ISSN:1350-7540    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

The scientific analysis of clinical disorders of posture and gait is an emerging field. Precise definition of the forces and postural movements involved has been pivotal to understanding many aspects of the visual and vestibular contributions to balance. However, a great deal of argument still surrounds the question of how much gait and posture laboratories actually contribute to improve the clinical management of individual patients. One of the reasons why gait analysis techniques have not penetrated rehabilitation clinics may be that the research questions asked have been aimed at understanding mechanisms rather than at quantifying disability. The condition known as primary orthostatic tremor, which is not too well known to many neuro-otologists and posturographists, is briefly reviewed here. We propose that posturography could be the easiest way to diagnose this treatable condition. Curr Opin Neurol 12:5-11.

ISSN:1350-7540    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

During the period covered by this review a number of papers have been published on saccade and smooth pursuit research, conducted experimentally in monkeys and clinically in humans. In monkeys, using mainly electrophysiological methods, the roles of the frontal eye field, parietal eye field and supplementary eye field at the cortical level, and those of the paramedian pontine reticular formation, nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, interstitial nucleus of Cajal and superior colliculus at the brainstem level have been studied in great detail. In humans the same cortical areas have also been examined, mainly using functional imaging resulting in new information on the location of these areas and new hypotheses on the role of the superior parietal lobule in visual attention and that of the posterior part of the anterior cingulate cortex in motivation. Saccades, smooth pursuit and clinical applications of eye movement research are dealt with separately. Curr Opin Neurol 12:13-19.

ISSN:1350-7540    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Neuropharmacology is aiding our understanding of the control of eye movements in at least three ways. First, neurotransmitters have been identified in the pathways that coordinate gaze. Second, the technique of pharmacologic inactivation has provided a powerful method to determine the contributions of populations of neurons to specific behaviors, such as steady gaze holding. Finally, the results of basic neuropharmacologic studies have been used to identify candidate drugs for therapeutic trials of abnormal eye movements. Curr Opin Neurol 12:21-27.

ISSN:1350-7540    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Autonomic manifestations of vestibular dysfunction and motion sickness are well established in the clinical literature. Recent studies of ‚vestibular autonomic regulation‚ have focused predominantly on autonomic responses to stimulation of the vestibular sense organs in the inner ear. These studies have shown that autonomic responses to vestibular stimulation are regionally selective and have defined a ‚vestibulosympathetic reflex‚ in animal experiments. Outside the realm of experimental preparations, however, the importance of vestibular inputs in autonomic regulation is unclear because controls for secondary factors, such as affective/emotional responses and cardiovascular responses elicited by muscle contraction and regional blood pooling, have been inadequate. Anatomic and physiologic evidence of an extensive convergence of vestibular and autonomic information in the brainstem suggests though that there may be an integrated representation of gravitoinertial acceleration from vestibular, somatic, and visceral receptors for somatic and visceral motor control. In the case of vestibular dysfunction or motion sickness, the unpleasant visceral manifestations (e.g. epigastric discomfort, nausea or vomiting) may contribute to conditioned situational avoidance and the development of agoraphobia. Curr Opin Neurol 12:29-33.

ISSN:1350-7540    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Hearing loss affects about 4% of people under 45 years of age and comprises a broad spectrum of clinical presentations (congenital or late-onset, conductive or sensorineural, and syndromic or nonsyndromic). Approximately 30% of genetically determined deafness is reported to occur in syndromic form and 70% in nonsyndromic form. This review highlights recent advances in the molecular and genetic basis of hearing loss, which will help in understanding the biology of normal and abnormal hearing. Curr Opin Neurol 12:35-39.

ISSN:1350-7540    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Cochlear implants and multichannel auditory brainstem implants enable patients with bilateral total or profound hearing loss to receive at least acoustic information. Both types of prosthesis are based on electrical stimulation of the auditory pathway. Different speech coding strategies and the number of electrodes used may influence the postoperative results. The preoperative evaluation of patients is of utmost importance. The cochlear implant is suitable for patients with hearing loss due to inner ear disorders, but who have functioning hearing nerve. Patients with a defect of the hearing nerve can be provided with an auditory brainstem implant. Curr Opin Neurol 12:41-44.

ISSN:1350-7540    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:1350-7540    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

In the past year the search for genetic susceptibility factors involved in ischaemic stroke has motivated a number of important studies in humans and animals. These have been focused on genetic susceptibility as a risk factor for ischaemic stroke, or as a determinant of ischaemic stroke outcome. Because there is increasing evidence that genetic factors play a role, it seems that epidemiological studies assessing both environmental and genetic risk factors may help to understand the cause of ischaemic stroke better. This may have therapeutic and preventive implications. Curr Opin Neurol 12:47-55.

ISSN:1350-7540    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Rapid progress in noninvasive ultrasound techniques has resulted in a wide variety of clinical applications for assessment of both extracranial and intracranial arterial diseases. Recent highlights in cerebrovascular ultrasound research include imaging methods for characterization of intracranial aneurysms, use of echocontrast agents for improved evaluation of acute stroke patients and transient response harmonic imaging for depiction of brain perfusion. The important role of transcranial Doppler microembolism detection in carotid endarterectomy has been defined, new approaches to noninvasive Doppler measurement of intracranial pressure are progressing, and the clinical indications for transcranial Doppler monitoring of intracranial vasospasm to prevent secondary stroke have expanded. New functional transcranial Doppler applications, which are complementary to positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies, are evolving for evaluation of functional recovery after stroke; investigation of perfusion asymmetries during complex spatial tasks; assessment of hemispheric dominance in surgical candidates for epilepsy surgery; and elucidation of temporal patterns of regional neuronal activity. With increasing sophistication of cerebrovascular ultrasound methodology, it is essential that standards for data acquisition and interpretation be established. Three recent consensus meetings have provided detailed recommendations on quantification of carotid artery stenosis, on characterization of carotid artery plaques and on microembolism detection by transcranial Doppler. Curr Opin Neurol 12:57-63.

ISSN:1350-7540    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID