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Biomedical subjects

R Neshige

Publications and source records attributed to R Neshige.

51 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Electroencephalographic correlates of myoclonus.

Fifty-five consecutive cases of myoclonus owing to various etiologies were studied by conventional EEG-EMG polygraphic recordings and/or jerk-locked or back averaging. The technique of back-averaging was shown to be useful not only for detecting EEG correlates of myoclonus that are not recognizable on the routine polygraph but also for investigating the temporal and topographic relationship between the EEG activities and myoclonus. Thirteen of 17 cases of PME and related disorders, in whom back-averaging and SEP were studied, were shown to have both a myoclonus-related cortical spike over the contralateral central area, preceding the myoclonus of an upper extremity by 6 to 22 msec, and a giant SEP accompanied by an enhanced C reflex. In these cases of "cortical reflex myoclonus," the myoclonus-related spike was similar to the P25-N33 components of the giant SEP in its wave form, scalp topography, temporal relationship to myoclonus or to C reflex, succeeding cortical excitability, and drug effect. All of this suggests participation of common physiological mechanisms in those two activities. In two cases of PME, in which myoclonus involved bilateral proximal muscles synchronously, the myoclonus-related spike was maximal near the vertex, and there was no giant SEP. The significance of this subgroup remains undetermined. In six cases of the PME group, back-averaging was inapplicable because of rare occurrence of myoclonus, but they showed a typical giant SEP accompanied by an enhanced C reflex. In CJD, back-averaging demonstrated a sharp wave or PSD over the contralateral hemisphere, preceding the myoclonus by 50 to 85 msec. This form of myoclonus seems to be subcortical in origin. In essential myoclonus and oculopalatal-somatic myoclonus, there was neither myoclonus-related cortical spike nor giant SEP. Electrical stimulation of the peripheral nerve at variable intervals after the myoclonus onset (jerk-locked-SEP paradigm) was shown to be useful for investigating the influence of myoclonus on cortical excitability.

Brain Diseases, Metabolic↗

A computer-assisted method for averaging movement-related cortical potentials with respect to EMG onset.

The recording of movement-related cortical potentials (MRCP) relies on the use of EMG activity or some other index of movement as a trigger for averaging. EMG activity can vary considerably from one movement to the next, particularly in patients with movement disorders. This results in an MRCP formed from individual sweeps which are averaged with respect to differing periods during the EMG activity. We describe a computer-assisted method for identifying EMG onset associated with each movement made by the subject. The method allows the experimenter to reject trials associated with artefacts or with spurious trigger pulses produced by resting EMG activity. It is also possible to average the MRCP into categories associated with differing EMG characteristics such as EMG duration, peak EMG amplitude and the duration from EMG onset to peak. Using this method we have been able to record reliable MRCP from patients with movement disorders in whom this would otherwise have been technically impossible.

Cerebral Cortex↗

Quantitative analysis of 'organization' by feature extraction of the EEG power spectrum.

Quantitative analysis of 'organization' of the background EEG activity was made by applying a new method of approximating the optimal intensity-fitting function to the EEG records of healthy college students. The parametric intensity-fitting function used in this study to approximate the power spectrum of EEG was a gaussian type function. Among the quantitative parameters obtained by the new method, the ratio of the integrated power of alpha rhythm to that of all rhythms and the standard deviation of the alpha frequency proved to be the most important organization parameters by inspecting the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. Next the automatic scoring of 'organization' was successfully performed by using the linear regression of those two organization parameters.

Adult↗

Pathogenesis of giant somatosensory evoked potentials in progressive myoclonic epilepsy.

Fifty-seven consecutive patients with myoclonus from various causes were studied by electrophysiological techniques. Giant somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were observed almost exclusively in patients with progressive myoclonic epilepsy (PME) and diseases with similar clinical features that included lipidosis, neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis and posthypoxic myoclonus. On the basis of combinations of the giant SEP and the myoclonus-related cortical spike demonstrated by jerk-locked averaging, myoclonus in these patients was classified into four types. In patients with 'cortical reflex' myoclonus (type I) who showed both the giant SEP and the myoclonus-related cortical spike, these two cortical activities were similar in terms of wave form, scalp topography, time relationship to either the long latency (C) reflex or myoclonus, the following cortical excitability, the effect of antimyoclonus drugs and alterations during slow wave sleep. It is therefore postulated that the giant SEP is generated, at least in part, by common physiological mechanisms to the myoclonus-related cortical spike, or that the latter may comprise a constituent of the former. In most patients with PME or allied diseases, both afferent and efferent components of the SEP are enhanced, but in some patients, only one of the two components seems to be predominantly enhanced.

Adolescent↗

Cortical excitability after myoclonus: jerk-locked somatosensory evoked potentials.

Cortical excitability after myoclonus was investigated by electrically stimulating the median nerve just at the time of, or at intervals after, the onset of myoclonus and by averaging the EEG and EMG, using the myoclonus onset pulse as a trigger (jerk-locked somatosensory evoked potential technique). In a patient with "cortical reflex" myoclonus, cortical excitability was relatively enhanced for 20 msec just after the myoclonus, although it was suppressed throughout the postmyoclonus period. In a patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, cortical excitability was suppressed between periodic myoclonic jerks. In a patient with oculopalatal-somatic myoclonus, there was no change of cortical excitability in relation to myoclonus.

Adult↗

Exacerbation of myasthenia gravis after removal of a thymoma having a membrane phenotype of suppressor T cells.

We describe a case of myasthenia gravis associated with a thymoma having a membrane phenotype of suppressor T cells, as defined by monoclonal antibodies. Thymectomy resulted in exacerbation of the disease, a drastic increase in serum acetylcholine receptor-antibody titer, and a decrease of the circulating suppressor T cell population. The findings indicate that the etiopathogenic relationship between the thymus and myasthenia gravis is variable and complex.

Adult↗

Physiological functions of the ascending spinal tracts in HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM).

Physiological functions of the spinothalamic tract (STT) and the posterior column (PC) were studied in 19 Japanese patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM). The former was evaluated by pain-related somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) following CO2 laser stimulation, and the latter by conventional SEPs following electrical stimulation. Conduction velocity of STT and PC was significantly decreased in 9 and 14 patients, respectively, and more than half of them showed no clinical impairment of sensations (subclinical abnormality).

Adult↗