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Biomedical subjects

R Laaksonen

Publications and source records attributed to R Laaksonen.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Pattern of language impairment is different in Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia.

Language impairment was assessed in 33 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), in 52 patients with multi-infarct dementia (MID), and in 86 elderly community residents. The investigation included the D-Test Battery based on the Luria's Neuropsychological Investigation for all subjects. An extended battery of Luria's language items was used for 30 demented patients (11 AD and 19 MID patients) and 86 controls. The changes in language functions in normal subjects could be clearly differentiated from those seen in patients with mild dementia. The patients with different degrees of dementia differed also significantly from each other in regard to language impairment. Moreover, patients with AD and MID appeared to have different patterns of language impairment although the severity of dementia and the levels of orientation, mnestic, and conceptual functions were equal. AD was associated especially with a defect in understanding of grammatical structures and MID with disorders in recognition of words, naming, and repetition. The differential diagnostic capacity of 23 selected language items proved to be 97% between AD, MID, and control subjects. The results indicate that the examination of language functions is valuable in the differential diagnosis of dementia.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

EEG in the differential diagnosis between Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

Demented patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 67), multi-infarct dementia (MID) (n = 77) and probable vascular dementia (PVD) (n = 45) were studied with electroencephalography (EEG). All patients underwent a routine EEG examination and quantitative EEG was recorded from 14 patients with AD, 20 with MID, and 12 with PVD. The patient groups did not differ in regard to sex, age, education, or degree of dementia. Diffuse abnormality of EEG increased in AD, while driving response to photic stimulation and the mean frequency of background activity decreased in all groups with increasing degree of dementia. In quantitative EEG, the percentage of alpha power decreased and those of theta and delta power increased relative to the degree of dementia. Focal abnormalities, and irritative (spikes and/or sharp waves) and slow wave paroxysms were more common in MID than in AD. Patients with different types of dementia did not differ significantly in regard to diffuse abnormality, occurrence of driving response, mean background frequency, or parameters of quantitative EEG. The mean frequency of background activity and the degree of diffuse abnormality correlated with central and cortical atrophy, white matter low attenuation seen on computed tomography, and with neuropsychological findings.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Behavioral assessment of patients treated with alpha-interferon.

To document behavioral effects of interferon (IFN) with daily consecutive assessments we developed an easily administered procedure for bedside testing. It included assessment of mental control and affective behavior, and a self-assessment questionnaire. The method was evaluated in 9 lung cancer patients before and during the treatment with alpha-IFN and the results were supplemented with those obtained by a neuropsychological test battery of one of the patients. The latter tests covered memory, visuoperceptual, visuoconstructional, speech, language, intellectual and psychomotor functions, reading, writing, and calculation. The bedside method was capable of revealing the essential effects of IFN on human behavior, i.e. irritability, slowing of behavior, dyscoordination, and motor perseveration. Consequently, the bedside testing method is recommended for frequently repeated clinical assessments of aberrant behavior of patients treated with IFN, while neuropsychological test batteries serve better for testing situations requiring more detailed and quantified data of localization value.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Quality of life 4 years after stroke.

The quality of life for 46 stroke survivors under the age of 65 years in a stroke register was studied 4 years after their first stroke. A questionnaire covering four domains of life (working conditions, activities at home, family relationships, and leisure time activities) was used for investigation of the quality of life. The results showed that in spite of a good recovery in terms of discharge from the hospital, activities of daily living, and return to work, the quality of life of most patients (83%) had not been restored to the prestroke level. Deterioration among the several domains of life ranged from 39% to 80%, the lowest being in the domain of activities at home and the highest in the domain of leisure time activities. Hemispheral localization of the lesion, paresis, coordination disturbances, and especially subjective tendency to depression were highly correlated with a deterioration in the quality of life. Dependence in activities of daily living and an inability to return to work were also associated with the lack of restoration. Our results suggest that much more attention should be paid to the quality of life of stroke patients.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1988

Rapid discrimination of Julesz's texton patterns in patients with cerebral lesions.

Rapid visual discrimination in patients with unilateral cerebral lesions was investigated using a search task. Both the exposure duration of search arrays and the difference in the texton content between the target pattern and the background patterns were varied. Patients could detect the targets with a large texton difference more rapidly than the targets with a small difference.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed1988

Dementia-like, largely reversible syndrome after cranial irradiation and prolonged interferon treatment.

An elderly man with small cell lung cancer developed a largely reversible, dementia-like syndrome after cranial irradiation and prolonged treatment with interferon (IFN). The development of the symptoms started 2 months after cranial irradiation following more than 2 years of IFN treatment. The behavioral impairment did not suggest any specific brain localization. The dementia-like behaviour may be due to a combined effect of irradiation and IFN.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Neuropsychological differentiation between normal aging, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

A random sample of 182 elderly community residents and 211 demented patients were studied using the D-Test Battery based on the Luria's neuropsychological investigation method. A steady but selective cognitive impairment was observed with increasing age in normal healthy subjects. The most sensitive areas of cognition to the effects of normal aging were mnestic and conceptual functions, as well as arithmetical skills. The age-related changes could be clearly differentiated from the changes found in patients with mild degree of dementia. The test also differentiated patients with mild, moderate and severe dementia from each other on the basis of their social competence. It failed to demonstrate specific patterns of impairment and to clearly differentiate between patients with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia who had the same degree of cognitive decline. Further qualitative analyses are needed to improve the sensitivity and specificity of the test.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Dementia after stroke.

