Trastornos psicopatológicos y calidad de vida en el infarto cerebral / Psychopathological disorders and quality of life in patients with brain infarction

Objetivos: Estudiar la influencia de diversos factores en la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud (CVRS) de los pacientes tras un infarto cerebral (IC), con especial atención a los trastornos psicopatológicos (TP). Pacientes y métodos: Estudio observacional prospectivo sobre 45 pacientes ingresados por IC, evaluados a las 4, 12 y 26 semanas del evento agudo. Se recogieron antecedentes y datos sociodemográficos previos, se utilizó la escala SF-36 para la valoración de la CVRS, para la valoración psicopatológica, cognitiva, neurológica y funcional se utilizó el inventario neuropsiquiátrico (NPI), MMSE, escala de Canadá, escala de Rankin modificada y otras escalas. Para determinar los posibles factores predictivos de las puntuaciones del SF-36 a las 26 semanas se realizó un estudio de regresión lineal, introduciendo como variables independientes los antecedentes médicos y psiquiátricos, las características sociodemográficas y la evaluación funcional, neuropsicológica y psicopatológica a las 4 semanas. Resultados: Se obtuvieron modelos predictivos válidos para todos los índices del SF-36, en los que el antecedente de depresión, las puntuaciones más altas en el NPI y la escala de Rankin, y más baja en la escala canadiense fueron los principales indicadores predictivos de una peor CVRS a largo plazo. El distrés del cuidador asociado a la psicopatología del paciente (medido a través del NPI) tuvo una influencia negativa sobre el índice de función social. Conclusiones: Los TP y la situación funcional fueron los principales determinantes de la CVRS de los pacientes tras un IC (AU)

Objectives: To study the influence of various factors on the health related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients who have suffered a brain infarction (BI), with special attention to psychopathological disorders (PD). Patients and methods: Prospective observational study on 45 patients admitted due to a BI, evaluated at 4, 12 and 26 weeks of the acute event. Social and demographic data, and medical history were collected; the SF-36 scale was used for the assessment of HRQOL, and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), MMSE, Canadian Neurological Scale, Modified Rankin Scale and other instruments for assessing psychopathological, cognitive, neurological and functional status. A linear regression analysis was performed to identify potential predictors of the SF-36 scores at 26 weeks, introducing, as independent variables, medical and psychiatric history, demographic characteristics and the functional, neuropsychological and psychopathological assessments at 4 weeks. Results: Valid predictive models for all the SF-36 domains were obtained, in which a history of pre-morbid depression, higher scores in the NPI and Rankin Scale, and lowest in the Canadian Neurological Scale were the main predictors of a worse HRQOL in the long term. Psychopathology related caregiver's distress (assessed with the NPI) was associated with a lower score in the social function index. Conclusions: PDs and functional status were the main determinants of HRQOL in patients with BI (AU)

[Psychopathological disorders and quality of life in patients with brain infarction]. / Trastornos psicopatológicos y calidad de vida en el infarto cerebral.

OBJECTIVES: To study the influence of various factors on the health related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients who have suffered a brain infarction (BI), with special attention to psychopathological disorders (PD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective observational study on 45 patients admitted due to a BI, evaluated at 4, 12 and 26 weeks of the acute event. Social and demographic data, and medical history were collected; the SF-36 scale was used for the assessment of HRQOL, and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), MMSE, Canadian Neurological Scale, Modified Rankin Scale and other instruments for assessing psychopathological, cognitive, neurological and functional status. A linear regression analysis was performed to identify potential predictors of the SF-36 scores at 26 weeks, introducing, as independent variables, medical and psychiatric history, demographic characteristics and the functional, neuropsychological and psychopathological assessments at 4 weeks. RESULTS: Valid predictive models for all the SF-36 domains were obtained, in which a history of pre-morbid depression, higher scores in the NPI and Rankin Scale, and lowest in the Canadian Neurological Scale were the main predictors of a worse HRQOL in the long term. Psychopathology related caregiver's distress (assessed with the NPI) was associated with a lower score in the social function index. CONCLUSIONS: PDs and functional status were the main determinants of HRQOL in patients with BI.

Hemicrania continua evolving from episodic paroxysmal hemicrania.

A 45-year-old woman, who had been diagnosed in our unit with episodic paroxysmal hemicrania, was seen 2 years later for ipsilateral hemicrania continua in remitting form. Both types of headache had a complete response to indomethacin and did not occur simultaneously. The patient had a previous history of episodic moderate headaches that met criteria for probable migraine without aura and also had a family history of headache. The clinical course in this case suggests a pathogenic relationship between both types of primary headache.

