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Biomedical subjects

E Lugaresi

Publications and source records attributed to E Lugaresi.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

Propranolol plasma levels and relief of migraine. Relationship between plasma propranolol and 4-hydroxypropranolol concentrations and clinical effects.

The relationship between propranolol and 4-hydroxypropranolol plasma concentrations and relief of migraine was assessed in 17 patients during treatment with oral racemic propranolol hydrochloride in doses of 40 to 240 mg/day. Propranolol decreased the migraine index more than 70% in 13 patients: five patients at a dosage of 40 mg/day, five patients at a dosage of 120 mg/day, and three patients at a dosage of 240 mg/day. Three patients did not achieve a good improvement of migraine at any of the doses used. The relief of migraine was not directly related to the propranolol and 4-hydroxypropranolol plasma concentrations.

Adult↗

Sleep-related respiratory disorders.

Neurologists are becoming increasingly aware of the frequency and clinical importance of sleep-related respiratory impairment. Sleep-induced narrowing of the upper airways underlies the widespread and supposedly trivial complaint of snoring, which may not only constitute a risk factor for the cardiocirculatory system, but in predisposed individuals, may lead to a sleep apnea syndrome, with its array of serious disturbances, including hypersomnia, systemic and pulmonary hypertension and ultimately heart failure. Idiopathic chronic alveolar hypoventilation, or Ondine's curse, is a fairly stereotyped clinical syndrome: sleep-related respiratory insufficiency in the absence of airways stenosis. Finally, sleep, and REM sleep in particular, significantly aggravates hypoventilation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kyphoscoliosis or chest musculoskeletal disorders.

Cardiovascular System↗

Abnormal breathing in the Rett syndrome.

Four girls affected with the Rett syndrome showed stereotyped hand movements and psychomotor regression beginning in the first or second year of life after initially normal development, with total loss of language, a severe gait, and chewing and swallowing disturbances. Breathing during active wakefulness was abnormal, with clusters of arrhythmic, tachypneic and irregular respiratory acts, intermixed with prolonged apneic episodes causing cyanosis and even fainting. On the other hand, breathing was regular during both NREM and REM sleep stages. Breathing impairment in the Rett syndrome is characterized by an inability to maintain normal respiratory patterns during wakefulness, and represents a functional disturbance of the behavioral control of breathing, which occurs during active wakefulness.

Adolescent↗

Classic migraine attack complicated by confusional state: EEG and CT study.

We report electroencephalographic and clinical observations in one attack of classic migraine, accompanied by a confusional state. The ictal EEG showed slow waves over the left hemisphere, the abnormality gradually clearing up during the four days following the attack. A brain CT scan was normal during the attack and also a few days later. A possible relationship between impairment of consciousness during the attack and left hemispheric metabolic dysfunction is discussed.

Adolescent↗

X-linked bulbo-spinal neuronopathy of late onset.

Two cases of X-linked bulbo-spinal neuronopathy (BSN) of late onset are presented. An extensive review of the literature shows that, in addition to the signs of a chronic degeneration of brainstem and spinal neurons, other clinical features may also be present at the onset of the disease, or develop during its course. Some clinical, electrophysiological and anatomical data support the hypothesis that BSN is not purely a motoneuronopathy but also concerns sensory nerve.

Aged↗

Asymptomatic large arachnoid cyst of the middle cranial fossa. A clinical and neuropsychological study.

The authors studied a 26-year-old healthy subject in whom a large arachnoid cyst of the right middle cranial fossa was revealed by chance. As there were no subjective or objective neurological findings, we checked the existence of any neuropsychological impairment. In spite of this, the patient obtained a good general performance level and sometimes the hemisphere containing the cyst performed better, in accordance with the patient's handedness.

Adult↗

Occipital seizures in Lafora disease: a further case documented by EEG.

The authors present the case of a patient with Lafora disease proven by skin biopsy, who suffered two occipital seizures recorded on EEG and provoked by intermittent photic stimulation. On the basis of data in the literature and their present experience, the authors suggest the involvement of the occipital lobes as a whole in the epileptogenic activity.

Adolescent↗

Drop attacks: an ominous change in the evolution of partial epilepsy.

We studied 16 patients with partial epilepsy and drop attacks. The drop attacks appeared 1 to 29 years after onset of epilepsy; 15 patients had these attacks weekly or daily, despite therapy. After the appearance of drop attacks, 6 patients had severe mental disorders, and social life was disrupted in 13. There was a high rate of adversive seizures, atypical absences, and diffuse spike-wave discharges in the EEG, electroclinical features that suggest a frontal origin of epilepsy. Drop attacks are ominous because they occur so frequently, resist therapy, are physically dangerous, and portend personality change.

