Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2003
Clinical TrialAcetylcholinesterase inhibition: a novel approach in the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension.
Pharmacological treatment of orthostatic hypotension is often limited because of troublesome supine hypertension. ⋯ Acetylcholinesterase inhibition appears effective in the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension. Orthostatic symptoms and orthostatic blood pressure are improved, with only modest effects in the supine position. This novel approach may form an alternative or supplemental tool in the treatment of orthostatic hypotension, specially for patients with a high supine blood pressure.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2003
Predictors of institutionalisation in people with dementia.
To identify what patient and carer characteristics influence transition into residential care for people with dementia. ⋯ These findings powerfully illustrate the pivotal role carried out by carers of people with dementia; interventions directly targeted at helping them to maintain this role would be supported by these data. These data also suggest that strategies directed at improving carer quality of life and at the resolution of behavioural disorder in the person with dementia may also have particular value.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2003
Comparative StudyPhysical anhedonia in Parkinson's disease.
Anhedonia is the inability to experience physical or social pleasure. Its physical component is hypothesised to be due to dysfunction of a dopaminergic frontotemporal-subcortical circuit and has never been investigated as a possible affective complication of Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of this study was to formally assess prevalence and correlates of physical anhedonia in PD patients compared with normal controls. ⋯ Anhedonia levels were significantly higher in PD patients with respect to controls, although not extremely elevated; prevalence rate was 40% for parkinsonians, while no anhedonics were found among controls. Clinical, neuropsychological, and quantitative neuroradiological features did not show any significant correlation with physical anhedonia. Physical anhedonia appears to be a relatively frequent, although mild, affective disturbance of PD, independent from neurological, frontal, and depressive aspects.