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Biomedical subjects

G Pizzolato

Publications and source records attributed to G Pizzolato.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

The effects of long-term rehabilitation therapy on poststroke hemiplegic patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Rehabilitation therapy is believed to be useful during the first few months after stroke when recovery usually takes place. However, evidence exists that this may not be the rule for all stroke victims. Therefore, we investigated, in a selected group of poststroke patients, the profile of recovery in response to long-term rehabilitation therapy. METHODS: Fifty-one hemiplegic subjects unable to walk 3 months after stroke were enrolled in this study. Patients underwent consecutive periods of rehabilitation up to 2 years after the cerebrovascular accident. Autonomy in daily living activities and the degree of neurological compromission were periodically assessed with the Barthel Index and a neurological scale designed for hemiplegic subjects. The main features of the patients were also evaluated as a possible predictor of outcome. RESULTS: In a consistent percentage of the patients, significant gains in gait and daily living abilities were observed during the first year and, in individual cases, during the second year after stroke. At the end of the study, 74% of the patients regained their capacity to walk without assistance, and up to 79% had a Barthel Index score above 70. Sphincter function, level of neurological impairments, and capacity in daily living activities are significantly related to the outcome of the patients as a whole but were not useful to anticipate the outcome of each patient. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that disabled poststroke subjects may attain significative functional improvements in response to prolonged restorative therapy. However, the possibility of predicting the outcome of individual patients appears the major problem to solve in order to assign to long-term rehabilitation programs only patients who will benefit from the therapy.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1992

Toxoplasma encephalitis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Among 504 cases of AIDS diagnosed between 1983 and 1990, there were 86 patients (17%) with toxoplasma encephalitis (TE). All were symptomatic at the time of diagnosis. General signs such as fever, neck stiffness, or headache were present in 87.2%, and 75.6% had focal signs. The primary means of diagnosis was computerized tomographic scanning, revealing 169 lesions of which 80% were immediately contrast-enhancing. All patients had IgG antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii either before (74 of 75 evaluable patients) or at the time of diagnosis of TE (73 of 75). Elevated antibody titers were present in 44% of evaluable patients, compared to 11% of patients with AIDS and other opportunistic infections. Initial treatment was pyrimethamine plus sulfonamides in 65 patients, and pyrimethamine plus clindamycin in 12 patients, with other combinations or no treatment accounting for the remainder. Life-table analysis of the time to discontinuation of treatment because of suspected side effects suggested that sulfadiazine was significantly more toxic, with 48% of patients experiencing an interruption in treatment after 30 days, than pyrimethamine (12%) or clindamycin (24%). The 30-day mortality rate was 12%, and median survival was 310 days after diagnosis, 530 in patients treated with zidovudine and 190 days in those not so treated. Of 82 evaluable patients, 16 relapsed once and 4 of these more than once. The risk of relapse was 27% 1 year after diagnosis of a first episode of TE.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

SPECT and dementia.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1991

Disseminated toxoplasmosis in a severely immunodeficient patient: demonstration of cysts in bone marrow smears.

A 30-year-old woman was treated with unrelated HLA-compatible bone marrow transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia. Examination of her bone marrow smears because of fever and pancytopenia revealed the presence of Toxoplasma cysts. Although Toxoplasma cysts are rarely found in the bone marrow, bone marrow examination in the immunocompromised patient offers rapid diagnosis of systemic toxoplasmosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The effects of propofol anesthesia on local cerebral glucose utilization in the rat.

The autoradiographic 14C-2-deoxy-D-glucose method was used to determine local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) during propofol anesthesia and recovery in 52 regions of the rat brain. Control rats intravenously received 5 ml.kg-1.h-1 of the egg-oil-glycerol emulsion that constitutes the vehicle for propofol. Anesthetized animals received an iv bolus of propofol (20 mg/kg) followed by continuous infusion of the anesthetic at 12.5, 25, or 50 mg.kg-1.h-1 for 1 h prior to injection of 14C-2-deoxy-D-glucose and for the following 45 min. In addition, a fifth group of animals were studied immediately after awakening from a 20 mg/kg bolus of propofol as indicated by the first reappearance of head lift. All rats were spontaneously breathing room air throughout the experimental procedure. The general pattern of the cerebral metabolic response to propofol anesthesia was a dose-related, widespread depression of LCGU. At the three infusion rates of propofol tested, overall mean LCGU was reduced by 33%, 49%, and 55%, respectively, and significant decreases were observed in 60%, 85%, and 90% of the regions assayed. These effects were rapidly reversible, since in the recovery group, LCGU returned to near control values in the majority of the brain areas. Although all of the anatomofunctional systems (sensorimotor, extrapyramidal, limbic, and reticular) were involved, forebrain structures showed a greater sensitivity to the depressant action of propofol than did hindbrain regions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anesthesia, Intravenous↗
PubMed1990

Regional cerebral blood flow study with 99mTc-hexamethyl-propyleneamine oxime single photon emission computed tomography in Alzheimer's and multi-infarct dementia.

