Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Phys Condens Matter 2019 Apr 23. Epub 2019 Apr 23.

Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, Fysikvej, Building 309, Lyngby, 2800, DENMARK.

Materials exhibiting a substitutional disorder such as multicomponent alloys and mixed metal oxides/oxyfluorides are of great importance in many scientific and technological sectors. Disordered materials constitute an overwhelmingly large configurational space, which makes it practically impossible to be explored manually using first-principles calculations such as density functional theory (DFT) due to the high computational costs. Consequently, the use of methods such as cluster expansion (CE) is vital in enhancing our understanding of the disordered materials. Read More

Sleep 2019 Apr 23. Epub 2019 Apr 23.

Unit of Sleep Medicine and Epilepsy, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.

Study Objectives: To search for a specific neuropsychological profile in idiopathic REM sleep Behavior Disorder (iRBD), able to predict the onset of neurodegenerative disorders.

Methods: In a longitudinal follow-up study of 63 consecutive iRBD patients (follow-up duration 6.7± 3. Read More

J Emerg Med 2019 Apr 16. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Background: Children with conversion disorder experience neurological symptoms without a definable organic cause. Clinical presentation of conversion disorders is uncommon in the emergency department (ED).

Case Report: An 11-year-old previously healthy girl presented to the ED for management of lobar pneumonia. Read More

J Pak Med Assoc 2019 Apr;69(4):602

University of Central Punjab, Lahore.

J Pak Med Assoc 2019 Apr;69(4):601

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh Saudi Arabia 11525.

J Hosp Med 2019 Apr 8;14:E1-E4. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.

Adolescents with severe eating disorders require hospitalization for medical stabilization. Supervision best practices for these patients are not established. This study sought to evaluate the cost and feasibility of centralized video monitoring (CVM) supervision on a general pediatric unit of an academic quaternary care center. Read More

J Clin Res Pediatr Endocrinol 2019 04 10. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, School of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey

Aromatase deficiency rarely causes a 46, XX sexual differentiation disorder. The gene encodes the aromatase enzyme which catalyses the conversion of androgens to oestrogens. In cases with 46, XX karyotype, mutations in the gene can lead to disorders of sex development. Read More

Schizophr Res 2019 Apr 7. Epub 2019 Apr 7.

Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States. Electronic address:

Objective: Schizophrenia is associated with aberrant blood cytokine and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. However, less is known about alterations in these markers prior to the onset of psychosis. We performed a meta-analysis of blood cytokines and CRP in subjects at high-risk for psychosis. Read More

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019 Apr 8. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

University of California San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 92093, La Jolla, UNITED KINGDOM.

L-4-Chlorokynurenine (L-4-Cl-Kyn) is a neuropharmaceutical drug candidate in development for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Recently, this amino acid was naturally found as a residue in the lipopeptide antibiotic taromycin. Herein we report the unprecedented conversion of L-tryptophan to L-4-Cl-Kyn catalyzed by four enzymes in the taromycin biosynthetic pathway from the marine bacterium Saccharomonospora sp. Read More

Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2019 Apr 12;40:14-17. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

University of Duhok, College of Medicine Azadi Teaching Hospital, 8 Nakhoshkhana Road, 1014, AM, Duhok City, DUHOK, Iraq.

Introduction: Gall bladder anomalies varies from variations in the size, site, duct systems, and shape. Abnormal location comprises the commonest one.The presence of an ectopic gall bladder is estimated to occur in around 0. Read More

J Psychiatr Res 2019 Apr 2;113:159-164. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

Laboratory of Panic & Respiration, Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rua Ataulfo de Paiva 135 S. 609, 22440-901, Brazil.

Abnormalities in the kynurenine pathway (KP) have been implicated in the cognitive deficits of psychiatry disorders, possibly through cytokines that increase the activity of indoleamine-2,3 dioxygenase (IDO), a key enzyme for tryptophan-to-kynurenine conversion. Some studies on panic disorder (PD) have detected elevated cytokines in blood. We aimed to determine the extent to which elevated peripheral cytokine levels and kynurenine/tryptophan (kyn/tryp) ratio (1) are biological markers for PD patients and (2) are related to cognition in PD. Read More

Hand (N Y) 2019 Apr 8:1558944719837674. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

1 Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.

