Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Feb 1997
Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialA controlled study of sensory tics in Gilles de 1a Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder using a structured interview.
To determine the prevalence and characteristics of sensory tics in the Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS), and a matched population of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using a structured assessment. ⋯ Sensory tics seem to be a common and distinctive feature of GTS and that subpopulation of patients with OCD predisposed to tic disorders. Neurophysiologically, a possible explanation for sensory tics is that they represent the subjectively experienced component of neural dysfunction below the threshold for motor and vocal tic production.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Feb 1997
Alzheimer's disease after remote head injury: an incidence study.
To evaluate a history of remote head injury as a risk factor for subsequent dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. ⋯ The results of this cohort study are consistent with the findings of several case-control studies suggesting that head injury may be a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Feb 1997
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial[123I]FP-CIT SPECT shows a pronounced decline of striatal dopamine transporter labelling in early and advanced Parkinson's disease.
The main neuropathological feature in Parkinson's disease is a severe degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra resulting in a loss of dopamine (DA) transporters in the striatum. [123I]beta-CIT single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies have demonstrated this loss of striatal DA transporter content in Parkinson's disease in vivo. However, studies with this radioligand also showed that an adequate imaging of the striatal DA transporter content could only be performed on the day after the injection of radioligand, which is not convenient for outpatient evaluations. Recently, a new radioligand [123I]FP-CIT, with faster kinetics than beta-CIT, became available for imaging of the DA transporter with SPECT, and the applicability of this ligand was tested in patients with early and advanced Parkinson's disease, using a one day protocol. ⋯ [123I]FP-CIT SPECT allows a significant discrimination between patients with Parkinson's disease and age matched controls with a one day protocol, which will be to great advantage in outpatient evaluations.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Feb 1997
Comparative StudyIs 11C-flumazenil PET superior to 18FDG PET and 123I-iomazenil SPECT in presurgical evaluation of temporal lobe epilepsy?
To determine the contribution of 18FDG PET, 11C-flumazenil PET, and 123I-iomazenil SPECT to the presurgical evaluation of patients with medically intractable complex partial seizures. ⋯ In 21 patients sufficient material was obtained at surgery for a pathological examination. In 17 mesial temporal sclerosis, in one an oligodendroglioma grade B, in another a vascular malformation and in two patients no abnormalities were found. Although all 21 patients with pathological abnormality showed hypometabolic zones with 18FDG PET and a decreased uptake in 11C-flumazenil binding, there was no strong correlation between pathological diagnosis and functional abnormal areas in PET. Grading of medial temporal sclerosis according to the Wyler criteria showed no correlation with the degree of hypometabolism in either 18FDG or 11C-flumazenil PET. The interictal 123I-iomazenil SPECT technique was highly inaccurate in localising the lobe of surgery.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Feb 1997
Ocular myasthenia gravis: response to long-term immunosuppressive treatment.
Ocular myasthenia gravis is a subtype of myasthenia gravis that causes relatively mild disability, but may convert into severe generalised muscle weakness. A universal management plan for ocular myasthenia gravis has not been established. This study was performed to determine the outcome of ocular myasthenia gravis with the currently available therapeutic options. ⋯ The prognosis of ocular myasthenia gravis is good. A conventional scheme with short-term corticosteroids and long-term azathioprine seems adequate to achieve remission in most patients. The proportion of patients developing generalised myasthenia gravis was smaller in this population compared with previously published groups (usually 50%-70%). Early immunosuppressive treatment is at least partially responsible for this finding. Thymectomy (performed here in 12 patients with an abnormal chest CT) also correlated with a good outcome, but had no apparent advantage over medical treatment alone.