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To assess the clinical course and prognosis in patients with behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia
(FTD) lacking evidence of brain atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI).
Headache in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is controversial, as is evidence of brain impairment in patients with SLE and headache. Perfusion single photon emission computed tomography
(SPECT) was performed to investigate brain impairment in SLE patients with migraine-like headache either from the period of diagnosis or later in the course of disease.
We studied 26 patients in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind parallel trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of donepezil in chronic poststroke aphasia. Donepezil (10 mg/day) improved aphasia severity at endpoint (week 16) relative to placebo (p = 0.037).
We compared the cognitive functions and interictal cerebral glucose metabolism of 11 patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy
(MTLE) with frequent seizures to those of 10 patients with MTLE with rare seizures; the groups were matched for age, sex, education, IQ, and focus side.
We studied outcome subsequent to the initial post-temporal lobectomy seizure recurrence (n = 202) or remission. Two years after recurrence, there was 74% (95% CI 67% to 79%) probability of further seizures.
Focal areas of restricted diffusion adjacent to high-grade glioma resection cavities were detected in 70% of patients on immediate postoperative MRI studies.
Normal prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) are recommended for administration of recombinant
tissue-plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in stroke, but waiting for results can delay use.
To present the results of arteriovenous malformation (AVM) radiosurgery using the Modified Rankin Scale
(MRS) as the primary outcome measure and to analyze whether previous AVM rupture or other factors have an effect on outcomes after AVM
radiosurgery.
We investigated if tau, microtubular binding protein, in serum and ventricular CSF
(vCSF) in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) during the initial posttraumatic days correlated to 1-year outcome.
Rosai-Dorfman disease is associated with a histiocytic infiltration of lymphoid tissue, but may also involve the orbit,
nasopharynx, respiratory pathways, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine glands (particularly the thyroid), bone, and skin.
A 70-year-old right-handed, hypertensive woman underwent coronary angiography 5 days after a non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. Angiography showed a 90% narrowing of the left anterior descending artery. Toward the end of the procedure, she experienced fluctuating expressive dysphasia and mild right arm weakness.
To describe the clinical, radiologic, and autopsy findings of a 41-year-old patient treated with methylprednisolone acetate cervical epidural steroid injection, who developed a fatal hemorrhagic brainstem infarction and to discuss the possible mechanisms involved.
Spinal Cord advance online publication 26 September 2006
To explore the perceptions of people with SCI and their caregivers about information needs and service delivery options that may assist them to maintain or improve their long-term health.
Geriatrics and Gerontology International, Volume 6, Number 3, September 2006, pp. 165-173(9)
To determine whether differences in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) exist between male and female stroke patients and, if present, to identify factors influencing these differences.
Cerebral vasospasm remains a significant cause of mortality and morbidity after aneurysmal subarachnoid
haemorrhage. Use of either intra-arterial or intracisternal papaverine as an alternative treatment of refractory cerebral vasospasm has been associated with various complications including haemodynamic instabilities.
Disability & Society Volume 21, Number 6 / October 2006 567 - 581
Deinstitutionalisation must extend beyond the closure of institutions to individualised support to people with intellectual disabilities and societal change. Castellani suggests that closure processes may be incompatible with effective
deinstitutionalisation.
To investigate whether quantitative sensory testing (QST) is able to reveal subclinical deficits at the neurological level of lesion in subjects with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI).
Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology. 19(5):473-480, October 2006
Xenon enhanced computerized tomography (Xenon CT), CT perfusion and single photon emission CT provide measurements of cerebral perfusion, while positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy
(MRI and MRS) are able to assess both perfusion and cerebral metabolism. Xenon CT and CT perfusion are readily available and have proved useful in a variety of causes of brain injury. PET is an extremely useful research tool for defining cerebral physiology, but is limited in its availability. Despite the continuing development of MRI and MRS imaging, the scanning environment remains hostile for critically ill patients, and further research is required before the techniques become generally available.
Journal of Pediatric Psychology 2006 31(10):1072-1083
To determine whether parents of children with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) report increased injury-related burden, distress, and family dysfunction and to examine the effects of attrition on the results.
