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Biomedical subjects

E Mempel

Publications and source records attributed to E Mempel.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Writer's cramp syndrome treated successfully by thalamotomy].

In the literature the prevalent until now opinion was that writer's cramp was a disturbance of psychic origin or an occupational neurosis. However, the authors treated successfully three cases of this syndrome with thalamotomy in the years 1976-1982. Two cases were in subject with right-handedness who had graphospasm with evidence of increasing difficulty in writing until complete impossibility of further writing, after several years postural and intentional tremor appeared, and dystonic symptoms developed in the right foot. The third cases had a history of 16 years of writer's cramp and after years symptoms of right-sided dystonia with involuntary movements of the right upper extremity and continuous tics and spams of the facial muscles. After thalamotomy in all cases writer's cramp, tremors and involuntary movements disappeared, writing became again possible and the efficiency of right extremities returned. The described cases of writer's clamp were focal forms of dystonia which became generalized after years. The indications to stereotaxic treatment in these syndromes should be established much earlier.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Verbal, visual and aural memory in the early postoperative period in patients treated by thalamotomy].

Verbal memory and learning ability were determined before the operation and immediately 3-4 weeks after stereotactic surgery in 11 patients with extrapyramidal motor disturbances treated by ventrolateral (VL and Vim) thalamotomy. Preoperative examinations demonstrated disturbances of short-term verbal memory with narrowing of its extent and increased susceptibility of the trace to interference. Long-term memory was disturbed also, with presence of difficulties in recall and difficulties in memorization of verbal materials. Directly after the operation, in relation to the preoperative testing, increased disturbances were demonstrated in all stages of verbal memory, after damage to the border area of VL and Vim nuclei in the left as well as in the right thalamus. It was possible to detect some functional differentiation between thalamic lesions, with a tendency for increased disturbances of short-term verbal visual memory after right-sided thalamotomy and verbal auditory memory after left-sided thalamotomy.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of amygdalotomy on behavior disorders in epileptics].

Results of psychological testing in 46 epileptics with severe behaviour disturbances treated surgically, by the stereotaxic method (selective exclusion of the dorso medial parts of amygdalae) are reported. After the operation there was a significant improvement of behaviour and seizures of temporal-lobe type were no longer observed. Comparative tests demonstrated a significant reduction of emotional tension, development of ability to behaviour and emotional reactions control, reduction of emotional instability and motor hyperactivity. Aggressiveness in difficult or conflict situations was markedly diminished or eliminated.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of diazepam on somatosensory evoked potentials].

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) were recorded in 15 patients with extrapyramidal disturbances after intravenous administration of 10 mg of diazepam (Relanium, Polfa). Cortical SEP were recorded before and after operations and thalamic SEP were recorded during stereotaxic interventions on thalamic nuclei VL and Vim. The results demonstrated that diazepam had a significant positive influence on the recording of SEP, eliminating muscular artifacts caused by increased muscular tonus and extrapyramidal tremor. Diazepam had no evident effect on the SEP and caused no changes of the short-latency specific cortical SEP. This effect was, however, evident on the later components of the SEP and it seemed to affect mainly the N63 wave whose amplitude was always reduced or absent. In the postoperative investigations the cortical SEP in the hemisphere operated on (contralateral to the site of stimulation) were reduced in the phase of short-latency components. In the ipsilateral hemisphere the cortical SEP remained similar to the normal ones, and after diazepam their amplitude was markedly reduced. Intraoperatively recorded thalamic SEP showed after diazepam a considerable decrease of the amplitude of all components, sometimes the curve was completely flat, including the specific phase of the potential. On the other hand, diazepam failed to extinguish cortical SEP which showed even a greater amplitude of short-latency and long-latency components than in the records obtained without this drug, with the exception of disappearing N63 component.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Cryohypophysectomy in acromegaly and gigantism by the stereotaxic method].

The authors report results of surgical treatment of 30 patients treated by cryohypophysectomy by the stereotactic method through the nose and sphenoid sinus in the years 1967-1979. The material included 28 cases of acromegaly and 2 cases of gigantism. The pathological manifestations in acromegaly and gigantism were analysed for demonstration which of them can regress after surgical treatment. The results of hormonal determinations, particularly the levels of growth hormone, 17-KS and hydroxysteroids, as well as blood glucose curves, were compared before and after cryohypophysectomy and their normalization was observed after the operation. There was principally no need for substitutive treatment after surgical treatment with the exception of 4 cases in which this treatment was given during several postoperative months. The indications to this method of therapy include cases of acromegaly and gigantism with presence of active intrasellar adenomas. Patients should be referred for treatment early before development of skeletal deformities.

