[Intrathecal baclofen for treatment of spasticity in patient with cerebral palsy--a preliminary report]. / Podpajeczynówkowe podawanie baklofenu w leczeniu spastycznosci u chorych z mózgowym porazeniem dzieciecym--doniesienie wstepne.

Spasticity is a common symptom of upper neuron damage which requires continuous research for new treatment strategies. The aim of this paper is to present the result of intrathecal baclofen infusion in treatment of spasticity in patients with cerebral palsy. Three patients (aged 16 to 21 years) in whom baclofen pumps were implanted underwent clinical and neurophysiological assessment both before and after pump implantation. Early results of spasticity treatment in cerebral palsy with intrathecal baclofen infusions are very promising.

The area under the record of contractile tension: estimation of work performed by a contracting motor unit.

The area under twitch tension records was measured for motor units in rat medial gastrocnemius. These measures were compared to measures of tension. The tension varied in significantly larger range than the area. The area of slow motor units was similar to the area of fast resistant units, whereas their tensions differed significantly. The area depended mainly on the amplitude of contraction and to a smaller degree on its time course. The measure of area under the tension record gives a more exact evaluation of the work performed by contracting motor units than the measure of tension alone. The obtained results show that motor units in mammalian muscle are less variable in their ability to perform contractile work and moreover, that slow motor units play a more significant role during contractions than was supposed based on tension measures.

Projections of laminae IV-VI neurones located in the S2 segment of the spinal cord to the C6 segment and the cerebellum in the cat.

Ascending projections of neurones of the second sacral segment (S2) of the spinal cord to the sixth cervical segment (C6) and to the cerebellum were electrophysiologically investigated in eight adult cats under alpha-chloralose anaesthesia. Antidromic potentials recorded from 44 neurones following stimulation of their axons in the grey matter of the C6 segment as well as in the contralateral restiform body (coRB) showed evidence of both supraspinal and propriospinal projections. About one third of neurones (15) ascended to the cerebellum through the coRB and gave off collaterals to the C6 segment, while the rest (29) terminated exclusively at the level of the C6 segment. The cell bodies were found mainly in central parts of Rexed' s laminae IV, V and VI while axons ran in lateral funiculi. Axonal conduction velocities measured between S2 and C6 segments were in the range of 42-78 m/s. A decrease of conduction velocity above the Th13 and C6 segments was found in most axons suggesting that they give some collaterals at spinal as well as supraspinal levels.