Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Jan 1990
Pain-related somatosensory evoked potentials in cortical reflex myoclonus.
To elucidate the sensitivity to pain stimuli in patients with cortical reflex myoclonus, pain-related somatosensory evoked potentials (pain SEPs) following CO2 laser stimulation and conventional electrically-stimulated SEPs (electric SEPs) were compared in four patients with cortical reflex myoclonus. The P25 peak of electric SEPs was considerably enhanced but the P320 potential of pain SEPs was of normal amplitude in all patients. ⋯ In our previous study of the scalp distribution in normal subjects, a subcortical site, probably the thalamus, was considered to be the generator source of P320. Because most pain stimuli do not reach the cortex, patients with cortical reflex myoclonus are not sensitive to pain stimuli and P320 in pain SEPs is not enhanced.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Jan 1990
Case ReportsCongenital Horner's syndrome with unilateral facial flushing.
Two patients with congenital Horner's syndrome had unilateral facial flushing. Both showed pupillary supersensitivity to epinephrine as well as anhidrosis on the affected side of the face and neck. ⋯ Thermal vasodilation in the major portions of the face is regulated by sympathetic vasodilator fibres, and less predominantly by adrenergic vasoconstrictor fibres. The asymmetry of facial flushing may have been caused by impaired sympathetic vasodilation and further intensified by active vasoconstriction due to supersensitivity to circulating catecholamine on the affected side.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 1989
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialEffect of the knee-chest position on cerebral blood flow in patients undergoing lumbar spinal surgery.
The cerebral haemodynamic effect of the knee-chest position was evaluated in 15 anaesthetised patients undergoing elective lumbar disc surgery and divided into a control group (n = 8) where cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured twice in the supine position and an experimental group (n = 7) where the first CBF was measured in the supine position and the second in the knee-chest position. CBF was measured by a modified intravenous 133xenon washout technique. Mean global CBF did not change in control group (56.1, SD 9.2 versus 52.8, SD 10.8 units) and was not significantly modified by the knee-chest posture, 51.8, SD 8.8 units versus 53.9, SD 7.4 units in the supine position. The results indicate that mean global CBF in the knee-chest position is not different from CBF in the supine position in healthy patients.