The aim of this 4-year follow-up study was to find out how often dementia appears after stroke in unselected material. All patients younger than 65 years (52) still alive 4 years after stroke in a stroke register (total 255 patients) were studied neurologically and neuropsychologically. Three patients with brain infarction filled the criteria for mild dementia. This is more than was to be expected. All 3 demented patients could be classified as multi-infarct dementia. The findings concerning dementia are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Four-year prognosis of stroke patients with visuospatial inattention.

The four-year prognosis of patients with visuospatial inattention in a stroke register (altogether 255 patients) was studied. Sixty-six surviving patients under the age of 65 were examined neurologically and neuropsychologically after 3 months and 1 year from stroke. Fifty-two of these 66 patients were still reexamined after 4 years from onset. Twelve patients with ischaemic brain infarction had visuospatial inattention: 7 had a clear-cut and contralateral neglect and 5 had milder and less lateralized inattention. The recovery of these 12 patients was poorer in ADL than the other 54 patients. Even when hemiparesis was taken into account, the difference still existed in ADL. The recovery of the 7 neglect patients was poorer than that of the 5 inattention patients. During the follow-up the visuospatial neglect persisted in all 7 cases and the visuospatial inattention disappeared in only one case.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Memory and psychomotor impairment following high-dose interferon treatment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were treated with high-dose intravenous infusion of human leukocyte interferon for six days. Neuropsychological examinations were carried out before, during and after the treatment. Marked reversible dysfunction was detected in immediate memory functions, coordination of hand movements, and drawing. Motor perseveration, micrographia, and slowing of behaviour were also observed. Changes appeared four to 12 days after start of treatment, with the peak on days six to eight. Recovery was almost complete by day 15. Intellectual ability, as measured by three WAIS subtests, praxis of hand movements, visuognostic functions, speech, reading, writing, and calculation remained essentially unaffected. The profile of the neuropsychological deficits observed, the absence of defects typical of focal posterior cortical lesions, the simultaneously slowed electroencephalographic activity with frontal accentuation, and the increased central conduction times of brain stem auditory evoked potentials suggest frontobasal involvement.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Neurotoxic and other side effects of high-dose interferon in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

6 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were treated with intravenous infusion of 100-200 million IU per day of human leukocyte interferon. Side effects of treatment included fever, chills, malaise, nausea, marked leukopenia, mild anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Tiredness, confusion, papilledema, and overall signs of acute encephalitis were observed. Tendon reflexes and muscle force decreased. EEG activity was slowed, and evoked potentials showed significant slowing of conduction times. Neuropsychological tests revealed congitive dysfunction. The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion developed in all patients. All side effects were reversible with cessation of interferon treatment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Risk of acute coronary events and serum concentration of asymmetrical dimethylarginine.

Asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, which has been suggested to be a novel independent risk factor for endothelial dysfunction and coronary heart disease. We investigated the association of ADMA concentration in serum with risk of acute coronary events. We did a prospective, nested, case-control study in middle-aged men from eastern Finland. In an analysis of men who did not smoke, those who were in the highest quartile for ADMA (>0.62 micromol/L) had a 3.9-fold (95% CI 1.25-12.3, p=0.02) increase in risk of acute coronary events compared with the other quartiles. Our findings suggest that ADMA is a predictor of acute coronary events.

Arginine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The use of low-resolution FT-IR spectrometry for the analysis of alcohols in breath.

Fast and reliable diagnostic methods are needed for detection or exclusion of industrial solvents as a cause of intoxication. Analyzing human breath reveals the presence of any volatile substance. A portable Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) multicomponent point-of-care analyzer was developed for exhaled breath. The analyzer proved to be accurate and precise in laboratory tests for simultaneous measurement of methanol and ethanol in water. Ethanol, in addition to normal contents of breath, was simultaneously analyzed in human experiments, and the results correlated well with blood samples. FT-IR method has a traceable calibration to physical properties of the analyte. The measured spectra can also be saved and analyzed later. Breath analysis with FT-IR is fast and easy, and no preparation of the sample is needed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

FT-IR breath test in the diagnosis and control of treatment of methanol intoxications.

A portable Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) multicomponent point-of-care analyzer was tested for the diagnosis of methanol intoxications. Breath analysis with FT-IR was fast and easy, and no sample preparation was needed. The analyzer was adequately sensitive and accurate in detecting and quantitating clinically relevant amounts of ethanol and methanol in the breath of seriously ill patients. FT-IR spectrometry was also suitable for nearly on-line monitoring of the exhaled ethanol and methanol during hemodialysis. The breath analysis results correlated well with blood samples. The FT-IR method used also has a traceable calibration to physical properties of the analyte, and the measured spectra can be saved for later analysis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The profile of recovery from stroke and factors influencing outcome.

The recovery from stroke of 154 survivors out of 255 stroke patients was analyzed. The outcomes documented were: discharge from hospital, activities of daily living (ADL) and return to work. A clear improvement in neurological and neuropsychological deficits was seen from the acute stage to three months, and this continued to twelve months, but to a lesser degree. 69% and 78% respectively, of the patients were at home three and twelve months after stroke. Independence in ADL increased from 32% acutely to 62% and 68% by three and twelve months, respectively. Of those gainfully employed prior to stroke, 55% had returned to work after twelve months. As a group, SAH patients seemed to recover better, but, for those that could be age-matched with infarction patients, there was no difference in outcome. Old age, acute stage hemiparesis, impairment of intelligence and memory, visuoperceptual deficits, nonadequate emotional reactions, and living alone all had a major negative influence on outcome. This study suggests that neurological and neuropsychological deficits, as well as emotional reactions, influence the outcomes after stroke, and all should be taken into consideration in prognosis.

Activities of Daily Living↗