To assess the level of physical capacity (peak oxygen uptake, peak power output, muscle strength of the upper extremity and respiratory function) in wheelchair-dependent persons with a spinal cord injury (SCI).
European Journal of Radiology Volume 60, Issue 2 , November 2006, Pages 133-151
Imaging of the central nervous system is one of the major tasks of Paediatric Radiology, particularly in newborns, who present with a variety of conditions that need more or less urgent imaging. Imaging is usually performed primarily by bedside US, in rare cases supplemented by a skull or spine radiograph.
Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology. 19(5):498-503, October 2006
Evolution of neurosurgery mainly trends towards minimally invasive and functional procedures including endoscopies, small-size craniotomies, intraoperative imaging and stereotactic interventions. Consequently, new adjustments of anaesthesia should aim at providing brain relaxation, minimal interference with electrophysiological monitoring, rapid recovery, patients' cooperation during surgery and
neuroprotection.
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 12: 802-811
We examined the long-term retention of a learned automatic cognitive process in 17 severe TBI participants and 10 controls. Participants had initially received extensive consistent-mapping (CM) training (i.e., 3600 trials) in a semantic category visual search task
(Schmitter-Edgecombe & Beglinger, 2001). Following CM training, TBI and control groups demonstrated dramatic performance improvements and the development of an automatic attention response (AAR), indicating task-specific and stimulus-specific skill learning.
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 12: 792-801
The relationship of psychological and cognitive factors in the development of the postconcussion syndrome (PCS) following mild uncomplicated traumatic brain injury
(mTBI) has received little study.
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 12: 774-781
Studies of patients with brain damage, as well as studies with normal subjects have revealed that the right hemisphere is important for recognizing emotions expressed by faces and prosody. It is unclear, however, if the knowledge needed to perform recognition of emotional stimuli is organized by modality or by the type of emotion.
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 12: 812-815
Stroke is the leading health care problem requiring rehabilitation services today (CDC, 2001; Lee et al., 1996) with the worldwide incidence estimated to be between 300 and 500 per 100,000 people
(Sudlow & Warlow, 1997). In most recent years, the rates of mortality are decreasing, resulting in a significant increase in the number of survivors living with the disabilities/handicaps associated with stroke (Thorvaldsen et al., 1997). Not only is stroke a common health problem, but the cognitive disorders that result are common as well (Mayo, 1993; Paolucci et al., 1996).
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 12: 816-827
Individuals with left-hemisphere damage often have concomitant impairment of spoken and written language. Whereas some treatment studies have shown that reading paired with spoken naming can benefit both language modalities, little systematic research has been directed toward the treatment of spelling combined with spoken naming.
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 12: 828-842
The complex process of cortical reorganization of language-related brain regions during recovery from aphasia and the effects of therapeutic interventions on brain systems are poorly understood. We studied two patients with chronic aphasia and compared their functional neuroanatomical responses to a younger control group on two tasks, an oral-reading task involving overt speech and a “passive” audiovisual story-comprehension task. Following identical therapy, we re-examined behavioral (language) and functional neuroanatomical changes using the same functional magnetic resonance imaging
(fMRI) tasks.
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 12: 843-852
This investigation reports the results of a pilot study concerning the application of principles of use-dependent learning developed in the motor rehabilitation literature as Constraint Induced Therapy to language rehabilitation in a group of individuals with chronic aphasia.
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 12: 853-866
Naming of two semantically impaired aphasic patients was treated with the contextual repetition priming technique, which involves repeated repetition of names of pictures that are related semantically, phonologically, or are unrelated.
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 12: 867-882
Links between verbs and gesture knowledge suggest that verb retrieval may be particularly amenable to gesture+verbal training
(GVT) in aphasia compared to noun retrieval. This study examines effects of GVT for noun and verb retrieval in nine individuals with aphasia subsequent to left hemisphere stroke.
Brain and Cognition Volume 62, Issue 2 , November 2006, Pages 89-97
Studies of neurological patients with category-specific agnosia have provided important contributions to our understanding of object recognition, although the meaning of such disorders is still hotly debated.
In the present study we examine the ability of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) to use anticipatory control of fingertip forces during grasping, and whether anticipatory control is facilitated by lifts with the contralateral hand.
