101
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Autistic traits in epilepsy models: Why, when and how? Epilepsy Res 2018; 144:62-70. [PMID: 29783181 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2018.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common comorbidity of epilepsy and seizures and/or epileptiform activity are observed in a significant proportion of ASD patients. Current research also implies that autistic traits can be observed to a various degree in mice and rats with seizures. This suggests that there are shared mechanisms in both ASD and epilepsy syndromes. Here, we first review the standard, validated methods used to assess autistic traits in animal models as well as their limitations with regards to epilepsy models. We then discuss two of the potential pathological processes that could be shared between ASD and epilepsy. We first focus on functional implications of neuroinflammation including changes to excitable networks mediated by inflammatory regulators. Finally we examine mechanisms at the cellular and network level involved in neuronal excitability, timing and network coordination that may directly lead to behavioral disturbances present in both epilepsy and ASD. This mini-review summarizes the work first presented at an Investigators Workshop at the 2016 American Epilepsy Society meeting.
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102
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mGluR5 Modulation of Behavioral and Epileptic Phenotypes in a Mouse Model of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1457-1465. [PMID: 29206810 PMCID: PMC5916364 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Drugs targeting metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) have therapeutic potential in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). The question whether inhibition or potentiation of mGluR5 could be beneficial depends, among other factors, on the specific indication. To facilitate the development of mGluR5 treatment strategies, we tested the therapeutic utility of mGluR5 negative and positive allosteric modulators (an mGluR5 NAM and PAM) for TSC, using a mutant mouse model with neuronal loss of Tsc2 that demonstrates disease-related phenotypes, including behavioral symptoms of ASD and epilepsy. This model uniquely enables the in vivo characterization and rescue of the electrographic seizures associated with TSC. We demonstrate that inhibition of mGluR5 corrects hyperactivity, seizures, and elevated de novo synaptic protein synthesis. Conversely, positive allosteric modulation of mGluR5 results in the exacerbation of hyperactivity and epileptic phenotypes. The data suggest a meaningful therapeutic potential for mGluR5 NAMs in TSC, which warrants clinical exploration and the continued development of mGluR5 therapies.
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103
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Zhang L, Yin JB, Hu W, Zhao WJ, Fan QR, Qiu ZC, He MJ, Ding T, Sun Y, Kaye AD, Wang ER. Analgesic Effects of Duloxetine on Formalin-Induced Hyperalgesia and Its Underlying Mechanisms in the CeA. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:317. [PMID: 29692727 PMCID: PMC5902556 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In rodents, the amygdala has been proposed to serve as a key center for the nociceptive perception. Previous studies have shown that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling cascade in the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) played a functional role in inflammation-induced peripheral hypersensitivity. Duloxetine (DUL), a serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, produced analgesia on formalin-induced spontaneous pain behaviors. However, it is still unclear whether single DUL pretreatment influences formalin-induced hypersensitivity and what is the underlying mechanism. In the current study, we revealed that systemic pretreatment with DUL not only dose-dependently suppressed the spontaneous pain behaviors, but also relieved mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity induced by formalin hindpaw injection. Consistent with the analgesic effects of DUL on the pain behaviors, the expressions of Fos and pERK that were used to check the neuronal activities in the spinal cord and CeA were also dose-dependently reduced following DUL pretreatment. Meanwhile, no emotional aversive behaviors were observed at 24 h after formalin injection. The concentration of 5-HT in the CeA was correlated with the dose of DUL in a positive manner at 24 h after formalin injection. Direct injecting 5-HT into the CeA suppressed both the spontaneous pain behaviors and hyperalgesia induced by formalin injection. However, DUL did not have protective effects on the formalin-induced edema of hindpaw. In sum, the activation of CeA neurons may account for the transition from acute pain to long-term hyperalgesia after formalin injection. DUL may produce potent analgesic effects on the hyperalgesia and decrease the expressions of p-ERK through increasing the concentration of serotonin in the CeA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lie Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Jun-Bin Yin
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China.,Department of Neurology, The 456th Hospital of PLA, Jinan, China.,Department of Human Anatomy, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wei Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China.,Department of Human Anatomy, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wen-Jun Zhao
- Department of Human Anatomy, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Qing-Rong Fan
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhi-Chun Qiu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Ming-Jie He
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Tan Ding
- Department of Orthopedics, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Cadet Bridge, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Alan D Kaye
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - En-Ren Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
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104
