European journal of neurology : the official journal of the European Federation of Neurological Societies
-
Needs of patients dying from stroke are poorly investigated. We aim to assess symptoms of these patients referred to a palliative care consult team, and to review their treatment strategies. ⋯ Patients dying from stroke and referred to a palliative care consult team have multiple symptoms, mainly dyspnoea and pain. Studies are warranted to develop specific symptoms assessment tools in non-verbal stroke patients, to accurately assess patients' needs, and to measure effectiveness of palliative treatments.
-
We studied involvement of large and small nerve fibres in patients with hypothyroidism and symptoms and signs of polyneuropathy. ⋯ The majority of patients with hypothyroidism had involvement of both large and small nerve fibres. However, some patients had isolated small fibre polyneuropathy. Patients with 'pure' hypothyroidism had essentially the same degree of peripheral nerve fibre involvement as those with other additional causes of polyneuropathy.
-
Pathological gambling (PG) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is a frequent impulse control disorder associated mainly with dopamine replacement therapy. As impairments in decision-making were described independently in PG and PD, the objective of this study was to assess decision-making processes in PD patients with and without PG. ⋯ Low performance in decision-making under ambiguity and abnormal social behavior distinguished PD patients with PG from those without this disorder. Dopamine replacement therapy may induce dysfunction of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and amygdala-ventral striatum system, thus increasing the risk for developing PG.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation improve tinnitus in normal hearing patients: a double-blind controlled, clinical and neuroimaging outcome study.
Tinnitus is a frequent disorder which is very difficult to treat and there is compelling evidence that tinnitus is associated with functional alterations in the central nervous system. Targeted modulation of tinnitus-related cortical activity has been proposed as a promising new treatment approach. We aimed to investigate both immediate and long-term effects of low frequency (1 Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with tinnitus and normal hearing. ⋯ These results support the potential of rTMS as a new therapeutic tool for the treatment of chronic tinnitus, by demonstrating a significant reduction of tinnitus complaints over a period of at least 6 months and significant reduction of neural activity in the inferior temporal cortex, despite the stimulation applied on the superior temporal cortex.
-
Neuronal protein S100B assays are available now with a perspective of being an early screening tool for serious intracranial injury. The aim of the study was to correlate early S100B measurements and initial CCT findings in the patients sustaining mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). ⋯ S100B serum protein marker seems to be an unrealiable screening tool for determination of an intracranial injury risk group due to low sensitivity and negative predictive value seen from samples taken greater than 3 h after an MTBI.