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Biomedical subjects

G Rosati

Publications and source records attributed to G Rosati.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Multiple sclerosis in northern Italy. Prevalence in the province of Ferrara in 1978.

Most available Italian studies indicate that the prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Italy is lower than 20 per 100,000. Much higher prevalence figures, however, have been recently found in small communities in Sicily. On this basis, it has been suggested that the frequency the MS in Italy has been seriously underestimated and that the true prevalence for MS is probably similar to that established for northern European countries. This paper reports the results of a survey of MS in the various public health districts of the province of Ferrara. The public health districts are homogeneous medical units serving small populations and therefore represent ideal areas for epidemiological purposes. The total prevalence rate of probable MS for the whole province has been found to be at least 26.9 per 100,000. This result supports the view that the frequency of MS in Italy is higher than that indicated by most published studies, but not that Italy is an area of high risk for MS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

The diagnostic value of H-index in S1 root compression.

The H-index was studied in 42 healthy subjects and in 20 patients showing unilateral S1 root compression. When compared to the normal subjects, all patients showed a decreased H-index, or an increased difference in H-index between the sides or both. These results indicate that both parameters are valuable in the diagnosis of S1 root impairment due to intervertebral disc protrusion.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Reversible bilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia due to head trauma: a case report.

This case report concerns a patient who developed reversible bilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia as an immediate consequence of head trauma. To our knowledge, only one case of internuclear ophthalmoplegia related to head trauma has been previously reported in the literature. The mechanism by which trauma can produce a relatively isolated brain stem lesion to the medial longitudinal fasciculus is unclear. Some experimental data on the mechanisms of cerebral concussion would indicate that the biomechanical forces due to impact acceleration of the head exert their predominant effect on the posterior portion of the brain stem. This might account for critical vulnerability of the structures situated in this portion, including the medial longitudinal fasciculus.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Oral aluminum and neuropsychological functioning. A study of dialysis patients receiving aluminum hydroxide gels.

Nine dialysis patients with significantly increased serum-aluminum levels due to chronic ingestion of aluminum hydroxide gels and eleven dialysis patients with normal serum-aluminum levels were tested neuropsychologically for generalized functions (intelligence, reasoning, memory) and for more specific abilities (visual memory, verbal and reading fluency, manual dexterity). All tests did not reveal any significant difference in neurophyscholigical functioning between the two groups. This finding seems to indicate that oral aluminum is not neurotoxic for man, even under circumstances of renal failure. This contradicts the idea that oral aluminum plays a role in etiology of dialysis dementia. However, the possibility cannot be excluded that aluminum overload in the present sample was not sufficient to induce changes in CNS functioning. Thus, until the importance of oral aluminum has been decided, it seems wise to keep all sorces of aluminum overload as low as possible.

Aluminum↗
PubMed1980

Multiple sclerosis in southern Europe. A prevalence study in the sociosanitary district of Copparo, northern Italy.

The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the Italian studies presently available is reported to be between 3.3 and 19.5 per 100,000. All these studies, however, have been undertaken in populations exceeding 300,000 and probably offer underestimates of MS frequency. Current sanitary organization in Italy is inadequate for epidemiological search and many patients with MS may be overlooked when large populations are studied. So, accurate estimates of MS frequency are possible only as a result of intensive surveys in small population groups. Prevalence figures of 53 and 32 per 100,000 have been recently reported by Dean et al. who studied the frequency of MS in small population groups in Sicily. The present study reports the results of a similar survey in the district of Copparo (population 45,153) in northern Italy. The prevalence of probable MS found in Copparo was 31 per 100,000. This result confirms the findings of Dean et al. in southern Italy and supports Dean's opinion that the true frequency of MS in Italy as a whole is higher than that indicated by the Italian studies.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

The risk of Parkinson disease in Mediterranean people.

On the basis of previous epidemiologic studies, Parkinson disease was thought to be evenly distributed throughout the world. These studies, however, were conducted only on North European populations. The position with regard to the Mediterranean peoples was still unknown, and we therefore studied the frequency of Parkinson disease on the island of Sardinia, where some ethnic groups of the Mediterranean stock are represented. Based on 967 accepted cases, the prevalence 100,000 population on January 1, 1972, was 65.6; the average annual incidence for the period 1961 through 1971 was 4.9. These figures are one-half of the figures established for North Europeans. Our findings suggest racial differences in predisposition to Parkinson disease. Some Negroid features are present in Sardinians. If, as seems likely, Africans prove to be relatively unsusceptible to the disease, the risk for Sardinians and other Mediterranean ethnic groups might be intermediate between North Europeans and Africans.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Positive aluminium balance in patients on regular peritoneal treatment: an effect of low dialysate pH?

Aluminium concentration was determined in dialysates used for HD and for PD and in the serum of normal subjects and of uraemic patients on treatment with HD and with PD. The main finding of this study was that serum A1 levels are significantly higher in patients on PD than in patients on HD. We conclude that the use of dialysates with pH less than 5.5 could contribute to a positive balance of A1 during PD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Impairment of the mental status of patients on regular dialysis treatment.

The purpose of this study was to assess the mental status of 42 patients on regular dialysis treatment (RDT) by using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) and Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS). Findings were correlated with serum aluminium levels, PTH levels, residual renal function (RRF) and duration of RDT. An impairment of neuropsychological performance related to the duration of RDT was found. However, a possible role of PTH and of absence of RRF could not be excluded. These observations suggest that standard haemodialysis strategies are not able to prevent pathological changes in the brain of uraemic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Pure agraphia: a discrete form of aphasia.

A 62 year old, right handed man developed a pure agraphia as the result of a left temporal lobe stroke. Isolated writing disturbances persisted for seven months until he had a second cerebrovascular accident resulting in total aphasia and right hemiplegia. A CAT scan obtained four months after the first episode showed a localised dilatation of the posterior portion of the left Sylvian cistern and patchy areas of low absorption in the left temporal lobe. The report supports suggestions that localised damage to the language area can produce a pure agraphia as the sole detectable disorder of language organisation.

Agraphia↗
PubMed1978

Voluntary lid closing inability. Release of a compulsive reaction to the exploration of the environment.

Voluntary lid closing inability has been observed in two patients with right-sided frontal ischemic damage. The patients developed a transient inability to close their eyelids voluntarily at the same time as a transient forced grasping in the left hand and left hemiparesis not affecting the face. Automatic and reflex lid closures were retained as well as the ability to keep the eyes closed and to reopen them readily on command. In previous reports, inability to close eyelids voluntarily has been attributed to apraxia, paralysis, or motor impersistence. The localization of the lesion observed in our patients suggests other pathogenetic hypotheses similar to compulsive gaze [19]. It is conceivable that the voluntary lid closing inability produced by frontal lobe lesions is due to the release of a compulsion to maintain the lids elevated in the waking state, because of the overactive effect of the visual stimuli.

Adult↗