Thirty-four demented patients, 19 with Alzheimer's and 15 with multi-infarct dementia, were studied using single photon emission computed tomography, and 99mTc-hexamethyl-propylenemine oxime as a tracer of regional cerebral perfusion. Tracer activity ratios, determined in cortical and subcortical regions, were compared with those of 11 age-matched controls. In both groups of demented patients, most of the cortical regions showed significant declines in tracer uptake from control values, with the greatest reductions in the parietal cortex. Significantly lower parietal indexes were found in the Alzheimer's patient group as compared both to the control values and to the group of multi-infarct dementia patients. A positive correlation was found between the magnitude of the parietal deficits and the severity of dementia.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Localization of oxytocin binding sites in the human brainstem and upper spinal cord: an autoradiographic study.

Two different ligands, tritiated oxytocin and a newly synthesized and monoiodinated oxytocin antagonist, were used to reveal sites which bind oxytocin in the brainstem and upper spinal cord of 12 human subjects. Tissue sections were incubated with either ligand at a concentration close to their respective dissociation constants determined in human uterus and rat brain. Specificity of binding was assessed in presence of unlabelled oxytocin in excess. Comparable results were obtained using tritiated or iodinated ligand. Labelling was most intense in the substantia nigra pars compacta, the substantiae gelatinosae of the caudal spinal trigeminal nucleus and of the dorsal horn of the upper spinal cord, as well as in the medio-dorsal region of the nucleus of the solitary tract. Binding was also detected in the rest of the nucleus of the solitary tract and in other areas, including the oral and interpolar parts of the spinal trigeminal nucleus, the hypoglossal nucleus and the area postrema. Presence of oxytocin binding sites in regions concerned with sensory, autonomic and motor processing suggests that oxytocin could act as a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator in the human central nervous system.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Single-photon emission computed tomography studies with 99mTc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime in dementia: effects of acute administration of L-acetylcarnitine.

The acute effects of intravenously administered L-acetylcarnitine (LAC) were evaluated with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and 99mTc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime in 30 demented patients (21 with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia and 9 with mixed-type dementia). Two SPECT scans were performed: in basal conditions, and 30 min after the administration of 500, 1,000, 1,500, or 2,000 mg LAC intravenously. Tracer activity ratios were determined in 10 pairs of cerebellar, cortical and subcortical regions. After administration of the lowest dose of LAC, no changes from the basal values were observed in any of the regions examined. The higher doses of the drug significantly elevated the tracer activity in cortical regions, particularly in the parietal lobe, which showed an impaired regional cerebral blood flow in the basal study. These effects of LAC and their relation with the cholinomimetic properties of the drug are discussed.

Acetylcarnitine↗
PubMed1988

[99mTc]-HM-PAO SPECT in Parkinson's disease.

Thirty-six patients affected by Parkinson's disease were studied using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and [99mTc]-HM-PAO as a tracer. The scanning procedure was performed 16-24 h after discontinuation of specific therapy. Tracer activity ratios were determined in 10 pairs of cerebellar, cortical, and subcortical regions. Data were compared with those of 10 age-matched controls. Most of the regions examined did not show any relevant change between parkinsonian and control subjects. Notably, mean activity in striatal regions were similar in the two groups. Increased activity in caudate-putamen was found in patients who were on chronic DOPA therapy. Side-to-side asymmetries in the basal ganglia increased with the severity of the disease. Significant reductions of tracer uptake, from control values, were observed bilaterally in the parietal cortex. These deficits were more pronounced in patients with mental deterioration and in subjects who had been chronically treated with anticholinergic drugs. Parietal perfusion deficits in parkinsonian patients resemble those described in Alzheimer's dementia. These findings suggest that the heterogeneous alterations of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in parkinsonian patients reflect the multifactorial pathophysiology of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Intermediate filament proteins and actin isoforms as markers for soft tissue tumor differentiation and origin. II. Rhabdomyosarcomas.

