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Biomedical subjects

M Shimohira

Publications and source records attributed to M Shimohira.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

[A case of neonatal meningitis due to Flavobacterium meningosepticum successfully treated with cefmetazole and cefotaxime].

A 3-day-old male infant, weighing 3,413 g and a gestational age of 38 weeks developed neonatal meningitis due to Flavobacterium meningosepticum. Treatment with cefmetazole and cefotaxime led him to a complete recovery without neurologic deficit. Of 82 previously published cases under 1 year old, 41 cases died and 16 of survivors developed hydrocephalus because the organism was resistant to many antibiotics. Therapy of meningitis due to the organism has not been standardized but the early laboratory identification and the choice of effective and safe antibiotics determined by antimicrobial sensitivity test improve the outcome.

Cefmetazole↗

Effect of alpha-methyldopa administration during pregnancy on the development of a child's sleep.

A male infant was born to a mother who had been suffering from primary hyperaldosteronism with the administration of alpha-methyldopa (MD) during pregnancy. His behavioral development, especially that of sleep, was studied by means of sleep-awake rhythm and polysomnography recordings (PSG) from 2 months to 2 years and 5 months of age. His daily sleep-awake rhythm showed some abnormal pattern. As to the PSG, the proportion of each sleep stage was normal and the two types of body movements (BM) showed various patterns. A paradoxical increase was seen in the twitch movement of some muscles. MD affects the catecholamine system in the CNS and human sleep. Since the sleep-awake rhythm and BM are thought to be related to the monoaminergic system in the CNS, we assume that his behavior and sleep disorders are the effects of the maternal MD administration during pregnancy.

Brain↗

Polygraphical study on age dependent epileptic encephalopathy--relationship between body movements during sleep and prognosis.

Body movements (BMs) during sleep in patients with age dependent epileptic encephalopathy (ADEE) were studied polysomnographically in order to clarify the underlying mechanism of intractability and the age dependent trend. Twenty patients were divided into two groups according to the prognosis of convulsions. In the good prognosis group, BMs were nearly normal except for a low frequency in some cases. In the intractable group with seizures which were uncontrollable by medication and recurred within a year, BMs showed abnormalities as follows: abnormal distribution according to sleep stages, and/or a low frequency; increased BMs on therapy with prednisolone or ACTH. Moreover, a paradoxical increase of BMs with age and recurrence of seizures concomitantly occurred in the course of the disease. Status epilepticus appeared in cases under 1-DOPA administration or with a strikingly high frequency of BMs. Since electrophysiological evidence indicates that BMs during sleep are modulated by the dopaminergic (DA) system, the present data might suggest that prognosis of convulsions in ADEE depend upon, at least in part, the DA system. And denervated supersensitivity of that system might give rise to recurrence of seizures and status epilepticus.

Adolescent↗

A case of chronic epileptic encephalopathy of neonatal onset. A probable concern of human cytomegalovirus.

A 10-year-old male patient, who had suffered from intractable convulsions from the neonatal period, is presented. Serial brain images suggested slow, gradual destruction of neural elements. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) DNA was detected in his cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by means of the polymerase chain reaction. Intrathecal interferon had a favorable effect on his seizures. We assume a close relationship between HCMV and some chronic types of epileptic encephalitis/encephalopathy.

Cytomegalovirus↗

Brainstem control of phasic muscle activity during REM sleep: a review and hypothesis.

For the generation of phasic muscle activity during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, strong motor excitation to overcome both tonic and phasic inhibition is needed at the motoneuron level. Descending pathways originating in the rostral pons (cholinoceptive (nucleus reticularis pontis oralis-->nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis, peri-locus coeruleus pars alpha-->nucleus reticularis magnocellularis) and cholinergic (pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus-->nucleus reticularis paramedianus) pathways) are involved in motor inhibition during REM sleep. Since the origins of excitatory drives related to phasic muscle activity during REM sleep are also in the brainstem, the occurrence of phasic muscle activity can be said to be determined by brainstem activity. We review the basic and clinical studies on phasic muscle activity during REM sleep and propose the possibility that it can be a beneficial parameter for assessing brainstem activity, especially in relation to its maturation during early stage of life.

Animals↗