Background: Clenched fist syndrome is a rare disorder, often attributed to a conversion disorder without anatomic basis. Here, we review the literature surrounding clenched fist syndrome and challenge the assumption it is always psychiatric in origin, via description of a case of clenched fist syndrome responsive to surgical nerve decompression.

Methods: An unusual case of clenched fist syndrome is reviewed and discussed. Read More

Br J Psychiatry 2019 Apr 5:1-7. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

Laboratorio de Neurociencias (LIM-27),Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria,Hospital das Clinicas,Faculdade de Medicina,Universidade de Sao Paulo,Brazil.

Background: Experimental studies indicate that lithium may facilitate neurotrophic/protective responses in the brain. Epidemiological and imaging studies in bipolar disorder, in addition to a few trials in Alzheimer's disease support the clinical translation of these findings. Nonetheless, there is limited controlled data about potential use of lithium to treat or prevent dementia. Read More

J Clin Psychopharmacol 2019 May/Jun;39(3):226-237

Relmada Therapeutics, Inc, New York, NY.

Purpose/background: N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor (NMDAR) antagonists are potential agents for the treatment of several central nervous system disorders including major depressive disorder. Racemic methadone, L-methadone, and D-methadone all bind the NMDAR with an affinity similar to that of established NMDAR antagonists, whereas only L-methadone and racemic methadone bind to opioid receptors with high affinity. Therefore, D-methadone is expected to have no clinically significant opioid effects at therapeutic doses mediated by its NMDAR antagonism. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2019 Mar 23. Epub 2019 Mar 23.

Sleep Medicine Centre, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.

Introduction: Several longitudinal studies revealed that patients affected by idiopathic REM behavior disorder (iRBD) trend to convert to α-synucleinopathies at follow-up, although the time and direction of conversion is currently unpredictable. This study aimed at evaluating brain glucose metabolism, measured by [18F]FDG-PET, in patients affected by iRBD and compared to Parkinson's Disease (PD), Lewy Body Dementia (DLB), Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and controls.

Methods: Differences in brain [18F]FDG uptake were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping implemented in Matlab R2012b among iRBD, PD, DLB, AD, and controls. Read More

Pediatr Neurol 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, Austin, Texas. Electronic address:

Background: Distinguishing patients with psychogenic nonsyncopal collapse (PNSC), a conversion disorder that resembles syncope, can pose a difficult clinical challenge. Using the open-ended question "what does it feel like to faint?," the present study aimed to characterize how patients with PNSC perceive and communicate the prodromal symptoms associated with their attacks by comparing narratives between patients with PNSC and those with syncope.

Methods: During a 42-month database-type study of tilt-table diagnoses, all patients with a history of fainting were asked the open-ended question. Read More

Ann Agric Environ Med 2019 Mar 21;26(1):33-38. Epub 2018 Feb 21.

Chair and Department of Paedodontics, Medical University, Lublin, Poland.

Introduction: Researchers who study the problems of Internet addiction point out that this dependence is often co-morbid with symptoms of a variety of pathological disorders, including anxiety, depressive, somatization, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. The goal of this study was to compare the severity of psychopathological symptoms in individuals at risk of Internet addiction (according to Young's criteria) and those not at risk of developing this addiction with respect to gender and place of residence (urban vs. rural). Read More

J Nerv Ment Dis 2019 Apr;207(4):255-263

Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, Austin, Texas.

The conversion disorder that appears like syncope is common but poorly recognized. The study aimed to develop and validate a brief, clinician-administered screening tool to discriminate psychogenic nonsyncopal collapse (PNSC) among young patients referred for fainting. Consecutive patients with PNSC and with syncope (15. Read More

Wien Med Wochenschr 2019 Mar 27. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

Institut für Schilddrüsendiagnostik und Nuklearmedizin Gleisdorf, Businesspark 2, 8200, Gleisdorf, Austria.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is one of the most common organspecific autoimune diseases and the most frequent cause of hypothyroidism in areas with sufficient iodine supply. Excessively stimulated T cells CD4+ and their differentiated cells are known to play a key role in the pathogenesis. It is currently accepted that on the one hand genetic susceptibility, environmental factors, existential factors (gender difference) play an important role, on the other hand gut and intestinal microbiota seem to contribute to its development too. Read More

Cureus 2019 Jan 16;11(1):e3902. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Neurology, Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Boca Raton, USA.

Conversion disorder or a functional neurological symptom disorder is a psychiatric illness in which psychological conflicts are manifested as physical symptoms. Common examples of symptoms include blindness, paralysis, dystonia, anesthesia, inability to speak, difficulty swallowing, incontinence, balance problems, tremors, difficulty walking, hallucinations, and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES). Conversion disorder is often missed on initial medical and neurological evaluations due to the lack of a definitive organic diagnosis. Read More

Hum Mutat 2019 Mar 25. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

Metabolic Unit, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam Gastroenterology & Metabolism, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

D-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria Type I (D-2-HGA Type I), a neurometabolic disorder with a broad clinical spectrum, is caused by recessive variants in the D2HGDH gene encoding D-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase (D-2-HGDH). We and others detected 42 potentially pathogenic variants in D2HGDH of which 31 were missense. We developed functional studies to investigate the effect of missense variants on D-2-HGDH catalytic activity. Read More

Clin Epigenetics 2019 03 21;11(1):52. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter University, RILD Building Level 4, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Barrack Rd, Exeter, EX2 5DW, UK.

Background: Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is hypothesized to involve epigenetic dysfunction. Previous studies of DNA modifications in Alzheimer's disease have been unable to distinguish between DNA methylation and DNA hydroxymethylation. DNA hydroxymethylation has been shown to be enriched in the human brain, although its role in Alzheimer's disease has not yet been fully explored. Read More

J Inherit Metab Dis 2019 Mar 19. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Department of Pediatrics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.

Cholesterol serves as a building material for cellular membranes and plays an important role in cellular metabolism. The brain relies on its own cholesterol biosynthesis, which starts during embryonic development. Cholesterol is synthesized from two immediate precursors, desmosterol and 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC). Read More

Pediatr Endocrinol Rev 2019 Mar;16(3):335-358

Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Baystate Children's Hopsital, USA.

Apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) is a rare inherited disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the 11β-HSD2 gene resulting in a deficiency of the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2) enzyme catalyzing the conversion of cortisol to its inactive metabolite, cortisone. Impaired cortisol metabolism results in a mineralocorticoid excess-like state presenting as low renin, low aldosterone hypertension (HTN) and hypokalemia. Typically, AME is diagnosed in early childhood. Read More

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2019 Apr 26;11(14):13397-13404. Epub 2019 Mar 26.

State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials and School of Materials Science and Engineering , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310027 , P. R. China.

ZrNiSn-based half-Heusler (HH) alloys are considered very promising thermoelectric (TE) materials at intermediate and high temperatures due to their favorable intrinsic electrical properties, but they are also limited by their inherent high thermal conductivities. Numerous works have focused on reducing their thermal conductivities, especially their lattice thermal conductivities. A multielement (Ti, Hf, Nb, V, and Sb) and multisite alloying strategy for simultaneously improving the electrical properties and greatly reducing the lattice thermal conductivity of ZrNiSn-based HH TE materials is reported in this work. Read More

Front Psychiatry 2019 1;10:39. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Psychology Department, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.

Despite the shift toward a biopsychosocial paradigm of medicine, many physicians and mental health professionals (MHPs) find it difficult to treat patients with psycho-somatic disorders. This situation is particularly troublesome due to the high prevalence of these conditions. Although progress has been made over the last few decades in understanding mechanisms underlying the mind-body relationship, disparities remain between research and its clinical implementation. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2019 Mar 1. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.

