Nō to shinkei = Brain and nerve
-
We report a 63-year-old woman who presented myotonia and parkinsonism. The patient was well until 15 years of the age when she noted that the ring finger of her left hand at times flexed when she did not intend to do so. She noted weakness in her left upper extremity at the age of 40, and difficulty in relaxing her hand grip at 45. ⋯ In myelin stain, diffuse myelin pallor was noted in the cerebral white matter which was the pathologic substrate of leukoaraiosis in this patient. Combination of these two disorders have never been reported in the literature to our knowledge. It appears to be that the coincidence is just a by-chance phenomenon, but it seems interesting to note that accelerated aging process appears to be present in both myotonic dystrophy and Parkinson's disease.
-
The improved technique of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) resulted in survival of many patients who had experienced cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA). However, when the recovery of brain function is poor, patients suffer from severe neurological sequelae, including persistent vegetative state. There have been no conclusive methods to predict the outcome of anoxic encephalopathy after CPR. ⋯ Reduced amplitude of N20 P25 was consistent with the high score of GOS. N20 P25 was greater than 3.7 microV in all patients who regained consciousness. Recording of cortical SEP within 48 hours after CPR was useful for the prediction of neurological outcome.
-
Case Reports
[A 86-year-old woman with dementia, gait and speech disturbance, and right hemiparesis].
We report a 86-year-old woman who developed dementia, gait disturbance, speech disturbance, and right hemiparesis. The patient was well until March of 1979 when upon wakening up on one morning she noted slurring of her speech and weakness in her left upper and lower extremities. These symptoms cleared up during the next several months, however, she noted weakness in her left leg again in May 1985. ⋯ Deep reflexes were increased with extensor toe sign on the right. She was treated with chemotherapy and intravenous fluid, however, her clinical course was complicated with respiratory as well as urinary tract infections. She developed cardiac as well as renal failure and expired on September 25, 1993.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
-
We report a patient with Lance-Adams syndrome, in whom a characteristic blinking response was observed. In this patient, the reflex blinking was elicited by electrical stimulations applied not only to the supraorbital nerve but also to peripheral nerves of both upper and lower extremities. ⋯ The pathophysiological mechanism underlying the characteristic blinking response was discussed. It is speculated that increased excitabilities of the brainstem reticular formation may play a role in generating this type of blinking response, namely the somatosensory-evoked blink response.