{"title":"Optimizing Alzheimer's prediction with dental care: comparing robust deep learning models in health and retirement study of America.","authors":"Hamed Taheri, Farhan Musaie, Nazanin Mohammadzadeh, Parsa Tavassoli Naini, Nargol Novin, Omid Salimi, Alireza Amini, Hadis Malekpour, Parsa Panahiyan, Mahta Malek, Alireza Fathiazar, Reza Namadkolahi","doi":"10.62347/HSUL1026","DOIUrl":"10.62347/HSUL1026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Previous research has illustrated links between dental care and Alzheimer's disease, the aim of this study was to examine whether dental care variables can enhance Alzheimer's risk prediction using two models including Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN) models with health and retirement study data.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>9,979 HRS participants without cognitive impairment were analysed in this study (mean age 67 years; and 59.8% female, waves 11-15: 2006/2008-2016). Analysis included 52 predictors including demographic, genetic (APOE ε4), health (including dental visit frequency), and psychosocial domains. The outcomes as cognitive impairment and dementia were defined by Langa-Kabeto-Weir criteria. Class imbalance was addressed by SMOTE and missing data were mean imputed. We standardized and reshaped features into five-wave temporal sequences. Data were split into 3 sets: 70% training, 10% validation, and 20% test. LSTM (single layer, 64 units) and TCN (two dilated convolutional layers, 32 channels) models were trained for up to 50 epochs using binary cross-entropy loss with Adam optimizer, learning-rate reduction on plateau, and early stopping based on validation F1. The accuracy, precision, recall, F1, and AUC-ROC were evaluated via Five-fold stratified cross-validation; the optimization of classification thresholds was done by maximizing F1. McNemar's test compared final predictions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>It was evident that LSTM consistently outperformed TCN as demonstrated by the following results: test accuracy 99.78% vs 79.01%; AUC-ROC 99.95% vs 92.74%; F1-score 99.67% vs 75.27%. Cross-validation consistency (LSTM F1 ~99.6%±0.1% vs TCN ~76.6%±1.5%) and stable validation-test metrics (final validation loss 0.0136 vs 0.3312) showed robust LSTM performance without overfitting. moreover, McNemar's test showed a significant difference (statistic = 2605.36; P<0.001). models with dental care variables showed high sensitivity (~99.8%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Enhancement in Alzheimer's disease risk prediction in older adults was evident when incorporating dental care variables in LSTM-based sequential modeling which suggest potential for early detection. However, further studies in diverse populations and assessment of feature importance is necessary because of reliance on self-reported dental care data and the study's HRS-specific sample.</p>","PeriodicalId":72170,"journal":{"name":"American journal of neurodegenerative disease","volume":"15 2","pages":"16-24"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13389711/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148563891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Difficulty with taking medications and the future risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: Health and Retirement Study of Americans.","authors":"Sajjad Hajihosseini, Elham Panahandeh, Alireza Rashidi, Kamyar Soleimani, Faizeh Parvandi, Navid Rostami, Hamed Mottaghi, Sana Rahmani, Mohaddeseh Belbasi, Fatemeh Bideshki, Mahsa Faramin Lashkarian, Mohammad Amin Ebrahimi, Haleh Alizadeh","doi":"10.62347/MLNW2832","DOIUrl":"10.62347/MLNW2832","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study aims to determine if self-reported issues with managing medication could be an early sign of cognitive decline, possibly pointing to a future diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). There is currently very little information available about the link between issues with medication management and the later diagnosis of an ADRD, despite the potential clinical importance of such a link.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed Health and Retirement Study participants present and interviewed at Wave 11 (2012) and followed them through Wave 16 (2020). Medication-taking difficulty (R11MEDS) was classified as no difficulty/don't do vs. difficulty/can't do. Separate cohorts excluded prevalent dementia (R11DEMENE) or AD (R11ALZHEE). Incident outcomes were first respondent-reported physician diagnoses (RwDEMENE, RwALZHEE). Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable Cox models estimated associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 18,878 dementia-free and 19,348 AD-free HRS respondents at Wave 11, 3.0-3.9% reported difficulty/could not take medications. Kaplan-Meier curves diverged early between exposure groups. In fully adjusted Cox models, medication-taking difficulty predicted higher hazards of incident all-cause dementia (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.23-2.06) and AD (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.09-2.27), with corroborating pooled logistic estimates.