Stroke is accompanied by a distinguished inflammatory reaction that is initiated by the infiltration of immunocytes, expression of cytokines, and other inflammatory mediators. As natural killer cells (NK cells) are a type of cytotoxic lymphocyte critical to the innate immune system, we investigated the mechanism of NK cells-induced brain injuries after cerebral ischemia and the chemotactic effect of IP-10 simultaneously.

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeting the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) has a potential effect on somatosensory functioning following a stroke. However, S1-rTMS was combined with peripheral therapies in previous trials. Moreover, these studies have commonly targeted the ipsilesional S1 with excitatory rTMS paradigms.Methods: This double-blind, randomized trial (registration number: ChiCTR2200059098) investigated two forms of paradigms, that is ipsilesional excitatory and contralesional inhibitory rTMS, as a stand-alone treatment in post-stroke somatosensation. Patients in the acute and subacute phases of stroke were randomly assigned to either contralesional 1-Hz or ipsilesional 10-Hz rTMS group and received 10 daily sessions of treatment in two consecutive weeks.Results: Results indicate that the contralesional inhibitory and ipsilesional excitatory stimulation were equally effective in improving somatosensory functioning. Moreover, this effect was most prominent in deep sensations and subjective sensations. Using single-pulse EMG recordings, our data also revealed an increased MEP amplitude in the ipsilesional motor cortex following ipsilesional excitatory treatment.Conclusion: This preliminary study demonstrates the primary somatosensory cortex as an effective rTMS target in somatosensory recovery following stroke.Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=166474, ChiCTR2200059098.

Extensive evidence supports the claim that serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) can be used as a biomarker for monitoring disease severity in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3). However, little is known about the associations between sNfL levels and neurochemical alterations in SCA3 patients. Serum samples were collected from ATXN3 mutation carriers (n = 20) and normal controls (n = 14). sNfL levels, measured by a single-molecule array, were compared between SCA3 patients and controls. We explored the relationship between sNfL levels and metabolic changes via magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) scans. sNfL levels in SCA3 patients were higher than those in healthy controls, and these levels were correlated with disease severity. Associations emerged between the elevation of sNfL levels and lower brain metabolite changes, reflected as N-acetyl aspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr). These associations remained significant after multiple comparison corrections. Our results confirmed that serum sNfL levels are increased in SCA3 and are correlated with cerebellar hemisphere metabolic changes. Brain metabolic changes and sNfL levels show promise as potential complementary biomarkers for clinical trials for patients with SCA3.