cerebellar regions. Among these BrdU + cells, very few are mash1 + or nestin + stem cells, and the vast majority of cerebellar stem cells are quiescent. Data obtained by in vivo retrovirus injection indicate that stem cells do not produce neurons and astrocytes in adult mouse cerebellum. Instead, some cells labeled by retrovirus are Iba1 + microglia. These results indicate that very few stem cells exist in adult mouse cerebellum, and none of these stem cells contribute to neurogenesis and astrogenesis under physiological condition

Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography findings in a patient with cerebellar mutism after operation in posterior fossa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonca Kara Gedik

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Cerebellar mutism is a transient period of speechlessness that evolves after posterior fossa surgery in children. Although direct cerebellar and brain stem injury and supratentorial dysfunction have been implicated in the mediation of mutism, the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the evolution of this kind of mutism remain unclear. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed dentatothalamocortical tract injuries and single photon emission computed tomography showed cerebellar and cerebral hypoperfusion in patients with cerebellar mutism. However, findings with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT in this group of patients have not been documented previously. In this clinical case, we report a patient who experienced cerebellar mutism after undergoing a posterior fossa surgery. Right cerebellar and left frontal lobe hypometabolism was shown using FDG PET/CT. The FDG metabolism of both the cerebellum and the frontal lobe returned to normal levels after the resolution of the mutism symptoms.

Statistical characteristics of climbing fiber spikes necessary for efficient cerebellar learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuroda, S; Yamamoto, K; Miyamoto, H; Doya, K; Kawat, M

2001-03-01

Mean firing rates (MFRs), with analogue values, have thus far been used as information carriers of neurons in most brain theories of learning. However, the neurons transmit the signal by spikes, which are discrete events. The climbing fibers (CFs), which are known to be essential for cerebellar motor learning, fire at the ultra-low firing rates (around 1 Hz), and it is not yet understood theoretically how high-frequency information can be conveyed and how learning of smooth and fast movements can be achieved. Here we address whether cerebellar learning can be achieved by CF spikes instead of conventional MFR in an eye movement task, such as the ocular following response (OFR), and an arm movement task. There are two major afferents into cerebellar Purkinje cells: parallel fiber (PF) and CF, and the synaptic weights between PFs and Purkinje cells have been shown to be modulated by the stimulation of both types of fiber. The modulation of the synaptic weights is regulated by the cerebellar synaptic plasticity. In this study we simulated cerebellar learning using CF signals as spikes instead of conventional MFR. To generate the spikes we used the following four spike generation models: (1) a Poisson model in which the spike interval probability follows a Poisson distribution, (2) a gamma model in which the spike interval probability follows the gamma distribution, (3) a max model in which a spike is generated when a synaptic input reaches maximum, and (4) a threshold model in which a spike is generated when the input crosses a certain small threshold. We found that, in an OFR task with a constant visual velocity, learning was successful with stochastic models, such as Poisson and gamma models, but not in the deterministic models, such as max and threshold models. In an OFR with a stepwise velocity change and an arm movement task, learning could be achieved only in the Poisson model. In addition, for efficient cerebellar learning, the distribution of CF spike

Should indications for WEB aneurysm treatment be enlarged? Report of a series of 20 patients with aneurysms in "atypical" locations for WEB treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierot, L; Biondi, A; Narata, A-P; Mihalea, C; Januel, A-C; Metaxas, G; Bibi, R; Caroff, J; Soize, S; Cognard, C; Spelle, L; Herbreteau, D

2017-06-01

Flow disruption with the WEB device is an innovative technique for the endovascular treatment of wide neck bifurcation aneurysms. Good clinical practice trials have shown high safety of this treatment with good efficacy. Technical developments (single layer devices and smaller microcatheters) facilitate the treatment, potentially leading to enlargement of indications. This series is collecting aneurysms in "atypical" locations for WEB treatment and analyzing safety and efficacy of this treatment. In each participating center, patients with aneurysms treated with WEB were prospectively included in a local database. Patients treated for aneurysms in "atypical" locations were extracted. Patient and aneurysm characteristics, intraoperative complications, and anatomical results at the end of the procedure and at last follow-up were collected and analyzed. Five French neurointerventional centers included 20 patients with 20 aneurysms in "atypical" locations for WEB treatment treated with WEB. Aneurysm locations were ICA carotid-ophthalmic in 9 aneurysms (45.0%), ICA posterior communicating in 4 (20.0%), Pericallosal artery in 5 (25.0%), and basilar artery between P1 and superior cerebellar artery in 2 (10.0%). There were no complications (thromboembolic or intraoperative rupture) in this series. At follow-up (mean: 7.4 months), adequate occlusion was obtained in 100.0% of aneurysms. This series confirms that it is possible to enlarge indications of WEB treatment to "atypical" locations with good safety and efficacy. These data have to be confirmed in large prospective series. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Low-grade intraventricular hemorrhage disrupts cerebellar white matter in preterm infants: evidence from diffusion tensor imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morita, Takashi; Morimoto, Masafumi; Hasegawa, Tatsuji; Morioka, Shigemi; Kidowaki, Satoshi; Moroto, Masaharu; Yamashita, Satoshi; Maeda, Hiroshi; Chiyonobu, Tomohiro; Tokuda, Sachiko; Hosoi, Hajime [Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto (Japan); Yamada, Kei [Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto (Japan)

2015-05-01

Recent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have demonstrated that leakage of hemosiderin into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is caused by high-grade intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), can affect cerebellar development in preterm born infants. However, a direct effect of low-grade IVH on cerebellar development is unknown. Thus, we evaluated the cerebellar and cerebral white matter (WM) of preterm infants with low-grade IVH. Using DTI tractography performed at term-equivalent age, we analyzed 42 infants who were born less than 30 weeks gestational age (GA) at birth (22 with low-grade IVH, 20 without). These infants were divided into two birth groups depending on GA, and we then compared the presence and absence of IVH which was diagnosed by cerebral ultrasound (CUS) within 10 days after birth or conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at term-equivalent age in each group. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) at the superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP), middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP), motor tract, and sensory tract were measured. In the SCP, preterm born infants with IVH had lower FA values compared with infants without IVH. In particular, younger preterm birth with IVH had lower FA values in the SCP and motor tract and higher ADC values in the MCP. Low-grade IVH impaired cerebellar and cerebral WM, especially in the SCP. Moreover, younger preterm infants exhibited greater disruptions to cerebellar WM and the motor tract than infants of older preterm birth. (orig.)

Transcranial cerebellar direct current stimulation and transcutaneous spinal cord direct current stimulation as innovative tools for neuroscientists

Science.gov (United States)

Priori, Alberto; Ciocca, Matteo; Parazzini, Marta; Vergari, Maurizio; Ferrucci, Roberta

2014-01-01

Two neuromodulatory techniques based on applying direct current (DC) non-invasively through the skin, transcranial cerebellar direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcutaneous spinal DCS, can induce prolonged functional changes consistent with a direct influence on the human cerebellum and spinal cord. In this article we review the major experimental works on cerebellar tDCS and on spinal tDCS, and their preliminary clinical applications. Cerebellar tDCS modulates cerebellar motor cortical inhibition, gait adaptation, motor behaviour, and cognition (learning, language, memory, attention). Spinal tDCS influences the ascending and descending spinal pathways, and spinal reflex excitability. In the anaesthetised mouse, DC stimulation applied under the skin along the entire spinal cord may affect GABAergic and glutamatergic systems. Preliminary clinical studies in patients with cerebellar disorders, and in animals and patients with spinal cord injuries, have reported beneficial effects. Overall the available data show that cerebellar tDCS and spinal tDCS are two novel approaches for inducing prolonged functional changes and neuroplasticity in the human cerebellum and spinal cord, and both are new tools for experimental and clinical neuroscientists. PMID:24907311

The coevolution of play and the cortico-cerebellar system in primates.

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Kerney, Max; Smaers, Jeroen B; Schoenemann, P Thomas; Dunn, Jacob C

2017-10-01

Primates are some of the most playful animals in the natural world, yet the reason for this remains unclear. One hypothesis posits that primates are so playful because playful activity functions to help develop the sophisticated cognitive and behavioural abilities that they are also renowned for. If this hypothesis were true, then play might be expected to have coevolved with the neural substrates underlying these abilities in primates. Here, we tested this prediction by conducting phylogenetic comparative analyses to determine whether play has coevolved with the cortico-cerebellar system, a neural system known to be involved in complex cognition and the production of complex behaviour. We used phylogenetic generalised least squares analyses to compare the relative volume of the largest constituent parts of the primate cortico-cerebellar system (prefrontal cortex, non-prefrontal heteromodal cortical association areas, and posterior cerebellar hemispheres) to the mean percentage of time budget spent in play by a sample of primate species. Using a second categorical data set on play, we also used phylogenetic analysis of covariance to test for significant differences in the volume of the components of the cortico-cerebellar system among primate species exhibiting one of three different levels of adult-adult social play. Our results suggest that, in general, a positive association exists between the amount of play exhibited and the relative size of the main components of the cortico-cerebellar system in our sample of primate species. Although the explanatory power of this study is limited by the correlational nature of its analyses and by the quantity and quality of the data currently available, this finding nevertheless lends support to the hypothesis that play functions to aid the development of cognitive and behavioural abilities in primates.

Dental Fluorosis and Catalase Immunoreactivity of the Brain Tissues in Rats Exposed to High Fluoride Pre- and Postnatally.

Science.gov (United States)

Güner, Şirin; Uyar-Bozkurt, Süheyla; Haznedaroğlu, Eda; Menteş, Ali

2016-11-01

This study evaluated dental fluorosis of the incisors and immunoreactivity in the brain tissues of rats given chronic fluoride doses pre- and postnatally. Female rats were given drinking water with 0, 30 or 100 ppm fluoride ad libitum throughout gestation and the nursing period. In addition, 63 male offspring were treated with the same water regimens as the mothers after weaning and were followed for 1, 3 or 5 months. The upper and lower incisors were collected, and all teeth were examined under a stereomicroscope and scored by two blinded examiners using a modified rodent enamel fluorosis index. Cortical, hippocampal and cerebellar brain samples were evaluated morphologically and immunohistochemically. All fluoride-treated pups were born with low body weight (p = 0.001). All animals from the fluoride groups had enamel fluorosis with defects of various degrees. The increase in the dental fluorosis scores in the fluoride treatment groups was significant (p fluoride groups was significantly higher than that in the controls after 1, 3 and 5 months (p toxicity of fluoride.

Relationship between ultrasound estimated fetal gestational age and cerebellar appearance in healthy pregnant Nigerian women.

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Adeyekun, Ademola A; Orji, Michael O

2015-01-01

Fetal biometry by ultrasound provides reliable and important information about fetal growth and wellbeing. Evaluation of the fetal posterior fossa is useful in the assessment of neural tube-defects. Studies on normal ultrasound fetal cerebellar appearance and diameter across gestational age (GA) are scanty in the Nigerian medical literature. This study was carried out to study normal fetal cerebellar appearance and diameter at various GAs among healthy pregnant Nigerian Africans. This was a prospective study of 450 healthy singleton pregnant women between 13 and 42 weeks gestation. A curvilinear probe with a 3.5 MHz transducer of a SonoAce X6 (Medison Inc., Korea 2010) scanner was used to assess fetal transcerebellar diameter (TCD) and appearance. GA was also determined using fetal biometric parameters such as the biparietal diameter, femur length, and abdominal circumference. Fetal cerebellar appearance was correlated against GA. The cerebellar appearance was graded into: Grade I: 164 fetuses (36.4%), Grade II; 102 fetuses (22.7%) and Grade III: 184 fetuses (40.9%). Mean GA and TCD was 21 weeks and 21.2 mm for Grade I; 28 weeks and 32.6 mm for Grade II; and 35 weeks and 47.1 mm for Grade III. There was significance difference among the cerebellar grades at the GA groups and transverse cerebellar diameter (P < 0.000). There is a gradual and steady change in ultrasonographic appearance of the fetal cerebellar and diameter appearance with advancing gestation. The changes ranged from anechoic, "pair of eye glass" appearance at second trimester to relatively echogenic, "dumb-bell" appearance at early third trimester, and solid, "fan-shape" in late third trimester.

Postnatally acquired cytomegalovirus infections in preterm infants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijman, J.

2013-01-01

A postnatal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is common in very low birth weight infants with an estimated prevalence of 6–59%. Breast milk from CMV seropositive mothers is the main source of postnatal CMV infection. Ninety-six percent of these mothers shed CMV in their breast milk after delivery due

Doorkeepers and Gatecrashers: EU Enlargement and Negotiation Strategies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brücker, Herbert; Schröder, Philipp; Weise, Christian

2004-01-01

This paper discusses the eastward enlargement process of the EU in the framework of a simple war of attrition bargaining game. Both players -- the existing EU members and the applicants -- benefit from enlargement, yet for the applicants, reform to the acquis is costly, while the EU prefers subst...... the benefits for new members are all effective negotiation strategies for the EU that have been applied in the process....

Risk factors for antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress

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Milgrom Jeannette

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Given that the prevalence of antenatal and postnatal depression is high, with estimates around 13%, and the consequences serious, efforts have been made to identify risk factors to assist in prevention, identification and treatment. Most risk factors associated with postnatal depression have been well researched, whereas predictors of antenatal depression have been less researched. Risk factors associated with early parenting stress have not been widely researched, despite the strong link with depression. The aim of this study was to further elucidate which of some previously identified risk factors are most predictive of three outcome measures: antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress and to examine the relationship between them. Methods Primipara and multiparae women were recruited antenatally from two major hoitals as part of the beyondblue National Postnatal Depression Program 1. In this subsidiary study, 367 women completed an additional large battery of validated questionnaires to identify risk factors in the antenatal period at 26–32 weeks gestation. A subsample of these women (N = 161 also completed questionnaires at 10–12 weeks postnatally. Depression level was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI. Results Regression analyses identified significant risk factors for the three outcome measures. (1. Significant predictors for antenatal depression: low self-esteem, antenatal anxiety, low social support, negative cognitive style, major life events, low income and history of abuse. (2. Significant predictors for postnatal depression: antenatal depression and a history of depression while also controlling for concurrent parenting stress, which was a significant variable. Antenatal depression was identified as a mediator between seven of the risk factors and postnatal depression. (3. Postnatal depression was the only significant predictor for parenting stress and also acted as a mediator

Risk factors for antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Leigh, Bronwyn; Milgrom, Jeannette

2008-04-16

Given that the prevalence of antenatal and postnatal depression is high, with estimates around 13%, and the consequences serious, efforts have been made to identify risk factors to assist in prevention, identification and treatment. Most risk factors associated with postnatal depression have been well researched, whereas predictors of antenatal depression have been less researched. Risk factors associated with early parenting stress have not been widely researched, despite the strong link with depression. The aim of this study was to further elucidate which of some previously identified risk factors are most predictive of three outcome measures: antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress and to examine the relationship between them. Primipara and multiparae women were recruited antenatally from two major hoitals as part of the beyondblue National Postnatal Depression Program 1. In this subsidiary study, 367 women completed an additional large battery of validated questionnaires to identify risk factors in the antenatal period at 26-32 weeks gestation. A subsample of these women (N = 161) also completed questionnaires at 10-12 weeks postnatally. Depression level was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Regression analyses identified significant risk factors for the three outcome measures. (1). Significant predictors for antenatal depression: low self-esteem, antenatal anxiety, low social support, negative cognitive style, major life events, low income and history of abuse. (2). Significant predictors for postnatal depression: antenatal depression and a history of depression while also controlling for concurrent parenting stress, which was a significant variable. Antenatal depression was identified as a mediator between seven of the risk factors and postnatal depression. (3). Postnatal depression was the only significant predictor for parenting stress and also acted as a mediator for other risk factors. Risk factor profiles for

Diffusion tensor imaging parameters' changes of cerebellar hemispheres in Parkinson's disease

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Mormina, Enricomaria; Arrigo, Alessandro; Granata, Francesca; Anastasi, Giuseppe P.; Gaeta, Michele [University of Messina, Department of Biomedical Science and Morphological and Functional Images, Messina (Italy); Calamuneri, Alessandro; Quartarone, Angelo [University of Messina, Department of Neurosciences, Messina (Italy); Ghilardi, Maria F.; Inglese, Matilde; Di Rocco, Alessandro [Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY (United States); Milardi, Demetrio [University of Messina, Department of Biomedical Science and Morphological and Functional Images, Messina (Italy); IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo, Messina (Italy)

2015-03-01

Studies with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis have produced conflicting information about the involvement of the cerebellar hemispheres in Parkinson's disease (PD). We, thus, used a new approach for the analysis of DTI parameters in order to ascertain the involvement of the cerebellum in PD. We performed a fiber tract-based analysis of cerebellar peduncles and cerebellar hemispheres in 16 healthy subjects and in 16 PD patients with more than 5 years duration of disease, using a 3T MRI scanner and a constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) approach for tractographic reconstructions. In addition, we performed statistical analysis of DTI parameters and fractional anisotropy (FA) XYZ direction samplings. We found a statistically significant decrement of FA values in PD patients compared to controls (p < 0.05). In addition, extrapolating and analyzing FA XYZ direction samplings for each patient and each control, we found that this result was due to a stronger decrement of FA values along the Y axis (antero-posterior direction) (p < 0.01); FA changes along X and Z axes were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). We confirmed also no statistically significant differences of FA and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for cerebellar peduncles in PD patients compared to healthy controls. The DTI-based cerebellar abnormalities in PD could constitute an advance in the knowledge of this disease. We demonstrated a statistically significant reduction of FA in cerebellar hemispheres of PD patients compared to healthy controls. Our work also demonstrated that the use of more sophisticated approaches in the DTI parameter analysis could potentially have a clinical relevance. (orig.)

Diffusion tensor imaging parameters' changes of cerebellar hemispheres in Parkinson's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mormina, Enricomaria; Arrigo, Alessandro; Granata, Francesca; Anastasi, Giuseppe P.; Gaeta, Michele; Calamuneri, Alessandro; Quartarone, Angelo; Ghilardi, Maria F.; Inglese, Matilde; Di Rocco, Alessandro; Milardi, Demetrio

2015-01-01

Studies with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis have produced conflicting information about the involvement of the cerebellar hemispheres in Parkinson's disease (PD). We, thus, used a new approach for the analysis of DTI parameters in order to ascertain the involvement of the cerebellum in PD. We performed a fiber tract-based analysis of cerebellar peduncles and cerebellar hemispheres in 16 healthy subjects and in 16 PD patients with more than 5 years duration of disease, using a 3T MRI scanner and a constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) approach for tractographic reconstructions. In addition, we performed statistical analysis of DTI parameters and fractional anisotropy (FA) XYZ direction samplings. We found a statistically significant decrement of FA values in PD patients compared to controls (p < 0.05). In addition, extrapolating and analyzing FA XYZ direction samplings for each patient and each control, we found that this result was due to a stronger decrement of FA values along the Y axis (antero-posterior direction) (p < 0.01); FA changes along X and Z axes were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). We confirmed also no statistically significant differences of FA and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for cerebellar peduncles in PD patients compared to healthy controls. The DTI-based cerebellar abnormalities in PD could constitute an advance in the knowledge of this disease. We demonstrated a statistically significant reduction of FA in cerebellar hemispheres of PD patients compared to healthy controls. Our work also demonstrated that the use of more sophisticated approaches in the DTI parameter analysis could potentially have a clinical relevance. (orig.)

Crossed cerebellar atrophy in cases with cerebrovascular disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagishita, Toshiyuki; Kojima, Shigeyuki; Hirayama, Keizo; Iwabuchi, Sadamu.

1989-01-01

Crossed cerebellar atrophy (CCA) was investigated by X-ray CT to establish the incidence, mechanism, and the relation to cerebral lesions in 130 cases of unilateral supratentorial cerebrovascular diseases. The 130 cases consisted of 83 males and 47 females with cerebral infarction (65 cases) and cerebral hemorrhage (65 cases). The patients' average age was 57.6 years. Crossed cerebellar atrophy was demonstrated in 8 cases (6.2%), 6 of whom had massive cerebral infarction in the middle cerebral artery area (9.2% of the 65 cases of cerebral infarction. The six cases of CCA caused by cerebral infarction had lesions in the frontal and temporal lobes. Two had a cerebral hemorrhage in the putamen and in the thalamus, respectively, accounting for 3.1% of the 65 cases of cerebral hemorrhage. Of the 2 cases, one had putaminal hemorrhage, and the other had thalamic hemorrhage. Cerebrovascular stroke had occured in these patients with CCA more than 2 months previously. In 5 of the 8 cases of CCA, atrophy was present in the basis pedunculi and the basis pontis on the side of the cerebral lesion. However, neither dilation nor deformity of the fourth ventricle was present in any of the patients, suggesting that none of the CCA patients had atrophy of the dentate nucleus. The CCA patients had massive cerebral lesion in the frontal and temporal lobes or atrophy of the basis pedunculi and basis pontis, suggesting the presence of the transsynaptic degeneration of the cortico-ponto-cerebellar pathway. In the case of the thalamic hemorrhage, who had not hemorrhagic lesion in the frontal and temporal lobes, atrophy of the basis peduncli and basis pontis was not observed. Though dilation or deformity of the fourth ventricle is not observed in this case, presence of the degeneration of the dentate-rubro-thalamic pathway cannot be denied. CCA seems to be caused by both the transsynaptic degeneration of the cortico-ponto-cerebellar pathway and the dentate-rubro-thalamic pathway. (J.P.N.)