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Stoppel LJ, Kazdoba TM, Schaffler MD, Preza AR, Heynen A, Crawley JN, Bear MF. R-Baclofen Reverses Cognitive Deficits and Improves Social Interactions in Two Lines of 16p11.2 Deletion Mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:513-524. [PMID: 28984295 PMCID: PMC5770771 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Human chromosome 16p11.2 microdeletion is among the most common gene copy number variations (CNVs) known to confer risk for intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and affects an estimated 3 in 10 000 people. Caused by a single copy deletion of ~27 genes, 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome is characterized by ID, impaired language, communication and socialization skills, and ASD. Studies in animal models where a single copy of the syntenic 16p11.2 region has been deleted have revealed morphological, behavioral, and electrophysiological abnormalities. Previous studies suggested the possibility of some overlap in the mechanisms of pathophysiology in 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome and fragile X syndrome. Improvements in fragile X phenotypes have been observed following chronic treatment with R-baclofen, a selective agonist of GABAB receptors. We were therefore motivated to investigate the effects of chronic oral R-baclofen administration in two independently generated mouse models of 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome. In studies performed across two independent laboratories, we found that chronic activation of GABAB receptors improved performance on a series of cognitive and social tasks known to be impaired in two different 16p11.2 deletion mouse models. Our findings suggest that R-baclofen may have clinical utility for some of the core symptoms of human 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Stoppel
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tatiana M Kazdoba
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Melanie D Schaffler
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Anthony R Preza
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Arnold Heynen
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jacqueline N Crawley
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Mark F Bear
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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105
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Berg EL, Copping NA, Rivera JK, Pride MC, Careaga M, Bauman MD, Berman RF, Lein PJ, Harony-Nicolas H, Buxbaum JD, Ellegood J, Lerch JP, Wöhr M, Silverman JL. Developmental social communication deficits in the Shank3 rat model of phelan-mcdermid syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2018; 11:587-601. [PMID: 29377611 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the SHANK3 gene have been discovered in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the intellectual disability, Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. This study leveraged a new rat model of Shank3 deficiency to assess complex behavioral phenomena, unique to rats, which display a richer social behavior repertoire than mice. Uniquely detectable emissions of ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) in rats serve as situation-dependent affective signals and accomplish important communicative functions. We report, for the first time, a call and response acoustic playback assay of bidirectional social communication in juvenile Shank3 rats. Interestingly, we found that Shank3-deficient null males did not demonstrate the enhanced social approach behavior typically exhibited following playback of pro-social USV. Concomitantly, we discovered that emission of USV in response to playback was not genotype-dependent and emitted response calls were divergent in meaning. This is the first report of these socially relevant responses using a genetic model of ASD. A comprehensive and empirical analysis of vigorous play during juvenile reciprocal social interactions further revealed fewer bouts and reduced durations of time spent playing by multiple key parameters, including reduced anogenital sniffing and allogrooming. We further discovered that male null Shank3-deficient pups emitted fewer isolation-induced USV than Shank3 wildtype controls. Postnatal whole brain anatomical phenotyping was applied to visualize anatomical substrates that underlie developmental phenotypes. The data presented here lend support for the important role of Shank3 in social communication, the core symptom domain of ASD. By increasing the number of in vivo functional outcome measures, we improved the likelihood for identifying and moving forward with medical interventions. Autism Res 2018, 11: 587-601. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY Clinically relevant outcomes are required to demonstrate the utility of therapeutics. We introduce findings in a rat model, and assess the impact of mutations in Shank3, an autism risk gene. We found that males with deficient expression of Shank3 did not demonstrate typical responses in a bi-directional social communication test and that social interaction was lower on key parameters. Outcome measures reported herein extend earlier results in mice and capture responses to acoustic calls, which is analogous to measuring receptive and expressive communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L Berg
- University of California, Davis, MIND Institute, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Nycole A Copping
- University of California, Davis, MIND Institute, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Josef K Rivera
- University of California, Davis, MIND Institute, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Michael C Pride
- University of California, Davis, MIND Institute, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Milo Careaga
- University of California, Davis, MIND Institute, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Melissa D Bauman
- University of California, Davis, MIND Institute, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Robert F Berman
- University of California, Davis, MIND Institute, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Pamela J Lein
- University of California, Davis, MIND Institute, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Hala Harony-Nicolas
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Joseph D Buxbaum