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Difficulty in Managing Medications is considered to be a robust prodromal indicator of ADRD, regardless of demographic influences. Therefore, the evaluation of an individual's ability to manage medications within routine assessment may represent a practical, costeffective means to identify cognitive decline and develop appropriate management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":72170,"journal":{"name":"American journal of neurodegenerative disease","volume":"15 1","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13389712/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148563851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ghazaleh Jamalipour Soufi, Ali Hekmatnia, Amirhossein Sadeghian, Seyed Hamed Tooyserkani, Farzaneh Hekmatnia, Andrew Parviz Zarei, Farshad Riahi
{"title":"Neurobrucellosis presenting as acute stroke with brain abscesses: a case report.","authors":"Ghazaleh Jamalipour Soufi, Ali Hekmatnia, Amirhossein Sadeghian, Seyed Hamed Tooyserkani, Farzaneh Hekmatnia, Andrew Parviz Zarei, Farshad Riahi","doi":"10.62347/IDCW6071","DOIUrl":"10.62347/IDCW6071","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brucellosis is a prevalent zoonotic disease that is associated with consuming produce from animals infected with Brucella species, usually in the form of unpasteurized milk and milk products. The involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) is an uncommon but dangerous indication of neurobrucellosis. Neurobrucellosis can cause specific imaging findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, we report a very rare case of neurobrucellosis presenting with stroke-like symptoms that were treated using antibiotics. A 38-year-old male was referred with a presenting complaint of headache, ataxia, and dysarthria. He was admitted one month prior for possible cerebral vascular accident (CVA), which was ruled out. On neurological examination, left-central facial paralysis and bilateral positive Babinski sign were observed. The brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed with and without contrast demonstrated an acute ischemic stroke in the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory and extra-axial heterogeneous ring-enhancing lesions, respectively. Brucellosis was confirmed on serological assessment. In rare instances, neurobrucellosis can cause stroke-like symptoms and brain abscesses. Neurobrucellosis should be considered in such patients when other neurological disorders cannot explain neuroimaging abnormalities.</p>","PeriodicalId":72170,"journal":{"name":"American journal of neurodegenerative disease","volume":"14 6","pages":"120-127"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12816869/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146020872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ashaq Hussain Parrey, Manzoor Koka, Mohd Ismail, Abrar Dar
{"title":"Congenital myasthenic syndromes a rare case of AGRN mutation.","authors":"Ashaq Hussain Parrey, Manzoor Koka, Mohd Ismail, Abrar Dar","doi":"10.62347/HYNF1809","DOIUrl":"10.62347/HYNF1809","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are rare inherited disorders of neuromuscular transmission caused by mutations in presynaptic, synaptic, or postsynaptic components. They usually manifest in childhood with fatigability, ptosis, ophthalmoplegia, and generalized weakness, but late presentations also occur.</p><p><strong>Case summary: </strong>We report a 20-year-old male presenting with heart failure and respiratory failure who was found to have a heterozygous AGRN gene mutation (c.4319>T; p. Pro1440Leu). Clinical features included muscle wasting, weakness, restricted gaze, and respiratory compromise requiring ICU care. Genetic sequencing confirmed AGRN-related CMS. Management included ICU support, pyridostigmine trial, heart failure therapy, salbutamol, and fluoxetine with improvement.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Diagnosis of CMS requires clinical suspicion, characteristic electrophysiology, and genetic confirmation. Treatment varies with subtype; AGRN-related CMS responds variably to salbutamol and ephedrine, while cholinesterase inhibitors may be ineffective. Prognosis depends on timely diagnosis and management.</p>","PeriodicalId":72170,"journal":{"name":"American journal of neurodegenerative disease","volume":"14 5","pages":"108-111"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12630699/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145590047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mahshid Bahrami, Ali Hekmatnia, Jafar Mehvari-Habibabadi, Armin Sourani, Neda Ramezani, Sara Azizollahi
