United States Department of Veterans Affairs

About: United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government organization based out in Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 61475 authors who have published 70990 publications receiving 3291429 citations. The organization is also known as: VA & Veterans Affairs Department.

Surgical techniques of anterior decompression and fusion for spinal cord injuries.

Abstract: Many patients who have static or only slowly improving neurologic deficits and significant compression of the spinal cord and nerve roots can benefit from anterior decompression. The improvement ranges from partial root recovery to very dramatic improvement in upper as well as lower extremities in the patient with quadriparesis. Intrinsic damage or contusion of the spinal cord cannot be reversed by decompression. Patients with motor sparing preoperatively attain a better functional improvement than those patients who have only slight distal sensory function initially. The same can be said of patients with spinal cord injuries treated with surgery, but we believe the ultimate degree of functional recovery of incomplete cord injuries is greater following anterior than posterior decompression when the operation is indicated. An early accurate diagnosis must be made concerning whether a patient has a complete or an incomplete spinal cord injury. The mechanical compressive lesion must be well documented by myelography, laminography, or CAT scan. The patient should not be neurologically harmed by a posterior laminectomy approach to anterior pathology which additionally removes all posterior stability. An anterior compressive block is best removed through an anterior approach.

Improved diabetes control in the elderly delays global cognitive decline.

Abstract: Objectives To examine whether improved diabetes control is related to better cognitive outcomes.

Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Research: Issues, Opportunities, and the National Institutes of Health StrokeNet.

Abstract: Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability-adjusted life years worldwide. Although numerous therapies have been developed over the past 10 years to treat acute ischemic stroke, the stark reality remains that only 5% of these patients are so treated in the United States,1 in part, because of treatment window times <3 to 6 hours post-onset, and many of these 5% nonetheless have significant long-term disability. Acute treatment options after hemorrhagic stroke remain limited.2 In parallel with efforts to further develop acute stroke interventions, researchers are studying recovery and rehabilitation treatments, which can have a treatment time window measured in days, weeks, or months poststroke. To achieve this goal, therapies aim to maximize function in brain areas that survive the stroke or provide compensatory approaches to improve overall function. Strategies targeting recovery and rehabilitation must be seen as distinct from acute stroke therapies, such as reperfusion or neuroprotection, where the strategy is to limit the severity of ischemic injury, including preserving penumbral tissue and reducing infarct size. Preclinical and translational research have successfully identified numerous molecular and physiological events spontaneously arising in the nervous system during the days-to-weeks after an infarct, and, subsequently, potential restorative therapies that target these events to improve long-term behavioral outcomes.3,4 In parallel, a burgeoning volume of data from human subjects has emerged regarding mechanisms of recovery from stroke. Together, these efforts inform translation into clinical studies for several classes of therapy, including small molecules, growth factors, stem cells, monoclonal antibodies, brain stimulation, robotics and other devices, cognitive strategies, intensive training, and telerehabilitation.5,6 The majority of patients with stroke survive the initial event but go on to live with significant disability for many years. Indeed, there are >7 million stroke survivors …

Mast cell 5-lipoxygenase activity promotes intestinal polyposis in APC Δ468 mice

Abstract: Arachidonic acid metabolism has been implicated in colon carcinogenesis, but the role of hematopoietic 5-lipoxygenase (5LO) that may impact tumor immunity in development of colon cancer has not been explored. Here we show that tissue-specific deletion of the 5LO gene in hematopoietic cells profoundly attenuates polyp development in the APC(Δ468) murine model of colon polyposis. In vitro analyses indicated that mast cells in particular utilized 5LO to limit proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells and to mobilize myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Mice lacking hemapoietic expression of 5LO exhibited reduced recruitment of MDSCs to the spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, and primary tumor site. 5LO deficiency also reduced the activity in MDSCs of arginase-1, which is thought to be critical for MDSC function. Together, our results establish a pro-tumorigenic role of hematopoietic 5LO in the immune microenvironment and suggest 5LO inhibition as an avenue for future investigation in treatment of colorectal polyposis and cancer.