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Biomedical subjects

L Chiacchio

Publications and source records attributed to L Chiacchio.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Aphasia as a rare presentation of monosymptomatic demyelinating disease: case report and review of the literature.

We present a case of sudden-onset aphasia due to a single pathological lesion, which at neuroradiological imaging studies was suggestive of glioma, while on biopsy proved be of demyelinating nature. Every cause of demyelinating lesions of the central nervous system was considered in the differential diagnosis, concluding for a primary demyelinating disease. The clinical and radiological differences between multiple sclerosis and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis are discussed. Although aphasia has already been described in demyelinating diseases, we underline its rarity as onset symptom.

Aphasia↗
PubMed2002

In vivo determination of root canal length: a preliminary report using the Tri Auto ZX apex-locating handpiece.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical perfomance of a cordless handpiece with a built-in apex locator - the Tri Auto ZX - designed for root canal preparation with nickel-titanium rotary files. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-five human maxillary incisor and canine teeth scheduled for extraction with mature apices were selected for the study. Informed written consent was obtained from each patient before treatment. After administration of local anaesthesia, the teeth were isolated and the pulp cavities accessed. The Tri Auto ZX along with a size 15 K-file was used in its electronic apex locating function based on the manufacturer's recommendations. A periapical radiograph with the file at the electronically determined constriction was taken, the file removed and the measurement registered as the electronic length (EL). To test the auto reverse function, a size 20 ProFile.04 taper NiTi rotary instrument was mounted in the handpiece. The point for the auto apical reverse function was preset on the panel at the 0.5 mm level. After the file was introduced into the canal and reached the predetermined level, the file automatically stopped and rotated in the opposite direction. A reference point was marked and this measurement was registered as the auto reverse length (ARL). All measurements were made twice by two different investigators. Teeth were then extracted and immersed in a 20% formalin solution for 48 h. After fixation, a size 15 file was inserted into the canal to measure the actual root canal length from the same reference point obtained with the Tri Auto ZX to the apical foramen, as seen in the stereo microscope. When the file tip was visible at the anatomical end of the canal it was withdrawn 0.5 mm and this measurement was registered as the actual length (AL). All measurements were expressed in mm and the measuring accuracy was set to 0.5 mm. The significance of the mean differences between EL and ARL and between EL and AL measurements at the 5% confidence level was evaluated. RESULTS: EL measurements were coincident to ARL in all instances. EL and ARL were coincident to AL in 10 (40%) canals, in the remaining 15 canals (60%) the AL measurements were longer than EL and ARL (+0.5 mm) in 14 instances and shorter (-0.5 mm) in one case. Overall, the AL was longer than the EL or ARL, the mean difference being -0.23 mm +/- 0.32 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that the Tri Auto ZX was useful and reliable. The Tri Auto ZX measurements protected against overpreparation.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Detection and measurement of endodontic root perforations using a newly designed apex-locating handpiece.

Access openings and lateral root perforations were prepared in 40 single-rooted extracted teeth. The distance to the perforations was measured visually and then with the Tri Auto ZX. The electronic device was used first in its apex-locating function and then in conjunction with its automatic reverse mechanism. On average, the electronically measured length was slightly shorter than the visually measured length (P < 0.05). When the automatic reverse mechanism was used, the values registered were either consistent with or slightly different (+/- 0.5 mm) from the electronically measured length (P > 0.05). The results of this study revealed that the Tri Auto ZX detected and measured endodontic root perforations within a range of clinically acceptable variations.

Dental High-Speed Equipment↗
PubMed1998

Determinants of cognitive disorders in Autosomal Dominant Cerebellar Ataxia type 1.

