Is Central Pontine Myelinolysis Reversible?

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is a rare phenomenon that causes significant morbidity and mortality. Active therapeutic interventions for CPM can have a positive impact on recovery and overall prognosis. This case represents a 34-year-old white man with a chronic history of alcohol abuse who had Parkinsonian symptoms 13 days after rapid correction of his serum sodium in the hospital. Similarly to prior CPM case reports, this patient significantly improved following reinduction of hyponatremia, methylprednisolone, and/or plasmapharesis. This report demonstrates that CPM is potentially reversible when quickly recognized and therapeutic interventions are initiated rapidly.

The Savant Syndrome Registry: A Preliminary Report.

A registry has been established to document certain characteristics on a sizeable worldwide sample of individuals with savant syndrome, a rare but remarkable condition in which persons with developmental disabilities, brain injury, or brain disease have some spectacular "islands" of skill or ability that stand in jarring, marked contrast to overall handicap. Of the 319 savants included in the registry, 90% are congenital savants, while 10% are acquired savants. The registry includes individuals from 33 countries, with 70% from the United States or Canada. Sex distribution was 79% male vs. 21% female (4:1). This report summarizes the findings in the congenital savant syndrome category of the registry. Among the individuals with congenital savant syndrome, the most common underlying disability was Autistic Spectrum Disorder (75%); various other central nervous system (CNS) disorders were present in the other 25%. Fifty-five percent possessed a single special skill, while 45% had multiple skills. Music was the most frequent principal skill followed by art, memory, mathematics, calendar calculating, language, visual-spatial/mechanical, athletic, computer, extrasensory perception, and other skills.