Search results for " neurological"
showing 10 items of 166 documents
Nonlinear nystagmus processing causes torsional VOR nonlinearity.
2003
The eye movement component that rotates around the line of sight, i.e., the ocular torsion, is in many aspects different from horizontal and vertical eye movements. While ocular torsion is mediated only by reflexive pathways like the torsional vestibulo-ocular and optokinetic reflexes (TVOR and OKN, respectively), horizontal and vertical components are also subject to intentional control mechanisms that are mediated by the saccadic and the pursuit systems. Dynamic properties of torsional eye movements are also very distinct. While horizontal and vertical VOR components show a gain close to unity and a small neural integration leakage with a time constant around pi=30 s, the TVOR shows a sma…
Evaluation of Dysphagia and Inhalation Risk in Neurologically Impaired Children Using Esophageal High-Resolution Manometry with Swallowing Analysis
2022
Background: Dysphagia in neurologically impaired children is associated with feeding difficulties, malnutrition and aspiration pneumonia. Esophageal high-resolution manometry (HRM) has been used in the diagnosis of motility disorders affecting the swallowing process. The aim of this study was to analyze swallowing functions in NI children by using HRM in order to establish swallow parameters identifying inhalation risk. Methods: Twenty-five NI children with cerebral palsy were submitted to esophageal HRM with UES analysis, comparing the results with non-NI children. The following parameters were evaluated: maximum pressure and duration of contraction of the velopharynx (VP) and tongue base …
Mechanisms of arachidonic acid induced glial swelling
2000
Accumulation of arachidonic acid (AA) in the brain during ischaemia may contribute to development of brain oedema. In this study we investigated the effect of selected drugs on AA-induced cytotoxic brain oedema in C6 glioma cells. Suspended C6 glioma cells were preincubated with drugs and AA (0.1 mM) was added. When no drug was administered cell volume increased immediately after the addition of AA with a maximum cell swelling of 13.1+/-1.9% at 15 min (mean +/- S.E. M.). Preincubation of cells with BW 755C, a dual inhibitor of cyclo- and lipoxygenases, showed no reduction in cell swelling from AA, whereas superoxide dismutase, amiloride and the protein kinase inhibitor H-9370 led to a signi…
A New Score Unveils a High Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
2021
Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may show mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The neurological functions affected remain unclear. The aims were to: (1) Characterize the neuropsychological alterations in NAFLD patients; (2) assess the prevalence of impairment of neurological functions evaluated; (3) develop a new score for sensitive and rapid MCI detection in NAFLD; (4) assess differences in MCI features between patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); and (5) compare neuropsychological alterations in NAFLD patients with cirrhotic patients with MCI. Fifty-nine NAFLD patients and 53 controls performed psychometric tests assessin…
A nonlinear biomechanical model for evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid shunt systems.
1994
In view of complications arising from physical properties of cerebrospinal fluid shunts, a biomechanical model of hydrocephalus was set up to study in vivo parameters that may influence their function. These include: intracranial pressure, compliance and pulses, intrathoracic, intra-abdominal, and subcutaneous pressures, and the effects of siphonage and repeated valve flushing. Each of these factors was studied separately upon shunt implantation in the model. Results of testing of a sample low-pressure valve with antisiphon device conformed with consumer information in regard to valve opening pressure and pressure flow measurements. No customer information, however, was supplied concerning …
PGC-1α: a master gene that is hard to master
2012
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is a transcriptional coactivator that favorably affects mitochondrial function. This concept is supported by an increasing amount of data including studies in PGC-1α gene-deleted mice, suggesting that PGC-1α is a rescue factor capable of boosting cell metabolism and promoting cell survival. However, this view has now been called into question by a recent study showing that adeno-associated virus-mediated PGC-1α overexpression causes overt cell degeneration in dopaminergic neurons. How is this to be understood, and can these seemingly conflicting findings tell us something about the role of PGC-1α in cell stress and in cont…
Vertigo and multiple sclerosis: aspects of differential diagnosis.
2002
Equilibrium disorders caused by involvement of brainstem and cerebellar structures are common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), but peripheral conditions such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) can be sometimes confused with those of a central origin. Therefore, an accurate otoneurologic investigation paying attention to differential diagnosis aspects should be performed in these subjects. Among available diagnostic tools, electro-oculography, posturography and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) are especially suited to assess vestibulo-oculomotor and vestibulospinal systems. This paper briefly describes the most recent otoneurologic diagnostic strategies for …
Post-acute COVID-19 neurological syndrome: A new medical challenge
2021
In December 2019, in Wuhan (China), a highly pathogenic coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2, dramatically emerged. This new virus, which causes severe pneumonia, is rapidly spreading around the world, hence it provoked the COVID-19 pandemic. This emergency launched by SARS-CoV-2 also had, and still has, devastating socio-economic aspects. Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups of people is crucial for the adaptation of governments’ responses. Growing scientific evidence suggests that it is essential to keep the attention on people after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection; indeed, some clinical manifestations are frequently present even after recovery. There is consensus on the need to defi…
A Preliminary Study on Cranio-Facial Characteristics Associated with Minor Neurological Dysfunctions (MNDs) in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder…
2020
Background. Craniofacial anomalies and minor neurological dysfunction (MNDs) have been identified, in literature, as risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders. They represent physical indicators of embryonic development suggesting a possible contributory role of complications during early, even pre-conceptional, phases of ontogeny in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Limited research has been conducted about the co-occurrence of the two biomarkers in children with ASD. This study investigates the associative patterns of cranio-facial anomalies and MNDs in ASD children, and whether these neurodevelopmental markers correlate with intensity of ASD symptoms and overall functioning. Methods. …
From structural biochemistry to expression profiling: Neuroprotective activities of estrogen
2005
Abstract Estrogens are neuromodulatory and neuroprotective hormones. Chemically, estrogens are steroid compounds and unfold most of their activities through the activation of nuclear receptors that bind to specific target genes and control their transcription. Two subtypes of estrogen receptors are known (estrogen receptor α and estrogen receptor β) and they are expressed throughout the body including the CNS and in particular the brain. We employed large scale DNA-chip-analysis to display the gene expression pattern differentially regulated by both estrogen receptor subtypes in human neuronal cells. We identified different gene families regulated by estrogen receptors that complement the k…