Disentangling the relationship between sensory processing, alexithymia and broad autism spectrum: A study in parents' of children with autism spectrum disorders and sensory processing disorders.

BACKGROUND: Autistic features and sensory processing difficulties and their phenotypic co-expression with alexithymia share a transdiagnostic vulnerability. In this work, we explored whether the current concept of broad autism phenotype rather translates altered sensory processing (non-specific to autism), meaning that the characteristics of altered sensory processing should be overexpressed among individuals with heightened vulnerability to sensory processing atypicalities (parents of children with sensorial processing disorder, or SPD parents) and individuals with heightened vulnerability to autistic traits (parents of children with autism spectrum disorders, or ASD parents). In addition, the association between altered sensory processing and alexithymia was inspected. METHOD: The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile, Autism Spectrum Quotient, and Toronto Alexithymia Scale were completed by 31 parents of children with ASD, 32 parents of children with SPD, and 52 parents of typically developed (TD) children. RESULTS: Extreme sensory patterns were overexpressed both in parents of children with SPD and parents of children with ASD when compared to parents of TD children. In addition, extreme sensory patterns were significantly associated with alexithymia scores. Specifically, sensory avoidance, low registration, and sensory sensitivity were positively correlated with alexithymia. No significant differences were found regarding the proportion of autistic traits and alexithymia between ASD and SPD groups of parents. CONCLUSIONS: These results challenge the specificity of broad autism phenotype and suggest a neurodevelopmental atypicity with roots in altered sensory and emotional processing.

Sensory experiences questionnaire unravels differences in sensory profiles between MECP2-related disorders.

The methyl CpG-binding protein-2 (MECP2) gene is located on the Xq28 region. Loss of function mutations or increased copies of MECP2 result in Rett syndrome (RTT) and MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS), respectively. Individuals with both disorders exhibit overlapping autism symptoms, yet few studies have dissected the differences between these gene dosage sensitive disorders. Further, research examining sensory processing patterns in persons with RTT and MDS is largely absent. Thus, the goal of this study was to analyze and compare sensory processing patterns in persons with RTT and MDS. Towards this goal, caregivers of 50 female individuals with RTT and 122 male individuals with MDS, between 1 and 46 years of age, completed a standardized measure of sensory processing, the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire. Patterns detected in both disorders were compared against each other and against normative values. We found sensory processing abnormalities for both hyper- and hypo-sensitivity in both groups. Interestingly, abnormalities in MDS were more pronounced compared with in RTT, particularly with items concerning hypersensitivity and sensory seeking, but not hyposensitivity. Individuals with MDS also exhibited greater sensory symptoms compared with RTT in the areas of tactile and vestibular sensory processing and for both social and nonsocial stimuli. This study provides a first description of sensory symptoms in individuals with RTT and individuals with MDS. Similar to other neurodevelopmental disorders, a variety of sensory processing abnormalities was found. These findings reveal a first insight into sensory processing abnormalities caused by a dosage sensitive gene and may ultimately help guide therapeutic approaches for these disorders.

Relative contribution of sensory and motor deficits on grip force control in patients with chronic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to characterize grasping behavior in static (weight-dependent modulation and stability of control) and dynamic (predictive control) aspects specifically focusing on the relative contribution of sensory and motor deficits to grip force control in patients with chronic stroke. METHODS: Twenty-four chronic stroke patients performed three manipulative tasks: five trials of 5-s grasp-lift-holding, 30-s static holding, and vertical dynamic/cyclic oscillation of holding the object. RESULTS: Exerted static grip force on the paretic side exhibited statistically greater than that on the non-paretic side. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient revealed that the contribution to static grip force control was larger in sensory deficits than in motor deficits. In addition, the sensory deficit is related to the reduced coupling between grip force and load force, suggesting difficulty in predictive control due to the absence of sensory feedback. CONCLUSIONS: Given that grip force control involves predictive feedforward and online feedback control, the evaluation of grip force might be an important and feasible evaluation manner for the assessment of sensorimotor control in patients post-stroke. SIGNIFICANCE: Detailed evaluation of grip force control would help to understand the mechanisms underlying hand dysfunction in stroke patients.

