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Biomedical subjects

J Cambier

Publications and source records attributed to J Cambier.

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

Stress-induced analgesia in humans: endogenous opioids and naloxone-reversible depression of pain reflexes.

The cumulative effects of a repetitive stress induced by anticipation of pain (noxious foot shock) were studied on the threshold of a nociceptive flexion reflex of the lower limb. The threshold of the nociceptive reflex progressively increased with the repetition of the stress. This effect was reversed by naloxone, which even produced hyperalgesia, since a rapid and significant decrease in this threshold, below the initial values, was noted. Tha data provide evidence for involvement of endogenous opioids in the phenomenon of stress-induced analgesia in normal man.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Cutaneous reflexes in the avoidance reaction.

An electrophysiological study of cutaneous reflexes in a patient exhibiting an avoidance reaction in the upper limb has essentially demonstrated simultaneous activation of flexor and extensor muscles. The avoidance reaction is not the electrophysiological reciprocal of the grasp reflex; the former shows, in at least one aspect, a much more fundamental disturbance of segmental reflex systems controlling muscle contraction.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

[A parietal form of Pick's disease: clinical and pathological study (author's transl)].

A patient developed a neurological disorder at the age of 57 years and died 9 years later after progressive aggravation. The clinical picture was that of a unilateral, parietal, focal neurological syndrome for many years, finally becoming bilateral. The purely neurological nature of the condition, without signs of mental disturbance, should be emphasized. Pathological examination showed mainly unilateral circumscribed cortical atrophy in the parietal regions. Histological examination showed atrophic lesions typical of Pick's disease. This case provides suggestive evidence for the existence of purely parietal forms of Pick's disease.

Dementia↗
PubMed1981

[Electrophysiological study of blink reflex in man: segmental, intersegmental, auditory and visual interactions (author's transl)].

The effects of conditioning facial (trigeminal and facial nerves, second cervical roots), peripheral (radial and sural nerves), auditory and visual stimuli on the blink reflex components have been studied in normal subjects. In all the RI response was facilitated and the R2 one was inhibited. By electrophysiological techniques it has been shown that this inhibition is due to a synaptic phenomenon and that the conditioning afferents converge on the same neuronal pool. An unspecific mechanism is proposed to account for these data.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1980

[Echolalic repetition and severe comprehension disorders. Left hemisphere deactivation syndrome? (author's transl)].

An aphasic patient presented with suppression of spontaneous speech, correct repetition, and disturbed comprehension and denomination. The association of a lesion on CT scanning affecting the deep regions of the left hemisphere, and extinction of the right ear to dichotic audition, leads to a discussion of the role of the right hemisphere in remaining psycholinguistic capabilities.

Aphasia↗
PubMed1980

[Visual agnosia without right hemianopia in a right-handed patient (author's transl)].

A right-handed 77-year-old man presented with a left homonymous lateral hemianopsia involving the macula. Consciousness, memory, and oral language were normal, but the patient experienced great difficulties in identifying objects and images by sight, even though he recognized their geometrical shapes. He also had prosopagnosia, and alexia without agraphia but no agnosia for colours. The patient died suddenly 6 weeks after the onset of the disorders. Pathological examination demonstrated the presence of a bilateral occipital infarct involving on the right, the inferior border of the calcarine fissure, and the lingual and fusiform gyri, and on the left the fusiform gyrus. This supports the role in man of the inferior occipitotemporal convolutions in the perceptual integration of visual informations, and suggests that this region of the cortex is analogous with the inferotemporal cortex of monkeys which has been shown to be a determinant for the elaboration of visual objects.

Aged↗
PubMed1980

[Cerebral ischemic accidents during migraine attacks. A report on "complicated migraine"].

The authors use the term "complicated migraine" to describe the onset of neurological disorder occurring during an acute attack in a patient with chronic migraine. The disturbance may last for long periods or may be permanent, and these irreversible cerebral lesions have to be differentiated from the transient neurological effects characteristic of ophthalmic on secondary migraine. Patients with migraine and retinal lesions, as well as those with ophthalmoplegic or familial hemiplegic migraine, were excluded from the study. The seven cases reported included 5 women and 2 men with an average age of 30 years (from 14 to 51 years). A more or less severe lesion in a hemisphere was present, which led to sensory-motor signs of a hemiplegia (4 cases), an aphasia (4 cases), and a homonymous lateral hemianopia (3 cases). Exploration revealed the presence of an ischemic cerebral lesion in all cases. One or more arterial occlusions were also noted in 5 out of the 6 patients who were investigated by angiography. All cases showed the presence of the criteria thought to be essential for associating the cerebral ischemic lesion with migraine. 1) the patient had true migraine, 2) there was a close chronological relationship between the migraine attack and the lasting neurological disorder, 3) no other associated vascular disease was present (atheroma, cardiopathy). The very severe and prolonged spasm, which could be the cause of neurological disturbances in secondary and ophthalmic migraine, does not appear to be sufficient for producing an irreversible ischemic lesion and, more especially, a persistent vascular obstruction. The roles played by edema of the arterial wall and parietal changes in the vessels are discussed. It could be that thrombosis formation is encouraged by the changes in blood coagulability which may be associated with a migraine attack. The fact that anomalies in platelet aggregation have been demonstrated merits closer study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

[Ocular tracking movements: organization and disturbances in occipitoparietal lesions (author's transl)].

