Neurology
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Unilateral neglect--the inability to pay attention to events occurring on one side of space--usually occurs for left-side events after focal right-hemisphere damage. We report a 73-year-old woman with probable AD and no evidence of focal brain lesions who showed signs of right-side neglect and extinction. ⋯ Neuroimaging techniques demonstrated an asymmetry of cortical involvement, with cortical atrophy and hypoperfusion predominant in the left posterior regions. Unilateral neglect should be assessed systematically in AD.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Nortriptyline versus amitriptyline in postherpetic neuralgia: a randomized trial.
OBJECTIVE (BACKGROUND): Amitriptyline (AT) is a standard therapy for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Our hypothesis was that nortriptyline (NT), a noradrenergic metabolite of AT, may be more effective. ⋯ We concluded that this study provides a scientific basis for an analgesic action of NT in PHN because pain relief occurred without an antidepressant effect, and that although there were fewer side effects with NT, AT and NT appear to have a similar analgesic action for most individuals.
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In families with two or more relatives with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), other first-degree relatives have an increased risk of SAH. We studied the presence of unruptured intracranial aneurysms in 125 members of 23 families with familial SAH, defined as two or more affected first-degree relatives, in a cross-sectional design. ⋯ Because the yield is high, screening is recommended in first-degree members of families with familial SAH. Repeated screening should be considered in relatives who have been treated for familial intracranial aneurysms.