Background: Recent literature reported a recurrent increase in hemorrhagic stroke (HS) rates in low- and middle-income countries. However, the causes and mechanisms of the rising HS rates are unknown. To address these...Background: Recent literature reported a recurrent increase in hemorrhagic stroke (HS) rates in low- and middle-income countries. However, the causes and mechanisms of the rising HS rates are unknown. To address these issues, the present epidemiological study was carried out in the neurovascular unit of the neurology department at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Cocody in Abidjan (Africa). Methods: The study included 60 patients hospitalized from January 1 to December 31, 2016, who underwent brain CT (computerized tomography) scans. We examined the medical records and survey forms in these patients with acute stroke (within 7 days) admitted to the Neurovascular Unit receiving only stroke patients. In these patients, we explored stroke distribution according to socio-demographic variables: age, gender and socio-professional categories. In addition, common risk factors were assessed. Results: In Côte d’Ivoire, our studies showed an ischemic stroke (IS) rate of 66.67% and a hemorrhagic stroke (HS) rate of 33.33%. Our studies indicated that stroke particularly affects the 40 - 60 age group. Then, stroke frequency has fallen in the 30 - 40 and 60 - 70 age groups, becoming rare in relatively young (70 years) subjects. In the sample analyzed, stroke occurred in women (56.67%) compared with men (43.33%). However, there was no gender-specific predilection for stroke. In addition, 90% of strokes occur in the working population and 10% in the non-working population. Arterial hypertension was the highest medical risk factor among patients (66.13%), compared with the other risk factors i.e. alcohol (17.42%), smoking (12.90%), previous stroke (9.67%), diabetes (6.65%), heart disease (6.65%) and dyslipidemia (3.23%). Specifically, hypertension was the main risk factor causing HS (45%) and IS (21.66%) in patients. Conclusion: Stroke particularly affected socio-economically active subjects (aged 40 - 60) in Africa, which were subjected to high prevalence of hemorrhagic stroke (HS). Chronic stress related to working life and unfavorable socioeconomic conditions would be a triggering event for hemorrhagic stroke.展开更多
Background: We studied the development of eight (8) different psychomotor and sensory functions in male and female rats, from postnatal day 10 to 45, with the aim of determining whether the ontogenesis of these functi...Background: We studied the development of eight (8) different psychomotor and sensory functions in male and female rats, from postnatal day 10 to 45, with the aim of determining whether the ontogenesis of these functions was subject to sexual dimorphism. Methods: Wistar rats bred according to standard conditions in our laboratories were put into reproduction. Ten days after whelping, male and female pups were identified and subjected to a battery of behavioral tests on postnatal days 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 45, to assess the development of the following psychomotor and sensory functions: Exploratory activity, locomotor activity, emotional defecation, hind paws lifting reflex latency, wire-grasping time, Latencies of execution of crawling along the wire and of leap onto the ground, nociception (tail flick) and body weight. Results: Only complex brain functions generated by cerebral cortex activities, i.e. exploratory activity and leap execution latency, do not undergo differential development sex-dependent. However, voluntary motor functions initiated in the motor cortex, and requiring high peripheral muscle performance such as crawling execution latency and wire-grasping time developed more rapidly in males than in females. Correlatively, body weight i.e. muscle mass index increased more speedily in males than in females. On the other hand, studies of automatic motor functions such as locomotor activity, and reflex motor functions i.e. hind paws lifting reflex latency and tail flick latency showed earlier development in females than in males. In addition, the study of emotional response, an emanation of limbic structures, showed prodigious development in females compared to males. Conclusion: Our studies have shown that there is a developmental sexual dimorphism of the central nervous system in the rat. Indeed, studies of automatic and reflex motor functions, whose activities are essentially linked to the spinal cord and brainstem, indicated that hindbrain areas develop more speedily in females than in males. Likewise, study of the emotional response emanating from diencephalic limbic structures, in particular the hypothalamus, showed a prodigious and early development in females compared to males. Taken together, our studies indicate that the vast majority of brain structures and functions reached maturation earlier in females than in males. Estrogen is the trigger hormone for early maturation of the female brain.展开更多
The molecular and cellular mechanisms by which alcohol produces its deleterious effects on neuronal networks are only now beginning to be understood. This review focused on alcohol-induced neurobiological alterations ...The molecular and cellular mechanisms by which alcohol produces its deleterious effects on neuronal networks are only now beginning to be understood. This review focused on alcohol-induced neurobiological alterations on neuronal network components underlying information processing, for further understanding of intellectual disability related to FASD. Abnormal neurodevelopmental events related to alcohol-damaged fetal brain included neurogenesis inhibition, aberrant migration, impaired differentiation, exacerbated apoptosis, impaired axon outgrowth and branching altering synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity, abnormal GABAergic interneurons triggering synaptic inhibitory/excitatory imbalance, reduced myelinogenesis causing injured white matter in prefrontal lobe and atrophied corpus callosum compromising interhemispheric information transfer, the whole compromising neuronal network scaffolding which may lead to biased information processing with deficits in executive function. What added to these abnormalities are smaller gray matter and reduced hippocampus, resulting in cognition and memory failures. As a whole, these developmental disorders may underlie intellectual disability related to FASD. In rodents, these neuronal network components matured mainly during the second and third trimesters equivalents of human gestation. Transferability of results from animal to human was also discussed. It was hoped that the understanding of alcohol-induced neuronal networks failure mechanisms during the developing brain may lay a foundation for prospective new treatments and interventions.展开更多
