Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J F Donat.
Internuclear ophthalmoplegia was found by caloric testing of the vestibuloocular reflex in normal, very premature infants, indicating that the medial longitudinal fasciculus is functionally immature. At this age, the medial longitudinal fasciculus is more responsive to stimulation by the oculocephalic (doll's-eye) reflex, which resulted in conjugate deviation of the eyes.
In a prospective study of 42 cases of childhood meningoencephalitis occurring in 1974 and 1975, a diagnosis of an infectious agent was made in 30 (71%). California virus infections were most common; they were serious illnesses but had few sequelae. Benign illnesses with enteroviruses were also common. Miscellaneous and unknown agents accounted for the most seriously ill patients and for both deaths. Persistent neurologic deficits were unusual. Headaches, malaise, and changes in behavior were common but transient.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Thirty-four patients with pathologically confirmed primary pineal tumors were evaluated at the Mayo Clinic from 1923 through 1976. All tumors were of germ cell or pineal cell origin. Most patients were adolescent boys with subacute increased intracranial pressure and Parinaud's syndrome. Hypothalamic symptoms were surprisingly infrequent. Direct surgical intervention was associated with high mortality, but has been more successful in recent years.
Intraventricular hemorrhages were the most common neuropathologic findings in both full-term and premature infants in a retrospective study of neonatal deaths. In general, the intraventricular hemorrhages of full-term infants were less frequent, originated from veins of the choroid plexus, were small, and rarely caused death. Intraventricular hemorrhages of premature infants usually originated in the germinal matrix and were large enough to be fatal. Intraventricular hemorrhages were most frequently found when death occurred between 24 and 72 hours of age.
We observed seizures resembling infantile spasms in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS). Infantile spasms, the type of seizures that occurs in patients who have West syndrome, have been well characterized by video-EEG studies and typically occur as a series of sudden generalized flexor or extensor jerks. The seizure types that occur in LGS have not been as clearly delineated. Some patients with West syndrome (WS) in early infancy later develop LGS. Using intensive video-EEG monitoring, we evaluated 14 LGS patients who had seizures that occurred in series. Clinically, the seizures greatly resembled infantile spasms, and the ictal EEG changes were identical to those that occur with infantile spasms. These findings expand the number of features known to be shared by these two syndromes and strengthen the hypothesis that the two syndromes represent age-related manifestations of similar epileptogenic processes.