Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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A feeling of presence (FP), that is, the vivid sensation that somebody (distinct from oneself) is present nearby, is commonly reported by patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), but its phenomenology has not been described precisely. The objective of this study was to provide a detailed description of FP in PD and to discuss its possible mechanisms. ⋯ Although FP is not a sensory perception, projection of the sensation into the extrapersonal space, along with the frequent co-occurrence of elementary visual hallucinations and the strong association with visual hallucinations or illusions, supports its hallucinatory nature. FP may be viewed as a 'social' hallucination, involving an area or network specifically activated when a living being is present, independently of any perceptual clue.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Oct 2011
One year activity on subtraction MRI predicts subsequent 4 year activity and progression in multiple sclerosis.
To investigate the predictive value of 1 year subtraction MRI (sMRI) on activity and progression over the next 4 years in early phase multiple sclerosis (MS). To compare sensitivity of sMRI and contrast enhanced MRI towards disease activity. ⋯ sMRI is a feasible and sensitive tool for detecting MS activity and may provide an alternative to contrast enhanced MRI in clinical practice, particularly in cases where CEL are not available or inconclusive. Furthermore, sMRI metrics combined with conventional MRI outcomes (CEL, T2LV, BPF) can increase the prediction of longer term MRI activity and progression.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Oct 2011
Comparative StudyPrevalence of stroke and related burden among older people living in Latin America, India and China.
Despite the growing importance of stroke in developing countries, little is known of stroke burden in survivors. The authors investigated the prevalence of self-reported stroke, stroke-related disability, dependence and care-giver strain in Latin America (LA), China and India. ⋯ The prevalence of stroke in urban LA and Chinese sites is nearly as high as in industrialised countries. High levels of disability and dependence in the other mainly rural and less-developed sites suggest underascertainment of less severe cases as one likely explanation for the lower prevalence in those settings. As the health transition proceeds, a further increase in numbers of older stroke survivors is to be anticipated. In addition to prevention, stroke rehabilitation and long-term care needs should be addressed.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Oct 2011
Population based epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using capture-recapture methodology.
Variation in the incidence rate in epidemiological studies on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be due to a small population size and under ascertainment of patients. The previously reported incidence decline in the elderly and a decrease in the male:female ratio in postmenopausal age groups have yet to be confirmed. ⋯ The marked difference in patient characteristics between incident and prevalent cohorts underscores the importance of including incident patients when studying susceptibility or disease modifying factors in ALS. The incidence decline in the elderly may suggest that ALS is not merely the result of ageing. Absence of a significant postmenopausal drop in the male:female ratio suggests that the protective role of female sex hormones in ALS is limited.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Oct 2011
The natural history of treated Parkinson's disease in an incident, community based cohort.
Our understanding of the natural history of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) remains limited. In the era of potential disease modifying therapies, there is an urgent need for studies assessing the natural evolution of treated PD from onset so that relevant outcome measures can be identified for clinical trials. No previous studies have charted progression in unselected patients followed from the point of diagnosis. ⋯ Dementia risk is associated with increased age, impaired baseline semantic fluency and the MAPT H1/H1 genotype. The efficacy of disease modifying therapies may be more meaningfully assessed in terms of their effects in delaying the major milestones of PD, such as postural instability and dementia, since it is these that have the greatest impact on patients.