Sensitivity and specificity of different hand positions to assess upper limb rest tremor.

BACKGROUND: Hand position for rest tremor evaluation in PD is not standardized. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of different hand positions commonly used to evaluate rest tremor. METHODS: Twenty patients with PD and rest tremor were included as cases and 20 patients with essential tremor without rest tremor as controls. Video and accelerometric recordings were conducted in semiprone, completely prone, and with hands hanging down from armrest positions. Three movement disorder specialists rated tremor in each different position using Movement Disorder Society UPDRS items 3.17 and 3.18. RESULTS: Hands hanging showed the highest amplitude (P = 0.004) and constancy (P = 0.015) scores. Sensitivity and specificity analysis for each position showed the following sensitivity/specificity results: semiprone, 95%/80%; completely prone, 85%/98.33%; and hands hanging, 96.66%/63.33%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The hands-hanging position was shown to be the most suitable for evaluating rest tremor amplitude in PD, whereas the completely prone position proved to be more specific to detect rest tremor. The preferred hand position would depend on the purpose of the examination. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Clinical and cerebrospinal fluid findings contribute to the early differentiation between infectious and noninfectious encephalitis.

Early recognition and prompt specific treatment are crucial factors influencing the outcome of patients with acute encephalitis. The aim of this study was to determine the main causes of acute encephalitis in our population and to find predictors that may lead to specific diagnosis. Adult patients admitted to our hospital with suspected diagnosis of encephalitis in the period 2006-2013 were included. One hundred and five medical records were analyzed. Eighty-two patients with infectious encephalitis were identified (78% of total cases), 53 (65%) men and 29 (35%) women, mean age 47.8 years. The most common microorganisms identified were: HSV-1 (11%), VZV (10%), HSV-2 (5%) and EBV (5%). Twenty-three patients (22% of the series) had non-infectious encephalitis. Headache (p < 0.0001) and fever (p = 0.008) were more frequent in encephalitis of infectious origin. Protein levels and white blood cell counts in the cerebrospinal fluid were significantly higher in patients affected by infectious encephalitis than in those affected by noninfectious encephalitis (OR 95% CI 12.3 [2.9-51.7] and OR 95% CI 7.4 [2-27], respectively). Identifying specific causal agents of acute encephalitis remains a major challenge. Cerebrospinal fluid markers, as well as specific clinical findings, may however contribute to initial differentiation between infectious and noninfectious causes.

Headache in Patients with Celiac Disease and Its Response to the Gluten-Free Diet.

AIMS: To describe headache characteristics among celiac disease (CD) patients and to analyze the relationship between CD and headache. METHODS: An online survey analyzing the characteristics of headache and its response to the gluten-free diet (GFD) in celiac patients was published on Argentinean Celiac social networks, open to the public to complete. The results were analyzed using chi-square test or Mann-Whitney test accordingly. RESULTS: A total of 1,517 subjects completed the survey, and 866 (55.2%) met the inclusion criteria (headache and CD confirmed with positive biopsy). The subjects were predominantly female (94.5%) and had a median age of 39 ± 11.27 years. Tension-type headache was the most prevalent headache type (52%), followed by migraine without (32.5%) and with aura (15.4%), respectively. Of the included participants, 24% reported headache as the main symptom that resulted in the diagnosis of CD. Following initiation of GFD, headache frequency and intensity improved significantly more in participants with migraine than tension-type headache (P = .02 and P = .013, respectively). Compliance to GFD was higher among subjects with severe manifestations (77% vs 66%, P = .05), and compliant individuals showed a 48% improvement in headache frequency (P = .049). An association between food transgressions and headache was better recognized by migraineurs (P = .02). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that strict compliance to the GFD could improve headache in celiac patients with headache, even in those without gastrointestinal symptoms. This observation could provide an additional factor when convincing patients to follow a GFD, thus reducing the morbidity related to CD.

Postural Disorders and Antiparkinsonian Treatments in Parkinson Disease: An Exploratory Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between antiparkinsonian treatments, especially dopamine agonist (DAs) and the development of postural disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: We performed an exploratory case-control study. Cases were PD patients with camptocormia, Pisa syndrome, or anterocollis. Control subjects were PD patients without postural disorders matched by sex and age. Demographic and clinical data including pharmacologic treatments history were collected retrospectively. Characteristics of cases and control subjects were compared using parametric and nonparametric tests accordingly, and logistic regression models were used to analyze correlations. RESULTS: We included 63 patients with PD and postural disorders and 63 control subjects. Cases were more exposed to DAs (74.60% vs 58.73%, P = 0.05) and amantadine (30.16% vs 7.94%, P < 0.05) than control subjects. Cases showed longer disease duration (7.63 ± 7.83 vs 4.27 ± 3.87 years, P < 0.05), higher Hoehn and Yahr stage (2.83 ± 0.80 vs 2.15 ± 0.73, P < 0.05), higher Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III score (29.61 ± 1.39 vs 20.76 ± 10.94, P = 0.05), and more dyslipidemia (28.57% vs 12.70%, P < 0.05) than control subjects, as well as lower prevalence of depression (46.03% vs 28.57%, P < 0.05). We found no clinical predictors for the development of postural disorders after multivariable adjusted regression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a possible association between the use of DAs and amantadine and the development of postural disorders in PD and suggest potential risk factors including advanced disease and more severe motor symptoms. These results support the need of a cautious use of these medications in patients with advanced disease due to the possibility of increasing the risk-benefit ratio.

