Bee Hong Soon

Background: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) can evaluate brain functional connectivity without requiring subjects to perform a specific task. This rs-fMRI is very useful in patients with cognitive decline or unable to respond to tasks. However, long scan durations have been suggested to measure connectivity between brain areas to produce more reliable results, which are not clinically optimal. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate a shorter scan duration and compare the scan duration of 10 and 15 min using the rs-fMRI approach. Methods: Twenty-one healthy male and female participants (seventeen right-handed and four left-handed), with ages ranging between 21 and 60 years, were recruited. All participants underwent both 10 and 15 min of rs-fMRI scans. The present study evaluated the default mode network (DMN) areas for both scan durations. The areas involved were the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), left inferior parietal cortex (LIPC), and right inferior parietal cortex (RIPC). Fifteen causal models were constructed and inverted using spectral dynamic causal modelling (spDCM). The models were compared using Bayesian Model Selection (BMS) for group studies. Result: The BMS results indicated that the fully connected model was the winning model among 15 competing models for both 10 and 15 min scan durations. However, there was no significant difference in effective connectivity among the regions of interest between the 10 and 15 min scans. Conclusion: Scan duration in the range of 10 to 15 min is sufficient to evaluate the effective connectivity within the DMN region. In frail subjects, a shorter scan duration is more favourable.

Background: MLC601/MLC901 (NeuroAiD™) is a combination of natural products shown to be safe and to aid neurological recovery after brain injuries, especially ischemic stroke. Few studies have investigated NeuroAiD in primary intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The NeuroAiD Safe Treatment (NeST) Registry explores NeuroAiD use in the real-world setting. This cohort study aimed to assess its use and safety in ICH. Methods: The online NeST Registry of subjects with ICH given NeuroAiD prospectively collected clinical data at baseline and monthly visits (V) 1 to 3. Outcome measures included compliance, side effects, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and Short Orientation-Memory-Concentration Test (SOMCT). Results: Sixty-six subjects were included. NeuroAiD was well-tolerated with fair compliance over three months. Two non-serious side effects were reported. Mean scores significantly improved on all outcome scales. The proportion of subjects with favorable outcomes significantly improved from baseline to V3: NIHSS 0–4, from 12% to 59% (p < 0.0001); GCS 13–15, from 64% to 88% (p = 0.007); mRS 0–1, from 9% to 37% (p = 0.004); and SOMCT score 0–8, from 44% to 68% (p = 0.029). Conclusions: NeuroAiD in the real-world setting was safe and showed potential for a sustained positive effect on neurological recovery after ICH.