Search results for "spinal cord"
showing 10 items of 302 documents
Ossified spinal meningiomas: Clinical and surgical features
2016
Abstract Object Meningiomas constitute 25% of primary spinal tumors and predominantly involve the thoracic spinal cord. Although calcifications are commonly seen in intracranial meningiomas, gross calcifications are observed in only 1–5% of all spinal meningiomas. We report the clinical findings, surgical strategy and histological features of 9 patients with ossified spinal meningiomas (OSMs). Patients and methods Clinical and surgical features of 9 patients with ossified spinal meningiomas were retrospectively reviewed. Results There were 8 women and 1 man with a mean age of 59 years. In 7 patients, the lesions were localized in the thoracic segment of the spine while in 2 patients in the …
Etoposide Treatment in Recurrent Medulloblastoma
1994
Five consecutive patients with recurrent medulloblastoma received etoposide 120 mg/m2 for 5 to 7 days at 2 to 4-week intervals. Three patients with neuroaxis dissemination received additional intrathecal chemotherapy with methotrexate, cytosine arabinoside and prednisone. Toxicity consisted of alopecia and mild neutropenia. Complete response was registered in two patients, partial response in one. Median survival was 19 months with the 3 responders living 6, 30 and 60+ months. Etoposide seems to be an active agent in medulloblastoma.
Detection of a germline mutation and somatic homozygous loss of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor-suppressor gene in a family with a de novo mutation
1996
von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a pleiotropic disorder featuring a variety of malignant and benign tumors of the eye, central nervous system, kidney, and adrenal gland. Recently the VHL gene has been identified in the chromosomal region 3p25-26. Prognosis and successful management of VHL patients and their descendants depend on unambiguous diagnosis. Due to recurrent hemangioblastomas, a29-year-old patient without familial history of VHL disease was diagnosed to be at risk for the disease. Histopathological examination of a small renal mass identified a clear cell tumor with a G1 grading. Genetic characterization of the germline and of the renal tumor was performed. Polymerase chain reac…
Modulation of spinal cord excitability by subthreshold repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the primary motor cortex in humans.
2001
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) allows the modulation of intra-cortical excitability and may therefore affect the descending control of spinal excitability. We applied rTMS at subthreshold intensity and 1 Hz frequency for 10 min to the left primary motor cortex representation of the flexor carpi radialis muscle (FCR) in 10 subjects and assessed the H and M responses to median nerve stimulation before and after the rTMS. Following rTMS, H wave thresholds significantly reduced by ∼20%. Maximal H but not M wave amplitude significantly increased over the baseline, so that H/M amplitude ratio was increased by 41%. Sham stimulation did not induce any noticeable change in M or …
Tracking the corticospinal responses to strength training
2020
Purpose\ud The motor cortex (M1) appears to be a primary site of adaptation following both a single session, and repeated strength-training sessions across multiple weeks. Given that a single session of strength-training is sufficient to induce modification at the level of the M1 and corticospinal tract, this study sought to determine how these acute changes in M1 and corticospinal tract might accumulate across the course of a 2-week heavy-load strength-training program.\ud \ud Methods\ud Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to infer corticospinal excitability (CSE), intracortical facilitation (ICF), short and long-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI and LICI) and silent per…
Bilateral reciprocal organisation in man: focus on IA interneurone
1994
The H reflex of flexor carpi radialis and radial-induced reciprocal inhibition were recorded in normal subjects during conditioning stimulation of the contralateral median or radial nerves. It was found that stimulation of the contralateral median nerve enhanced the degree of reciprocal inhibition exerted by the radial nerve on the median nerve, while contralateral radial nerve stimulation reduced the reciprocal inhibition exerted by the extensor on the flexor. In two subjects in which a pure extensor H reflex was recorded specular features were observed following contralateral median and radial stimulation. These findings are considered to be the electrophysiological manifestation of contr…
Somatosensory evoked potentials in Arnold-Chiari malformation.
2002
Abstract Nearly all patients with repaired myelomeningoceles have an Arnold–Chiari (AC) malformation and about 20% of these patients develop clinical signs of brainstem dysfunction. The management of symptomatic AC malformation is still controversial and techniques are needed to provide an objective assessment of brainstem function. We recorded somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in 52 patients aged between 8 months and 20 years (median 7.3 years) with AC malformation, to determine whether the SEPs discriminate patients with symptomatic AC malformation from those without symptoms. The subcortical far-field components P13, P14 and N18, which are generated within the brainstem, were record…
Scheie syndrome: enzyme replacement therapy does not prevent progression of cervical myelopathy due to spinal cord compression.
2009
Hurler-Scheie syndrome is caused by alpha-l-iduronidase deficiency. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) can improve physical capacity and reduces organomegaly. However, the effect on bradytrophic connective tissue is limited. As intravenously administered enzyme cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, the therapy of choice for the more severe Hurler syndrome is haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). In the more attenuated Scheie syndrome, neurological impairment is less severe; therefore, ERT may be appropriate to treat these patients. Information on long-term outcome in Scheie patients undergoing ERT is scarce. We report a 38-year-old female Scheie patient who has been on ERT for 8 yea…
Neural Network for Estimating Energy Expenditure in Paraplegics from Heart Rate
2014
The aim of the present study is to obtain models for estimating energy expenditure based on the heart rates of people with spinal cord injury without requiring individual calibration. A cohort of 20 persons with spinal cord injury performed a routine of 10 activities while their breath-by-breath oxygen consumption and heart rates were monitored. The minute-by-minute oxygen consumption collected from minute 4 to minute 7 was used as the dependent variable. A total of 7 features extracted from the heart rate signals were used as independent variables. 2 mathematical models were used to estimate the oxygen consumption using the heart rate: a multiple linear model and artificial neural networks…
Cerebral and spinal MR-findings in patients with postrepair myelomeningocele
1990
In 114 patients with postrepair myelomeningocele MRI of the spine was performed. Tethered cord (89%) and associated malformations (syrinx, lipoma etc.) (33%) were the most important findings. Additional MRI scans of the head (44 patients) revealed numerous further anomalies. Arnold Chiari malformation was found in 76% of the patients (ACM I: 32%, ACM II: 44%). In the ACM II group compression of lower cranial nerves, brain stem, and cerebellum can lead to considerable neurologic symptoms. Therefore in patients with progressive neurologic dysfunction a complete investigation of the whole spine and brain is necessary. MRI proves to be the diagnostic procedure of choice in patients with dysraph…