Mitochondria in Huntington’s disease:implications in pathogenesis and mitochondrial-targeted therapeutic strategies

Huntington’s disease is a genetic disease caused by expanded CAG repeats on exon 1 of the huntingtin gene located on chromosome 4.Compelling evidence implicates impaired mitochondrial energetics,altered mitochondrial biogenesis and quality control,disturbed mitochondrial trafficking,oxidative stress and mitochondrial calcium dyshomeostasis in the pathogenesis of the disorder.Unfortunately,conventional mitochondrial-targeted molecules,such as cysteamine,creatine,coenzyme Q10,or triheptanoin,yielded negative or inconclusive results.However,future therapeutic strategies,aiming to restore mitochondrial biogenesis,improving the fission/fusion balance,and improving mitochondrial trafficking,could prove useful tools in improving the phenotype of Huntington’s disease and,used in combination with genome-editing methods,could lead to a cure for the disease.

Clinical Application of Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment Battery-Second Edition in Evaluating of Cognitive Function of Chinese Patients with Post-stroke Aphasia

Objective To investigate the clinical application value of Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment （LOTCA） battery in Chinese patients with post-stroke aphasia. Methods Cognitive fimctions of 59 Chinese patients with aphasia following a stroke were assessed with the Chinese version of the second edition of LOTCA battery and their linguistic functions were tested with the Western Aphasia Battery （WAB） Scale, respectively. The results of LOTCA were analyzed and compared across different groups, in the light of gender, age, educational background, the length of illness, and the degree of aphasia.

Relationship between syndrome elements and anterior communicating artery opening in patients with smptomatic severe carotid artery stenosis/occlusion

Objective To study the relationship between syndrome elements and anterior communicating artery(ACoA)opening in patients with symptomatic severe carotid artery stenosis/occlusion.Methods Thirty-six patients with symptomatic severe carotid stenosis/occlusion were collected,including 26 patients with cerebral infarction and 10 patients with transient ischemic attack(TIA).Syndrome elements at five time points were collected.Computer tomography angiography(CTA)combined with magenic resonance angiograp(MRA)was used to evaluate the primary collateral circulation,and the prognosis and syndrome elements were statistically analyzed according to whether the ACoA was open or not.Results The ACoA was open more in the primary collateral circulation among patients with symptomatic severe carotid stenosis/occlusion.There was a statistically significant difference in national institute of health stroke scale(NIHSS)score improvement and good prognosis[the modified rankin scale(mRS)≤2]between the ACoA open group and the ACoA nonopen group on the 90th day(P<0.05).The proportion of patients with internal wind syndrome,blood stasis syndrome,Qi deficiency syndrome,and Yin deficiency syndrome in the ACoA non-open group was higher than that in the open group.Conclusion In the patients with severe carotid artery stenosis/occlusion,the group with presence of anterior communicating artery had better prognosis.The syndrome elements are more complex in the group without the presence of anterior communicating artery.The proportion of Qi deficiency syndrome was positively correlated with the non-opening of anterior communicating artery.The imaging evaluation of collateral circulation can provide guidance for syndrome differentiation and treatment.

Relationship between linguistic functions and cognitive functions in a clinical study of Chinese patients with post-stroke aphasia

Background There has been a long debate among scholars surrounding the relationship between language and cognition. The worldwide study of aphasia is actively exploring the function of language from cognitive point of view. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between linguistic functions and cognitive functions in a clinical study of Chinese patients with post-stroke aphasia. Methods Cognitive functions of 63 Chinese patients with aphasia following a stroke were assessed with the Chinese version of the second edition of Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment （LOTCA） battery and their linguistic functions were tested with the Western Aphasia Battery （WAB） Scale, respectively. The correlation between the results observed on the LOTCA battery and those on the WAB was analyzed. Aphasia quotient, performance quotient, cortical quotient, and linguistic function of the patients were compared. Then, each language function was analyzed by way of dependent adopt multiple regression analysis. Results The total score of 63 patients as shown on the LOTCA battery was significantly correlated with the aphasia quotient, performance quotient, and cortical quotient observed on the WAB Scale （P 〈0.05, P 〈0.01）. However, the correlation between visuomotor organization under LOTCA and repeat under WAB was not significant （P 〉0.05）. The attention of LOTCA and WAB＇s spontaneous speech, repeat, naming, and aphasia quotient was not relevant either （P 〉0.05）. In addition, correlations between the results observed on the LOTCA battery and the WAB were significant （P 〈0.05, P 〈0.01）. Among the significant variables finally entered into the standardized canonical discriminant functions, main factors affected the aphasia. Multiple regression analysis showed that orientation, spatial perception, and visual perception had a notable influence on aphasia quotient and naming. Orientation and thinking operation was found to have a notable influence on spontaneous speech. Spatial perception and visual perception was found to have a notable influence on auditory comprehension. Thinking operation and orientation was found to have an obvious influence on reading. Thinking operation, spatial perception, and attention was found to have a notable effect on writing （P 〈0.01）. Conclusion There exists a close relationship between linguistic functions and cognitive orientation, spatial perception, visual perception, and thinking operation in a clinical study of Chinese patients with post-stroke aphasia.

Study on Language Rehabilitation for Aphasia

Objective： The aim is to update our clinical recommendations on a systematic review of the literature from 1999 to 2015. for evidence-based language rehabilitation of people with aphasia, based Data Sources： Articles referred to in this systematic review of the Medline and PubMed published in English language literatures were from 1998 to 2015. The terms used in the literature searches were aphasia and evidenced-based. Study Selection： The task force initially identified citations for 51 published articles. Of the 51 articles, 44 studies were selected after further detailed review. Six articles, which were not written in English, and one study related to laryngectomy rehabilitation interventions, were excluded from the study. This study referred to all the important and English literature in full. Results： Aphasia is the linguistic disability, which usually results from injuries to the dominant hemisphere of the brain. The rehabilitation of aphasia is until in the process of being debated and researched. Evidence-based medicine （EBM）, EBM based on the clinical evidence, promotes the practice of combining the clinicians＇ first-hand experience and the existing objective and scientific evidence encouraging making decisions based on both empirical evidence and the scientific evidence. Currently, EBM is being gradually implemented in the clinical practice as the aim of the development of modem medicine. Conclusions： At present, the research for the aphasia rehabilitation mainly focuses on the cognitive language rehabilitation and the intensive treatment and the precise treatment, etc. There is now sufficient information to support evidence-based protocols and implement empirically-supported treatments for linguistic disability after traumatic brain injury and stroke, which can be used to develop linguistic rehabilitation guidelines for patients with aphasia.