Background: Carotid artery stenosis increases cerebral ischemic event risk through changing different cerebral hemodynamic parameters. Objective: To investigate how cerebral hemodynamics in the M1 segment of middle cerebral artery change in patients with carotid artery stenosis, after motor tasks using transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD). Methods: Thirty-two healthy subjects and 30 patients with unilateral symptomatic carotid artery stenosis were recruited. The patient population was divided into three groups according to the degree of stenosis (group 1: ≥50 to 69%, group 2: 70 to 89% and group 3: ≥90 to 99%). TCD was used to measure the pulsatility index (PI) and cerebral vasomotor reactivity (CVR). Results: In the patient group, significant differences for symptomatic side PI values (p=0.01) and mean CVR increases (p=0.05) were observed, compared with the healthy controls. However, the difference was not statistically significant for asymptomatic side PI values and mean CVR increases. The results from the intergroup comparison showed significantly higher percentages of symptomatic and asymptomatic side CVR increases in group 1, compared with groups 2 and 3 (p=0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). Conclusions: Our study showed that cerebral autoregulation and hemodynamic mechanisms are impaired in patients with carotid artery stenosis. Furthermore, the impairment of PI and CVR tends to get worse with increasing degrees of stenosis. In addition, this study demonstrated that assessment of these two hemodynamic parameters in clinical practice might be helpful for monitoring the progress of carotid artery stenosis.

Background Increasing evidence suggests that inflammatory biomarkers play a significant role in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) are related to thrombotic conditions and indicators of systemic inflammation. Objective To analyze the correlation between inflammatory biomarkers and the extent of thrombus, determined by the CVST-Score. Methods A total of 40 patients with CVST (24 female subjects; 60%) and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were retrospectively evaluated. Inflammatory biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), PLR, NLR, MLR, and the CVST-Score, were recorded to assess the relationship between biomarkers and thrombus burden. The patients were grouped according to symptom duration (group 1: 0–3 days; group 2: 4–7 days; and group 3: 8–30 days) to compare biomarker levels. Results The CRP, NLR, and PLR were significantly higher in the CVST group (p < 0.001; p = 0.003; p = 0.014 respectively). The NLR and PLR presented a significant positive correlation with the CVST-Score (p = 0.003, r = 0.464; p = 0.040, r = 0.326 respectively). The NLR was significantly higher in group 1 compared with groups 2 and 3 (p = 0.016 and p = 0.014 respectively). In group 1, there was a stronger positive correlation between the CVST-Score and the NLR (p = 0.026, r = 0.591) and the PLR (p = 0.012, r = 0.648). The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the NLR is a key factor in predicting the CVST-Score (p = 0.019). Conclusion The NLR and PLR are associated with thrombus burden in CVST, especially in patients admitted to the hospital in the early stages. The NLR is an independent factor to predict the thrombus burden in CVST.

In the elderly population, Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and is associated with morphological changes in the basal ganglia, especially the substantia nigra (SN). This study aimed to evaluate the volume and signal intensity (SI) of SN using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to detect structural changes and investigate the relationship between the onset side and disease severity of PD. Clinical features and imaging data of 58 patients with PD were retrospectively analyzed from their medical records. Axial T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences of 3 Tesla (T) MRIs were used for the measurements. The right and left SN volumes and SI measurements were calculated in duplicate by 2 blinded and qualified neuroradiologists. The side of disease onset, disease duration, levodopa equivalent daily dose, Movement Disorder Society-sponsored Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS III) motor score, and modified Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) scale scores were recorded and compared with SN volume and SI measurements. No statistically significant difference was found between the disease onset side and contralateral SN volume or SI measurements (P > .05). Despite high inter- and intra-rater reliability rates, there was no significant difference in the volume and SI of the contralateral SN according to H&Y stages (P > .05). Furthermore, SN volume and SI measurements were not significantly correlated with disease duration and MDS-UPDRS III motor score (P > .05). SN volume and SI values measured using axial FLAIR 3T MRI are not correlated with the side of onset or disease severity in PD. New imaging methods are required to detect preclinical or early-stage PD.