Morphometric magnetic resonance imaging and genetic testing in cerebellar abiotrophy in Arabian horses

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Cerebellar abiotrophy (CA) is a rare but significant disease in Arabian horses caused by progressive death of the Purkinje cells resulting in cerebellar ataxia characterized by a typical head tremor, jerky head movements and lack of menace response. The specific role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to support clinical diagnosis has been discussed. However, as yet MR imaging has only been described in one equine CA case. The role of MR morphometry in this regard is currently unknown. Due to the hereditary nature of the disease, genetic testing can support the diagnosis of CA. Therefore, the objective of this study was to perform MR morphometric analysis and genetic testing in four CA-affected Arabian horses and one German Riding Pony with purebred Arabian bloodlines in the third generation. Results CA was diagnosed pathohistologically in the five affected horses (2 months - 3 years) supported by clinical signs, necropsy, and genetic testing which confirmed the TOE1:g.2171G>A SNP genotype A/A in all CA-affected horses. On MR images morphometric analysis of the relative cerebellar size and relative cerebellar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space were compared to control images of 15 unaffected horses. It was demonstrated that in MR morphometric analyses, CA affected horses displayed a relatively smaller cerebellum compared to the entire brain mass than control animals (P = 0.0088). The relative cerebellar CSF space was larger in affected horses (P = 0.0017). Using a cut off value of 11.0% for relative cerebellar CSF space, the parameter differentiated between CA-affected horses and controls with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 93.3%. Conclusions In conclusion, morphometric MRI and genetic analysis could be helpful to support the diagnosis of CA in vivo. PMID:23702154

Surgical management of generalized gingival enlargement - a case series

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhtar, M.U.; Nazir, A.; Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore; Kiran, S.; Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore

2014-01-01

Generalized gingival enlargement is characterized by massive and exuberant gingival overgrowth that poses social, aesthetic, phonetic and functional problems for the patient. Therefore, it requires meticulous management. Objective: To describe the surgical management of generalized gingival enlargement by electrosurgical excision of patients presenting to a tertiary care centre. Study Design: Case series. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, de'Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore, from January 2010 to December 2012. A total of sixteen patients were operated by using electrosurgical approach under general anaesthesia for surgical excision of generalized gingival enlargement. Results: All of the sixteen patients, 11 males and 5 females, showed excellent healing postoperatively without any recurrent gingival overgrowth. Discussion: To the best of our knowledge, the current study presents the largest case series of generalized gingival enlargement. Most of these cases were with massive disease due to lack of information of the study population about their disease, delay in referral by the general dental practitioners, painless and innocent nature of the problem. Early referral of such patients to tertiary care centers can prevent the patients from social and psychological embarrassment. Conclusion: Electrosurgical excision is an excellent surgical technique for management of generalized gingival enlargement. Moreover, cross comparative studies are required to establish some diagnostic and therapeutic standards for such patients. (author)

GAD Antibody-Associated Late-Onset Cerebellar Ataxia in Two Female Siblings

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Joseph Kuchling

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (GAD-ab-associated cerebellar ataxia is a rare neurological disorder characterized by cerebellar symptoms concomitant with high GAD-ab levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF. Case Report: We report on 2 female siblings (aged 74 and 76 years presenting with gradual progression of rotational vertigo, gait ataxia and vertical diplopia, continuously progressing for 6 months and 6 years, respectively. Autoimmune laboratory examinations showed remarkably increased serum and CSF GAD-ab levels. Their medical histories revealed late-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM and other concomitant autoimmune disorders (Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Cerebral MRI and laboratory examinations were unremarkable. The diagnosis of GAD-ab-associated cerebellar ataxia with particular brainstem involvement was established in both women. After the exclusion of an underlying malignancy, immunosuppressive therapy has been initiated in both patients, which resulted in stabilization in one and in clinical improvement in the other patient. Discussion: The unique association of autoantibody-mediated cerebellar ataxia and late-onset T1DM in 2 siblings with similar clinical and paraclinical phenotypes strengthens the concept that hereditary factors might play a relevant role also in autoimmune diseases so far considered to be sporadic. Moreover, the occurrence of continuous vertical diplopia broadens the clinical spectrum of GAD-ab-associated neurological syndromes.

Cerebellar damage impairs the self-rating of regret feeling in a gambling task

Science.gov (United States)

Clausi, Silvia; Coricelli, Giorgio; Pisotta, Iolanda; Pavone, Enea Francesco; Lauriola, Marco; Molinari, Marco; Leggio, Maria

2015-01-01

Anatomical, clinical, and neuroimaging evidence implicates the cerebellum in processing emotions and feelings. Moreover recent studies showed a cerebellar involvement in pathologies such as autism, schizophrenia and alexithymia, in which emotional processing have been found altered. However, cerebellar function in the modulation of emotional responses remains debated. In this study, emotions that are involved directly in decision-making were examined in 15 patients (six males; age range 17–60 years) affected by cerebellar damage and 15 well matched healthy controls. We used a gambling task, in which subjects’ choices and evaluation of outcomes with regard to their anticipated and actual emotional impact were analyzed. Emotions, such as regret and relief, were elicited, based on the outcome of the unselected gamble. Interestingly, despite their ability to avoid regret in subsequent choices, patients affected by cerebellar lesions were significantly impaired in evaluating the feeling of regret subjectively. These results demonstrate that the cerebellum is involved in conscious recognizing of negative feelings caused by the sense of self-responsibility for an incorrect decision. PMID:25999829

Experimental investigation of impingement cooling with turbulators or surface enlarging elements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Persson, Johan

2000-02-01

For the materials in modern gas turbines to sustain, a considerable amount of cooling is required. In cases where large amounts of heat need to be removed, impingement cooling with its high heat transfer coefficients may be the only alternative. In this work the possibilities of enhancing impingement cooling by introducing surface enlarging - turbulence enhancing elements are examined experimentally. A configuration consisting of a staggered array of 45 impingement jets distributed over 10 rows is used for the purpose. A thermo camera is used to measure the temperature distribution on the target plate, giving an opportunity to separately evaluate the Nusselt number enhancement for different areas. Experiments are conducted for five different area enlarging geometries: triangle, wing, cylinder, dashed rib, and angel, all made from aluminium. Comparison between each area enlarged surface and a flat plate is made, with results presented as Nusselt number enhancement factors. The effect of pumping power required is also investigated in order to maximize the cooling efficiency. Parameters varied are Reynolds number and jet to plate distance. Overall Nusselt number enhancement factors show values of 1 to 1.3, the trend being decreasing with increased jet to plane distance and Reynolds number. When taking into account pumping power the enhancement factors drop to 0.4 to 1.2. The best results are achieved with the rib geometry and when not using a too large value of enlarger height over jet to plate distance (h/z). Row wise evaluation of Nusselt number enhancement shows an increased enhancement with row number and thereby crossflow ratio (Gc/Gj). Typical increases in enhancement of 1 to 1.5 with Gc/Gj from 0 to 0.8 are found. The thermo camera pictures reveal that the enhancement is found in three different areas, on the enlarger base area, the area just downstream the enlarger and in diagonal streaks with increased turbulence caused by the enlargers. Tests using an

Human iPSC-Derived Cerebellar Neurons from a Patient with Ataxia-Telangiectasia Reveal Disrupted Gene Regulatory Networks

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Sam P. Nayler

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T is a rare genetic disorder caused by loss of function of the ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated kinase and is characterized by a predisposition to cancer, pulmonary disease, immune deficiency and progressive degeneration of the cerebellum. As animal models do not faithfully recapitulate the neurological aspects, it remains unclear whether cerebellar degeneration is a neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative phenotype. To address the necessity for a human model, we first assessed a previously published protocol for the ability to generate cerebellar neuronal cells, finding it gave rise to a population of precursors highly enriched for markers of the early hindbrain such as EN1 and GBX2, and later more mature cerebellar markers including PTF1α, MATH1, HOXB4, ZIC3, PAX6, and TUJ1. RNA sequencing was used to classify differentiated cerebellar neurons generated from integration-free A-T and control induced pluripotent stem cells. Comparison of RNA sequencing data with datasets from the Allen Brain Atlas reveals in vitro-derived cerebellar neurons are transcriptionally similar to discrete regions of the human cerebellum, and most closely resemble the cerebellum at 22 weeks post-conception. We show that patient-derived cerebellar neurons exhibit disrupted gene regulatory networks associated with synaptic vesicle dynamics and oxidative stress, offering the first molecular insights into early cerebellar pathogenesis of ataxia-telangiectasia.

Degenerative cerebellar diseases and differential diagnoses; Degenerative Kleinhirnerkrankungen und Differenzialdiagnosen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reith, W.; Roumia, S.; Dietrich, P. [Universitaetsklinikum des Saarlandes, Klinik fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Neuroradiologie, Homburg/Saar (Germany)

2016-11-15

Cerebellar syndromes result in distinct clinical symptoms, such as ataxia, dysarthria, dysmetria, intention tremor and eye movement disorders. In addition to the medical history and clinical examination, imaging is particularly important to differentiate other diseases, such as hydrocephalus and multi-infarct dementia from degenerative cerebellar diseases. Degenerative diseases with cerebellar involvement include Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy as well as other diseases including spinocerebellar ataxia. In addition to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine imaging investigations are also helpful for the differentiation. Axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2-weighted sequences can sometimes show a signal increase in the pons as a sign of degeneration of pontine neurons and transverse fibers in the basilar part of the pons. The imaging is particularly necessary to exclude other diseases, such as normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), multi-infarct dementia and cerebellar lesions. (orig.) [German] Klinisch imponieren Kleinhirnsyndrome durch Ataxie, Dysarthrie, Dysmetrie, Intentionstremor und Augenbewegungsstoerungen. Neben der Anamnese und klinischen Untersuchung ist die Bildgebung v. a. wichtig um andere Erkrankungen wie Hydrozephalus und Multiinfarktdemenz von degenerativen Kleinhirnerkrankungen zu differenzieren. Zu den degenerativen Erkrankungen mit Kleinhirnbeteiligung gehoeren der Morbus Parkinson, die Multisystematrophie sowie weitere Erkrankungen einschliesslich der spinozerebellaeren Ataxien. Neben der MRT sind auch nuklearmedizinische Untersuchungen zur Differenzierung hilfreich. Axiale Fluid-attenuated-inversion-recovery(FLAIR)- und T2-gewichtete Sequenzen koennen mitunter eine Signalsteigerung im Pons als Ausdruck einer Degeneration der pontinen Neuronen und transversalen Bahnen im Brueckenfuss zeigen. Die Bildgebung ist aber v. a. notwendig, um andere Erkrankungen wie Normaldruckhydrozephalus

Analysis of the number of enlarged pores according to site, age, and sex.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, H J; Ahn, J Y; Lee, J I; Bae, J Y; Kim, H L; Suh, H Y; Youn, J I; Park, M Y

2018-02-02

Increasing the number of enlarged pores causes cosmetic problems. The difference in the number of enlarged pores according to facial site, age, and sex is unclear. To analyze the distribution of the number of enlarged pores according to facial site, age, and sex. We analyzed the number of the enlarged pores and the percentage of wrinkles in the nose, forehead, and cheek from 434 polarized images. The measurement results were analyzed according to site, age, and sex. Relationship between enlarged pore counts and wrinkle severity was also analyzed. The study was conducted by using DermaVision,™ which can take cross-polarization, parallel polarization, and ultraviolet light images. The enlarged pores of the nose and forehead were more prominent than in the cheeks. Pore counts were increased with age, and the increment was significant between the 30's and 40's. There was no significant difference by gender. Enlarged pore counts were related to wrinkle severity. The number of enlarged pores differs depending on body site and increased with age. The enlarged pore counts correlate with wrinkle severity and the correlation varies depending on the body site. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

MR diagnosis of cerebellar infarction due to vertebral artery dissection in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheon, J.E.; Kim, I.O.; Kim, W.S.; Yeon, K.M.; Hwang, Y.S.; Wang, K.C.

2001-01-01

Posterior circulation infarction is uncommon in children. We describe the clinical presentation and radiological findings in two children with cerebellar infarction resulting from dissection of the vertebral artery. We emphasize that vertebral artery injury should be considered in a child with acute symptoms and signs of ischaemia in the posterior circulation. MRI and MRA may be helpful in the diagnosis of cerebellar infarction and vertebral artery abnormality. (orig.)

High-Frequency Network Oscillations in Cerebellar Cortex

Science.gov (United States)

Middleton, Steven J.; Racca, Claudia; Cunningham, Mark O.; Traub, Roger D.; Monyer, Hannah; Knöpfel, Thomas; Schofield, Ian S.; Jenkins, Alistair; Whittington, Miles A.

2016-01-01

SUMMARY Both cerebellum and neocortex receive input from the somatosensory system. Interaction between these regions has been proposed to underpin the correct selection and execution of motor commands, but it is not clear how such interactions occur. In neocortex, inputs give rise to population rhythms, providing a spatiotemporal coding strategy for inputs and consequent outputs. Here, we show that similar patterns of rhythm generation occur in cerebellum during nicotinic receptor subtype activation. Both gamma oscillations (30–80 Hz) and very fast oscillations (VFOs, 80–160 Hz) were generated by intrinsic cerebellar cortical circuitry in the absence of functional glutamatergic connections. As in neocortex, gamma rhythms were dependent on GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition, whereas VFOs required only nonsynaptically connected intercellular networks. The ability of cerebellar cortex to generate population rhythms within the same frequency bands as neocortex suggests that they act as a common spatiotemporal code within which corticocerebellar dialog may occur. PMID:18549787

First report of cerebellar abiotrophy in an Arabian foal from Argentina

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S.A. Sadaba

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Evidence of cerebellar abiotrophy (CA was found in a six-month-old Arabian filly with signs of incoordination, head tremor, wobbling, loss of balance and falling over, consistent with a cerebellar lesion. Normal hematology profile blood test and cerebrospinal fluid analysis excluded infectious encephalitis, and serological testing for Sarcocystis neurona was negative. The filly was euthanized. Postmortem X-ray radiography of the cervical cephalic region identified not abnormalities, discounting spinal trauma. The histopathological analysis of serial transverse cerebellar sections by electron microscopy revealed morphological characteristics of apoptotic cells with pyknotic nuclei and degenerate mitochondria, cytoplasmic condensation and areas with absence of Purkinje cells, matching with CA histopathological characteristics. The indirect DNA test for CA was positive in the filly, and DNA test confirmed the CA carrier state in the parents and the recessive inheritance of the disease. To our knowledge this is the first report of a CA case in Argentina.

Critical role of cerebellar fastigial nucleus in programming sequences of saccades

Science.gov (United States)

King, Susan A.; Schneider, Rosalyn M.; Serra, Alessandro; Leigh, R. John

2011-01-01

The cerebellum plays an important role in programming accurate saccades. Cerebellar lesions affecting the ocular motor region of the fastigial nucleus (FOR) cause saccadic hypermetria; however, if a second target is presented before a saccade can be initiated (double-step paradigm), saccade hypermetria may be decreased. We tested the hypothesis that the cerebellum, especially FOR, plays a pivotal role in programming sequences of saccades. We studied patients with saccadic hypermetria due either to genetic cerebellar ataxia or surgical lesions affecting FOR and confirmed that the gain of initial saccades made to double-step stimuli was reduced compared with the gain of saccades to single target jumps. Based on measurements of the intersaccadic interval, we found that the ability to perform parallel processing of saccades was reduced or absent in all of our patients with cerebellar disease. Our results support the crucial role of the cerebellum, especially FOR, in programming sequences of saccades. PMID:21950988

Computed tomographic (CT) study of watershed area supplied by the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozaki, Junichi; Hirose, Satoshi; Hosotani, Kazuo; Kubota, Tetsuya; Kubota, Norihiko.

1990-01-01

Thirteen patients with clinical and computed tomographic (CT) evidence of cerebellar infarction were examined during 1987-1989. Six patients had onset of cerebellar infarction at ages ranging from 45 to 69, and seven patients had onset at ages over 70. In thirteen cases, we observed infarction in the inferior region of the cerebellum, and we studied these cases. CT demonstrated decreased density in 4 distinct anatomic areas. These areas are listed below, with estimation of the distribution of the hemispheric arteries of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA): Group 1 - posterior medial area, probably territory of the inferior vermian branch, tonsillar branch and/or medial artery of the hemispheric artery of the PICA; Group 2 - posterior intermediate area, probably territory of the intermediate artery of the hemispheric artery of the PICA; Group 3 - area including both areas of group 1 and group 3; Group 4 - lateral area, just posterior to pyramis, probably territory of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery and/or lateral artery of the hemispheric artery of PICA. The medial and intermedial cerebellar hemispheric segments were most commonly affected but the lateral segment was not. The PICA least frequently supplied the lateral segments. While the anterior inferior cerebellar artery usually anastomoses with the lateral artery of the hemispheric artery of the PICA. These vascular territories may provide good collateral circulation to this segment. And we also estimate the distribution of the PICA by the CT findings. (author)

The postnatal development of the temporal part of the human temporomandibular joint. A quantitative study on skulls.

Science.gov (United States)

Dibbets, J M; Dijkman, G E

1997-12-01

The morphology of the temporal part of the human temporomandibular joint (TMJ) changes drastically during postnatal development. The glenoid fossa will acquire its characteristic S shape and a tubercle will develop. The combined results of the literature and of this study allow a reconstruction of the actual growth processes. The roof of the glenoid fossa appears to enlarge forward by remodeling while sagittal and vertical growth is mainly achieved by deposition at the top of the tubercle. These latter changes result in a steeper slope of the eminence and take place in 3 phases, parallelling the eruption of the first incisors, the permanent first molars and the permanent second molars. While the zygomatic arch thickens by deposition at all surfaces, it also remodels downward relative to the external meatus. As a result, the neonate anulus occupies a lower position relative to this arch than does the adult meatus.

Ondine's Curse in a Patient with Unilateral Medullary and Bilateral Cerebellar Infarctions

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Hui-Tzu Ho

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Central sleep apnea (CSA, also known as Ondine's curse (OC, is a phenomenon characterized by episodes of repeated apnea during sleep due to disorders of the central nervous system. We report a patient with CSA/OC due to right dorsolateral medullary and bilateral cerebellar infarctions that occurred in the clinical setting of right vertebral artery stenosis. Polysomnography (PSG showed repeated episodes of absence of nasal cannula flow accompanying cessation of thoracic and abdominal respiratory movements and a decline in blood oxygen saturation. The duration of apnea was as long as 12 seconds. Brain magnetic resonance (MR images showed acute infarctions involving the right dorsolateral medulla, bilateral cerebellar vermis and paramedian cerebellar hemispheres. MR angiography showed nonvisualization of the right vertebral artery. Transcranial Doppler sonography showed a high resistance flow profile in the right vertebral artery and normal flow patterns in the basilar artery and left vertebral artery. These findings suggest that the medullary and bilateral cerebellar infarcts were caused by stenosis/pseudo-occlusion of the right vertebral artery. Reduced respiratory afferent inputs to the dorsal respiratory group of medullary neurons, the nucleus tractus solitarius and reduced “automatic” components of the respiratory drive may play a role in the development of CSA/OC.

Experiment on radiotherapy of postnatal mastitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhut'ko, A.A.

1978-01-01

The results of radiotherapy of postnatal mastitis in 78 women are presented. It is shown that the radiotherapy is the method of choice. Application of radiotherapy at different stages of disease promotes either complete resolution of infiltration (1-2 irradiations) or stipulates the decrease in temperature, abatement of pains and improvement of general state (at the presence of purulent fusion of mammary tissue). X-ray therapy of postnatal mastitis has does not affect the lactational function of mammary gland

A Cerebellar Tremor in a Patient with Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Associated with Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy

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Hee-Jin Kim

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS caused by JC virus infection in oligodendrocytes, especially in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS. Movement disorders associated with PML are very rare. Here, we report a case of PML in an AIDS patient who presented with a cerebellar tremor, caused by lesions in the cerebellar outflow tract. A cerebellar tremor can be a rare clinical manifestation in patients with PML.

A Cerebellar Tremor in a Patient with Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Associated with Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy

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Kim, Hee-Jin; Lee, Jae-Jung; Lee, Phil Hyu

2009-01-01

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by JC virus infection in oligodendrocytes, especially in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Movement disorders associated with PML are very rare. Here, we report a case of PML in an AIDS patient who presented with a cerebellar tremor, caused by lesions in the cerebellar outflow tract. A cerebellar tremor can be a rare clinical manifestation in patients with PML. PMID:24868366

Barriers to postnatal care and exclusive breastfeeding among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusion: Poor knowledge and inaccessibility to health facilities were the main obstacles to postnatal care while the practice of exclusive breastfeeding was limited by the stress and mothers refusal. Keywords: Exclusive breastfeeding, postnatal care, southeastern Nigeria, urban women. Nigerian Medical Journal | Vol.

Consensus Paper: Roles of the Cerebellum in Motor Control—The Diversity of Ideas on Cerebellar Involvement in Movement

Science.gov (United States)

Bower, James M.; Conforto, Adriana Bastos; Delgado-García, José M.; da Guarda, Suzete Nascimento Farias; Gerwig, Marcus; Habas, Christophe; Hagura, Nobuhiro; Ivry, Richard B.; Mariën, Peter; Molinari, Marco; Naito, Eiichi; Nowak, Dennis A.; Ben Taib, Nordeyn Oulad; Pelisson, Denis; Tesche, Claudia D.; Tilikete, Caroline; Timmann, Dagmar

2015-01-01

Considerable progress has been made in developing models of cerebellar function in sensorimotor control, as well as in identifying key problems that are the focus of current investigation. In this consensus paper, we discuss the literature on the role of the cerebellar circuitry in motor control, bringing together a range of different viewpoints. The following topics are covered: oculomotor control, classical conditioning (evidence in animals and in humans), cerebellar control of motor speech, control of grip forces, control of voluntary limb movements, timing, sensorimotor synchronization, control of corticomotor excitability, control of movement-related sensory data acquisition, cerebro-cerebellar interaction in visuokinesthetic perception of hand movement, functional neuroimaging studies, and magnetoencephalographic mapping of cortico-cerebellar dynamics. While the field has yet to reach a consensus on the precise role played by the cerebellum in movement control, the literature has witnessed the emergence of broad proposals that address cerebellar function at multiple levels of analysis. This paper highlights the diversity of current opinion, providing a framework for debate and discussion on the role of this quintessential vertebrate structure. PMID:22161499

Administration of memantine during ethanol withdrawal in neonatal rats: effects on long-term ethanol-induced motor incoordination and cerebellar Purkinje cell loss.

