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Biomedical subjects

P Solzi

Publications and source records attributed to P Solzi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

The threshold-of-interference test: a new test of interhemispheric suppression in brain injury.

A new procedural version of the Willeford competing sentences test (Willeford. Audiol Hear Educ 1976;2:12-20) is introduced here for use with brain damaged patients. The threshold-of-interference test seeks the minimal level of the competing sentences at which the patient can no longer repeat the message at the test ear. Findings are reported for normal controls and for brain damaged adults, with clinical data and computerized axial tomography scan evidence. The threshold-of-interference test appears to be efficient, quick in administration, and particularly useful in exposing auditory processing anomalies, especially in right hemisphere damage.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Urinary continence after stroke: association with cystometric profile and computerised tomography findings.

Repeated cystometry was performed in 17 patients after a cerebrovascular accident. Cranial computerised tomography (CT) was performed in all patients. In this series, urinary continence showed a significant correlation both with cystometric bladder tone and with the CT brain findings. The most favourable prognostic factors for urinary continence were a non-hypertonic bladder and absence of extensive brain lesions.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Interhemispheric suppression: a test of central auditory function.

Two groups of brain damaged adults, those with cerebrocranial injury (CCI) and victims of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) were tested with the competing sentences test of Willeford (In: Central Auditory Dysfunction. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1977: Chap 2). The main purpose was the exposure of functional disorders of communication in such patients who test within normal or near-normal limits on routine audiological testing and also on tests for aphasia. Of 142 serially admitted CCI patients, 43%, many with diffuse lesions, gave abnormal responses, mostly at the left ear, with 19 of them showing total extinction at that ear. On two sound field competing message tests the CCI patients were significantly poorer than normal controls. CVA patients with confirmed right hemisphere lesions tended strongly toward left ear suppression, while left hemisphere damaged patients often showed bilateral drop in scores. It is clear that brain damaged patients can have central dysfunction of auditory processing despite normal findings on routine audiological tests and tests for aphasia. The implications for activities of daily living and for habilitation are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Evaluation of Tinel's and Phalen's signs in diagnosis of the carpal tunnel syndrome.

In 80 upper extremities clinically suspected of carpal tunnel syndrome, electromyography (EMG) was performed and the Phalen and Tinel signs were sought. These two signs showed relatively low sensitivity (60-67%) and specificity (59-77%) despite a statistically significant association with the EMG findings. These two signs are not reliable as clinical criteria for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Temporal changes in electrophysiological, clinical and radiological parameters in the hemiplegic's shoulder.

The relationship between electrophysiological, clinical and radiological parameters in the shoulder of hemiplegic patients was examined in a group of 24 subjects. Measurements and observations were made about the fourth month after CVA and again some eight months later. Total follow-up period extended to a maximum of 28 months. Electrophysiological tests included concentric needle EMG and conduction tests. In the shoulder X-ray four stages were described: normal, V-shaped space, initial subluxation and advanced subluxation. The presence of pain, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, atrophy and return of movement were registered. The most striking findings, consistent with lower motor neuron lesion, were those of parallel changes in axillary nerve latencies (obtained through stimulation from Erb's point) and shoulder X-ray stage. Age and time lapse between examinations turned out to be significantly related to such changes: younger patients did better and changes were registered even after one year from the first examination. An anatomical explanation linking the axillary nerve with humeral head disposition on the hemiplegic side is offered.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗
PubMed1985

Criteria for referral of CVA patients for rehabilitation.

A multi-stage follow-up project is in progress at the Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital. In the first stage, a group of 153 patients was examined while in the acute phase of CVA (1 to 5 days from stroke), and again 6 months later, by a physician, a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist. Medical, demographical and functional profiles were determined. The most severe cases were admitted for rehabilitation and those with apparently good functioning ability were discharged to their homes. Six months later, the group referred for rehabilitation remained at a very low functional level (35% of them were still at the rehabilitation hospital); on the other hand, those sent home were lacking in general function (37%), in spite of their good ADL and hand performance. Most strikingly, 72% were not engaged in any meaningful activity. Age proved to be a strongly limiting factor. A more selective criterion for referral is required, while allowing patients with medium-grade cognitive and locomotor disturbances the chance of admission to rehabilitation.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1985

Age and aphasic syndromes.

275 patients with CVA and 62 with CCI were examined within one month of the event and again, after 4-6 months. Previous reports have indicated that the average age of patients with Wernicke's aphasia is significantly higher than that of Broca's aphasia. Our findings after the second examination, support these reports. First month examinations, however, showed only a weak trend, lacking statistical significance. Our findings did not show more fluent aphasia in older patients than in younger ones. There is minimal literature on the positive relationship between age and auditory comprehension in aphasia. We found this to be the most highly correlated relationship. Our studies emphasize the importance of changes during the early post-event period in comparing aphasic syndromes in older versus younger patients, since there is a clear shift in the age/syndrome relationship in that period. Age differences in such changes can affect prognosis for rehabilitation.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Type of aphasia: relationship to age, sex, previous risk factors, and outcome of rehabilitation.

