•Causes of inefficient fertilizer use in China are complex.•Influencing factors span from national politics to farm household behaviour.•A mitigation framework for DWPA must encompass a range of ...measures.•Measures include policy, supply chain modernisation, and producer incentives.•Also enhanced extension, social security and broad engagement of civil society.
Complex and inter-related factors explain the excessive use of fertilizer observed in many intensive farming systems in China, and hence act as barriers to development of a comprehensive policy and intervention framework for mitigation of diffuse water pollution from agriculture (DWPA). This review provides an original and contemporary synthesis of these factors that is broader, deeper and more inter-related than existing assessments. The analysis confirms that DWPA cannot be addressed by single regulatory or policy measures. There is a need to develop a mitigation framework that encompasses central policy directives, reform in governance at local level, an enabling regulatory environment, horizontal and vertical coordination in food supply chains, unbiased incentives for efficient fertilizer use and protection of water resources, enhanced agricultural, food safety and environmental education for farmers and consumers, and engagement of multiple actors beyond government.
Mitochondrial diseases are the most common inheritable metabolic diseases, due to defects in oxidative phosphorylation. They are caused by mutations of nuclear or mitochondrial DNA in genes involved ...in mitochondrial function. The peculiarity of “mitochondrial DNA genetics rules” in part explains the marked phenotypic variability, the complexity of genotype-phenotype correlations and the challenge of genetic counseling. The new massive genetic sequencing technologies have changed the diagnostic approach, enhancing mitochondrial DNA-related syndromes diagnosis and often avoiding the need of a tissue biopsy.
Here we present the most common phenotypes associated with a mitochondrial DNA mutation with the recent advances in diagnosis and in therapeutic perspectives.
Apolipoprotein E (APOE) dependent lifetime risks (LTRs) for Alzheimer Disease (AD) are currently not accurately known and odds ratios alone are insufficient to assess these risks. We calculated AD ...LTR in 7351 cases and 10 132 controls from Caucasian ancestry using Rochester (USA) incidence data. At the age of 85 the LTR of AD without reference to APOE genotype was 11% in males and 14% in females. At the same age, this risk ranged from 51% for APOE44 male carriers to 60% for APOE44 female carriers, and from 23% for APOE34 male carriers to 30% for APOE34 female carriers, consistent with semi-dominant inheritance of a moderately penetrant gene. Using PAQUID (France) incidence data, estimates were globally similar except that at age 85 the LTRs reached 68 and 35% for APOE 44 and APOE 34 female carriers, respectively. These risks are more similar to those of major genes in Mendelian diseases, such as BRCA1 in breast cancer, than those of low-risk common alleles identified by recent GWAS in complex diseases. In addition, stratification of our data by age groups clearly demonstrates that APOE4 is a risk factor not only for late-onset but for early-onset AD as well. Together, these results urge a reappraisal of the impact of APOE in Alzheimer disease.
Coenzyme Q10 is a small electron carrier of the respiratory chain with antioxidant properties, widely used for the treatment of mitochondrial disorders. Mitochondrial diseases are neuromuscular ...disorders caused by impairment of the respiratory chain and increased generation of reactive oxygen species. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation is fundamental in patients with primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency. Furthermore, coenzyme Q10 and its analogues, idebenone and mitoquinone (or MitoQ), have been also used in the treatment of other neurogenetic/neurodegenerative disorders. In Friedreich ataxia idebenone may reduce cardiac hypertrophy and, at higher doses, also improve neurological function. These compounds may also play a potential role in other conditions which have been linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, such as Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer disease. This review introduces mitochondrial disorders and Friedreich ataxia as two paradigms of the tight links existing between oxidative stress, respiratory chain dysfunction and neurodegeneration, and focuses on current and emerging therapeutic uses of coenzyme Q10 and idebenone in neurology.
Background and purpose
The role of lifestyle and dietary habits and antecedent events has not been clearly identified in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP).
