摘要:

Eighteen cases of post-poliomyelitic motor neuron disease (PPMND) were found in a series of 869 subjects affected by motor neuron disease (MND). The mean age of onset of acute anterior poliomyelitis (AAP) was 43.6 months. The mean age of onset of MND was 45.9 years. No case had a bulbar onset and hyperreflexia was found in only 2 subjects, one of them having also bilateral extensor plantar response. The survival curve showed a better course of these cases, compared to typical MND (TMND). The present study seems to indicate that PPMND and TMND are different diseases.

ISSN:0014-3022    

DOI:10.1159/000116261

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Twenty-five Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients were studied by brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) with increased stimulus rate (ISR) and compared to a control age and hearing matched group. A second comparison was made between L-dopa-treated and untreated PD patients. The results of the study suggest that there is subclinical involvement of the auditory brainstem in PD patients, possibly due to the dopamine influence upon the blood vessels. Our results also indicate that dopamine is probably not involved in the synaptic transmission along the auditory pathway of the brainste

ISSN:0014-3022    

DOI:10.1159/000116262

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The callosal disconnection syndrome is characterized by unilateral (left) tactile anomia, unilateral (left) agraphia and unilateral (left) ideomotor apraxia. We report on a right-handed patient, who developed a callosal disconnection syndrome due to the rupture of an anterior communicant aneurysm. As he had right hemisphere dominance for language and praxis, the signs described above were crossed. He also featured a left alien hand sign and motor aprosody. The authors believe this is the first case of callosal disconnection in a right-hander with crossed language and praxis functions.

ISSN:0014-3022    

DOI:10.1159/000116263

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Serum concentrations of prealbumin and retinol-binding protein were measured in 28 patients with Japanese-type familial amyloid polyneuropathy, 46 relatives and normal controls. Both the serum prealbumin and retinol-binding protein concentrations were significantly decreased in the patients when compared with normal controls. The mean serum levels of these proteins in the asymptomatic relatives were intermediate between controls and patients.

ISSN:0014-3022    

DOI:10.1159/000116264

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

A case of ischemic myelopathy which was marked by two clinical episodes, separated by a 4-month interval and affecting the same level of the spinal cord, is reported. A wide-ranging search through the literature shows that the recurrent type of ischemic vascular myelopathy is very rare.

ISSN:0014-3022    

DOI:10.1159/000116265

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Of a series of 16 cases with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) 14 patients were treated with high-dose steroid therapy (HDST, 1.0–1.5 mg/kg/day of prednisone). The average functional disability score (FDS) before treatment was 3.06 ± 0.11 (maximum FDS = 4). There was a significant improvement under this treatment (FDS =1.43 ± 1.12, p < 0.001). Maximal improvement appeared in 10 patients after 4 weeks of HDST. Following improvement, repeated attempts were made to taper off HDST in 9 patients, 8 of them developed 26 relapses. In most of the patients medium-dose steroid therapy (MDST) with 0.5–0.75 mg/kg/day of prednisone was continued, sometimes with addition of other immunosuppressive medication. The duration of HDST + MDST was between 0.5 and 6.0 years (average 2.6). The following factors were found to correlate with better response to HDST: shorter duration of CIDP, milder neurological deficit, milder decrease of nerve conduction velocity, younger age and being female. Global distribution of weakness, muscle atrophy and a positive Babinski sign were predictive of poor prognosis. Involvement of cranial nerves and level of protein in the cerebrospinal fluid did not correlate with the results of HDST. The risk of relapse was higher with shorter periods of HDST and with more rapid tapering off of HDST. The results indicate that treatment with HDST should be initiated as early as possible, a period of stability of remission is needed before tapering off, and lowering of HDST must be very gr

ISSN:0014-3022    

DOI:10.1159/000116266

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

A cross-sectional clinical study of 99 workers engaged in degreasing with halogenated hydrocarbons has been carried out. Among 23 cleaners from one factory, all at the time using fluorocarbon 113, we found 3 persons with symptoms and signs of psychoorganic syndrome after heavy exposure to fluorocarbon 113 for 21/2–41/2 years. The possibility of developing psychoorganic syndrome from occupational exposure to fluorocarbon is discussed by presenting these 3 case

ISSN:0014-3022    

DOI:10.1159/000116267

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Apathy, mood depression and extrapyramidal signs consisting of akinesia, amimia, gait apraxia, slight rigidity and tremor were induced in 10 patients by long-term treatment with flunarizine for trivial complaints. These symptoms suggest a mild antidopaminergic activity of flunarizine. Long-term administration of flunarizine should be avoided particularly in the elderly and in patients with extrapyramidal disorders.

ISSN:0014-3022    

DOI:10.1159/000116268

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

40 patients with multiple sclerosis were investigated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computer tomography (CT). Additionally, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings and evoked potentials (EPs; visual, brainstem) were evaluated. MRI findings were abnormal in 85% of the patients, whilst CT scan showed pathological changes in only 23%. The sensitivity for detecting lesions was significantly higher for MRI than CT. 86% of 23 patients with a duration of disease of more than 1 year had pathological MRI findings, and MRI was abnormal in 82% of 17 patients with a duration of symptoms up to 1 year. All patients with abnormal MRI had at least one other pathological laboratory finding. CT revealed only large lesions, and in patients with abnormal CT MRI visualized lesions more extensively. Additionally, brainstem lesions could be verified in 6 patients and spinal cord lesions in 3 cases. CSF was abnormal in 86%, and positive MRI findings occurred in 26 of 31 patients with abnormal CSF. Abnormalities of EPs were found in 76%, and MRI was positive in 24 of 33 patients with abnormal EPs.

ISSN:0014-3022    

DOI:10.1159/000116269

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

We evaluated the CSF levels of β-lipotropin (β-LPH), β-endorphin (β-EP) and ACTH, which are three neuropeptides expressed by the same gene encoding for pro-opiomelanocortin, in various groups of demented patients including degenerative (presenile and senile Alzheimer-type dementia, ATD) and vascular (MID) forms. Twelve sex- and age-matched subjects were taken as controls. Our data indicate that ACTH levels are significantly reduced both in ATD and MID patients, while P-EP and P-LPH are significantly reduced only in ATD. The low CSF ACTH levels can be considered typical of all demented processes (both degenerative and vascular), while the reduction of β-EP and β-LPH in CSF could be due to a degenerative process o

ISSN:0014-3022    

DOI:10.1159/000116270

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger