Objective: To investigate whether methylene blue (MB) treatment can reverse neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction caused by oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD) injury and then investigate whether MB treatment can reduce neuronal apoptosis and improve blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity in traumatic brain injury (TBI) animals. Methods: Reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were used to evaluate mitochondrial function. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was used to assess neuronal apoptosis in vitro. TUNEL and immunofluorescence staining for neuronal nuclei (NeuN) were combined to assess neuronal apoptosis in vivo. An Evans blue (EB) permeability assay and brain water content (BWC) were used to measure BBB permeability in vivo. The Morris water maze (MWM), rotarod test, and modified Neurological Severity Score (mNSS) test were employed to assess the prognosis of TBI mice. Results: MB treatment significantly reversed neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction caused by OGD injury. Both in vitro and in vivo, MB treatment reduced neuronal apoptosis and improved BBB integrity. In TBI animals, treatment with MB not only improved cognitive and motor function caused by TBI but also significantly improved overall neurological function. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that MB is a potential candidate for the treatment of TBI. Future research should focus on other therapeutic effects and mechanisms of MB in secondary brain injury.

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented serious threats to people’s health and lives. Police officers are bravely fighting on the front lines of the epidemic. The main purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of psychological responses among police officers during the COVID-19 pandemic and find influencing factors in depression and anxiety. Methods: A cross-sectional online questionnaire was administered to police officers in Wuhu through WeChat, and data were collected between March 10 and 26, 2020. A total of 3,561 questionnaires were received, of which 3,517 were considered valid. The questionnaires included demographic information and a psychological survey. The depression scale of the Patient Health QuestionnaireQ9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale were utilized to assess depression and anxiety, respectively. Results: The mean depression score of participants was 4.10± 4.87 (0– 27), and 12.17%had moderate–severe depression. The mean anxiety score of participants was 3.59± 4.228 (0– 21), and 8.79% had moderate–severe anxiety. Older and married police officers were at higher risk of anxiety. Those with a bachelor’s degree or above, living near the city center, and taking sleeping pills were at greater risk of depression and anxiety. Auxiliary police had lower depression and anxiety scores. Depression scores were strongly correlated withanxiety scores (r=0.863, p< 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings identify factors associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety that can be utilized to develop psychological interventions to improve the mental health of vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: Affective symptoms and attention impairments are found in patients with hyperthyroidism. Our previous data have revealed that the patients with hyperthyroidism experience impairments of the attention networks, but it remains unclear whether these disorders persist after the treatment of hyperthyroidism. Methods: Twenty healthy controls and 25 hyperthyroid patients were recruited and performed the attention network test (ANT) which can simultaneously examine the alertness, orientation and execution control components of the participants. The effect of treatment on affective symptom and attention networks impairments were examined in the patient group after 1-year anti-thyroid medication and reaching euthyroidism for at least 3 months. Results: Anxiety and depression scores of patients with hyperthyroidism were significantly higher than those of the healthy control group. The patients with hyperthyroidism had impairments of the alerting and executive control networks. Meanwhile, the score of HAMA correlated significantly with thyroid hormone and TSH levels, and there was a negative significant correlation between the score of HAMD and TSH level in all subjects. There was a positive correlation between the value of the executive control network and thyroid hormones’ levels in all subjects and in the hyperthyroidism group. Anxiety and depression symptoms were improved with methimazole treatment after euthyroidism was reached. The value of the executive control network no longer differed from that of healthy controls, but deficits in the alerting network of hyperthyroidism still persisted after treatment. Conclusion: The patients with hyperthyroidism existed affective symptoms and attention networks impairments. Affective symptoms and attention executive control network impairment were improved following thyroid function normalization in hyperthyroidism.

Purpose: Knowledge regarding the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) associated with emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) is still insufficient. We aimed to investigate the occurrence rate, predictors, and clinical outcomes of SIRS in patients with ELVO after endovascular treatment (EVT). Patients and Methods: We retrospectively collected EVT data of patients with ELVO from July 2015 to August 2019 in our center. SIRS in the absence of infection was recorded in detail. A favorable outcome was defined as obtaining a 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤ 2. Results: Among the 256 patients who received EVT, 91 (35.5%) developed SIRS. The patients who developed SIRS had a reduced favorable outcome (OR 4.112 [95% CI 1.705 to 9.920]; p=0.002) and higher mortality (OR 25.336 [95% CI 8.578 to 74.835]; p< 0.001) at 90 days. A greater SIRS burden was positively correlated with the NIHSS scores at discharge and mRS scores at 90 days (r=0.265, p=0.011; r=0.245, p=0.019). The development of SIRS was associated with neutrophilic leukocytosis, hyperglycemia, higher NIHSS scores at admission, and worse collateral circulation. Conclusion: The patients with SIRS had higher odds of poor functional outcomes and higher mortality at 90 days in the EVT-treatment setting. The severity of the inflammatory response was positively correlated with the clinical outcomes of the patients. Clinically, SIRS was associated with neutrophilic leukocytosis, hyperglycemia, baseline stroke severity, and worse collateral circulation.