Introduction: Although the hallmark feature of essential tremor (ET) is tremor, there is growing appreciation that cognitive impairment also occurs, including increased prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and increased prevalence and incidence of dementia. With emerging knowledge of ET-cognitive impairment, come fundamental questions regarding its course, bases, predictors and clinical outcomes. Studies in the general population and in Parkinson's disease (PD), a related movement disorder, offer a starting point from which to begin filling these clinically important knowledge gaps. Read More

Opt Express 2019 Feb;27(4):5859-5873

Experimental evidence is presented that pulsed laser generated ultrasound can reduce the power necessary to phase convert a nm-scale amorphous film into the crystalline phase. The amount of energy carried by pulsed ultrasound is scant when compared to the CW laser power used to crystallize but the effect is substantial. The evidence points to the extra-ordinary effects possible when a small energy perturbation is applied at a critical juncture in dynamical systems. Read More

Pract Neurol 2019 Apr;19(2):168-172

Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK

There is very little published literature on treatment strategies for functional visual loss. We present two people with long duration of functional visual loss who achieved complete recovery with a novel combination of therapeutic approaches. These included: (1) the clinician being transparent regarding positive signs such as optokinetic nystagmus, in order to persuade family members of the diagnosis, (2) regularly positively acknowledging everyday events that indicated visual ability, (3) using occipital transcranial magnetic stimulation to induce phosphenes as an artificial temporary visual experience and (4) using hypnotherapy to promote visual recovery. Read More

Eur Psychiatry 2019 May 11;58:72-79. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical Detection Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park SE5 8AF London, UK; Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. Electronic address:

Objective: The predictive accuracy of the Clinical High Risk criteria for Psychosis (CHR-P) regarding the future development of the disorder remains suboptimal. It is therefore necessary to incorporate refined risk estimation tools which can be applied at the individual subject level. The aim of the study was to develop an easy-to use, short refined risk estimation tool to predict the development of psychosis in a new CHR-P cohort recruited in European country with less established early detection services. Read More

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci 2019 Mar 14:1-13. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Department of Clinical, Neuro-, and Developmental Psychology,Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam,The Netherlands.

AimsThe Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) are the most frequently used observer-rated and self-report scales of depression, respectively. It is important to know what a given total score or a change score from baseline on one scale means in relation to the other scale.

Methods: We obtained individual participant data from the randomised controlled trials of psychological and pharmacological treatments for major depressive disorders. Read More

Pain Res Manag 2019 3;2019:9017931. Epub 2019 Feb 3.

Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, No. 20 Xisi Road, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China.

Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is a chronic pain state that is difficult to be treated clinically. A series of complicated changes have been produced from nociceptive stimulation to the occurrence and development of postsurgical pain. Many mechanisms remain unclear. Read More

Clin Transplant 2019 Mar 12:e13521. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a significant complication after pediatric heart transplantation (HT), occurring in 5%-15% of patients within 3 years. Data >3 years from HT are limited. We sought to describe the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of PTLD occurring late (>3 years) after pediatric HT in the Pediatric Heart Transplant Study from 1993 to 2010. Read More

CNS Spectr 2019 Feb;24(1):201-202

7Director,Mood Disorders Program,UH Cleveland Medical Center,Cleveland,OH.

Study ObjectivesTo report functional recovery, symptomatic remission, and sustained symptomatic remission rates after treatment with aripiprazole once-monthly 400mg (AOM 400) administered every 4weeks for up to 52weeks as maintenance treatment in a mixed cohort of AOM 400 naïve (de novo) and experienced adults (rollover) with bipolar I disorder (BP-I).

