Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

W L Olson

Publications and source records attributed to W L Olson.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Acetazolamide relieves concurrent episodic movement disorders encountered in Southern states.

Patients with episodic or paroxysmal movements or postures often are thought to have hysteric or psychosomatic illnesses. Kinesigenic (movement-induced) posturing similarly is usually misinterpreted. This case is notable because of the presence of symptoms of two distinct diseases with similar symptoms and changes from one dystonic posture to another during three different durations of attack. The condition improved with acetazolamide therapy. The effect of acetazolamide on sodium and potassium ionophores is discussed because of new genetic information about these illnesses.

Acetazolamide↗
PubMed1997

Gabapentin for parkinsonism: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.

PURPOSE: Gabapentin is a recently available anticonvulsant whose mechanism of action remains unknown. We suspected efficacy from serendipitous observations of gabapentin in patients with parkinsonism. This led us to a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We administered gabapentin in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover trial to 19 subjects with advanced parkinsonism. We measured the effect of placebo and gabapentin on subjects' symptoms with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, the Webster Scale, and the Hoehn and Yahr Scale. We assessed tremor with surface-recorded electromyography. RESULTS: Total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale improved with gabapentin compared with placebo (P = 0.0005). Likewise, activities of daily living and examination subscore of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale improved with gabapentin compared with placebo but did not achieve statistical significance. Webster Scale showed improvement but neither Hoehn and Yahr Scale nor Webster Scale changes reached statistical significance. Tremor as measured by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale improved with gabapentin but the use of the root mean square of the rectified electromyography as a measure of tremor activity was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that gabapentin improves rigidity, bradykinesia, and tremor of parkinsonism including both Parkinson's disease and Parkinson's syndrome. The rigidity and bradykinesia of parkinsonism improve on the drug even when the effects of gabapentin on tremor are discounted.

Acetates↗
PubMed1997

Gabapentin for relief of upper motor neuron symptoms in multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of gabapentin in the treatment of spasticity and painful muscle spasms in patients with multiple sclerosis. DESIGN: Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. SETTING: Free-standing, 93-bed, university-affiliated rehabilitation hospital. PARTICIPANTS: There were 15 patients between the ages of 18 and 50 who had laboratory-supported definite multiple sclerosis with spasticity and leg cramps severe enough to interfere with daily activities, including sleep. INTERVENTION: The patients received the placebo or 400mg gabapentin orally three times a day for 48 hours with an 11-day washout period. If the patients were on currently accepted modes of therapy, including oral baclofen, their current medication was not changed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcome measures were Visual Faces Scale rating, Kurtzke Disability Scale, quantitative surface electromyography, Ashworth Scale, presence or absence of clonus in response to rapid ankle dorsiflexion and wrist extension, presence or absence of reflex withdrawal in response to nailbed pressure to the first finger, and assessment of Babinski response. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements for the gabapentin treated patients were found in the Ashworth Scale, Visual Faces Scale, and Kurtzke Disability Scale. CONCLUSIONS: At a dose of 400mg orally three times a day, gabapentin may be of value in the treatment of the spasticity and painful muscle cramping experienced by patients with multiple sclerosis.

Acetates↗
PubMed1997

Gabapentin for the treatment of spasticity in patients with spinal cord injury.

Our serendipitous observations suggested that some patients with spasticity appeared to have improved following the administration of the anticonvulsant drug gabapentin. As some patients with spasticity are either refractory to or intolerant of established medical treatments, we conducted this study to investigate the effect of gabapentin on spasticity in patients with spinal cord injury. Twenty-five patients with spinal cord injury and spasticity received oral gabapentin (2400 mg over 48 h) in a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. We assessed responses by measuring the Ashworth spasticity scale, muscle stretch reflexes, presence of clonus and reflex response to noxious stimuli. Patient ratings were obtained using a Likert Scale. Administration of gabapentin, but not placebo, was associated with an 11% reduction in spasticity as measured by the Ashworth Scale (P = 0.04) and by a 20% reduction in the Likert Scale (P = 0.0013). Significant changes were not obtained for the other measures. The data obtained suggest that gabapentin may be useful in the management of spasticity associated with spinal cord injury.

Acetates↗
PubMed1994

Diagnosis in Huntington disease.

We present a case of Huntington disease made complex by lack of adequate family history. We survey the available diagnostic neuroimaging studies: CT, MRI, PET and SPECT. We briefly review the neurophysiologic investigations. We present the newly available information on the discovery of the Huntington disease gene. Direct testing for the gene without complex linkage analysis will now be available.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Posttraumatic torticollis.

We report six cases of torticollis precipitated by neck trauma. The dystonia began 1 to 4 days after the trauma and differed clinically from idiopathic torticollis by marked limitation of range of motion, lack of improvement after sleep ("honeymoon period"), and absence of geste antagonistique. Worsening with action was not present; nor was there improvement with support as seen with idiopathic torticollis. Onset of pain immediately after the trauma and marked spasms of the paracervical muscles were other predominant features. Anticholinergic therapy was without benefit; however, some improvement occurred with botulinum toxin injection. It is concluded that torticollis can be caused by peripheral trauma and that it has unique clinical characteristics.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Inefficacy of routine laboratory analysis of CSF obtained during myelography for suspected disc disease.

The routine laboratory analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained during myelography is performed in many institutions. The records of 100 consecutive patients who had myelography for suspected disc disease were reviewed retrospectively. The laboratory analysis of the CSF obtained during myelography did not benefit patient management in any instance. In one case, the CSF results adversely affected patient management. The CSF analysis did not add any information to the myelogram result. The CSF protein level did not correlate in a statistically significant way with the degree of disc protrusion seen myelographically.

Cerebrospinal Fluid↗
PubMed1980

Effect of phenytoin on functional recovery after experimental spinal cord injury in dogs.

We injured 26 dogs by dropping a 25-g, flat-bottomed weight directly onto the exposed dura. Dogs treated with phenytoin (PHT) were clinically superior to untreated controls when compared 6 weeks after injury. Comparison between PHT and dexamethasone reveals that PHT is at least as effective. The therapeutic effectiveness of PHT treatment begun immediately after injury and begun 30 minutes later was evaluated. The results obtained in all three treated groups of dogs were superior to the results with untreated controls at a significance level of P < 0.01.

Animals↗