Neurology
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To determine the effect of stereotactic radiosurgery on seizure outcomes for patients with intracerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM). ⋯ Overall, stereotactic radiosurgery improves seizure outcomes in the majority of patients and more than half of the patients with medically intractable partial epilepsy had an excellent seizure outcome after radiosurgery.
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To assess the surgical and hardware complications in a series of 81 consecutive patients undergoing subthalamic (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson disease (PD). ⋯ Serious complications leading to permanent neurologic deficit are rare after STN DBS for advanced PD. However, long-term follow-up demonstrated that hardware complications are relatively common, having occurred in approximately 26% of these patients.
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To characterize reorganization of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) during healing process in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). ⋯ Changes of the somatotopic map within the S1 cortex may depend on CRPS pain and its recovery.
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To determine the prognostic role of late auditory (N100) and cognitive evoked potentials (MMN) for awakening in a cohort of comatose patients categorized by etiology. ⋯ Pupillary reflex is the strongest prognostic variable, followed by N100 and MLAEPs allowing a reliable model for awakening. The presence of MMN is a predictor of awakening and precludes comatose patients from moving to a permanent vegetative state. Evaluation of primary sensory cortex and higher-order processes by middle-latency-, late, and cognitive evoked potentials should be performed in the prognosis for awakening in comatose patients.
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Fasciculation and cramps without weakness or muscle atrophy are recognized as a benign syndrome. The authors report a patient with cramp and fasciculation, which persisted for 1 year without abnormal motor unit morphology on EMG before progressive weakness, muscle atrophy, and EMG abnormalities developed. This observation raises the possibility that lower motor neuron hyperexcitability may precede motor neuron death in motor neuron disease.