Search results for "Central Nervous System Disease"
showing 9 items of 199 documents
Critical assessment of chitotriosidase analysis in the rational laboratory diagnosis of children with Gaucher disease and Niemann-Pick disease type A…
2006
Laboratory diagnosis of lysosomal storage disorders, especially sphingomyelinase deficiency (Niemann–Pick disease type A/B) and Niemann–Pick disease type C (NPC) can be challenging. We therefore aimed to analyse the feasibility of first-step screening with specific chitotriosidase cut-off values in children ≤ 10 years of age with visceral organomegaly (hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, or hepatosplenomegaly) in whom a storage disorder was suspected. We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional, referral, single-centre study to assess diagnostic test properties in 106 individuals. Median chitotriosidase activity was 12 655 nmol/h per ml (interquartile range 4693–20982) in Gaucher disease (GD); 78…
PROTON MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY IN DEMENTIA OF ALZHEIMER TYPE
1997
Reduced N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and increased myo-inositol (MI) levels have been reported in patients with dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT) in comparison with controls. We wished to assess the validity of these findings and to evaluate possible correlations of metabolite proportions with cognitive dysfunction in DAT. Twelve patients with DAT and 10 healthy age-matched controls were included. The severity of dementia was assessed using different scales including the Mini-Mental State Examination. MRS was performed with a conventional 1.5 Tesla scanner in a single voxel in the centrum semi-ovale (TE = 30 ms or TE = 136 ms; TR = 1500 ms). The evaluation of MRS results was limited by low inter…
Temporal changes in free iron levels after brain ischemia
2008
Whereas iron chelators have been proposed as therapeutic agents in stroke, changes in free iron levels have never been explored after focal brain ischemia. Therefore, free and total iron levels in cortical tissue and free iron levels in plasma were measured before and after (1, 4 and 24h) photothrombotic occlusion of cortical vessels in rats. Brain ferritin expression and localization were also investigated before and after (24, 72 and 192 h) occlusion. The results showed that free iron remained below detectable levels in plasma and that the lesion exhibited high levels of free and total iron. As compared to contralateral values, free iron levels in ischemic core and penumbra increased (+50…
Transient mid-ventricular dyskinesia: a variant of Takotsubo syndrome
2008
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy is characterized by a reversible systolic left ventricular apical ballooning. A new pattern of dyskinesia in the absence of angiographic evidence of coronary artery stenosis has been indicated like a variant of takotsubo cardiomiopathy: mid-ventricular akinesis with preservation of apical and basal contractilities revealed at echocardiograms and ventriculographies. We report the case of a 65 years old patient with this pattern, reverted in 4 weeks.
Inverse cancer comorbidity: a serendipitous opportunity to gain insight into CNS disorders
2013
Inverse comorbidity is a lower-than-expected probability of disease occuring in individuals who have been diagnosed with other medical conditions. Emerging evidence points to inverse cancer comorbidity in people with certain CNS disorders. In this Opinion article, we discuss the evidence for this intriguing association and possible underlying mechanisms. We believe that this association is an invaluable opportunity to gain insight into the pathogenesis of these diseases, and understanding why certain individuals with CNS disorders are protected against many different types of cancer could help to develop new and improved treatments.
Vasomotor reactivity in dementia of alzheimer type
1994
The objective of this study was to examine the cerebral blood flow and the vasomotor function of CO2-responsive intracerebral vessels in Alzheimer's disease. Patients met DSM-III-R criteria for dementia of Alzheimer type and had neither symptoms nor signs of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease. Blood flow velocities in both middle cerebral arteries (MCA) were recorded using transcranial Doppler sonography during hypercapnia, normocapnia and hypocapnia. Several psychometric tests were performed. Patients' age, disease duration and severity of dementia did not correlate with vasomotor reactivity. Exploratory analysis revealed that mean flow velocities under hypercapnia correlated with s…
Alpha-dihydroergocryptine in the treatment of de novo parkinsonian patients: results ofa multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled st…
2000
INTRODUCTION A multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study was carried out in 123 patients suffering from never treated (de novo) idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). The aim of the study was to confirm the efficiency and safety of alpha-dihydroergocryptine (alpha-DHEC) given as monotherapy in the symptomatic treatment of PD. The total score of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) was identified as the efficacy target variable. PATIENTS AND METHODS Sixty-two patients (32 males, 30 females, mean age +/- SD 64 +/- 10) were randomized to alpha-dihydroergocryptine and 61 (30 males, 31 females, mean age 63.8 +/- 9.1) to placebo. According to th…
Bilaterale Acetabulumfrakturen der vorderen Pfeiler und Wirbelkörperfraktur nach alkoholinduziertem Krampfanfall
1996
The case of a 54-year-old male with a compression fracture of the T 12 vertebral body and a bilateral anterior column fracture of the acetabulum is presented. The origin of this rare combination of fractures is explained by the action of the patient's own muscle force on bone of very poor quality. The treatment of these lesions is comparable to the treatment of similar fractures in bone of normal quality.
Tumor diagnosis preceding Parkinson's disease: A case-control study
2004
Lower cancer risk in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients compared to the general population has been reported. However, most of the studies were based on death certificates. We designed a case–control study to estimate the association of tumor preceding PD onset and PD. PD patients were matched by age and gender to PD-free individuals, randomly selected from the municipalities of residence of cases. Occurrence of tumors preceding PD onset was assessed through a structured questionnaire. Neoplasms were categorized as benign, malignant, or of uncertain classification, and endocrine-related or not. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using conditional logistic regression and adjusted for tumor cate…