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Jacob Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, Marburg, D-35032, Germany.,Marburg Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (MCMBB), Marburg, Germany
| | - Jill L Silverman
- University of California, Davis, MIND Institute, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
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106
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Yuskaitis CJ, Jones BM, Wolfson RL, Super CE, Dhamne SC, Rotenberg A, Sabatini DM, Sahin M, Poduri A. A mouse model of DEPDC5-related epilepsy: Neuronal loss of Depdc5 causes dysplastic and ectopic neurons, increased mTOR signaling, and seizure susceptibility. Neurobiol Dis 2017; 111:91-101. [PMID: 29274432 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
DEPDC5 is a newly identified epilepsy-related gene implicated in focal epilepsy, brain malformations, and Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). In vitro, DEPDC5 negatively regulates amino acid sensing by the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway, but the role of DEPDC5 in neurodevelopment and epilepsy has not been described. No animal model of DEPDC5-related epilepsy has recapitulated the neurological phenotypes seen in patients, and germline knockout rodent models are embryonic lethal. Here, we establish a neuron-specific Depdc5 conditional knockout mouse by cre-recombination under the Synapsin1 promotor. Depdc5flox/flox-Syn1Cre (Depdc5cc+) mice survive to adulthood with a progressive neurologic phenotype that includes motor abnormalities (i.e., hind limb clasping) and reduced survival compared to littermate control mice. Depdc5cc+ mice have larger brains with increased cortical neuron size and dysplastic neurons throughout the cortex, comparable to the abnormal neurons seen in human focal cortical dysplasia specimens. Depdc5 results in constitutive mTORC1 hyperactivation exclusively in neurons as measured by the increased phosphorylation of the downstream ribosomal protein S6. Despite a lack of increased mTORC1 signaling within astrocytes, Depdc5cc+ brains show reactive astrogliosis. We observed two Depdc5cc+ mice to have spontaneous seizures, including a terminal seizure. We demonstrate that as a group Depdc5cc+ mice have lowered seizure thresholds, as evidenced by decreased latency to seizures after chemoconvulsant injection and increased mortality from pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures. In summary, our neuron-specific Depdc5 knockout mouse model recapitulates clinical, pathological, and biochemical features of human DEPDC5-related epilepsy and brain malformations. We thereby present an important model in which to study targeted therapeutic strategies for DEPDC5-related conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Yuskaitis
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy Genetics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Brandon M Jones
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rachel L Wolfson
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Chloe E Super
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sameer C Dhamne
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alexander Rotenberg
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy Genetics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Neuromodulation Program, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David M Sabatini
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, 455 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Mustafa Sahin
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Annapurna Poduri
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy Genetics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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107
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Alexandrov PN, Zhao Y, Jaber V, Cong L, Lukiw WJ. Deficits in the Proline-Rich Synapse-Associated Shank3 Protein in Multiple Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Front Neurol 2017; 8:670. [PMID: 29321759 PMCID: PMC5732231 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Signaling between neurons in the human central nervous system (CNS) is accomplished through a highly interconnected network of presynaptic and postsynaptic elements essential in the conveyance of electrical and neurochemical information. One recently characterized core postsynaptic element essential to the efficient operation of this complex network is a relatively abundant ~184.7 kDa proline-rich synapse-associated cytoskeletal protein known as Shank3 (SH3-ankyrin repeat domain; encoded at human chr 22q13.33). In this “Perspectives” article, we review and comment on current advances in Shank3 research and include some original data that show common Shank3 deficits in a number of seemingly unrelated human neurological disorders that include sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BD), Phelan–McDermid syndrome (PMS; 22q13.3 deletion syndrome), and schizophrenia (SZ). Shank3 was also found to be downregulated in the CNS of the transgenic AD (TgAD) 5x familial Alzheimer’s disease murine model engineered to overexpress the 42 amino acid amyloid-beta (Aβ42) peptide. Interestingly, the application of known pro-inflammatory stressors, such as the Aβ42 peptide and the metal-neurotoxin aluminum sulfate, to human neuronal–glial cells in primary culture resulted in a significant decrease in the expression of Shank3. These data indicate that deficits in Shank3-expression may be one common denominator linking a wide-range of human neurological disorders that exhibit a progressive or developmental synaptic disorganization that is temporally associated with cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuhai Zhao
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Vivian Jaber
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Lin Cong
- LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States.,Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Walter J Lukiw
- Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,LSU Neuroscience Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States.,Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States.,Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States
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