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Idrus, Nirelia M; McGough, Nancy N H; Riley, Edward P; Thomas, Jennifer D

2011-02-01

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can damage the developing fetus, illustrated by central nervous system dysfunction and deficits in motor and cognitive abilities. Binge drinking has been associated with an increased risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, likely due to increased episodes of ethanol withdrawal. We hypothesized that overactivity of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor during ethanol withdrawal leads to excitotoxic cell death in the developing brain. Consistent with this, administration of NMDA receptor antagonists (e.g., MK-801) during withdrawal can attenuate ethanol's teratogenic effects. The aim of this study was to determine whether administration of memantine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, during ethanol withdrawal could effectively attenuate ethanol-related deficits, without the adverse side effects associated with other NMDA receptor antagonists. Sprague-Dawley pups were exposed to 6.0 g/kg ethanol or isocaloric maltose solution via intubation on postnatal day 6, a period of brain development equivalent to a portion of the 3rd trimester. Twenty-four and 36 hours after ethanol, subjects were injected with 0, 10, or 15 mg/kg memantine, totaling doses of 0, 20, or 30 mg/kg. Motor coordination was tested on a parallel bar task and the total number of cerebellar Purkinje cells was estimated using unbiased stereology. Alcohol exposure induced significant parallel bar motor incoordination and reduced Purkinje cell number. Memantine administration significantly attenuated both ethanol-associated motor deficits and cerebellar cell loss in a dose-dependent manner. Memantine was neuroprotective when administered during ethanol withdrawal. These data provide further support that ethanol withdrawal contributes to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Copyright © 2010 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Partially thrombosed giant aneurysm arising from a distal anterior inferior cerebellar artery–posterior inferior cerebellar artery variant: A case report

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Hidetoshi Ooigawa

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA–posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA is a well-known variant in cerebral arteries. However, aneurysms located on the variant are rare and a giant one has not been reported. We report a case of a partially thrombosed giant aneurysm arising from an AICA–PICA variant. The patient was a 42-year-old man who presented with right hearing loss and facial numbness associated with left hemidysesthesia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an approximately 3.0-cm mass lesion at the right cerebello-pontine angle (CPA. Angiography showed a partially thrombosed aneurysm arising from the right AICA–PICA. The aneurysm was treated with endovascular trapping and surgical thrombectomy. Although cerebral aneurysm is known to occur at this site, this case provides awareness, that manifestations of aneurysms in the CPA include progressive multiple cranial nerve palsies and sensory disturbance caused by brainstem compression.

Effect of stretching and proprioceptive loading in hand function among patients with cerebellar tremor

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Hariharasudhan Ravichandran

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objective: Tremor, the most common form of abnormal involuntary movement, affects the performance of activities of daily living. Evidence on effective form of physiotherapy techniques which can help manage intentional tremor and improve hand function among cerebellar dysfunction patients in inconclusive. Hence, this study aims to establish the effectiveness of stretching and proprioceptive loading among cerebellar patients with intentional tremors. The objective of this study is to compare the efficacy of stretching and proprioceptive loading among patients with cerebellar intention tremor. Materials and Methods: A total of thirty patients with intention tremor due to cerebellar lesion were recruited for this study. They were randomized into two groups, Group I received stretching exercise and Group II received proprioceptive loading exercise. Pre- and post-test outcome measures were taken at the end of duration of 3 weeks intervention. Outcome measures were Fahn's tremor rating scale and nine hole peg test. Results: Statistical analyses were done by McNemar test, Wilcoxon's signed rank test, and Mann–Whitney test. Post-test scores of both groups were compared and found that Group II treated with proprioceptive loading exercise had higher significant result than the group treated with strengthening exercise program. Conclusion: Proprioceptive loading exercise has demonstrated signifi cant effect on reducing cerebellar tremor and improving muscle coordination in reaching activities.

Motor Deficits and Cerebellar Atrophy in Elovl5 Knock Out Mice.

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Hoxha, Eriola; Gabriele, Rebecca M C; Balbo, Ilaria; Ravera, Francesco; Masante, Linda; Zambelli, Vanessa; Albergo, Cristian; Mitro, Nico; Caruso, Donatella; Di Gregorio, Eleonora; Brusco, Alfredo; Borroni, Barbara; Tempia, Filippo

2017-01-01

Spino-Cerebellar-Ataxia type 38 (SCA38) is caused by missense mutations in the very long chain fatty acid elongase 5 gene, ELOVL5 . The main clinical findings in this disease are ataxia, hyposmia and cerebellar atrophy. Mice in which Elovl5 has been knocked out represent a model of the loss of function hypothesis of SCA38. In agreement with this hypothesis, Elovl5 knock out mice reproduced the main symptoms of patients, motor deficits at the beam balance test and hyposmia. The cerebellar cortex of Elovl5 knock out mice showed a reduction of thickness of the molecular layer, already detectable at 6 months of age, confirmed at 12 and 18 months. The total perimeter length of the Purkinje cell (PC) layer was also reduced in Elovl5 knock out mice. Since Elovl5 transcripts are expressed by PCs, whose dendrites are a major component of the molecular layer, we hypothesized that an alteration of their dendrites might be responsible for the reduced thickness of this layer. Reconstruction of the dendritic tree of biocytin-filled PCs, followed by Sholl analysis, showed that the distribution of distal dendrites was significantly reduced in Elovl5 knock out mice. Dendritic spine density was conserved. These results suggest that Elovl5 knock out mice recapitulate SCA38 symptoms and that their cerebellar atrophy is due, at least in part, to a reduced extension of PC dendritic arborization.

Insights into cerebellar development and medulloblastoma.

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Bihannic, Laure; Ayrault, Olivier

2016-01-01

Cerebellar development is an extensive process that begins during early embryonic stages and persists more than one year after birth in human. Therefore, the cerebellum is susceptible to acquire various developmental abnormalities leading to numerous diseases such as medulloblastoma, the most common pediatric malignant brain tumor. One third of the patients with medulloblastoma are incurable and survivors have a poor quality of life due to the aggressiveness of the broad-spectrum treatments. Within the past few years, it has been highlighted that medulloblastoma is a heterogeneous disease that is divided in four molecular subgroups. This recent advance in the field, combined with the development of associated preclinical models for each subgroup, should enable, in the future, the discovery and use of targeted therapy in clinical treatments for each subtype of medulloblastoma. In this review, we first aim to show how deregulation of cerebellar development can lead to medulloblastoma formation and then to present the advances in the molecular subgrouping of medulloblastoma and the associated preclinical models. Copyright © 2015 Société Française du Cancer. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Reorganization of circuits underlying cerebellar modulation of prefrontal cortical dopamine in mouse models of autism spectrum disorder.

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Rogers, Tiffany D; Dickson, Price E; McKimm, Eric; Heck, Detlef H; Goldowitz, Dan; Blaha, Charles D; Mittleman, Guy

2013-08-01

Imaging, clinical, and pre-clinical studies have provided ample evidence for a cerebellar involvement in cognitive brain function including cognitive brain disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia. We previously reported that cerebellar activity modulates dopamine release in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) via two distinct pathways: (1) cerebellum to mPFC via dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and (2) cerebellum to mPFC via glutamatergic projections from the mediodorsal and ventrolateral thalamus (ThN md and vl). The present study compared functional adaptations of cerebello-cortical circuitry following developmental cerebellar pathology in a mouse model of developmental loss of Purkinje cells (Lurcher) and a mouse model of fragile X syndrome (Fmr1 KO mice). Fixed potential amperometry was used to measure mPFC dopamine release in response to cerebellar electrical stimulation. Mutant mice of both strains showed an attenuation in cerebellar-evoked mPFC dopamine release compared to respective wildtype mice. This was accompanied by a functional reorganization of the VTA and thalamic pathways mediating cerebellar modulation of mPFC dopamine release. Inactivation of the VTA pathway by intra-VTA lidocaine or kynurenate infusions decreased dopamine release by 50 % in wildtype and 20-30 % in mutant mice of both strains. Intra-ThN vl infusions of either drug decreased dopamine release by 15 % in wildtype and 40 % in mutant mice of both strains, while dopamine release remained relatively unchanged following intra-ThN md drug infusions. These results indicate a shift in strength towards the thalamic vl projection, away from the VTA. Thus, cerebellar neuropathologies associated with autism spectrum disorders may cause a reduction in cerebellar modulation of mPFC dopamine release that is related to a reorganization of the mediating neuronal pathways.

Bilateral cerebellar activation in unilaterally challenged essential tremor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broersma, Marja; van der Stouwe, Anna M. M.; Buijink, Arthur W. G.; de Jong, Bauke M.; Groot, Paul F. C.; Speelman, Johannes D.; Tijssen, Marina A. J.; van Rootselaar, Anne-Fleur; Maurits, Natasha M.

2016-01-01

Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common hyperkinetic movement disorders. Previous research into the pathophysiology of ET suggested underlying cerebellar abnormalities. In this study, we added electromyography as an index of tremor intensity to functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Napsin A and Thyroid Transcription Factor-1-Positive Cerebellar Tumor with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutation

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Taiji Kuwata

2011-12-01

Full Text Available We present a very rare case of cerebellar metastasis of unknown origin, in which a primary lung adenocarcinoma was diagnosed by pathological examination of a cerebellar metastatic tumor, using immunohistochemical markers and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR mutation of primary lung cancer. A 69-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of a hemorrhagic cerebellar tumor and multiple small brain tumors. She underwent cerebellar tumor resection. On pathological examination, the tumor was diagnosed as adenocarcinoma. However, the primary tumor site was unidentifiable even with several imaging inspections. On immunohistochemical analysis, the resected tumor was positive for napsin A and thyroid transcription factor-1. In addition, an EGFR mutation was detected in the tumor. Therefore, primary lung cancer was diagnosed and the patient was started on gefitinib (250 mg/day therapy.

POSITION OF CEREBELLAR TONSILS IN REFERENCE TO FORAMEN MAGNUM: AN MRI STUDY

OpenAIRE

Lakshmi

2015-01-01

Normal position of the cerebellar tonsils is described to be at or above the foramen magnum. Western studies have shown the cerebellar tonsils to be below the foramen magnum. Position of tonsils is of great importance in assessing the hind brain deformity–Chiari malformation. There are no Indian studies to corroborate the findings. Hence, we proposed a basic study to find out the existence of tonsillar ectopia (Position of tonsils below the foramen magnum) in normal population. Ou...

Aortic Annular Enlargement during Aortic Valve Replacement

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Selman Dumani

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In the surgery of aortic valve replacement is always attempted, as much as possible, to implant the larger prosthesis with the mains goals to enhance the potential benefits, to minimise transvalvular gradient, decrease left ventricular size and avoid the phenomenon of patient-prosthesis mismatch. Implantation of an ideal prosthesis often it is not possible, due to a small aortic annulus. A variety of aortic annulus enlargement techniques is reported to avoid patient-prosthesis mismatch. We present the case that has submitted four three times open heart surgery. We used Manouguian technique to enlarge aortic anulus with excellent results during the fourth time of surgery.

A statewide review of postnatal care in private hospitals in Victoria, Australia

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Forster Della A

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Concerns have been raised in Australia and internationally regarding the quality and effectiveness of hospital postnatal care, although Australian women receiving postnatal care in the private maternity sector rate their satisfaction with care more highly than women receiving public maternity care. In Victoria, Australia, two-thirds of women receive their maternity care in the public sector and the remainder in private health care sector. A statewide review of public hospital postnatal care in Victoria from the perspective of care providers found many barriers to care provision including the busyness of postnatal wards, inadequate staffing and priority being given to other episodes of care; however the study did not include private hospitals. The aim of this study was replicate the review in the private sector, to explore the structure and organisation of postnatal care in private hospitals and identify those aspects of care potentially impacting on women's experiences and maternal and infant care. This provides a more complete overview of the organisational structures and processes in postnatal care in all Victorian hospitals from the perspective of care providers. Methods A mixed method design was used. A structured postal survey was sent to all Victorian private hospitals (n = 19 and key informant interviews were undertaken with selected clinical midwives, maternity unit managers and obstetricians (n = 11. Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics and interview data analysed thematically. Results Private hospital care providers report that postnatal care is provided in very busy environments, and that meeting the aims of postnatal care (breastfeeding support, education of parents and facilitating rest and recovery for women following birth was difficult in the context of increased acuity of postnatal care; prioritising of other areas over postnatal care; high midwife-to-woman ratios; and the number and

Pengaruh Kekurangan Protein Pre dan Postnatal Terhadap Mineralisasi Gigi

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Pinandi Sri Pudyani

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The accuracy of nutrition quantity during and after pregnancy is needed for supporting division, differentiation and replication of cells during growth stage. Protein is needed to obtain optimally child's body growth and development including tooth. The study was aimed to deteremine the effects of pre and postnatal protein deficiency on tooth mineralization rats model. The study was carried out on 30 Rates norvegicus rats, divided in 3 groups.The first group was fed the protein deficient diet (4% during pre and postnatal period, the second was fed the protein deficient diet (4% only postnatal and the third was fed the postnatal diet. Feeding was carried out until animales aged at 56 days. After that, animals were sacrificed and the width of right mandibular molar prevention layer was histologically analyzed to know the number of tooth mineralization. The result of the study showed significant differences (p<0.05 in width of prevention layer between standard and experimental groups. It's concluded that pre and postnatal protein deficiency were inhibits tooth mineralization.

Cerebellar influence on motor cortex plasticity: behavioral implications for Parkinson’s disease

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Asha eKishore

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Normal motor behavior involves the creation of appropriate activity patterns across motor networks, enabling firing synchrony, synaptic integration and normal functioning of these net works. Strong topography-specific connections among the basal ganglia, cerebellum and their projections to overlapping areas in the motor cortices suggest that these networks could influence each other’s plastic responses and functions. The defective striatal signaling in Parkinson’s disease (PD could therefore lead to abnormal oscillatory activity and aberrant plasticity at multiple levels within the interlinked motor networks. Normal striatal dopaminergic signaling and cerebellar sensory processing functions influence the scaling and topographic specificity of M1 plasticity. Both these functions are abnormal in PD and appear to contribute to the abnormal M1 plasticity. Defective motor map plasticity and topographic specificity within M1 could lead to incorrect muscle synergies, which could manifest as abnormal or undesired movements, and as abnormal motor learning in PD. We propose that the loss of M1 plasticity in PD reflects a loss of co-ordination among the basal ganglia, cerebellar and cortical inputs which translates to an abnormal plasticity of motor maps within M1 and eventually to some of the motor signs of PD. The initial benefits of dopamine replacement therapy on M1 plasticity and motor signs are lost during the progressive course of disease. Levodopa-induced dyskinesias in patients with advanced PD is linked to a loss of M1 sensorimotor plasticity and the attenuation of dyskinesias by cerebellar inhibitory stimulation is associated with restoration of M1 plasticity. Complimentary interventions should target reestablishing physiological communication between the striatal and cerebellar circuits, and within striato-cerebellar loop. This may facilitate correct motor synergies and reduce abnormal movements in PD.

Predictors of intelligence at the age of 5: family, pregnancy and birth characteristics, postnatal influences, and postnatal growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Eriksen, Hanne-Lise Falgreen; Kesmodel, Ulrik Schiøler; Underbjerg, Mette; Kilburn, Tina Røndrup; Bertrand, Jacquelyn; Mortensen, Erik Lykke

2013-01-01

Parental education and maternal intelligence are well-known predictors of child IQ. However, the literature regarding other factors that may contribute to individual differences in IQ is inconclusive. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of a number of variables whose predictive status remain unclarified, in a sample of basically healthy children with a low rate of pre- and postnatal complications. 1,782 5-year-old children sampled from the Danish National Birth Cohort (2003-2007) were assessed with a short form of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Revised. Information on parental characteristics, pregnancy and birth factors, postnatal influences, and postnatal growth was collected during pregnancy and at follow-up. A model including study design variables and child's sex explained 7% of the variance in IQ, while parental education and maternal IQ increased the explained variance to 24%. Other predictors were parity, maternal BMI, birth weight, breastfeeding, and the child's head circumference and height at follow-up. These variables, however, only increased the explained variance to 29%. The results suggest that parental education and maternal IQ are major predictors of IQ and should be included routinely in studies of cognitive development. Obstetrical and postnatal factors also predict IQ, but their contribution may be of comparatively limited magnitude.

Distributed cerebellar plasticity implements generalized multiple-scale memory components in real-robot sensorimotor tasks

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Claudia eCasellato

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The cerebellum plays a crucial role in motor learning and it acts as a predictive controller. Modeling it and embedding it into sensorimotor tasks allows us to create functional links between plasticity mechanisms, neural circuits and behavioral learning. Moreover, if applied to real-time control of a neurorobot, the cerebellar model has to deal with a real noisy and changing environment, thus showing its robustness and effectiveness in learning. A biologically inspired cerebellar model with distributed plasticity, both at cortical and nuclear sites, has been used. Two cerebellum-mediated paradigms have been designed: an associative Pavlovian task and a vestibulo-ocular reflex, with multiple sessions of acquisition and extinction and with different stimuli and perturbation patterns. The cerebellar controller succeeded to generate conditioned responses and finely tuned eye movement compensation, thus reproducing human-like behaviors. Through a productive plasticity transfer from cortical to nuclear sites, the distributed cerebellar controller showed in both tasks the capability to optimize learning on multiple time-scales, to store motor memory and to effectively adapt to dynamic ranges of stimuli.

Cerebellar dentate nuclei lesions reduce motivation in appetitive operant conditioning and open field exploration.

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Bauer, David J; Kerr, Abigail L; Swain, Rodney A

2011-02-01

Recently identified pathways from the dentate nuclei of the cerebellum to the rostral cerebral cortex via the thalamus suggest a cerebellar role in frontal and prefrontal non-motor functioning. Disturbance of cerebellar morphology and connectivity, particularly involving these cerebellothalamocortical (CTC) projections, has been implicated in motivational and cognitive deficits. The current study explored the effects of CTC disruption on motivation in male Long Evans rats. The results of two experiments demonstrate that electrolytic lesions of the cerebellar dentate nuclei lower breaking points on an operant conditioning progressive ratio schedule and decrease open field exploration compared to sham controls. Changes occurred in the absence of motor impairment, assessed via lever pressing frequency and rotarod performance. Similar elevated plus maze performances between lesioned and sham animals indicated that anxiety did not influence task performance. Our results demonstrate hedonic and purposive motivational reduction and suggest a CTC role in global motivational processes. These implications are discussed in terms of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism, in which cerebellar damage and motivational deficits often present concomitantly. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reversible enlargement of the hypophysis in clinically latent hypothyroidism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schuemichen, C.

1982-12-01

A case is reported, in which the combination of high TT/sub 3/- and FT/sub 4/ plasma levels, increased TSH basal secretion and enlargement of the pituitary gland did not reflect secondary hyperthyroidism, but was cuased by clinically latent hypothyroidism, probably due to thyroid hormone antibodies. High doses of thyroid hormones lowered the TSH and prolactin basal secretion, and reduced the enlargement of the pituitary gland.

Reversible enlargement of the hypophysis in clinically latent hypothyroidism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuemichen, C.

1982-01-01

A case is reported, in which the combination of high TT 3 - and FT 4 plasma levels, increased TSH basal secretion and enlargement of the pituitary gland did not reflect secondary hyperthyroidism, but was cuased by clinically latent hypothyroidism, probably due to thyroid hormone antibodies. High doses of thyroid hormones lowered the TSH and prolactin basal secretion, and reduced the enlargement of the pituitary gland. (orig.) [de

The EU and ‘Enlargement Fatigue’: Why Has the European Union Not Been Able to Counter ‘Enlargement Fatigue’?

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Anna Szolucha

2010-05-01

Full Text Available This article provides an up-to-date overview of the problems connected with European integration. It focuses on the phenomenon of ‘enlargement fatigue’ and examines its meaning as utilised by the media, EU officials and academics. The article argues that ‘enlargement fatigue’ is not a new concept since the EU has witnessed many 'symptoms' of fatigue at multiple times in its history. The two main arguments that are often presented in order to explain why the EU has not been able to counter ‘enlargement fatigue’, namely the insufficiently tight conditionality applied to prospective members and the EU's crisis of confidence and accountability after the failed attempt to introduce the Constitutional Treaty and prolonged Lisbon Treaty ratification process, are insufficient to explain why fatigue has been so persistent a phenomenon. This article argues that the EU's failure to develop a new vision of the organisation and adjust its structural design accordingly is a reason why the Union has not dealt successfully with fatigue. Such a vision would encompass notions of “variable geometry”, “avant-garde groups” and make European borders flexible and fuzzy.

Anxiety disorders in pregnancy and the postnatal period ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Anxiety disorders in pregnancy and the postnatal period. ... Continuing Medical Education ... There is a growing realisation that many women suffer from either new onset or worsening of existing anxiety disorders during pregnancy and postnatally (the perinatal period).1 The occurrence of an anxiety disorder during this time ...

The evolution of cerebellar tonsillar herniation after cranial vault remodeling surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Leikola, J; Hukki, A; Karppinen, A; Valanne, L; Koljonen, V

2012-10-01

We sought to examine the pre- and postoperative changes of cerebellar tonsillar herniation by MR imaging in asymptomatic pediatric patients with nonsyndromic, single-suture craniosynostosis (N-SSSC), who underwent cranial vault remodeling surgery without suboccipital decompression. We required cerebellar tonsillar herniation through foramen magnum ≥3 mm for Chiari type I malformation (CMI). We hypothesized that the increase of intracranial volume by cranial vault remodeling would correct the asymptomatic CMI. We identified 9 patients among 121 N-SSSC children undergoing craniofacial surgery from January 2004 to October 2010 with CMI. However, two of them were excluded from the study due to missing postoperative MR images. In the final study population, six were males, five were scaphocephalic, while two were diagnosed with coronal synostosis. In four of the cases, the CMI was decreased in postoperative MR imaging varying from 6 to 12 mm. In three cases, the herniation remained stable. The median change of cerebellar tonsillar herniation was -6.5 mm. We conclude that asymptomatic patients with existing CMI may benefit from cranial vault remodeling surgery alone increasing the intracranial volume.

