Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 2010
Tripod pinch strength and thumb opposition are the major determinants of manual dexterity in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A.
Clinical features of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) include slowly progressive distal muscle weakness, atrophy and sensory loss. Upper-limb involvement results in reduced manual dexterity interfering with the execution of daily activities. ⋯ Tripod pinch strength and thumb opposition are major determinants of manual dexterity in CMT1A and should therefore be the focus of intervention strategies that aim to preserve or enhance manual dexterity in CMT1A.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 2010
Neuroimaging of multimodal sensory stimulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Structural and functional imaging techniques were combined to investigate sensory system function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ⋯ Multiparametric MRI suggests a progressive functional deficit in secondary/higher order sensory processing areas in ALS, probably associated with reduction of re-afferent information flow due to progressive immobility. The changes described might also represent an expression of the disease process itself. Evidence for compensatory processes in multimodal associative cortices was found.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 2010
Case ReportsIsolated bulbar paralysis in a patient with medullar tau pathology: a case report.
Increased morbidity and mortality rates as well as some other manifestations in Alzheimer's disease can be explained by subcortical degeneration. Pathological evidence is scarce but confirmative. ⋯ The majority of symptoms and signs could be explained by the medullary tau pathology. Whether the medullary tau pathology in this case was a rare aberrant progression of Alzheimer's disease or a new presentation of tauopathy concomitant with subclinical Alzheimer's disease should be elucidated by additional studies.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 2010
Coping with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: an integrative view.
To identify predictors of psychosocial adjustment to motor neurone disease. ⋯ The focus on medical issues in treatment of ALS is not sufficient. A palliative approach to ALS must equally imply advice with regards to adequate coping strategies, provide the adequate amount of disease- and support-related information at any one time, and encourage patients to seek social support. Sufficient medication and psychotherapy has to be provided for those patients who show depressive symptoms or disorder.
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Recent studies have suggested an important role of the B cell chemoattractant CXCL13 in acute neuroborreliosis (NB). Our aim was to confirm the diagnostic role of CXCL13 and to evaluate its relevance as a therapy response and disease activity marker in NB. ⋯ The study confirms the relevance of CXCL13 as a diagnostic biomarker of NB and suggests that CSF CXCL13 in NB is linked to duration of disease and could be a marker of disease activity and response to antibiotic therapy.