文摘Background: Recent literature reported a recurrent increase in hemorrhagic stroke (HS) rates in low- and middle-income countries. However, the causes and mechanisms of the rising HS rates are unknown. To address these issues, the present epidemiological study was carried out in the neurovascular unit of the neurology department at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Cocody in Abidjan (Africa). Methods: The study included 60 patients hospitalized from January 1 to December 31, 2016, who underwent brain CT (computerized tomography) scans. We examined the medical records and survey forms in these patients with acute stroke (within 7 days) admitted to the Neurovascular Unit receiving only stroke patients. In these patients, we explored stroke distribution according to socio-demographic variables: age, gender and socio-professional categories. In addition, common risk factors were assessed. Results: In Côte d’Ivoire, our studies showed an ischemic stroke (IS) rate of 66.67% and a hemorrhagic stroke (HS) rate of 33.33%. Our studies indicated that stroke particularly affects the 40 - 60 age group. Then, stroke frequency has fallen in the 30 - 40 and 60 - 70 age groups, becoming rare in relatively young (70 years) subjects. In the sample analyzed, stroke occurred in women (56.67%) compared with men (43.33%). However, there was no gender-specific predilection for stroke. In addition, 90% of strokes occur in the working population and 10% in the non-working population. Arterial hypertension was the highest medical risk factor among patients (66.13%), compared with the other risk factors i.e. alcohol (17.42%), smoking (12.90%), previous stroke (9.67%), diabetes (6.65%), heart disease (6.65%) and dyslipidemia (3.23%). Specifically, hypertension was the main risk factor causing HS (45%) and IS (21.66%) in patients. Conclusion: Stroke particularly affected socio-economically active subjects (aged 40 - 60) in Africa, which were subjected to high prevalence of hemorrhagic stroke (HS). Chronic stress related to working life and unfavorable socioeconomic conditions would be a triggering event for hemorrhagic stroke.
文摘Background: We studied the development of eight (8) different psychomotor and sensory functions in male and female rats, from postnatal day 10 to 45, with the aim of determining whether the ontogenesis of these functions was subject to sexual dimorphism. Methods: Wistar rats bred according to standard conditions in our laboratories were put into reproduction. Ten days after whelping, male and female pups were identified and subjected to a battery of behavioral tests on postnatal days 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 45, to assess the development of the following psychomotor and sensory functions: Exploratory activity, locomotor activity, emotional defecation, hind paws lifting reflex latency, wire-grasping time, Latencies of execution of crawling along the wire and of leap onto the ground, nociception (tail flick) and body weight. Results: Only complex brain functions generated by cerebral cortex activities, i.e. exploratory activity and leap execution latency, do not undergo differential development sex-dependent. However, voluntary motor functions initiated in the motor cortex, and requiring high peripheral muscle performance such as crawling execution latency and wire-grasping time developed more rapidly in males than in females. Correlatively, body weight i.e. muscle mass index increased more speedily in males than in females. On the other hand, studies of automatic motor functions such as locomotor activity, and reflex motor functions i.e. hind paws lifting reflex latency and tail flick latency showed earlier development in females than in males. In addition, the study of emotional response, an emanation of limbic structures, showed prodigious development in females compared to males. Conclusion: Our studies have shown that there is a developmental sexual dimorphism of the central nervous system in the rat. Indeed, studies of automatic and reflex motor functions, whose activities are essentially linked to the spinal cord and brainstem, indicated that hindbrain areas develop more speedily in females than in males. Likewise, study of the emotional response emanating from diencephalic limbic structures, in particular the hypothalamus, showed a prodigious and early development in females compared to males. Taken together, our studies indicate that the vast majority of brain structures and functions reached maturation earlier in females than in males. Estrogen is the trigger hormone for early maturation of the female brain.
文摘The molecular and cellular mechanisms by which alcohol produces its deleterious effects on neuronal networks are only now beginning to be understood. This review focused on alcohol-induced neurobiological alterations on neuronal network components underlying information processing, for further understanding of intellectual disability related to FASD. Abnormal neurodevelopmental events related to alcohol-damaged fetal brain included neurogenesis inhibition, aberrant migration, impaired differentiation, exacerbated apoptosis, impaired axon outgrowth and branching altering synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity, abnormal GABAergic interneurons triggering synaptic inhibitory/excitatory imbalance, reduced myelinogenesis causing injured white matter in prefrontal lobe and atrophied corpus callosum compromising interhemispheric information transfer, the whole compromising neuronal network scaffolding which may lead to biased information processing with deficits in executive function. What added to these abnormalities are smaller gray matter and reduced hippocampus, resulting in cognition and memory failures. As a whole, these developmental disorders may underlie intellectual disability related to FASD. In rodents, these neuronal network components matured mainly during the second and third trimesters equivalents of human gestation. Transferability of results from animal to human was also discussed. It was hoped that the understanding of alcohol-induced neuronal networks failure mechanisms during the developing brain may lay a foundation for prospective new treatments and interventions.