Methods
...Information was collected about modifiable environmental factors and antecedent infections and vaccinations in patients with CIDP included in an Italian CIDP Database. Only patients who reported not having changed their diet or the lifestyle habits investigated in the study after the appearance of CIDP were included. The partners of patients with CIDP were chosen as controls. Gender‐matched analysis was performed with randomly selected controls with a 1:1 ratio of patients and controls.
Results
Dietary and lifestyle data of 323 patients and 266 controls were available. A total of 195 cases and 195 sex‐matched controls were used in the analysis. Patients eating rice at least three times per week or eating fish at least once per week appeared to be at decreased risk of acquiring CIDP. Data on antecedent events were collected in 411 patients. Antecedent events within 1–42 days before CIDP onset were reported by 15.5% of the patients, including infections in 12% and vaccinations in 1.5%. Patients with CIDP and antecedent infections more often had an acute onset of CIDP and cranial nerve involvement than those without these antecedent events.
Conclusions
The results of this preliminary study seem to indicate that some dietary habits may influence the risk of CIDP and that antecedent infections may have an impact on the onset and clinical presentation of the disease.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive motor neuron disorder that involves degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons. In patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, pathologic ...studies and ex vivo high-resolution MR imaging at ultra-high field strength revealed the co-localization of iron and activated microglia distributed in the deep layers of the primary motor cortex. The aims of the study were to measure the cortical thickness and evaluate the distribution of iron-related signal changes in the primary motor cortex of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as possible in vivo biomarkers of upper motor neuron impairment.
Twenty-two patients with definite amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 14 healthy subjects underwent a high-resolution 2D multiecho gradient-recalled sequence targeted on the primary motor cortex by using a 7T scanner. Image analysis consisted of the visual evaluation and quantitative measurement of signal intensity and cortical thickness of the primary motor cortex in patients and controls. Qualitative and quantitative MR imaging parameters were correlated with electrophysiologic and laboratory data and with clinical scores.
Ultra-high field MR imaging revealed atrophy and signal hypointensity in the deep layers of the primary motor cortex of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with a diagnostic accuracy of 71%. Signal hypointensity of the deep layers of the primary motor cortex correlated with upper motor neuron impairment (r = -0.47; P < .001) and with disease progression rate (r = -0.60; P = .009).
The combined high spatial resolution and sensitivity to paramagnetic substances of 7T MR imaging demonstrate in vivo signal changes of the cerebral motor cortex that resemble the distribution of activated microglia within the cortex of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Cortical thinning and signal hypointensity of the deep layers of the primary motor cortex could constitute a marker of upper motor neuron impairment in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, or ubiquinone) is an electron carrier of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (electron transport chain) with antioxidant properties. In view of the involvement of CoQ10 in ...oxidative phosphorylation and cellular antioxidant protection a deficiency in this quinone would be expected to contribute to disease pathophysiology by causing a failure in energy metabolism and antioxidant status. Indeed, a deficit in CoQ10 status has been determined in a number of neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders. Primary disorders of CoQ10 biosynthesis are potentially treatable conditions and therefore a high degree of clinical awareness about this condition is essential. A secondary loss of CoQ10 status following HMG-Coa reductase inhibitor (statins) treatment has be implicated in the pathophysiology of the myotoxicity associated with this pharmacotherapy. CoQ10 and its analogue, idebenone, have been widely used in the treatment of neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disorders. These compounds could potentially play a role in the treatment of mitochondrial disorders, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Friedreich's ataxia, and other conditions which have been linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. This article reviews the physiological roles of CoQ10, as well as the rationale and the role in clinical practice of CoQ10 supplementation in different neurological and muscular diseases, from primary CoQ10 deficiency to neurodegenerative disorders. We also briefly report a case of the myopathic form of CoQ10 deficiency.
