Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2017
Reward and punishment enhance motor adaptation in stroke.
The effects of motor learning, such as motor adaptation, in stroke rehabilitation are often transient, thus mandating approaches that enhance the amount of learning and retention. Previously, we showed in young individuals that reward and punishment feedback have dissociable effects on motor adaptation, with punishment improving adaptation and reward enhancing retention. If these findings were able to generalise to patients with stroke, they would provide a way to optimise motor learning in these patients. Therefore, we tested this in 45 patients with chronic stroke allocated in three groups. ⋯ This study provides, for the first time, evidence that reward and punishment can enhance motor adaptation in patients with stroke. Further research on reinforcement-based motor learning regimes is warranted to translate these promising results into clinical practice and improve motor rehabilitation outcomes in patients with stroke.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2017
Subtypes of primary angiitis of the CNS identified by MRI patterns reflect the size of affected vessels.
To describe patterns of diagnostic findings, and identify subgroups of primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS). ⋯ Multi-parametric MRI distinguishes two subtypes of PACNS that most likely differ concerning the affected vessel size. Biopsy-proven PACNS primarily involves smaller vessels beyond the resolution of vascular imaging, while imaging-based PACNS affects predominantly medium-sized vessels leading to false-negative biopsy results. Using distinct MRI patterns may be helpful for selecting patients for appropriate invasive diagnostic modalities.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2017
Editorial Biography Historical ArticleSir Henry Head FRS (1861-1940): a life in science and society.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2017
Review Meta AnalysisCerebellar atrophy in neurodegeneration-a meta-analysis.
The cerebellum has strong cortical and subcortical connectivity, but is rarely taken into account for clinical diagnosis in many neurodegenerative conditions, particularly in the absence of clinical ataxia. The current meta-analysis aims to assess patterns of cerebellar grey matter atrophy in seven neurodegenerative conditions (Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy (MSP)). ⋯ Our findings suggest that cerebellar changes are largely disease-specific and correspond to cortical or subcortical changes in neurodegenerative conditions. High clinical variability in PD and HD samples may explain the absence of findings for consistent grey matter loss across studies. Our results have clinical implications for diagnosis and cerebellar neuroimaging referencing approaches.