We recruited 228 drug-naïve PD patients who were followed for a mean of 6 years. Patients underwent the Cross-Cultural Smell Identification Test (CCSIT), a neuropsychological test, and N-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane positron emission tomography within 6 months of the baseline evaluation. Olfactory dysfunction was categorized as normosmia (CCSIT score ≥ 9)...

Levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) is the most common, disruptive complication of Parkinson’s disease (PD) pharmacotherapy, yet despite decades of research, the changes in regional brain function underlying LID remain largely unknown. We previously found that the cerebral vasomotor and metabolic responses to levodopa are dissociated in PD subjects. Nonetheless, it is unclear whether levodopa-med...

The purpose of review is to review the current status of positron emission tomography (PET) molecular imaging of serotonergic system in Parkinson’s patients who experience levodopa-induced (LIDs) and graft-induced dyskinesias (GIDs). PET imaging studies have shown that Parkinson’s disease is characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons. Parkinson’s patients who exp...

In Parkinson’s disease (PD), the onset of levodopa-induced dyskinesias (LIDs) is difficult to predict. This study examines whether dopamine transporter (DAT)-specific SPECT imaging in de novo PD relates to later development of LIDs.

Myocarditis is a significant cause of sudden cardiac death in competitive athletes and can occur with normal ventricular function.1 Recent studies have raised concerns of myocardial inflammation after recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), even in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients.2 Our objective was to investigate the use of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in com...

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is currently clinically defined by a set of cardinal motor features centred on the presence of bradykinesia and at least one additional motor symptom out of tremor, rigidity or postural instability. However, converging evidence from clinical, neuropathological, and imaging research suggests initiation of PD-specific pathology prior to appearance of these classical motor...

The clinical presentation of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is heterogeneous and overlaps with other conditions, including the parkinsonian variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA-P), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and essential tremor. Imaging of the brain in patients with parkinsonism has the ability to increase the accuracy of differential diagnosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single ...

Levodopa-induced dyskinesias (LID) negatively impact on the quality of life of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We assessed the risk factors for LID in a cohort of de-novo PD patients enrolled in the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). This retrospective cohort study included all PD patients enrolled in the PPMI cohort. Main outcome was the incidence rate of dyskinesia, de...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative condition that usually presents with symptoms related to asymmetric bradykinesia, resting tremor, rigidity and postural instability. Making the correct diagnosis can be challenging as many conditions—including tremor, gait and atypical parkinsonian disorders—can mimic PD. PD can present with unanticipated motor and non-motor symptoms, and s...

Aug 5th, 2019 - Importance Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the third most common cause of cancer death among men and women in the United States. Objective To systematically review benefits and harms of screening for pancreatic adenocarcinoma to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force. Data Sources MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Collaboration Registry of Controlled Trials, from January 2002 through Ap...

Jul 11th, 2015 - Chronic dyspnea is shortness of breath that lasts more than one month. The perception of dyspnea varies based on behavioral and physiologic responses. Dyspnea that is greater than expected with the degree of exertion is a symptom of disease. Most cases of dyspnea result from asthma, heart failure and myocardial ischemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, pneumoni...

Aug 31st, 2017 - The etiologies of meningitis range in severity from benign and self-limited to life-threatening with potentially severe morbidity. Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency that requires prompt recognition and treatment. Mortality remains high despite the introduction of vaccinations for common pathogens that have reduced the incidence of meningitis worldwide. Aseptic meningitis is the most c...

Sep 16th, 2019 - Background Male breast cancer incidence is rising. There may be a potential role in selective screening in men at elevated risk for breast cancer, but the effectiveness of such screening remains unexplored. Purpose To evaluate patterns of male breast imaging utilization, to determine high-risk screening outcomes, and to delineate risk factors associated with cancer diagnosis. Materials and Me...

Dec 7th, 2018 - Early, accurate detection of all skin cancer types is essential to guide appropriate management and to improve morbidity and survival. Melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are high‐risk skin cancers with the potential to metastasise and ultimately lead to death, whereas basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is usually localised, with potential to infiltrate and damage surrounding tissue. Anxiety aro...

Jun 30th, 2017 - Clinicians are required to assess abnormal liver chemistries on a daily basis. The most common liver chemistries ordered are serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin. These tests should be termed liver chemistries or liver tests. Hepatocellular injury is defined as disproportionate elevation of AST and ALT levels compared with al...

May 1st, 2014 - To describe characteristics and outcomes of a multicenter cohort of patients diagnosed as having primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS). In 2010, we initiated a cohort study of adults diagnosed as having PACNS ≤15 years ago and with followup of >6 months (unless they died earlier of biopsy-proven PACNS). Its first analysis was planned at 2 years. Multidisciplinary investigators ...

Apr 24th, 2014 - To determine whether the risk of arteriovenous malformation (AVM) rupture is increased during pregnancy and puerperium. Participants included 979 female patients with intracranial AVM admitted to Beijing Tiantan Hospital between 1960 and 2010. Two neurosurgery residents reviewed medical records for each case. Of them, 393 patients with ruptured AVM between 18 and 40 years of age were used for c...

Apr 14th, 2014 - To evaluate the usefulness of colonic ultrasonography (US) in assessing the extent and activity of disease in pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) and to compare US findings with clinical and endoscopic features. Consecutive pediatric patients (n = 60) with a diagnosis of UC and suspected disease flare-up were prospectively enrolled; of these, 50 patients were eligible for the study. All underwent...

Mar 14th, 2014 - In this critical review, the authors appraise neuroimaging findings in bipolar disorder in emotion-processing, emotion-regulation, and reward-processing neural circuitry in order to synthesize the current knowledge of the neural underpinnings of bipolar disorder and provide a neuroimaging research road map for future studies. The authors examined findings from all major studies in bipolar disor...

Apr 19th, 2014 - Patients presenting with tinnitus commonly have neuropsychiatric symptoms with which physicians need to be familiar. We provide an overview of tinnitus, including its types and pathophysiology. We discuss how recent methods such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, positron emission tomography, MRI, magnetoencephalography and quantitative EEG improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of...