Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · May 2004
Theoretical analysis of the pathophysiology of syringomyelia associated with adhesive arachnoiditis.
To apply a theoretical model to analyse the derangement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics in syringomyelia associated with adhesive arachnoiditis. ⋯ Blockage of the spinal subarachnoid CSF pathway produces a relative increase in the pressure inside the spinal cord distal to the blockage point. Repetitive formation of this pressure gradient then induces CSF leakage into the spinal parenchyma, leading to the formation of syringomyelia. Using this model, alternative surgical procedures could be suggested that might be effective in treating this disease.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · May 2004
ReviewSize of the treatment effect on cognition of cholinesterase inhibition in Alzheimer's disease.
Six cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) have been tested in people with Alzheimer's disease, using methods currently required for regulatory approval. The clinical importance of their treatment effects is controversial. ⋯ ChEIs produce small-moderate effect sizes in clinical trials which are reproducible and demonstrate a dose response. Better descriptions of the patterns of treatment response are needed to guide individual patient decisions about the effectiveness of treatment, but group effects are evident and appear large enough to be clinically detectable.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · May 2004
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialUse of short term video EEG in the diagnosis of attack disorders.
Distinguishing epileptic from psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) often requires video electroencephalography (EEG) recording. Inpatient recording is a limited resource; some evidence suggests that short term video EEG (SVEEG) is useful, but its role in practice has yet to be evaluated. ⋯ SVEEG is a robust and useful diagnostic technique, which complements existing resources.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · May 2004
ReviewApplications of positron emission tomography (PET) in neurology.
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a powerful imaging technique which enables in vivo examination of brain functions. It allows non-invasive quantification of cerebral blood flow, metabolism, and receptor binding. ⋯ In recent years, because of advancements in technology and proliferation of PET scanners, PET is being increasingly used in clinical neurology to improve our understanding of disease pathogenesis, to aid with diagnosis, and to monitor disease progression and response to treatment. This article aims to provide an overview of the principles of PET and its applications to clinical neurology.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · May 2004
Molecular-genetic characterisation of gliomas that recur as same grade or higher grade tumours.
Due to their invasive growth, gliomas usually cannot be removed completely and almost always recur as same grade or higher grade malignancies. ⋯ Gliomas recurring as higher grade lesions might be genetically heterogeneous and accumulate more genetic changes than gliomas recurring as same grade lesions (whether originally low or high grade). Primary glioblastomas from patients for which the recurrence is operated because of prognostically more favourable clinical indices have infrequent EGFR amplification.