A series of 15 rhabdomyosarcomas was examined by light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-GE) and indirect immunofluorescence, the latter using monoclonal or affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies to desmin, vimentin, alpha-smooth muscle and alpha-sarcomeric (alpha-sr) actins. By light microscopy, the authors diagnosed 1 botrioid, 1 alveolar, and 7 embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas, 4 pleomorphic spindle cell sarcomas, and 2 spindle cell sarcomas, one nondistinct, the other with a hemangiopericytomatous pattern. By transmission electron microscopy, 13 neoplasms disclosed rhabdomyoblastic differentiation; the remaining 2, myogenic differentiation. By immunofluorescence microscopy, all neoplasms expressed vimentin and alpha-sr actin, 12 expressed, in addition, desmin, and 1 expressed alpha-smooth muscle actin. Among the 11 neoplasms studied by means of 2D-GE, 7 demonstrated an alpha-actin spot, while 4 showed only beta and gamma spots. One tumor disclosed, in addition to alpha, beta, and gamma spots, a spot with a molecular weight corresponding to actin, but more acidic than alpha-actins. This study demonstrates that alpha-sr actin antibody represents a valuable marker for the diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma, because it was present in all neoplasms, including the one negative for desmin. This antibody further allowed the recognition of pleomorphic variants and morphologically atypical forms of rhabdomyosarcomas. The presence of alpha-smooth muscle actin in 1 case of rhabdomyosarcoma suggests that this actin isoform may be expressed during skeletal muscle differentiation.

Actins↗
PubMed1987

Stimulatory effect of the D2 antagonist sulpiride on glucose utilization in dopaminergic regions of rat brain.

Local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) was measured, using the quantitative autoradiographic [14C]2-deoxy-D-glucose method, in 56 brain regions of 3-month-old, awake Fischer-344 rats, after intraperitoneal administration of sulpiride (SULP) 100 mg/kg. SULP, an "atypical" neuroleptic, is a selective antagonist of D2 dopamine receptors. LCGU was reduced in a few nondopaminergic regions at 1 h after drug administration. Thereafter, SULP progressively elevated LCGU in many other regions. At 3 h, LCGU was elevated in 23% of the regions examined, most of which are related to the CNS dopaminergic system (caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, lateral habenula, median eminence, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus). Increases of LCGU were observed also in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, lateral geniculate, and inferior olive. These effects of SULP on LCGU differ from the effects of the "typical" neuroleptic haloperidol, which produces widespread decreases in LCGU in the rat brain. Selective actions on different subpopulations of dopamine receptors may explain the different effects of the two neuroleptics on brain metabolism, which correspond to their different clinical and behavioral actions.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Metabolic aspects of aging brain and related disorders.

In this report we summarize some of our findings obtained with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in man and with 19F nuclear magnetic relaxation (19FNMR) and (14C) deoxyglucose ([14C]DG) techniques in animals. 99Tc-hexamethyl-propyleneamineoxime (99Tc-HM-PAO) SPECT showed a pattern of decreased cerebral perfusion in Alzheimer and Parkinson patients without clinical and instrumental signs of cerebrovascular diseases. Rat cerebral cortex superoxide dismutases (SODs) concentrations, as detected with 19FNMR, increased in an age-related fashion. These increases may constitute a self-protecting mechanism of the brain against the parallel elevations of free radical reactions observed during aging. The specific neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) elevated ([14C]DG) uptake in catecholaminergic regions of the mouse brain. These effects could be prevented by pretreatment with l-deprenyl. Our results suggest that excitotoxic mechanisms may participate in the neurotoxic effect of MPTP and they can be abolished by the monoamine-oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitor.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine↗
PubMed1986

Effects of isoflurane anesthesia on local cerebral glucose utilization in the rat.

The effect of isoflurane anesthesia on local rate of glucose utilization was investigated in the rat brain by means of the autoradiographic 14C-2-deoxyglucose method. Local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) was measured in 26 neuroanatomic structures of awake and isoflurane-anesthetized rats. Isoflurane anesthesia (1.5% inspired) caused both increases and decreases in LCGU. Significant reductions were found in all cortical areas examined and in primary sensory relay nuclei of central visual and auditory pathways. Among regions of the extrapyramidal motor system, LCGU was increased in substantia nigra pars compacta, and decreased in cerebellum, red nucleus, and ventral thalamus. Large increases in LCGU were observed in some structures of the limbic system such as the medial habenulo-interpeduncular system and the CA3 field of hippocampus. LCGU was significantly reduced by isoflurane in the CA1-CA2 field and dentate gyrus of hippocampus. These results are similar to previous findings on the LCGU response to other inhaled and intravenous anesthetics and further confirm the regional specificity of the effects of anesthetics on brain metabolism.

Anesthesia, Inhalation↗