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Biomedical subjects

T Tsubokawa

Publications and source records attributed to T Tsubokawa.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Cystic meningiomas in infancy.

A convexity meningioma associated with a large peritumoral cyst in a 5-month-old girl is reported. Although meningiomas histologically confirmed within the first year of life are quite rare, a review of the cases sporadically appearing in the literature revealed the existence of a group of meningiomas in infants that have unique features in common. The case presented here is a typical example. The clinical characteristics of such a group of meningiomas are discussed.

Brain Diseases↗

Response of regional cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism to thalamic stimulation in humans as revealed by positron emission tomography.

To clarify functional neural pathways originating from the thalamic nucleus ventralis posterolateralis (VPL) in humans, the responses of regional CBF (rCBF) and regional CMRO2 (rCMRO2) to VPL stimulation were investigated by positron emission tomography in five patients who had undergone chronic implantation of electrodes into the VPL for therapeutic purposes. Measurement of rCBF and rCMRO2 under continuous inhalation of C15O2 and 15O2 by steady-state methods revealed significant increases of rCBF and rCMRO2 in the frontal, postcentral, and thalamic regions. The increases in rCBF and rCMRO2 of the postcentral regions were clearly predominant in the stimulated hemisphere insofar as the stimulation produced moderate paresthesia in restricted areas of the body. These results indicate that the VPL relays peripheral somatosensory information, which has previously been demonstrated to be transmitted to the frontal as well as postcentral regions.

Cerebrovascular Circulation↗

Inhibition of hyperactive trigeminal subnucleus caudalis neurons after experimental trigeminal rhizotomy in response to thalamic sensory relay nucleus stimulation.

The effects of thalamic sensory relay nucleus stimulation on the single neuron activity and field potentials within the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis, which is trigeminal equivalent of the dorsal horn were investigated in intact cats as well as in cats subjected to retro-Gasserian rhizotomy 1-6 months before the experiments. Inhibition of nociceptive neural activity and a positive field potential were evoked by thalamic stimulation in the dorsal horn of the intact animals. A positive field potential followed double pulse stimulation with frequencies ranging up to approximately 50 Hz. The inhibitory periods ranged from 60 to 100 ms. Train pulse stimulation with frequencies ranging from 30 to 50 Hz produced long-lasting inhibition of nociceptive neural activity and a positive shift of the field potentials. Essentially identical inhibition of abnormal neural hyperactivity occurring in the rhizotomized dorsal horn was observed. The positive field potential corresponding to this inhibition also displayed characteristics similar to the field potential seen in the intact dorsal horn. These data indicate that the pathways involved in the inhibitory responses induced by thalamic sensory relay nucleus stimulation, unlike some other pain inhibitory systems, can exert their influence even to the dorsal horn which has undergone reorganization of neural circuits after rhizotomy.

Animals↗

Changes in regional cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism following ventrolateral thalamotomy in Parkinson syndrome as revealed by positron emission tomography.

A case with unilateral symptoms of Parkinson syndrome is presented in which interesting changes in the topographic patterns of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMRO2) were observed by positron emission tomography. This case was associated with severe tremor at rest exclusively in the left extremities. The parietal CBF and CMRO2 for the affected hemisphere were apparently lower than those for the nonaffected hemisphere preoperatively. After thalamotomy involving the right nucleus ventralis lateralis, including the ventralis intermedius, concomitant with complete disappearance of the tremor, the parietal CBF and CMRO2 for the affected side increased and even exceeded those for the nonaffected side.

Brain↗

Responses of raphe-spinal neurons to stimulation of the pontine parabrachial region producing behavioral nociceptive suppression in the cat.

Cholinergic stimulation of the pontine parabrachial region (PBR) produces behavioral nociceptive suppression in the awake cat. This report shows that electrical stimulation of both PBR sites (verified to be associated with behavioral nociceptive suppression on cholinergic stimulation) and the periaqueductal gray (PAG) excites raphe-spinal neurons which have been implicated in descending nociceptive suppression. Although several lines of evidence have strongly indicated that pathways from the PBR and PAG for nociceptive suppression are anatomically as well as neurochemically distinct, the results of the present study appear to suggest that certain components of the pathways from the PBR may be synergic in function with those from the PAG with regard to the activity of raphe-spinal neurons.

Animals↗

Effects of thalamic sensory relay nucleus stimulation on the jaw-opening reflex in response to tooth-pulp stimulation in the cat.

The effects of stimulation of the thalamic sensory relay nucleus (TSRN, nucleus ventralis posteromedialis) on the jaw-opening reflex (JOR) in response to tooth pulp stimulation were compared with the effects of stimulation of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) in the cat. After stimulation of the TSRN, PAG and NRM, the JOR was inhibited. However, while the inhibitory effects of PAG and NRM stimulation lasted for more than 500 ms and were antagonized by the opiate antagonist, naloxone, the inhibitory effects of TSRN stimulation lasted for approximately 100 ms and were resistant to naloxone. These findings suggest that although TSRN stimulation exerts descending inhibitory effects on segmental nociceptive activity, similarly to PAG or NRM stimulation, the descending inhibitory pathways mediating the effect of TSRN stimulation may be largely distinct physiologically as well as pharmacologically from those mediating the effect of PAG and NRM stimulation.

Animals↗

[Multiple giant aneurysm--a case report].

