Biomedical subjects

G Bono

Publications and source records attributed to G Bono.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1993

The nociceptive flexion reflex as a tool for exploring pain control systems in headache and other pain syndromes.

The authors review the neural pathways mediating nociceptive flexion reflexes, the method for analyzing these reflexes in human beings, and available data on their modulation by supraspinal, opioid as well as serotonergic systems. They present results of studies of the biceps femoris flexion reflex (RIII) in pain syndromes and various types of headache. Nociceptive flexor reflexes appear to be interesting for studying the pathophysiology of head pain mechanisms and possibly for evaluating analgesic treatment.

Endorphins↗

PubMed1993

Three-year neuropsychological follow-up in a selected group of HIV-infected homosexual/bisexual men.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in cognition in a selected group of asymptomatic homosexual/bisexual men over a 3-year period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty HIV-infected (Centers for Disease Control stage II) subjects and 60 controls (individually matched for age and years in education) were administered neuropsychological tests evaluating attention, language, memory, logic and visuo-motor abilities. None of the patients had a history of alcohol or drug abuse, and all received the baseline cognitive evaluation within 18-24 months of seroconversion. RESULTS: The HIV-infected subjects differed from controls in only one of the six memory tests (P < 0.01). Follow-up evaluation after 18 and 36 months (available for 51 and 36 subjects, respectively) demonstrated a significant deterioration in visuo-motor ability (P < 0.01) only in subjects who had progressed to AIDS, without signs or symptoms of central nervous system involvement. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that cognitive alterations in asymptomatic stages of HIV infection are in most subjects minor and do not develop. Percentage rates of CD4 lymphocyte decline appear to be significantly related to deterioration in visuo-motor abilities.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Memory impairment in Cushing's disease.

In the present study the cognitive performance of 25 patients with Cushing's disease (CD) was extensively evaluated in comparison with normal control subjects, matched one by one. The results indicate a selective impairment of memory functions: the number of patients showing a significantly impaired mnesic performance increases with age. Moreover, the neuropsychological impairment tends to recover in those cases who underwent further controls after surgical treatment. The neuropsychological data are discussed in the light of recent evidence in the literature concerning the effects of adrenal steroids on the brain.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Cerebrospinal fluid norepinephrine, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol and neuropeptide Y levels in Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy and dementia of the Alzheimer type.

Neuropeptide Y, one of the most abundant polypeptides within the nervous system, is co-stored with catecholamines, especially norepinephrine (NE), thus suggesting its possible involvement in pathologies characterized by a noradrenergic impairment. In Parkinson's disease (PD), as well as in multiple system atrophy (MSA), a central noradrenergic deficit has been demonstrated, and in the dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT) an impaired noradrenergic transmission has been postulated. In this study we determined CSF NE and MHPG levels in 29 PD, 15 MSA, 22 DAT patients and in 36 controls, while CSF NPY-immunoreactivity (NPY-ir) levels were measured in 10 PD, 7 MSA, 10 DAT patients and 20 controls. PD, MSA, and DAT patients showed a significant reduction in CSF NPY-ir and NE levels compared with controls, while CSF MHPG levels resulted in a reduction in only the MSA group. Furthermore, an inverse correlation between either NE or MHPG levels and the duration of the orthostatic hypotension was found in MSA patients while for DAT patients the MHPG levels were directly correlated to the severity of cognitive impairment, and inversely to the duration of illness.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

The brain as a target for adrenocortical steroids: cognitive implications.

It is well established that a reciprocal control exists between the brain and glucocorticoid hormones. The brain regulates adrenocortical function via hypothalamic corticotrophin releasing hormone-41 (CRH-41), glucocorticoids act at specific receptors in the hippocampus, thus promoting negative feedback mechanisms. Because the hippocampus is a major site for memory processes, a role for excessive/long-lasting plasma glucocorticoid levels has been suggested in conditions of mental impairment. Major depression, Cushing's disease, and dementia of the Alzheimer type are disorders which share hyperactivity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, as well as symptoms of cognitive decline. Although the mechanisms leading to hypercortisolemia appear to be different in each case, the neuropsychological features of these three disorders accord with the hypothesis of glucocorticoid-associated brain damage. It therefore is important to find pharmacological strategies that will avert or reduce these potential consequences on brain function.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMed1992

Electrically elicited short and long-latency responses of intrinsic hand muscles in hereditary ataxias. Effects of isometric and ballistic isotonic voluntary contractions.