Current Opinion in Ophthalmology. 17(6):513-518, December 2006
To review the neuroophthalmic manifestations of cavernous and posterior communicating artery aneurysms as well as the diagnosis and treatment options for patients with these kinds of aneurysms.
Clinical Cancer Research Vol. 12, 6331-6336, November 1, 2006
There are a limited number of noninvasive methods available for the monitoring of neoplastic disease in the central nervous system. The goal of our study was to find reliable markers that could be used for disease monitoring as well as to identify new targets for the therapeutic intervention for malignant astrocytoma (WHO grades 3 and 4).
Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology. 19(5):481-486, October 2006
Patients at risk for perioperative stroke, or those who have suffered recent cerebral injury, may benefit from neuroprotective properties of anesthetic agents during surgery. This manuscript reviews recent clinical and experimental evidence for neuroprotective effects of common anesthetic agents, and presents potential mechanisms involved in anesthetic
neuroprotection.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 31, Issue 5 , November 2006, Pages 406-410
Prevention research in public health requires quality data. In injury prevention research, "official" data sources, such as medical or law enforcement data, often do not possess the required depth or completeness. Self-reported data can fill this gap. Such data allow us to understand knowledge, attitudes, exposures, and behaviors associated with injury risk.
Ophthalmology Volume 113, Issue 8 , August 2006, Pages 1417.e1-1417.e2
To determine the ophthalmologic findings, especially the nature of retinal vascular changes, and their clinical significance in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy
(CADASIL), a disease that causes migraine, recurrent strokes, and finally subcortical vascular dementia.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Volume 87, Issue 10 , October 2006, Pages 1289-1297
To investigate the efficacy of a behavior management program delivered in the natural community setting for persons with brain injury and their caregivers.
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) refers to a focal, non-Alzheimer form of cerebral degeneration that encompasses the distinct clinical syndromes of frontotemporal dementia
(FTD), progressive non-fluent aphasia (PNFA) and semantic dementia.
Vision loss and cerebrovascular accidents often complicate giant cell arteritis
(GCA). Antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy reduce the risk of stroke in other populations. We sought to determine whether antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy reduces ischemic complications in patients with
GCA.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Volume 87, Issue 10 , October 2006, Pages 1298-1304
To compare the therapeutic effects of conventional gait training (CGT), gait training using an electromechanical gait trainer
(EGT), and gait training using an electromechanical gait trainer with functional electric stimulation
(EGT-FES) in people with subacute stroke.
The American Journal of Cardiology Volume 98, Issue 9 , 1 November 2006, Pages 1170-1171
We investigated in 449 patients with severe carotid arterial disease, who did not undergo revascularization, the incidence of new stroke or new myocardial infarction (MI) or death in patients treated with statins (66%) and in patients not treated with lipid-lowering therapy (34%). Hypercholesterolemia was present in all of the 298 patients (100%) treated with statins and in 145 of 151 patients (96%) not treated with statins (p = 0.001). Follow-up was 26 ± 18 months in patients treated with statins and 21 ± 17 months in patients not treated with statins (p <0.0001).
Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders 2007;23:47-54
Previous research has shown improvements in the clinical triad (gait, incontinence and cognitive dysfunction) after shunt surgery in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus
(iNPH) patients.
Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine Volume 7, Issue 3 , September 2006, Pages 138-142
Inflicted traumatic brain injury (iTBI) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in young children. Inflicted traumatic brain injury can present with a wide spectrum of symptoms and clinical findings. Children who have milder forms of iTBI and less ominous symptoms, such as vomiting and irritability, may not be recognized until they present later with more serious injury. Although retinal hemorrhages, rib fractures, and subdural hemorrhage are the triad typically associated with iTBI, a minority of patients will have all 3 findings. The importance of recognizing iTBI in a timely manner in the emergency department is vital to protect the child from future and possibly more severe brain injury.
Neonates that survive very preterm birth have a high prevalence of cognitive impairment in later life. A common factor detected in premature infants is their postnatal exposure to high oxygen tension relative to that in utero. Hyperoxia is known to elicit injury to premature lung and retina. Because data on the exposure of the brain to hyperoxia are limited, we studied the effects of high oxygen on this tissue.