[Epidural spinal cord stimulation for interstitial cystitis]. / Tratamiento de la cistitis intersticial mediante la estimulación de cordones posteriores.

INTRODUCTION: Interstitial cystitis, a chronic inflammatory disorder of the bladder wall, is highly painful and incapacitating. Urinary frequency and urgency develop, as well as nocturia, dysuria, perineal pain and reduction of bladder capacity. The condition seems to arise from a variety of factors with multiple and diverse pathogenic mechanisms and is refractory to medical and surgical treatment. Because treatments are ineffective and recent studies have implicated an inflammatory neurogenic mechanism in the pathogenesis of interstitial cystitis, neuromodulation by epidural spinal cord stimulation has been suggested for treating patients in whom other measures have failed. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 66-year-old woman with a 9-year history of urinary incontinence, urinary urgency and suprapubic pain was diagnosed of interstitial cystitis. She was referred to our pain clinic with persistent symptoms after repeated attempts to treat the condition medically. After implantation of a cephalocaudal (retrograde) epidural spinal cord stimulator, pain decreased 80% and the improvement has been maintained with no complications. CONCLUSION: Results from this and previous reports allow us to state that retrograde epidural spinal cord stimulation seems to be a relatively non-invasive therapeutic approach for treating interstitial cystitis that is refractory to conventional treatments.

[Spontaneous spinal cord herniation]. / Hernia medular espontánea.

Spontaneous spinal cord herniation through a dural defect is an unusual condition. This entity has been probably underestimated before the introduction of MRI. We report a case of a 49-year-old man with a progressive Brown-Sequard syndrome. MRI and CT myelogram showed a ventrally displaced spinal cord at level T6-T7 and expansion of the posterior subarachnoid space. Through a laminectomy, a spinal cord herniation was identified and reduced. The anterior dural defect was repaired with a patch of lyophilized dura. The patient recovered muscle power but there was no improvement of the sensory disturbance. The diagnosis of spontaneous spinal cord herniation must be considered when progressive myelopathy occurs in middle-aged patients, without signs of spinal cord compression and typical radiological findings. Surgical treatment may halt the progressive deficits and even yield improvement in many cases.

Trastorno delirante agudo como manifestación de un brote de esclerosis múltiple / A relapse of multiple sclerosis manifesting as acute delirium

Los síntomas psicóticos son infrecuentes en la esclerosis múltiple (EM) y su relación con las lesiones cerebrales no está claramente establecida. Se aporta el caso clínico de una paciente de 58 años con EM con progresión secundaria que presentó un trastorno delirante agudo de contenido persecutorio coincidiendo con una paresia del miembro inferior izquierdo. La resonancia magnética cerebral mostró una lesión desmielinizante activa en el hipocampo izquierdo. La paciente fue tratada con risperidona y megadosis de metilprednisolona, con rápida mejoría de los síntomas. Los datos clínicos y radiológicos que concurren en esta paciente apoyan la hipótesis de que los síntomas psicóticos pueden ser la manifestación de un brote de EM y, por tanto, susceptibles de tratamiento con esteroides (AU)

[A relapse of multiple sclerosis manifesting as acute delirium]. / Trastorno delirante agudo como manifestación de un brote de esclerosis múltiple.

Psychotic symptoms are infrequent in multiple sclerosis (MS) and their relationship to cerebral lesions has not been clearly documented. The case of a 58 year old woman with secondary progressive MS is presented. She had acute delirium with persecutory delusions associated to paresis of her left leg. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain disclosed an active lesion in the left hippocampus. The patient was treated with risperidone and megadoses of methylprednisolone, with dramatic improvement. Clinical and radiological data in this patient suggest that psychotic disorders can be symptomatic of a relapse in MS and, therefore, susceptible to be treated with steroids.

Dolor agudo postoperatorio (DAP) en cirugía general / Postoperative acute pain (PAP) in general surgery

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Cerebrospinal fluid levels of insulin in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVES: Some previous reports suggested a potential role of insulin in memory and in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We assessed the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of insulin in patients with AD and in age and sex-matched controls trying to elucidate whether this value could be related with the risk or severity of AD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We measured the CSF insulin levels in 27 patients with AD and 16 matched controls using a RadioImmunoanalysis method. RESULTS: CSF insulin levels did not differ significantly between AD-patient and control groups. These values were not correlated with age, age at onset, duration of the disease, and scores of the MiniMental State Examination in the AD group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that CSF insulin concentrations are not related with the risk or severity of AD.

[Olanzapine improves chorea in patients with Huntington's disease]. / La olanzapina mejora el corea en pacientes con enfermedad de Huntington.

INTRODUCTION: The main treatment for choreatic movements associated to Huntington s disease are the neuroleptic drugs, however, its use causes long term troubles. CASE REPORTS: We describe two patients with a predominantly choreic Huntington s disease, who experience improvement of choreatic movements after introduction of olanzapine to their treatment, being this drug well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: The improvement of chorea suggests that olanzapine has a dopaminergic D2 receptors blocking action.

La olanzapina mejora el corea en pacientes con enfermedad de Huntington / Olanzapine improves chorea in patients with huntington's disease

Introducción. El tratamiento fundamental para los movimientos coreicos asociados a la enfermedad de Huntington son los neurolépticos; sin embargo, su utilización conlleva problemas a largo plazo. Casos clínicos. Presentamos dos pacientes con enfermedad de Huntington, con corea como síntoma predominante, en los que los movimientos coreicos mejoraron tras la introducción de olanzapina, que se toleró bien. Conclusión. La mejoría del corea con olanzapina sugiere que ésta tiene una acción bloqueadora de los receptores dopaminérgicos D2 (AU)

Test de latencias múltiples en un paciente con episodios de sueño inducidos por pergolida / Multiple latency test in a patient with episodes of sleep induced by pergolide

Objetivo. Recientemente, se ha comunicado la existencia de ataques de sueño en pacientes parkinsonianos, como efecto secundario de pramipexol y ropinirol. Presentamos un paciente con episodios similares en relación con pergolida. Caso clínico. Varón de 64 años, con parkinsonismo rigidoacinético de 3 años de evolución, en buena situación funcional hasta junio 1999, con arbidopa/levodopa 112,5/450 mg/día y pergolida 1,5 mg/día. En este momento, y justo al aumentar la dosis de pergolida a 2,25 mg/día, el paciente comenzó con episodios súbitos de sueño irresistible, que se iniciaban a los 30 minutos de cada toma de pergolida y duraban dos horas. Tras la reducción de dosis de pergolida a 1,5 mg/día, los episodios de sueño desaparecieron. Se realizaron dos estudios doble ciego de latencias múltiples de sueño, uno tras administración de pergolida y otro tras administración de placebo. Resultados. Las latencias de inicio del sueño fueron menores con pergolida que con placebo, aunque sin alcanzar significación estadística. No hubo comienzo precoz de sueño REM. Conclusiones. Los episodios de sueño o somnolencia diurna excesiva probablemente son un efecto inespecífico de todos los agonistas dopaminérgicos (AU)

Serum levels of coenzyme Q10 in patients with Parkinson's disease.

We compared serum levels of coenzyme Q10 and the coenzyme Q10/cholesterol ratio in 33 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 31 matched controls. The mean serum coenzyme Q10 levels did not differ significantly between the 2 study groups. Coenzyme Q10 levels were not correlated with age, age at onset, duration of the disease, scores of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) or the Hoehn and Yahr staging in the PD group. The coenzyme Q10/cholesterol ratio had a significant correlation (although low) with duration of the disease (r = -0.46), total UPDRS score (r = -0.39), motor examination of the UPDRS (r = 0.45). These values were not influenced significantly by therapy with levodopa or dopamine agonists. The normality of serum coenzyme Q10 and coenzyme Q10/cholesterol ratio suggest that these values are not related with the risk for PD.

Serum levels of coenzyme Q10 in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

We compared serum levels of coenzyme Q10 and the coenzyme Q10/cholesterol ratio in 44 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 17 patients with vascular dementia (VD), and 21 matched controls. The mean serum coenzyme Q10 and cholesterol levels and the coenzyme Q10/cholesterol ratio of patients with AD or VD did not differ significantly from those of controls. Coenzyme Q10 levels and coenzyme Q10/cholesterol ratio of AD or VD patients were not correlated with age, age at onset, duration of the disease or scores of the MiniMental State Examination. These results suggest that these values are not related with the risk for AD or VD.

[Respiratory form of onset of motor neuron disease]. / Forma de comienzo respiratorio de la enfermedad de motoneurona.