Short- and long-latency responses (HR and LLR) from thenar muscles were studied in patients with Friedreich's ataxia and pure cerebellar ataxia with later onset by applying electrical stimuli on the median nerve at the wrist. HR and LLR were examined during two different voluntary activities of the opponens pollicis muscle: isometric ("hold") and isotonic ballistic ("move") conditions. A preliminary conventional study of motor and sensory conduction of the median nerve was also carried out. Patients with Friedreich's ataxia had reduced or absent HR and LLR. Furthermore, those who preserved both responses had prolonged HR-LLR interpeak latency. All patients with Friedreich's ataxia also showed peripheral nerve conduction abnormalities, mainly in sensory fibers. These data can be accounted for by the widespread degeneration of many neural structures in this disorder. No abnormalities in HR were observed in pure cerebellar ataxia with later onset, whereas LLR was grossly enlarged in most patients, notably during "move" condition. Since cerebellar structures (especially the cerebellar cortex) are the only ones involved in this disorder, the cerebellum may play a role in modulating LLR. In particular, this effect could be more evident in isotonic ballistic movements.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Dihydroergocryptine in the management of senile psycho-organic syndrome.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study is described of an assessment of the efficacy and relative safety of the ergot alkaloid, dihydroergocryptine, on 52 patients with mild organic brain syndrome over a period of three months using a series of neurophysiological tests. The results indicated that short-term treatment with the alkaloid improved memory impairment. The side-effects were mild and transient in both the dihydroergocryptine and placebo groups and there were no alterations in blood chemistry.

Aged↗

PubMed1992

Acute Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with asymptomatic HIV infection.

A 25-year-old male drug addict presented with a rapidly progressive ascending tetraplegia, requiring assisted ventilation. One month earlier he had fever (40 degrees C) and asthenia. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination showed elevated albumin level and albuminocytologic dissociation. HIV testing was positive in both serum and CSF. Plasma exchange therapy only partially improved the symptomatology. After five months the patient remained with a moderate tetraparesis. Differences between this and other cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome in HIV-seropositive patients reported in the literature are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Monoamines and related metabolite levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with dementia of Alzheimer type. Influence of treatment with L-deprenyl.

An impairment of the monoaminergic systems has frequently been reported for Alzheimer's disease (AD) as well as an overactivity of cerebral monoamineoxidase B (MAO-B). L-deprenyl (LD), a selective and irreversible MAO-B inhibitor, has recently been proposed for the treatment of AD. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), dopamine (DA), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and homovanillic acid (HVA) were studied in 14 patients suffering from dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT) and in 14 controls. A three-month double-blind study comparing LD with placebo was carried out, in the DAT group, and the influence of the treatment on neurotransmitter levels and cognitive performance was evaluated. The basal study revealed a significant reduction in CSF NE and HVA levels in DAT patients when compared with controls; the treatment with LD determined a significant decrease in HVA levels only and, as to neuropsychological investigation, a global amelioration of cognitive performances.

Aged↗

PubMed1991

Cognitive abnormalities and disease progression in a selected population of asymptomatic HIV-positive subjects.

A selected population of 41 homosexual/bisexual asymptomatic HIV-positive subjects were administered neurophysiological tests to assess language, memory, attention, logic faculties and visuo-motor functions. HIV-positive subjects differed from individually matched control subjects only in certain measures of verbal memory. Longitudinal evaluation performed after 1.5 years, however, did not indicate any further development of this mild amnesic deficit. Despite the small number studied in our sample, there seems to be a trend for older subjects to be at greater risk of developing AIDS and cognitive abnormalities than younger subjects, while differences in immunological status play a significant role in disease progression.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Neurophysiological markers of central and peripheral involvement of the nervous system in HIV-infection.

Peroneal motor and sural sensory conduction velocities (MNCVs/SNCVs), somatosensory evoked potentials to median nerve stimulation (MN-SEPs) and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) to transcranial stimulation were examined in 138 HIV-infected patients (in the different stages of the disease), 20 seronegative intravenous drug abusers (IVDAs), and 20 healthy subjects. Findings of peroneal MNCV slowing in patients ranged from 16% (asymptomatic HIV patients) to 63% (AIDS) and of sural SNCV slowing from 13% to 40%. Altered MN-SEPs ranged from 10% to 30%, and MEPs ranged from 44% to 72%, mostly due to a prolongation of the central motor conduction time (CMCT). All seronegative IVDAs showed patterns within the normal range. Electrophysiological techniques were helpful in demonstrating early and subclinical alterations in HIV patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Alcoholic abstinence syndrome: short-term treatment with metadoxine.

The effects of metadoxine (pyrrolidone carboxylate of pyridoxine), a compound with central benzodiazepine-like properties, were evaluated in two groups of chronic alcoholics (inpatients) presenting a mild withdrawal syndrome. According to a double-blind study design 20 patients received metadoxine 900 mg twice daily eluted in 500 ml of saline infusion, while 20 (the control group) were given 500 ml of saline infusion twice daily with equivalent doses of pyridoxine (40 mg/die) every morning over a 10-day period. The results indicate that metadoxine treatment was able to control alcohol abstinence, thus allowing a reduction in the needs for standard benzodiazepine therapy. The central activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid of this compound might play a crucial role in the clinical effects demonstrated.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Dementia of the Alzheimer type and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis: changes in cerebrospinal fluid corticotropin releasing factor and plasma cortisol levels.

The activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis was explored in 10 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and in 11 age-matched controls, by measuring 1) corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), 2) the circadian changes of plasma cortisol, 3) and 4) the plasma cortisol response to dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and to CRF stimulation test. CSF CRF levels in DAT were significantly higher than in controls and inversely related to the Mini Mental State (MMS) score. The patients also displayed increased morning (0800 h) plasma cortisol values, with higher mesor and amplitude in the circadian pattern. Dexamethasone resistance was shown by 6 of the 10 DAT subjects. Plasma cortisol response to CRF administration was similar in the two groups, except for the peak values, which in DAT patients were reached earlier than in controls. The present data suggest an overactivity of HPA axis in DAT; its possible role in the evolution of the disease is discussed.

Aged↗

PubMed1990

Neuropsychological and neurophysiological abnormalities in HIV-infection. Their relevance and predictive value.

A group of n. 86 HIV-pts. (CDC stages from II to IV) were cross-sectionally studied with neuropsychological and neurophysiological methods. The percentage of abnormalities detected even among pre-AIDS stages is very high (from 25 to 50% of the cases). Sensibility and specificity of the above investigations is discussed. Their possible predictive role (evolution to successive stages of asymptomatic pts. and development of CNS pathology) is also evaluated based on a medium-term clinical follow-up (18-24 months).

AIDS Dementia Complex↗

PubMed1990

Concomitant syphilitic and HIV infection. A case report.

Evolution of syphilis has been studied in HIV-seropositive patients with regard to progression mode and clinical pictures. Reciprocal interactions between syphilis and HIV have been suggested based on the observation of unusually aggressive forms of treponemic infection, particularly at the CNS level. We describe a case of a 52-year-old homosexual male AIDS presenting with clinically manifest tabe dorsalis. The evolution to neurosyphilis seems, at least in this stage, to be accelerated by superimposed HIV infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1990

Neuropsychological changes in demented patients treated with acetyl-L-carnitine.

The study was carried out on 24 patients suffering from mild to moderate dementia. The diagnosis of dementia was made according to DMS III criteria. Patients with cerebrovascular pathologies were excluded by using Hachinski Ischaemic Score less than or equal to 4 and computerized tomography parameters. Patients with depression (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression greater than or equal to 18) were excluded. All the patients, after a wash-out period of two weeks were treated on a simple blind method with acetyl-L-carnitine (No. = 12 patients) and piracetam (12 patients) by intravenous route (two weeks) followed by an oral one for further 10 weeks. A battery of clinical neuropsychological tests was applied to evaluate the cognitive, attentive and behavioural aspects. The results, analysed by non-parametric variance analysis (Friedman Test) show a statistically significant improvement of the behavioural profile, of attention and of psychomotricity in the patients treated with acetyl-L-carnitine. No significant improvement was found in the piracetam group.

Acetylcarnitine↗

PubMed1989

A study of the cardiopressor effects of lisuride in the treatment of parkinsonism and pathological aging brain.

In this study, the hemodynamic and neurochemical effects of lisuride, a dopamine agonist with serotoninergic properties, have been evaluated in de novo parkinsonian patients and in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and urinary catecholamine (CA) fluctuations throughout the 24-h cycle were monitored before and during lisuride therapy along with BP, HR, and plasma CA responses to the tilt-table test. Lisuride (1.2-2.4 mg/day) administered in an open-type 15-day study was capable of decreasing the urinary CA excretion and norepinephrine plasma levels in parkinsonian patients. In some cases, the cardiovascular response to standing was impaired. Lower doses of the drug (0.15 mg/day), administered to elderly patients in a double-blind parallel group vs. placebo study, did not induce any change in cardiopressor responses but decreased the 24-h urinary excretion of epinephrine. These results suggest the importance in both conditions of detecting early stages of alterations in cardiopressor homeostatic processes before therapy with DAergic drugs is initiated.

Aged↗

PubMed1989

Familial amyloid polyneuropathy: report of an autopsy case with neuropathy, vitreous opacities and polycystic kidney.

A 26-year-old Italian male with an unusual form of familial amyloidosis was investigated. The present case does not seem to fit into any of the forms of familial amyloidosis known for the different combinations of organ involvement. The patient developed renal failure, vitreous opacities and a sensorimotor neuropathy with trophic changes in the lower limbs. Two sural-nerve biopsies performed 5 years from each other showed a progressive loss of nerve fibers and amyloid deposits in the endoneurium. The autopsy revealed bilateral adult congenital polycystic kidney with wide deposition of amyloid in the interstitium and in the glomerular tufts. Amyloid deposits were also seen in the vitreous and in the cranial nerves. As in the other forms of familial amyloidosis, potassium permanganate treatment did not modify the Congo red affinity of amyloid deposits and immunocytochemical studies revealed that the amyloid reacted with antibodies against prealbumin.

Adult↗