Is tremor related to celiac disease?

Neurological features in celiac disease (CD) are not rare (5%-36%), but tremor is scarcely described. Subjects with CD and healthy controls completed an online survey using WHIGET tremor rating scale. One thousand five hundred and twelve subjects completed the survey, finally 674 CD patients and 290 healthy subjects were included. A higher prevalence of tremor in CD patients was observed in comparison to controls (28% vs 14%, P < 0.001). Frequency of family history of tremor in CD patients with and without tremor was 25% and 20% (P = 0.2), while in the control group it was 41% and 10% (P < 0.001). Controls with tremor showed a higher frequency of family history of tremor when compared to CD patients with tremor (41.5% vs 24.6%, P = 0.03). The results suggested that tremor in CD might be more frequent and possibly related to the disease itself and not due to associated essential tremor.

How Do I Examine Postural Disorders in Parkinson's Disease?

Postural abnormalities in Parkinson's disease (PD) are considered the rule more than the exception and are disabling complications of the disease. These deformities include camptocormia, antecollis, Pisa syndrome, and scoliosis. Evidence to date suggests that postural deformities have a multifactorial pathophysiology, including muscular rigidity, axial dystonia, weakness due to myopathy, body scheme defects due to centrally impaired proprioception, and structural changes in the spine. Antecollis in parkinsonian disorders refers to a forward flexion of the head and neck. It is usually mild in severity and may be considered part of the stooped posture in patients with PD. Some authors that suggest the term antecollis should only be used in patients with at least a minimum of 45 degrees of thoracolumbar flexion. Neither camptocormia nor Pisa syndrome can be evaluated without taking into account the presence or absence of scoliosis. In this regard, the rotating component of the spine and its behavior in the supine position give important clues for a correct diagnosis. In some cases, X-rays in the standing and supine positions are necessary. The presence of marked camptocormia requires a minimum of flexion in the sagittal plane originating in the thoracolumbar spine greater than 45 degrees, with an almost complete resolution in the supine position. Pisa syndrome requires a minimum of 10 degrees of lateral flexion and is almost completely alleviated by passive mobilization or supine positioning. A certain degree of scoliosis is expected in most parkinsonian patients; therefore, both camptocormia and Pisa syndrome do not generally present as pure syndromes.

Clinical and cerebrospinal fluid findings contribute to the early differentiation between infectious and noninfectious encephalitis

Early recognition and prompt specific treatment are crucial factors influencing the outcome of patients with acute encephalitis. The aim of this study was to determine the main causes of acute encephalitis in our population and to find predictors that may lead to specific diagnosis. Adult patients admitted to our hospital with suspected diagnosis of encephalitis in the period 2006-2013 were included. One hundred and five medical records were analyzed. Eighty-two patients with infectious encephalitis were identified (78% of total cases), 53 (65%) men and 29 (35%) women, mean age 47.8 years. The most common microorganisms identified were: HSV-1 (11%), VZV (10%), HSV-2 (5%) and EBV (5%). Twenty-three patients (22% of the series) had non-infectious encephalitis. Headache (p < 0.0001) and fever (p = 0.008) were more frequent in encephalitis of infectious origin. Protein levels and white blood cell counts in the cerebrospinal fluid were significantly higher in patients affected by infectious encephalitis than in those affected by noninfectious encephalitis (OR 95% CI 12.3 [2.9-51.7] and OR 95% CI 7.4 [2-27], respectively). Identifying specific causal agents of acute encephalitis remains a major challenge. Cerebrospinal fluid markers, as well as specific clinical findings, may however contribute to initial differentiation between infectious and noninfectious causes.

El reconocimiento temprano y la instauración del tratamiento adecuado son dos elementos de gran relevancia en el pronóstico de las encefalitis agudas. El objetivo del presente trabajo es determinar las principales causas de encefalitis aguda en nuestro medio, así como buscar predictores que permitan orientar a un diagnóstico determinado. Se revisaron de manera retrospectiva las historias clínicas de todos los pacientes adultos que consultaron en nuestro centro entre 2006 y 2013 con el diagnóstico presuntivo de encefalitis. Ciento cinco pacientes fueron finalmente incluidos en nuestro estudio. Se identificaron 82 pacientes con encefalitis de origen infeccioso (78%), 53 (65%) fueron hombres y 29 (35%) mujeres, con una edad promedio de 47.8 años. Los agentes infecciosos más frecuentes fueron virus: HSV-1 12 (11%), VZV 11 (10%), HSV-2 5 (5%) y EBV 5 (5%). Se diagnosticó encefalitis no infecciosa en 23 (22%) pacientes. La cefalea (p < 0.0001) y la fiebre (p = 0.008) fueron más frecuentes en las encefalitis de origen infeccioso. Además, los niveles de proteínas y células en el LCR fueron significativamente mayores en los casos de etiología infecciosa que en los de etiología no infecciosa (OR 12.3 95%CI [2.9-51.7] y OR 7.4 95%CI [2-27], respectivamente). La identificación de la etiología específica de las encefalitis agudas continúa siendo un gran desafío y en la mayoría de los casos no se identifica el agente causal. Determinados marcadores en el LCR pueden contribuir a la identificación inicial de las encefalitis de etiología infecciosa versus no infecciosa.