Relationship of types of aphasia in hemiplegics to survival, outcome of rehabilitation, activities of daily living (ADL) and pre-existing risk factors, hypertension (HT), ischemic heart disease (IHD), diabetes mellitus (DM) were studied in a group of 257 patients. The control group was a large population of CVA cases previously documented. Four main categories were considered: expressive-receptive (global), predominantly expressive (Broca), predominantly receptive (Wernicke) and predominantly amnestic (anomia) aphasias. 40% of each category were female. No clear pattern emerged concerning relationship with risk factors; however, hypertension, the factor most frequently encountered, was significantly less prevalent among expressive ahphasics, and diabetes mellitus was rare among those with the receptive pattern. For all categories, the most frequent etiology was thrombosis, the second being embolia. The oldest groups were the expressive-receptive and the predominantly receptive aphasia groups: showed the poorest rehabilitation outcome in both ADL and locomotion, and lived less time after stroke (5.8 years). Amnestic and expressive patients were younger and fared better in all other parameters; an etiology of embolia was much more frequent among the former. It can be said that patients with the expressive-receptive kind of aphasia have the worst survival and rehabilitation prognoses.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1985

Auditory perception in patients with CVA without aphasia.

Tests of central auditory function were performed variously on 64 patients with hemiplegia who had suffered a single stroke but with minimal or no aphasia symptoms and with essentially normal hearing. Both right and left hemisphere lesions were represented for comparison of effects on the tests. Reports of central auditory dysfunction generally assume localization in the temporal lobes. Since it was apparent that our tests were revealing positive findings in patients in whom there was no recognized evidence of temporal lobe involvement we deliberately selected for one study 34 patients without clinical signs of such lesions. The tests required selective listening in which patients had to a) perceive and repeat a prime message in the presence of a simultaneously competing meaningful message, either under earphones or in the sound field (loudspeaker), and b) repeat all words in a classic dichotic listening task. The tests reveal different dysfunctions in right vs left hemisphere damage and document that compensatory transfer of function from the usually dominant left side to the fight hemisphere usually occurs only in young children. The dysfunctions appear to be unrelated to temporal lobe lesions.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Glenohumeral malalignment in the hemiplegic shoulder. An early radiologic sign.

A new radiologic sign is described which seems to diagnose an early presubluxation phase of glenohumeral malalignment in hemiplegic shoulders. The sign consists of a V-shaped widening of the upper part of the space between the humeral head and the glenoid cavity on anteroposterior shoulder films in the erect position. Twelve of 14 patients showing this sign went on to develop chronically painful shoulders, and four of them developed radiologically evident subluxation within several months. The sign may be helpful in diagnosing shoulder pathology following stroke at an early stage, when orthotic measures may still have preventive value.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Pure sensory polyneuropathy of herpes virus origin associated with meningoencephalitis. A case report.

A patient who had meningoencephalitis and corneal inflammation originating in a herpes virus infection sustained severe pure sensory polyneuropathy with superficial pain sensitivity and proprioceptive sensory deficits. The sensory deficiencies were diagnosed both in clinical and in electromyographic testings. The clinical EMG picture pointed to a pure sensory polyneuroplathy with a viral background according to blood serum and CSF examinations.

Herpesviridae Infections↗
PubMed1978

Dynamic features of standing and their correlation with neurological disorders.

Standing posture is a result of complex activity of the human control system. Irregularities of postural control may be expected to result in deviations from normal standing. In the present study a ballistic monitoring technique was employed to establish criteria for assessment of postural disorders. Two "Kistler" force plate dynamometers were used to measure changes in the weight bearing components of each foot and displacement of the center of pressure of each foot. The patterns were analysed separately, and it was found that each of the monitored parameters demonstrated three modes of oscillation--termed Tremor, Ataxia and Sway. Statistical analysis conducted on three groups of subjects (normals, post-C.V.A. hemiplegics and brain injured) revealed significant intergroup differences in movement patterns. Good agreement was found between the interpretation of the ballistic features and the clinical diagnosis.

Ataxia↗
PubMed1977

FGP assessment of postural disorders during the process of rehabilitation.

Application of the newly developed footground pressure pattern (F.G.P.) method to a number of cranio-cerebral injured patients (C.C.I.) as well as to hemiplegics and normal subjects is made. The postural disorders in standing are assessed through modifications of the F.G.P. and different stages of the rehabilitation process may be followed up. Special parameters of the standing posture, which characterize its disorders, are presented; a diagonal pressure pattern is described. The visual qualitative analysis of the pressure pattern may also be directly useful in the physiotherapy treatment.

Biomedical Engineering↗
PubMed1975

Periarticular new bone formation in patients suffering from severe head injuries.

A total of 35 cases of periarticular new bone formation (PNBF) was observed among 160 patients with coma following severe craniocerebral trauma. All cases were associated with blunt trauma and none with penetrating wounds. Only 6 of 500 cases of acute non-traumatic hemiplegia developed PNBR, and all 6 of them followed craniotomy, brain surgery and coma. New bone formation first appeared mainly between 50 and 120 days after craniocerebral injury with prolonged coma. Three-quarters of the patients with PNBF showed involvement of the shoulder joint, but this was not associated with previous subluxation. Metabolic studies were done in some patients; no disturbances were found in the metabolism of calcium, phosphorus or alkaline phosphatase. The pathologic process of PNBF seemed to stabilize some 6 to 8 months following trauma, and surgery after this period produced functional improvement in the 3 patients in whom it was tried. No satisfactory pathophysiological explanation has been found for the phenomenon of PNBR. Prolonged coma is common to all patients who suffered from PNBF and is probably an etiologic factor. The absence of PNBF in cases of cerebrovascular accident with subluxations of the gleno-humeral joint and intensive physiotherapy seems to contradict the suggestion of microtrauma as an etiological factor.

Adult↗