Method: This open-label study (NCT01710709) enrolled de novo patients with a diagnosis of BP-I and ≥1 previous manic or mixed episode and rollover patients who completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessing the efficacy and safety of AOM 400 (NCT01567527). Efficacy was assessed by mean changes from baseline in Young-Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Montgomery-Asberg Depressive Rating Scale (MADRS), and Clinical Global Impression- Bipolar Version-Severity of Illness (CGI-BP-S) scores. Read More

Nicotine Tob Res 2019 Mar 9. Epub 2019 Mar 9.

Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.

Large segments of the world population use combustible cigarettes, and our society pays a high price for smoking, through increased healthcare expenditures, morbidity and mortality. The development of combustible cigarette smoking requires the initiation of smoking and a subsequent chain of behavioral transitions from experimental use, to established regular use, to the conversion to addiction. Each transition is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors, and our increasing knowledge about genetic contributions to smoking behaviors opens new potential interventions. Read More

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2019 Mar 8. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Radiology, Athinoula A Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA

Objective: Some individuals with functional neurological disorder (FND) exhibit motor and affective disturbances, along with limbic hyper-reactivity and enhanced motor-limbic connectivity. Given that the multimodal integration network (insula, dorsal cingulate, temporoparietal junction (TPJ)) is implicated in convergent sensorimotor, affective and interoceptive processing, we hypothesised that patients with FND would exhibit altered motor and amygdalar resting-state propagation to this network. Patient-reported symptom severity and clinical outcome were also hypothesised to map onto multimodal integration areas. Read More

Mov Disord 2019 Apr 6;34(4):536-544. Epub 2019 Mar 6.

Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders, University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas.

Background: PD diagnosis is based primarily on clinical criteria and can be inaccurate. Biological markers, such as α-synuclein aggregation, that reflect ongoing pathogenic processes may increase diagnosis accuracy and allow disease progression monitoring. Though α-synuclein aggregation assays have been published, reproducibility, standardization, and validation are key challenges for their development as clinical biomarkers. Read More

J Pers Med 2019 Mar 4;9(1). Epub 2019 Mar 4.

Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization, Matsumoto Medical Center, 2-20-30 Murai-machi Minami, Matsumoto 399-8701, Japan.

Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) are X-linked muscle disorders caused by mutations of the gene, which encodes the subsarcolemmal protein dystrophin. In DMD, dystrophin is not expressed due to a disruption in the reading frame of the gene, resulting in a severe phenotype. Becker muscular dystrophy exhibits a milder phenotype, having mutations that maintain the reading frame and allow for the production of truncated dystrophin. Read More

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2019 Mar 2. Epub 2019 Mar 2.

Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

Objective: Foreign accent syndrome (FAS) is widely understood as an unusual consequence of structural neurological damage, but may sometimes represent a functional neurological disorder. This observational study aimed to assess the prevalence and utility of positive features of functional FAS in a large group of individuals reporting FAS.

Methods: Participants self-reporting FAS recruited from informal unmoderated online support forums and via professional networks completed an online survey. Read More

J Child Neurol 2019 May 28;34(6):325-331. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

1 Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.

Objective: To describe the presenting symptoms and short-term outcomes of children diagnosed with functional neurologic symptom disorder and to compare the demographic and clinical characteristics of children who received neurodiagnostic testing to those who did not.

Study Design: Single center, retrospective review of 222 children who presented to the emergency department of a children's hospital, and diagnosed with functional neurologic symptom disorder, between 2010 and 2015.

Results: Out of 222 visits (females = 156, African Americans = 130, mean age = 13. Read More

Protein Sci 2019 May 12;28(5):964-970. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea.

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent β-transaminases (βTAs) reversibly catalyze transamination reactions by recognizing amino groups linked to the β-carbon atoms of their substrates. Although several βTA structures have been determined as holo forms containing PLP, little is known about the effect of PLP on the conversion of the apo structure to the holo structure. We determined the crystal structure of the apo form of a βTA from Mesorhizobium sp. Read More

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2019 Feb 20. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

University of California, Los Angeles.