The effectiveness of exercise as a treatment for postnatal depression: study protocol

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Daley Amanda J

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Postnatal depression can have a substantial impact on the woman, the child and family as a whole. Thus, there is a need to examine different ways of helping women experiencing postnatal depression; encouraging them to exercise may be one way. A meta analysis found some support for exercise as an adjunctive treatment for postnatal depression but the methodological inadequacy of the few small studies included means that it is uncertain whether exercise reduces symptoms of postnatal depression. We aim to determine whether a pragmatic exercise intervention that involves one-to-one personalised exercise consultations and telephone support plus usual care in women with postnatal depression, is superior to usual care only, in reducing symptoms of postnatal depression. Methods We aim to recruit 208 women with postnatal depression in the West Midlands. Recently delivered women who meet the ICD-10 diagnosis for depression will be randomised to usual care plus exercise or usual care only. The exercise intervention will be delivered over 6 months. The primary outcome measure is difference in mean Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score between the groups at six month follow-up. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline and at six and 12 month post randomisation. Discussion Findings from the research will inform future clinical guidance on antenatal and postnatal mental health, as well as inform practitioners working with postnatal depression. Trial registration number ISRCTN84245563

Auditory-perceptual speech analysis in children with cerebellar tumours: a long-term follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

De Smet, Hyo Jung; Catsman-Berrevoets, Coriene; Aarsen, Femke; Verhoeven, Jo; Mariën, Peter; Paquier, Philippe F

2012-09-01

Mutism and Subsequent Dysarthria (MSD) and the Posterior Fossa Syndrome (PFS) have become well-recognized clinical entities which may develop after resection of cerebellar tumours. However, speech characteristics following a period of mutism have not been documented in much detail. This study carried out a perceptual speech analysis in 24 children and adolescents (of whom 12 became mute in the immediate postoperative phase) 1-12.2 years after cerebellar tumour resection. The most prominent speech deficits in this study were distorted vowels, slow rate, voice tremor, and monopitch. Factors influencing long-term speech disturbances are presence or absence of postoperative PFS, the localisation of the surgical lesion and the type of adjuvant treatment. Long-term speech deficits may be present up to 12 years post-surgery. The speech deficits found in children and adolescents with cerebellar lesions following cerebellar tumour surgery do not necessarily resemble adult speech characteristics of ataxic dysarthria. Copyright © 2012 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nato enlarging into the Baltic States

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2003-01-01

Prahas 21.-22. novembrini 2002 toimunud NATO tippkohtumisest ja seal vastu võetud otsusest Balti riikide alliansiga ühinemise kohta. Vt. samas: Russia's attitude to the NATO enlargement; Bush in Vilnius; Baltic states' prime ministers' met; Supporting USA?

A test of the cerebellar hypothesis of dyslexia in adequate and inadequate responders to reading intervention.

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Barth, Amy E; Denton, Carolyn A; Stuebing, Karla K; Fletcher, Jack M; Cirino, Paul T; Francis, David J; Vaughn, Sharon

2010-05-01

The cerebellar hypothesis of dyslexia posits that cerebellar deficits are associated with reading disabilities and may explain why some individuals with reading disabilities fail to respond to reading interventions. We tested these hypotheses in a sample of children who participated in a grade 1 reading intervention study (n = 174) and a group of typically achieving children (n = 62). At posttest, children were classified as adequately responding to the intervention (n = 82), inadequately responding with decoding and fluency deficits (n = 36), or inadequately responding with only fluency deficits (n = 56). Based on the Bead Threading and Postural Stability subtests from the Dyslexia Screening Test-Junior, we found little evidence that assessments of cerebellar functions were associated with academic performance or responder status. In addition, we did not find evidence supporting the hypothesis that cerebellar deficits are more prominent for poor readers with "specific" reading disabilities (i.e., with discrepancies relative to IQ) than for poor readers with reading scores consistent with IQ. In contrast, measures of phonological awareness, rapid naming, and vocabulary were strongly associated with responder status and academic outcomes. These results add to accumulating evidence that fails to associate cerebellar functions with reading difficulties.

Evaluation of acetazolamine response in patients with cerebellar ataxia using dynamic quantitative F-18-FDG PET

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Kim, Y. K.; Lee, D. S.; Lee, J. S.; Kim, M. H.; Lee, K. M.; Yeo, J. S.; Chung, J. K.; Lee, M. C.

2001-01-01

Cerebellar Ataxia (CA) usually shows dramatic response to acetazolamide treatment. But few cases of acetazolamide unresponse CA were reported recently. Using dynamic FDG PET, we tried to evaluate the metabolic abnormality and its drug response in CA. Quantitative F-18-FDG PET was performed prior and after treatment of acetazolamide (250 mg qid for 10 days) in two patient suspected episodic cerebellar ataxia. Using Model-based clustering method, the regional cerebral glucose metabolic rate (rCMRglu) was calculated. Two patients showed different treatment response to acetazolamide. In one patient who showed markedly reduced frequency of the ataxic attack after treatment. FDG PET showed that mean cerebellar glucose metabolism was increased after treatment (ΔrCMRglu:9%). However, in the other who showed poor response to acetazolamide, FDG PET showed the more decrease metabolism in cerebellar metabolism after treatment (ΔrCMRglu:-17%). The change of the cerebellar glucose metabolism on FDG PET reflected the symptomatic improvement after acetazolamide in these two CA patients. We could expected that FDG PET might be a very useful tool to quantitatively predict the treatment response in CA and other neurologic disorder

Enlarged perivascular spaces and cognitive impairment after stroke and transient ischemic attack.

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Arba, Francesco; Quinn, Terence J; Hankey, Graeme J; Lees, Kennedy R; Wardlaw, Joanna M; Ali, Myzoon; Inzitari, Domenico

2018-01-01

Background Previous studies suggested that enlarged perivascular spaces are neuroimaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease. However, it is not clear whether enlarged perivascular spaces are associated with cognitive impairment. We aimed to determine the cross-sectional relationship between enlarged perivascular spaces and small vessel disease, and to investigate the relationship between enlarged perivascular spaces and subsequent cognitive impairment in patients with recent cerebral ischemic event. Methods Anonymized data were accessed from the virtual international stroke trial archive. We rated number of lacunes, white matter hyperintensities, brain atrophy, and enlarged perivascular spaces with validated scales on magnetic resonance brain images after the index stroke. We defined cognitive impairment as a mini mental state examination score of ≤26, recorded at one year post stroke. We examined the associations between enlarged perivascular spaces and clinical and imaging markers of small vessel disease at presentation and clinical evidence of cognitive impairment at one year using linear and logistic regression models. Results We analyzed data on 430 patients with mean (±SD) age 64.7 (±12.7) years, 276 (64%) males. In linear regression analysis, age (β = 0.24; p cognitive impairment at one year after adjusting for clinical confounders (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.22-2.42) and for clinical and imaging confounders (OR = 1.54; 95% CI = 1.03-2.31). Conclusions Our data show that in patients with ischemic cerebral events, enlarged perivascular spaces are cross-sectionally associated with age, hypertension, and white matter hyperintensities and suggest that enlarged perivascular spaces in the basal ganglia are associated with cognitive impairment after one year.

Shaping pseudoneglect with transcranial cerebellar direct current stimulation and music listening

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Silvia ePicazio

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Non-invasive brain stimulation modulates cortical excitability depending on the initial activation state of the structure being stimulated. Combination of cognitive with neurophysiological stimulations has been successfully employed to modulate responses of specific brain regions. The present research combined a neurophysiological pre-conditioning with a cognitive conditioning stimulation to modulate behavior. We applied this new state-dependency approach to investigate the cerebellar role in musical and spatial information processing, given that a link between musical perception and visuo-spatial abilities and a clear cerebellar involvement in music perception and visuo-spatial tasks have been reported. Cathodal, anodal or sham transcranial cerebellar Direct Current Stimulation (tcDCS pre-conditioning was applied on the left cerebellar hemisphere followed by conditioning stimulation through music or white noise listening in a sample of healthy subjects performing a Line Bisection Task (LBT. The combination of the cathodal stimulation with music listening resulted in a marked attentional shift toward the right hemispace, compensating thus the natural leftward bias of the baseline condition (pseudoneglect. Conversely, the anodal or sham pre-conditioning stimulations combined with either music and white noise conditioning listening did not modulate spatial attention. The efficacy of the combined stimulation (cathodal pre-conditioning and music conditioning and the absence of any effect of the single stimulations provide a strong support to the state-dependency theory. They propose that tcDCS in combination with music listening could act as a rehabilitative tool to improve cognitive functions in the presence of neglect or other spatial disorders.

Cerebellar and cerebral atrophy in trichothiodystrophy

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Yoon, Hye-Kyung; Sargent, Michael A.; Poskitt, Kenneth J. [British Columbia Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Prendiville, Julie S. [British Columbia Children' s Hospital, Division of Paediatric Dermatology, Department of Paediatrics, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

2005-10-01

Trichothiodystrophy is a rare neuroectodermal disorder of autosomal recessive inheritance that is characterized by brittle hair, nail dysplasia, ichthyosis, mental retardation, and gonadal failure. We describe a female patient whose cranial MRI revealed almost total lack of myelination in the supratentorial white matter, which is similar to the previously described cases. In addition, there was progressive cerebellar and cerebral atrophy, which has not been well documented in association with trichothiodystrophy. (orig.)

Mitral-aortic annular enlargement: modification of Manouguian's technique

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Costa Mario Gesteira

2002-01-01

Full Text Available We hereby present a technical modification for mitral-aortic annular enlargement. The mitral valve is replaced through the retro-septal approach, avoiding patches for left atrial roof closure. We report a mitral-aortic valve replacement in a patient whose original annuli would preclude adequate prostheses. The simultaneous annular enlargement may be necessary for avoiding patient-prosthesis mismatch and for reconstructing destroyed mitral and aortic annuli. The technique may minimize the risk of bleeding and of paravalvular leakage, using an approach well known to cardiac surgeons.

Magnetic resonance imaging of cerebellar Schistosomiasis mansoni; Ressonancia magnetica na esquistossomose mansoni cerebelar

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Braga, Bruno Perocco; Costa Junior, Leodante Batista da [Hospital da Baleia, Belo Horizonte, MG (BRazil). Servico de Neurocirurgia; Lambertucci, Jose Roberto [Minas Gerais Univ., Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Faculdade de Medicina. Servico de Doencas Infecciosas e Parasitarias

2003-10-01

A 15-year-old boy was admitted to hospital with a history of headache, dizziness, vomiting and double vision that started two weeks before. His parents denied any previous disease. During clinical examination he presented diplopia on lateral gaze to the left and horizontal nystagmus. No major neurological dysfunction was detected. He was well built, mentally responsive and perceptive. Laboratory findings revealed a leukocyte count of 10,000/mL, a normal red blood cell count and no eosinophilia. The magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brain showed a left cerebellar lesion with mass effect compressing the surrounding tissues. Contrast-enhanced images showed a mass like structure and punctate nodules (Figures A and B: axial and coronal contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR images showed the nodular - yellow arrows - enhancement pattern of a left cerebellar intraxial lesion). The lesion extended to the vermis and brachium pons and compressed the medulla. There was no hydrocephalus. He was taken to the operating room with the presumptive diagnosis of a neuroglial tumor, and submitted to a lateral suboccipital craniectomy. A brown, brittle tumoral mass without a clearly defined margin with the cerebellar tissue was removed. Microscopic examination revealed schistosomal granulomas in the productive phase in the cerebellum (Figure C). After surgery, treatment with praziquantel (50 mg/kg/dia, single dose) and prednisone (1 mg/kg/day) was offered and the patient improved quickly. Thirty days later he was seen again at the outpatient clinic: he was asymptomatic and with no neurological impairment. This is the eighth case of cerebellar involvement in schistosomiasis mansoni and the second report of a tumoral form of cerebellar schistosomiasis documented by magnetic resonance images. (author)

Dissociable cerebellar activity during spatial navigation and visual memory in bilateral vestibular failure.

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Jandl, N M; Sprenger, A; Wojak, J F; Göttlich, M; Münte, T F; Krämer, U M; Helmchen, C

2015-10-01

Spatial orientation and navigation depends on information from the vestibular system. Previous work suggested impaired spatial navigation in patients with bilateral vestibular failure (BVF). The aim of this study was to investigate event-related brain activity by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during spatial navigation and visual memory tasks in BVF patients. Twenty-three BVF patients and healthy age- and gender matched control subjects performed learning sessions of spatial navigation by watching short films taking them through various streets from a driver's perspective along a route to the Cathedral of Cologne using virtual reality videos (adopted and modified from Google Earth). In the scanner, participants were asked to respond to questions testing for visual memory or spatial navigation while they viewed short video clips. From a similar but not identical perspective depicted video frames of routes were displayed which they had previously seen or which were completely novel to them. Compared with controls, posterior cerebellar activity in BVF patients was higher during spatial navigation than during visual memory tasks, in the absence of performance differences. This cerebellar activity correlated with disease duration. Cerebellar activity during spatial navigation in BVF patients may reflect increased non-vestibular efforts to counteract the development of spatial navigation deficits in BVF. Conceivably, cerebellar activity indicates a change in navigational strategy of BVF patients, i.e. from a more allocentric, landmark or place-based strategy (hippocampus) to a more sequence-based strategy. This interpretation would be in accord with recent evidence for a cerebellar role in sequence-based navigation. Copyright © 2015 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinicopathological features of cerebellar lipidized medulloblastoma: a case report and review of literatures

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LIU Li-yan

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Objective To explore the clinicopathological features of cerebellar lipidized medulloblastoma. Methods The clinical manifestations， neuroimaging, histopathological and immunohistochemical features were analysed in one case of lipidized medulloblastoma in the cerebellar vermis. Related literatures were reviewed. Results A 26-year-old man presented with intermittent headache，accompanied by dizziness, nausea and vomiting. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI demonstrated a mass located the cerebellar vermis convex to the fourth ventricle. The tumor with well-demarcated boundary was homogeneous hypointense on T1 weighted and heterogeneous hyperintense on T2 weighted images, and enhanced brilliantly and homogenously on contrast. The patient subsequently underwent gross total mass resection. Microscopically，there was diffuse infiltration by high cellularity of tumor cells. The cytoplasm were thin eosinophilic to amphophilic. The neoplastic cells showed round to oval hyperchromatic nuclei with a delicately stippled chromatin and occasional conspicuous nucleoli and numerous mitotic figures were also present. Thin-wall vascular proliferation was detected. Lipid-laden cells were focally distributed in tumor tissue. On immunohistochemical examination, the neoplasm was reactive for CD56 and synaptophysin (Syn, focally positive for neurofilament protein (NF, weakly positive for oligodendrocyte lineage transcription factor 2 (Olig-2, and negtive for nestin, neuronal nuclei (NeuN, S-100 protein (S-100, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA. TP53 protein was over expressed in 10% of tumor cells. Ki-67 antigen labeling index were about 40% . Conclusion Cerebellar lipidized medulloblastoma is rare. Neuroimaging showed space occupying lesion in cerebellar vermis. Histologically, the tumor cells were consisted of monotonous, round cells with focal accumulations of lipidized cells. The differential diagnosis include

Volumetric Analysis of Cerebral Peduncles and Cerebellar Hemispheres for Predicting Hemiparesis After Hemispherectomy.

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Mullin, Jeffrey P; Soni, Pranay; Lee, Sungho; Jehi, Lara; Naduvil Valappi, Ahsan Moosa; Bingaman, William; Gonzalez-Martinez, Jorge

2016-09-01

In some cases of refractory epilepsy, hemispherectomy is the final invasive treatment option. However, predictors of postoperative hemiparesis in these patients have not been widely studied. To investigate how the volumetric analysis of cerebral peduncles and cerebellar hemispheres in patients who have undergone hemispherectomy may determine prognostic implications for postoperative hemiparesis. Twenty-two patients who underwent hemispherectomy at our institution were retrospectively included. Using iPlan/BrainLAB (BrainLAB, Feldkirchen, Germany) imaging software and a semiautomatic voxel-based segmentation method, we calculated the preoperative cerebral peduncle and cerebellar hemisphere volumes. Cerebral peduncle and cerebellar hemisphere ratios were compared between patients with worsened or unchanged/better hemiparesis postoperatively. The ratios of ipsilateral/contralateral cerebral peduncles (0.570 vs 0.828; P = .02) and contralateral/ipsilateral cerebellar hemispheres (0.885 vs 1.031; P = .009) were significantly lower in patients who had unchanged/improved hemiparesis postoperatively compared with patients who had worsened hemiparesis. Relative risk of worsening hemiparesis was significantly higher in patients with a cerebral peduncle ratio hemiparesis using only standard volumetric magnetic resonance imaging. This information could be used in preoperative discussions with patients and families to help better understand that chance of retaining baseline motor function. CST, corticospinal tractfMRI, functional magnetic resonance imagingTMS, transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Altered microstructural connectivity of the superior cerebellar peduncle is related to motor dysfunction in children with autistic spectrum disorders.

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Hanaie, Ryuzo; Mohri, Ikuko; Kagitani-Shimono, Kuriko; Tachibana, Masaya; Azuma, Junji; Matsuzaki, Junko; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Fujita, Norihiko; Taniike, Masako

2013-10-01

Many studies have reported motor impairments in autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the brain mechanism underlying motor impairment in ASD remains unclear. Recent neuroimaging studies have suggested that underconnectivity between the cerebellum and other brain regions contributes to the features of ASD. In this study, we investigated the microstructural integrity of the cerebellar pathways, including the superior, middle, and inferior cerebellar peduncles, of children with and without ASD by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography to determine whether the microstructural integrity of the cerebellar pathways is related to motor function in children with ASD. Thirteen children with ASD and 11 age-, gender-, handedness-, and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) controls were enrolled in this study. DTI outcome measurements, such as fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD), for the cerebellar pathways were calculated. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (M-ABC 2) was used for assessing motor functions. There were no significant differences between the two groups in RD. However, compared to the TD subjects, patients with ASD had a significantly lower FA in the right superior cerebellar peduncle and lower AD in the left superior cerebellar peduncle, in addition to a significantly lower score in ball skills and the total test score of M-ABC 2. There was a significant positive correlation between the total test score of M-ABC 2 and FA in the right superior cerebellar peduncle in the ASD group. These findings suggest that the altered microstructural integrity of the superior cerebellar peduncle may be related to motor impairment in ASD.

Deregulated Cardiac Specific MicroRNAs in Postnatal Heart Growth

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Pujiao Yu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The heart is recognized as an organ that is terminally differentiated by adulthood. However, during the process of human development, the heart is the first organ with function in the embryo and grows rapidly during the postnatal period. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs, as regulators of gene expression, play important roles during the development of multiple systems. However, the role of miRNAs in postnatal heart growth is still unclear. In this study, by using qRT-PCR, we compared the expression of seven cardiac- or muscle-specific miRNAs that may be related to heart development in heart tissue from mice at postnatal days 0, 3, 8, and 14. Four miRNAs—miR-1a-3p, miR-133b-3p, miR-208b-3p, and miR-206-3p—were significantly decreased while miR-208a-3p was upregulated during the postnatal heart growth period. Based on these results, GeneSpring GX was used to predict potential downstream targets by performing a 3-way comparison of predictions from the miRWalk, PITA, and microRNAorg databases. Gene Ontology (GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG analysis were used to identify potential functional annotations and signaling pathways related to postnatal heart growth. This study describes expression changes of cardiac- and muscle-specific miRNAs during postnatal heart growth and may provide new therapeutic targets for cardiovascular diseases.

Prenatal and postnatal depression among low income Brazilian women

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V.A. Da-Silva

1998-06-01

Full Text Available Postnatal depression is a significant problem affecting 10-15% of mothers in many countries and has been the subject of an increasing number of publications. Prenatal depression has been studied less. The aims of the present investigation were: 1 to obtain information on the prevalence of prenatal and postnatal depression in low income Brazilian women by using an instrument already employed in several countries, i.e., the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; 2 to evaluate the risk factors involved in prenatal and postnatal depression in Brazil. The study groups included 33 pregnant women interviewed at home during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, and once a month during the first six months after delivery. Questions on life events and the mother's relationship with the baby were posed during each visit. Depressed pregnant women received less support from their partners than non-depressed pregnant women (36.4 vs 72.2%, P<0.05; Fisher exact test. Black women predominated among pre- and postnatally depressed subjects. Postnatal depression was associated with lower parity (0.4 ± 0.5 vs 1.1 ± 1.0, P<0.05; Student t-test. Thus, the period of pregnancy may be susceptible to socio-environmental factors that induce depression, such as the lack of affective support from the partner. The prevalence rate of 12% observed for depression in the third month postpartum is comparable to that of studies from other countries.

Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome Presented as Severe Borderline Personality Disorder

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Danilo Pesic

2014-01-01

Full Text Available An increasing number of findings confirm the significance of cerebellum in affecting regulation and early learning. Most consistent findings refer to association of congenital vermis anomalies with deficits in nonmotor functions of cerebellum. In this paper we presented a young woman who was treated since sixteen years of age for polysubstance abuse, affective instability, and self-harming who was later diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Since the neurological and neuropsychological reports pointed to signs of cerebellar dysfunction and dysexecutive syndrome, we performed magnetic resonance imaging of brain which demonstrated partially developed vermis and rhombencephalosynapsis. These findings match the description of cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome and show an overlap with clinical manifestations of borderline personality disorder.

Strategy to avoid patient-prosthesis mismatch: aortic root enlargement.

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Srivastava, Dharmendra Kumar; Sanki, Prokash; Bhattacharya, Subhankar; Siddique, Javed Veqar

2014-02-01

The choice of a valve with an effective orifice area matching the body surface area and providing efficient hemodynamics is an important factor affecting mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement. Our preventative strategy was to implant a larger prosthetic valve by aortic root enlargement using the Nunez procedure in 17 patients between February 2010 and January 2011. The decision to enlarge the aortic root was taken when the 19-mm sizer could not be negotiated easily through the aortic root, or on the basis of body surface area of the patient or type of prosthesis available. Postoperative reductions in peak and mean pressure gradients across aortic valve of 12.8-16.5 and 10.2-12.6 mm Hg, respectively, were observed. Postoperative effective orifice areas of the aortic valves were 1.1-1.5 cm(2). By upsizing the aortic valve, we were able to eliminate patient-prosthesis mismatch in 5 patients, and reduce severe patient-prosthesis mismatch to moderate in 11. Aortic root enlargement is a safe procedure. Therefore, cardiac surgeons should not be reluctant to enlarge the aortic root with an autologous pericardial patch to permit implantation of an adequate size of aortic valve prosthesis, with minimal additional aortic crossclamp time and no added cost.

Cellular and Axonal Diversity in Molecular Layer Heterotopia of the Rat Cerebellar Vermis

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Sarah E. Van Dine

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Molecular layer heterotopia of the cerebellar primary fissure are a characteristic of many rat strains and are hypothesized to result from defect of granule cells exiting the external granule cell layer during cerebellar development. However, the cellular and axonal constituents of these malformations remain poorly understood. In the present report, we use histochemistry and immunocytochemistry to identify neuronal, glial, and axonal classes in molecular layer heterotopia. In particular, we identify parvalbumin-expressing molecular layer interneurons in heterotopia as well as three glial cell types including Bergmann glia, Olig2-expressing oligodendrocytes, and Iba1-expressing microglia. In addition, we document the presence of myelinated, serotonergic, catecholaminergic, and cholinergic axons in heterotopia indicating possible spinal and brainstem afferent projections to heterotopic cells. These findings are relevant toward understanding the mechanisms of normal and abnormal cerebellar development.

