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Biomedical subjects

I Rainero

Publications and source records attributed to I Rainero.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Analgesic action of methylphenidate on parkinsonian sensory symptoms. Mechanisms and pathophysiological implications.

Intravenous administration of methylphenidate hydrochloride, a central stimulant, was unexpectedly found to exert a potent analgesic effect on primary sensory symptoms in a group of patients with Parkinson's disease. This effect, which has now been studied in a short-term, double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment, subsequently disappeared if patients were pretreated with a beta-blocker or with a serotonin antagonist. Cerebrospinal fluid monoamine metabolites were determined in some of these patients, and the 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid level was found to be significantly lower than in parkinsonian patients without pain and in normal volunteers. Given the mechanism of action of methylphenidate on the central nervous system, the adrenergic and serotoninergic mediation of its analgesic effect, and the demonstration of impaired central serotonin metabolism in the patient group, it is concluded that not only central dopaminergic deficiency but also altered noradrenergic and serotoninergic transmission in the spinal cord are quite likely to play a role in the pathophysiology of pain in Parkinson's disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormonelike immunoreactivity is increased in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Parkinson's disease.

We measured alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormonelike immunoreactivity in cerebrospinal fluid of 12 healthy control subjects and nine patients with Parkinson's disease, four of whom had never been treated. Mean cerebrospinal fluid alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormonelike immunoreactivity concentration was two-fold greater in parkinsonian patients (44.1 +/- 9.3 [SD] pg/mL) as compared with control subjects (21.8 +/- 10.0 pg/mL). No significant correlation was found between cerebrospinal fluid alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormonelike immunoreactivity concentrations and patient age, disease severity, or duration of disease. These results suggest a functional relation between dopaminergic and melanotropinergic systems in the human brain.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Peripheral pharmacokinetic parameters of levodopa/carbidopa and the on-off phenomenon in parkinsonian patients.

The principal peripheral pharmacokinetic parameters of the levodopa/carbidopa association were investigated in 11 healthy volunteers and in 16 patients at various stages of Parkinson disease, with and without the on-off phenomenon. After oral administration of a standard dose of drug (levodopa 250 mg + carbidopa 25 mg) the peak plasma concentrations, peak onset time and area under the curve/time proved to be similar across the groups. There was no difference in peripheral pharmacokinetics of the association between parkinsonian patients with swings in response and those without.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1988

CSF alpha-MSH in dementia of the Alzheimer type.

We measured CSF alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone-like immunoreactivity (alpha-MSH-LI) in 35 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and in 27 healthy control subjects. Mean alpha-MSH-LI concentration was significantly decreased in DAT patients as compared with age-matched controls. However, when the DAT patients were analyzed according to age at onset of dementia or presence of extrapyramidal signs, alpha-MSH-LI concentrations remained significantly lower than in controls only in DAT patients with late onset of dementia (greater than 65 years of age). No correlation was found between alpha-MSH levels and degree of mental impairment. A significant negative correlation was found between CSF concentrations of alpha-MSH and homovanillic acid in the group of all DAT patients (p less than 0.001). These results suggest that hypothalamic neurons which produce pro-opiomelanocortin-related peptides may be involved in Alzheimer's disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

[Tardive dyskinesia].

Neuroleptic drug treatment can produce tardive dyskinesia of which the incidence, risk factors, clinical characteristics and problems of differential diagnosis are described. Possible therapeutic approaches are then considered in the light of the hypothesis that the condition may derive from a physiopathological hypersensitivity of the dopamine receptors.

Antipsychotic Agents↗
PubMed1984

Peripheral nerve function and metabolic control in diabetes mellitus.

Measurement of conduction velocity along the H reflex arc was used to study sensorimotor peripheral nerve function in diabetic patients during short- and long-term improvement of hyperglycemia. In ten type I diabetics a slight (p less than 0.05) conduction increase occurred after 6 hours of normal glycemia induced by an artificial endocrine pancreas. Similar but more prominent improvement occurred in twelve type I diabetics treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin injection for 6 months. The results suggest that nerve conduction slowing in diabetic patients stems partly from reversible, nonstructural abnormalities and partly from more slowly reversible morphological or chemical changes in peripheral nerve.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Primary dementias: epidemiological and sociomedical aspects.

