25^th World Congress on Neurology & Neuroscience June 18-19, 2018 Finnstown Castle Hotel, Dublin, Ireland

Biography:

Natallia Halinouskaya  has completed her PhD at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and Postdoctoral studies at Gomel State Medical University and National Science and Practice Centre of Medical Assessment and Rehabilitation. She is the Dean of the Postgraduate Faculty at Gomel State Medical University, the Coordinator of the Educational Program Today and Tomorrow for stroke patients and patients with stroke risk factors. She has published more than 150 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an Editorial Board Member of reputed journals.
 

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Aim: This study purpose was to determine the autonomic nervous system (ANS) parameters that may differ the pathogenesis of transient ischemic attack (TIA) from stroke. Methodology: A prospective cohort study was conducted in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the Gomel State Medical University, Stroke Unit of the Gomel Regional Veterans Hospital, between May 2014 and March 2016 which includes 97 patients: TIA group - 13 patients and 84 stroke patients: 61 having size of stroke lower than 15 mm (lacunar stroke – LS), 23 having size of stroke greater than 15 mm (total stroke – TS). Heart rate variability (HRV) was used to describe status of the ANS. It was measured at 1st and 10th day after admission. Obtained HRV records were analyzed using the following four parameters: SDNN (standard deviation of the normal-to-normal R-R intervals, in ms), ΔX (the difference between maximal and minimal R-R interval, in ms), Mo (mode of the duration of R-R intervals, in ms), AMo (amplitude of the R-R intervals mode, in percent). Results: For the HRV taken on the 1st day, the dependence between ΔX (representing activity of parasympathetic part of ANS) and Mo (representing sympathetic part of ANS) was found to be significantly different for TIA and TS groups (p=0.016). Conclusion: The key difference between TIA and TS is a difference in the relationship between the humoral regulation of the activities of the ANS and the parasympathetic part activity at 1st day, which determines specific features of pathogenesis of the transient ischemia.

Biography:

Gabriele Saretzki has completed her PhD at Humboldt University, Berlin and performed most of her Postdoctoral studies at the Institute for Ageing and Health in Newcastle upon Tyne (UK) where she is a Lecturer in Ageing Research since 2002. Her main research interests include “Telomeres, telomerase, senescence, ageing, oxidative stress and mitochondria”. She has pioneered work on non-canonical functions of the telomerase protein TERT shifting her focus recently to brain ageing and neurodegenerative diseases. She has published more than 84 papers in peer-reviewed journals and is an Editorial Board Member of BMC Biology, PLOS One and Oxidative Medicine and Cellular longevity.

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While telomerase maintains telomeres in dividing cells, its protein component TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) has various non-canonical functions such as localisation to mitochondria resulting in decreased oxidative stress, apoptosis and DNA damage. TERT protein persist in adult neurons while telomerase activity is downregulated early during development. We recently demonstrated increased mitochondrial TERT protein in hippocampal neurons from Alzheimer’s disease brains and mutual exclusion of pathological tau and TERT. Transduction of mutated tau into cultivated neurons confirmed that TERT decreases mitochondrial oxidative stress and lipid oxidation. Mitochondrial dysfunction is also involved in the development of other neurodegenerative diseases. Treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) model mice overexpressing human wild-type alpha-synuclein with 2 telomerase activators resulted in increased TERT expression in brain and amelioration of PD symptoms by significantly improving balance, gait and motor function as well as mitochondrial function. Analysing levels of total and phosphorylated alpha-synuclein we found a substantial decrease of both proteins in the hippocampus and neocortex suggesting a better protein degradation after telomerase activator treatment. Interaction of TERT with proteasomal and autophagy pathways has been described recently. Accordingly, we found a decrease in poly-ubiquitinated proteins and the autophagy receptor p62 and analyse the involvement of these degradation pathways currently. We also present data on DNA damage, telomere-associated foci (TAFs), BDNF, MnSOD, mitochondrial proteins and aggregated alpha synuclein in different brain regions. Thus, our results suggest that telomerase activators might form novel treatment options for better degradation of toxic proteins in neurodegenerative diseases such as PD and AD.

Biography:

Hebah Hefzy has completed her Medical Doctorate from North-eastern Ohio Medical University in 2005, Residency in Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and a fellowship in Vascular Neurology at Henry Ford Hospital. She is the Medical Director of the Stroke Program at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. She has published several papers in reputed journals and has been active in clinical trials and other research activities.
 

Abstract:

Intravenous thrombolysis (IV tPA) has been the standard of care for acute stroke patients presenting within 3 hours of symptom discovery for over 20 years. Over the years, there are many more clinical scenarios in which IV tPA has proven to be beneficial to patients. This presentation will highlight these indications.

Biography:

Kiti Muller is a Neurologist with a PhD in Neuroimmunology. She is the Senior Neuroscientist at Nokia Bell Labs; Adjunct Professor in Neurology at Helsinki University and; in Cognitive Neuro-ergonomics at Aalto University, School of Science. Her research in Cognitive Neurophysiology focuses on sleep, fatigue and vigilance in different medical conditions and their effects on working ability of patients.
 