Ventricular enlargement in patients with affective disorders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murashita, Jun; Kato, Tadafumi; Shioiri, Toshiki; Hamakawa, Inubushi, Toshiro; Hiroshi; Takahashi, Saburo

1994-01-01

Ventricular enlargement was determined using linear measurement on MR images in a total of 71 patients with affective disorders, including bipolar affective disorder (41) and depression (30). Fourty-one healthy persons served as controls. Evans ratio, Huckman number and minimum distance of caudate nuclei (MDCN) were used as indices for ventricular enlargment. No significant difference in Evans ratio was observed between both the group of bipolar affective disorder and the group of depression and the control group. Nor did it correlate with age in any of the groups. Huckman number was significantly higher in the group of bipolar affective disorder than the other two groups. It positively correlated with age in the group of depression. MDCN was significantly increased in the group of bipolar affective disorder, as compared with the control group; and there was a positive correlation between MDCN and age in both the group of dipolar affective disorder and the group of depression. In conclusion, ventricular enlargement was dependent upon aging in affetive disorder patients. This tendency was more noticeable in the group of depression. In addition, atrophy of the caudate nuclei was likely to be severer in the group of dipolar affective disorder than the group of depression. (N.K.)

Predictors of intelligence at the age of 5: family, pregnancy and birth characteristics, postnatal influences, and postnatal growth.

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Hanne-Lise Falgreen Eriksen

Full Text Available Parental education and maternal intelligence are well-known predictors of child IQ. However, the literature regarding other factors that may contribute to individual differences in IQ is inconclusive. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of a number of variables whose predictive status remain unclarified, in a sample of basically healthy children with a low rate of pre- and postnatal complications. 1,782 5-year-old children sampled from the Danish National Birth Cohort (2003-2007 were assessed with a short form of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Revised. Information on parental characteristics, pregnancy and birth factors, postnatal influences, and postnatal growth was collected during pregnancy and at follow-up. A model including study design variables and child's sex explained 7% of the variance in IQ, while parental education and maternal IQ increased the explained variance to 24%. Other predictors were parity, maternal BMI, birth weight, breastfeeding, and the child's head circumference and height at follow-up. These variables, however, only increased the explained variance to 29%. The results suggest that parental education and maternal IQ are major predictors of IQ and should be included routinely in studies of cognitive development. Obstetrical and postnatal factors also predict IQ, but their contribution may be of comparatively limited magnitude.

Cerebellar direct current stimulation enhances on-line motor skill acquisition through an effect on accuracy.

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Cantarero, Gabriela; Spampinato, Danny; Reis, Janine; Ajagbe, Loni; Thompson, Tziporah; Kulkarni, Kopal; Celnik, Pablo

2015-02-18

The cerebellum is involved in the update of motor commands during error-dependent learning. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a form of noninvasive brain stimulation, has been shown to increase cerebellar excitability and improve learning in motor adaptation tasks. Although cerebellar involvement has been clearly demonstrated in adaptation paradigms, a type of task that heavily relies on error-dependent motor learning mechanisms, its role during motor skill learning, a behavior that likely involves error-dependent as well as reinforcement and strategic mechanisms, is not completely understood. Here, in humans, we delivered cerebellar tDCS to modulate its activity during novel motor skill training over the course of 3 d and assessed gains during training (on-line effects), between days (off-line effects), and overall improvement. We found that excitatory anodal tDCS applied over the cerebellum increased skill learning relative to sham and cathodal tDCS specifically by increasing on-line rather than off-line learning. Moreover, the larger skill improvement in the anodal group was predominantly mediated by reductions in error rate rather than changes in movement time. These results have important implications for using cerebellar tDCS as an intervention to speed up motor skill acquisition and to improve motor skill accuracy, as well as to further our understanding of cerebellar function. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/353285-06$15.00/0.

Static Posturography and Falls According to Pyramidal, Sensory and Cerebellar Functional Systems in People with Multiple Sclerosis

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Kalron, Alon; Givon, Uri; Frid, Lior; Dolev, Mark; Achiron, Anat

2016-01-01

Balance impairment is common in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and frequently impacts quality of life by decreasing mobility and increasing the risk of falling. However, there are only scarce data examining the contribution of specific neurological functional systems on balance measures in MS. Therefore, the primary aim of our study was to examine the differences in posturography parameters and fall incidence according to the pyramidal, cerebellar and sensory systems functional systems in PwMS. The study included 342 PwMS, 211 women and mean disease duration of 8.2 (S.D = 8.3) years. The study sample was divided into six groups according to the pyramidal, cerebellar and sensory functional system scores, derived from the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) data. Static postural control parameters were obtained from the Zebris FDM-T Treadmill (zebris® Medical GmbH, Germany). Participants were defined as "fallers" and "non-fallers" based on their fall history. Our findings revealed a trend that PwMS affected solely in the pyramidal system, have reduced stability compared to patients with cerebellar and sensory dysfunctions. Moreover, the addition of sensory impairments to pyramidal dysfunction does not exacerbate postural control. The patients in the pure sensory group demonstrated increased stability compared to each of the three combined groups; pyramidal-cerebellar, pyramidal-sensory and pyramidal-cerebellar-sensory groups. As for fall status, the percentage of fallers in the pure pyramidal, cerebellar and sensory groups were 44.3%, 33.3% and 19.5%, respectively. As for the combined functional system groups, the percentage of fallers in the pyramidal-cerebellar, pyramidal-sensory and pyramidal-cerebellar-sensory groups were 59.7%, 40.7% and 65%, respectively. This study confirms that disorders in neurological functional systems generate different effects on postural control and incidence of falls in the MS population. From a clinical standpoint, the

Static Posturography and Falls According to Pyramidal, Sensory and Cerebellar Functional Systems in People with Multiple Sclerosis.

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Kalron, Alon; Givon, Uri; Frid, Lior; Dolev, Mark; Achiron, Anat

2016-01-01

Balance impairment is common in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and frequently impacts quality of life by decreasing mobility and increasing the risk of falling. However, there are only scarce data examining the contribution of specific neurological functional systems on balance measures in MS. Therefore, the primary aim of our study was to examine the differences in posturography parameters and fall incidence according to the pyramidal, cerebellar and sensory systems functional systems in PwMS. The study included 342 PwMS, 211 women and mean disease duration of 8.2 (S.D = 8.3) years. The study sample was divided into six groups according to the pyramidal, cerebellar and sensory functional system scores, derived from the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) data. Static postural control parameters were obtained from the Zebris FDM-T Treadmill (zebris® Medical GmbH, Germany). Participants were defined as "fallers" and "non-fallers" based on their fall history. Our findings revealed a trend that PwMS affected solely in the pyramidal system, have reduced stability compared to patients with cerebellar and sensory dysfunctions. Moreover, the addition of sensory impairments to pyramidal dysfunction does not exacerbate postural control. The patients in the pure sensory group demonstrated increased stability compared to each of the three combined groups; pyramidal-cerebellar, pyramidal-sensory and pyramidal-cerebellar-sensory groups. As for fall status, the percentage of fallers in the pure pyramidal, cerebellar and sensory groups were 44.3%, 33.3% and 19.5%, respectively. As for the combined functional system groups, the percentage of fallers in the pyramidal-cerebellar, pyramidal-sensory and pyramidal-cerebellar-sensory groups were 59.7%, 40.7% and 65%, respectively. This study confirms that disorders in neurological functional systems generate different effects on postural control and incidence of falls in the MS population. From a clinical standpoint, the

Calf enlargement associated with neurologic disease: two uncommon cases.

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Harwood, S C; Honet, J C

1988-01-01

Muscle enlargement and hypertrophy are rare findings in neurogenic lesions. The two in combination have been reported in cases of peripheral nerve lesions, polyneuropathy, and poliomyelitis. True and pseudo muscle hypertrophy are the two possible etiologies, whereas infiltration, stretch, or exercise of the muscle are the causative factors. We report two cases of unilateral calf enlargement, one occurring after surgery for S1 radiculopathy with associated cramping, and the other after poliomyelitis.

Cerebellar Codings for Control of Compensatory Eye Movements

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M. Schonewille (Martijn)

2008-01-01

textabstractThis thesis focuses on the control of the cerebellum on motor behaviour, and more specifically on the role of the cerebellar Purkinje cells in exerting this control. As the cerebellum is an online control system, we look at both motor performance and learning, trying to identify

Computed tomography in chronic Minamata disease (organic mercury poisoning)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchino, Makoto; Araki, Shukuro

1984-01-01

We investigated the neurological features and computed tomography (CT) of 33 Minamata disease (MD) patients recognized in the years between 1981 and 1983, comparing with those of controls and classical MD cases found in 1955 to 1960. Thirty three MD patients were separated three groups by the age; Group I (age 20 to 39 years), Group II (40 to 69 years), and Group III (70 to 89 years). CT findings were analyzed by subjective assesment (enlargement of cerebral sulci and superior cerebellar fissures), and objective measurements (i.e., distance between anterior horns of lateral ventricles, width of fourth ventricle, pons, middle cerebellar peduncle, cerebellar vallecula, and subarachnoid space around cerebellar hemispheres). The ratio of each width to the maximum inner diameter of the skull was then calculated as a percentage value. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student t test. The symptoms and signs of the most recent MD cases were mild and atypical compared with classical MD, and it was very rare that they presented so called Hunter-Russell syndrome composed of constriction of visual fields, hearing loss, ataxia, and sensory loss. CT findings in the most recent MD were characterized as follows: 1) Group I did not show any statistical difference with control. 2) Group II showed mild pons atrophy (p<0.05) and enlargement of subarachnoid space arround cerebellum (p<0.01). 3) Group III revealed mild pons atrophy (p<0.01) and enlargement of subarachnoid space of cerebellum (p<0.001). However, CTs in the most recent MD did not show a symmetrical belt-like low density area in bilateral visual cortices and prominent enlargement of the cerebellar vallecula that were characteristic patterns in classical MD. These CT findings might objectively reflect the differences of clinical symptoms between classical MD and the most recent MD, and it was suggested that CTs were not always valuable for the diagnosis of the chronic mild cases with MD. (author)

Penile Enlargement : From Medication to Surgery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nugteren, Helena M.; Balkema, G. T.; Pascal, A. L.; Schultz, W. C. M. Weijmar; Nijman, J. M.; Van Driel, M. F.

2010-01-01

Penis lengthening pills, stretch apparatus, vacuum pumps, silicone injections, and lengthening and thickening operations are available for men who worry about their penis size. Surgery is thus far the only proven scientific method for penile enlargement. In this article, we consider patient

Postnatal corticosteroids and risk of retinopathy of prematurity.

Science.gov (United States)

Movsas, Tammy Z; Spitzer, Alan R; Gewolb, Ira H

2016-08-01

To investigate the association between postnatal steroids and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in neonates born with birth weights at the limit of viability (large study cohort of critically low birth weight infants ROP was more common in neonates exposed to postnatal steroids. Copyright © 2016 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of gabazine on sensory stimulation train evoked response in mouse cerebellar Purkinje cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Bing, Yan-Hua; Jin, Wen-Zhe; Sun, Lei; Chu, Chun-Ping; Qiu, De-Lai

2015-02-01

Cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) respond to sensory stimulation via climbing fiber and mossy fiber-granule cell pathways, and generate motor-related outputs according to internal rules of integration and computation. However, the dynamic properties of sensory information processed by PC in mouse cerebellar cortex are currently unclear. In the present study, we examined the effects of the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor A (GABA(A)) antagonist, gabazine, on the stimulation train on the simple spike firing of PCs by electrophysiological recordings method. Our data showed that the output of cerebellar PCs could be significantly affected by all pulses of the low-frequency (0.25 -2 Hz) sensory stimulation train, but only by the 1st and 2nd pulses of the high-frequency (≥ 4 Hz) sensory stimulation train. In the presence of gabazine (20 μM), each pulse of 1 Hz facial stimulation evoked simple spike firing in the PCs, but only the 1st and 2nd pulses of 4 Hz stimulation induced an increase in simple spike firing of the PCs. These results indicated that GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition did not significantly affect the frequency properties of sensory stimulation evoked responses in the mouse cerebellar PCs.

Model-Driven Analysis of Eyeblink Classical Conditioning Reveals the Underlying Structure of Cerebellar Plasticity and Neuronal Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonietti, Alberto; Casellato, Claudia; D'Angelo, Egidio; Pedrocchi, Alessandra

The cerebellum plays a critical role in sensorimotor control. However, how the specific circuits and plastic mechanisms of the cerebellum are engaged in closed-loop processing is still unclear. We developed an artificial sensorimotor control system embedding a detailed spiking cerebellar microcircuit with three bidirectional plasticity sites. This proved able to reproduce a cerebellar-driven associative paradigm, the eyeblink classical conditioning (EBCC), in which a precise time relationship between an unconditioned stimulus (US) and a conditioned stimulus (CS) is established. We challenged the spiking model to fit an experimental data set from human subjects. Two subsequent sessions of EBCC acquisition and extinction were recorded and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied on the cerebellum to alter circuit function and plasticity. Evolutionary algorithms were used to find the near-optimal model parameters to reproduce the behaviors of subjects in the different sessions of the protocol. The main finding is that the optimized cerebellar model was able to learn to anticipate (predict) conditioned responses with accurate timing and success rate, demonstrating fast acquisition, memory stabilization, rapid extinction, and faster reacquisition as in EBCC in humans. The firing of Purkinje cells (PCs) and deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) changed during learning under the control of synaptic plasticity, which evolved at different rates, with a faster acquisition in the cerebellar cortex than in DCN synapses. Eventually, a reduced PC activity released DCN discharge just after the CS, precisely anticipating the US and causing the eyeblink. Moreover, a specific alteration in cortical plasticity explained the EBCC changes induced by cerebellar TMS in humans. In this paper, for the first time, it is shown how closed-loop simulations, using detailed cerebellar microcircuit models, can be successfully used to fit real experimental data sets. Thus, the changes of the

Magnetic resonance imaging depiction of acquired Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome with crossed cerebro-cerebellar diaschisis: Report of two cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Ranjana; Joshi, Sandeep; Mittal, Amit; Luthra, Ishita; Mittal, Puneet; Verma, Vibha

2015-01-01

Acquired Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome, also known as hemispheric atrophy, is characterized by loss of volume of one cerebral hemisphere from an insult in early life. Crossed cerebellar diaschisis refers to dysfunction/atrophy of cerebellar hemisphere which is secondary to contralateral supratentorial insult. We describe magnetic resonance imaging findings in two cases of acquired Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome with crossed cerebro-cerebellar diaschisis.

Staffing in postnatal units: is it adequate for the provision of quality care? Staff perspectives from a state-wide review of postnatal care in Victoria, Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lumley Judith

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background State-wide surveys of recent mothers conducted over the past decade in Victoria, one state of Australia, have identified that women are consistently less satisfied with the care they received in hospital following birth compared with other aspects of maternity care. Little is known of caregivers' perspectives on the provision ofhospital postnatal care: how care is organised and provided in different hospitals; what constrains the provision of postnatal care (apart from funding and what initiatives are being undertaken to improve service delivery. A state-widereview of organisational structures and processes in relation to the provision of hospital postnatal care in Victoria was undertaken. This paper focuses on the impact of staffing issues on the provision of quality postnatal care from the perspective of care providers. Methods A study of care providers from Victorian public hospitals that provide maternity services was undertaken. Datawere collected in two stages. Stage one: a structured questionnaire was sent to all public hospitals in Victoria that provided postnatal care (n = 73, exploring the structure and organisation of care (e.g. staffing, routine observations, policy framework and discharge planning. Stage two: 14 maternity units were selected and invited to participate in a more in-depth exploration of postnatal care. Thirty-eight key informant interviews were undertaken with midwives (including unit managers, associate unit managers and clinical midwives and a medical practitioner from eachselected hospital. Results Staffing was highlighted as a major factor impacting on the provision of quality postnatal care. There were significant issues associated with inadequate staff/patient ratios; staffing mix; patient mix; prioritisation of birth suites over postnatal units; and the use of non-permanent staff. Forty-three percent of hospitals reported having only midwives (i.e. no non-midwives providing postnatal care

Factors that affecting mothers’ postnatal comfort

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gül Pınar

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: The comfort is defined as; “an expected result of a complex conformation of providing peace and help about individual’s needs in a physical, psycho-spiritual, social and environmental entity to overcome the problems”. The aim of this study was to determine the mother’s postnatal comfort and the affecting factors of it.Materials and Methods: This is a sectional and descriptive study. The study was performed on the mothers (n=150 who applied to the delivery service of the Başkent University Ankara Hospital between the date of 30.07.2008 to 31.12.2008. A questionnaire was developed by the investigators to collect data and determine patients’ postnatal comfort scores. Results: The mean age of women was 26.4±3.5 years, the majority of patients had an educational level of high school (68.7% and were multipara (66.0%. It was determined that the mothers had problems and needed help with the fatigue, pain, in standing up, the adverse effect of anesthesia, personal and perineal hygiene that affect their postnatal comfort. The comfort score of the mothers who had spontaneous vaginal birth was higher than those of underwent cesarean delivery (p<0.05.Conclusion: The mothers’ needs and expectations about themselves and their babies were generally supplied by midwifes and the nurses in the postnatal period. Opinion of the mothers about their comfort were influenced to a positive view and the comfort scores increased while the mothers’ satisfaction were augmented (p<0.05.

Global dysrhythmia of cerebro-basal ganglia-cerebellar networks underlies motor tics following striatal disinhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

McCairn, Kevin W; Iriki, Atsushi; Isoda, Masaki

2013-01-09

Motor tics, a cardinal symptom of Tourette syndrome (TS), are hypothesized to arise from abnormalities within cerebro-basal ganglia circuits. Yet noninvasive neuroimaging of TS has previously identified robust activation in the cerebellum. To date, electrophysiological properties of cerebellar activation and its role in basal ganglia-mediated tic expression remain unknown. We performed multisite, multielectrode recordings of single-unit activity and local field potentials from the cerebellum, basal ganglia, and primary motor cortex using a pharmacologic monkey model of motor tics/TS. Following microinjections of bicuculline into the sensorimotor putamen, periodic tics occurred predominantly in the orofacial region, and a sizable number of cerebellar neurons showed phasic changes in activity associated with tic episodes. Specifically, 64% of the recorded cerebellar cortex neurons exhibited increases in activity, and 85% of the dentate nucleus neurons displayed excitatory, inhibitory, or multiphasic responses. Critically, abnormal discharges of cerebellar cortex neurons and excitatory-type dentate neurons mostly preceded behavioral tic onset, indicating their central origins. Latencies of pathological activity in the cerebellum and primary motor cortex substantially overlapped, suggesting that aberrant signals may be traveling along divergent pathways to these structures from the basal ganglia. Furthermore, the occurrence of tic movement was most closely associated with local field potential spikes in the cerebellum and primary motor cortex, implying that these structures may function as a gate to release overt tic movements. These findings indicate that tic-generating networks in basal ganglia mediated tic disorders extend beyond classical cerebro-basal ganglia circuits, leading to global network dysrhythmia including cerebellar circuits.

Mutations in DNMT1 cause autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness and narcolepsy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winkelmann, Juliane; Lin, Ling; Schormair, Barbara

2012-01-01

to HDAC2. It is also highly expressed in immune cells and required for the differentiation of CD4+ into T regulatory cells. Mutations in exon 20 of this gene were recently reported to cause hereditary sensory neuropathy with dementia and hearing loss (HSAN1). Our mutations are all located in exon 21......Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness and narcolepsy (ADCA-DN) is characterized by late onset (30-40 years old) cerebellar ataxia, sensory neuronal deafness, narcolepsy-cataplexy and dementia. We performed exome sequencing in five individuals from three ADCA-DN kindreds and identified DNMT...

Role of Calcium in Cerebellar Learning and Function

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Z. Gao (Zhenyu)

2011-01-01

textabstractThe cerebellum, which means little brain in Latin, occupies most of the posterior cranial fossa and connects with the dorsal brainstem (Kandel et al., 2000). The cerebellar cortex is one of the most foliated brain structures, which accounts for 10% of the total volume and over half of

Postnatal depression: a review of recent literature.

OpenAIRE

Richards, J P

1990-01-01

Depression affects 5-22% of women after childbirth. Some women with postnatal depression will experience a prolonged or relapsing illness that may last until their children enter school. It has adverse effects upon the coping abilities of women, their relationships with their infants, partners and social networks and may adversely affect the educational attainment and behaviour of their children. Since many more women are now active in the workforce, the effects of postnatal depression have o...

Crossed cerebellar diaschisis demonstrated by SPECT in hemiplegic children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamano, Shin-ichiro; Nara, Takahiro; Nozaki, Hidetsugu; Fukushima, Kiyomi; Imai, Masayuki; Kumagai, Koumei; Maekawa, Kihei.

