Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology
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Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP), short-latency electromyographic responses elicited by acoustic stimuli, evaluate the function of vestibulocollic reflex and may give information about brainstem function. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the potential contribution of VEMP to the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Fifty patients with MS and 30 healthy control subjects were included in this study. ⋯ In patients with MS, absence of p1-n1 wave was more frequent in patients with than without vestibular symptoms [absence of p1-n1 wave: vestibular symptoms, 9 (45 %) ears; no vestibular symptoms, 16 (20 %) ears; P ≤ 0.03] and patients with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score ≥ 5.5 [absence of p1-n1 wave: EDSS ≥ 5.5, 7 (70 %) ears; EDSS <5.5, 18 (20 %) ears; P ≤ 0.001]. Abnormal VEMP may be noted in MS patients, especially those with vestibular symptoms and greater disability. The VEMP test may complement other studies for diagnosis and follow-up of patients with MS.
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Isoflurane anesthesia can cause post-operative cognitive dysfunction in elderly patients. As an isomer of isoflurane, enflurane may also account for cognitive dysfunction. However, the mechanism of enflurane-induced cognitive dysfunction remains obscure. ⋯ In addition, we analyzed the expression level of β-amyloid and phosphorylation level of tau in the hippocampus by immunoblotting. Interestingly, the levels of β-amyloid and phosphorylated tau in the hippocampus increased significantly at early stage and then restored to pre-anesthetic levels. Taken together, our results suggest that increasing of β-amyloid and phosphorylation of tau are important to cause cognitive decline in aged rats during initial stage after enflurane anesthesia.
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Review Meta Analysis
Voxelwise meta-analysis of white matter abnormalities in progressive supranuclear palsy.
White matter deficits constitute one element of the network dysfunction that underlies progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Cumulative evidence of white matter abnormalities in patients with PSP has been reported using voxel-based morphometry (VBM), but these studies have not been quantitatively reviewed and not all findings have been entirely concordant. Whole-brain VBM studies comparing PSP patients with healthy controls (HC) were systematically searched in the PubMed and EMABSE databases from January 1990 to April 2013. ⋯ No WMV increase was reported. Meta-regression showed both MMSE and UPDRS III scores correlated with WM changes in the regions from bilateral midbrain to basal ganglia. Our findings provide evidence for white matter atrophy in the midbrain, pons and several regions near the basal ganglia, representing the main pathophysiology of PSP.
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Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by ataxia, spastic paraparesis, polyneuropathy, and evidence of superior cerebellar vermis atrophy at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Reports of atypical presentations and additional clinical or MRI findings have been recently published, but psychiatric disturbances have never been associated with ARSACS. We describe four ARSACS patients manifesting severe psychiatric symptoms including psychosis, panic disorder, and depression during the course of the disease. Our case reports further expand the ARSACS phenotype and add clinical data in favor of the hypothesized relationship between cerebellar dysfunction and psychiatric disorders.