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Biomedical subjects

M Gourie-Devi

Publications and source records attributed to M Gourie-Devi.

54 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Madras pattern of motor neuron disease in South India.

This paper presents the clinical features in 12 patients with the Madras pattern of motor neuron disease (MMND) seen over a period of 10 years. Ten of the patients were from other parts of South India, outside Madras. Young age at onset, sporadic occurrence, sensorineural deafness, bulbar palsy, diffuse atrophy with weakness of limbs and progressive but benign course were the striking features. Electromyography revealed chronic partial denervation. MMND formed 3.7% of all forms of motor neuron disease. Although isolated cases have been seen elsewhere in India, this is the first report of a large number of patients of MMND seen outside Madras (Tamil Nadu). Recognition of this clinical syndrome is of importance for prognostication and as well for search of possible aetiological factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Bruxism: its significance in coma.

Bruxism, the phenomenon of non-functional grinding of the teeth has been ascribed to various causes. Twenty patients with coma from different causes who displayed bruxism were studied with an attempt to correlate the phenomenon to the level of consciousness, eye movements, respiration, cold caloric test, motor deficits and sleep wake cycles. Bruxism was seen to appear at different levels of consciousness, but to disappear only after a significant improvement in the level of consciousness. A relationship with the appearance of sleep wake cycles was also seen.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Phrenic nerve conduction time in Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Phrenic nerve conduction was studied in 28 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Conduction time was prolonged in 18 (64.3%) patients and serial studies showed progressive improvement with restoration of normal values in the majority by 12 weeks. The conduction abnormalities had a positive correlation with the extent of the disease, morbidity and mortality. Phrenic nerve conduction time was found to be a more sensitive parameter than vital capacity or median nerve motor conduction velocity in assessing the severity of the disease and predicting impending ventilatory failure.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1984

Monomelic amyotrophy.

From 1977 through 1981, we examined 23 patients with single-limb atrophy. Thirteen had upper-limb and ten had lower-limb involvement. The characteristic clinical features were insidious onset in the second and third decades, male preponderance, sporadic occurrence, wasting and weakness confined to one limb, and absence of involvement of the cranial nerves, cerebrum, brain stem, and sensory system. The electromyographic features, along with histologic features of neurogenic atrophy, were suggestive of an anterior horn cell lesion. The slow progression of illness for two to four years followed by a stationary phase was observed. There was no clinical evidence of involvement of the other three limbs even in patients with long-standing illness of ten to 15 years' duration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Intrathecal hyaluronidase treatment of chronic spinal arachnoiditis of noninfective etiology.

Fifteen cases of spinal arachnoiditis of noninfective etiology were treated with intrathecal hyaluronidase. In 10 patients, no obvious cause was evident; in four patients, arachnoiditis was the result of disk prolapse; and in one it followed spinal surgery. Fifteen hundred international units of hyaluronidase was injected intrathecally at intervals of 7-14 days. Four to nine injections (mean, 5.9) were given to each patient, and the patients were observed for 3-30 months (mean, 9.7). The effect of the treatment was assessed by the change in clinical grading from the pretreatment phase to the last examination. Satisfactory improvement was observed in 11 patients (73.3%) and "mild" recovery was observed in three patients. Because of this therapeutic efficacy and lack of serious toxic effects, intrathecally administered hyaluronidase appears to be of value in the management of spinal arachnoiditis.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Isolation of West Nile virus from the brains of children who had died of encephalitis.

The isolation of West Nile virus from the brain tissue of three children who died of encephalitis in Mysore and Kolar districts of Karnataka State, India, is reported. This is the first such report from India. The significance of these isolations with reference to the role of West Nile virus in encephalitis in children in southern India is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Hyaluronidase as an adjuvant in the treatment of cranial arachnoiditis (hydrocephalus and optochiasmatic arachnoiditis) complicating tuberculous meningitis.

Use of subarachnoid/intraventricular administration of hyaluronidase in the treatment of 15 cases of cranial arachnoiditis which occurred as a complication of tuberculous meningitis is reported. Eleven of these cases had communicating hydrocephalus and four had optochiasmatic arachnoiditis. An average of 4.5 injections were administered at weekly to fortnightly intervals. These patients had been followed-up for a mean period of 6.1 months per patient. Serious side effects such as flare-up of the underlying meningitis process, miliary spread of tuberculosis, convulsions or allergic reactions were not observed. Improvement of sensorium and/or neurological deficit was observed in 14 of the 15 cases. A clinically comparable group of 15 cases subjected to shunt surgery (14) and ventricular drainage (1) were considered as "control". This medical method of treatment appears to be superior to shunt surgery and offers a simpler alternative line of management of cranial arachnoiditis/hydrocephalus complicating tuberculous meningitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Inclusion body myositis (IBM).

Clinical, histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features of 5 cases of inclusion body myositis -4 sporadic (s-IBM) and one hereditary (h-IBM) form are described. These patients (3 men, 2 women) had chronic progressive weakness of varying severity in all 4 extremities with sparing of cranial muscles. Elevation of CPK was noted in 2 patients. Electromyography revealed features of myopathy in 4 and additional neurogenic changes in 2 subjects. Clinical diagnosis was often other than inclusion body myositis. Presence of characteristic eosinophilic inclusions within the vacuoles established the diagnosis. The inclusions were congophilic and showed positivity to ubiquitin, beta-amyloid and SMI-31 in the sporadic cases while congophila was absent in the hereditary form. Immunostaining to hyperphosphorylated-tau was negative in both s-IBM and h-IBM. Membraneous whorls were observed at ultrastructural level. None of the patients improved with steroids and trial with other immunosuppressants was unsuccessful.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Greater auricular nerve conduction in leprosy.

Greater auricular sensory nerve conduction was performed in 18 'control' subjects (36 nerves) and normal values for various parameters were determined. In 10 (16 nerves) of the 12 (24 nerves) leprosy patients in whom similar study was performed, abnormal conduction was found. All the eight thickened nerves and 8 of 16 clinically normal nerves in leprosy patients were found to have electrophysiological abnormalities. The usefulness of this procedure in the diagnosis of leprosy is emphasised.

Adolescent↗