Acromegaly↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Processes of verbal memory in patients with involuntary movements treated by thalamotomy].

The authors tested verbal memory and learning in 15 patients with motor disturbances treated by ventrolateral thalamotomy before operation and late after it, after a mean time of 5.8 years. Disturbances of verbal memory in the form of retrieval of information from the memory stores and disturbances of learning of verbal material were found already before the operation. In comparative investigations late after the operation greater disturbances of verbal memory were observed with disturbances of verbal retrieval from memory stores after damage to the VL nucleus in the left as well as right thalamus. On the other hand, no decrease of the mental efficiency of these patients was demonstrated.

Follow-Up Studies↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Comparison of the changes in bioelectric activity recorded simultaneously from the amygdaloid body and the hippocampus and from the cranial surface during the stereoelectroencephalographic examination in epilepsy].

The authors analysed 95 SEEG records in epileptics with prevalent temporal-lobe changes comparing the bioelectric activity of the brain recorded simultaneously in the amygdala, hippocampus, temporal cortex and cranial surface during these investigations and relating them to EEG records obtained before the operation. In these records pathological elements typical of epilepsy were found occurring in different variants synchronously or asynchronously in leads at three above mentioned levels. In the findings reported attention is called to occurrence of seizure discharges in the amygdala and hippocampus which had no equivalent in cortical or cranial bioactivity records. In the light of these SEEG observations and a survey of the literature the authors stress the diagnostic importance of SEEG investigations in epilepsy.

Action Potentials↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Favorable effect of cingulotomy on gastric crisis pain].

Among the patients subjected to cingulotomy in the years 1969-1976 we observed a particularly interesting case of late syphilis with attacks of gastric crisis-type pains. Prolonged pharmacological treatment and subsequent surgery (laparatomy, chordotomy) as well as the use of large doses of narcotic drugs did not stop these attacks. The patient exhibited psychic disturbances such as emotional instability and aggressive behaviour. He had not been able to work and was granted a pension. Cingulotomy was performed and the attacks disappeared. During the six-year follow-up period the beneficial effects of the operation were preserved. There was no need to administer narcotic drugs. The patient's family and social life improved markedly.

Abdomen↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of cryosurgery of the thalamic nuclei on somatosensory evoked potentials].

Somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded in two groups of patients with extrapyramidal syndromes including: 1) parkinsonian syndromes, 2) spasmodic torticollis. In the first group stereotactic lesions were produced at the borderline between VOp and Vim nuclei, and in the second group they were situated in VOa and VOi thalamic nuclei. Short-latency components of the potentials were analysed assuming that they were the specific parts of the somatosensory potential and their value was doubtless, in contrast to the late latency components. It was found that stereotaxic lesions the VOa and VOp thalamic nuclei caused no disappearance of the short-latency potentials but reduced their amplitude. In cases with oscillation potentials recorded before the operation, they disappeared after the operation and this disappearance was correlated with clinical improvement.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Thalamic somatosensory potentials after peripheral stimulation and cortical somatosensory potentials after electric stimulation of thalamic nuclei VOa and VOp (preliminary report)].

In patients with extrapyramidal syndromes thalamic action potentials were recorded during operations with a five-point brain electrode and in the same cases somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded from the skull. Thalamic potentials were recorded after peripheral stimulation, and evoked potentials from the skull were recorded after electrostimulation of thalamic nuclei VOa and VOp. At the thalamic level a short-latency positive-negative potential had a maximal amplitude in one only lead, which confirmed sharp projection of body surface into various thalamic nuclei. Somatosensory evoked potentials recorded from the skull in response to stimulation of thalamic nuclei were usually biphasic and stimulation of VOa and VOp nuclei gave potentials with similar configuration of phases. This confirms the divergence of the projection fibres from the thalamus to the cortex.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Computerized infusion test. II. Clinical use].

In 39 patients with intracranial lesions the resorption resistance was measured using an own computerized infusion test. A high usefulness of this test was demonstrated in the diagnosis of hydrocephalus and for establishing indications to ventriculocardiac valve implantation. In patients after craniocerebral injuries a rise was observed of the resorption resistance immediately after trauma in cases with subarachnoid haemorrhage. Later on, this resistance decreased gradually reaching a stable value after 1-2 years. Data obtained in the infusion test make possible establishing of optimal intracranial pressure and choice of an appropriate valve. The determination can be performed intraoperatively.

Brain Injuries↗