Continuous Monitoring of Post Mortem Temperature Changes in the Human Brain

Abstract

Ammonium and manganese are neurotoxic agents related to brain metabolic disturbances observed after prolonged liver damage. The aim of this study was to assess the production of nitric oxide (NO) in the brain of cirrhotic rats exposed to manganese. We induced cirrhosis by bile duct ligation for 4 weeks in rats. From brain, striatum and globus pallidus were dissected out, and NO synthase activity and the content of nitrites plus nitrates (NOx) were determined. In pallidum we found a diminished constitutive NO synthase activity from cirrhotic rats, independently of manganese exposure. This result was confirmed by low levels of NOx in the same brain area (P<0.05, two-way ANOVA). This finding was not related to protein expression of NO synthase since no differences were observed in immunoblot signals between cirrhotic and sham-operated animals. Results from present study suggest that the production of NO is reduced in basal ganglia during cirrhosis.

Assessment of factors that confound MRI and neuropathological correlation of human postmortem brain tissue

“…Temperature and water content are major factors determining the intensity of MRI signal. After death, the brain temperature decreases according to a singleexponential function that is influenced by the external temperature (Al-Alousi 2002; Gulyas et al 2006). This explains why short PMI is important to obtain an postmortem MR signal distribution that is similar to the in-vivo signal.…”

Bioelectrical Impedance as a Technique for Estimating Postmortem Interval,,

“…Methods for early PMI estimation typically rely on physiochemical changes, which are diverse and variably applied. Examples include gross opacity of the sclera , vitreous chemistry (sodium, potassium, and chloride composition) , cadaver temperature collected from anatomically defined sites, including: neural , rectal , otic , and optic , spectrophotometric analysis of lividity , development and recession of rigor mortis , cellular content of cerebrospinal fluid , and postmortem changes to lactate and malate dehydrogenase concentration in the human liver . Late‐stage estimation has traditionally been limited to macroscopic analysis of gross tissue change, including putrefaction, adipocere formation, and mummification .…”