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Biomedical subjects

C Morocutti

Publications and source records attributed to C Morocutti.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Antiepileptic effects of a calcium antagonist (nimodipine) on cefazolin-induced epileptogenic foci in rabbits.

The epileptogenic properties of cefazolin (CFZ) were utilized to induce an electrophysiological pattern of epilepsy in the rabbit. CFZ, cortically applied in different concentrations (2 or 4%), produced epileptic activity in a degree proportional to the concentration of the substance. In this experimental epilepsy model, we evaluated the effects of increasing doses (0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 mg/kg i.v.) of the calcium antagonist nimodipine (Bay e 9736). In the evaluation of nimodipine effects, the spike-and-wave burst frequency per minute was taken into account. These data were compared with those of placebo-treated (Bay e 9736 control test) control groups and statistically evaluated by two-tailed t test. In 2% CFZ-induced epilepsy, nimodipine at the 0.025- and 0.05-mg/kg doses did not produce significant changes in the EEG pattern. A statistically significant reduction (p less than 0.001) in epileptic activity was observed at the 0.1-mg/kg nimodipine dose. This reduction was seen first in the contralateral focus leads and persisted for the entire time of observation. In the more intense epileptic form (4% CFZ), nimodipine at the doses employed did not induce noteworthy EEG modifications. These data indicate that nimodipine exerts an antiepileptic effect. The possible mechanisms involved in this activity of a calcium antagonist are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Treatment of choreic syndromes with sodium dipropylacetate].

The therapeutic activity of natrium dipropilaceticum in two cases of Huntington chorea and in one case of vascular chorea, has been valued. DPA has putted into evidence a scarce activity in Huntington chorea cases; on the contrary it has showed a high activity for the vascular chorea ones.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Peripheral nerve damage in HIV infection].

A critical review of the literature concerning PNS involvement in HIV infection was carried out. This complication was detected a short time ago (1982) and therefore a common classification is not yet available. The authors, through an analysis of the cases reported in literature, suggest a nosographic classification of this pathology.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Recent results in ataxia research.

Five families with late onset spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) were studied. A high association was found between the disease and HLA. A stronger association results with a marker called D6S89. Clinical data of 26 patients and neuropathological study in two are reported. The clinical phenotypes of other HLA-linked SCA kindreds shows differences when comparison is made. The Authors suggest that the phenotype might appear more homogeneous if disease duration is taken into account.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical study of two families with late-onset autosomal dominant spinal-cerebellar ataxia linked with HLA. Preliminary results].

Two families with autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) of late onset were studied. These families originate in the same small rural area in a Southern Italian region (Calabria). We report the clinical study of 23 patients in different stages of the disease and neuropathological study in one patient. Linkage studies provided strong evidence for linkage of the SCA locus to the HLA loci (SCA1) in the subjects of these families. Our study allows to outline the clinical features of HLA linked SCA in order to trace a pattern of SCA1 phenotype thus making easier the identification of SCA1 heterozygotes in an early clinical stage.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of cerebral circulation in the presence of carotid vessel changes].

The importance of transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) use in the presence of extracranial carotid artery diseases (occlusions, stenosis, parietal irregularities) is discussed. The preliminary data, obtained from 25 patients and as many normal subjects, show a significant correlation in the two groups, between blood flow velocities in the middle (MCA) and anterior cerebral arteries (ACA).

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pilomotor epilepsy.

The case is reported of a patient presenting pilomotor seizures as the initial symptom of a tumour of the deep temporal lobe. Six other cases had previously been reported with the same type of seizures. The responsible lesion was often a tumour in deep temporal lobe and the distribution of the piloerection attacks was almost always ipsilateral. Pilomotor seizures deserve a definite role in the nosography of partial epilepsy.

Brain Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Recent findings on generators of evoked potentials].

In the study of potential generators the dipole localization method is often used. The "equivalent dipole" represents the resultant of all the neurobiological processes (excitatory and inhibitory post-synaptic potentials, action potentials) that concur to generate the evoked potentials. According to the dipole's distance from the active electrode, "near-field" and "far-field" potentials will be recorded, with differences in the spatiotemporal distribution to the skin. The main hypotheses about the generators of standard components of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) from median and posterior tibial nerve, visual evoked potentials (VEP), auditory brainstem evoked potentials (BAEP) and P300, are analyzed.

Brain Stem↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Cluster headache: clinical and physiopathogenetic aspects].

The authors show the clinical characteristics of the cluster headache and consider the main physiopathogenetic hypothesis that could explain the polyhedric symptomatology of this kind of headache. They point out at first the hypothesis of an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system, sympathetic-parasympathetic, then they discuss about the theory of a disregulation of nociceptive system proposed by Sicuteri, at the end they hypothesize an alteration at the superior integrative level, probably the hypothalamic-limbic one.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[2 cases of Binswanger's disease not associated with arterial hypertension: clinical-instrumental and neuropsychological evaluation].

Two cases of subcortical arteriosclerotic encephalopathy (Binswanger's disease) are reported. The two patients lacked a clinical history of hypertension, relevant pathogenetic factor in the development of the small and medium size cerebral arteries atherosclerosis, which is the main pathologic finding of the disease. The two subjects clinically showed a marked intellectual deterioration, together with mood depression and focal neurological signs, that were an expression of the multifocal neurologic involvement. In both cases CT scans evidentiated a mainly periventricular leucoencephalopathy associated, in the first patient, with small multiple ischemic lesions and, in the second, with a unique hypodense area in the centrum semiovale. A review of the literature on the subjects is proposed, together with an attempt of pathogenetic interpretation of our two cases.

Dementia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Leukoencephalopathy in the elderly. Binswanger disease?].

100 patients with cerebro-vascular disease, characterized by an acute episode, were explored by TC to examine the etiopathogenesis of cerebral damage of the periventricular white substance, correlated with Binswanger disease. Only 7 patients showed typical bilateral lesions of the periventricular white substance. All these patients, except for one, were over seventy. The same percentage was verified in patients more than 70 years old without cerebral vascular disease. In our series the only patient with mental impairment showed very serious lesions of the periventricular white substance.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Event-related potentials and autonomic functions.

The authors pointed out how some of the anatomic structures involved in the genesis of the event related potentials (ERPs) are also considered parts of the supranuclear regulation apparatus of the autonomic nervous system. Since there are evident functional similarities between some components of the ERPs and the orienting reflex--primitive form of attention--that is clearly associated with an autonomic activation, it could be interesting to evaluate the parameters of the ERPs in those experimental and clinical situations in which there is a functional involvement of the vegetative nervous system.

Autonomic Nervous System↗