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Biomedical subjects

R Di Perri

Publications and source records attributed to R Di Perri.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Tuberculous meningitis: a retrospective survey of 22 cases.

Clinical and biological findings likely to constitute prognostic factors were analyzed in a retrospective survey of 22 cases of tuberculous meningitis. In particular, associations between clinical and biological findings (clinical grade on admission, normal and abnormal CSF protein and glucose values) and outcome of illness were sought. On admission 16 patients had altered consciousness, 11 hemiparesis and 7 sixth cranial nerve paresis. Meningeal signs were present in all subjects. 7 had a positive culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. 9 patients recovered completely, 7 had serious late sequelae, 6 died. Prognosis appeared to be correlated to neurological status at admission.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Computerized tomography in amyotrophic choreo-acanthocytosis.

CT has been performed in five patients affected by amyotrophic choreo-acanthocytosis (ACA) and bicaudate diameter, bicaudate index and frontal horn/bicaudate ratio (FH/CC) have been evaluated. Findings have been confirmatory of caudate nuclei atrophy as shown by previous ACA autopsy reports, but did not differ from Huntington's chorea CT picture. There was no correlation between CT measurements and age, illness duration or degree of hyperkinesia in contradistinction to that reported for Huntington's chorea.

Acanthocytes↗
PubMed1987

An epidemiological study of the clinical impact of pharmacokinetic anticonvulsant drug interactions based on serum drug level analysis.

The impact of pharmacokinetic anticonvulsant drug interactions on prescribing patterns and serum drug level distribution in a routine clinical setting was evaluated in a population of 848 patients chronically treated with phenytoin, phenobarbital, carbamazepine and valproic acid (either alone or as two-drug combinations) and referred for therapeutic drug monitoring for the first time. While dosages of each drug did not differ significantly between monotherapy and polytherapy patients, significant differences in serum level distribution were found. The proportion of patients with suboptimal serum carbamazepine and valproic acid levels (less than 4 and less than 50 micrograms/ml, respectively) was much greater in the polytherapy than in the monotherapy groups, probably as a consequence of induction of carbamazepine and valproic acid metabolism by combined anticonvulsants. Conversely, the proportion of phenobarbital levels above the upper limit of the optimal range (40 micrograms/ml) was greater among patients receiving phenytoin in combination than among patients taking phenobarbital alone, presumably as a result of phenytoin-induced inhibition of barbiturate metabolism. The therapeutic implications of these findings are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Pentylenetetrazol-induced spike wave discharges in rats: a polygraphic study.

14 male Wistar rats were studied, before and after pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) 20 mg/kg i.p., since a petit mal-like electroclinical pattern, either spontaneous or PTZ-induced was recently described in a breeding station where this strain is raised. In particular, surface EEG, muscular, respiratory and cardiac activities were recorded in order to detect possible clinical-electroencephalographic correlations. Spontaneous epileptic phenomena were never observed. In all the animals PTZ-induced short, usually generalized and synchronous spike wave discharges often concomitant with rhythmic twitches of the vibrissae. Epileptic bursts were related to arousal level, disappearing during motor behavior and arousing stimuli. Moreover individual discharges could be interrupted by a sudden noise. Photosensitivity was not present. Muscular tone and autonomic functions were not affected. The features of PTZ-induced generalized nonconvulsive seizures in rats are compared to those of cat penicillin epilepsy and human petit mal.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Fahr's syndrome: local inflammatory factors in the pathogenesis of calcification.

Three cases of Fahr's syndrome are described. All patients had disturbances of calcium metabolism and had had a meningoencephalitis in childhood. It is suggested that gliovascular changes, induced by cerebral inflammation, can later facilitate the occurrence of calcification of the striopallidodentate system when abnormality of calcium metabolism develops.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Interictal EEG pattern in rabbit penicillin epilepsy.

The effects of Na-penicillin G (1,000,000 I.U./kg i.v.) were studied in 28 rabbits implanted with surface and deep electrodes in the medial (mT) and lateral (lT) nuclei of the thalamus and in the cornu Ammonis dorsalis (CAd). Attention was focused on interictal spike activity, cortical spindle activity and spikes-spindles relationship. A multifocal interictal EEG pattern, represented by cortical and thalamic spikes, was observed in 20 animals. A clear association between cortical spikes and spindles occurred almost constantly. Moreover a statistically significant increase in the average duration of spindles without changes in the average frequency was noticed. Seizure discharges had always a focal start and secondary generalization. The EEG features of parenteral penicillin epilepsy in the rabbit appeared to be more similar to those of the rat than to those of the cat. The spindle activity changes and the paroxysmal spike activity can be interpreted as two independent penicillin induced features appearing during raised cortical excitability periods.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1986

Carbamazepine-viloxazine interaction in patients with epilepsy.

In six depressed epileptic patients stabilised on carbamazepine therapy, addition of the antidepressant agent viloxazine (300 mg/day for three weeks) induced a marked (average 55%) increase in steady-state plasma carbamazepine concentration. The concentration of the active metabolite carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide also increased during viloxazine therapy, but to a lesser extent (16%). In three patients, these effects were associated with symptoms of carbamazepine intoxication, which regressed rapidly when plasma carbamazepine and carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide levels returned to baseline values after discontinuation of viloxazine. In a seventh patient, viloxazine had to be discontinued after only two weeks because of severe side effects associated with a striking elevation of carbamazepine and carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide levels (by 197% and 137% respectively). Although viloxazine appears to be one of the few antidepressants which can be used safely in patients with epilepsy these results indicate that the drug should be prescribed with great caution in subjects treated with carbamazepine. The mechanism of the interaction probably involves inhibition of the metabolism of both carbamazepine and its active epoxide metabolite.

Adult↗