Acta neurologica Scandinavica
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Acta Neurol. Scand. · Nov 1985
The use of evoked potentials in the management of patients with severe cerebral trauma.
Evoked potentials (SEP and BAEP) were measured daily in 18 patients who had suffered severe craniocerebral trauma, but could not be examined neurologically due to a barbiturate coma or neuromuscular blockade. The BAEP had only limited value as an indicator of the prognosis for these patients. ⋯ In some patients serial measurement of the EPs also gave an indication of the presence of late posttraumatic intracranial mass lesions. EPs are useful for the monitoring of cerebral functions in patients who have suffered a contusion of the brain and can no longer be assessed clinically.
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Acta Neurol. Scand. · Oct 1985
Case ReportsParaplegia following epidural anesthesia. A case report and a literature review.
This article reports the case of a man who developed a pure motor paraplegia following epidural anesthesia with a pattern of slow recovery over subsequent months. Reviewing the available literature on post-epidural paraplegia we noted a number of potential etiologies and analyzed their role in its causation. On the basis of this analysis we have identified five distinct clinical groups and a constellation of factors which can lead to an increased risk of post-epidural paraplegia in susceptible surgical patients.
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Acta Neurol. Scand. · Dec 1984
Non-painful phantom limb phenomena in amputees: incidence, clinical characteristics and temporal course.
58 patients undergoing limb amputation mainly because of peripheral vascular disease were interviewed by means of a standard questionnaire and examined 8 days, 6 months and 2 years after limb amputation regarding non-painful phantom limb phenomena. During the follow-up period, 41% of patients died. The incidence of phantom limb 8 days, 6 months and 2 years after limb loss was 84%, 90% and 71%, respectively. ⋯ While the incidence of phantom limb did not decrease during the follow-up period, both the duration and frequency of phantom limb phenomena declined significantly. The distribution of non-painful and painful phantom limb did not differ significantly from each other. The present findings suggest that mechanisms both in periphery, spinal cord and brain participate in generating the phantom limb percept.
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Acta Neurol. Scand. · Mar 1983
Propranolol and acetylsalicylic acid in migraine prophylaxis. Double-blind crossover study.
The aim of this double-blind crossover study was to compare the prophylactic effect of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) with that of propranolol (PRP) in the treatment of migraine. Plasma concentrations of the two drugs were measured in order to investigate a possible relationship to the clinical effect. ⋯ Due to the limited number of patients, our results should be cautiously interpreted, however relevant the clinical improvement seemed. Improvement of migraine index was not related to different plasma levels of the two drugs.
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Acta Neurol. Scand. · Oct 1982
Iontophoretically applied microtubule inhibitors induce transganglionic degenerative atrophy of primary central nociceptive terminals and abolish chronic autochtonous pain.
Transcutaneous iontophoresis of microtubule inhibitors (Vinblastin, Vincristin, Formyl-Leurosin) in rats induces depletion of fluoride-resistant acid phosphatase (FRAP) and transganglionic degenerative atrophy (trggl. deg. atr.) of the central terminals of primary nociceptive neurons, probably via blockade of axoplasmic transport in the peripheral sensory nerves. Radiochemical experiments prove that about 0.2% of the microtubule inhibitors applied iontophoretically at the skin reach the level of nociceptive axon terminals. 40 out of 48 patients suffering from chronic intractable pain of diverse etiology (postherpetic, paresthetic, ischaemic and trigeminal neuralgia, alcoholic and diabetic polyneuropathy, meralgia, brachialgia, discopathia, arthropathia and terminal pain) were successfully treated with Vinblastin or Vincristin iontophoresis. Iontophoretically applied microtubule inhibitors do not affect the blood cell count, have no side-effects and do not impair the skin at the site of application.