ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: DAT-SPECT, is a well-established procedure for distinguishing drug-induced parkinsonism from Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigated the usefulness of blink reflex recovery cycle (BRrc) and of electromyographic parameters of resting tremor for the differentiation of patients with drug-induced parkinsonism with resting tremor (rDIP) from those with resting tremor due to PD. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. In 16 patients with rDIP and 18 patients with PD we analysed electrophysiological parameters (amplitude, duration, burst and pattern) of resting tremor. BRrc at interstimulus intervals (ISI) of 100, 150, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 750 msec was also analysed in patients with rDIP, patients with PD and healthy controls. All patients and controls underwent DAT-SPECT. RESULTS: Rest tremor amplitude was higher in PD patients than in rDIP patients (p < 0.001), while frequency and burst duration were higher in rDIP than in PD (p < 0.001, p < 0.003, respectively). Resting tremor showed a synchronous pattern in all patients with rDIP, whereas it had an alternating pattern in all PD patients (p < 0.001). DAT-SPECT was normal in rDIP patients while it was markedly abnormal in patients with PD. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of DAT-SPECT, the pattern of resting tremor can be considered a useful investigation for differentiating rDIP from PD.
Subject(s)
Parkinson Disease/diagnosis , Tremor/diagnosis , Tremor/etiology , Aged , Blinking , Cross-Sectional Studies , Diagnosis, Differential , Electromyography , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-PhotonABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE) is a distinct epileptic syndrome with a broad range of severity even amongst affected members of the same pedigree, and the level of pharmacoresistance may reach 30%, close to that seen in sporadic focal epilepsies. METHODS: To investigate this issue of phenotypic heterogeneity, we prospectively carried out a high-resolution 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study in an ADNFLE family containing 10 affected members including one pharmacoresistant patient and carrying the V287L mutation of the CHRN beta2 subunit (CHRNB2). MRI studies were evaluated in a manner blinded to the electro-clinical data. RESULTS: The brain MRI showed normal results in all affected individuals except the 22-year-old right-handed woman (member III-7) who had refractory seizures and typical radiological signs of left hippocampal sclerosis. She also had a simple febrile seizure at the age of 10 months. CONCLUSION: The results of this study illustrate that hippocampal sclerosis has offered a fertile substrate for intractable ADNFLE to develop. The present findings also highlight the importance of acquired factors that are directly relevant to the epilepsy phenotype and its severity even in monogenic epilepsies.
Subject(s)
Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe/pathology , Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe/physiopathology , Hippocampus/pathology , Mutation , Receptors, Nicotinic/genetics , Sclerosis/complications , Child , Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe/genetics , Female , Hippocampus/physiopathology , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Pedigree , Phenotype , Sclerosis/pathology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Aim of the study is to evaluate the causes of dumping syndromes following partial gastrectomies, and to report an unusual feature of dumping. A case of early dumping due to diverticular-like dilation of gastro-jejunal anastomosis is described with preoperative imaging and intraoperative picture. The surgical correction led to complete clinical remission; the common causes and physiopathological bases of dumping are reviewed and the role of en-Y gastro-jejunal reconstruction is underlined in order to reduce the risk of developing the syndrome.