We report a case of five aneurysms, including three giant aneurysms, a pair of symmetric aneurysms, and two fusiform aneurysms. The initial clinical symptom was a cerebral ischemic attack. On admission, the patient complained of sudden onset of speech disturbance. Physical examination showed left hemiparesis. Radiological studies, including computed tomography and cerebral arteriography, revealed multiple low density areas bilaterally in the basal ganglia and three fusiform giant aneurysms bilaterally in the middle cerebral arteries and basilar artery. Considering the difficulty of surgical treatment, the patient was discharged. Six months later, complaining of right hemiparesis and total dysphasia, the patient was readmitted to our department. CT scan on admission revealed no changes except for ischemic changes. During the second admission, another attack of subarachnoidal hemorrhage due to rupture of the left middle cerebral artery aneurysm occurred, and the patient died. Autopsy was performed, and two more aneurysms, not visualized in the former studies, were found in the right anterior communicating artery and the cortical branch of the right middle cerebral artery. The occurrence of aneurysms in such a fashion as seen in the present case is to be very rare in the aspect of the size, the multiplicity and the bilaterally development.

Cerebral Angiography↗

[Development of cerebral blood flow measurement using skull impedance plethysmography].

Using skull impedance plethysmography, a developmental approach was made to the measurement of mean cerebral blood flow (mCBF) from brain volume exchanging ratio (delta V) involved in bilateral jugular venous occlusion. An experimental study thereof revealed the following results: Comparative examinations were made between total cerebral blood flow obtained by the superior sagittal sinus hydrogen clearance method and delta V X t obtained by the present approach led to the establishment of a linear correlation there between and also of the following calculating formula: mCBF = k X delta V X t (omega X sec) k: proportional coefficient t: blood flow increasing time (10 sec.) The experimental results revealed that the present approach was valid enough as an index of cerebral blood flow. Some future improvements therein seem to make also its clinical application possible. The theory and method of the present approach are described with an examination of several points raised thereby.

Animals↗

Dissociation of subjective pain report and pain-related late positive components of cerebral evoked potentials in subjects with brain lesions.

Several studies have described a correlation between subjective pain report and late positive components (LPCs) of cerebral evoked potentials occurring with latencies ranging from 150 to 400 msec after the onset of painful stimuli. We report here human subjects with brain lesions who revealed very small LPCs in response to painful electrical skin stimuli applied to the finger pads even though they described strong subjective pain for the same stimuli. A decrease in pain-related LPCs was observed regardless of whether the stimuli were applied to the finger pads ipsilateral or contralateral to the brain lesions. Based on this observation, it is suggested that the pain-related LPCs may reflect neural processes which are presumably associated with information processing of painful input rather than neural processes of pain perception per se.

Adult↗

Thalamic negativity associated with the endogenous late positive component of cerebral evoked potentials (P300): recordings using discriminative aversive conditioning in humans and cats.

Electrical potentials within the thalamus associated with the endogenous late positive component (LPC or P300) of cerebral evoked potentials were investigated in humans and cats. Essentially identical discrimination tasks using classical aversive conditioning were employed for recording LPC in both species. In humans, a negative wave within the same latency range as that of LPC was noted, with dependency on stimulus-relevance, at all thalamic and mesencephalic recording sites which included the nucl. centrum medianum, nucl. parafascicularis, and periaqueductal gray. Similar negative waves were also observed over wide areas of the thalamus of cats including specific as well as non-specific thalamic nuclei. The negative waves seen in the thalamus were generally higher in amplitude than those seen in the white matter and became unclear when the electrodes penetrated the ventral border of the thalamus.

Animals↗

Deafferentation pain and stimulation of the thalamic sensory relay nucleus: clinical and experimental study.

This report summarizes our clinical experience in which the effects of both thalamic sensory relay nucleus (TSRN) and periaqueductal gray (PAG) stimulation were tested in the same series of patients with various forms of pain. The clinical data indicated that neurogenic pain due to deafferentation at the level of the peripheral nerves or the spinal cord was often controlled by TSRN stimulation but not by PAG stimulation. We also review the results of our experimental investigations in cats which were undertaken in an attempt to clarify the neurophysiologic basis of such differential clinical effects of TSRN and PAG stimulation. It appeared that abnormal hyperactivity within the trigeminal medullary dorsal horn following retrogasserian rhizotomy was far more frequently inhibited by TSRN stimulation than by PAG stimulation.

Afferent Pathways↗

Pain relief following stimulation of the pontomesencephalic parabrachial region in humans: brain sites for nonopiate-mediated pain control.

It has been demonstrated that stimulation of the pontomesencephalic parabrachial region (PBR) by microinjection of cholinergic drugs or electricity in the cat produces potent pain suppression which is not antagonized by the opiate antagonist, naloxone. We report the application of electrical PBR stimulation in 2 patients whose pain was resistant to conventional methods of treatment including morphine administration. Intermittent use of low-frequency PBR stimulation was found to relieve pain in these patients. The present results appear to suggest that PBR stimulation, unlike periaqueductal gray stimulation, may be useful for the control of morphine-resistant pain in humans.

Brain Mapping↗

Evaluation of spinal cord stimulation for postapoplectic spastic hemiplegia.

We used spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in patients with postapoplectic spastic hemiplegia in an attempt to reduce the spasticity. Three patients with spastic hemiplegia due to apoplexia were selected for the treatment. Reduction of spasticity was observed 3 to 9 days after the stimulation. Electrophysiological evaluation of the spasticity from the H reflex revealed a remarkable improvement in all three patients. The mechanism of reduction of spasticity has not yet been clarified, although a direct or indirect effect on the reticulospinal tract is thought to play a role.

Aged↗