HYPOTHESIS: The thickness of a cortical layer is a composite measure of neuronal, axonal, dendritic, synaptic, and glial numbers and sizes that may relate to thefunction of a cortical area. METHODS: 35 age-specific behaviors with defined cortical localization whose onset lies between birth and 72 months were selected. Each behavior's function localized to one or more of 12 cytoarchitectonic areas (Brodmann areas 4, with homuncular subdivisions for leg, trunk, face, and hand, plus 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 36, and 37). Data on cortical thickness for each layer of 41 cytoarchitectonic areas (including the 12 above) of the postnatal human cerebral cortex from birth of 72 months were analyzed for general patterns of change. For the 12 cortical areas functionally related to theage-specific behaviors, we searched for layer thickness changes that co-related to when the behaviors began. RESULTS: Without exception, all layers of the 41 cortical areas of the postnatal human cerebral cortex studied develop through a series of repeated thinning and thickening in a wave-like fashion. With regard to the co-relation of behavioral onset and changes in cortical layer thickness, from birth to 15 months, only layer II has agreater than expected frequency of being the layer with the greatest relative change in thickness (relative to its previous value). From 15 to 72 months, only layer IlI has a greater than expected frequency of being the layer with the greatest absolute change in thickness (81% involved a change in its direction of growth (thinning <--> thickening)). The co-occurrence of directional growth change and having the greatest layer thickness change were only statistically significant for layer III when an age-specific behavior began and was not seen for the 41 cortical areas overall (p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Cortical laminar development exhibits aprocess that is mathematically consistent with a random walk with drift and with boundaries so that uncontrolled proliferation and pruning are prevented. The directional changes in layer growth could be controlled by feedback coupled with growth promoting and growth inhibiting factors. Layer II, with its function of establishing local corticocortical connections, appears to be most important in establishing age-specific behaviors of infants from birth to 15 months. Such a process tends to produce relatively simpler behaviors. LayerIII, with its function of establishing longer distance corticocortical connections, appears to be most important in establishing age-specific behaviors of children from 15 to 72 months. This process tends to produce richer, more cross-modal behaviors than those mediated primarily by local corticocortical interactions.

Aging↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Endoscopic resection of small rectal carcinoid tumours using an aspiration method with a transparent overcap.

Rectal carcinoid tumours are often small and rarely metastatic. Endoscopic resection may, therefore, be the best treatment for small tumours. We diagnosed rectal carcinoid tumours in four women and three men (mean age 53 years; range, 43 - 63) between 1994 and 1999. Tumour depth was evaluated using a high-frequency ultrasonographic probe in five of the seven patients. All tumours were resected by endoscopic mucosal resection using an aspiration method with a transparent overcap. Histologically, all tumours were located within the submucosal layer. Tumour cells were found at the resected margin of the lateral side in one patient, and at the bottom of the margin in another. Both patients were followed up with frequent endoscopy, and no local recurrences have been detected at 1-year or 4-year follow-ups. Ultrasonographic examination before resection is useful to estimate tumour depth. Endoscopic resection by an aspiration method with a transparent overcap is safe and effective for the treatment of small rectal carcinoid tumours.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Autologous peripheral stem-cell transplantation after intensive chemotherapy in a case of CD30 (Ki-1)-positive anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

Simultaneous treatment with peripheral blood stem-cell (PBSC) transplantation and intensive chemotherapy was evaluated in a case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) with poor prognosis. A 59-year-old male diagnosed with a high-grade, anaplastic large-cell (Ki-1) NHL, involving fractures in the left hip, underwent computed tomography and gallium scintigram surveillance. The patient received chemotherapy with epirubicin hydrochloride, cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisolone, and the fractured hip bone was repaired following the first course of chemotherapy. After the second and third courses of chemotherapy, PBSCs were harvested and cryopreserved. The patient then received a further course of chemotherapy and PBSC transplantation was conducted using infused cells consisting of 9.63 x 10(6)/kg CD34 cells and 2.24 x 10(5)/kg granulocyte macrophage colony-forming units. Recovery of platelet and white blood cell counts occurred 10 and 8 days, respectively, after PBSC infusion and the patient remains well.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