颅脑损伤后血液中S100β含量与损伤程度的关系

目的探讨血清中S100β蛋白含量与创伤性脑损伤程度的关系及法医学意义。方法选取健康体检者、颅脑损伤患者和其他创伤患者各30名作为研究对象,再根据入院时的GCS评分,将颅脑损伤患者分为轻中型组（GCS≥8分）和重型组（GCS〈8分）。用ELISA法对上述研究对象血清中S100β蛋白含量进行检测。结果在脑外伤6h内,颅脑损伤组血清S100β蛋白含量较正常对照组和创伤对照组升高,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;重型组与轻中型组相比,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。血清中S100β蛋白含量越高,患者颅脑损伤程度越严重。结论S100β蛋白可作为早期检测创伤性颅脑损伤的指标之一,其含量越高,颅脑损伤程度越重。     

Cerebral traumatism with a playground rocking toy mimicking shaken baby syndrome

Shaken baby syndrome (SBS), one of the most deadly and devastating forms of child abuse, is caused by violent shaking. The combination of subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage, brain swelling, and diffuse axonal injury is highly typical of this syndrome and faced with these autopsy findings, induced traumatic lesions are strongly considered. However, it is known that motor-vehicle accidents and falls from great height can also produce this pattern of injury. Nevertheless, stories of arms fall, couch fall, or bumped head while the baby is being carried are generally considered incompatible with SBS. We here report a case of a 2-year-old boy presenting with all the classic autopsy findings of SBS from a playground rocking toy shaken by an older child.     

Axonal injury in young pediatric head trauma: a comparison study of β-amyloid precursor protein (β-APP) immunohistochemical staining in traumatic and nontraumatic deaths

We tested the independent utility of β-amyloid precursor protein (β-APP) immunohistochemical staining as evidence of brain trauma in the deaths of young children. Blinded reviewers retrospectively reviewed immunostained brain tissues from homicidal deaths, age-matched control cases without evidence of trauma, as well as cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The reviewers correctly identified five of the seven cases with documented inflicted head trauma. However, one of seven age-matched control cases and one of 10 SIDS/sudden unexplained death in infancy (SUDI) cases demonstrated staining patterns similar to those seen in cases of inflicted trauma. We discuss these cases and the circumstances surrounding them with the intent to explain the difficulties associated with immunohistological interpretation of axonal injury. Although the utility of β-APP is quite powerful if not confounded by global hypoxic-ischemic injury, ultimately, β-APP studies should be only one piece of information in the determination of cause and manner of death.     

Complex suicide: an unusual case with six methods applied

Complex suicides (CSs) are committed by using more than one method. They account for 1.5-5% of all suicides. We present a case of CSs of a 44-year-old man, found dead in the vicinity of his car, in a deserted frozen field. Police investigation excluded homicide, and no medical data confirmed mental illnesses. Autopsy revealed wrist cuts, neck cuts, acid burns in the GI tract, multiple stab wounds to the head by a screwdriver, and several uncertain signs of hypothermia. Toxicology analysis (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) confirmed ingestion of insecticide. We concluded that stab wounds to the head were the cause of death, while external hemorrhage and hypothermia were contributing factors. This is the first case of CSs reviewed in the literature where six suicide methods were applied. This particular case is interesting because the victim used a screwdriver as a tool for inflicting stab wounds to the head, which is a rare suicidal method.     