An epidemiological survey of primary dementia syndromes was conducted in the city of Bra (26287 residents) in the Piedmont region. All the patients for whom a diagnosis of senile dementia had already been recorded together with the cases coming to light as a result of a questionary circulated to general practitioners and neuropsychiatrists were subjected to a broad battery of neuropsychological tests. The prevalence rate proved to be 255 (+/- 61) per 100 000 of the population and 2028 (+/- 476) per 100 000 of the over 65s. Close attention was paid to dements living in nursing facilities. Factors favoring institutionalisation were: advanced age, severe motor impairment and female sex. No correlation between severity or dementia and institutionalisation was found.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1983

Conduction velocity along human muscle fibers in situ.

When muscle fibers are stimulated in the distal portion of the human biceps brachii, far enough from the end-plate region, a discrete single fiber activity can be picked up proximally by means of a selective recording electrode. The distally evoked potentials show a linear relationship between latency and distance and can be recorded also in curarized patients. The risk of stimulating the intramuscular nerve endings is remote and, when it occasionally happens, the indirectly evoked muscle activity can be distinguished from the direct one. As direct muscle stimulation is feasible and safe, propagation velocity along single fibers can be determined in situ over a long distance. The results obtained in 50 normal subjects are presented.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Association between the interleukin-1alpha gene and Alzheimer's disease: a meta-analysis.

Inflammatory processes are involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several studies have addressed the effects of interleukin-1 (IL-1) genes polymorphisms on the risk of developing AD. The results are not in full agreement on whether these polymorphisms are associated with the disease. To clarify this issue, we performed a meta-analysis of all the association studies between IL-1 genes and AD. Due to the relatively small number of published articles, the meta-analysis was restricted to the association of the IL-1alpha -889 C/T gene polymorphism and AD. Under a random effects model, the risk for the disease was significantly higher in subjects with the T/T genotype in comparison with both C/T (OR: 1.51; 95% C.I.: 1.15-1.99) and C/C (OR: 1.49; 95% C.I.: 1.09-2.03) subjects. There was modest heterogeneity for these effect estimates. Analysis of subgroups showed a significant association in patients with early-onset AD but not in late-onset AD. Our data support a significant but modest association between the T/T genotype of the IL-1alpha gene and AD.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chronic Helicobacter pylori infection and migraine: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether chronic Helicobacter pylori infection is a risk factor for migraine. BACKGROUND: Preliminary studies have shown a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with primary headaches. METHODS: One hundred three consecutive patients with migraine were enrolled in the study and compared with a group of 103 matched controls. Helicobacter pylori infection was diagnosed by means of both (13)C-urea breath test and serology. RESULTS: Of patients with migraine, 30.1% were positive for Helicobacter pylori, compared with 31.1% of controls (P = NS). The odds ratio for migraine associated with chronic Helicobacter pylori infection was 0.96 (95% confidence interval, 0.51 to 1.80). Demographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics of Helicobacter pylori-positive migraineurs were compared with those of migrainous patients without infection. Helicobacter pylori-positive patients had a significantly (P<.05) lower incidence of food sensitivity than Helicobacter pylori-negative patients. No significant difference was found in any other feature examined. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that chronic Helicobacter pylori infection is not more frequent in patients with migraine than in controls and that infection does not modify clinical features of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The genetics of Alzheimer's disease].

This paper examines recent epidemiological and molecular genetic studies on the genetic basis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent epidemiological studies have shown the existence of a genetic etiology in some cases of Alzheimer's disease. Several pedigrees with an increased incidence of AD (familial Alzheimer's disease--FAD) have been described in the literature. Some of these contain sufficient numbers of affected individuals in multiple generations to provide a rigorous argument for an autosomal dominant inheritance of the AD phenotype. FAD pedigrees show several evidences of as phenotypic heterogeneity of the disease. Molecular genetic studies have shown a linkage between several polymorphic DNA markers specific for the pericentromeric region of chromosome 21 and early-onset FAD. In late-onset FAD pedigrees preliminary reports showed evidence for a linkage with chromosome 19 markers. Molecular genetic studies have clearly demonstrated the genetic heterogeneity of familial Alzheimer's disease. The analysis of new, multigenerational pedigrees with FAD and the study of patients with Down's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease should provide useful informations for the characterization of the gene(s) responsible for familial Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Biogenic amines in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma of patients with dementia of Alzheimer type.

The involvement of monoaminergic neurons in Dementia of Alzheimer Type (D.A.T.) is still a matter for debate. In a selected group of patients with D.A.T. we evaluated monoamine levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma and found a significant decrease in serotonin and dopamine metebolite levels. Dopamine levels were reduced in both CSF and plasma. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between the duration of the illness and the decrease in monoamine levels. These findings suggest that there is systemic damage to monoaminergic neurons in D.A.T.

Alzheimer Disease↗