The dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second major type of senile, degenerative dementia, after the Alzheimer disease (AD). It is characterized by the presence of cytoplasmic inclusions of alpha-synuclein in the cerebral cortex and in the nuclei of the brain stem. DLB patients frequently have complex visual hallucinations, depressive symptoms, Parkinsonian manifestations and cognitive deficits, showing important associations with the Parkinson disease and the AD. The DLB should be differentiated from atypical Parkinsonisms, but the differential diagnosis often remains difficult and unsafe. Clinical and neuropathological findings, as well as neuroimaging are valuable tools in establishing specific diagnosis of DLB. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, dopamine-agonists, benzodiazepines of short or medium half-life, and antidepressants may be useful in the treatment of DLB, depending on the dominant symptoms of the given patients.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Transient global amnesia and cerebral infarct: a case report.

Transient global amnesia refers to a sudden and isolated dysfunction of memory for recent events, lasting a few hours. The pathogenesis of this neurological disorder is still uncertain. The most accepted hypotheses concern ischaemic, epileptic and migraine causes. We now report a case of transient global amnesia associated with computed tomography evidence for a hypodense area in the left thalamus 10 days after the transient memory dysfunctions.

Amnesia↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Homologous and heterologous adenylate cyclase system desensitization in glial cells.

In the present research the desensitization of adenylate cyclase system induced by isoproterenol (IPR), a beta-adrenergic agonist, in primary glial cell cultures and the effects of an exposure to 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) on the response to a subsequent stimulation with IPR have been investigated. A pretreatment with the phosphodiesterase inhibitor IBMX induced refractoriness to a subsequent IPR challenge suggesting a possible involvement of cAMP in heterologous desensitization. Moreover the present results show that IPR desensitized cells in confluent cultures retained a normal response to cholera toxin, while IBMX treated cells exhibited a reduced response to the toxin. So IPR induces a rather specific desensitization while IBMX induced refractoriness seems to be non specific.

1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome: a systematic review].

Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome is more frequent than once believed. This syndrome is a chronic disorder whose long term outcome is generally favourable, characterized by a fluctuating course. The etiopathogenesis of Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome has not been ascertained, although the frontal-subcortical neural pathways seem to be involved. This extrapyramidal syndrome is frequently associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and behaviour problems. A correct diagnosis is the first step for a proper management of this disorder, which makes use of behavioural and pharmacological interventions.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The H2-antagonist therapy withdrawal syndrome: the possible role of hyperprolactinemia].

Patients previously treated with H2-receptor blocking agents (cimetidine or ranitidine) exhibited a complex neurobehavioral and gastroenteric syndrome, including anxiety, insomnia, anorexia, growing thin, irritability, tachycardia, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, vertigo. These symptoms were dramatically reduced by administration of cimetidine or ranitidine, and reappeared with a new suspension of the therapy. The withdrawal syndrome from H2-receptor antagonists was reversed by treatment with domperidone (10 mg three times per day), a potent hyperprolactinaemic drug which does not cross the blood brain barrier. These results suggest that the drop in prolactin levels that occurs when cimetidine or ranitidine are suspended may contribute to the development of the withdrawal syndrome.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Tardive dyskinesia. A possible complication of chronic treatment with neuroleptics].

Tardive dyskinesia consists of abnormal involuntary movements at the oro-facial area (mouth, tongue, maxillary) or generalized choreoathetotic disorders of the limbs and trunk occurring in at least 10-20% of chronically neuropsychiatric patients exposed to neuroleptics. Age (over 50), gender (female), affective disorders, individual predisposition, type of drug, dosage and duration of neuroleptic exposure (over 3 months), anticholinergics, appear to be risk factors. In this brief review some current pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical therapeutical trials are also discussed.

Antipsychotic Agents↗