1991-01-01

Crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD) in twenty five children with hemiplegia were studied using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p-I-123-iodoamphetamine. Seven of twenty-five patients had cerebral palsy, and the others were impaired by acquired brain injury between ten months and fourteen years of age. CCD was demonstrated in five patients (20%), who were impaired by acquired brain injury after seven years of age. CCD could never be detected in patients with cerebral palsy. Ipsilateral cerebellar diaschisis was also demonstrated in two patients with cerebral palsy and three with early acquired brain injury before three years of age. It is suggested that diaschisis presents itself as a different form in a contralateral and ipsilateral cerebellum before three years of age from a form which presents after seven years of age. (author)

Spontaneous Cerebellar Hematoma: Decision Making in Conscious Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Alkosha, Hazem M; Ali, Nabil Mansour

2017-06-01

To detect predictors of the clinical course and outcome of cerebellar hematoma in conscious patients that may help in decision making. This study entails retrospective and prospective review and collection of the demographic, clinical, and radiologic data of 92 patients with cerebellar hematoma presented conscious and initially treated conservatively. Primary outcome was deterioration lower than a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 14 and secondary outcome was Glasgow Outcome Scale score at discharge and 3 months later. Relevant data to primary outcome were used to create a prediction model and derive a risk score. The model was validated using a bootstrap technique and performance measures of the score were presented. Surgical interventions and secondary outcomes were correlated to the score to explore its use in future decision making. Demographic and clinical data showed no relevance to outcome. The relevant initial computed tomography criteria were used to build up the prediction model. A score was derived after the model proved to be valid using internal validation with bootstrapping technique. The score (0-6) had a cutoff value of ≥2, with sensitivity of 93.3% and specificity of 88.0%. It was found to have a significant negative association with the onset of neurologic deterioration, end point Glasgow Coma Scale scores and the Glasgow Outcome Scale scores at discharge. The score was positively correlated to the aggressiveness of surgical interventions and the length of hospital stay. Early definitive management is critical in conscious patients with cerebellar hematomas and can improve outcome. Our proposed score is a simple tool with high discrimination power that may help in timely decision making in those patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

U.S. Decision Making and Post-Cold War NATO Enlargement

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-01

interactions with one another and by external events. Additionally, enlarging NATO entails modifying the North Atlantic Treaty, which, by constitutional ...III discusses NATO’s second enlargement round, which welcomed Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia into the...membership for Romania and Slovenia , it might give the impression that Russian objections carried weight, discouraging the future pursuit of membership and

Postnatal care utilization among urban women in northern Ethiopia: cross-sectional survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Gebrehiwot, Genet; Medhanyie, Araya Abrha; Gidey, Gebreamlak; Abrha, Kidan

2018-05-30

Postnatal care service enables health professionals to identify post-delivery problems including potential complications for the mother with her baby and to provide treatments promptly. In Ethiopia, postnatal care service is made accessible to all women for free however the utilization of the service is very low. This study assessed the utilization of postnatal care services of urban women and the factors associated in public health facilities in Mekelle city, Tigrai Region, Northern Ethiopia. A facility based cross sectional study design was used to assess post natal service utilization. Using simple random sampling 367 women who visited maternal and child health clinics in Mekelle city for postnatal care services during January 27 to April 2014 were selected. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS Version 20.0 software. A binary and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with the outcome variables. P-value less than 0.05 is used to declare statistical significance. The prevalence of women who utilized postnatal care service was low (32.2%). Women who were private employees and business women were more likely to utilize postnatal care services (AOR = 6.46, 95% CI: 1.91-21.86) and (3.35, 95% CI: 1.10-10.19) respectively compared to house wives., Women who had history of one pregnancy were more likely to utilize the service (AOR = 3.19, 95% CI: 1.06-9.57) compared to women who had history of four and above pregnancies. Women who had knowledge of postnatal care service were also more likely to utilize postnatal care service (AOR = 14.46, 95% CI: 7.55-27.75) than women who lacked knowledge about the services. Postnatal care utilization in the study area is low. Knowledge on postnatal care services and occupation of women had positive impact on postnatal care service utilization. The Mekelle city administration health office and other stakeholders should support and encourage urban health extension workers and

Cerebellar Nuclear Neurons Use Time and Rate Coding to Transmit Purkinje Neuron Pauses.

Science.gov (United States)

Sudhakar, Shyam Kumar; Torben-Nielsen, Benjamin; De Schutter, Erik

2015-12-01

Neurons of the cerebellar nuclei convey the final output of the cerebellum to their targets in various parts of the brain. Within the cerebellum their direct upstream connections originate from inhibitory Purkinje neurons. Purkinje neurons have a complex firing pattern of regular spikes interrupted by intermittent pauses of variable length. How can the cerebellar nucleus process this complex input pattern? In this modeling study, we investigate different forms of Purkinje neuron simple spike pause synchrony and its influence on candidate coding strategies in the cerebellar nuclei. That is, we investigate how different alignments of synchronous pauses in synthetic Purkinje neuron spike trains affect either time-locking or rate-changes in the downstream nuclei. We find that Purkinje neuron synchrony is mainly represented by changes in the firing rate of cerebellar nuclei neurons. Pause beginning synchronization produced a unique effect on nuclei neuron firing, while the effect of pause ending and pause overlapping synchronization could not be distinguished from each other. Pause beginning synchronization produced better time-locking of nuclear neurons for short length pauses. We also characterize the effect of pause length and spike jitter on the nuclear neuron firing. Additionally, we find that the rate of rebound responses in nuclear neurons after a synchronous pause is controlled by the firing rate of Purkinje neurons preceding it.

Basolateral amygdala inactivation impairs learning-induced long-term potentiation in the cerebellar cortex.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lan Zhu

Full Text Available Learning to fear dangerous situations requires the participation of basolateral amygdala (BLA. In the present study, we provide evidence that BLA is necessary for the synaptic strengthening occurring during memory formation in the cerebellum in rats. In the cerebellar vermis the parallel fibers (PF to Purkinje cell (PC synapse is potentiated one day following fear learning. Pretraining BLA inactivation impaired such a learning-induced long-term potentiation (LTP. Similarly, cerebellar LTP is affected when BLA is blocked shortly, but not 6 h, after training. The latter result shows that the effects of BLA inactivation on cerebellar plasticity, when present, are specifically related to memory processes and not due to an interference with sensory or motor functions. These data indicate that fear memory induces cerebellar LTP provided that a heterosynaptic input coming from BLA sets the proper local conditions. Therefore, in the cerebellum, learning-induced plasticity is a heterosynaptic phenomenon that requires inputs from other regions. Studies employing the electrically-induced LTP in order to clarify the cellular mechanisms of memory should therefore take into account the inputs arriving from other brain sites, considering them as integrative units. Based on previous and the present findings, we proposed that BLA enables learning-related plasticity to be formed in the cerebellum in order to respond appropriately to new stimuli or situations.

Cerebellar Nuclear Neurons Use Time and Rate Coding to Transmit Purkinje Neuron Pauses

Science.gov (United States)

Sudhakar, Shyam Kumar; Torben-Nielsen, Benjamin; De Schutter, Erik

2015-01-01

Neurons of the cerebellar nuclei convey the final output of the cerebellum to their targets in various parts of the brain. Within the cerebellum their direct upstream connections originate from inhibitory Purkinje neurons. Purkinje neurons have a complex firing pattern of regular spikes interrupted by intermittent pauses of variable length. How can the cerebellar nucleus process this complex input pattern? In this modeling study, we investigate different forms of Purkinje neuron simple spike pause synchrony and its influence on candidate coding strategies in the cerebellar nuclei. That is, we investigate how different alignments of synchronous pauses in synthetic Purkinje neuron spike trains affect either time-locking or rate-changes in the downstream nuclei. We find that Purkinje neuron synchrony is mainly represented by changes in the firing rate of cerebellar nuclei neurons. Pause beginning synchronization produced a unique effect on nuclei neuron firing, while the effect of pause ending and pause overlapping synchronization could not be distinguished from each other. Pause beginning synchronization produced better time-locking of nuclear neurons for short length pauses. We also characterize the effect of pause length and spike jitter on the nuclear neuron firing. Additionally, we find that the rate of rebound responses in nuclear neurons after a synchronous pause is controlled by the firing rate of Purkinje neurons preceding it. PMID:26630202

Home births and postnatal practices in madagali, North.Eastern ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Home births are common in resource poor countries and postnatal practices vary from one community to the other. Objective: To determine the proportion of home births, reasons for home delivery, and evaluate postnatal practices in Madagali, north.eastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a ...

Cerebellar Norepinephrine Modulates Learning of Delay Classical Eyeblink Conditioning: Evidence for Post-Synaptic Signaling via PKA

Science.gov (United States)

Fister, Mathew; Bickford, Paula C.; Cartford, M. Claire; Samec, Amy

2004-01-01

The neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE) has been shown to modulate cerebellar-dependent learning and memory. Lesions of the nucleus locus coeruleus or systemic blockade of noradrenergic receptors has been shown to delay the acquisition of several cerebellar-dependent learning tasks. To date, no studies have shown a direct involvement of…

BMP signaling regulates satellite cell-dependent postnatal muscle growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Stantzou, Amalia; Schirwis, Elija; Swist, Sandra; Alonso-Martin, Sonia; Polydorou, Ioanna; Zarrouki, Faouzi; Mouisel, Etienne; Beley, Cyriaque; Julien, Anaïs; Le Grand, Fabien; Garcia, Luis; Colnot, Céline; Birchmeier, Carmen; Braun, Thomas; Schuelke, Markus; Relaix, Frédéric; Amthor, Helge

2017-08-01

Postnatal growth of skeletal muscle largely depends on the expansion and differentiation of resident stem cells, the so-called satellite cells. Here, we demonstrate that postnatal satellite cells express components of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling machinery. Overexpression of noggin in postnatal mice (to antagonize BMP ligands), satellite cell-specific knockout of Alk3 (the gene encoding the BMP transmembrane receptor) or overexpression of inhibitory SMAD6 decreased satellite cell proliferation and accretion during myofiber growth, and ultimately retarded muscle growth. Moreover, reduced BMP signaling diminished the adult satellite cell pool. Abrogation of BMP signaling in satellite cell-derived primary myoblasts strongly diminished cell proliferation and upregulated the expression of cell cycle inhibitors p21 and p57 In conclusion, these results show that BMP signaling defines postnatal muscle development by regulating satellite cell-dependent myofiber growth and the generation of the adult muscle stem cell pool. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

The prevalence of incidentally detected adrenal enlargement on CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, Y.Z.; Bharwani, N.; Micco, M.; Akker, S.; Rockall, A.G.; Sahdev, A.

2014-01-01

Aim: To assess the prevalence and the department's detection rate of adrenocortical hyperplasia. Materials and methods: All computed tomography (CT) examinations of the adrenal glands between February and April 2011 were reviewed. The study excluded patients with known underlying cancer, abdominal trauma, or endocrine disease. The adrenal gland was deemed enlarged if its body was greater than 10 mm diameter, or a limb greater than 5 mm. Results: There were a total of 564 eligible CT studies during this period. A total of 64 cases of incidental adrenal enlargement were found giving a prevalence of 11.3%. Only nine cases were reported in the contemporaneous CT report. Conclusion: The results of the present study show that incidental adrenal enlargement has a significant prevalence. It is often dismissed during reporting, and awareness needs to be raised in the radiological community. Equally, the clinical and biochemical significance needs to be assessed with endocrine correlation

[Transient enlargement of craniopharyngioma cysts after stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery].

Science.gov (United States)

Mazerkina, N A; Savateev, A N; Gorelyshev, S K; Konovalov, A N; Trunin, Yu Yu; Golanov, A V; Medvedeva, O A; Kalinin, P L; Kutin, M A; Astafieva, L I; Krasnova, T S; Ozerova, V I; Serova, N K; Butenko, E I; Strunina, Yu V

Stereotactic radiotherapy/radiosurgery (RT/ES) is an effective technique for treating craniopharyngiomas (CPs). However, enlargement of the cystic part of the tumor occurs in some cases after irradiation. The enlargement may be transient and not require treatment or be a true relapse requiring treatment. In this study, we performed a retrospective analysis of 79 pediatric patients who underwent stereotactic RT or RS after resection of craniopharyngioma. Five-year relapse-free survival after complex treatment of CP was 86%. In the early period after irradiation, 3.5 months (2.7-9.4) on average, enlargement of the cystic component of the tumor was detected in 10 (12.7%) patients; in 9 (11.4%) of them, the enlargement was transient and did not require treatment; in one case, the patient underwent surgery due to reduced visual acuity. In 8 (10.1%) patients, an increase in the residual tumor (a solid component of the tumor in 2 cases and a cystic component of the tumor in 6 cases) occurred in the long-term period after irradiation - after 26.3 months (16.6-48.9) and did not decrease during follow-up in none of the cases, i.e. continued growth of the tumor was diagnosed. A statistical analysis revealed that differences in the terms of transient enlargement and true continued growth were statistically significant (pcraniopharyngioma cyst in the early period (up to 1 year) after RT/RS is usually transient and does not require surgical treatment (except cases where worsening of neurological symptoms occurs, or occlusive hydrocephalus develops).

NATO Enlargement: Balancing Economic and Military Objectives

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Bostick, Thomas

1997-01-01

The military requirements of NATO Enlargement should be tied to NATO's overall goal of seeking stability in all of Europe such that it does not undermine political and economic success in new member countries...

Cerebellar ataxia of early onset. Clinical symptoms and MRI findings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamashita, Sumimasa; Miyake, Shota; Yamada, Michiko; Iwamoto, Hiroko (Kanagawa Children' s Medical Center, Yokohama (Japan)); Yamada, Kazuhiko

1989-07-01

Eight cases of childhood cerebellar ataxia were reported. All these cases showed chronic cerebellar ataxia with early onset, and the other diseases of cerebellum such as infections, neoplasms and storage diseases were excluded by clinical symptoms and laboratory findings including blood counts, blood chemistry, lactate, pyruvate, ceruloplasmine, urinalysis, serum immunoglobulins, amino acid analysis in blood and urine, CSF analysis, leukocyte lysosomal enzymes, MCV, EMG, EEG and brain X-CT. Two pairs of siblings were included in this study. The clinical diagnosis were cerebellar type (5), spinocerebellar type (1), one Marinesco-Sjoegren syndrome and undetermined type (1). The age of onset was 1 to 5 years. The chief complaint was motor developmental delay in 6 cases; among them 5 patients could walk alone at the ages of 2 to 3 years'. Mental retardation was observed in 7 cases and epilepsy in 2. TRH was effective in 5 cases. The MRI study revealed that the area of medial sagittal slice of the cerebellum was reduced significantly in all cases and also that of pons was reduced in 5 cases. Different from typical adult onset spinocerebellar degenerations, most of the present cases have achieved slow developmental milestones and the clinical course was not progressive. Genetic factors are suspected in the pathogenesis of this disease in some cases. (author).

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY INTERVENTIONS IN ADULTS WITH CEREBELLAR DYSFUNCTION - A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel Kirubakaran Durairaj

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Physiotherapy is a well accepted modality in the rehabilitation process of cerebellar dysfunction. Despite being commonly accepted as rehabilitation measure there is a need for scientific evidence to prove role of Physiotherapy in persons with cerebellar dysfunction. This study is an effort to systematically review the literature investigating the effectiveness of physiotherapy in adults with cerebellar dysfunction and to document treatment strategies currently employed in the physiotherapy management of this patient population. Methods: Four electronic databases were searched to source English language studies published up to 30th April 2014. Secondary searching of reference list was also undertaken. Studies were included in this review if their primary intervention was physiotherapy on adults with cerebellar dysfunction. Three independent reviewers were involved in this study. Each contributed to the study by analyzing data related to participants, interventions received and effectiveness of each intervention as measured in research articles. The relevant outcomes were described adopting a narrative synthesis. Results: Eleven studies were reviewed. Majority of studies (n=10 were case studies or case series. The average quality score was 1.9 (range 1-10. All studies reported positive outcomes of rehabilitation measures both from the scientific point of view and also from participants’ perspective. No meta-analysis was undertaken in this study. Conclusion: There is modest evidence that physiotherapy may have a positive effect on the various limited abilities of adults with cerebellar dysfunction. The outcome measures however need cautious interpretations due to otherwise low volume, quality and clinical applicability of the this aftermath as per the available evidences analyzed by the researchers. There is also a need of high-quality researches to be carried out.

Evidence for evoked release of adenosine and glutamate from cultured cerebellar granule cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schousboe, A.; Frandsen, A.; Drejer, J.

1989-01-01

Evoked release of [ 3 H]-D-aspartate which labels the neurotransmitter glutamate pool in cultured cerebellar granule cells was compared with evoked release of adenosine from similar cultures. It was found that both adenosine and [3H]-D-aspartate could be released from the neurons in a calcium dependent manner after depolarization of the cells with either 10-100 microM glutamate or 50 mM KCl. Cultures of cerebellar granule cells treated with 50 microM kainate to eliminate GABAergic neurons behaved in the same way. This together with the observation that cultured astrocytes did not exhibit a calcium dependent, potassium stimulated adenosine release strongly suggest that cerebellar granule cells release adenosine in a neurotransmitter-like fashion together with glutamate which is the classical neurotransmitter of these neurons. Studies of the metabolism of adenosine showed that in the granule cells adenosine is rapidly metabolized to ATP, ADP, and AMP, but in spite of this, adenosine was found to be released preferential to ATP

Cerebro-cerebellar resting state functional connectivity in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Amanda J.; Nair, Aarti; Keown, Christopher L.; Datko, Michael C.; Lincoln, Alan J.; Müller, Ralph-Axel

2017-01-01

Background The cerebellum plays important roles in both sensorimotor and supramodal cognitive functions. Cellular, volumetric, and functional abnormalities of the cerebellum have been found in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but no comprehensive investigation of cerebro-cerebellar connectivity in ASD is available. Methods We used resting-state functional connectivity MRI in 56 children and adolescents (28 ASD, 28 typically developing [TD]) aged 8–17 years. Partial and total correlation analyses were performed for unilateral regions of interest (ROIs), distinguished in two broad domains as sensorimotor (premotor/primary motor, somatosensory, superior temporal, occipital) and supramodal (prefrontal, posterior parietal, and inferior and middle temporal). Results There were three main findings: (i) Total correlation analyses showed predominant cerebro-cerebellar functional overconnectivity in the ASD group; (ii) partial correlation analyses that emphasized domain-specificity (sensorimotor vs. supramodal) indicated a pattern of robustly increased connectivity in the ASD group (compared to the TD group) for sensorimotor ROIs, but predominantly reduced connectivity for supramodal ROIs; (iii) this atypical pattern of connectivity was supported by significantly increased non-canonical connections (between sensorimotor cerebral and supramodal cerebellar ROIs, and vice versa) in the ASD group. Conclusions Our findings indicate that sensorimotor intrinsic functional connectivity is atypically increased in ASD, at the expense of connectivity supporting cerebellar participation in supramodal cognition. PMID:25959247

Cerebellar nicotinic cholinergic receptors are intrinsic to the cerebellum: implications for diverse functional roles.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Jill R; Ortinski, Pavel I; Sherrard, Rachel M; Kellar, Kenneth J

2011-12-01

Although recent studies have delineated the specific nicotinic subtypes present in the mammalian cerebellum, very little is known about their location or function within the cerebellum. This is of increased interest since nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) in the cerebellum have recently been implicated in the pathology of autism spectrum disorders. To begin to better understand the roles of these heteromeric nAChRs in the cerebellar circuitry and their therapeutic potential as targets for drug development, we used various chemical and stereotaxic lesion models in conjunction with slice electrophysiology to examine how specific heteromeric nAChR subtypes may influence the surrounding cerebellar circuitry. Using subunit-specific immunoprecipitation of radiolabeled nAChRs in the cerebella following N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine hydrochloride, p-chloroamphetamine, and pendunculotomy lesions, we show that most, if not all, cerebellar nicotinic receptors are present in cells within the cerebellum itself and not in extracerebellar afferents. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the β4-containing, but not the β2-containing, nAChRs intrinsic to the cerebellum can regulate inhibitory synaptic efficacy at two major classes of cerebellar neurons. These tandem findings suggest that nAChRs may present a potential drug target for disorders involving the cerebellum.

MRI of enlarged dorsal ganglia, lumbar nerve roots, and cranial nerves in polyradiculoneuropathies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castillo, M.; Mukherji, S.K.

1996-01-01

This paper describes the MRI findings in four patients with a clinical diagnosis of hypertrophic polyradiculoneuropathies. In two examination of the lumbar spine showed enlarged nerve roots and dorsal ganglia, and similar findings were present in the cervical spine in a third. The cisternal portions of the cranial nerves were enlarged in another patient. MRI allows identification of enlarged nerves in hypertrophic polyradiculopathies. (orig.)

Talpid3-binding centrosomal protein Cep120 is required for centriole duplication and proliferation of cerebellar granule neuron progenitors.

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Chuanqing Wu

Full Text Available Granule neuron progenitors (GNPs are the most abundant neuronal type in the cerebellum. GNP proliferation and thus cerebellar development require Sonic hedgehog (Shh secreted from Purkinje cells. Shh signaling occurs in primary cilia originating from the mother centriole. Centrioles replicate only once during a typical cell cycle and are responsible for mitotic spindle assembly and organization. Recent studies have linked cilia function to cerebellar morphogenesis, but the role of centriole duplication in cerebellar development is not known. Here we show that centrosomal protein Cep120 is asymmetrically localized to the daughter centriole through its interaction with Talpid3 (Ta3, another centrosomal protein. Cep120 null mutant mice die in early gestation with abnormal heart looping. Inactivation of Cep120 in the central nervous system leads to both hydrocephalus, due to the loss of cilia on ependymal cells, and severe cerebellar hypoplasia, due to the failed proliferation of GNPs. The mutant GNPs lack Hedgehog pathway activity. Cell biological studies show that the loss of Cep120 results in failed centriole duplication and consequently ciliogenesis, which together underlie Cep120 mutant cerebellar hypoplasia. Thus, our study for the first time links a centrosomal protein necessary for centriole duplication to cerebellar morphogenesis.

Endovascular treatment of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysms

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Bradac, G.B.; Bergui, M. [Neuroradiology, Univ. di Torino, Turin (Italy)

2004-12-01

Aneurysms may arise at various locations along the course of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Brainstem and cranial nerves manipulation make the surgical approach to proximal aneurysms difficult, while the occlusion of the parent vessel is sometimes unavoidable in peripheral aneurysms. Endovascular treatment can be a good alternative, but also with this approach the location of the aneurysm is critical. If occlusion of the parent vessel is planned, anatomical variations and vascular territories of the brainstem should be considered. We report our experience with 18 consecutive aneurysms (12 proximal, 6 peripheral) treated by coils. Complete occlusion was achieved in 14 patients and subtotal in 4. In three patients the parent vessel had to be sacrificed. During treatment two perforations occurred; aneurysms were completely occluded without clinical consequences. Two small asymptomatic cerebellar infarctions were seen on postoperative computed tomography. Clinical outcome was good in 16 patients. (orig.)

Cathodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to the Right Cerebellar Hemisphere Affects Motor Adaptation During Gait.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, Lara; Albein-Urios, Natalia; Kirkovski, Melissa; McGinley, Jennifer L; Murphy, Anna T; Hyde, Christian; Stokes, Mark A; Rinehart, Nicole J; Enticott, Peter G

2017-02-01

The cerebellum appears to play a key role in the development of internal rules that allow fast, predictive adjustments to novel stimuli. This is crucial for adaptive motor processes, such as those involved in walking, where cerebellar dysfunction has been found to increase variability in gait parameters. Motor adaptation is a process that results in a progressive reduction in errors as movements are adjusted to meet demands, and within the cerebellum, this seems to be localised primarily within the right hemisphere. To examine the role of the right cerebellar hemisphere in adaptive gait, cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was administered to the right cerebellar hemisphere of 14 healthy adults in a randomised, double-blind, crossover study. Adaptation to a series of distinct spatial and temporal templates was assessed across tDCS condition via a pressure-sensitive gait mat (ProtoKinetics Zeno walkway), on which participants walked with an induced 'limp' at a non-preferred pace. Variability was assessed across key spatial-temporal gait parameters. It was hypothesised that cathodal tDCS to the right cerebellar hemisphere would disrupt adaptation to the templates, reflected in a failure to reduce variability following stimulation. In partial support, adaptation was disrupted following tDCS on one of the four spatial-temporal templates used. However, there was no evidence for general effects on either the spatial or temporal domain. This suggests, under specific conditions, a coupling of spatial and temporal processing in the right cerebellar hemisphere and highlights the potential importance of task complexity in cerebellar function.

