Catatonia:Our current understanding of its diagnosis, treatment and pathophysiology

Catatonia is a psychomotor syndrome that has been reported to occur in more than 10% of patients with acute psychiatric illnesses. Two subtypes of the syndrome have been identified. Catatonia of the retarded type is characterized by immobility, mutism, staring, rigidity, and a host of other clinical signs. Excited catatonia is a less common presentation in which patients develop prolonged periods of psychomotor agitation. Once thought to be a subtype of schizophrenia, catatonia is now recognized to occur with a broad spectrum of medical and psychiatric illnesses, particularly affective disorders. In many cases, the catatonia must be treated before any underlying conditions can be accurately diagnosed. Most patients with the syndrome respond rapidly to low-dose benzodiazepines, but electroconvulsive therapy is occasionally required. Patients with longstanding catatonia or a diagnosis of schizophrenia may be less likely to respond. The pathobiology of catatonia is poorly understood, although abnormalities in gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate signaling have been suggested as causative factors. Because catatonia is common, highly treatable, and associated with significant morbidity and mortality if left untreated, physicians should maintain a high level of suspicion for this complex clinical syndrome. Since 1989, we have systematically assessed patients presenting to our psychiatry service with signs of retarded catatonia. In this paper, we present a review of the current literature on catatonia along with findings from the 220 cases we have assessed and treated.

Enteric glia mediate neuronal outgrowth through release of neurotrophic factors

Previous studies have shown that transplanted enteric glia enhance axonal regeneration, reduce tissue damage, and promote functional recovery following spinal cord injury. However, the mechanisms by which enteric glia mediate these beneficial effects are unknown. Neurotrophic factors can promote neuronal differentiation, survival and neurite extension. We hypothesized that enteric glia may exert their protective effects against spinal cord injury partially through the secretion of neurotrophic factors. In the present study, we demonstrated that primary enteric glia cells release nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor over time with their concentrations reaching approximately 250, 100 and 50 pg/mL of culture medium respectively after 48 hours. The biological relevance of this secretion was assessed by incubating dissociated dorsal root ganglion neuronal cultures in enteric glia-conditioned medium with and/or without neutralizing antibodies to each of these proteins and evaluating the differences in neurite growth. We discovered that conditioned medium enhances neurite outgrowth in dorsal root ganglion neurons. Even though there was no detectable amount of neurotrophin-3 secretion using ELISA analysis, the neurite outgrowth effect can be attenuated by the antibody-mediated neutralization of each of the aforementioned neurotrophic factors. Therefore, enteric glia secrete nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-3 into their surrounding environment in concentrations that can cause a biological effect.

Unexpected Occurrence of Fetal Hemophagocytic Syndrome in a Patient with Hereditary Diffuse Leukoencephalopathy with Spheroids

Colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) plays important roles in the differentiation and proliferation of macrophage and microglia in systemic organs and the brain. A genetic defect in CSF1R causes hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with spheroids (HDLS). HDLS mainly affects the cerebral white matter and shows pre-senile cognitive decline, motor disturbance, and epilepsy. However, systemic manifestations outside the brain have not yet been described in patients with HDLS. Here, we report the case of a 41-year-old man with HDLS carrying the p. K793T mutation in CSF1R, who unexpectedly died of sepsis and hemophagocytic syndrome shortly after the onset of HDLS. The fetal sequence of sepsis and hemophagocytic syndrome was triggered by enterocolitis. An autopsy revealed that focal inflammation in the intestine had almost resolved. Most strikingly, massive infiltration of cluster of differentiation (CD) 68- and CD163-immunopositive macrophages with hemophagocytosis was observed in the bone marrow, spleen, and liver. Less abundant infiltration of CD68- and CD204-immunopositive macrophages without hemophagocytosis was also seen in the lung and intestine. At present, the pathogenetic link between CSF1R mutation and hemophagocytic syndrome in this patient is unclear. Our case, however, clearly shows that even in patients with HDLS, aberrant activation of functional macrophages can be induced under certain conditions in visceral organs.

