Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Feb 2004
Rate and correlates of weight change in Huntington's disease.
To determine the rate and correlates of weight change in a large, well characterised sample of patients with Huntington's disease followed at 44 sites by the Huntington Study Group. ⋯ Weight loss following symptom onset is not a consistent feature of Huntington's disease. The mechanisms contributing to weight change in this condition are unclear and probably multifactorial. Future studies examining asymptomatic carriers of the mutation could be helpful in identifying incipience of low body weight and may be better suited for identifying clinical correlates of weight loss than studies in symptomatic patients.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Feb 2004
Interrater agreement of the diagnosis and classification of a first seizure in childhood. The Dutch Study of Epilepsy in Childhood.
To assess the interrater agreement of the diagnosis and the classification of a first paroxysmal event in childhood. ⋯ The interrater agreement on the diagnosis of a first seizure in childhood is just moderate. This phenomenon hampers the interpretation of studies on first seizures in which the diagnosis is only made by one observer. The use of a panel increased the interrater agreement considerably. This approach is recommended at least for research purposes. Classification into clinically relevant syndromes is possible only in a very small minority of children with a single seizure.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Feb 2004
Review Case ReportsFalse negative findings in intraoperative SEP monitoring: analysis of 658 consecutive neurosurgical cases and review of published reports.
To determine the sensitivity of intraoperative monitoring in neurosurgical operations using somatosensory evoked potentials and to identify reasons for false negative findings and possible settings with an increased risk for monitoring failure. ⋯ SEP monitoring has acceptable sensitivity for detecting neurological damage during different neurosurgical procedures. Distinct settings with an increased risk of monitoring failure can be identified. In these cases measures to enhance the sensitivity of monitoring should be considered.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Feb 2004
Clinical TrialThe use of contact lenses to treat visually symptomatic congenital nystagmus.
It has been suggested that contact lens wear improves the visual function of patients with visual loss from congenital nystagmus. In this study, four patients with congenital nystagmus had two evaluations separated by at least one week (one with spectacles, one with contact lenses) including visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, oscillopsia scale, quality of life questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25), and eye movement recording with an infrared tracking system. ⋯ Several parameters of nystagmus showed no change in two patients, worsening in one patient and improvement in one patient. This suggests that much of the clinical improvement observed in our patients may result from a better optical correction of their refractive error with contact lenses than with spectacles, rather than from a true damping effect of the nystagmus by contact lenses.