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Patients recovering from surgery frequently experience symptoms of fatigue. Objective measures of fatigue could be used to follow recovery progress, optimize daily activities to patient’s resources and evaluate working ability. Increased eye closure time per minute (ECT/min) has been used as an indicator of decreased alertness. We used ECT/min to study fatigue of patients undergoing elective neurosurgical treatment for unruptured intracranial aneurysm. We recorded electro-oculography (EOG) from eight patients (40 yrs., SD 12, 3 male) before (9 am) and after (10:30 am) performing demanding computer tasks simulating knowledge work. During the 6.5 min EOG measurements patients watched a muted video film. The ECT/min values were individually baseline corrected to the mean of the first measurement. Measurements were done 1-22 days before and 1530 days after surgery. All patients were full-time employed with no history of stroke, mental disturbances, and intracranial procedures. In both, pre- and postoperative measurements the ECT/min values were higher after the cognitively demanding tasks (preop: W=774, p=0.008; postop: W=684, p=0.0008), suggesting decreased alertness and/or increased fatigue after tasks. Interestingly no difference was found between pre and postoperative measurements (W=1136, ns.), indicating that fatigue was not significantly greater after surgery. The ECT/min is a promising objective measure to evaluate and follow changes in fatigue and alertness of patients. Longer postoperative follow-up with larger patient groups are needed to study further development of task-related ECT/min values after neurosurgery and can the effect of task on ECT/min predict working ability.

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Rina Aharoni is currently a Senior Staff Scientist in the Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. She has completed her BSc in Biology at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel and MSc and PhD in Life Sciences at Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. She did Postdoctoral Research at Stanford University, USA. Her main research interests include “Neuro-immunology, autoimmunity, pathology and therapy of multiple sclerosis (MS) and its model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), immunomodulation, neuroprotection and repair processes in the central nervous system, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)”. She has published more than 60 papers and is also an Editorial Board Member of 20 journals.

 

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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is currently recognized as complex diseases in which inflammatory reactivity in the central nervous system (CNS) results in demyelination, axonal and neuronal pathology. Treatment strategies thus aim to reduce the detrimental inflammation and induce neuroprotective repair processes. The synthetic copolymer Copaxone (glatiramer acetate, GA), an approved drug for the treatment of MS, is the first and so far the only therapeutic agent to have a copolymer as its active ingredient. Using the animal model of MS - experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the mechanism of action of GA was elucidated. These studies indicated that GA treatment generates immunomodulatory shift from the inflammatory towards the anti-inflammatory pathways, such as Th2-cells that cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and secrete in situ anti-inflammatory cytokines, as well as T-regulatory cells (Tregs) that suppress the disease. The consequences of GA treatment on the CNS injury inflicted by the disease were studied using immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging. These analyses revealed reduced demyelination and neuro-axonal damages, as well as neuroprotective repair processes such as neurotrophic factors secretion, remyelination and neurogenesis. These combined findings indicate that immunomodulatory treatment can counteract the neurodegenerative disease course, supporting linkage between immunomodulation, neuroprotection and therapeutic activity in the CNS. Recent Publications: 1. R Eilam, M Segal, R Malach, M Sela, R Arnon and R Aharoni (2018) Astrocyte disruption of neurovascular communication is linked to cortical damage in an animal model of multiple sclerosis Glia 66:1098-1117. 2. R Aharoni, C Rosen, E Shezen, D Bar-Lev, O Golan, Y Reisner, M Sela, R Arnon (2016) Assessing remyelination - metabolic labeling of myelin in an animal model of multiple sclerosis. Journal of Neuroimmunology. 301, 7–11. 3. R Aharoni (2015) Remyelination in multiple sclerosis: realizing a long standing challenge. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 22(41), 1-4. 4. R Aharoni (2015) Animal models of multiple sclerosis: imperfect but imperative Journal of Multiple Sclerosis 2(4), 2-4. 5. RAharoni(2014) Immunomodulation, neuroprotection and remyelination - The fundamental therapeutic effects of glatiramer acetate: A critical review. Journal of Autoimmunity. 54, 81-92.

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Hilary McDonagh is a Psychology Teacher at Sligo College of Further Education. She received Bachelor’s Degree in Hons Psychology from UCD and is a Graduate Member of the Psychological Society of Ireland. She is currently researching on how unconscious tongue positions can be modified to improve posture and functionality.
 

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The frontal aslant tract (FAT) has been a focus neurological research for the last decade. A recent review concentrated on its role in speech language and executive function and highlighted the research gap concerning the Mechanics of the FAT. The ongoing research concerns the mechanics of tongue movement: specifically, lateral tongue movements. Our tongue actually is constantly moving and only slows down to speak. Controlling lateral tongue position involves coordination of inputs from our limbs and our ocular system. As limb, eye and tongue movements all involve homologous brain regions to stop undesired behavior, we must choose between competing actions. Within this system, the eye predicts behavior. A case study encountered as part of my research concerned a 22-year-old with a persistent developmental stutter – since age 6. It was clearly observable that the words on which she predicted a difficulty were accompanied by unusual eye movements and gestures. For the tongue to assume a neutral position I instructed my client to say the words she foresaw difficulty while looking down to her naval. This immediately enabled clear speech and the procedure was replicated with a 6-year-old. Consequently, this highlights the need for more research into tongue movement and the mechanistic functioning of the frontal aslant tract.

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