Adolescent↗

Long term prognosis after occlusion of middle cerebral artery.

Seventy patients who had developed occlusion of the middle cerebral artery confirmed by angiography between 1970 and 1980 were followed up after an average of six years. Fourteen patients had died in the acute stage of the initial stroke. In the remaining 56 patients actuarial analysis showed that the observed incidence of survival for five years was 81.8% compared with an incidence of 94.1% in a matched normal population. Six patients sustained new strokes, four of which were ipsilateral to the middle cerebral artery occlusion. The observed cumulative incidence of subsequent strokes was 2% a year for the first five years of follow up. Twelve patients developed epileptic seizures.

Adult↗

Muscular hypertrophy after chronic radiculopathy.

In four patients, calf muscular hypertrophy developed after the onset of sciatica. Hypertrophic muscles were weak and showed electromyographic signs of denervation. In all cases, calf muscle biopsy showed striking hypertrophy of type 1 and, especially, type 2 muscle fibers. This hypertrophy was associated with other signs indicating a neurogenic lesion. Muscle hypertrophy is a rare finding in neurogenic lesions. Stretch and exercise of muscle are probably the causative factors.

Adult↗

[Treatment of certain forms of status epilepticus by means of a single oral dose of clobazam].

The authors administered clobazam (CLB) to treat status epilepticus in 16 patients from 3 to 62 years old. Status epilepticus was of absence type (6 cases), myoclonic-absence type (1 case), myoclonic type (1 case), tonic (1 case) and elementary or complex partial (7 cases). In all patients consciousness was sufficiently retained to allow ingestion of the drug. CLB administration was performed under EEG monitoring, in a single oral dose averaging 1.0 mg/kg. In 15 patients, the status was stopped after a period ranging from 19 to 31 min without significant sedation or other side effects. In one patient a somatomotor status epilepticus, lasting 8 days, terminated 6 h after drug administration. It is well known that the efficacy of a drug on status epilepticus depends on the clinical context and semiological form of the status. Nevertheless, the authors conclude that the pharmacokinetic properties of CLB, its mild sedative effects and ease of administration, make this a useful drug in the management of some forms of status epilepticus.

Adolescent↗

Infantile behavioural regression and respiratory impairment.

Three girls showed psychomotor regression arising between the 1st and 2nd year of life, after an initially normal development. Language, gait, chewing and swallowing were especially affected, whereas elementary sensory and motor functions were relatively spared. All displayed a particular disorder of breathing, which was irregular and inadequate during wakefulness, returning to normal during sleep. There are similarities between these patients and the syndrome of cerebral atrophy with hyperammonaemia, even though brain CT and biochemical studies, including ammonaemia, were all normal.

Adolescent↗

Occipital lobe epilepsy with scotosensitive seizures: the role of central vision.

In four cases of occipital lobe epilepsy, clinical seizures and EEG discharges were evoked by darkness and/or closed eyes. In all cases the inducing factor was represented by the abolition of central vision. The importance of central vision in the excitation-inhibition process of the occipital EEG discharges is emphasized in light of the anatomophysiological organization of the visual system. Scotosensitive epilepsy and benign partial epilepsy of childhood with occipital spike-waves may represent the same clinical entity.

Adolescent↗

Clonazepam and vibration in restless legs syndrome.

There have been no controlled therapeutic trials in Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). In 6 patients with RLS, a randomized double-blind cross-over trial vs placebo showed a significant efficacy of clonazepam in improving subjective quality of sleep and leg dysaesthesia. Vibratory stimulation of the leg showed a less pronounced and non-significant effect. Clonazepam is a safe and effective drug for treatment of RLS; however its long-term efficacy needs confirmation.

Adult↗

Late seizures in patients with internal carotid and middle cerebral artery occlusive disease following ischaemic events.

The occurrence of post-infarction epilepsy was investigated in 68 patients with angiographically proven internal carotid artery occlusion and in 56 patients with middle cerebral artery occlusion. Epileptic seizures occurred during follow-up in 9% of the carotid artery group and in 21.4% of the middle cerebral artery group. The different incidence of seizures in the two groups was statistically significant. The physiopathological mechanism of the late post-infarction epilepsy is discussed.

Adult↗