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Biomedical subjects

U Tolonen

Publications and source records attributed to U Tolonen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Development of posttraumatic epilepsy.

Ten out of 55 patients with closed cerebral injury were documented to develop posttraumatic epilepsy in a prospective follow-up study comprised of repeated clinical, CT, CBF, and neuropsychological examinations. Primary convulsions, focal intracerebral hemorrhagic lesions at the acute stage, and pronounced, mainly subcortical atrophy, as well as impaired local CBF 3-12 months after the injury were the factors which were associated significantly often with posttraumatic epilepsy. Antiepileptic prophylaxis should be focused in cases presenting these risk factors, and might be wise to be continued for several years, at least in patients with chronic alcoholism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

EEG findings in chlor-alkali workers subjected to low long term exposure to mercury vapour.

The cerebral effect of long term (mean 15.6, SD 8.9 years) and low (about 25 micrograms/m3 air) exposure to mercury vapour was studied in a group of 41 workers in a chlor-alkali plant and in a group of matched referents by electroencephalography (EEG). In the visually interpreted EEGs only a tendency for an increased number of EEG abnormalities, especially focal ones, could be seen in the exposed subjects. In the computerised EEG (cEEG), however, the exposed workers had significantly slower and more attenuated EEGs than the referants. This difference was most prominent in the occipital region, became milder parietally, and was almost absent frontally. Our results suggest that cEEG may show early effects on the brain of exposure to mercury vapour.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Muscle-specific carbonic anhydrase III is a more sensitive marker of muscle damage than creatine kinase in neuromuscular disorders.

Serum concentration of carbonic anhydrase III (S-CA III), a novel marker of type I skeletal muscle cells was measured in 37 patients with neuromuscular diseases (polymyositis, muscular dystrophies, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and other neurogenic diseases) and in 24 control patients. Significant elevation in S-CA III was observed in all patient groups. Serum concentration of carbonic anhydrase III correlated positively with serum-creatine kinase. Serum concentration of carbonic anhydrase III was observed to be a more sensitive skeletal muscle marker both in myogenic and in neurogenic muscle affecting diseases than serum creatine kinase.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Phosphomannosyl receptors of lysosomal enzymes of skeletal muscle in neuromuscular diseases.

The phosphomannosyl receptor system is responsible for both the receptor-mediated endocytosis and the intracellular transport of lysosomal enzymes. In the present study this receptor system was examined in affected muscles of patients with various neuromuscular diseases. The total activity of beta-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, a marker enzyme of lysosomal hydrolases, was significantly elevated in the patients with myopathies (polymyositis and muscular dystrophies) but only slightly increased in those with neurogenic muscle atrophies (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, polyneuropathy or other neurogenic muscle disease). The increase was most prominent in the group of polymyositis. The content of phosphomannosyl receptors was increased in the patients with myogenic muscle disease but not in those with neurogenic disease. The receptor binding of lysosomal enzymes was saturable and inhibited with mannose 6-phosphate showing the typical characteristics of phosphomannosyl receptors. The characteristics of the receptors were very similar both to control and to diseased muscle samples. When surveying all the material, the content of phosphomannosyl receptors correlated highly significantly with the muscular activity of beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, muscle atrophy index, and serum creatine kinase activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Cardiovascular reflexes in Parkinson's disease.

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) function of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) was investigated in 30 patients with PD, and in 21 healthy subjects of similar age by utilizing cardiovascular reflex measurements as indicators. In deep breathing, in the Valsalva manoeuvre, and in the tilting test the heart rate variability (R-R variation) differed significantly between the patients and the controls: the beat-to-beat variation was clearly decreased in patients with PD. Responses in diastolic pressure to isometric work were also clearly diminished. However, no significant differences in any measured ANS indices were found between the patients who were treated with levodopa and those who were not. Similarly, anticholinergics did not seem to affect the results.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Comparison of somatosensory evoked responses from root and cord recorded by skin and epidural electrodes using stimulation of the median nerve in cervical radiculopathy and radiculomyelopathy.

Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were recorded by stimulating the median nerve at the wrist from the skin and epidural space of the 7th cervical spine in patients suffering from cervical radiculopathy or radiculomyelopathy. The patients were divided into four subgroups according to the severity of the disease. Skin and epidural SEPs were calculated and compared with each other and with control values. Usually only one negative potential N13 was identified in the skin recording, but two potentials N11 and N13 occurred in the epidural recording. Lower amplitudes were obtained from the skin than from the epidural space. In the skin SEPs the mean of the central latency of N13 was significantly prolonged in the severe radiculomyelopathy groups, while the mean of the amplitude N13 showed only a tendency to decrease. In contrast, in the epidural SEPs a significant decrease in the mean of the N11 and N13 amplitudes together with a significant prolongation in the mean of the central latency of N13 could be found. In the epidural recording the amplitude changes in particular increased with the severity of the disease, but the highest number of abnormalities (61%) could be seen in the central latency of N13.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Activities of some antioxidative and hexose monophosphate shunt enzymes of skeletal muscle in neuromuscular diseases.

The activities of some antioxidative and hexose monophosphate shunt enzymes, as well as of 2 hydrolases were studied in skeletal muscle biopsy specimens taken from 39 patients with neuromuscular diseases and from 15 controls. The activity of Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase was higher in patients with congenital myotonia, whereas in the other diagnostic groups this enzyme activity was the same as in the controls. The Se-independent and total glutathione peroxidase activity of patients in the various diagnostic groups did not differ from the controls. Moreover, no difference were observed in catalase activity between the patient groups and the controls. The activities of the rate limiting enzymes of hexose monophosphate shunt, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase of muscle biopsy samples of various patient groups did not show any significant difference from controls. The activity of a lysosomal hydrolase, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, was increased in patients with polyneuropathy and the activity of a nonlysosomal protease, alkaline protease, was high in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. The activities of Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and of both hydrolases showed a significant correlation to the magnitude of muscle atrophy.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1986

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in northern Finland.

This study presents the main clinical and electrophysiological features of patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease or hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN) in Northern Finland diagnosed during the period 1969-1983. The group consists of 40 patients aged between 5 and 74 years. A positive family history suggesting a dominant inheritance was seen in 23 patients--the rest were classified as sporadic. According to median or sural nerve conduction velocities the disease was graded as demyelinating (HMSN type I) and neuronal (HMSN type II). A clear tendency towards an earlier onset was seen in type I cases compared to those in type II. Both clinically and neurophysiologically the lower arms were more severely affected in type I than in type II. Muscular atrophy of the legs occurred more often in type I than in type II. Electromyographic abnormalities were characteristically neurogenic, though in some advanced cases small motor unit potentials could also be seen. In addition 2 cases originally diagnosed as CMT proved to be distal myopathy on electromyography (EMG). According to electrodiagnostic criteria, patients in the same family could belong to different subgroups of CMT suggesting that the present use of conduction velocities as the discriminating factor between the groups may be unsound.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Effects of anaesthesia for caesarean section on the computerized EEG of the neonate.

The effects of anaesthetic techniques and drugs on 18 neonates born after elective Caesarean section were studied, employing computerized EEG. Three different groups, epidural, spinal and general anaesthesia, were compared with each other and with a control group after normal vaginal delivery. A new computerized EEG method, Zero Band Power Rate (ZBPR) analysis, was devised for this study and implemented together with conventional spectral EEG estimates of five frequency bands. ZBPR analysis was found to be much more sensitive than conventional spectral analyses for detecting differences between the study groups. Significant differences occurred between the general anaesthesia group and the epidural and control groups and also between the spinal group and the epidural and control groups. No significant difference was seen between the epidural group and the control group. Significant differences were attributed to the clinical use of two drugs: thiopentone in the general anaesthesia group and ephedrine in the spinal group. The effects of these drugs on the neonatal EEG were reflected in decreased ZBPR values, particularly during sleep.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Lysosomal and nonlysosomal hydrolases of skeletal muscle in neuromuscular diseases.

