This study tests the hypothesis that congenital heart
MLN2238 defects delay in utero structural brain development.
Methods: Full-term infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or transposition of the great arteries were prospectively evaluated with preoperative brain magnetic resonance imaging. Patients with independent risk factors for abnormal brain development (shock, end-organ injury, or intrauterine growth retardation) were excluded. Outcome measures included head circumferences and the total maturation score on magnetic resonance imaging. Total maturation score is a previously validated semiquantitative anatomic scoring system used to assess whole brain maturity. The total maturation score evaluates 4 parameters of maturity: (1) myelination, (2) cortical infolding, (3) involution of glial cell migration bands, and (4) presence of germinal matrix tissue.
Results: The study cohort included 29 neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and 13 neonates with transposition of the great arteries at a mean gestational age of 38.9 +/- 1.1 weeks. Mean head circumference was 1 standard deviation below normal. The mean
total maturation score for the cohort OSI-027 cost was 10.15 +/- 0.94, significantly lower than reported normative data in infants without congenital heart defects, corresponding to a delay of 1 month in structural brain development.
Conclusion: Before surgery, term infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and transposition of ATM inhibitor the great arteries have brains that are smaller and structurally less mature than expected. This delay in brain development may foster susceptibility to periventricular leukomalacia in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods.”
“Cell therapy appears as an exciting strategy for myelin repair in pathologies where oligodendrocytes are deficient or impaired, such as leucodystrophies and multiple sclerosis. Many studies indicate that several types of rodent cells, including neural stem and progenitor cells,
play a beneficial role after grafting and induce functional recovery in animal models of myelin disorders. However, the difficulties to commit human neural stem cells towards the oligodendroglial lineage have long hampered human cell-based therapy for these diseases. In this review, we present recent advances in the field and discuss the various strategies that helped overcome the challenge of human oligodendroglial differentiation. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Objective: Congenital mitral ring is a rare subtype of congenital mitral stenosis. Our objective is to review the anatomic findings and surgical results of this lesion and to identify early predictors of outcome.