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Biomedical subjects

A Rascol

Publications and source records attributed to A Rascol.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

[Effect of bromocriptine on cerebral blood flow in Parkinson's disease].

We measured regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) with single photon emission computed tomography and Xenon 133 in 8 patients with Parkinson's disease (stages I or II) before and after acute oral administration of 10 mg bromocriptine. Moreover, Columbia University Rating scale and neuropsychological tests were assessed before and after drug administration. Bromocriptine induced a significant (p less than 0.01) increase in CBF (+ 12 p. 100) in all the regions studied unrelated to pCO2 variations. The Columbia motor scale score decreased (by 16 p. 100) whereas those on the neuropsychological tests did not vary. There was no relationship between the improvement in motor performance and the increase in CBF. The results suggest that the effect of bromocriptine on CBF is not mediated by an action on the major dopaminergic pathways in the brain but rather by a direct effect on dopaminergic receptors located on cerebral vessels.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1987

Levodopa-induced regional cerebral blood flow changes in normal volunteers and patients with Parkinson's disease. Lack of correlation with clinical or neuropsychological improvements.

Single photon emission computed tomography was used to measure regional cerebral blood flow in six normal subjects and 12 patients with Parkinson's disease, before and after acute oral administration of levodopa. The drug induced a significant increase in cerebral blood flow both in controls and patients. Before levodopa, there was no significant difference between the groups, either in flow values or in their pattern. The clinical effects of levodopa were not related to the hemodynamic changes. The results suggest that measuring the flow response to levodopa is not appropriate to demonstrate variations in central dopaminergic receptor sensitivity in man.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1987

Motor neuron disease, parkinsonism and dementia. Report of a case with diffuse Lewy body-like intracytoplasmic inclusions.

The clinicopathological findings in a 49-year-old man who presented multisystemic neurological degenerative disease are reported. The patient presented, at the age of 36, distal upper limb amyotrophy and 8 years later pyramidal signs with fasciculations. In his last year of life, he suffered extrapyramidal hypertonus and mental deterioration. Neuropathological examination showed anterior spinal root and cerebral atrophy. Myelin pallor was mild and predominated on posterior cords. Anterior horn neuronal loss was noted in the spinal cord as well as Alzheimer-type changes in the brain. Inclusion bodies consistent with Lewy bodies were diffusely apparent. The peculiar clinical progression in this case and the extension of neuropathological lesions with inclusion bodies mainly in the substantia nigra and cerebral cortex are an interesting subject of discussion.

Brain↗
PubMed1987

Chronic chlorimipramine does not reverse the reduction of cerebrospinal fluid Met-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in chronic-pain patients.

Chronic-pain patients were treated for 10 days with chlorimipramine (100 mg i.v. daily), and their plasma levels of the drug and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of Met-enkephalin-like material (MELM) were measured for a comparison with those found in untreated chronic-pain patients and in control subjects. Pain relief in chlorimipramine-treated patients was apparently not associated with pronounced changes in the activity of enkephalinergic systems since the mean CSF levels of MELM were reduced to the same extent in treated (-49%) and untreated (-45%) pain patients as compared with controls. However, subtle chlorimipramine-induced alterations likely occurred as revealed by the simultaneous measurement of the CSF levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the same patients. Indeed, a positive correlation (r = 0.667) was found between CSF 5-HIAA and MELM levels in control subjects, whereas a negative correlation (r = 0.691) between these two parameters was detected in chlorimipramine-treated patients. These data suggest that chlorimipramine alters probable functional serotonin-enkephalin interactions in pain patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Focal cerebral hypoperfusion and selective cognitive deficit in dementia of the Alzheimer type.

Regional cerebral blood flow was investigated using single photon emission computed tomography and xenon-133 intravenous injection in six patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) with atypical focal clinical presentation, and in 20 age-matched healthy volunteers. The patients had a progressive and preponderant cognitive deficit and a focal hypoperfusion that correlated with the neuropsychological findings, whereas the average flow did not significantly differ from that of controls. The assessment of concordant haemodynamic and neuropsychological focal abnormalities could be useful in the diagnosis of atypical cases of DAT.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

[Immunogenetics of multiple sclerosis].

