Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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To evaluate cognitive outcome in adult survivors of bacterial meningitis. ⋯ Adult survivors of bacterial meningitis are at risk of cognitive impairment, which consists mainly of cognitive slowness. The loss of cognitive speed is stable over time after bacterial meningitis; however, there is a significant improvement in subjective physical impairment in the years after bacterial meningitis. The use of dexamethasone was not associated with cognitive impairment.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Oct 2007
ReviewNeurological control of human sexual behaviour: insights from lesion studies.
We review the human literature examining the effects of neurological insult on human sexual behaviour. We provide a synthesis of the findings to date, and identify key brain regions associated with specific aspects of human sexual behaviour. These include subcortical and cortical regions, with the mesial temporal lobe and the amygdala in particular being a crucial structure in the mediation of human sexual drive.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Oct 2007
Comparative StudyCholinesterase inhibitor use does not significantly influence the ability of 123I-FP-CIT imaging to distinguish Alzheimer's disease from dementia with Lewy bodies.
123I-labelled 2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)-N-(3-fluoropropyl) nortropane (123I-FP-CIT) imaging is a diagnostic tool to help differentiate dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) from Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, in animals, cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEi) have been reported to reduce radioligand binding to the striatal dopamine transporter. As ChEi are frequently used in people with dementia, it is important to determine whether their use affects 123I-FP-CIT uptake in the striatum. ⋯ Use of ChEi does not significantly influence the ability of 123I-FP-CIT imaging to distinguish AD from DLB.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Oct 2007
Proxy and self-report agreement on the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39.
Health related quality of life outcomes are increasingly used to measure the effectiveness of stroke interventions. People with severe aphasia after stroke may be unable to self-report on such measures, necessitating the use of proxy respondents. We explored the level of agreement between people with aphasia (PWA) and their proxies on the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale (SAQOL-39) and whether this agreement is influenced by demographic variables and proxy levels of depression and carer strain. ⋯ For group comparisons, proxy respondents who are in frequent contact with people with chronic aphasia can reliably report on their health related quality of life, using the SAQOL-39. Although there are significant differences between PWA and proxy responses, the magnitude of this difference is small to moderate.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Oct 2007
T2 hyperintensities in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 and their relationship to cognitive functioning.
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a single gene disorder associated with a high frequency of cognitive deficits and a complex cognitive phenotype. These cognitive deficits have been associated with focal areas of high signal intensity on T2 weighted MRI images but the relationship remains controversial. ⋯ T2H cannot be used in general as a radiological marker for cognitive deficits in children with NF1; however, lesions in the thalamus are strongly associated with cognitive impairment. It is possible that lesions in the thalamus in conjunction with more general thalamic hypometabolism may compound the level of thalamic dysfunction, resulting in cognitive deficits well beyond those produced by T2H in other regions.