We assessed neuropsychological performances of 22 patients affected by Autosomal Dominant Cerebellar Ataxia type 1. All subjects completed a comprehensive battery of standardized tests requiring a verbal response, without time constraints. In order to verify the hypothesis that disease severity is the major factor in determining the cognitive status in this syndrome, patients were divided into three groups according to the severity of the clinical picture, as evaluated by the Inherited Ataxias Progression Scale (IAPS). Statistical analysis of the three groups' raw scores showed a significant decrement in patients with more severe clinical pictures on verbal short-term memory tasks. A similar trend, but not significant, was seen for general intelligence tests and verbal learning tasks. The decrement of verbal short-term memory could be related to motor speech problems. On the other hand, the decline of cognitive abilities over the course of the Autosomal Dominant Cerebellar Ataxia type 1 was not homogeneous enough to ensure statistically reliable trends. Therefore, this cross-sectional study suggests that the progression of the disease is a necessary factor in determining cognitive decline, but it is not sufficient. Other disease-related factors (age at onset, genotypic variety) could play a critical role: among these, the size of the expanded CAG repeats is significantly related to a decline of verbal intelligence and short-term memory in SCA2 patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Pure dysgraphia with relative sparing of lower-case writing.

We describe the cognitive analysis of a patient with acquired pure dysgraphia. She presented a peculiar dissociation between lower- and upper-case handwriting: lower-case writing was relatively spared and showed a significant superiority of words versus nonwords. Upper-case writing and oral spelling did not show lexical effects, but were affected by item length. In all modalities errors consisted mainly of single graphemic substitutions, deletions, insertions and transpositions, resulting in legal or illegal nonwords, and showed a similar distribution across letter positions. These findings were suggestive of an impairment of the graphemic output buffer, which however revealed itself to different degrees in the two handwriting styles.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Exploring visuospatial short-term memory defect in Alzheimer's disease.

The present study aimed at controlling two variables that may affect the visuospatial short-term memory of Alzheimer patients: visuospatial coding efficiency and response modality. Thirty patients affected by Alzheimer-type dementia with relatively spared visuo-perceptual functions were tested under three conditions, all of which employed the same kind of stimuli (visuospatial patterns). At all memory tasks, patients achieved scores significantly lower than those of 30 age- and education-matched normal subjects. Patients did not benefit from longer presentation time, nor did their performance improve with pointing response modality, although they performed perceptual pattern recognition as well as did controls. These data confirm that visuospatial immediate memory capacity is reduced in dementia.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Effect of testing procedure on Corsi's block-tapping task in normal subjects and Alzheimer-type dementia.

Corsi's block-tapping task was given to 30 normal subjects and 38 Alzheimer-type demented patients following two different procedures. The first is the most widely standardized (scoring criterion: 3 correct reproductions out of 5 sequences), while the second is more lenient since it does not require subjects to replicate a certain performance three times. Demented patients' scores were lower than those of controls in both conditions, and scores on the two tasks were significantly correlated for patients and controls. However, the requirement of replicating the visuospatial memory performances was more detrimental for demented patients than for controls so the two procedures cannot be considered equivalent.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Slowly progressive aphasia associated with surface dyslexia.

We report an Italian patient affected by slowly progressive aphasia (SPA) lasting since four years when he first came to our observation. During the successive four years, we documented a progressive language decline resembling transcortical sensory aphasia, associated with a reading disorder corresponding to surface dyslexia, a form extremely rare in patients with native transparent language. His performance at standard intelligence tasks remained in the normal range, without any variation. CT scan showed left temporal atrophy. We emphasize the heterogeneity of the syndrome of SPA and suggest that it can represent one of the pictures of focal cortical degenerative disease, with variable onset, progression, and evolution.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Mixed transcortical aphasia: clinical features and neuroanatomical correlates. A possible role of the right hemisphere.

This paper reports the clinical features of 2 patients affected by mixed transcortical aphasia. Both of them had extensive damage of the left hemisphere. Cerebral blood flow measurement showed a marked decrease in left-hemisphere flow. In particular, speech areas were found to be morphologically and functionally damaged. The present findings, together with a critical review of the literature, served as a starting point for a discussion of linguistic features, diagnostic criteria and classical neuroanatomical interpretation of mixed transcortical aphasia. The possible contribution of the right hemisphere in determining this aphasic syndrome is suggested.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Steroid-induced disappearance of primary central nervous system lymphoma. Clinical, neuroradiological and pathological findings.

