Objective Electroacupuncture (EA) is a traditional medicine in patients with post-stroke rehabilitation. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a potent growth factor involved in recovery following cerebral injury. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether EA increases BDNF levels and facilitates functional recovery. Methods Occlusion of the middle cerebral artery was performed in rats (N=12) followed by reperfusion. EA was applied at the GV20 (Baihui) acupoint. Motor and sensory functions were monitored on the Garcia scale for 2 weeks. Expressions of BDNF and receptor tyrosine kinase B (trkB) were determined by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Results Improvement of Garcia scores, particularly in motor performance, were noted in the group with EA stimulation (p<0.05). With EA application, BDNF was elevated in the ischaemic hemisphere with increased numbers of BDNF(+) cells. Increased expression of trkB was also detected. Conclusion These results indicate that EA at GV20 improves motor recovery and stimulates BDNF/trkB expression in rats with cerebral ischaemia.

Background:The Korean version of Mini-Mental Status Examination (K-MMSE) and the Korean version of Addenbrooke Cognitive Examination (K-ACE) have been validated as quick neuropsychological tests for screening dementia in various clinical settings. Medial temporal atrophy (MTA) is an early pathological characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We aimed to assess the diagnostic validity of the fusion of the neuropsychological test and visual rating scale (VRS) of MTA in AD.Materials and Methods:A total of fifty subjects (25 AD, 25 controls) were included. The neuropsychological tests used were the K-MMSE and the K-ACE. T1 axial imaging visual rating scale (VRS) was applied for assessing the grade of MTA. We calculated the fusion score with the difference of neuropsychological test and VRS of MTA. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to determine optimal cut-off score, sensitivity and specificity of the fusion scores in screening AD.Results:No significant differences in age, gender and education were found between AD and control group. The values of K-MMSE, K-ACE, CDR, VRS and cognitive function test minus VRS were significantly lower in the AD group than control group. The AUC (Area under the curve), sensitivity and specificity for K-MMSE minus VRS were 0.857, 84% and 80% and for K-ACE minus VRS were 0.884, 80% and 88%, respectively. Those for K-MMSE only were 0.842, 76% and 72% and for K-ACE only were 0.868, 80% and 88%, respectively.Conclusions:The fusion of the neuropsychological test and VRS suggested clinical usefulness in their easy and superiority over neuropsychological test only. However, this study failed to find any difference. This may be because of small numbers in the study or because there is no true difference.

Background: Statin is widely used in preventing cerebrovascular disease. Despite reliable evidence from clinical trials, statin is frequently discontinued in clinical practice. We investigated the effect of statin withdrawal on carotid arterial distensibility (CAD). Methods: Twenty-one subjects without cerebrovascular disease (mean age, 61 years; seven men) who wanted to discontinue statin were included in this study. CAD was assessed five times in each subject by carotid duplex ultrasound: the first and second examinations were performed during statin maintenance, while the subsequent examinations were performed 2, 7, and 30 days after statin discontinuation. CAD was measured by strain calculated as (systolic diameter-diastolic diameter) / diastolic diameter and stiffness (β) as ln (systolic blood pressure [BP] / diastolic BP) / strain. Statistical difference in values measured at each time point was evaluated using the Friedman and Wilcoxon's tests. Results: CAD decreased after statin discontinuation as demonstrated by the comparison of strain (Friedman test, p=0.007) and β (p<0.001). Compared with the baseline mean±standard error, strain did not change during statin use (8.0±0.5% at baseline, 7.9±0.5% on the 2nd day, p=0.386) but decreased after statin discontinuation (6.6±0.8% on the 2nd day, p=0.002; 6.9±0.6% on the 7th day, p=0.017). β increased after statin discontinuation (11.7±1.5 on the 2nd day, p=0.001; 9.7±0.9 on the 7th day, p=0.011) compared with that at baseline (7.8±2.3). Strain and β measured 30 days after withdrawal were not different from baseline values. Conclusion: Statin discontinuation results in transient decrease in CAD. Further studies are required to investigate whether this association would have clinical significance.

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