OBJECTIVE: To present a case of respiratory failure as the form of onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, to review the main clinical findings, data of the investigations done which suggest the presence of this disorder and describe its therapeutic management. CLINICAL CASE: A 68 year old man presented with a subacute illness characterized by a sleep disorder with sleep fragmentation, snoring of increasing intensity, without clear pauses of apnea, progressive diurnal hypersomnia accompanied by progressive dyspnea followed by respiratory failure with respiratory acidosis and difficulty in manipulating things with his hands. Diagnostic investigations showed a restrictive pattern without pulmonary fibrosis, due to paralysis of the diaphragm, and the presence of electromyographic signs compatible with motorneuron disease. The patient was treated with riluzole 100 mg/day and non-invasive mechanical ventilation and maintained an acceptable quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Motorneuron disease may start with acute or progressive respiratory failure without a clear etiological cause and may appear to be similar to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The treatment of choice for this respiratory problem is non-invasive mechanical ventilation. Absence of symptoms of bulbar involvement is essential for a favourable prognosis.

Serum levels of coenzyme Q10 in patients with multiple sclerosis.

To elucidate whether serum coenzyme Q10 levels are related with the risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) or are a marker for the activity of the disease, we compared serum levels of coenzyme Q10 and the coenzyme Q10/cholesterol ratio, in 31 patients with MS (during exacerbations) and 19 matched controls using a high performance liquid chromatography technique. The mean serum coenzyme Q10 levels and the coenzyme Q10/cholesterol ratio did not differ significantly between the 2 study groups. The values did not correlate with age, age at onset, and duration of the disease. These results suggest that serum coenzyme Q10 concentrations are unrelated with the risk for MS and are not a useful marker of activity of the disease.

Forma de comienzo respiratorio de la enfermedad de motoneurona / Respiratory form of onset of motorneuron disease

Objetivo. Presentar un caso de insuficiencia como forma de comienzo de la esclerosis lateral amiotrófica, así como revisar sus manifestaciones clínicas principales, los datos de pruebas diagnósticas sugestivos de esta enfermedad y su manejo terapéutico. Caso clínico. Varón de 68 años que presentó cuadro subagudo caracterizado por la aparición de trastorno del sueño con fragmentaciones del mismo y ronquidos crecientes en intensidad, sin claras pausa de apnea, junto con hipersomnia diurna progresiva, acompañado de disnea progresiva y posterior fallo respiratorio con acidosis respiratoria y de dificultad manipulatoria en manos. Los tests diagnósticos objetivaron un patrón restrictivo sin la presencia de fibrosis pulmonar debido a parálisis diafragmática y a la presencia de signos electromiográficos compatibles con enfermedad de motoneurona. El paciente recibió tratamiento con riluzole 100 mg/día y ventilación mecánica no invasiva manteniendo una calidad de vida aceptable. Conclusiones. La enfermedad de motoneurona puede comenzar como un cuadro de insuficiencia respiratoria aguda o progresiva sin una causa etiológica clara, pudiendo simular un síndrome de apnea obstructiva del sueño. El tratamiento de elección para su problema respiratorio sería la ventilación mecánica no invasiva, siendo fundamental para un pronóstico más favorable la ausencia de síntomas de afectación bulbar (AU)

Normal cerebrospinal fluid levels of insulin in patients with Parkinson's disease.

We compared CSF levels insulin, measured by a Radioimmunoanalysis method, in 24 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and 21 matched controls. The CSF insulin levels did not differ significantly between PD patients and controls. CSF insulin levels were not correlated with age, age at onset, duration of the disease, scores of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale of the Hoehn and Yahr staging in the PD group. Antiparkinsonian therapy did not influence significantly and CSF levels of insulin. These results suggest that CSF insulin concentrations are not a biological marker of PD and its severity.

Respiratory chain enzyme activities in spermatozoa from untreated Parkinson's disease patients.

We studied respiratory chain enzyme activities in spermatozoa homogenates from 12 untreated Parkinson's disease (PD) male patients and from 23 age matched healthy male controls. When compared with controls, PD patients showed significantly lower specific activities for complexes I+ III, II+III, and IV. However, citrate synthase corrected activities were similar in patients and controls. Values for enzyme activities in the PD group did not correlate with age at onset, duration, scores of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scales and Hoehn and Yahr staging. These results suggest that this tissue cannot be used to develop a diagnostic test for PD.