A 73-year-old man presented a progressive neurologic syndrome with impairment of multiple cranial nerves, ataxia and limb weakness. Neuroradiological evaluation showed multiple supra and infratentorial lesions, which completely disappeared after steroid treatment on two occasions. These neuroradiological modifications were closely correlated with clinical picture and CSF findings. Post-mortem examination showed multifocal primary CNS immunoblastic large cell lymphoma. Immunohistochemistry showed that the tumor was of B-cell origin.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Immediate memory spans in dementia.

Spatial span (Corsi's block-tapping test) and verbal spans for digits (Wechsler Digits Forward Test) and for words were measured in 30 normal subjects and in 51 demented patients, divided into two groups (mildly demented and severely demented) according to selective clinical and neuropsychological criteria. Statistical analysis showed significant differences among the three groups for spatial span. By contrast, controls' and mildly demented patients' performances on both verbal spans were not significantly different. These findings are discussed in the light of theory about working memory.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

A case of Dejerine-Sottas disease with prominent ataxia and brain stem involvement. A clinical, electrophysiological, otoneurologic, and ultrastructural study.

A case is presented of Dejerine-Sottas disease in a 12-year-old boy in which clinical signs made diagnosis of Friedreich's ataxia seem plausible. Based on marked slowing of motor conduction velocity, the sural nerve biopsy findings of a hypertrophic neuropathy with hypo- and demyelination of the nerve fibres, as well as the clinical history, the diagnosis of Dejerine-Sottas disease was made. ABR examination suggested involvement of brain stem at the roots and/or nuclei of the eighth cranial nerve, without involvement of higher structures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Verbal and spatial memory span in patients with extrapyramidal diseases.

Spatial span (Corsi's block-tapping test) and verbal span (Wechsler's Digits Forward test) were measured in 651 normal subjects and in three groups of extrapyramidal patients (Progressive supranuclear palsy, Parkinson, and Huntington's Chorea). Analysis showed Huntington's Chorea patients scored lower on both tests than did controls and other groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Effects of age, education and sex on two tests of immediate memory: a study of normal subjects from 20 to 99 years of age.

Spatial span (Corsi's block-tapping test) and verbal span (Wechsler Digits Forward) were measured in 1354 normal subjects, aged from 20 to 99 yr., who were subdivided into seven age groups, into three groups according to education, and according to sex. Analysis of variance showed that the three main factors were significant for the spatial span test. The two spans examined held well up to the 60s, and only after this age did significant differences appear in the other age groups. On both tests there were significant differences between the groups divided according to education.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Non invasive study of carotid arteries by echo-doppler and metabolic abnormalities in patients with dementia.

In order to evaluate the prevalence of common and/or internal carotid stenoses together with metabolic abnormalities in dementia nineteen patients were investigated. Dementia and differential diagnosis between Alzheimer type (DAT) and multi-infarctual (MID) dementia were performed on the basis of Computerized Tomography scan, behavioural anamnesis, neurological and neuropsychological examinations. Eight patients were diagnosed as MID and 11 as DAT. Noninvasive study of neck arteries was performed in supine position by a Duplex Scanner, able of detecting a wide range of stenosis, even when very mild. Arterial hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and high hematocrit level were present in both groups, although to a higher extent in MID (p 0.05). Results from Duplex Scanner demonstrate 12 vascular stenoses 16-49% and one between 50-99% (13/76), being vascular abnormalities equally distributed among DAT and MID patients. These data suggest that patients with metabolic abnormalities and arteriosclerosis can develop dementia not necessarily of vascular type. On the other hand, MID patients do not present higher number of stenosis as compared to DAT, indicating that vascular disease of carotid arteries is not prominent in the clinical context of dementia.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Sex differences in a children's spatial serial-learning task.

Boys (n = 80) and girls (n = 80) aged 9 to 10 completed a spatial-span test and a spatial serial-learning task. Corsi's block-tapping test was used for both. Sex differences were found on each: males performed better in both cases. The better performance of males on the spatial serial-learning task was independent of their superiority in the spatial-span test.

Child↗