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Seizure May 2022Ictal piloerection (IP) is a rare manifestation of focal epilepsy. Autoimmune limbic encephalitis (LE) and malignant brain tumours are the most frequent recognized... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Ictal piloerection (IP) is a rare manifestation of focal epilepsy. Autoimmune limbic encephalitis (LE) and malignant brain tumours are the most frequent recognized aetiologies.
METHODS
We selected all patients diagnosed with LE in our Institute from 2004 to 2020 and manifesting with IP. We performed a literature review on LE patients presenting IP.
RESULTS
Of 15 patients diagnosed with LE (13.3%), two manifested IP as prominent ictal feature. One of them also had stiff-limb syndrome. Video-EEG documented ictal discharges from the right temporal regions with concomitant sympathetic skin response (SSR) recording. Antibody testing showed elevated serum and CSF titres of GAD65 antibodies (Ab), in both cases. Despite a combination of several anti-seizure medications and first- and second-line immunotherapy, they showed a poor clinical outcome after 2 and 9 years of follow-up, respectively. The literature review yielded 13 papers reporting 26 LE cases with IP. LGI1 Ab were the most frequently associated (73.1%) followed by VGKC-complex (7.7%), GAD65 (7.7%), NMDAr (3.8%), Ma2 (3.8%) and Hu (3.8%) Ab. Cases with LGI1 Ab showed a good response to immunotherapy.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The prevalence of IP in our LE cohort was of 13.3%, higher than expected. According to the literature review, most cases were associated with LGI1 Ab and showed a good response to immunotherapy. With the contribution of our cases, GAD65 emerged as the second most frequently detected Ab, showing a poor outcome. Our findings widen the spectrum of IP-associated Ab, with the respective prognostic implications.
Topics: Autoantibodies; Autoimmune Diseases; Electroencephalography; Humans; Limbic Encephalitis
PubMed: 35427850
DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2022.03.025 -
Frontiers in Zoology Mar 2022Sexual selection has driven sexual dimorphism in agonistic behaviour in many species. Agonistic behaviour is fundamentally altered by domestication and captivity, but it...
BACKGROUND
Sexual selection has driven sexual dimorphism in agonistic behaviour in many species. Agonistic behaviour is fundamentally altered by domestication and captivity, but it is unclear whether ancestral sex differences remain. We aimed to evaluate the effect of sex on agonistic behaviour, fighting ability and contest costs. We studied this in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) where aggression compromises welfare, and sexual dimorphism in aggression has been inconclusively demonstrated. Behaviour and physiology of 827 male and female juvenile pigs were studied during resident-intruder tests and dyadic contests at various ages, while accounting for the relative body weight difference between the opponents.
RESULTS
Males won in 79% of contests against females, even when at a large weight disadvantage. The effect of sex increased with age, with males having a 138 times higher likelihood of winning than females when 13 weeks old. In dyadic contests, males invested more time in non-damaging agonistic display behaviour and took longer before escalating into damaging aggression. Males showed ritualized display that included foaming from the mouth and piloerection of the neck hair, which was nearly always absent in females. Contest costs in terms of contest duration, blood lactate and skin lesions where higher for males, especially when fighting another male.
CONCLUSIONS
Profound sex differences were present for agonistic behaviour, fighting ability and contest costs, and became more pronounced as animals got older. Males invested more in ritualized display before escalating into costly fights, whereas females attacked sooner but also terminated contests more rapidly and with fewer costs. The sexual dimorphism in agonistic behaviour in juvenile domestic pigs is in line with the evolutionary relevance for females' maternal defence and males' competition for females.
PubMed: 35279172
DOI: 10.1186/s12983-022-00458-9 -
Case Reports in Neurology 2021Autonomic status epilepticus (Aut SE) is a condition characterized by ongoing focal autonomic seizure lasting for >30 min. Aut SE can show a variety of clinical...
Autonomic status epilepticus (Aut SE) is a condition characterized by ongoing focal autonomic seizure lasting for >30 min. Aut SE can show a variety of clinical manifestations including vomiting, nausea, changes in heart rate, piloerection, pupillary abnormalities, and visual abnormalities. Although Aut SE is a common finding in childhood in the context of Panayiotopoulos syndrome, few reports have described this condition during adulthood. In the present report, we describe a case of Aut SE in an adult patient with parasellar meningioma and bilateral frontotemporal epileptiform activity on EEG record.
PubMed: 35111030
DOI: 10.1159/000519944 -
PLoS Pathogens Dec 2021Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV) and the closely related Alkhurma hemorrhagic disease virus (AHFV) are emerging flaviviruses that cause severe viral hemorrhagic...
Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV) and the closely related Alkhurma hemorrhagic disease virus (AHFV) are emerging flaviviruses that cause severe viral hemorrhagic fevers in humans. Increasing geographical expansion and case numbers, particularly of KFDV in southwest India, class these viruses as a public health threat. Viral pathogenesis is not well understood and additional vaccines and antivirals are needed to effectively counter the impact of these viruses. However, current animal models of KFDV pathogenesis do not accurately reproduce viral tissue tropism or clinical outcomes observed in humans. Here, we show that pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) infected with KFDV or AHFV develop viremia that peaks 2 to 4 days following inoculation. Over the course of infection, animals developed lymphocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, and elevated liver enzymes. Infected animals exhibited hallmark signs of human disease characterized by a flushed appearance, piloerection, dehydration, loss of appetite, weakness, and hemorrhagic signs including epistaxis. Virus was commonly present in the gastrointestinal tract, consistent with human disease caused by KFDV and AHFV where gastrointestinal symptoms (hemorrhage, vomiting, diarrhea) are common. Importantly, RNAseq of whole blood revealed that KFDV downregulated gene expression of key clotting factors that was not observed during AHFV infection, consistent with increased severity of KFDV disease observed in this model. This work characterizes a nonhuman primate model for KFDV and AHFV that closely resembles human disease for further utilization in understanding host immunity and development of antiviral countermeasures.
Topics: Animals; Chlorocebus aethiops; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne; Encephalitis, Tick-Borne; Female; HEK293 Cells; Hemorrhagic Fevers, Viral; Humans; Lymph Nodes; Macaca nemestrina; Vero Cells; Viremia
PubMed: 34855915
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009678 -
Royal Society Open Science Oct 2021Consolation has been observed in several species, including marmoset monkeys, but it is often unclear to what extent they are empathy-based. Marmosets perform well in at...
Consolation has been observed in several species, including marmoset monkeys, but it is often unclear to what extent they are empathy-based. Marmosets perform well in at least two of three components of empathy-based consolation, namely understanding others and prosociality, but it is unknown to what extent they show matching with others. We, therefore, tested whether non-aroused individuals would become aroused themselves when encountering an aroused group member (indicated by piloerection of the tail). We found a robust contagion effect: group members were more likely to show piloerection themselves after having encountered an aroused versus relaxed conspecific. Moreover, group members offered consolation behaviours (affiliative approaches) towards the aroused fellow group members rather than the latter requesting it. Importantly, this pattern was shown by both aroused and non-aroused individuals, which suggests that they did not do this to reduce their own arousal but rather to console the individual in distress. We conclude that marmosets have all three components of empathy-based consolation. These results are in line with observations in another cooperative breeder, the prairie vole.
PubMed: 34729211
DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211255 -
Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology 2021
PubMed: 34728956
DOI: 10.4103/aian.AIAN_1124_20 -
Scientific Reports Aug 2021Here, we provide unique photo documentation and observational evidence of rescue behaviour described for the first time in wild boar. Rescue behaviour represents an...
Here, we provide unique photo documentation and observational evidence of rescue behaviour described for the first time in wild boar. Rescue behaviour represents an extreme form of prosocial behaviour that has so far only been demonstrated in a few species. It refers to a situation when one individual acts to help another individual that finds itself in a dangerous or stressful situation and it is considered by some authors as a complex form of empathy. We documented a case in which an adult female wild boar manipulated wooden logs securing the door mechanism of a cage trap and released two entrapped young wild boars. The whole rescue was fast and particular behaviours were complex and precisely targeted, suggesting profound prosocial tendencies and exceptional problem-solving capacities in wild boar. The rescue behaviour might have been motivated by empathy because the rescuer female exhibited piloerection, a sign of distress, indicating an empathetic emotional state matching or understanding the victims. We discuss this rescue behaviour in the light of possible underlying motivators, including empathy, learning and social facilitation.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Female; Restraint, Physical; Social Behavior; Spatial Behavior; Swine
PubMed: 34376774
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95682-4 -
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2021Fungal PJI is one of the most feared complications after arthroplasty. Although a rare finding, its high associated morbidity and mortality makes it an important object...
