Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Jun 2014
Plasma phosphorylated TDP-43 levels are elevated in patients with frontotemporal dementia carrying a C9orf72 repeat expansion or a GRN mutation.
About a half of patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has deposition of phosphorylated TDP-43 protein (pTDP-43) in the brain. We studied pTDP-43 and total TDP-43 levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in healthy controls and patients with FTD, including those carrying a repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene or a mutation in GRN. ⋯ Our study shows that plasma pTDP-43 levels may be increased in some genetic forms of FTD known to be associated with TDP-43 proteinopathies.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Jun 2014
Predictors of new-onset seizures: a 10-year follow-up of head trauma subjects with and without traumatic brain injury.
It is not known whether alcohol-related head trauma predicts the new-onset seizures, particularly alcohol-related seizures. ⋯ We conclude that alcohol-related head trauma predicts new-onset seizures, particularly alcohol-related seizures. A brief intervention is needed in order to prevent the development of alcohol-related seizures.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Jun 2014
Clinical relevance of positive voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC)-complex antibodies: experience from a tertiary referral centre.
Voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC)-complex antibodies can be associated with a range of immunotherapy-responsive clinical presentations including limbic encephalitis, Morvan's syndrome and acquired neuromyotonia. However, there are patients with positive levels in whom the significance is uncertain. ⋯ As antibody testing becomes more widely available, and many samples are referred from patients with less clear-cut diagnoses, it is important to assess the utility of the results. VGKC-complex antibodies in the range of 100-400 pM (0.1-0.4 nM) were considered clinically relevant in rare conditions with peripheral nerve hyperexcitability and appeared to associate with tumours (12.5%). By contrast high-positive (>400 pM; >0.4 nM) levels were considered definitely (38%) or possibly (49%) clinically relevant, but not all patients had a 'classical' limbic encephalitis and some did not receive immunotherapies.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Jun 2014
Resting-state fMRI study on drug-naive patients with Parkinson's disease and with depression.
This study used resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) to evaluate regional and network alterations in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with and without depression. ⋯ Our study demonstrates that PD-Dep patients are characterised by increased regional spontaneous neural activity in the orbitofrontal area and decreased functional integration within the prefrontal-limbic network. These findings may be helpful for facilitating further understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying depression in PD.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Jun 2014
Stereo-EEG-guided radio-frequency thermocoagulations of epileptogenic grey-matter nodular heterotopy.
To retrospectively evaluate seizure outcome in a case-series of patients with nodular heterotopy (NH)-related epilepsy treated by stereo-EEG (SEEG)-guided radio-frequency thermocoagulation (RF-THC) of the NH. ⋯ SEEG-guided RF-THC proved to be a safe and effective option in our small case-series of NH-related focal epilepsy. The indications to this treatment were strictly dependent on findings of intracerebral recording by SEEG, which can define the role of the NH in the generation of the ictal discharge.