Effectivity of Dysport in patients with blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm who experienced failure with Botox.

BACKGROUND: Long-term therapy with botulinum toxin is sometimes associated with therapy failure following repeated injections of the neurotoxin, presumably due to specific antibody production. Primary therapy failure with botulinum toxin is less common and poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effectiveness of the botulinum neurotoxin Dysport in patients with blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm after primary or secondary failure with Botox treatments. METHODS: In this case series study, eight patients with blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm who experienced primary or secondary therapy failure with Botox were treated with Dysport. In order to render an equivalent Dysport dose, a conversion ratio of 1:3 to 1:4 Botox/Dysport was used. RESULTS: Two patients, one with blepharospasm and the other with hemifacial spasm, who showed primary therapeutic failure with Botox showed good response to Dysport treatments. One patient with tardive blepharospasm did not respond to either drug. Two patients with blepharospasm and three patients with hemifacial spasm who experienced Botox secondary therapy failure responded well to Dysport treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Botox and Dysport are both serotype A botulinum toxins but carry different characteristics of biological activity. These differences possibly account for the favorable therapeutic response to Dysport in patients with hemifacial spasm or blepharospasm following failure with Botox treatments.

Cognitive Function of Patients with Crohn's Disease is Associated with Intestinal Disease Activity.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation and nutritional deficiencies are characteristics of Crohn's disease (CD) and have been suggested to influence cognitive performance. This study assessed cognitive function in patients with CD. METHODS: Participants were adult patients with CD arriving at routine follow-up. Subjective cognitive complaints, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep were evaluated by validated questionnaires. CD characteristics, blood tests, and Crohn's disease activity index were obtained. Nutritional risk index was derived from serum albumin and change in body weight. Montreal cognitive assessment was used for screening. Patients with either subjective cognitive complaints or Montreal cognitive assessment score ≤ 26 were tested by a computerized cognitive testing battery, with analysis of scores in 7 cognitive domains (CogDs) and an average of the CogD scores-global cognitive score (GCS). Impaired CogD was defined as scoring more than 1 SD below age and education adjusted average. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients were recruited and 61 were tested with computerized cognitive testing battery. Mean age was 39 ± 13 and mean education years were 14 ± 2. The most commonly impaired CogDs were information processing speed (33%) and verbal function (28%). Crohn's disease activity index, nutritional risk index, and hemoglobin were significantly correlated with GCS (r = -0.34, 0.39, 0.33; P = 0.007, 0.003, 0.01). Linear regression revealed significant correlations between Crohn's disease activity index, nutritional risk index, and GCS (ß = -0.3, 0.29; P = 0.03, 0.04), independent of depression. This model explained 24% of the variance in GCS. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive performance is related to CD activity and nutritional status. The results provide insight into potential influence of nutrition and inflammation on cognitive function. Further studies on cognitive function of patients with CD are warranted.

[Clinical aspects and treatment of 95 patients with hemifacial spasm].

Hemifacial Spasm (HFS) is considered a peripheral disease of the facial nerve caused by vascular compression at the nerve root in the pontocerebellar angle. We aimed to study the natural course of HFS and especially, to examine the relationships with psychological status or physical activities, in order to assess the possible role of the facial nucleus in the pathogenesis. Ninety-five consecutive patients with HFS, 52 men and 43 women, with a mean age of 62 + 12.7 years and a mean disease duration of 7.5 + 6.5 years, were personally interviewed by 2 of the authors (SB and HK). A detailed questionnaire was completed with direct and indirect questions regarding the relationship between the severity of the spasms and emotional status or physical activity. We found strong association between emotional stress and tiredness and aggravation of the spasms in 85% and 54% of the patients, respectively. Talking increased the spasm severity in 58% of the patients and eating or drinking aggravated the spasm in 28% of the patients. Physical activity, head position, the season of the year or the time during the day had no effect on the clinical status. Botulinum toxin was injected to 78 patients with an overall subjective rate of improvement of > 70% in 74% of the patients (23% graded their rates of improvement as > 90%). In conclusion, HFS is a movement disorder of the facial nerve which is highly influenced by emotional status to support an involvement of the facial nucleus in the pathogenesis. Botulinum toxin is a very effective long term treatment for this disorder.

Oral solution of levodopa ethylester for treatment of response fluctuations in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.

Levodopa ethylester (LDEE), a highly soluble prodrug of levodopa, may overcome the impaired absorption of regular levodopa, due mainly to a combination of levodopa's poor solubility and delayed gastric emptying. We conducted a double-blind, levodopa-controlled, multicenter study of oral LDEE solution compared with standard levodopa-carbidopa (LD-CD) tablets. Sixty-two patients with Parkinson's disease who had "delayed on" and "no-on" subtypes of response fluctuations were randomly assigned for treatment with LDEE-CD or LD-CD 250/25 mg for 4 weeks (phase A). Only the first morning and first post-lunch dose of LD were replaced. This was followed by a 2-week extension with a supplementation of carbidopa (25 mg) to each replaced dose (phase B). Patients filled home diaries 2 weeks before and during the trial period in which times of turning on and off for the two doses were reported. In phase A, mean latency to turning on was reduced by 21% (morning dose) and 17% (post-lunch dose) in the LDEE-CD group. Percentage of no-on episodes after the post-lunch dose was decreased by 21% in the LDEE-CD group but increased by 36% in the LD-CD group (P < 0.01). In phase B, LDEE-CD decreased latencies to on after the morning and post-lunch doses and no-on episodes after the post-lunch dose. The beneficial effects of LDEE were supported by the pharmacokinetic data. Results indicate that LDEE solution is beneficial in ameliorating delayed on and no-on response fluctuations. This effect of LDEE is due to more rapid levodopa absorption.