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Biomedical subjects

B Laurent

Publications and source records attributed to B Laurent.

169 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[9 new Salmonella serotypes isolated in Africa and the Antilles].

Description of nine new serotypes of Salmonella, three isolated in Senegal: S. tambacounda (I,3,I9:b:e,n,x) from Chiroptera, S. bargny (8,20:i:I,5) and S. fass (50:l,v:I,2) from horse; two recovered in Haute-Volta from patients with diarrhoea: S. tounouma (8,20:b:z6) and S. sya (47:b:z6); one isolated from a carrier in Antilles: S. gustavia (II:d:I,5); one from a snake in Tunisia: S. gafsa (I6:c:I,6); two from Madagascar: S. II I8:z4,z23:- isolated from a wild mammalian and S. III arizonae 6I:z52:z from a patient with diarrhoea.

Africa↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Sneddon syndrome: 9 cases].

We observed a series of 9 patients (1 male, 8 females, mean age 49 years) who had experienced cerebral vascular events with livedo racemosa (Sneddon's syndrome). Vascular dementia occurred in 3 patients and in the 6 others there was a single or several acute cerebral ischaemic events. Angiography of the brain revealed multiple distal arterial occlusions in 5 cases and a moya-moya type collateral network in 2. Positivity for anticardiolipid antibodies fluctuated in 4 cases and there was a lupic syndrome in 2. Systemic lupus erythemosus was diagnosed in the last patient. Mitral valve defects were seen in 5 patients, including 3 due to post-rhematitis sequelae which became symptomatic before the appearance of signs of neurocutaneous involvement. Among these three patients, laboratory tests revealed a lupus band in one, anticardilipid antibodies in another and obliterating fibrous endartiritis of the renal arteries in the third. Sneddon's syndrome presents with heterogeneous signs related to its complex pathophysiology.

Antibodies, Anticardiolipin↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Viewpoint on the methodology of drug trials affecting cognition of elderly patients].

Clinical trials for cognitive disorders in the elderly require specific methodological guidelines. They must take into account the psychosocial dimension of the patient and his family and must be based on serious neurobiologic knowledge. In degenerative dementias the progress of research concern genetics, molecular intercellular recognition and astrocytic cells. Biology of cognition like hippocampal long term potentiation provides good pharmacologic basis for trials. In normal brain aging several ways must be developed: aminergic systems, free radicals, excitotoxic amino-acid, nerves growth factors. Clinical trials bring informations for pharmacology and epidemiology. Cholinergic neurons are the main pharmacologic target but there are many other ones: GABA-ergic system, Tau protein, amyloid. A rigourous selection of patients allows to precise the nosology of illness responsible of cognitive disorders and to point-out early clinical signs that represent a more sensitive target. Diagnostic criteria are useful in Alzheimer's disease, memory impairment, vascular dementias and other dementias. Evaluation of stage and evolution of dementia, comorbidity, limits of age and caregiver are practical problems. The effects of drugs used to treat cognitive functions are subtle so it is necessary to detect them to choose the best tests in function of each trial. Laboratory investigations can be used to evaluate the response to drug administration. Ethical point of view is represented by the fact that old people with cognitive impairment must not be away from therapeutic progress. In this field we must consider carefully the consequences of cognitive impairment on patient judgment and consent to clinical trial. Legal problems are regulated by supranational rules and French directives of Huriet law.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Memory complaints and anxiety. Apropos of 40 patients attending a specialized memory consultation].

This study reports results of the specialized memory consultation based on 2 successive examinations, one by a neurologist, the other by a psychologist, of 40 anxious subjects with or without social phobias. Traumatic events were frequent and we observed Alzheimer's disease in the family of 41.9% of subjects. Anxious subjects obtained a high score in Mac Nair questionnaire [44.05 (16,49)]. Their principal complaints were attentional difficulties. They obtained normal but low performances for free recall of 10 pictures, logical memory (QM), and inverse span. Mac Nair score was only correlated with logical memory score. Standardized psychometric evaluation showed short-term memory difficulties. Attention seems to be unstable and anxious individuals have relatively limited attentional resources. They are preoccupied by their anxiety and thus have less ability to focus on tasks.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Rehabilitation of memory: strategies, indications and limits].

The rehabilitation of memory must be defined in terms of patient selection, therapist support and techniques as accurately as for language therapy. Three objectives can be offered for organic amnesia: reorganizing the memory by using alternative intact routes; working with remaining intact memory as the implicit focus, modification of surroundings with 'mnemonics protheses' such as a diary, alarms. The approach must be cognitive for the theoretical support of therapists, but also pragmatic to respect the patient's needs and wishes in the context of family and job. Patient selection must be based not only on rigorous aetiological and neurological grounds but also on an individual and cognitive understanding of each patient.

Avoidance Learning↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Death or absence of the father. Its role in the genesis of psychotic process happening between 15 and 25 years].

A retrospective study of the case records of 215 patients developing an acute or chronic psychotic process between the ages of 15 and 25 years indicated that the father had died or disappeared during childhood in 25% of cases, a figure of 7% being found for a control group - a highly significant statistical difference. By contrast, there was no statistically significant difference in the disappearance of the mother between the two groups. The date of death (or disappearance) of the father occurred at three particular periods - at birth, towards the age of 5 and at 11 or 12 years. The authors' discussion concerns the convergence of the results of this statistical approach of the past history of psychotic patients with certain psychodynamic interpretations of psychosis.

Adolescent↗