创伤性脑损伤后生物分子标志物的研究进展

创伤性脑损伤(traumatic brain injury,TBI)是指机械性外力作用于头部时发生的损伤,导致一个或者多个病变,如颅内损伤、神经病学或者神经心理学改变、意识障碍或者死亡。TBI可因直接打击、缺血缺氧性脑损伤、炎性介质、细胞因子及氧自由基等机制诱发神经元死亡。TBI发生发展过程中产生了大量生物分子标志物,深入研究TBI后生物分子标志物的变化及其规律,对法医学鉴定及临床治疗都有重大意义。本文结合相关文献概述了TBI相关生物分子标志物的研究进展,为寻找更精确的与TBI诊断相关的生物分子标志物提供参考依据。     

脑外伤者血浆NSE含量与损伤程度的相关性

目的探讨血浆中神经元特异性烯醇化酶（NSE）含量与创伤性脑损伤程度的关系及法医学意义。方法选取25名健康体检者、34名颅脑损伤患者作为研究对象,根据入院时的GCS评分,将颅脑损伤患者分为轻中型组（GCS≥8分）和重型组（GCS〈8分）。用酶联免疫法对上述研究对象血浆中神经元特异性烯醇化酶含量进行检测。结果在脑外伤24h内,颅脑损伤组血浆中神经元特异性烯醇化酶含量较正常对照组升高,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）,重型组与轻中型组相比,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）,血清中血浆中神经元特异性烯醇化酶含量越高,患者颅脑损伤程度越严重。结论神经元特异性烯醇化酶可作为早期检测创伤性颅脑损伤的特异性指标,其含量越高,颅脑损伤程度越重。     

颅脑损伤致精神障碍的法医学鉴定

本文综述了国内外颅脑损伤致精神障碍的相关法医学现状,特别是对于鉴定中的常见问题进行了简要的综述。     

大鼠脑外伤后大脑皮质脑红蛋白的表达

目的探讨脑外伤后大脑脑红蛋白（Ngb）的时空变化规律及其法医学意义。方法实验大鼠分为打击后15min、30min、1h、3h、6h、12h、1d、2d 8组,并设正常对照组。采用硬膜外局部打击方法复制SD大鼠外伤性局灶性脑挫伤模型,在各组预设时间点断颈处死,并按损伤区、打击周边缘区和非损伤区皮质分别取材,采用半定量反转录聚合酶链式反应（半定量RT-PCR）方法和图像分析技术观测脑外伤后Ngb mRNA表达的变化规律,并对所测数据进行统计学分析。结果大鼠脑外伤后脑损伤区Ngb mRNA表达在伤后15min开始下降,24h降至最低水平;打击周边损伤区NgbmRNA表达于伤后15min即可见表达增高,12h增高达峰值;非损伤区皮质Ngb mRNA表达强于正常皮质。结论 Ngb在脑损伤的急性阶段对神经细胞有保护作用。     

Alcohol intoxication may exacerbate the effects of blunt cranial trauma through changes in brain free magnesium levels

Moderate to high levels of alcohol decrease brain intracellular free magnesium concentration, a factor known to be critical in brain injury. Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to examine changes to brain free magnesium concentration after blunt cranial trauma in alcohol-intoxicated rats. Rats exposed acutely or chronically to alcohol sufficient to increase blood alcohol levels to between 150 and 350 mg/dL demonstrated a brain free magnesium level that was 20-50% less than in nonintoxicated animals (p < 0.01). After injury, brain free magnesium levels declined more rapidly and to a greater extent in alcohol-affected animals than in nonintoxicated control animals (p < 0.001). As both preinjury depletion of magnesium and degree of magnesium decline after brain injury have been associated with poor recovery, these findings suggest that moderate to severe alcohol intoxication may predispose the brain to a worse outcome by reducing brain free magnesium levels, both before and after injury.     

Static and Dynamic Patient Characteristics as Predictors of Criminal Recidivism: A Prospective Study in a Dutch Forensic Psychiatric Sample

If clinicians in forensic psychiatry want to reduce risk of reoffending in their patients, they require insight into dynamic risk factors, and evidence that these add predictive power to static risk indicators. Predictors need to be evaluated under clinically realistic circumstances. This study aimed to validate dynamic and static variables as predictors of reconviction in a naturalistic outcome study. Data on static and dynamic risk factors were collected for 151 patients discharged from Dutch forensic psychiatric hospitals. Community follow-up was prospective, with a 5.5 year minimum. A prediction model was developed using Cox regression analysis. The magnitude of the predictive power of this model was estimated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The final prediction model contained four static and no dynamic predictors. The model's ROC area under the curve was .79 (95% CI .69–.89). Clinical risk ratings were non-predictive. Post hoc analyses exploring the influence of subgroups of patients did not yield better models. It is concluded that a small set of static predictors yielded a good estimate of future reconvictions; inclusion of dynamic predictors did not add predictive power.     