Monoarthropathy or Polyarthritis in Adolescent Japanese Girls Who Received Immunization with the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine

Joint pain or arthralgia is a common complaint among girls who have received immunization with the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, but the pathogenesis of this disorder has not been completely understood. We report 2 cases of joint lesions after HPV vaccination. In one case, a 13-year-old patient showed transient arthropathy in the right wrist joint after the first dose of Gardasil® administered in her left shoulder. In the other case, an 18-year-old patient had migrating joint pain with redness and swelling after the third dose of Cervarix®. Her serum C-reactive protein and anti-MMP-3 levels were slightly elevated, but no autoantibodies, including rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibody, were detected. Although various nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs produced no relief, small doses of both tacrolimus and prednisolone were highly effective for her polyarthritis. The development of reactive joint lesions after HPV vaccination was noteworthy.

A Case with XXXX Syndrome Who Was Incidentally Diagnosed during Examination for Suspected Post-Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Syndrome

A 19-year-old Japanese woman was referred to us with the complaints of arthralgia and meralgia following human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. She received HPV vaccination at the age of 15 years and three years later, she developed intermittent arthralgia, meralgia, and numbness in limbs. There were no orthostatic dysregulation symptoms. She had hypertelorism, and brachydactyly in both the hands, and revealed mild cubitus varus deformity with lateral instability. X-ray examination disclosed hypoplasia of the humeral capitellum and trochlea in elbow joints. G-banded chromosomes were shown to be composed of 48, XXXX. She was, therefore, diagnosed with XXXX syndrome, which explained the reason for her limb symptoms. Although some girls with HPV vaccination complain of various symptoms including limb pain and numbness, exact underlying cause of these symptoms needs to be ascertained carefully for reaching a final diagnosis.

Significance of native PLGA nanoparticles in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease pathology

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is believed to be triggered by increased levels/aggregation of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides. At present, there is no effective disease-modifying treatment for AD. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of FDA-approved native poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles on Aβ aggregation and in cellular/ animal models of AD. Our results showed that native PLGA can not only suppress the spontaneous aggregation but can also trigger disassembly of preformed Aβ aggregates. Spectroscopic studies, molecular dynamics simu-lations and biochemical analyses revealed that PLGA, by interacting with the hydrophobic domain of Aβ1-42, prevents a conformational shift towards the β-sheet structure, thus precluding the formation and/or triggering disassembly of Aβ aggregates. PLGA-treated Aβ samples can enhance neuronal viability by reducing phosphor-ylation of tau protein and its associated signaling mechanisms. Administration of PLGA can interact with Aβ aggregates and attenuate memory deficits as well as Aβ levels/deposits in the 5xFAD mouse model of AD. PLGA can also protect iPSC-derived neurons from AD patients against Aβ toxicity by decreasing tau phosphorylation. These findings provide unambiguous evidence that native PLGA, by targeting different facets of the Aβ axis, can have beneficial effects in mouse neurons/animal models as well as on iPSC-derived AD neurons - thus signifying its unique therapeutic potential in the treatment of AD pathology.

Small P values may not yield robust findings:an example using REST-meta-PD

Thousands of resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging(RS-f MRI)articles have been published on brain disorders.For precise localization of abnormal brain activity,a voxel-level comparison is needed.Because of the large number of voxels in the brain,multiple comparison correction(MCC)must be performed to reduce false positive rates,and a smaller P value(usually including either liberal or stringent MCC)is widely recommended[1].

An unusual biconvex epidural lesion:acutely presenting extraosseous intracranial Ewing's sarcoma

Background:Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors consists of small round cell neoplasms,inclusive of primitive neuroectodermal tumor(PNET),Askin's tumor,and PNET of the bone.Extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma occurs commonly at bones of lower extremities and paravertebral region of the spine.It rarely presents as a primary intracranial lesion.When intracranial,it can be misdiagnosed as central PNET(e.g.,medulloblastoma,pinealoblastoma,or supratentorial PNET),other intracranial lesions,or even as an epidural hematoma.Case presentation:We report the case of a 20-year-old patient who presented to the emergency department with complaints of drowsiness,headache,and fever for 1 day.On initial computed tomography(CT)scan of the brain,a right temporal biconvex epidural lesion involving squamous-temporal bone with periosteal reaction was noted.The patient underwent urgent craniotomy,and a tumor was found and excised.Biopsy report confirmed Ewing's sarcoma.Conclusion:Ewing's sarcoma is a rare intracranial malignancy with only a few cases reported in literature.In a young patient with a biconvex epidural lesion,in the absence of trauma or ongoing infection,the possibility of Ewing's sarcoma should be considered as well.