Disturbances of ipsilateral pursuit movements in unilateral occipitoparietal lesions have led to accept that each occipitoparietal region controls the ipsilateral slow movement. The study of 7 patients with unilateral occipitoparietal lesions demonstrated that the pursuit (ramp) movement directed towards the lesion is not completely absent; but that the tracking is of an extremely fragile nature and overloaded with saccades. Furthermore, though it is true that the disorganization mainly affects the pursuit ipsilateral to the lesion, it does also involve to some extent the contralateral movement. These findings suggest that the concommitant action of the two hemispheres is necessary for smooth pursuit movements to occur, by inhibiting any phasic phenomenon, but that each hemisphere is still capable of producing pursuit movements in both directions.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed1979

[Failure of voluntary eyelid closure, motor impersistence and hemispheric functional specialization. A report on 3 cases (author's transl)].

The impossibility of voluntary closing of the eyelids is usually reported in the published literature as being associated with bilateral cerebral lesions. In the three cases reported by the authors, this rare symptom was caused by unilateral lesions of the right hemisphere. The inability to close the eyelids voluntarily is, with these types of lesion, a transient sign which is rapidly replaced by difficulty in maintaining the consign. The physiopathology of motor impersistence (neglect of instructions), and of absence of voluntarily closing of the eyelids may be connected. Two associated mechanisms are discussed : preferential activation of the left hemisphere during a verbal consign and a fault in interhemispheric inhibition.

Aged↗
PubMed1979

[Electrophysiological study of cutaneous reflexes during avoidance reaction of the arms (author's transl)].

Electrophysiological studies of the cutaneous reflexes during avoidance reaction of the arms demonstrate more particularly the presence of facilitation of late reflex responses and stimultaneous activation of flexor and extensor muscles. The avoidance reaction is not the inverse electrophysiological image of pathological prehension, as it produces, at least in one of its aspects, a much more fundamental modification of the segmental reflex systems of muscle contraction regulation. This motor disorganization is rarely observed, and could result from a disequilibrium between proprioceptive sensitivity and skin sensitivity: the loss of proprioceptive control would facilitate contact reactions.

Aged↗
PubMed1979

[Use of cerebral computer tomography for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis].

The authors describe computer tomography findings in multiple sclerosis (MS)), and attempt an evaluation of the value of cerebral computer tomography for the diagnosis of this disease, especially those forms in which the clinical diagnosis is uncertain. A total of 33 patients, 15 men and 18 women, were studied. According to McAlpine's criteria, 21 patients had established MS, 2 were probably MS cases, and the other 10 were possible cases of the disease. The scanner used was an EMI 1010 apparatus giving 13 mm thick sections, with a matrix of 160 X 160. A contrast medium was injected systematically. Abnormal computer tomography results were noted in 28 of the 33 patients, including one or more low density areas in the white substance in 26 patients, taking up of the contrast medium after injection in 10 patients, and cerebral atrophy in 24 patients. Cases where only one of these anomalies was present are rare, and the various anomalies noted on computer tomography are usually associated in varying proportions. In most cases, the computer tomography findings were not related to any specific clinical picture. In cases of established MS, computer tomography can provide information on the extension and progression of the lesions at the time of examination. Out of the 12 cases in which clinical diagnosis was uncertain, 9 presented abnormal findings (low densities and/or taking up of contrast medium); the level of CSF gamma-globulins was normal in 4 of these 9 patients; visual evoked potentials were not altered in the 5 out of these 9 patients studied. In 3 patients with medullary signs, several low cerebral trunk and white substance of the cerebral hemispheres. When diagnosis is uncertain, cerebral computer tomography is the method of choice for demonstrating latent MS lesions of a certain type: it complements neurophysiological studies (visual, auditory, and somesthesic evoked potentials), used at the present time for the diagnosis of MS by exploration of the optic tracts and cerebral trunk.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

[Hemorrhage of the head of the left caudate nucleus: disorganization of speech and graphic expression, and disturbances in gestures (author's transl)].

A 72 year-old woman was found to have hemorrhage limited to the head of the left caudate nucleus. Clinical symptomatology consisted of disturbances in oral, written, and graphic expression. There were no difficulties in comprehension, dysarthria, or phonemic paraphrasing, but speech and graphic expression were incoherent. Perseverance of ideas, semantic inconsistencies, inability to keep a stable objective during speech and graphic activity, are the principal characteristics of a disorder which is related to a prelinguistic stage, and illustrate the role of the caudate nucleus in the selection processes which are a preliminary step for speech organization.

Aged↗