First Autologous Cell Therapy of Cerebral Palsy Caused by Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Damage in a Child After Cardiac Arrest-Individual Treatment With Cord Blood.

First autologous cell therapy of cerebral palsy caused by hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in a child after cardiac arrest-individual treatment with cord blood.

Case Rep Transplant. 2013; 2013: 951827
Jensen A, Hamelmann E

Each year, thousands of children incur brain damage that results in lifelong sequelae. Therefore, based on experimental evidence, we explored the therapeutic potential of human cord blood, known to contain stem cells, to examine the functional neuroregeneration in a child with cerebral palsy after cardiac arrest. The boy, whose cord blood was stored at birth, was 2.5 years old and normally developed when global ischemic brain damage occurred resulting in a persistent vegetative state. Nine weeks later, he received autologous cord blood (91.7?mL, cryopreserved, 5.75 × 10e8 mononuclear cells) intravenously. Active rehabilitation (physio- and ergotherapy) was provided daily, follow-up at 2, 5, 12, 24, 30, and 40 months. At 2-months follow-up the boy’s motor control improved, spastic paresis was largely reduced, and eyesight was recovered, as did the electroencephalogram. He smiled when played with, was able to sit and to speak simple words. At 40 months, independent eating, walking in gait trainer, crawling, and moving from prone position to free sitting were possible, and there was significantly improved receptive and expressive speech competence (four-word sentences, 200 words). This remarkable functional neuroregeneration is difficult to explain by intense active rehabilitation alone and suggests that autologous cord blood transplantation may be an additional and causative treatment of pediatric cerebral palsy after brain damage. HubMed – eating

Avidity Studies in Anisakis simplex-Associated Allergic Diseases.

J Allergy (Cairo). 2013; 2013: 106781
Cuéllar C, Valls A, de Frutos C, Rodero M, Daschner A

Gastroallergic anisakiasis (GAA) and Anisakis-sensitization-associated chronic urticaria (CU+) differ with respect to specific IgE levels. We hypothesised different immunoglobulin avidities in both entities as well as their dependence on TI and fish consumption. 16 patients with GAA and 17 patients with CU+ were included, and immunoglobulin levels were analysed by CAP (Phadia). IgE and IgG avidity indexes (AvIgE and AvIgG, resp.) were also determined. IgG avidity was higher in GAA than in CU+ (P = 0.035), whereas there was a tendency to lower IgE avidity in GAA (P = 0.095). When analysing all patients, AvIgG was positively correlated with specific IgE, IgG, and IgG4 as well as total IgE (Rho between 0.66 and 0.71; P < 0.002), but AvIgE was negatively correlated with specific IgE (Rho -0.57; P < 0.001), specific IgG4 (Rho -0.38; P < 0.05), and total IgE (Rho 0.66; P < 0.001). In GAA, weekly fish consumption was positively associated with AvIgE (Rho 0.51; P = 0.05). A multivariate regression showed that time interval was the main explaining factor for AvIgE in GAA. We could show a differential behaviour of immunoglobulin isotype avidities in both entities and their dependence on fish-eating habits as well as on the time elapsed to the last parasitic episode. HubMed – eating

Agomelatine efficacy in the night eating syndrome.

Case Rep Med. 2013; 2013: 867650
Milano W, De Rosa M, Milano L, Capasso A

Night eating syndrome (NES) is a nosographic entity included among the forms not otherwise specified (EDNOS) in eating disorders (ED) of the DSM IV. It is characterized by a reduced food intake during the day, evening hyperphagia, and nocturnal awakenings associated with conscious episodes of compulsive ingestion of food. Frequently, NES patients show significant psychopathology comorbidity with affective disorders. This paper describes a case report of an NES patient treated with agomelatine, an antidepressant analogue of melatonin, which acts by improving not only the mood but also by regulating sleep cycles and appetite. After three months of observation, the use of Agomelatine not only improved the mood of our NES patient (assessed in the HAM-D scores) but it was also able to reduce the night eating questionnaire, by both reducing the number of nocturnal awakenings with food intake, the time of snoring, the minutes of movement during night sleep (assessed at polysomnography), and the weight (-5.5?kg) and optimizing blood glucose and lipid profile. In our clinical case report, agomelatine was able both to reduce the NES symptoms and to significantly improve the mood of our NES patient without adverse side effects during the duration of treatment. Therefore, our case report supports the rationale for further studies on the use of Agomelatine in the NES treatment. HubMed – eating

Increasing whole grain intake as part of prevention and treatment of nonalcoholic Fatty liver disease.

Int J Endocrinol. 2013; 2013: 585876
Ross AB, Godin JP, Minehira K, Kirwan JP

In conjunction with the rise in rates of obesity, there has been an increase in the rate of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). While NAFLD at least partially originates from poor diet, there is a lack of nutritional recommendations for patients with suspected or confirmed diagnosis of NAFLD, beyond eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and emphasising weight loss. The limited current literature suggests that there may be opportunities to provide more tailored dietary advice for people diagnosed with or at risk of NAFLD. Epidemiological studies consistently find associations between whole grain intake and a reduced risk of obesity and related diseases, yet no work has been done on the potential of whole grains to prevent and/or be a part of the treatment for fatty liver diseases. In this review, we examine the potential and the current evidence for whole grains having an impact on NAFLD. Due to their nutrient and phytochemical composition, switching from consuming mainly refined grains to whole grains should be considered as part of the nutritional guidelines for patients diagnosed with or at risk for fatty liver disease. HubMed – eating

Developing and evaluating cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) for adolescents with anorexia nervosa: A feasibility study.

Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2013 Jun 11;
Dahlgren CL, Lask B, Landrø NI, Rø O

Background: Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) aims at improving neuropsychological weaknesses and associated thinking styles in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). It has only recently been developed for adolescents with AN, and evidence of its applicability for this particular patient group is limited. This study aimed to test the feasibility of individually tailored and delivered CRT for young females with AN.Methods: A sample of 20 in- and outpatients (13-18 years) with AN participated in once- or twice weekly individual CRT sessions. The CRT materials used were available in a “CRT Resource Pack.” Feasibility was assessed with regards to the recruitment process, the delivery of the intervention, the materials used and clinical experiences.Results: Overall results indicate that the intervention was feasible with regards to (a) the recruitment of both in- and outpatients, (b) individual tailoring and delivery, (c) the CRT materials adapted to suit young females with AN, and (d) the acceptability for clinicians involved in the study. There were no voluntary dropouts, with 19 of 20 patients completing the entire course of treatment.Conclusions: The findings have implications for the refinement of CRT for the youngest AN population, and strengthens our understanding of the core components in the development and evaluation of novel interventions targeting AN. This study will help inform the design of a subsequent randomized controlled trial. HubMed – eating