Jining Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital

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Statins, commonly used lipid-lowering drugs to reduce cardiovascular risk, have also been suggested to have protective effects against epilepsy. However, whether this association is causal remains unclear. We conducted a drug-target Mendelian randomization study to examine the effects of genetically predicted inhibition of 3 established lipid-lowering targets (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase [statins], Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 [ezetimibe], and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 [PCSK9 inhibitors]) on epilepsy and its subtypes. The inverse-variance weighted approach served as the primary analysis, supplemented with multiple sensitivity tests to ensure robustness. Genetically proxied 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibition was associated with decreased risks of epilepsy (odds ratio [OR] = 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.82–0.92; P = 1.4 × 10‐6) and focal epilepsy (OR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.76–0.92; P = 1.5 × 10‐4). Inhibition of Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 corresponded to a lower risk of generalized epilepsy with tonic−clonic seizures (OR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.97–0.98; P = 1.2 × 10‐34) but increased risks of focal epilepsy (lesion negative, OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.06–1.09; P = 5.9 × 10‐31), childhood absence epilepsy (OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.05–1.07; P = 1.8 × 10‐21), and juvenile absence epilepsy (OR = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01–1.05; P = 9.7 × 10‐3). PCSK9 inhibition was linked to reduced risks of generalized epilepsy with tonic−clonic seizures (OR = 0.99; 95% CI: 0.98–1.00; P = 1.4 × 10‐2), juvenile absence epilepsy (OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.93–1.00; P = 2.7 × 10‐2), and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.93–1.00; P = 2.9 × 10‐2). The effects of lipid-lowering drug targets on epilepsy risk vary by target and exhibit pleiotropy. Statins and PCSK9 inhibitors appear protective against epilepsy and several subtypes, whereas ezetimibe may increase susceptibility to certain subtypes. These results underscore the importance of considering target-specific effects when choosing lipid-lowering therapies for patients with or at risk of epilepsy.

Background: Deficits in visual working memory (vWM) represent a core cognitive impairment in schizophrenia; however, the dynamic spatiotemporal characterization of their underlying neural mechanisms remains unclear. The present study employed multivariate pattern classification (MVPC) and searchlight analysis to investigate neural signaling differences between patients with schizophrenia (PSZ) and healthy control subjects (HCS) during a vWM task. Methods: A total of 46 participants (22 PSZ, 24 HCS) completed a change detection task comprising three conditions: two targets, zero distractors (2T0D); two targets, two distractors (2T2D); and four targets, zero distractors (4T0D). Contralateral delay activity (CDA) was extracted through event-related potential (ERP) analysis. MVPC was applied in the temporal dimension, while a searchlight approach was employed in the spatial dimension to decode memory load (2T0D/2T2D/4T0D) and memory side (left/right) information. Results: CDA amplitude was significantly reduced in the PSZ group, particularly in the 2T2D condition (p = 0.01), indicating that the scope and control of attention elicited comparable CDA amplitudes. MVPC analysis revealed that decoding accuracy in the PSZ group was significantly lower than in the HCS group during the time window of 93–652 ms (pcorrected < 0.05), suggesting diminished efficiency of neural information encoding during the delay period. The searchlight analysis identified the most pronounced decrease in decoding accuracy within the left parietal region in the PSZ group, consistent with the hypothesis of abnormal functional connectivity in the inferior parietal gyrus (IPG). Conclusions: This study reveals the spatiotemporal dynamics of vWM deficits in schizophrenia, characterized by ERP decoding technology. It offers a novel target for the development of neuromarker-based cognitive interventions.

Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair for Mitral Regurgitation Following Papillary Muscle Rupture: A Case ReportJing Wang MD1, Hong Zeng MD1, NengZong Deng2, Yuan Huang MD1, Lang Hong11 Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital，The First Affiliated Hospital of

ObjectiveTo assess the clinical efficacy of acupressure application in treating postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) of the qi (vital energy) stagnation and blood stasis type, as well as its impact on blood inflammatory factors, T-cell subpopulations, and neurotransmitter levels.MethodsA total of 134 patients diagnosed with PHN characterized by qi stagnation and blood stasis were randomly assigned to either the treatment group (67 patients, including 10 dropouts) or the control group (67 patients, including 7 dropouts). In addition to standard health education, the treatment group received treatment with anti-swelling and analgesic patches in combination with Chinese medicine fine powder acupoint patches. The control group, on the other hand, received placebo anti-swelling and analgesic patches along with placebo Chinese medicine fine powder acupoint patches. Both groups underwent treatment at specific acupoints including bilateral Sanyinjiao, Shenque, and Ashi points. The Sanyinjiao acupoint was stimulated for 30 min per session, once every 7 days. The Shenque and Ashi acupoints were stimulated for 6–8 h daily for a single session. Patients in both groups were assessed before and after treatment using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome score, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score, 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) score, inflammatory factors including monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), T-cell subpopulations cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3+), cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4+), cluster of Differentiation d (CD8+), as well as neurotransmitters 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), substance P (SP), and β-endorphin (β-EP). Changes in content were observed, and any adverse reactions were monitored. Clinical efficacy was evaluated after a 4-week treatment period.ResultsAfter 4 weeks of treatment, the VAS score, TCM syndrome score, PSQI score, levels of MCP-1, IL-6, TNF-α, CD8+, 5-HT, and SP in both groups significantly decreased compared to pre-treatment levels (P < 0.05). Moreover, these parameters were lower in the treatment group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Conversely, the SF-36 scores, CD3+, CD4+, and β-EP levels were significantly higher in post-treatment analyses compared to that at the baseline (P < 0.05). In addition, these values were higher in the treatment group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The total effective rate in the treatment group was 84.21%, significantly surpassing the control group's rate of 61.67% (P < 0.05).ConclusionAcupuncture point paste therapy for PHN of the qi stagnation and blood stasis type has been shown to decrease levels of MCP-1, IL-6, TNF-α, CD8+, 5-HT, and SP in the blood. Simultaneously, it increases levels of CD3+, CD4+, and β-EP. This treatment leads to amelioration of pain symptoms and TCM symptoms and enhancement of sleep quality and overall quality of life. The therapeutic outcomes are both safe and dependable.Clinical Trial RegistrationCONSORT ChiCTR2200056614.

This study aimed to explore the clinical value of Sanshen Fuzheng Decoction in the secondary prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with malignant ovarian tumors. Sixty patients with primary ovarian cancer who received postoperative chemotherapy between January 2022 and January 2023 were enrolled. Using a random number table, they were equally divided into a treatment group and a control group (n = 30 each). The control group received standard paclitaxel plus carboplatin (TP) chemotherapy (paclitaxel + carboplatin), while the treatment group received TP combined with Sanshen Fuzheng Decoction. Baseline indicators were not significantly different between groups before chemotherapy (P > 0.05). On days 3, 7, 10, 14, and 20 post chemotherapy, both groups showed increased hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC), neutrophil (NE) counts, interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and decreased white blood cell (WBC), lymphocyte (LYM), and platelet (PLT) counts. Compared to the control group, the treatment group showed significantly greater increases in Hb, RBC, NE, interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the decrease in LYM was more obvious, while the decrease in WBC and PLT was smaller (all P < 0.05). The total dose of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) and the duration of leukopenia were significantly lower in the treatment group (P < 0.05). Additionally, more improvement in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) symptom scores (fatigue, weakness, sweating, dizziness, pale complexion) was observed in the treatment group. The incidence of chemotherapy-related toxic side effects was significantly lower in the treatment group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in liver/kidney function, febrile neutropenia, or absolute neutrophil count (ANC) reduction (P > 0.05). San shen Fu zheng Decoction, as an adjunct to chemotherapy in ovarian cancer, showed potential benefits in improving hematological recovery, reducing rhG-CSF use, and alleviating treatment-related symptoms.