The activities of four lysosomal and two nonlysosomal hydrolases were studied in skeletal muscle biopsy samples from patients with neuromuscular diseases and from controls. beta-Glucosaminidase activity was increased in polymyositis. beta-Glucuronidase and alkaline protease activities were elevated in muscular dystrophy in adults, whereas cathepsin D activity was increased in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. There were significant correlations between the activities of lysosomal and nonlysosomal hydrolases. The activity of beta-glucuronidase, beta-glucosaminidase, alkaline protease, and dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV showed a positive correlation with the severity of muscular atrophy. The activities of these hydrolases and the activity of dipeptidyl aminopeptidase I correlated positively with the activities of muscular galactosylhydroxylysyl glucosyltransferase and with the serum concentration of type III procollagen aminoterminal propeptide. The results suggest that in neuromuscular diseases the lysosomal and nonlysosomal pathways for muscle degradation are affected concomitantly with collagen biosynthesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Relationship between regional pertechnetate cerebral circulation time and EEG in patients with cerebral infarction.

The qualitative and regional correlations between the EEG and the cerebral circulation time (CCT), obtained by using intravenously injected pertechnetate and a multidetector device, were studied in 75 patients with supratentorial cerebral infarction. Because bolus dispersion and changes in systemic circulation may distort absolute CCT values when intravenous injection of the isotope is used, the inter- and intrahemispheric relative CCT values were used as indices of CCT. Overall good correlations could be demonstrated between both inter- and intrahemispheric CCT abnormalities and the EEG, though not in all patients. The number of patients with pathological CCT findings showed a tendency to increase with increasing severity of the EEG abnormality. The number of abnormal CCT areas per patient (indicating the size of the circulation disturbance) also increased significantly with increasing severity of the EEG disturbance. Interestingly, relative 'hypervelocity' areas occurred in fewer patients with normal or clearly disturbed EEGs than in patients with mildly disturbed EEGs, perhaps due to differences in autoregulatory capacity and collateral circulation. Within the EEG focus the relative number of CCT abnormalities was greater than outside it. In spite of this fairly good overall correlation between the EEG focus and the CCT abnormality, more than 10% of the patients with an EEG focus showed no CCT abnormalities, thus indicating the complementary roles of these methods. The present study on cerebral infarction, though using intravenously injected pertechnetate for the CCT measurement, showed a reasonable correspondence with earlier reports on the relationship between the EEG and either the CBF or the CCT (obtained by intra-arterially injected isotope). This would seem to suggest that the used non-invasive method for regional CCT measurement has potential for evaluation of cerebral haemodynamics.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Changes in collagen metabolism in diseased muscle. I. Biochemical studies.

Possible changes in collagen biosynthesis were studied in 50 patients with neuromuscular disorders and 14 controls. Type III procollagen aminoterminal propeptide concentrations and galactosylhydroxylysyl glucosyltransferase (GGT) activities were assayed in serum, and prolyl 4-hydroxylase and GGT activities were assayed in muscle biopsy specimens. All four assays showed significantly elevated values in cases of polymyositis, adult forms of muscular dystrophy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the concentration of muscular collagen also being significantly increased in the last two conditions. Some abnormalities were also seen in polyneuropathy, myotonia congenita, and undefined myopathy. High correlations were found among the values for the four assays, but no marked correlations with muscular collagen concentration or enzyme activities characteristic of neuromuscular disorders were found. The four assays may reflect changes in actual collagen synthesis in the diseased muscle.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Changes in collagen metabolism in diseased muscle. II. Immunohistochemical studies.

Immunofluorescence studies using specific antibodies against collagen of types I, III, IV, and V were carried out on muscle biopsy specimens from 22 patients with various neuromuscular disorders and seven controls. Increased staining with all antibodies was seen in the patients with polymyositis and muscular dystrophy. Increased staining with types I and III antibodies was found in the samples from the patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in cases with an elevated concentration of muscular hydroxyproline. Two patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis showed no accumulation of collagen, and this was similarly true of the polyneuropathy cases. An accumulation of types IV and V collagen was typical for the myotonia congenita samples. The immunohistochemical results were in good agreement with the biochemical findings from the same patients.

Antibodies↗