Objective: The overlap versus independence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia is a topic that has garnered the attention of generations of clinicians and scientists. Although high rates of psychotic symptoms have been identified in individuals with ASD, the nature, prevalence, and prognostic significance of subclinical psychotic experiences in ASD remain poorly understood.

Method: This study sought to compare baseline characteristics, clinical profiles, and conversion outcomes between young individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR) who presented with or without a prior ASD diagnosis during the second phase of the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS, N=764). Read More

Chem Commun (Camb) 2019 Mar;55(21):3033-3048

Department of Physics and Astronomy, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403, USA.

Excitonic energy transfer is a versatile mechanism by which colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals can interact with a variety of nanoscale species. While this process is analogous to dipole-dipole coupling in molecular systems, the corresponding energy transfer dynamics can deviate from that of molecular assemblies due to manifestations of bulk-like features in semiconductor colloids. In particular, weak exciton binding, small singlet-triplet exciton splitting, and the energy disorder across nanocrystal ensembles can all play distinctive roles in the ensuing energy conversion processes. Read More

Brain 2019 Mar;142(3):744-759

Department of Neurology, McGill University, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Canada.

Idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD) is a powerful early sign of Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to directly observe prodromal neurodegenerative states, and potentially intervene with neuroprotective therapy. For future neuroprotective trials, it is essential to accurately estimate phenoconversion rate and identify potential predictors of phenoconversion. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Feb 16. Epub 2019 Feb 16.

Department of Neurosurgery, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY, USA.

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a myeloproliferative disorder usually characterized by an increase tendency towards thromboembolic events. Spontaneous hemorrhage/bleeding in PV patients is seldom reported in Neurosurgical literature. We report the case of a 76 year-old male with PV who developed a spontaneous subdural hematoma requiring surgical evacuation. Read More

Schizophr Res 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0810, USA. Electronic address:

Introduction: A faster and more accurate self-report screener for early psychosis is needed to promote early identification and intervention.

Methods: Self-report Likert-scale survey items were administered to individuals being screened with the Structured Interview for Psychosis-risk Syndromes (SIPS) and followed at eight early psychosis clinics. An a priori analytic plan included Spectral Clustering Analysis to reduce the item pool, followed by development of Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers. Read More

Psychol Med 2019 Feb 18:1-10. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

UCL Institute of Mental Health Studies, University College London,London,UK.

Background: Functional neurological disorder (FND), previously known as conversion disorder, is common and often results in substantial distress and disability. Previous research lacks large sample sizes and clinical surveys are most commonly derived from neurological settings, limiting our understanding of the disorder and its associations in other contexts. We sought to address this by analysing a large anonymised electronic psychiatric health record dataset. Read More

Seizure 2019 Mar 11;66:22-25. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Neuroscience Research Center, Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address:

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term outcome of patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), who never visited a psychologist and never received a proper therapy for their condition (due to lack of resources). We also aimed to investigate factors potentially associated with the outcome in these patients.

Methods: We studied all patients with PNES, who were admitted to the epilepsy monitoring unit at the Shiraz Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, from 2008 until 2013. Read More

Nihon Ronen Igakkai Zasshi 2019 ;56(1):43-50

Department of Diabetes, Metabolism, and Endocrinology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital.

Aim: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune skin disorder characterized by the production of autoantibodies. Several recent reports have described the occurrence of BP in diabetic patients treated with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. However, the clinical features of BP in diabetic patients, particularly in those treated with DPP-4 inhibitors, have not yet been examined. Read More

Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2019 Feb 12;19(3):12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Neuroscience Research Centre, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Sciences, St George's University of London;, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0QT, UK.

Purpose Of Review: Functional movement disorders are common and disabling causes of abnormal movement control. Here, we review the current state of the evidence on the use of neuroimaging in Functional movement disorders, particularly its role in helping to unravel the pathophysiology of this enigmatic condition.

Recent Findings: In recent years, there has been a shift in thinking about functional movement disorder, away from a focus on high-level psychological precipitants as in Freudian conversion theories, or even an implicit belief they are 'put-on' for secondary gain. Read More