Electrophysiological Monitoring of Injury ProgressionIn the Rat Cerebellar Cortex

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Gokhan eOrdek

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The changes of excitability in affected neural networks can be used as a marker to study the temporal course of traumatic brain injury (TBI. The cerebellum is an ideal platform to study brain injury mechanisms at the network level using the electrophysiological methods. Within its crystalline morphology, the cerebellar cortex contains highly organized topographical subunits that are defined by two main inputs, the climbing and mossy fibers. Here we demonstrate the use of cerebellar evoked potentials (EPs mediated through these afferent systems for monitoring the injury progression in a rat model of fluid percussion injury (FPI. A mechanical tap on the dorsal hand was used as a stimulus, and EPs were recorded from the paramedian lobule (PML of the posterior cerebellum via multi-electrode arrays (MEA. Post-injury evoked response amplitudes (EPAs were analyzed on a daily basis for one week and compared with pre-injury values. We found a trend of consistently decreasing EPAs in all nine animals, losing as much as 72±4% of baseline amplitudes measured before the injury. Notably, our results highlighted two particular time windows; the first 24 hours of injury in the acute period and day-3 to day-7 in the delayed period where the largest drops (~50% and 24% were observed in the EPAs. In addition, cross-correlations of spontaneous signals between electrode pairs declined (from 0.47±0.1 to 0.35±0.04, p<0.001 along with the EPAs throughout the week of injury. In support of the electrophysiological findings, immunohistochemical analysis at day-7 post-injury showed detectable Purkinje cell loss at low FPI pressures and more with the largest pressures used. Our results suggest that sensory evoked potentials recorded from the cerebellar surface can be a useful technique to monitor the course of cerebellar injury and identify the phases of injury progression even at mild levels.

Cerebellar Lesions of Uremic Encephalopathy on MRI in Hemodialyzed Diabetic Patient: A Case Report

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Kil, Min Chul; Lee, Seung Young; Cha, Sang Hoon; Cho, Bum Sang; Kang, Min Ho [Dept. of Radiology, Chungbuk National Universty Hospital, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of)

2012-01-15

Uremic encephalopathy (UE) is a well-known complication of uremia, but its pathophysiology remains unknown. It is widely reported that in UE, the bilateral basal ganglia (BG) shows hyperintensities on T2/fluid attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but cerebellar lesions are extremely rare, with to the best of our knowledge, only one case reported to date. We describe the findings from computed tomography and MRI for typical BG and cerebellar vermis lesions.

Cerebellar Lesions of Uremic Encephalopathy on MRI in Hemodialyzed Diabetic Patient: A Case Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kil, Min Chul; Lee, Seung Young; Cha, Sang Hoon; Cho, Bum Sang; Kang, Min Ho

2012-01-01

Uremic encephalopathy (UE) is a well-known complication of uremia, but its pathophysiology remains unknown. It is widely reported that in UE, the bilateral basal ganglia (BG) shows hyperintensities on T2/fluid attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but cerebellar lesions are extremely rare, with to the best of our knowledge, only one case reported to date. We describe the findings from computed tomography and MRI for typical BG and cerebellar vermis lesions.

Salivary gland enlargement during oesophageal stricture dilatation.

OpenAIRE

Martin, D.

1980-01-01

A case of recurrent salivary gland enlargement occurring during fibreoptic oesophagoscopy and oesophageal stricture dilatation with Eder-Puestow dilators is described. The genesis of this condition is discussed and its transient and usually benign nature emphasized.

A low-density culture method of cerebellar granule neurons with paracrine support applicable for the study of neuronal morphogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubota, Kenta; Seno, Takeshi; Konishi, Yoshiyuki

2013-11-20

Cerebellar granule neuronal cultures have been used to study the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal functions, including neuronal morphogenesis. However, a limitation of this system is the difficulty to analyze isolated neurons because these are required to be maintained at a high density. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to develop a simple and cost-effective method for culturing low-density cerebellar granule neurons. Cerebellar granule cells at two different densities (low- and high-density) were co-cultivated in order for the low-density culture to be supported by the paracrine signals from the high-density culture. This method enabled morphology analysis of isolated cerebellar granule neurons without astrocytic feeder cultures or supplements such as B27. Using this method, we investigated the function of a polarity factor. Studies using hippocampal neurons suggested that glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is an essential regulator of neuronal polarity, and inhibition of GSK-3 results in the formation of multiple axons. Pharmacological inhibitors for GSK-3 (6-bromoindirubin-3'-oxime and lithium chloride) did not cause the formation of multiple axons of cerebellar granule neurons but significantly reduced their length. Consistent results were obtained by introducing kinase-dead form of GSK-3 beta (K85A). These results indicated that GSK-3 is not directly involved in the control of neuronal polarity in cerebellar granule neurons. Overall, this study provides a simple method for culturing low-density cerebellar granule neurons and insights in to the neuronal-type dependent function of GSK-3 in neuronal morphogenesis. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Properties of bilateral spinocerebellar activation of cerebellar cortical neurons

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Pontus eGeborek

2014-10-01

Full Text Available We aimed to explore the cerebellar cortical inputs from two spinocerebellar pathways, the spinal border cell-component of the ventral spinocerebellar tract (SBC-VSCT and the dorsal spinocerebellar tract (DSCT, respectively, in the sublobule C1 of the cerebellar posterior lobe. The two pathways were activated by electrical stimulation of the contralateral lateral funiculus (coLF and the ipsilateral LF (iLF at lower thoracic levels. Most granule cells in sublobule C1 did not respond at all but part of the granule cell population displayed high-intensity responses to either coLF or iLF stimulation. As a rule, Golgi cells and Purkinje cell simple spikes responded to input from both LFs, although Golgi cells could be more selective. In addition, a small population of granule cells responded to input from both the coLF and the iLF. However, in these cases, similarities in the temporal topography and magnitude of the responses suggested that the same axons were stimulated from the two LFs, i.e. that the axons of individual spinocerebellar neurons could be present in both funiculi. This was also confirmed for a population of spinal neurons located within known locations of SBC-VSCT neurons and dorsal horn DSCT neurons. We conclude that bilateral spinocerebellar responses can occur in cerebellar granule cells, but the VSCT and DSCT systems that provide the input can also be organized bilaterally. The implications for the traditional functional separation of VSCT and DSCT systems and the issue whether granule cells primarily integrate functionally similar information or not are discussed.

Body-enlarging effect of royal jelly in a non-holometabolous insect species, Gryllus bimaculatus

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Atsushi Miyashita

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Honeybee royal jelly is reported to have body-enlarging effects in holometabolous insects such as the honeybee, fly and silkmoth, but its effect in non-holometabolous insect species has not yet been examined. The present study confirmed the body-enlarging effect in silkmoths fed an artificial diet instead of mulberry leaves used in the previous literature. Administration of honeybee royal jelly to silkmoth from early larval stage increased the size of female pupae and adult moths, but not larvae (at the late larval stage or male pupae. We further examined the body-enlarging effect of royal jelly in a non-holometabolous species, the two-spotted cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, which belongs to the evolutionarily primitive group Polyneoptera. Administration of royal jelly to G. bimaculatus from its early nymph stage enlarged both males and females at the mid-nymph and adult stages. In the cricket, the body parts were uniformly enlarged in both males and females; whereas the enlarged female silkmoths had swollen abdomens. Administration of royal jelly increased the number, but not the size, of eggs loaded in the abdomen of silkmoth females. In addition, fat body cells were enlarged by royal jelly in the silkmoth, but not in the cricket. These findings suggest that the body-enlarging effect of royal jelly is common in non-holometabolous species, G. bimaculatus, but it acts in a different manner than in holometabolous species.

A spiking network model of cerebellar Purkinje cells and molecular layer interneurons exhibiting irregular firing

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William eLennon

2014-12-01

Full Text Available While the anatomy of the cerebellar microcircuit is well studied, how it implements cerebellar function is not understood. A number of models have been proposed to describe this mechanism but few emphasize the role of the vast network Purkinje cells (PKJs form with the molecular layer interneurons (MLIs – the stellate and basket cells. We propose a model of the MLI-PKJ network composed of simple spiking neurons incorporating the major anatomical and physiological features. In computer simulations, the model reproduces the irregular firing patterns observed in PKJs and MLIs in vitro and a shift toward faster, more regular firing patterns when inhibitory synaptic currents are blocked. In the model, the time between PKJ spikes is shown to be proportional to the amount of feedforward inhibition from an MLI on average. The two key elements of the model are: (1 spontaneously active PKJs and MLIs due to an endogenous depolarizing current, and (2 adherence to known anatomical connectivity along a parasagittal strip of cerebellar cortex. We propose this model to extend previous spiking network models of the cerebellum and for further computational investigation into the role of irregular firing and MLIs in cerebellar learning and function.

Morphological observations on the metanephros in the postnatal opossum, Didelphis virginiana.

Science.gov (United States)

Krause, W J; Cutts, J H; Leeson, C R

1979-10-01

The metanephros of the newborn opossum is very immature, consisting only of collecting tubules and a few immature nephrons. Development during the postnatal period can be divided into two distinct phases. The initial phase occurs during the first 60 days of postnatal life and is concerned with nephronogenesis and the differentiation of nephrons that have formed during this period. The second phase lasts through the remainder of the postnatal period and is concerned with further differentiation and growth of established nephrons. During this latter period the tubular portion of the nephron increases in length and the renal corpuscle increases in diameter. Ultrastructural observations suggest that metanephric nephrons are not functional during the first 4 days of postnatal life, while the mesonephros reaches the height of its development during this period: there may be some functional overlap between the mesonephros and metanephros during the latter part of the first week of postnatal life. The pattern of nephron induction and differentiation in the opossum is discussed.

Tissue Plasminogen Activator Induction in Purkinje Neurons After Cerebellar Motor Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Seeds, Nicholas W.; Williams, Brian L.; Bickford, Paula C.

1995-12-01

The cerebellar cortex is implicated in the learning of complex motor skills. This learning may require synaptic remodeling of Purkinje cell inputs. An extracellular serine protease, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), is involved in remodeling various nonneural tissues and is associated with developing and regenerating neurons. In situ hybridization showed that expression of tPA messenger RNA was increased in the Purkinje neurons of rats within an hour of their being trained for a complex motor task. Antibody to tPA also showed the induction of tPA protein associated with cerebellar Purkinje cells. Thus, the induction of tPA during motor learning may play a role in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity.

Radiology of postnatal skeletal development. Pt. 7

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogden, J.A.; Phillips, S.B.

1983-02-01

Twenty-four pairs of scapulae from fetal specimens and 35 pairs of scapulae from postnatal cadavers ranging in age from full-term neonates to 14 years, were studied morphologically and roentgenographically. Air-cartilage interfacing was used to demonstrate both the osseous and cartilaginous contours. When the entire chondro-osseous dimensions, rather than just the osseous dimensions, were measured, the scapula had a height-width ratio ranging from 1.36 to 1.52 (average 1.44) during most of fetal development. The exceptions were three stillborns with camptomelic, thanatophoric, and achondrogenic dwarfism in which the ratio averaged 0.6. At no time during fetal development was the glenoid cavity convex; it always had a concave articular surface. However, the osseous subchrondral countour was often flat or slightly convex. In the postnatal period the height-width ratio averaged 1.49. The ratio remained virtually unchanged throughout skeletal growth and maturation. In a patient with unilateral Sprengel's deformity the ratio for the normal side was 1.5, while the abnormal was 1.0. The cartilaginous glenoid cavity was always concave during postnatal development, even in the specimens with major structural deformities, although the subchondral osseous contour was usually flat or convex during the first few years of postnatal development. Ossification of the coracoid process began with the development of a primary center at three to four months. A bipolar physis was present between the primary coracoid center and the primary scapular center until late adolescence.

Radiology of postnatal skeletal development. Pt. 7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogden, J.A.; Phillips, S.B.

1983-01-01

Twenty-four pairs of scapulae from fetal specimens and 35 pairs of scapulae from postnatal cadavers ranging in age from full-term neonates to 14 years, were studied morphologically and roentgenographically. Air-cartilage interfacing was used to demonstrate both the osseous and cartilaginous contours. When the entire chondro-osseous dimensions, rather than just the osseous dimensions, were measured, the scapula had a height-width ratio ranging from 1.36 to 1.52 (average 1.44) during most of fetal development. The exceptions were three stillborns with camptomelic, thanatophoric, and achondrogenic dwarfism in which the ratio averaged 0.6. At no time during fetal development was the glenoid cavity convex; it always had a concave articular surface. However, the osseous subchrondral countour was often flat or slightly convex. In the postnatal period the height-width ratio averaged 1.49. The ratio remained virtually unchanged throughout skeletal growth and maturation. In a patient with unilateral Sprengel's deformity the ratio for the normal side was 1.5, while the abnormal was 1.0. The cartilaginous glenoid cavity was always concave during postnatal development, even in the specimens with major structural deformities, although the subchondral osseous contour was usually flat or convex during the first few years of postnatal development. Ossification of the coracoid process began with the development of a primary center at three to four months. A bipolar physis was present between the primary coracoid center and the primary scapular center until late adolescence. (orig.)

Neurophysiological evidence for cerebellar dysfunction in primary focal dystonia.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Teo, J.T.; Warrenburg, B.P.C. van de; Schneider, S.A.; Rothwell, J.C.; Bhatia, K.P.

2009-01-01

Recent studies have suggested that there may be functional and structural changes in the cerebellum of patients with adult onset primary focal dystonia. The aim of this study was to establish whether there is any neurophysiological indicator of abnormal cerebellar function, using the classic

Correlation of clinical course with MRI findings in olivo-pontocerebellar atrophy and late-cortical cerebellar atrophy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konagaya, Masaaki; Morishita, Shinji; Konagaya, Yoko; Takayanagi, Tetsuya; Iwasaki, Satoru

1989-01-01

We quantitatively analyzed 1.5 T MRI in 36 cases of sporadic spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) and 30 control cases without intracranial lesions, using graphic analyzer. SCD consisted of 21 olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy (OPCA) and 15 late cortical cerebellar atrophy (LCCA). There was negative correlation between vermian size and the duration of illness both in OPCA (r=0.8960, p<0.001) and LCCA (r=0.7756, p<0.01), but the progression rate in OPCA was three times greater than that in LCCA. LCCA was suggested the preclinical vermian atrophy by the statistical regression study. In OPCA, the duration of illness also revealed significant correlations with atrophy of ventral pons (r=0.8308, p<0.001) and also cerebellar hemisphere (medial hemiphere; r=0.7278, p<0.001. lateral hemisphere; r=0.6039, p<0.01). OPCA showed diffuse atrophy of cerebellar hemisphere, whereas LCCA showed medial dominant atrophy. OPCA demonstrated significant correlation between the fourth ventricle dilatation and the duration of illness (r=0.6005, p<0.01). A discriminant study significantly separated OPCA, LCCA and control each other by sizes of ventral pons and cerebellar vermis (p<0.001). In T2 weighted MRI, 10 cases out of 14 LCCA did not show hypointensity in dentate nucleus in spite of normal appearance in the other portions usually decreased intensity. The dentate nucleus of OPCA showed a significant atrophy. The insidence of putaminal hypointensity in OPCA was significantly greater than that of control group (ki-quare=6.476, p<0.05). There were no atrophies in red nucleus and tegmentum of midbrain, which indicated minimum involvement in cerebellar efferent system both in OPCA and LCCA. We concluded that the quantitative and qualitative analysis of high field MRI is useful in clinical discrimination between OPCA and LCCA. (author)

DNA damage and cell cycle events implicate cerebellar dentate nucleus neurons as targets of Alzheimer's disease

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Yang Yan

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although the cerebellum is considered to be predominantly involved in fine motor control, emerging evidence documents its participation in language, impulsive behavior and higher cognitive functions. While the specific connections of the cerebellar deep nuclei (CDN that are responsible for these functions are still being worked out, their deficiency has been termed "cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome" - a syndrome that bears a striking similarity to many of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD. Using ectopic cell cycle events and DNA damage markers as indexes of cellular distress, we have explored the neuropathological involvement of the CDN in human AD. Results We examined the human cerebellar dentate nucleus in 22 AD cases and 19 controls for the presence of neuronal cell cycle events and DNA damage using immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Both techniques revealed several instances of highly significant correlations. By contrast, neither amyloid plaque nor neurofibrillary tangle pathology was detected in this region, consistent with previous reports of human cerebellar pathology. Five cases of early stage AD were examined and while cell cycle and DNA damage markers were well advanced in the hippocampus of all five, few indicators of either cell cycle events (1 case or a DNA damage response (1 case were found in CDN. This implies that CDN neurons are most likely affected later in the course of AD. Clinical-pathological correlations revealed that cases with moderate to high levels of cell cycle activity in their CDN are highly likely to show deficits in unorthodox cerebellar functions including speech, language and motor planning. Conclusion Our results reveal that the CDN neurons are under cellular stress in AD and suggest that some of the non-motor symptoms found in patients with AD may be partly cerebellar in origin.

Influences of load characteristics on impaired control of grip forces in patients with cerebellar damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandauer, B; Timmann, D; Häusler, A; Hermsdörfer, J

2010-02-01

Various studies showed a clear impairment of cerebellar patients to modulate grip force in anticipation of the loads resulting from movements with a grasped object. This failure corroborated the theory of internal feedforward models in the cerebellum. Cerebellar damage also impairs the coordination of multiple-joint movements and this has been related to deficient prediction and compensation of movement-induced torques. To study the effects of disturbed torque control on feedforward grip-force control, two self-generated load conditions with different demands on torque control-one with movement-induced and the other with isometrically generated load changes-were directly compared in patients with cerebellar degeneration. Furthermore the cerebellum is thought to be more involved in grip-force adjustment to self-generated loads than to externally generated loads. Consequently, an additional condition with externally generated loads was introduced to further test this hypothesis. Analysis of 23 patients with degenerative cerebellar damage revealed clear impairments in predictive feedforward mechanisms in the control of both self-generated load types. Besides feedforward control, the cerebellar damage also affected more reactive responses when the externally generated load destabilized the grip, although this impairment may vary with the type of load as suggested by control experiments. The present findings provide further support that the cerebellum plays a major role in predictive control mechanisms. However, this impact of the cerebellum does not strongly depend on the nature of the load and the specific internal forward model. Contributions to reactive (grip force) control are not negligible, but seem to be dependent on the physical characteristics of an externally generated load.

Histogram Analysis of Diffusion Tensor Imaging Parameters in Pediatric Cerebellar Tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Matthias W; Narayan, Anand K; Bosemani, Thangamadhan; Huisman, Thierry A G M; Poretti, Andrea

2016-05-01

Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values have been shown to assist in differentiating cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas and medulloblastomas. Previous studies have applied only ADC measurements and calculated the mean/median values. Here we investigated the value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) histogram characteristics of the entire tumor for differentiation of cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas and medulloblastomas. Presurgical DTI data were analyzed with a region of interest (ROI) approach to include the entire tumor. For each tumor, histogram-derived metrics including the 25th percentile, 75th percentile, and skewness were calculated for fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean (MD), axial (AD), and radial (RD) diffusivity. The histogram metrics were used as primary predictors of interest in a logistic regression model. Statistical significance levels were set at p histogram skewness showed statistically significant differences for MD between low- and high-grade tumors (P = .008). The 25th percentile for MD yields the best results for the presurgical differentiation between pediatric cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas and medulloblastomas. The analysis of other DTI metrics does not provide additional diagnostic value. Our study confirms the diagnostic value of the quantitative histogram analysis of DTI data in pediatric neuro-oncology. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

Abnormalities of cerebellar foliation and fissuration: classification, neurogenetics and clinicoradiological correlations

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Demaerel, P. [University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven (Belgium)

2002-08-01

Several genes have been found to influence the different cells involved in the processes of foliation and fissuration in the mouse and rat cerebellum. In the light of these new concepts and on the basis of the imaging findings in 42 patients, a classification is proposed for abnormalities of foliation and fissuration. On the basis of recent genetic and experimental evidence on mechanisms which control the origin of the cerebellum, it is suggested that abnormalities of foliation and fissuration form a single group, with a spectrum of severity. Some patients have only abnormal fissuration of the anterior lobe (type 1a) and others additional dysplasia of the anterior and part of the posterior lobe (type 1b). Extension of abnormalities into the hemispheres is often seen in the latter group. A second group has vermian and hemisphere abnormalities (type 2). In addition to the malformation of the anterior lobe of the vermis, three different hemispheric lesions can be seen in this group: cortical dysgenesis, hypertrophy of the cerebellar cortex, and malorientation of the folia. The mild abnormalities (type 1a) can be considered an incidental observation without clinical relevance. The moderate and severe cerebellar anomalies (type 1b and 2) are always associated with cerebellar symptoms and/or signs. (orig.)

Abnormalities of cerebellar foliation and fissuration: classification, neurogenetics and clinicoradiological correlations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demaerel, P.

2002-01-01

Several genes have been found to influence the different cells involved in the processes of foliation and fissuration in the mouse and rat cerebellum. In the light of these new concepts and on the basis of the imaging findings in 42 patients, a classification is proposed for abnormalities of foliation and fissuration. On the basis of recent genetic and experimental evidence on mechanisms which control the origin of the cerebellum, it is suggested that abnormalities of foliation and fissuration form a single group, with a spectrum of severity. Some patients have only abnormal fissuration of the anterior lobe (type 1a) and others additional dysplasia of the anterior and part of the posterior lobe (type 1b). Extension of abnormalities into the hemispheres is often seen in the latter group. A second group has vermian and hemisphere abnormalities (type 2). In addition to the malformation of the anterior lobe of the vermis, three different hemispheric lesions can be seen in this group: cortical dysgenesis, hypertrophy of the cerebellar cortex, and malorientation of the folia. The mild abnormalities (type 1a) can be considered an incidental observation without clinical relevance. The moderate and severe cerebellar anomalies (type 1b and 2) are always associated with cerebellar symptoms and/or signs. (orig.)

