Effect of Levodopa + Carbidopa on the Laryngeal Electromyographic Pattern in Parkinson Disease.

BACKGROUND: Vocal impairment is one of the main debilitating symptoms of Parkinson disease (PD). The effect of levodopa on vocal function remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the effect of levodopa on electromyographic patterns of the laryngeal muscle in patients with PD. STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective interventional trial. METHODS: Nineteen patients with PD-diagnosed by laryngeal electromyography-were enrolled. Cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid (TA) muscle activities were measured at rest and during muscle contraction (phonation), when participants were on and off medication (12 hours after the last levodopa dose). RESULTS: Prevalence of resting hypertonia in the cricothyroid muscle was similar in the off and on states (7 of 19, P = 1.00). Eight patients off medication and four patients on medication had hypertonic TA muscle at rest (P = 0.289). No electromyographic alterations were observed during phonation for either medication states. CONCLUSION: Despite a tendency for increased rest tracings in the TA muscle when participants were on medication, no association was found between laryngeal electromyography findings and levodopa + carbidopa administration.

[Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 2: two cases report]. / Neuropatia sensitiva e autonômica herditária tipo II: a propósito de dois casos.

Two cases of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 2 are reported. This type of neuropathy is included in a group that consists of five different entities. The systematization of that neuropathies depends on multiple criteria such as age of beginning, genetic aspects, clinical manifestations, eletroneuromyographic and pathologic features. In this report we describe the cases in a family, two brothers, 27 and 35 years old that were observed in our department with pain insensibility and consequent sensitive-trophic disturbs and deformity of members. The diagnoses was defined as hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 2 and an inherited pattern recessive autossomic transmission was considered. The age of beginning, the hereditary aspects, the clinical manifestations and the eletroneuromyographic features are analysed. The differential diagnoses with other sensory hereditary and acquired neuropathies is emphasized.

Neuropatia sensitiva e autonômica herditátia tipo II: a propósito de dois casos / Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 2: two cases report

Dois casos de neuropatia sensitiva e autonômica hereditária do tipo 2 säo descritos. Este tipo de neuropatia faz parte de um grupo constituído por cinco entidades diferentes. A sistematizaçäo destas neuropatias depende de múltiplos critérios como idade de início, aspectos genéticos, manifestaçöes clínicas, aspectos eletroneuromiográficos e patológicos. Neste relato descrevemos dois irmäos com 27 e 35 anos de idade que foram acompanhados em nosso Serviço, com quadro de insensibilidade à dor e conseqüentes deformidades de membros e distúrbios sensitivo-tróficos. Para estes pacientes foi definido o diagnóstico de neuropatia sensitiva e autonômica hereditária do tipo 2, com modalidade de transmissäo hereditária autossômica recessiva. A idade de início do quadro, os aspectos hereditários, as manifestaçöes clínicas e os aspectos eletroneuromiográficos säo analisados. O diagnóstico diferencial com outras neuropatias sensitivas hereditárias e adquiridas é considerado