Subgrouping of Peripheral Neuropathic Pain Patients According to Sensory Symptom Profile Using the Korean Version of the PainDETECT Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: A culturally validated Korean version of the PainDETECT Questionnaire (PD-Q) was used to identify neuropathic pain components (NeP) in patients suffering from chronic pain. The purpose of this study was to determine if the Korean PD-Q can be used to subgroup patients with peripheral NeP according to sensory symptom profiles. METHODS: This study included 400 Korean patients with peripheral neuropathic pain diagnosed as probable or definite NeP. The total scores and subscores for each item in PD-Q were transformed into a Z-score for standardization. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to identify clusters of subjects by PD-Q scores. RESULTS: The mean total PD-Q score of the study participants was 14.57 ± 6.46. A hierarchical cluster analysis identified 5 clusters with distinct pain characteristic profiles. Cluster 1 had relatively severe burning and tingling sensations. The mean total PD-Q score for cluster 2 was the lowest of the 5 clusters. Cluster 3 tended to be vulnerable to pain in response to cold/heat stimulation. Cluster 4 showed relatively severe pain induced by physical stimuli, such as light touch or slight pressure. Cluster 5 had high scores for all NeP symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the ability of patients to cluster by symptoms using the Korean PD-Q. Subgrouping of peripheral neuropathic pain by sensory symptom profile may be useful in making effective drug treatment decisions.

Abnormal cortical responses elicited by audiovisual movies in patients with autism spectrum disorder with atypical sensory behavior: A magnetoencephalographic study.

BACKGROUND: Atypical sensory behavior disrupts behavioral adaptation in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, neural correlates of sensory dysfunction using magnetoencephalography (MEG) remain unclear. METHOD: We used MEG to measure the cortical activation elicited by visual (uni)/audiovisual (multisensory) movies in 46 children (7-14 years) were included in final analysis: 13 boys with atypical audiovisual behavior in ASD (AAV+), 10 without this condition, and 23 age-matched typically developing boys. RESULTS: The AAV+ group demonstrated an increase in the cortical activation in the bilateral insula in response to unisensory movies and in the left occipital, right superior temporal sulcus (rSTS), and temporal regions to multisensory movies. These increased responses were correlated with severity of the sensory impairment. Increased theta-low gamma oscillations were observed in the rSTS in AAV+. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that AAV is attributed to atypical neural networks centered on the rSTS.

Subjective sensory sensitivity and its relationship with anxiety in people with probable migraine.

OBJECTIVE: To better characterize differences in interictal sensory experience in adults with migraine and more comprehensively describe the relevance of anxiety to these experiences. BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that sensitivity to sensory input may not be limited to migraine attacks but continues between them. However, there is a need to better understand whether this is the case across senses, and to clearly distinguish sensory experience from measured sensory threshold, which are not straightforwardly related. Previous literature also indicates a co-occurrence between sensory sensitivity, migraine, and anxiety, but this relationship remains to be fully elucidated. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study used online questionnaires to investigate how self-reported sensory experiences relate to migraine in a large community sample including 117 individuals with probable migraine and 827 without. Mediation analyses were also used to determine whether any relationship between migraine and sensory sensitivity was mediated by anxiety. RESULTS: Significant increases in subjective reports of sensory sensitivity (d = 0.80) and sensory avoidance (d = 0.71) were found in participants with migraine. Anxiety symptoms partially mediated the relationship between subjective sensory sensitivity and migraine. Finally, visual, movement, and auditory subscales were found to provide unique explanatory variance in analyses predicting the incidence of migraine (area under the curve = 0.73, 0.69, 0.62 respectively). CONCLUSION: Subjective sensory sensitivities are present between attacks and across senses in individuals with migraine. Anxiety symptoms are relevant to this relationship; however, sensory sensitivities appear to exist independent of this affective influence. The implications of interictal sensitivities for the daily lives of those with migraine should, therefore, be considered in clinical management wherever appropriate.

Dual-task clinical and functional MRI correlates in Parkinson's disease with postural instability and gait disorders.

BACKGROUND: Dual-task is a challenge for Parkinson's disease patients with postural instability and gait disorders (PD-PIGD). OBJECTIVE: This study investigated clinical, cognitive and functional brain correlates of dual-task deficits in PD-PIGD patients using quantitative gait analysis, neuropsychological evaluations and functional MRI (fMRI). METHODS: Twenty-three PD-PIGD patients performed a clinical assessment of gait/balance abilities. Single and dual-task Timed-Up-and-Go tests were monitored using an optoelectronic system to study turning velocity. Patients underwent executive-attentive function evaluation and two fMRI tasks: motor-task (foot anti-phase movements), and dual-task (foot anti-phase movements while counting backwards by threes starting from 100). Twenty-three healthy subjects underwent neuropsychological and fMRI assessments. RESULTS: Dual-task in PD-PIGD patients resulted in worse gait performance, particularly during turning. Performing the dual-task relative to the motor-fMRI task, healthy subjects showed widespread increased recruitment of sensorimotor, cognitive and cerebellar areas and reduced activity of inferior frontal and supramarginal gyri, while PD-PIGD patients showed increased recruitment of inferior frontal gyrus and supplementary motor area and reduced activity of primary motor, supramarginal and caudate areas. Dual-task gait alterations in patients correlated with balance and executive deficits and with altered dual-task fMRI brain activity of frontal areas. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested the correlation between dual-task gait difficulties, postural instability and executive dysfunction in PD-PIGD patients. FMRI results suggest that an optimized recruitment of motor and cognitive networks is associated with a better dual-task performance in PD-PIGD. Future studies should evaluate the effect of specific gait/balance and dual-task trainings to improve gait parameters and optimize brain functional activity during dual-tasks.