Synaptic pathology in the cerebellar dentate nucleus in chronic multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Monika; Barrantes-Freer, Alonso; Lohrberg, Melanie; Antel, Jack P; Prineas, John W; Palkovits, Miklós; Wolff, Joachim R; Brück, Wolfgang; Stadelmann, Christine

2017-11-01

In multiple sclerosis, cerebellar symptoms are associated with clinical impairment and an increased likelihood of progressive course. Cortical atrophy and synaptic dysfunction play a prominent role in cerebellar pathology and although the dentate nucleus is a predilection site for lesion development, structural synaptic changes in this region remain largely unexplored. Moreover, the mechanisms leading to synaptic dysfunction have not yet been investigated at an ultrastructural level in multiple sclerosis. Here, we report on synaptic changes of dentate nuclei in post-mortem cerebella of 16 multiple sclerosis patients and eight controls at the histological level as well as an electron microscopy evaluation of afferent synapses of the cerebellar dentate and pontine nuclei of one multiple sclerosis patient and one control. We found a significant reduction of afferent dentate synapses in multiple sclerosis, irrespective of the presence of demyelination, and a close relationship between glial processes and dentate synapses. Ultrastructurally, we show autophagosomes containing degradation products of synaptic vesicles within dendrites, residual bodies within intact-appearing axons and free postsynaptic densities opposed to astrocytic appendages. Our study demonstrates loss of dentate afferent synapses and provides, for the first time, ultrastructural evidence pointing towards neuron-autonomous and neuroglia-mediated mechanisms of synaptic degradation in chronic multiple sclerosis. © 2016 International Society of Neuropathology.

The fifth wave of the European Union enlargement: pro et contra

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Batorshina Irina

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This article analyses the principal complex of economic and political motivations of the states of Central and Eastern Europe and the EU members related to the EU enlargement towards the East. Special attention is paid to the discussion on the reasonableness of the EU enlargement and the positions of certain EU members.

Severe Gingival Enlargement with Coexisting Erosive Lichen Planus in Severe Chronic Periodontitis Patient

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Ambika Sharma

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Plaque induced gingival enlargement is most commonly seen and when encountered simultaneously with erosive lichen planus poses a challenge to the treating dentist. Prognosis of one condition may influence the prognosis of another condition. The presented case highlights the significance of proper diagnosis and the management of simultaneously occurring gingival lesions. A 49-year-old hypertensive female presented with painful enlarged bleeding and suppurating gums with burning sensation on eating food along with long-term usage of antihypertensive drug amlodipine known for its gingival enlargement effect. All these multiple factors led to diagnostic dilemma. Effective management of the gingival enlargement was done by using electrocautery to rehabilitate the functions and esthetics of the patient. Gingival condition was also complicated by the presence of coexisting lichen planus which was predominantly erosive for which topical corticosteroid, antifungal, and antimicrobial agents were prescribed. Eight-month follow-up did not show recurrence of gingival enlargement. Electrocautery is an effective tool for the gingivectomy in severe inflammatory type of gingival enlargement because of rapid postoperative hemostasis. For the management of erosive lichen planus, long-term use of topical corticosteroids is an effective approach. Maintenance of oral hygiene and regular follow-ups are essential for these conditions.

A Combination of Machine Learning and Cerebellar Models for the Motor Control and Learning of a Modular Robot

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Baira Ojeda, Ismael; Tolu, Silvia; Pacheco, Moises

2017-01-01

We scaled up a bio-inspired control architecture for the motor control and motor learning of a real modular robot. In our approach, the Locally Weighted Projection Regression algorithm (LWPR) and a cerebellar microcircuit coexist, forming a Unit Learning Machine. The LWPR optimizes the input space...... and learns the internal model of a single robot module to command the robot to follow a desired trajectory with its end-effector. The cerebellar microcircuit refines the LWPR output delivering corrective commands. We contrasted distinct cerebellar circuits including analytical models and spiking models...

Na+/K+-ATPase inhibition partially mimics the ethanol-induced increase of the Golgi cell-dependent component of the tonic GABAergic current in rat cerebellar granule cells.

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Marvin R Diaz

Full Text Available Cerebellar granule cells (CGNs are one of many neurons that express phasic and tonic GABAergic conductances. Although it is well established that Golgi cells (GoCs mediate phasic GABAergic currents in CGNs, their role in mediating tonic currents in CGNs (CGN-I(tonic is controversial. Earlier studies suggested that GoCs mediate a component of CGN-I(tonic that is present only in preparations from immature rodents. However, more recent studies have detected a GoC-dependent component of CGN-I(tonic in preparations of mature rodents. In addition, acute exposure to ethanol was shown to potentiate the GoC component of CGN-I(tonic and to induce a parallel increase in spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic current frequency at CGNs. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these effects of ethanol on GABAergic transmission in CGNs are mediated by inhibition of the Na(+/K(+-ATPase. We used whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology techniques in cerebellar slices of male rats (postnatal day 23-30. Under these conditions, we reliably detected a GoC-dependent component of CGN-I(tonic that could be blocked with tetrodotoxin. Further analysis revealed a positive correlation between basal sIPSC frequency and the magnitude of the GoC-dependent component of CGN-I(tonic. Inhibition of the Na(+/K(+-ATPase with a submaximal concentration of ouabain partially mimicked the ethanol-induced potentiation of both phasic and tonic GABAergic currents in CGNs. Modeling studies suggest that selective inhibition of the Na(+/K(+-ATPase in GoCs can, in part, explain these effects of ethanol. These findings establish a novel mechanism of action of ethanol on GABAergic transmission in the central nervous system.

Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and Infant Growth

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Iszatt, N.; Stigum, H.; Verner, M. A.

2015-01-01

prenatal and postnatal effects. OBJECTIVES: We investigated prenatal and postnatal exposure to POPs and infant growth (a predictor of obesity). METHODS: We pooled data from seven European birth cohorts with biomarker concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl 153 (PCB-153) (n = 2,487), and p...... growth, and it contains state-of-the-art exposure modeling. Prenatal p,p'-DDE was associated with increased infant growth, and postnatal PCB-153 with decreased growth at European exposure levels....

Neural correlates of cerebellar-mediated timing during finger tapping in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

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Lindie du Plessis

2015-01-01

Conclusions: The four cerebellar areas activated by the controls more during rhythmic than non-rhythmic tapping have been implicated in the production of timed responses in several previous studies. These data provide evidence linking binge-like drinking during pregnancy to poorer function in cerebellar regions involved in timing and somatosensory processing needed for complex tasks requiring precise timing.

Postnatal penile growth concurrent with mini-puberty predicts later sex-typed play behavior: Evidence for neurobehavioral effects of the postnatal androgen surge in typically developing boys.

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Pasterski, Vickie; Acerini, Carlo L; Dunger, David B; Ong, Ken K; Hughes, Ieuan A; Thankamony, Ajay; Hines, Melissa

2015-03-01

The masculinizing effects of prenatal androgens on human neurobehavioral development are well established. Also, the early postnatal surge of androgens in male infants, or mini-puberty, has been well documented and is known to influence physiological development, including penile growth. However, neurobehavioral effects of androgen exposure during mini-puberty are largely unknown. The main aim of the current study was to evaluate possible neurobehavioral consequences of mini-puberty by relating penile growth in the early postnatal period to subsequent behavior. Using multiple linear regression, we demonstrated that penile growth between birth and three months postnatal, concurrent with mini-puberty, significantly predicted increased masculine/decreased feminine behavior assessed using the Pre-school Activities Inventory (PSAI) in 81 healthy boys at 3 to 4years of age. When we controlled for other potential influences on masculine/feminine behavior and/or penile growth, including variance in androgen exposure prenatally and body growth postnally, the predictive value of penile growth in the early postnatal period persisted. More specifically, prenatal androgen exposure, reflected in the measurement of anogenital distance (AGD), and early postnatal androgen exposure, reflected in penile growth from birth to 3months, were significant predictors of increased masculine/decreased feminine behavior, with each accounting for unique variance. Our findings suggest that independent associations of PSAI with AGD at birth and with penile growth during mini-puberty reflect prenatal and early postnatal androgen exposures respectively. Thus, we provide a novel and readily available approach for assessing effects of early androgen exposures, as well as novel evidence that early postnatal aes human neurobehavioral development. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Barriers to utilization of postnatal care at village level in Klaten district, central Java Province, Indonesia.

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Probandari, Ari; Arcita, Akhda; Kothijah, Kothijah; Pamungkasari, Eti Poncorini

2017-08-07

Maternal health remains a persisting public health challenge in Indonesia. Postnatal complications, in particular, are considered as maternal health problems priority that should be addressed. Conducting adequate care for postnatal complications will improve the quality of life of mothers and babies. With the universal health coverage implementation, the Indonesian government provides free maternal and child health services close to clients at the village level, which include postnatal care. Our study aimed to explore barriers to utilization of postnatal care at the village level in Klaten district, Central Java Province, Indonesia. A qualitative study was conducted in March 2015 - June 2016 in Klaten district, Central Java, Indonesia. We selected a total of 19 study participants, including eight mothers with postnatal complications, six family members, and five village midwives for in-depth interviews. We conducted a content analysis technique on verbatim transcripts of the interviews using open code software. This study found three categories of barriers to postnatal care utilization in villages: mother and family members' health literacy on postnatal care, sociocultural beliefs and practices, and health service responses. Most mothers did not have adequate knowledge and skills regarding postnatal care that reflected how they lacked awareness and practice of postnatal care. Inter-generational norms and myths hindered mothers from utilizing postnatal care and from having adequate nutritional intake during the postnatal period. Mothers and family members conducted unsafe self-treatment to address perceived minor postnatal complication. Furthermore, social power from extended family influenced the postnatal care health literacy for mother and family members. Postnatal care in the village lacked patient-centered care practices. Additionally, midwives' workloads and capacities to conduct postnatal information, education and counseling were also issues. Despite the

Differential Effects of Ethanol on c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase, 14-3-3 Proteins, and Bax in Postnatal Day 4 and Postnatal Day 7 Rat Cerebellum

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Heaton, Marieta Barrow; Paiva, Michael; Kubovic, Stacey; Kotler, Alexandra; Rogozinski, Jonathan; Swanson, Eric; Madorsky, Vladimir; Posados, Michelle

2011-01-01

These studies investigated ethanol effects on upstream cellular elements and interactions which contribute to Bax-related apoptosis in neonatal rat cerebellum at ages of peak ethanol sensitivity (postnatal day 4 [P4]), compared to later ages of relative resistance (P7). Analyses were made of basal levels of the pro-apoptotic c-jun N-termimal kinase (JNK), Bax, and the 14-3-3 anchoring proteins, as well as the responsiveness of these substances to ethanol at P4 versus P7. Dimerization of Bax with 14-3-3 was also investigated at the two ages following ethanol treatment, a process which sequesters Bax in the cytosol, thus inhibiting its mitochondrial translocation and disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential. Cultured cerebellar granule cells were used to examine the protective potential of JNK inhibition on ethanol-mediated cell death. Basal levels of JNK were significantly higher at P4 than P7, but no differences in the other proteins were found. Activated JNK, and cytosolic and mitochondrially-translocated Bax were increased in P4 but not P7 animals following ethanol exposure, while protective 14-3-3 proteins were increased only at P7. Ethanol treatment resulted in decreases in Bax:14-3-3 heterodimers at P4, but not at P7. Inhibition of JNK activity in vitro provided partial protection against ethanol neurotoxicity. Thus, differential temporal vulnerability to ethanol in this CNS region correlates with differences in both levels of apoptosis-related substances (e.g., JNK), and differential cellular responsiveness, favoring apoptosis at the most sensitive age and survival at the resistant age. The upstream elements contributing to this vulnerability can be targets for future therapeutic strategies. PMID:22169498

Bilateral Cerebellar Medulloblastoma in Adults: Report of Two Cases

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Cerquera Cabrera, Fredy Martin; Patino Mendez, Ricardo; Mantilla Mantilla, Maria Isabel

2011-01-01

Medulloblastoma is considered to be part of the group of primitive neuroectodermal tumors. It is well known that medulloblastoma is the most common malignancy of the central nervous system in the pediatric population, and the most common primary tumor of the posterior fossa in children. In contrast, it has a very low prevalence in adults. Imaging signs of medulloblastoma have been described in children, consisting of mid-line masses, usually well defined and typically hyperdense on non-contrast CT images, but that show intense homogeneous enhancement with contrast medium. in adults, these characteristics vary, usually with poorly defined cerebellar hemispheric masses showing cystic degeneration or necrosis, and minor enhancement with contrast medium, when compared to the pediatric population. Both children and adults share a variable appearance on MRI, as well as secondary leptomeningeal involvement and distant metastases. This paper describes two confirmed cases of bilateral hemispheric cerebellar medulloblastomas in adult patients with an unusual and interesting imaging presentation not yet reported in the literature.

[Atypical cerebellar neurocytoma resembling a hemangioblastoma. A case report].

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Lista Martínez, Olalla; Rivas López, Luis Alfredo; Pombo Otero, Jorge Francisco; Amaro Cendón, Santiago; Bravo García, Christian; Villa Fernández, Juan Manuel

2014-01-01

Through August 2013, 105 cases of intracranial extraventricular neurocytoma (EVN) had been described; 6% were located in cerebellum and 22% were atypical EVN. A rare morphologic form of neurocytoma, atypical EVN has had only 24 cases reported to date. Its prognosis is poorer than the typical central neurocytoma. This case report describes an atypical cerebellar EVN, a form that has not been reported yet, hence the interest of this article. We emphasise its cystic nature and mural nodule, in an infrequent presentation. EVN are low-incidence tumours that we need to take into consideration when making the differential diagnosis of cystic cerebellar lesions with mural nodule. Given that the prognosis of atypical EVNs depends on the atypical nature and on the grade of resection, medical follow up has to be more constant, due to the greater degree of recurrence. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Neurocirugía. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Western Balkan States and the European Union Enlargement

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Gelina Maliqi (Ramolli

2011-07-01

Full Text Available For half a century, European Union-(EU has pursued ever-deeper integration while taking in new members. It’s marked as an important step in relationship deepening between EU and Western Balkans-(WBs where Albania is part of. In 2003, EU declared that the future of WBs is within EU. Initially it adopted a generous strategy that linked the timetable for accession to the pace of reform in WBs. The declaration contained a conditional promise; EU would consider WBs for membership only if they reached EU standards. The EU was motivated by usual economic considerations connected to enlargement and a desire to increase regional stability. The enlargement process regarding Albania will bring several reforms on different fields. Our country will benefit from a share of multibeneficiary funds for competitiveness, SMEs, energy efficiency and banking sector regulation. This presentation handles out these main issues: EU policy and the enlargement process regarding Albania inspecting the way and progress done up to now by our country, the main features of our national EUcoordination system, concluding in a SWOT Analysis of EU-coordination system in Albania. Eventually, I believe that Albania being part of WBs is at one time an opportunity and a challenge for the future of EU.

Sub-Lethal Dose of Shiga toxin 2 from Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli Affects Balance and Cerebellar Cythoarquitecture.

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Luciana eD’Alessio

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli may damage the central nervous system before or concomitantly to manifested hemolytic uremic syndrome symptoms. The cerebellum is frequently damaged during this syndrome, however the deleterious effects of Shiga toxin 2 has never been integrally reported by ultrastructural, physiological and behavioral means. The aim of this study was to determine the cerebellar compromise after intravenous administration of a sub-lethal dose of Shiga toxin 2 by measuring the cerebellar blood brain barrier permeability, behavioral task of cerebellar functionality (inclined plane test, and ultrastructural analysis (transmission electron microscope. Intravenous administration of vehicle (control group, sub-lethal dose of 0.5 ηg and 1 ηg of Stx2 per mouse were tested for behavioral and ultrastructural studies. A set of three independent experiments were performed for each study (n=6. Blood–Brain Barrier resulted damaged and consequently its permeability was significantly increased. Lower scores obtained in the inclined plane task denoted poor cerebellar functionality in comparison to their controls. The most significant lower score was obtained after 5 days of 1ηg of toxin administration. Transmission electron microscope micrographs from the Stx2-treated groups showed neurons with a progressive neurodegenerative condition in a dose dependent manner. As sub-lethal intravenous Shiga toxin 2 altered the blood brain barrier permeability in the cerebellum the toxin penetrated the cerebellar parenchyma and produced cell damaged with significant functional implications in the test balance.

Salivary gland enlargement during oesophageal stricture dilatation.

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Martin, D.

1980-01-01

A case of recurrent salivary gland enlargement occurring during fibreoptic oesophagoscopy and oesophageal stricture dilatation with Eder-Puestow dilators is described. The genesis of this condition is discussed and its transient and usually benign nature emphasized. Images Fig. 1 PMID:7393809

Tumescent power liposuction in the treatment of the enlarged male breast.

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Boni, Roland

2006-01-01

Tumescent power liposuction is widely used on various parts of the body for minimal-access lipectomy. The undesired fat deposits are injected with tumescence fluid containing saline, epinephrine, bicarbonate and lidocaine; the latter is used as the only source of pain control. The fat is then removed using vibrating microcannulas. To evaluate the value of tumescent power liposuction in the treatment of the enlarged male breast. 38 male patients aged 23-64 years (mean age 39.8 +/- 9.7 years) with enlarged breasts were enrolled in the study. In 32 patients, breasts were enlarged due to fat tissue, and the ductal glands were not palpable (pseudogynecomastia). In 6 patients, the ductal glands were enlarged (gynecomastia). All patients were treated with tumescent liposuction over a 2-year period using a single entry site from the axillary fossa. Both fat as well as ductal and stromal tissue were removed by microcannulas. None of the patients had early postoperative complications of infection, hematoma or seroma. There were no treatment-induced asymmetries, contour deformities or irregularities. No open excision or skin reduction procedures were required. Tumescent liposuction using a single entry site in the axillary fossa is a minimally invasive technique to treat enlarged male breasts. Both fat (pseudogynecomastia in adipose patients) as well as ductal and stromal tissue (in gynecomastia) can be removed with tumescent liposuction, resulting in a high level of patient satisfaction. Copyright 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Cortical Amyloid Beta in Cognitively Normal Elderly Adults is Associated with Decreased Network Efficiency within the Cerebro-Cerebellar System.

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Steininger, Stefanie C; Liu, Xinyang; Gietl, Anton; Wyss, Michael; Schreiner, Simon; Gruber, Esmeralda; Treyer, Valerie; Kälin, Andrea; Leh, Sandra; Buck, Alfred; Nitsch, Roger M; Prüssmann, Klaas P; Hock, Christoph; Unschuld, Paul G

2014-01-01

Deposition of cortical amyloid beta (Aβ) is a correlate of aging and a risk factor for Alzheimer disease (AD). While several higher order cognitive processes involve functional interactions between cortex and cerebellum, this study aims to investigate effects of cortical Aβ deposition on coupling within the cerebro-cerebellar system. We included 15 healthy elderly subjects with normal cognitive performance as assessed by neuropsychological testing. Cortical Aβ was quantified using (11)carbon-labeled Pittsburgh compound B positron-emission-tomography late frame signals. Volumes of brain structures were assessed by applying an automated parcelation algorithm to three dimensional magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo T1-weighted images. Basal functional network activity within the cerebro-cerebellar system was assessed using blood-oxygen-level dependent resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging at the high field strength of 7 T for measuring coupling between cerebellar seeds and cerebral gray matter. A bivariate regression approach was applied for identification of brain regions with significant effects of individual cortical Aβ load on coupling. Consistent with earlier reports, a significant degree of positive and negative coupling could be observed between cerebellar seeds and cerebral voxels. Significant positive effects of cortical Aβ load on cerebro-cerebellar coupling resulted for cerebral brain regions located in inferior temporal lobe, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, and thalamus. Our findings indicate that brain amyloidosis in cognitively normal elderly subjects is associated with decreased network efficiency within the cerebro-cerebellar system. While the identified cerebral regions are consistent with established patterns of increased sensitivity for Aβ-associated neurodegeneration, additional studies are needed to elucidate the relationship between dysfunction of the cerebro-cerebellar system and risk for AD.

Altered Functional Connectivity of Cognitive-Related Cerebellar Subregions in Alzheimer’s Disease

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Weimin Zheng

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer’s disease (AD is the most common cause of dementia. Previous studies have found disrupted resting state functional connectivities (rsFCs in various brain networks in the AD patients. However, few studies have focused on the rsFCs of the cerebellum and its sub-regions in the AD patients. In this study, we collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI data including 32 AD patients and 38 healthy controls (HCs. We selected two cognitive-related subregions of the cerebellum as seed region and mapped the whole-brain rsFCs for each subregion. We identified several distinct rsFC patterns of the two cognitive-related cerebellar subregions: default-mode network (DMN, frontoparietal network (FPN, visual network (VN and sensorimotor network (SMN. Compared with the controls, the AD patients showed disrupted rsFCs in several different networks (DMN, VN and SMN, predicting the impairment of the functional integration in the cerebellum. Notably, these abnormal rsFCs of the two cerebellar subregions were closely associated with cognitive performance. Collectively, we demonstrated the distinct rsFCs patterns of cerebellar sub-regions with various functional networks, which were differentially impaired in the AD patients.

Thyroid hormone action in postnatal heart development

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Ming Li

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Thyroid hormone is a critical regulator of cardiac growth and development, both in fetal life and postnatally. Here we review the role of thyroid hormone in postnatal cardiac development, given recent insights into its role in stimulating a burst of cardiomyocyte proliferation in the murine heart in preadolescence; a response required to meet the massive increase in circulatory demand predicated by an almost quadrupling of body weight during a period of about 21 days from birth to adolescence. Importantly, thyroid hormone metabolism is altered by chronic diseases, such as heart failure and ischemic heart disease, as well as in very sick children requiring surgery for congenital heart diseases, which results in low T3 syndrome that impairs cardiovascular function and is associated with a poor prognosis. Therapy with T3 or thyroid hormone analogs has been shown to improve cardiac contractility; however, the mechanism is as yet unknown. Given the postnatal cardiomyocyte mitogenic potential of T3, its ability to enhance cardiac function by promoting cardiomyocyte proliferation warrants further consideration.

Relationship between intracranial internal carotid artery calcification and enlarged cerebral perivascular space