Fungal PJI is one of the most feared complications after arthroplasty. Although a rare finding, its high associated morbidity and mortality makes it an important object of study. The most frequent species causing fungal PJI is . New technology to treat this type of PJI involves organic-inorganic sol-gels loaded with antifungals, as proposed in this study, in which anidulafungin is associated with organophosphates. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an anidulafungin-loaded organic-inorganic sol-gel in preventing prosthetic joint infection (PJI), caused by using an in vivo murine model that evaluates many different variables. Fifty percent (3/6) of mice in the -infected, non-coated, chemical-polished (CP)-implant group had positive culture and 100% of the animals in the -infected, anidulafungin-loaded, sol-gel coated (CP + A)-implant group had a negative culture (0/6) ( = 0.023). Taking the microbiology and pathology results into account, 54.5% (6/11) of -infected CP-implant mice were diagnosed with a PJI, whilst only 9.1% (1/11) of -infected CP + A-implant mice were PJI-positive ( = 0.011). No differences were observed between the bone mineral content and bone mineral density of noninfected CP and noninfected CP + A ( = 0.835, and = 0.181, respectively). No histological or histochemical differences were found in the tissue area occupied by the implant among CP and CP + A. Only 2 of the 6 behavioural variables evaluated exhibited changes during the study: limping and piloerection. In conclusion, the anidulafungin-loaded sol-gel coating showed an excellent antifungal response in vivo and can prevent PJI due to in this experimental model.
PubMed: 34204833
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10060711 -
Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy Mar 2021Epidemiological studies of the COVID-19 patients have suggested the male bias in outcomes of lung illness. To experimentally demonstrate the epidemiological results, we...
Epidemiological studies of the COVID-19 patients have suggested the male bias in outcomes of lung illness. To experimentally demonstrate the epidemiological results, we performed animal studies to infect male and female Syrian hamsters with SARS-CoV-2. Remarkably, high viral titer in nasal washings was detectable in male hamsters who presented symptoms of weight loss, weakness, piloerection, hunched back and abdominal respiration, as well as severe pneumonia, pulmonary edema, consolidation, and fibrosis. In contrast with the males, the female hamsters showed much lower shedding viral titers, moderate symptoms, and relatively mild lung pathogenesis. The obvious differences in the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and severity of lung pathogenesis between male and female hamsters provided experimental evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infection and the severity of COVID-19 are associated with gender.
Topics: Animals; COVID-19; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Susceptibility; Female; Male; Mesocricetus; SARS-CoV-2; Sex Characteristics
PubMed: 33790236
DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00552-0 -
Behavioural Pharmacology Apr 2022Newly emerging synthetic cannabinoid compounds continue to be found in the designer drug market. They are often targeted as a 'legal high' alternative to traditional...
Newly emerging synthetic cannabinoid compounds continue to be found in the designer drug market. They are often targeted as a 'legal high' alternative to traditional cannabinoids via 'darknet' markets and their increased potency and efficacy are becoming a growing concern internationally. The purpose of this study was to determine whether 4-CN-CUMYL-BUTINACA, 4F-MDMB-BINACA, 5F-AEB, 5F-CUMYL-P7AICA and EMB-FUBINACA exhibited similar behavioral effects as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). Locomotor activity was assessed in an open-field assay using Swiss-Webster mice. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate between intraperitoneal injections of Δ9-THC (3 mg/kg) and vehicle. Following successful training, substitution tests for 4-CN-CUMYL-BUTINACA, 4F-MDMB-BINACA, 5F-AEB, 5F-CUMYL-P7AICA and EMB-FUBINACA were conducted. All of the test compounds decreased locomotor activity. 4-CN-CUMYL-BUTINACA (ED50 = 0.26 mg/kg), 4F-MDMB-BINACA (ED50 = 0.019 mg/kg), 5F-CUMYL-P7AICA (ED50 = 0.13 mg/kg) and EMB-FUBINACA (ED50 = 0.13 mg/kg) each fully substituted for the discriminative stimulus effects of the training dose of Δ9-THC, whereas 5F-AEB produced only a maximum of 67% drug-appropriate responding at 0.5 mg/kg. Higher doses produced piloerection, exophthalmos and convulsions. 4-CN-CUMYL-BUTINACA, 4F-MDMB-BINACA, 5F-CUMYL-P7AICA and EMB-FUBINACA are likely to produce similar subjective effects in humans as those produced by abused synthetic cannabinoids, and may therefore share similar abuse liability. In contrast, 5F-AEB may have a reduced abuse liability given its weaker THC-like discriminative stimulus effects but maybe more dangerous due to the adverse effects observed at doses needed to produce discriminative stimulus effects.
Topics: Animals; Cannabinoids; Dronabinol; Indazoles; Locomotion; Male; Mice; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley
PubMed: 33595956
DOI: 10.1097/FBP.0000000000000618