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Biomedical subjects

F Girotti

Publications and source records attributed to F Girotti.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

Alterations of ocular motility in cerebellar pathology. An electro-oculographic study.

Saccadic as well as smooth pursuit movements were studied by means of electro-oculograms in a group of 14 patients affected by cerebellar diseases. Ten patients had cerebellar atrophies, and four had undergone surgery for cerebellar tumors. Loss of gain of the pursuit system and metric alteration of saccades were the most striking abnormalities observed. Dysmetria was shown to be related to the amplitude of the movement and to the sector of the perimeter within which the movement occurs (movements occurring in the more eccentric sector were more disturbed). A tendency to produce saccades slower than normal was noted in patients affected by olivopontocerebellar atrophy. The clinical and pathophysiological significance of this finding is discussed with particular reference to Wadia-Swaami hereditary ataxia.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Oculomotor disorders in Huntington's chorea.

Electro-oculographic recordings were obtained from 11 patients with Huntington's disease. Significant reduction of saccadic velocity was constantly found. In all the patients vertical saccades were much more impaired than horizontal. When present, vertical saccades showed long latency, low amplitude, low velocity, and disturbances related to blinking. Following movements were jerky, and ability to perform repeated rhythmic movements was impaired. These results are in agreement with previous observations and underline the selective defect of rapid movements as a characteristic feature of Huntington's disease. Further, they suggest a possible correlation between the difficulty in performing repeated ocular movements and the impaired execution of gestural sequences involving a succession of different fundamental movements.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

2-dimethylaminoethanol (Deanol) in Huntington's chorea.

A double-blind crossover trial with 2-dimethylaminoethanol (Deanol), a possible precursor of brain acetylcholine, was carried out in nine patients with Huntington's chorea. It was found to be ineffective in inducing any alteration in hyperkinesia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Comparative neuropsychological study of the changes in different programmed activities in subjects with frontal or retro-rolandic lesions or with Huntington's chorea.

Eaily performed tests for showing alterations in organization of programmed activities were given to 20 patients with frontal lesions, 23 with retro-rolandic lesions and 17 with Huntington's Chorea. Normal scores were determined in a group of 24 patients without any symptoms of cerebral pathology. The results showed that frontally lesioned patients and those with Huntington's Chorea have similar patterns of disorganization in reproduction of gestures, drawing and rhythmic sound sequences. The data seem to indicate that a major difficulty of these patients lies in faulty "recall" of the original model. Retrorolandic patients do not show this difference in response to the differents tests, but have problems in simultaneous organization of visual and auditory information. These results support the hypothesis of LURIA that the frontal lobes regulate programmed motor activity.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed1977

Bromocriptine alone or associated with L-dopa plus benserazide in Parkinson's disease.

Twenty-six patients affected by Parkinson's disease were treated with a 2-Br-alpha-ergocriptine (CB 154): 14 cases were given CB 154 alone, and 12 were given CB 154 along with L-dopa plus benserazide (Madopar). Both CB 154 and combined therapy (CB 154+Madopar) induced a significant improvement in total disability score, tremor, rigidity, akinesia, self-sufficiency, and some motor performance tests (dynamic tests). No significant difference was found between results obtained with CB 154 therapy and with Madopar treatment, while the improvement induced by combined therapy (CB 154+Madopar) was significantly higher than that obtained by Madopar alone. The averse reactions caused by CB 154 alone or associated with Madopar are similar to those observed during other dopaminergic treatment. CB 154 alone or combined with Madopar appears to be a useful advance in the management of Parkinson's disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1977

Biochemical aspects of Huntington's chorea.

Fifteen patients affected by Huntington's chorea were divided into two groups, 'slow' and 'fast', according to IQ scores on the Wechsler-Bellevue scale, and scores on some motor performance tests. A possible correlation was looked for between some biochemical data (cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), homovanillic acid (HVA), and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5HIAA) levels, plasma dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH), dopamine (DA) uptake by platelets), and clinical data (duration of illness, severity of symptoms, age of patients, IQ scores, 'slow' and 'fast' groups). The CSF, HVA, and 5HIAA levels were found to be significantly lowered in comparison with normal controls. DBH activity and DA uptake by platelets did not differ significantly from normal subjects. Treatment with haloperidol in all patients and with dipropylacetic acid in three patients did not appear to modify the CSF, HVA, and 5HIAA concentrations, the plasma DBH activity, or the DA uptake. There were no significant differences in the CSF, HVA, and 5HIAA contents between the two groups of patients, and there was no correlation between biochemical data and clinical features.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Pharmacology of Huntington's chorea. Personal experience.

Dipropylacetic acid (DPA), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), physostigmine, CB 154 and butyrophenones were administered to 26 patients affected by Huntington's chorea. The evaluation of the pharmacologic activity of the different drugs was determined by means of some clinical parameters and motor performance tests. Butyrophenones succeeded to ameliorate the hyperkinesias and the motor dexterity, CB 154 provoked a worsening of the motor signs of the disorder, while DPA, GABA and physostigmine did not modify the clinical pattern. The relationship between these results and the Hungtington's chorea physiopathology is discussed and a hypersensitivity of DA receptors is suggested.

Acetates↗
PubMed1976

Study of the excitability cycle of the blink reflex in Huntington's chorea.

The trigemino-facial reflex was studied in 7 patients affected by Huntington's chorea and in 10 patients affected by Parkinson's disease. The results show a different behavior of the habituation phenomenon in the two groups of patients: it is enhanced in the choreic and abolished in the parkinsonian patients. The main changes concern the time course of the second phase (the first inhibitory phase) of the reflex excitability cycle, in fact, the inhibitory phase appears very pronounced and prolonged in huntingtonian patients and reduced or abolished in parkinsonian patients. Some pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the control of the trigeminofacial reflex excitability are discussed with particular regard to the role of the hemispheric structures.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

MR imaging in progressive supranuclear palsy and Shy-Drager syndrome.

Previous reports have suggested that putaminal hypointensity in T2-weighted images at high field strength (1.5 T) magnetic resonance (MR) is a common finding in atypical parkinsonian syndromes, including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and Shy-Drager syndrome (SDS). We have reviewed nine patients with PSP and five with SDS, selected on strict clinical criteria. Only in one PSP patient was abnormal signal intensity (putaminal hypointensity more marked than pallidal) found. However, hypointensity was often marked in the substantia nigra and occasionally in the superior colliculi. Focal midbrain atrophy, involving particularly the upper part of the quadrigeminal plate, was obvious in five cases. In general there was no uniformity of findings and MR appears unable to consistently support the clinical diagnosis of PSP. In SDS patients the findings were more uniform, with hypointensity in the putamen, superior or equal to that of the pallidum. At low or intermediate field strength, there was absence of magnetic susceptibility effect in the putamen, which appeared hyperintense. This was probably because of increased water content due to gliosis and/or cell loss. The constancy of the MR findings in our SDS series suggests a supportive diagnostic role for MR imaging.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sneddon's syndrome and renal carcinoma. Case report.

A patient with Sneddon's syndrome in association with renal neoplasm is discussed. The association has not been reported before and raises questions concerning the pathogenesis of vascular proliferation in Sneddon's syndrome.

Adult↗