Among the hereditary cerebellar ataxias (CAs), there are at least 36 different forms of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCAs), 20 autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias (ARCAs), two X-linked ...ataxias, and several forms of ataxia associated with mitochondrial defects. Despite the steady increase in the number of newly discovered CA genes, patients, especially those with putative ARCAs, cannot yet be genotyped. Moreover, in daily clinical practice, ataxia may present as an isolated cerebellar syndrome or, more often, it is associated with a broad spectrum of neurological manifestations including pyramidal, extrapyramidal, sensory, and cognitive dysfunction. Furthermore, non-neurological symptoms may also coexist. A close integration between clinical records, neurophysiological, neuroradiological and, in some instances, biochemical findings will help physicians in the diagnostic work-up (including selection of the correct genetic tests) and may lead to timely therapy. Some inherited CAs are in fact potentially treatable, and the efficacy of the therapy is directly related to the severity of the cerebellar atrophy and to the time of onset of the disease. Most cases of CA are sporadic, and the diagnostic work-up remains a challenge. Detailed anamnesis and deep investigation of the family pedigree are usually enough to discriminate between acquired and genetic conditions. In the case of ADCA, molecular testing should be guided by taking into account the main associated symptoms. In sporadic cases, a multi-disciplinary approach is needed and should consider the following points: (1) onset and clinical course; (2) associated features; (3) neurophysiological parameters, with special attention to the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy; (4) neuroimaging results; and (5) laboratory findings. A late-onset sporadic ataxia, in which other possible causes have been excluded by following the proposed steps, might be attributable to metabolic disorders, which in some instances may be treatable. In this review, we will guide the reader through the labyrinth of CAs, and we propose a diagnostic flow chart.
Objective: To provide evidence‐based guidelines to general neurologists for the assessment of patients with pauci‐ or asymptomatic hyperCKemia.
Background: Recent epidemiologic studies show that up ...to 20% of ‘normal’ individuals have an elevated creatine kinase activity in the serum (sCK). The possibility of a subclinical myopathy is often raised, and patients may be unnecessarily denied treatment with statins.
Search strategy: Electronic databases including Medline, the Cochrane Library and the American Academy of Neurology were searched for existing guidelines. Articles dealing with series of patients investigated for asymptomatic/pauci‐symptomatic hyperCKemia and articles dealing with myopathies that can present with asymptomatic hyperCKemia were identified and reviewed.
Results: The only guidelines found were those approved by the Italian Association of Myology Committee, and the only relevant articles identified describe class IV studies.
Recommendations: HyperCKemia needs to be redefined as values beyond 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (which itself needs to be appropriately defined). Pauci‐ or asymptomatic hyperCKemia with no apparent medical explanation may be investigated with a muscle biopsy if one or more of the following are present; the sCK is ≥3× normal, the electromyogram is myopathic or the patient is <25 years of age. In addition, women with sCK<3 times normal may be offered DNA testing because of the possibility of carrying a dystrophin mutation.
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Age-related cognitive impairment and dementia are an increasing societal burden. Epidemiological studies indicate that lifestyle factors, e.g. physical, cognitive and social activities, correlate ...with reduced dementia risk; moreover, positive effects on cognition of physical/cognitive training have been found in cognitively unimpaired elders. Less is known about effectiveness and action mechanisms of physical/cognitive training in elders already suffering from Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), a population at high risk for dementia. We assessed in 113 MCI subjects aged 65-89 years, the efficacy of combined physical-cognitive training on cognitive decline, Gray Matter (GM) volume loss and Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF) in hippocampus and parahippocampal areas, and on brain-blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) activity elicited by a cognitive task, measured by ADAS-Cog scale, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) and fMRI, respectively, before and after 7 months of training vs. usual life. Cognitive status significantly decreased in MCI-no training and significantly increased in MCI-training subjects; training increased parahippocampal CBF, but no effect on GM volume loss was evident; BOLD activity increase, indicative of neural efficiency decline, was found only in MCI-no training subjects. These results show that a non pharmacological, multicomponent intervention improves cognitive status and indicators of brain health in MCI subjects.
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