The interaction between environmental factors and genetic susceptibility causes multiple sclerosis. In some ethnic groups this disease is rare. The family incidence varies from 6 to 12%. Analysis of twins shows a concordance two fold higher in homozygous twins. The transmission of such a genetic susceptibility cannot be explained by means of an usual genetical model. In Caucasoids, an association exists between MS and HLA A3, B7 and DR2 antigens. However this association is not always found and can be different from one population to another one. The mechanisms of the association are unknown: either the HLA haplotype supports the disease susceptibility but family segregation studies are unconvincing, or this susceptibility is due to the interaction of several genic complexes, a few of which linked to HLA region. An etiological heterogeneity of MS has also been suggested.

Disease Susceptibility↗
PubMed1987

[Neuropsychic side effects of bromocriptine in Parkinson's disease].

The clinical characteristics of psychiatric side effects of bromocriptine in patients with Parkinson's disease were studied in 12 cases. The clinical picture was characterized by hallucinations and delirium. Daily doses of bromocriptine (more than 30 mg daily), not duration of the disease or pretreatment with levodopa or previous psychiatric diseases, appeared to be the most important causal factor.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Immunoglobulin allotypes and susceptibility to multiple sclerosis. An epidemiological and genetic study in the Hautes-Pyrénées county of France.

Serum samples collected from 69 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) living in the Hautes-Pyrénées county were tested for immunoglobulin Gm gamma 1, gamma 2, and gamma 3, heavy chain allotypes (Gm system), and immunoglobulin light chain Kappa (Km system). A control group was made up of normal individuals living in the same county. We found a significant excess of individuals with Gm3; +/- 23;5/Gm3; +/- 23;5 amongst the MS patients as compared with controls (relative risk = 2.4). A slight increase of the Km (1) frequency was found in MS patients compared with controls, 21.7% vs 11.8%, but this difference was not significant.

France↗
PubMed1986

Mesulergine (CU 32-085) in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

The long-term effects of mesulergine, a new drug with dopamine agonistic properties, were studied in 28 patients with Parkinson's disease. In 18 patients with late side effects of levodopa, the addition of mesulergine (10.9 mg/day) induced significant decreases in the global (-48%), rigidity (-62%), and akinesia (-37%) scores. The drug was found to be very effective on tremor (-71%). Mesulergine was useful in cases of inefficacy of levodopa alone or persistent intolerable side effects. The decrease in levodopa dose and the addition of mesulergine permitted a significant reduction in dyskinesia. Used as sole therapeutic agent (10.9 mg/day), mesulergine was found to be active on tremor and rigidity scores but not on akinesia or global scores. Mesulergine induced few side effects. These results show the antiparkinsonian properties of mesulergine that seem to be of significant therapeutic value in patients with tremor or in combination with levodopa.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Double-blind treatment of 49 cases of chronic multiple sclerosis using hyperbaric oxygen].

Forty nine patients with a chronic form of multiple sclerosis (MS) [progressive or stable] were treated with hyperbaric oxygen (HO) in a double blind trial. Patients were divided in three groups: the first group (group I) received a course of 2.3 ATA HO with diazepam (5 mg); the second group (group II) received a course of 2 ATA HO; the third group (group III) was the control group. Each patient breathed an adapted gaseous mixture in high pressure. Each patient received 20 sessions of this procedure during 4 weeks. Patients were evaluated with clinical, neurophysiological and immunological parameters. Clinical examination consisted in the evaluation of the Kurtzke's Disability Status Scale (DSS) and Functional Status Scale (FSS). This evaluation was done in the week before the procedure, the week following the treatment, then in the third and sixth month. The neurophysiological study was a comparative analysis from the variations of visual, somesthesic and brain stem auditory potentials. The immunological study was the analysis of the lymphocyte populations (OKT4/OKT8 ratio). Each examination was carried out the week before, then the week following the procedure. We found no amelioration into three groups. Subjectively, some patients thought to be better, but this was true in the two treated groups (I, II) and in the control group (III). There was not an FSS significant variation. We also found no significant variation of evoked potentials and OKT4/OKT8 ratio. We observed some incidental effects of the treatment, particularly in group I, in which patients were treated with a higher pressure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Brain↗