Further investigations into the speed of cerebral swelling following blunt cranial trauma

An anesthetized sheep model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been developed to assess early changes in intracranial pressure (ICP) following closed head injury. Immediately after TBI, a transient (<10 min) hypertensive response occurred, followed by significant and prolonged systemic hypotension. ICP demonstrated a biphasic response, being seven times baseline values of 8 ± 2 mm Hg 10 min after injury, decreasing to 25 ± 2 mm Hg by 30 min, and then increasing to values exceeding 30 mm Hg by 4 h postinjury. ICP was always significantly higher than baseline values, which combined with hypotension, reduced cerebral perfusion pressure to less than 60% of normal. This early and sustained increase in ICP after craniocerebral trauma acutely alters cerebral perfusion pressure and brain oxygenation and provides a potential pathophysiological explanation for immediate clinical manifestations in humans following significant TBI.     

实验大鼠轻中型闭合性脑损伤昏迷指标与分级标准

目的为使实验室间的研究数据可比,特建立大鼠轻型和中型闭合性脑损伤分级的昏迷量化标准。方法利用自制金属单摆装置复制大鼠脑损伤动物模型,按照大鼠脑损伤后昏迷反应程度进行呼吸暂停时间,角膜反射、外耳道刺激反应、翻正反射及针刺疼痛反应消失后恢复时间的实际测量与评分,结合肉眼颅脑解剖检查进行验证,对前述指标的实测值和评分赋值数据进行多元判别回归分析,建立判别方程。结果应用实测值和评分值进行轻型脑损伤判别的概率分别是88.9%和91.9%。结论该标准是一个较理想实用的大鼠轻、中型脑损伤分级标准。     

Cerebral hypoxia and ischemia: the forensic point of view: a review

In cases with suspected brain anoxia/ischemia and hypoxia/hypoxemia a neuropathological investigation should give additional information to elucidate the cause of death and its pathophysiological mechanisms. Primary ischemic brain damage is associated with morphological and biochemical alterations. While acute ischemic neuronal injury reveals axon sparing and selective neuronal lesions due to the release of large quantities of glutamate, late neuronal death is associated with antiapoptotic growth factors, and decreased expression of microtubule-associated proteins and tubulin. On the morphological level ischemia can be detected by necrosis of neurons, proliferation of microglia, and astrocytes in vulnerable regions of the brain. In cases of permanent ischemia the so-called pale nervous cell injury is observed, in cases of partial perfusion the so-called dark nerve cell injury and apoptosis are detectable. In spite of the considerable advantages of recent research, presently there is no reliable qualitative marker to ascertain death due to acute hypoxic or ischemic events.     

The Reliability of Visually Comparing Small Frontal Sinuses*

Abstract: Several studies have investigated frontal sinus comparison for personal identification. One study addressed the statistical reliability of correct identification using automated digital methods and resulted in a 96% accuracy rate. Missed matches with the digital methods generally involved small, less featured sinuses. This study investigates the hypothesis that human examiners may be able to more accurately identify correct matches than digital methods, even when the comparisons involve small frontal sinuses. Participants were provided two sets of 28 radiographs and were instructed to identify matching radiographs and list the radiographs that did not have a corresponding match. Overall, error rates were low, with correct associations identified at a rate of 0.983. No incorrect associations (“false positives”) were made. Correct association rates were highest among participants “experienced” examining radiographs. Results support previous assertions that frontal sinus radiographs are a reliable means of personal identification even when the frontal sinuses are small.