Electroencephalograms features of the early stage Parkinson’s disease

© 2014, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. A new method for analyzing the time-frequency dynamics of brain’s background electrical activity is described. It is used to detect at least three main features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in its early stages: (1) hemispheric asymmetry in the time-frequency characteristics (EEG) in the central recording areas of the motor cortex, (2) the emergence in these recording areas of EEG rhythms in the frequency range of 4–6 Hz and its relation to electromyograms (EMG) and the mechanical tremor of contralateral limbs in the case of tremor-dominant PD, and (3) the disruption of the dominant rhythm corresponding to views generally held on the disorganization of different systems in PD

Phase equilibria in the Sn-As-Ge and Sn-As-P systems

T-x diagrams of polythermal GeAs-SnAs, GeAs-SnAs sections of the Sn-As-Ge system and SnP-Sn As section of the Sn-As-P system were constructed using the results of X-ray powder diffraction and differential thermal analyses. It was found that the section GeAs-SnAs is not quasi-binary due to realization of four-phase peritectic transformation L + SnAs →GeAs + SnAs at the temperature of 834 K. The quasi-binary section GeAs-SnAs represents a phase diagram of the eutectic type with the following coordinates of eutectic reaction: temperature of the eutectic point is 840 K, and composition is 20 mol% GeAs. In the Sn-As-P system, the existence of the solid-solution range indicated as (SnAs) (SnP) was defined. The polythermal section SnP-SnAs is not quasi-binary due to the fact that in the composition range with a high content of tin arsenide discussed section intersects the peritectic part of the three-phase volume (L + SnAs + α) of the ternary diagram

COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: ASSOCIATION WITH THE ACTIVITY OF INFLAMMATORY PROCESS AND SEVERITY OF DISABILITY

Background: Multiple sclerosis is the most common neurological disease leading to disability in young and productive patients. One of available methods of control over the course of the disease and detection of its progression is neuropsychological testing. However, selection of the most informative tests, as well as the search for interpretation of their results is still ongoing.Aim: To study cognitive functions in multiple sclerosis patients depending on the disease activity and degree of disability.Materials and methods: Fifty patients with multiple sclerosis were evaluated during their remissions and 15 of them were additionally assessed during an exacerbation. During neuropsychological testing a computer test “Selection of figures” was used for assessment of attention, productivity, frontal functions and visual neglect. We studied potential dependency of the parameters obtained from degree of disability and disease stage (exacerbation or remission). The control group comprised 12 healthy subjects.Results: Compared to healthy subjects, the multiple sclerosis patients had a prolonged time of test performance, decreased learning, and statistically significant decrease of the working efficacy (p < 0.05). During an attack, there was a decreased conceptualization (48 answers compared to 51.5 at remission stage); more than 3-fold (from 1,3 to 4,4) increase in the number of figures missed in one visual field, that could indirectly indicate visual neglect. Also, changes in frontal functions were noted as a tendency to almost 2-fold higher numbers of perseverative answers, more frequent categorical escape and learning abnormality. There was a positive correlation between expanded disability scale score (EDSS) and working efficacy (r = 0.453, p = 0.001), and a negative correlation between EDSS and mental stability (r = 0.4055, p = 0.0035).Conclusion: Patients with multiple sclerosis had abnormal rate and accuracy of test performance, compared to those in healthy subjects. During an exacerbation of the disease, there was a deterioration of the parameters compared to those registered in the remission. Also, a negative association with disease severity assessed by EDSS, was found. The data obtained documents feasibility of the computer test “Selection of figures” for dynamic control in multiple sclerosis patients

Prediction of basal glycaemia dynamics during treatment with 6-month lipid-lowering therapy in patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease

Background. A major meta-analysis has confirmed the ability of statins to exert both diabetogenic and hyperglycaemic effects. To date, practical recommendations for predicting glucose dynamics during lipid-lowering therapy have not been developed. Aims. Identify the combination of factors that can predict changes in basal glycaemia during 6-month lipid-lowering therapy in patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Methods. This study reports on 50 patients with diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, and 18 patients with coronary artery disease without disorders of carbohydrate metabolism. Of note, 29 of the 50 diabetic or glucose intolerant patients had documented ischaemic heart disease (stable angina). Patients were randomised into three groups: Gr.1 (n=33, atorvastatin therapy), Gr.2 (n=17, atorvastatin in combination with ezetimibe) and Gr.3 (n=18, rosuvastatin therapy). After treatment for 24 weeks, we assessed lipid profile dynamics, metabolism of glucose/insulin and the HOMA-IR index. Multivariate analysis was then performed to identify factors that predicted increases in basal glycaemia. Results. All of the included patients completed 24 weeks of treatment (N=68). Lipid-lowering effect was significant in all three groups, and overall, target LDL cholesterol level was achieved in 50% of patients (n=34). In Gr.2, basal glucose level increased from 5.5(5.36.6) to 6.3(5.67.8) mmol/l (p=0.0014), which was accompanied by an increase in HOMA-IR (p=0.024). No significant change in basal glycaemia was observed in Grs.1 and 3. Moreover, an increase in the basal glycaemia was observed in 48.5% of patients in Gr.1, 70.6% in Gr.2 and 44.4% in Gr.3. Multivariate discriminant analysis across all patient groups revealed a canonical linear discriminant function that included the following factors: baseline basal glucose levels, total cholesterol levels, triglycerides and ratio of LDL/HDL cholesterol. Sensitivity and specificity of the model accounted for 75%; 51 out of the 68 cases were correctly classified when predicting the dynamics of basal glucose during lipid-lowering therapy. Conclusions. Our data demonstrate the ability to predict the dynamics of the basal glycaemia during lipid-lowering therapy. This may allow for a new way to identify patients at high risk of statin-related increases in glycaemia

Method for hydrophytic plant sample preparation for light and electron microscopy (studies on Phragmites australis Cav.)

Nowadays there are no well-established, standard methods in electron microscopy despite its 50-year history. An excessive variety of research objects prompt researchers to modify and improve methodological approaches to sample preparation. One of the difficult objects to study by electron microscopy is hydrophytic plants, for example, Phragmites australis Cav. Traditional approaches to fixation and sample preparation do not give satisfactory results due to the peculiarities in structure and physiology of hydrophytic plants. The purpose of present research is modification description of the widespread method developed for double fixation of hydrophytic plant tissue for transmission electron microscopy. Suggested approach takes into account the features of hydrophyte plants. • The developed method allows improving the quality of plant samples by additional fixatives imbibition and removing of air bubbles from aerenchyma tissue using a vacuum. • The new step of sample preparation consisting in the layer-by-layer sample mixing in a special inclined mixer is applied for the embedding media penetrate sufficiently into the sample tissue. • The process of samples inclusion in polymeric resins is carried out in the flat-bottom capsules. Compare to standard conical capsules, flat-bottom capsules allow strictly defined orientation sample pieces, that is permit to produce a semi-thin and ultra-thin slices of perpendicular to the longitudinal structures of the plant. This is especially important to conduct an adequate comparative analysis of dimensions, shape, and electron density of fragments and parts of the studying samples. Method name: Method for hydrophytic plant sample preparation for light and electron microscopy, Keywords: Method of plant preparation, Transmission electron microscopy, Ultrastructural analysis, Contamination with heavy meta

Electroencephalograms features of the early stage Parkinson’s disease

© 2014, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. A new method for analyzing the time-frequency dynamics of brain’s background electrical activity is described. It is used to detect at least three main features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in its early stages: (1) hemispheric asymmetry in the time-frequency characteristics (EEG) in the central recording areas of the motor cortex, (2) the emergence in these recording areas of EEG rhythms in the frequency range of 4–6 Hz and its relation to electromyograms (EMG) and the mechanical tremor of contralateral limbs in the case of tremor-dominant PD, and (3) the disruption of the dominant rhythm corresponding to views generally held on the disorganization of different systems in PD

Electroencephalograms features of the early stage Parkinson’s disease

© 2014, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. A new method for analyzing the time-frequency dynamics of brain’s background electrical activity is described. It is used to detect at least three main features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in its early stages: (1) hemispheric asymmetry in the time-frequency characteristics (EEG) in the central recording areas of the motor cortex, (2) the emergence in these recording areas of EEG rhythms in the frequency range of 4–6 Hz and its relation to electromyograms (EMG) and the mechanical tremor of contralateral limbs in the case of tremor-dominant PD, and (3) the disruption of the dominant rhythm corresponding to views generally held on the disorganization of different systems in PD

Electroencephalograms features of the early stage Parkinson’s disease

© 2014, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. A new method for analyzing the time-frequency dynamics of brain’s background electrical activity is described. It is used to detect at least three main features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in its early stages: (1) hemispheric asymmetry in the time-frequency characteristics (EEG) in the central recording areas of the motor cortex, (2) the emergence in these recording areas of EEG rhythms in the frequency range of 4–6 Hz and its relation to electromyograms (EMG) and the mechanical tremor of contralateral limbs in the case of tremor-dominant PD, and (3) the disruption of the dominant rhythm corresponding to views generally held on the disorganization of different systems in PD