Self-reported dual sensory impairment, dementia, and functional limitations in Medicare beneficiaries.

BACKGROUND: Vision and hearing impairments often co-exist with dementia, and all are independently associated with limitations in daily activities. Our aim was to examine the association of dual sensory impairment with functional limitations, and further examine the combined estimated association of sensory impairment and dementia with these functional limitations. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a population-based cohort of Medicare beneficiaries, was performed. Participants were selected from the 2015 round. Survey weighted Poisson regression models adjusted for dementia, demographics, and health status variables examined the association of self-reported dual sensory impairment (no sensory impairment, single sensory impairment, dual sensory impairment) with scores of limitations in mobility, self-care, and household activities. Models were repeated to take into account the combined effects of dual sensory impairment and dementia. RESULTS: Overall, 7124 participants representative of Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older were included. Of them, 43.9% were 75 years or older and 55.3% were female. Older adults with dual sensory impairment had greater limitations with mobility (prevalence rate ratio [PRR] = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.28-1.63), self-care (PRR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.25-1.59), and household activities (PRR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.37-1.72) compared with those without sensory impairment. They also had greater limitations than those with a single sensory impairment across the different activity categories. In models taking into account the combined estimated effect of both sensory impairment and dementia, those with dual sensory impairment and dementia had greater limitations than those without sensory impairment or dementia in each category (mobility: PRR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.59-2.14, self-care: PRR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.59-2.18, household: PRR = 2.41, 95% CI = 2.09-2.77). CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with dual sensory impairment had greater functional limitations compared with those without sensory impairment and those with a single sensory impairment. Strategies to improve visual and/or hearing function (e.g., sensory aids, rehabilitation) could potentially help prevent or minimize disability, even among those with dementia.

Ear fullness characteristics and prognosis in patients with all-frequency sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the characteristics and prognosis of the feeling of ear fullness in patients with unilateral all-frequency sudden sensorineural hearing loss. METHODS: Our study included 56 patients with a diagnosis of unilateral all-frequency sudden sensorineural hearing loss accompanied by a feeling of ear fullness and 48 patients without a feeling of ear fullness. The condition of these patients was prospectively observed. RESULTS: Positive correlations were observed between grading of feeling of ear fullness and hearing loss in patients with a feeling of ear fullness (r = 0.599, p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in the total effective rate of hearing recovery between patients with and without a feeling of ear fullness after one month of treatment (Z = -0.641, p = 0.521). Eighty-six per cent of patients (48 out of 56) showed complete recovery from the feeling of ear fullness. There was no correlation between feeling of ear fullness recovery and hearing recovery (r = 0.040, p = 0.769). CONCLUSION: The prognosis of feeling of ear fullness is good. There was no correlation between feeling of ear fullness recovery and hearing recovery for all-frequency sudden sensorineural hearing loss patients.

Repercussions of the Degrees of Hearing Loss and Vestibular Dysfunction on the Static Balance of Children With Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the static balance of children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) according to the degrees of SNHL and the function of the vestibular system. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in public schools located in Caruaru, Pernambuco state, Brazil, with 130 children (65 with normal hearing and 65 with SNHL as documented by air and bone conduction audiometry) of both sexes between 7 and 11 years old. Static balance was assessed by a stabilometric analysis using a force platform consisting of the circular area of center-of-pressure displacement of the children evaluated in 3 positions: bipedal support with feet together and parallel (PF), tandem feet (TF), and 1 foot (OF), carried out under 2 sensory conditions each, with eyes open and eyes closed. After balance assessments, the children with SNHL received examinations of auditory and vestibular functions-through audiometry and computerized vectoelectronystagmography, respectively-to compose the groups according to degrees of SNHL and vestibular function. RESULTS: The children with severe and profound SNHL demonstrated more static balance instabilities than the children with normal hearing in 5 positions assessed with eyes open (PF, TF, and OF) and eyes closed (PF and TF). The same phenomenon occurred in children with SNHL and associated vestibular dysfunction in all of the positions assessed with eyes open and eyes closed (PF, TF, and OF). CONCLUSION: The larger the degree of SNHL, the greater the balance instability of the children. The children with SNHL and associated vestibular dysfunction showed the highest balance instabilities in this study. IMPACT: Children with larger degrees of SNHL and associated vestibular dysfunction might require prolonged periods to rehabilitate their balance.

