Annals of neurology
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Annals of neurology · Jul 2007
Subcortical infarcts, Alzheimer's disease pathology, and memory function in older persons.
Examine the effects of subcortical infarcts with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology on dementia, episodic memory, and other cognitive abilities in older persons. ⋯ Subcortical infarcts add to deleterious effects of AD pathology by increasing the odds of dementia and lowering memory function.
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Annals of neurology · Jun 2007
Comparative StudySystematic comparison of perfusion-CT and CT-angiography in acute stroke patients.
To systematically evaluate the accuracy of noncontrast computed tomography (NCT), perfusion computed tomography (PCT), and computed tomographic angiography (CTA) in determining site of occlusion, infarct core, salvageable brain tissue, and collateral flow in a large series of patients suspected of acute stroke. ⋯ The most accurate assessment of the site of occlusion, infarct core, salvageable brain tissue, and collateral circulation in patients suspected of acute stroke is afforded by a combination of PCT and CTA.
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Annals of neurology · May 2007
Pathological TDP-43 distinguishes sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with SOD1 mutations.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a common, fatal motor neuron disorder with no effective treatment. Approximately 10% of cases are familial ALS (FALS), and the most common genetic abnormality is superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) mutations. Most ALS research in the past decade has focused on the neurotoxicity of mutant SOD1, and this knowledge has directed therapeutic strategies. We recently identified TDP-43 as the major pathological protein in sporadic ALS. In this study, we investigated TDP-43 in a larger series of ALS cases (n = 111), including familial cases with and without SOD1 mutations. ⋯ These findings implicate pathological TDP-43 in the pathogenesis of sporadic ALS. In contrast, the absence of pathological TDP-43 in cases with SOD1 mutations implies that motor neuron degeneration in these cases may result from a different mechanism, and that cases with SOD1 mutations may not be the familial counterpart of sporadic ALS.
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Annals of neurology · Apr 2007
Clinical TrialHemispherectomy for intractable epilepsy in adults: the first reported series.
Hemispherectomy for intractable unihemispheric epilepsy (IUE) has long been established in pediatric patients. This study reports the first series examining hemispherectomy exclusively in adult patients (>18 years old). Nine adults with IUE underwent hemispherectomy at the University of Minnesota. ⋯ Five (83.3%) of the six patients with >30 years of follow-up were seizure free. No surgery-related mortality, hydrocephalus, or superficial cerebral hemosiderosis occurred. Hemispherectomy is an effective procedure in appropriately selected adult patients, resulting in excellent long-term seizure control and no mortality.
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Annals of neurology · Feb 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialCongenital nystagmus: randomized, controlled, double-masked trial of memantine/gabapentin.
Nystagmus consists of involuntary to and fro movements of the eyes. Although studies have shown that memantine and gabapentin can reduce acquired nystagmus, no drug treatment has been systematically investigated in congenital nystagmus. ⋯ Our findings show that pharmacological agents such as memantine and gabapentin can improve visual acuity, reduce nystagmus intensity, and improve foveation in congenital nystagmus.