{"title":"Comparing thalamic volumes between focal cortical dysplasia patients and healthy individuals.","authors":"Mahshid Bahrami, Ali Hekmatnia, Jafar Mehvari-Habibabadi, Armin Sourani, Neda Ramezani, Sara Azizollahi","doi":"10.62347/RVMT9627","DOIUrl":"10.62347/RVMT9627","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a congenital deformity caused by FCD maturation, differentiation, and neuronal migration. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the most popular and consistent procedures for diagnosing FCD. Limited research has evaluated the relationship between the FCD and thalamic volume. Therefore, we conducted the current study to compare thalamic volumes between patients with FCD and healthy individuals.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The current study was a cross-sectional study of patients with FCD referred to Kashani and Milad Hospitals in Isfahan City in 2019-2021. All patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study using the census method. The study population was divided into two groups: patients with FCD and healthy controls. MRI was performed on patients with FCD using a Siemens 1.5 or 3 Tesla MRI device. The data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics for Windows (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 18.0).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 60 patients, 30 had FCD with a mean age of 22.6 ± 9.3 years, and 30 were healthy with a mean age of 26.3 ± 3.6 years. The only significant difference observed was between the right and left thalamic volumes in the FCD group (P = 0.042). The thalamus on the involved side was significantly smaller than that on the non-involved side in patients (<i>P</i>-value < 0.001). However, no significant differences were observed in the absolute value of the difference between the left and right thalamic volumes when comparing all patients with FCD to those in the non-FCD group (P = 0.054).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study showed that in patients with FCD, the thalamus on the involved side was significantly smaller than that on the noninvolved side.</p>","PeriodicalId":72170,"journal":{"name":"American journal of neurodegenerative disease","volume":"14 5","pages":"112-119"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12630700/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145590007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Early fetal sex determination: the predictive value of anogenital distance and fetal heart rate in first-trimester ultrasound.","authors":"Somayeh Shirazinejad, Mehrangiz Dadkhah, Elahe Zarean","doi":"10.62347/PXTZ6395","DOIUrl":"10.62347/PXTZ6395","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Determining fetal sex during the early stages can help identify potential x-linked disorders and predict pregnancy complications and outcomes related to fetal sex. Few studies have evaluated the use of anogenital distance (AGD) and fetal heart rate (FHR) as sonographic markers for predicting fetal sex in the first trimester. Therefore, this study aimed to predict fetal sex by measuring AGD and FHR using ultrasound in the first trimester.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study was conducted at Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Isfahan City, in 2022-2023. Ultrasound scans of 143 singleton pregnancies between 11 and 13 plus 6 gestational weeks and their fetal sex at birth were collected. The exact age of pregnancy was determined by measuring crown-rump length (CRL). The diagnostic value of AGD and FHR in predicting fetal sex was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and indicators such as sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and the area under the curve (AUC) were reported.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 143 pregnant women with the mean age of 31.08 ± 5.26 years were entered to our study. The mean CRL and FHR in male and female fetuses were not significantly associated with fetal sex (P > 0.001). However, AGD was significantly higher in male fetuses than in female fetuses (P < 0.001). Moreover, we found that AGD at the cut-off point of 4.2 mm had a significant diagnostic value in predicting male sex (AUC = 0.792; P < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study demonstrated that AGD measurement, unlike FHR and CRL, could be a valuable procedure for predicting fetal sex.</p>","PeriodicalId":72170,"journal":{"name":"American journal of neurodegenerative disease","volume":"14 4","pages":"100-107"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12455036/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145139388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sherifa Ahmed Hamed, Mohamed Ahmed Abd-ElHamed, Amira Mohamed Oseily, Mohamed Kamal Sabra Mohamed
{"title":"Assessment of auditory perceptual functions in patients with Parkinson's disease.","authors":"Sherifa Ahmed Hamed, Mohamed Ahmed Abd-ElHamed, Amira Mohamed Oseily, Mohamed Kamal Sabra Mohamed","doi":"10.62347/PZQE5280","DOIUrl":"10.62347/PZQE5280","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hearing impairments are manifestations of Parkinson's disease (PD). We aimed to assess central auditory processing (CAP) functions with PD and their predictors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a cross-sectional study. It included 35 patients (male = 21; female = 14). The severity of PD was assessed using modified Hoehn and Yahr Scale. The severities of depression and cognitive manifestations were assessed using Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Participants underwent audiometry and testing of CAP using dichotic digit (DDT), duration pattern (DPT) and speech in noise (SPIN) tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Patients had mean age at presentation of 56.66 ± 11.05 yrs and mean duration of PD of 4.77 ± 2.73 yrs. Among were ~69% of patients were in early stages of the disease. Compared to controls (n = 25), patients had poor cognition [MMSE: 20.98 ± 2.36, P = 0.001; MoCA: 18.41 ± 3.00, P = 0.001], hearing impairment at high frequencies (4000 HZ), higher speech reception threshold (SRT) (P = 0.001) and worse performance in DDT (P = 0.0001), DPT (P = 0.0001) and SPIN (P = 0.001). These impairments were independently correlated with cognitive deficits (DDT: P = 0.036; DPT: P = 0.050, SPIN: P = 0.023).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>CAP dysfunctions occur in early stages of PD. They include impairments in auditory discrimination, spatial perception, binaural integration, temporal ordering or sequencing, and selective attention. The DDT, DPT and SPIN are useful battery measures for testing CAP with PD. Dopamine deficiencies in PD at different auditory pathway levels including the brainstem and cortico-subcortical levels and neurodegenerative diffuse PD pathology can be the causes of CAP impairments.</p>","PeriodicalId":72170,"journal":{"name":"American journal of neurodegenerative disease","volume":"14 3","pages":"82-99"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12267191/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144676654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Spatial memory deficits in Parkinson's disease: neural mechanisms and assessment.","authors":"Sara García-Navarra, Tania Llana, Marta Méndez","doi":"10.62347/CKGV8650","DOIUrl":"10.62347/CKGV8650","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects motor function. However, PD may also result in substantial cognitive impairments, including spatial memory deficits. Spatial memory, defined as the ability to encode, store, and retrieve information about environmental spatial orientation, is a critical component of daily functioning. A comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying these deficits is imperative for the development of targeted interventions. This narrative review explores the neural basis of spatial memory deficits in PD, summarizing evidence from neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies. In addition, it examines current assessment methods and their clinical applications. Spatial memory is primarily governed by the hippocampus and interconnected cortical and subcortical structures, including the basal ganglia, the prefrontal cortex, and the anterior cingulate cortex. In PD, dopaminergic degeneration in the substantia nigra leads to functional disruptions in these networks. The basal ganglia, particularly the striatum, play a crucial role in procedural aspects of spatial navigation, while the hippocampus is essential for allocentric mapping. The utilization of functional neuroimaging techniques has yielded evidence of altered activity in these regions, which is concomitant with spatial memory deficits. Traditional neuropsychological assessments, laboratory-based tasks, and recent advancements, including virtual reality-based tasks, have been employed in the evaluation of spatial memory. The identification of spatial memory deficits in PD is of significant diagnostic and therapeutic importance. Future research should focus on integrating multimodal assessment tools to enhance diagnostic accuracy and explore novel therapeutic approaches targeting spatial memory dysfunction. The cause of spatial memory deficits in PD is multifactorial, arising from complex interactions between dopaminergic depletion and dysfunction in hippocampal-cortical networks. Advancements in assessment methodologies and targeted interventions hold considerable potential for enhancing spatial cognitive outcomes in patients diagnosed with PD. However, further research is required to refine diagnostic tools and develop effective rehabilitation strategies that are targeted at spatial memory impairments in PD.