Virtual environments for use in stroke rehabilitation are in development, but there has been little evaluation of their suitability for this purpose. We evaluated a virtual environment developed for the rehabilitation of the task of making a hot drink.
The time-scale of hippocampal involvement in supporting episodic memory remains a keenly debated topic, with disagreement over whether its role is temporary or permanent. Recently, there has been interest in how navigation by hippocampally-compromised patients in environments learned long ago speaks to this issue.
There are few data on the prevalence or treatment of depression from unselected populations long-term poststroke. We assessed the prevalence of depression and antidepressant use at 5-years poststroke in an unselected stroke population.
We sought to determine plasma S100B level after acute (<24 hours) spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and to study its relation with neurological outcome.
International Journal of Nursing Practice, Volume 12, Number 6, December 2006, pp. 308-318(11)
Recording a patient's vital signs is a basic requirement that in part informs clinical decision-making. Practice suggests that recording a trauma patient's temperature is occasionally overlooked in the emergency department. A staff survey was undertaken to gain an appreciation of knowledge and understanding of the issues that surround accidental or exposure hypothermia in trauma patients.
Elevated von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentrations are associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease. Several factors influence vWF antigen levels and activity, including blood group, genetic variability, acute-phase response, and proteolysis by A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease with ThromboSpondin motif (ADAMTS13), a determinant of proteolytic cleavage of vWF. We assessed how these factors affect the relation between vWF and the occurrence of stroke to understand the underlying mechanism.
To date, the clinical application of near infrared spectroscopy in the adult brain has been limited. The NIRO 300 (Hamamatsu Photonics) provides a continuous measurement of tissue oxygen index (TOI) using spatially resolved spectroscopy. Although TOI reflects cerebral oxygenation to a high degree of sensitivity and specificity, to become a useful clinical tool, thresholds for cerebral ischemia need to be defined. This study has attempted to identify a quantifiable TOI threshold for ischemia in the adult brain.
We examined the associations of parental longevity with carotid intima-media thickness, carotid plaques, and aortic arterial stiffness in adult offspring.
Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA IMT) is a predictor of stroke. This study aimed to analyze whether homocysteine (Hcys) metabolism influences CCA IMT.
Boxing is a violent sport in which every participant accepts the risk of brain damage or death. This sport has been linked to acute neurological injury and chronic brain damage.
Neonatal stroke is increasingly recognized with an estimated incidence of one in 4000 live births per year. Pathways involved in the pathophysiology of neonatal stroke are diverse and may include thrombosis and thrombolysis, vascular reactivity, and inflammation.
There is scant population-based evidence regarding extracranial carotid plaque surface irregularity and ischemic stroke. Using a prospective cohort design, we evaluated the association of carotid plaque surface irregularity and the risk of ischemic stroke in a multiethnic population.
The clinical significance of sentinel headaches in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is still unknown. We investigated whether patients with a sentinel headache (SH) have a higher rate of rebleeding after SAH.
Poststroke depression (PSD) is common among stroke survivors, and it is associated with worse functional outcomes and increased poststroke mortality. Limited information is available about its impact on healthcare use. This study assessed the impact of PSD on healthcare use by veterans with acute stroke.
A 10-year-old child with transposition of the great arteries had multiple intracranial aneurysms. The child presented with pyogenic meningitis, and the investigations incidentally revealed numerous aneurysms involving both anterior and posterior circulation arteries. Angiography also revealed multiple fistulae between the internal and external carotid arteries.
It is known that at any given force level, the lower-threshold motor units generally fire at greater rates than the higher-threshold units during isometric tasks of extremity muscles. In addition to this hierarchical arrangement, firing rates of motor units fluctuate in unison with nearly no time delay; an observation that has led to the concept of common drive, a basic motoneuronal rule.
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of basilar artery (BA) vasospasm on outcome in patients with severe vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH).
We conducted a French multicentric cross-sectional study to describe in detail the demographic, neurological and behavioural characteristics of the frontal variant of frontotemporal dementia (fvFTD) and to characterize the pattern of brain perfusion SPECT in comparison to a healthy control group.
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