The authors found that MER can be adequately performed while the patient receives a desflurane anesthetic, and the results can serve as a guide for STN electrode implantation. This may be a good alternative surgical method in patients with PD who are unable to tolerate deep brain stimulation surgery with local anesthesia.

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, present in abundance in seeds during the late stages of development, are associated with desiccation tolerance. In the present work, we characterize a soybean LEA protein, GmPM16, with low molecular weight, high pI value, and an unusual amino acid residue distribution along the protein. The transcripts were detected in cotyledon mesophyll cells but not in the vascular system of mature or pod-dried soybean seeds. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis and Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated that the GmPM16 protein in solution was highly unordered, possessing only partial alpha-helical structures. However, the protein in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or trifluoroethanol (TFE) solution or in a dry state exhibited a conformation of abundant alpha-helical structures. As well, the GmPM16 protein interacts with sugar and forms tightly glassy matrixes in the dry state. The protein may play a role in reducing cellular damage in drying seeds by changing the protein conformation and forming tight cellular glasses.

When taking spatial influence into consideration, the neuropsychological effects of chronic STN-DBS were related to a significant anteriorly located active contact within the ventral STN in this preliminary study. This might suggest the existence of topography of STN in patients with Parkinson's disease concerning limbic and associative circuits.

Background: The efficacy and feasibility of bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) for Parkinson’s disease (PD) under general anesthesia (GA) has not been evaluated. Objective: We compared the outcome of patients under GA with those who were operated on under local anesthesia (LA). Material and Methods: Thirty-three patients were assigned to the GA group (desflurane) and 19 patients were assigned to the LA group. Microelectrode recording (MER) was performed in both groups. The surgical outcomes of the patients were evaluated using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) after at least 12 months after surgery. Results: Postoperatively, there was no significant difference on the UPDRS scores in either groups. A significant deterioration in cognitive function in the GA group was observed (p = 0.017). The recorded electrode coordinates, the average tracts for the MER, and STN depth were comparable in both groups. The overall incidence of adverse effects did not show any difference except that the incidence of sialorrhea and dysarthria was significantly higher in the GA group. Conclusion: Desflurane GA was shown to be a good alternative anesthetic method for PD patients undergoing DBS. Although the motor outcomes were comparable, a significant cognitive decline may be seen in the GA group with a higher occurrence of stimulation side effects.

No abstract