Spinal Inhibitory Interneurons: Gatekeepers of Sensorimotor Pathways.

The ability to sense and move within an environment are complex functions necessary for the survival of nearly all species. The spinal cord is both the initial entry site for peripheral information and the final output site for motor response, placing spinal circuits as paramount in mediating sensory responses and coordinating movement. This is partly accomplished through the activation of complex spinal microcircuits that gate afferent signals to filter extraneous stimuli from various sensory modalities and determine which signals are transmitted to higher order structures in the CNS and to spinal motor pathways. A mechanistic understanding of how inhibitory interneurons are organized and employed within the spinal cord will provide potential access points for therapeutics targeting inhibitory deficits underlying various pathologies including sensory and movement disorders. Recent studies using transgenic manipulations, neurochemical profiling, and single-cell transcriptomics have identified distinct populations of inhibitory interneurons which express an array of genetic and/or neurochemical markers that constitute functional microcircuits. In this review, we provide an overview of identified neural components that make up inhibitory microcircuits within the dorsal and ventral spinal cord and highlight the importance of inhibitory control of sensorimotor pathways at the spinal level.

Non-Dolichoectatic Vertebral Artery Compression of the Medulla: A Comprehensive Literature Review.

OBJECTIVE: Vertebral artery compression of the medulla is a rare vascular finding that causes a variety of clinical presentations, from asymptomatic to neurological disability. This article presents the largest literature review to date on medullary compression of the vertebral arteries. METHODS: An English literature search was performed using the PubMed database and the keywords vertebral artery tortuosity, vertebral artery compression, and medullary compression. RESULTS: A comprehensive literature search yielded 68 patients (57% male) with medullary compression by an intracranial vertebral artery (ICVA). The left side of the medulla was compressed in 44, the right side in 19, and bilateral in 7. The most common clinical symptom was weakness - 26 patients (36%) - 6 had quadriparesis and 6 had hemiparesis. 21 patients reported imbalance; 12 various sensory symptoms; 4 patients were asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the anatomy of the vasculature can help mitigate future debilitating stroke symptoms. Concrete guidelines for revascularization surgery in symptomatic patients may also be effective. Future studies are needed to further clarify the prevalence, natural history, vascular etiology, and treatment of this condition, including asymptomatic patients and the likelihood that they will develop further neurological signs and disability.

Inhibition of TLR4 signaling protects mice from sensory and motor dysfunction in an animal model of autoimmune peripheral neuropathy.

BACKGROUND: While the etiology remains elusive, macrophages and T cells in peripheral nerves are considered as effector cells mediating autoimmune peripheral neuropathy (APN), such as Guillain-Barre syndrome. By recognizing both pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) signals, TLRs play a central role in the initiation of both innate and adaptive immune responses. In this study, we aimed to understand the involvement of TLR4 in the pathogenesis of APN and explore the potential of TLR4 as a drug target for therapeutic use. METHODS: APN was induced by a partial ligation on one of the sciatic nerves in B7.2 (L31) transgenic mice which possess a predisposed inflammatory background. APN pathology and neurological function were evaluated on the other non-injured sciatic nerve. RESULTS: TLR4 and its endogenous ligand HMGB1 were highly expressed in L31 mice, in circulating immune cells and in peripheral nerves. Enhanced TLR4 signaling was blocked with TAK 242, a selective TLR4 inhibitor, before and after disease onset. Intraperitoneal administration of TAK 242 not only inhibited monocyte, macrophage and CD8+ T cell activation, but also reduced the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. TAK 242 protected mice from severe myelin and axonal loss, resulting in a remarkable improvement in mouse motor and sensory functions. TAK 242 was effective in alleviating the disease in both preventive and reversal paradigms. CONCLUSION: The study identified the critical contribution of TLR4-mediated macrophage activation in disease course and provided strong evidence to support TLR4 as a useful drug target for treating inflammatory autoimmune neuropathy.

Body Lateropulsion in Stroke: Case Report and Systematic Review of Stroke Topography and Outcome.

