Neurological Diseases

Question 1

What is Tudca?

Answer 1

Hydrophilic bile acid naturally found in the liver, used to treat liver disease as well as some neurodegenerative diseases

Question 2

What are the proposed Tudca mechanisms?

Answer 2

1. Slows Cell Death: -Stabilizes mitochondria membranes & - Modulates upstream targets of apoptosis
2. Reduce ROS production: -Maintains normal mitochondria functioning & -Prevents nitrite production

Question 3

What were the results of the Tudca study?

Answer 3

Daily dosage of TUDCA, in addition to Riluzole, for 1 year was associated with slower deterioration of function in ALS patients

Question 4

What are the current treatments for stroke?

Answer 4

To remove clot:
-Mechanical intervention
-Chemical intervention: tPA
Neuroprotection:
-NMDA receptor antagonists
-AMPA receptor antagonists
-Calcium channel blockers
-Monoamine oxidase inhibitors

Question 5

What was the stroke article about? What were the results?

Answer 5

Purpose: Test the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell treatment for post-stroke sensory and motor deficits.
Results: After treatment, beam walk & rotarod scores increased back to baseline. Estrogen may be a neuroprotective factor

Question 6

What is the pathology of ADHD?

Answer 6

A higher number of DAT, thinner prefrontal cortex, and hypoactivation in DLPFC

Question 7

What was the hypothesis of the ADHD study? Was it sucsessful?

Answer 7

Hypothesis: Anodal Stimulation (tDCS) versus sham stimulation applied over the left DLPFC would improve scores.
Results: tDCS stimulation reduces impulsivity, but there was no lasting effects

Question 8

What happened in the Alzheimer’s antibody trial? What did it show?

Answer 8

Researches tested monoclonal antibodies on its ability to clear AB plaques. PET scans revealed a significant reduction of AB plaques and the antibody showed preferential binding to the plaques and increased clearance

Question 9

What were the results of the AD antibody study?

Answer 9

1. Higher doses at longer time periods showed more clearance
2. Clinical dementia scores showed improvement suggesting that neurons need time to recover after plaque clearance

Question 10

What was 1 limitation in the AD antibody study?

Answer 10

Partial unblinding due to ARIA-E

Question 11

How does Lyme Neuroborreliosis affect the nervous system?

Answer 11

It can directly infect the PNS or cross the BBB and enter the CNS (the ospC gene and IGS region explain affinity for neuronal infection)

Question 12

What was the methodology for the Lyme disease study?

Answer 12

Monkeys were injected with the bacteria from mice and CSF was collected every 2 weeks during the study. It was stained for immune markers and antibodies

Question 13

What was the result of the Lyme disease study?

Answer 13

Monkeys treated with Dex showed normal neuronal appearance, lower immune mediators, and the lowest ratio of apoptotic factors

Question 14

What are bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC)?

Answer 14

Mixed population of cells that can be isolated from bone marrow to be used as cell therapy in treating TBI

Question 15

What was the procedure of the TBI cell therapy study?

Answer 15

Treatment patients underwent a bone marrow harvesting procedure which was processed to obtain a mononucleated cell fraction. This was then infused into patients

Question 16

What were the results of the TBI study?

Answer 16

• increase in white matter and cerebrum volume
• pro-inflammatory cytokines were down-regulated
• neurocognition improved
• found strong correlations between neurocognition and corpus callosum factional anisotropy

Question 17

What is the cause of narcolepsy? What does it normally do in the brain?

Answer 17

• Death of orexinergic receptors in the lateral hypothalamus.
• Orexin regulates emotion, wakefulness, reward

Question 18

What are the current treatments for narcolepsy?

Answer 18

Psychostimulants, Antidepressants, Sedatives, Replacement therapy

Question 19

What are the conclusions of the narcolepsy study?

Answer 19

1. TAK-925 is selective for OXR2

2. TAK-925 administered during mice sleep cycle causes significant wakefulness

Question 20

What are the limitations of TAK-925?

Answer 20

Has a very short half-life in mice

Question 21

Are prions genetic?

Answer 21

Inheritable (~15% of cases) from mutations in Prion Protein Gene (PRNP) increasing likelihood of PrPsc formation

Question 22

What are the conclusions from the Prion study?

Answer 22

1. Treatment with an anti-prion delays onset of prion disease
2. AP1 can prevent the onset of clinical symptoms in prion-infected animals
3. AP1 inhibits 263 K prion replication in vitro