Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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Sensory tricks are various manoeuvres that can ameliorate dystonia. Common characteristics are well known, but their variety is wide, sensory stimulation is not necessarily the critical feature, and their physiology is unknown. To enumerate the various forms of sensory tricks and describe their nature, research findings and theories that may elucidate their neurophysiologic mechanism, we reviewed the literature pertaining to sensory tricks, including variants like motor tricks, imaginary tricks, forcible tricks and reverse sensory tricks. ⋯ We highlight neurophysiologic evidence suggesting that sensory tricks work by decreasing abnormal facilitation. We tie this with established dystonia pathogenesis and postulate that sensory tricks decrease abnormally increased facilitation to inhibition ratios in the dystonic brain. It appears worthwhile for patients to search for possible sensory tricks.
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While cognition can be affected during sensorimotor multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses, the relevance of isolated cognitive relapses (ICRs ie, those occurring in absence of new sensorimotor symptoms) remain poorly characterised. Here, we decided to explore the relationship between ICR, subjective evaluation of cognitive performance and long-term cognitive decline in a group of subjects with relapsing-remitting MS. ⋯ We showed that ICRs were not associated with changes in mood, fatigue levels or cognitive performance self-evaluations. Our study introduces an operational definition of ICRs and suggests to their role as a factor for cognitive decline in MS.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2014
Case ReportsHeterozygous D90A-SOD1 mutation in a patient with facial onset sensory motor neuronopathy (FOSMN) syndrome: a bridge to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
To describe a patient with facial onset sensory motor neuronopathy (FOSMN) syndrome associated with a heterozygous D90A mutation in superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene. ⋯ FOSMN syndrome has been recently described in patients with slowly progressive bulbar and upper limb amyotrophy. Sensory symptoms, mainly involving the trigeminal territory, typically precede the onset of motor weakness by months or years. The pathogenesis of FOSMN syndrome is unknown and possible immune-mediated mechanisms have been claimed. Our findings support the hypothesis that FOSMN syndrome is a primary degenerative disorder that widens the spectrum of motor neuron diseases.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2014
ReviewAn MRI review of acquired corpus callosum lesions.
Lesions of the corpus callosum (CC) are seen in a multitude of disorders including vascular diseases, metabolic disorders, tumours, demyelinating diseases, trauma and infections. In some diseases, CC involvement is typical and sometimes isolated, while in other diseases CC lesions are seen only occasionally in the presence of other typical extra-callosal abnormalities. In this review, we will mainly discuss the MRI characteristics of acquired lesions involving the CC. Identification of the origin of the CC lesion depends on the exact localisation of the lesion(s) inside the CC, presence of other lesions seen outside the CC, signal changes on different MRI sequences, evolution over time of the radiological abnormalities, history and clinical state of the patient, and other radiological and non-radiological examinations.