</p>","PeriodicalId":72170,"journal":{"name":"American journal of neurodegenerative disease","volume":"14 3","pages":"67-81"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12267192/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144676655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Advances in nanotechnology for targeted drug delivery in neurodegenerative diseases.","authors":"Diana Rafieezadeh, Golkamand Sabeti, Amirreza Khalaji, Hossein Mohammadi","doi":"10.62347/QHVI3317","DOIUrl":"10.62347/QHVI3317","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis, are a growing healthcare challenge due to their impact on quality of life and the difficulty in treating them. These disorders are associated with brain lesions and barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB), that impede effective treatment. Nanotechnology, especially functionalized nanoparticles (NPs), is emerging as a promising tool for overcoming these barriers. Nanoparticles, such as liposomes, polymeric micelles, and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), show potential for targeted drug and gene delivery to the brain, enhancing bioavailability, circulation time, and treatment efficacy. Nanocarrier-based systems have demonstrated success in protecting nucleic acids from degradation, improving BBB penetration, and delivering genetic material to target specific brain areas. Exosomes and artificial vesicles also hold promise for their size and biocompatibility. Gold nanoparticles are gaining attention for their neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties, particularly in treating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and stroke. These systems can modify gene expression and address the underlying mechanisms of these diseases. In addition to drug delivery, noninvasive strategies like intranasal administration are being explored to enhance patient adherence. However, challenges remain, including regulatory hurdles and the need for further research to optimize these technologies. As research advances, the synergy between materials science, bioengineering, and medicine will pave the way for more effective treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study is to explore the potential of functionalized NPs in overcoming the BBB and improving targeted drug delivery for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":72170,"journal":{"name":"American journal of neurodegenerative disease","volume":"14 2","pages":"51-57"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12089748/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Do multiple reconstructive surgeries increase loss of cervical lordosis in patients with multilevel degenerative cervical diseases? A retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Tao Liu, Zhongzheng Zhi, Fuchao Zhou, Weicheng Pan, Rongcheng Zhang, Zhimin He, Shuiqiang Qiu","doi":"10.62347/MKUX5540","DOIUrl":"10.62347/MKUX5540","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Study design: </strong>A retrospective cohort study.</p><p><strong>Background and objective: </strong>There are no data on changes in cervical sagittal alignment and curvature after second and third surgeries in patients with multilevel cervical degenerative diseases (CDD). This study aimed to explore these changes following multiple decompression and reconstruction surgeries.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>145 patients with multilevel CDD were enrolled based on medical records extracted from 2015 to 2023. They were divided into three groups according to the number of surgeries. 63 patients underwent first decompression and reconstruction surgery (Group 1), 53 patients underwent second surgery (Group 2) and 29 patients underwent third surgery (Group 3). Clinical parameters (Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score for neural functional recovery, visual analogue scale (VAS) and neck disability index (NDI) for neck pain) and radiologic parameters (T1 slope (T1S), cervical lordosis (C2-7CL), C2-7 sagittal vertical axis (C2-7SVA)) were reviewed and analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean period between final surgery and last follow-up was more than 12 months. There were significant differences among 3 groups in terms of operation time, blood loss and hospital stay (P < 0.001). Functional scores changed significantly after decompression surgeries (P < 0.001) in 3 groups. Radiographic parameters increased after surgery in group 1 (P < 0.001), while C2-7CL and T1S decreased after second and third surgery in group 2 and group 3 (P < 0.001). Comparing with group 1, there were significant differences showed in terms of C2-7CL, T1S, NDI and VAS in group 2 and group 3 (P < 0.05), NDI and VAS were significantly larger in group3 compare with group 2 (P < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Multiple surgeries may exacerbate cervical lordosis loss and increase axial pain, necessitating cautious surgical planning for multilevel CDD.</p>","PeriodicalId":72170,"journal":{"name":"American journal of neurodegenerative disease","volume":"14 2","pages":"58-66"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12089749/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}