Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2003
Serum lipids and memory in a population based cohort of middle age women.
To assess the relation between serum lipids and memory in a healthy middle age cohort of women. ⋯ Higher serum concentrations of LDL-C, and relatively recent increases in TC and LDL-C concentrations, are associated with better memory in healthy middle age women. Possible cognitive effects of cholesterol reduction should be considered in future studies of lipid lowering agents.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialA randomised placebo controlled study to assess the effects of cholinergic treatment on muscarinic receptors in Alzheimer's disease.
To determine the effects of cholinergic treatment on the muscarinic receptor in patients with Alzheimer's disease. ⋯ The results suggest that (123)I-QNB uptake is better preserved in Alzheimer's disease patients on cholinergic treatment than on placebo. Cholinergic treatment may play a neuroprotective role. Sequential (123)I-QNB imaging seems to be a powerful tool in monitoring the response of these receptors to disease modifying treatments.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2003
ReviewChildhood onset generalised dystonia can be modelled by increased gain in the indirect basal ganglia pathway.
Clinical experience suggests an important role of the indirect basal ganglia pathway in the genesis of childhood onset generalised dystonia, but it has been difficult to reconcile the increased muscle activity in dystonia with the current model of basal ganglia function in which the indirect pathway is considered primarily inhibitory. The aim of this study was to present a modification of the direct-indirect pathway model, in which the indirect pathway is inverting rather than purely inhibitory, so that while high signals are inhibited, low signals are amplified. As the basal ganglia may be a feedback loop that modifies cortical activity, instability from excessive gain in this feedback loop could explain features of dystonia. ⋯ The simulations show that increased gain in the indirect pathway relative to the direct pathway can lead to unstable uncontrolled synchronous oscillations in cortex and basal ganglia. This behaviour could result in dystonia. The model provides a consistent explanation for the association of dystonia with parkinsonism and disorders characterised by dopamine depletion, the ability to treat some dystonias with dopamine, the ability of neuroleptic drug treatment to cause an acute dystonic reaction treatable with anticholinergic drugs, and the ability of pallidotomy or deep brain stimulation of the internal pallidum to alleviate symptoms of generalised dystonia.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2003
ReviewHuman cellular inflammation in the pathology of acute cerebral ischaemia.
Leucocytes form important effector pathways for inflammation. This article reviews the clinical evidence for the presence of a cellular inflammatory response in cerebral ischaemia, and attempts to define its temporal profile and spatial distribution. The processes involved in recruitment and activation of leucocytes in this context are addressed, and the successes and failures of interventions aimed at these processes discussed.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2003
Clinical TrialMood changes with deep brain stimulation of STN and GPi: results of a pilot study.
The results of this study suggest that there are mood changes associated with deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the globus pallidus interna (GPi). Further, optimal placement of electrodes in both STN and GPi seems to result in overall improvement in mood and is associated with a lower incidence of adverse mood effects than stimulation outside the optimal site. Preliminary data from this study, however, suggest that slight movement dorsal or ventral to the site of optimal motor performance may be associated with more adverse changes in mood with STN stimulation than with GPi stimulation.