Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology
-
Clinical Trial
Association of seizures with cortical spreading depression and peri-infarct depolarisations in the acutely injured human brain.
To test the co-occurrence and interrelation of ictal activity and cortical spreading depressions (CSDs) - including the related periinfarct depolarisations in acute brain injury caused by trauma, and spontaneous subarachnoid and/or intracerebral haemorrhage. ⋯ ECoG recordings in brain injury patients provide insight into pathophysiological mechanisms, which are not accessible by scalp EEG recordings.
-
Electrical low-frequency stimulation (LFS) of cutaneous afferents evokes long-term depression (LTD) of nociception. In vitro studies suggest a sole homosynaptic effect on the conditioned pathway. The present study addresses homotopy of LTD in human nociception and pain. ⋯ Homotopy is probably due to a homosynaptic effect at first nociceptive synapse, but descending inhibitory systems may also be involved. These experiments may help to judge the potency of LTD for future therapy in chronic pain.
-
Although laser stimuli activate both Adelta- and C-fibres, the corresponding laser evoked potentials (LEPs) remain restricted to the Adelta-fibre input. Previous studies found C-LEPs after limb stimulation only in subjects with block or clinical impairment of Adelta-fibres. In this study, we aimed at verifying whether in the trigeminal territory the impairment of Adelta-fibres unmasks the C-LEP. ⋯ In clinical studies using the standard laser pulses to evoke the Adelta-LEPs, the finding of absent signals does not indicate a concomitant impairment of C-fibres.
-
We studied the involvement of motor neuron groups innervating paraspinal muscles in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and evaluated the value of paraspinal muscle EMG in the diagnosis of the disease. ⋯ Our observations emphasize the value of paraspinal muscle EMG in the electrophysiological diagnosis of ALS.
-
This study tested the hypothesis that increased activity in the pupilloconstrictor nucleus by the addition of ambient light and by the administration of fentanyl, sufficient to block pupillary reflex dilation, constricts the pupil of anesthetized patients. ⋯ This study does not support the hypothesis that opioid effects on the human pupil are brought about by a direct excitatory action on the pupilloconstrictor nucleus.