Striatal and thalamic automatic segmentation, morphology, and clinical correlates in Parkinsonism: Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy.

Parkinson's disease (PD), multisystem atrophy (MSA), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) present similarly with bradykinesia, tremor, rigidity, and cognitive impairments. Neuroimaging studies have found differential changes in the nigrostriatal pathway in these disorders, however whether the volume and shape of specific regions within this pathway can distinguish between atypical Parkinsonian disorders remains to be determined. This paper investigates striatal and thalamic volume and morphology as distinguishing biomarkers, and their relationship to neuropsychiatric symptoms. Automatic segmentation to calculate volume and shape analysis of the caudate nucleus, putamen, and thalamus were performed in 18 PD patients, 12 MSA, 15 PSP, and 20 healthy controls, then correlated with clinical measures. PSP bilateral thalami and right putamen were significantly smaller than controls, but not MSA or PD. The left caudate and putamen significantly correlated with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory total score. Bilateral thalamus, caudate, and left putamen had significantly different morphology between groups, driven by differences between PSP and healthy controls. This study demonstrated that PSP patient striatal and thalamic volume and shape are significantly different when compared with controls. Parkinsonian disorders could not be differentiated on volumetry or morphology, however there are trends for volumetric and morphological changes associated with PD, MSA, and PSP.

Alpha band disruption in the AD-continuum starts in the Subjective Cognitive Decline stage: a MEG study.

The consideration of Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) as a preclinical stage of AD remains still a matter of debate. Alpha band alterations represent one of the most significant changes in the electrophysiological profile of AD. In particular, AD patients exhibit reduced alpha relative power and frequency. We used alpha band activity measured with MEG to study whether SCD and MCI elders present these electrophysiological changes characteristic of AD, and to determine the evolution of the observed alterations across AD spectrum. The total sample consisted of 131 participants: 39 elders without SCD, 41 elders with SCD and 51 MCI patients. All of them underwent MEG and MRI scans and neuropsychological assessment. SCD and MCI patients exhibited a similar reduction in alpha band activity compared with the no SCD group. However, only MCI patients showed a slowing in their alpha peak frequency compared with both SCD and no SCD. These changes in alpha band were related to worse cognition. Our results suggest that AD-related alterations may start in the SCD stage, with a reduction in alpha relative power. It is later, in the MCI stage, where the slowing of the spectral profile takes place, giving rise to objective deficits in cognitive functioning.

Early Detection of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Dermatology. / Detección precoz de la enfermedad psicoemocional en dermatología.

Many skin diseases are associated with mental disorders. When the psychological symptoms are mild, as is often the case in dermatology, it can be difficult to distinguish between normality and the manifestations of a mental disorder. To facilitate the distinction we review the concept of mental disorder in the present article. It is also important to have instruments that can facilitate early detection of psychological disease, i.e. when the symptoms are still mild. Short, simple, self-administered questionnaires have been developed to help dermatologists and other health professionals identify the presence of a mental disorder with a high degree of certainty. In this article, we focus on the questionnaires most often used to detect the 2 most common mental disorders: anxiety and depression. Finally, we describe the circumstances in which it is advisable to refer a dermatological patient to a psychiatrist, who can diagnose and treat the mental disorder in accordance with standard protocols.

Successful treatment of chromoblastomycosis of 36 years duration caused by Fonsecaea monophora.

We report a case of chromoblastomycosis in a 67-year-old female farmer, which involved a large (20 x 30 cm) cicatricial erythematous plaque on the inner side of her right thigh. The lesion was initially a small nodule which gradually extended over 36 years. Direct microscopic examination revealed a granulomatous lesion with muriform cells surrounded by giant cells. The mould recovered in cultures was dark olivaceous and identified as Fonsecaea monophora by ribosomal internal transcribe spacer (ITS) sequence data. The lesion was successfully cured after 4 months treatment with itraconazole, but there was a relapse.

[Calcified cerebral metastasis]. / Metástasis cerebral calcificada.

A hyperdense intraparenchymal lesion on a cerebral computed tomography (CT) usually corresponds to an acute hematoma; however, it is sometimes necessary to rule out a metastatic cause. Focal calcifications in the brain are common and are most often due to granulomas (tuberculosis, cysticercosis...), hamartomas, and primary brain tumors. Cerebral metastases are the most common intracranial neoplasm; however, their rate of calcification in classic series is only approximately 1%. We report the case of a completely calcified cerebral metastasis studied by CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that was interpreted as acute hemorrhage on the first CT examination.

3-Chloropropyl and 4-chlorobutyl phenyl ethers as sources of 1, 3-dilithiopropane and 1,4-dilithiobutane: sequential reaction with carbonyl compounds

The reaction of 3-chloropropyl and 4-chlorobutyl phenyl ethers (1) with lithium powder and a catalytic amount of DTBB (5% molar) in THF at -78 degrees C followed by successive treatment with a carbonyl compound [R(1)R(2)CO = Bu(t)CHO, Me(2)CO, (CH(2))(5)CO, (-)-menthone] at -78 to 20 degrees C and, after 1.5 h at this temperature, with a second one [R(3)R(4)CO = Bu(t)CHO, PhCHO, Me(2)CO, MeCOPr(n), (CH(2))(5)CO, (-)-menthone] at -78 degrees C leads, after hydrolysis with water, to the corresponding 1,5- and 1, 6-diols (2). Because of the competition of two different reductive cleavages, 1,4- and 1,5-diols 3 were also obtained as side-reaction products.

CT evaluation of gastric wall pathology.

The purpose of this study is to show the CT features of common and infrequent pathological lesions of the gastric wall. Although CT features are not often specific, familiarity with the most frequent pathological gastric findings on CT can assist in differential diagnosis.

[Double outlet left ventricle with pulmonary atresia]. / Ventricule gauche à double issue avec hypoplasie ventriculaire gauche.

A case of double outlet left ventricle with pulmonary atresia is reported. The hypoplasia of the left ventricule produced by the almost total absence of its trabecular zone has not been previously reported.