Acta neurologica Scandinavica
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Acta Neurol. Scand. · Apr 2014
Functioning of long-term survivors of first-ever intracerebral hemorrhage.
There are few data on long-term functional outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We aimed to assess functional dependency and cognitive impairment in long-term survivors of first-ever intracerebral hemorrhage. ⋯ A large proportion of long-term survivors of ICH in Southern Norway live functionally independent lives in their private homes. Dependency is linked to leukoaraiosis and female sex. Cognitive impairment is common and linked to lobar location of ICH.
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Acta Neurol. Scand. · Apr 2014
Non-invasive ventilation after surgery in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Surgery in patients affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) presents a particular anesthetic challenge because of the risk of post-operative pulmonary complications. ⋯ Our case series suggest that the use of NIV after surgery can be a safe strategy to prevent PPCs in patients affected by ALS. The perioperative procedure we chose for these patients appeared safe even in patients with advanced functional stage of the disease.
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Acta Neurol. Scand. · Mar 2014
Comparative StudyA comparison of sagittal short T1 inversion recovery and T2-weighted FSE sequences for detection of multiple sclerosis spinal cord lesions.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common disabling CNS disease of young adults. MRI is routinely used for the detection of MS plaques in the brain and spinal cord. A significant portion of patients with MS demonstrates spinal cord lesions at the time of initial workup, and these lesions are an important part of the McDonald criteria for diagnosis. However, whereas brain imaging sequences are now fairly standardized, there continues to be debate about the optimal sequences for imaging the spinal cord. The short T1 inversion recovery (STIR) sequence has been shown in the current literature to improve lesion detection with its additive T1/T2 weighting, but current spinal cord imaging protocols from the Consortium on MS Center Consensus Guidelines do not include the STIR sequence. We demonstrate that not only do STIR sequences improve lesion detection when compared directly with conventional T2-weighted sequences, but that they also significantly improve lesion conspicuity, facilitating earlier positive diagnosis and management. ⋯ Short T1 inversion recovery sequence imaging not only significantly improves detection of MS lesions within the spinal cord, but also provides better contrast and conspicuity of visible lesions, creating a more confident diagnostic measure of MS extent and progression. Short T1 inversion recovery sequences of the spinal cord should be routinely obtained during initial and routine follow-up of MS.
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Acta Neurol. Scand. · Feb 2014
Review Meta AnalysisParkinson's disease and risk of mortality: meta-analysis and systematic review.
To evaluate the existing prospective observational studies on the morality risk among Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and determine the overall risk ratio (RR) of mortality by conducting a meta-analysis and systematic review. Original articles published in English were searched in PubMed and Embase databases prior to March 2013. Only prospective observational studies providing adjusted risk estimates related to PD and future mortality were considered eligible. ⋯ PD patients with dementia had particularly high mortality risks (RR = 3.78; 95% CI: 2.06-6.92). This meta-analysis indicated that among patients with PD, the all-cause mortality increased by 2.22-fold compared with the general population. PD patients with dementia particularly had higher risks of mortality.