INTRODUCTION: Body lateropulsion (BLP) is seen in neurological lesions involving the pathways responsible for body position and verticality. We report a case of isolated body lateropulsion (iBLP) as the presentation of lateral medullary infarction and conducted a systematic literature review. METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched up to December 3, 2020. INCLUSION CRITERIA: age ≥ 18, presence of BLP, confirmed stroke on imaging. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: age < 18, qualitative reviews, studies with inadequate patient data. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM® SPSS® Statistics 20. RESULTS: A 64-year-old man presented with acute-onset iBLP. Brain MRI demonstrated acute infarction in the right caudolateral medulla. His symptoms progressed with ipsilateral Horner syndrome over the next 24 hours and contralateral hemisensory loss 10 days later. Repeat MRI showed an increase in infarct size. BLP resolved partially at discharge. Systematic review: 418 abstracts were screened; 59 studies were selected reporting 103 patients. Thirty-three patients had iBLP (32%). BLP was ipsilateral to stroke in 70 (68%) and contralateral in 32 (32%). The most common stroke locations were medulla (n = 63, 59%), pons (n = 16, 15%), and cerebellum (n = 16, 15%). Four strokes were cortical, 3 frontal and 1 temporoparietal (3%). The most common etiology was large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) in 20 patients (32%), followed by small-vessel occlusion in 12 (19%). Seventeen (27%) had large-vessel occlusion (LVO), 12 involving the vertebral artery. Sixty (98%) had some degree of resolution of BLP; complete in 41 (70%). Median time-to-resolution was 14 days (IQR 10-21). There was no relationship between time-to-resolution and age, sex, side of BLP or side of stroke. CONCLUSION: BLP was commonly seen with medullary infarction and was the isolated finding in one-third. LAA and LVO were the most common etiologies. Recovery of BLP was early and complete in most cases.

Effects of a 16-week Tai Chi intervention on cutaneous sensitivity and proprioception among older adults with and without sensory loss.

This study investigated the effects of a 16-week Tai Chi (TC) intervention on cutaneous sensitivity and proprioception among older adults with and without sensory loss. Thirty-six older adults were divided into sensory loss and control groups, and they underwent a 16-week TC intervention. Significant interactions were detected in heel cutaneous sensitivity (p = 0.046, F = 4.419) and knee flexion (p = 0.043, F = 4.580), extension (p = 0.027, F = 5.529) and ankle plantar-flexion proprioception (p = 0.037, F = 4.860). The post hoc test indicated that in the sensory loss group, heel cutaneous sensitivity threshold (p = 0.034) and knee flexion (p = 0.004), extension (p = 0.002) and ankle plantar-flexion (p = 0.023) proprioception threshold decreased at week 17, whereas in the control group, knee flexion (p = 0.029) proprioception threshold decreased at week 17. TC intervention improved cutaneous sensitivity at more sites and proprioception in more joints among the older adults with sensory loss. TC intervention is a good option for older adults to exercise, and it is more effective among older adults with sensory loss.

Chemosensory Systems in COVID-19: Evolution of Scientific Research.

COVID-19 disease induced by coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 presents among its symptoms alterations of the chemosensory functions. In the first studies on the Chinese population, this symptomatology was not particularly relevant, and hyposmia and hypogeusia were excluded from the symptoms to be evaluated to diagnose the disease. With the pandemic spread of the illness, there has been an augment in reports on chemosensory dysfunctions among patients. The first data analysis showed the presence of these disorders mainly in paucisymptomatic and asymptomatic patients. The interest in chemosensory systems therefore increased considerably, because the olfactory and gustatory symptoms could be the key to stop the infection spread. Furthermore, the degree of alert and attention grew, considering that these types of dysfunctions are prognostic symptoms of serious neurodegenerative diseases. About 9 months have passed since the first anecdotal reports on the involvement of the olfactory and gustatory systems in the COVID-19 pathology. For this reason, a careful review of the literature was conducted to understand if it is clearer which people present chemosensory symptoms and if these are related to the severity of the disease. Furthermore, we have identified which aspects still remain to be clarified.

Altered Processing of Complex Visual Stimuli in Patients with Postconcussive Visual Motion Sensitivity.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Vestibular symptoms are common after concussion. Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening identifies vestibular impairment, including postconcussive visual motion sensitivity, though the underlying functional brain alterations are not defined. We hypothesized that alterations in multisensory processing are responsible for postconcussive visual motion sensitivity, are detectable on fMRI, and correlate with symptom severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients with subacute postconcussive visual motion sensitivity and 10 healthy control subjects underwent vestibular testing and a novel fMRI visual-vestibular paradigm including 30-second "neutral" or "provocative" videos. The presence of symptoms/intensity was rated immediately after each video. fMRI group-level analysis was performed for a "provocative-neutral" condition. Z-statistic images were nonparametrically thresholded using clusters determined by Z > 2.3 and a corrected cluster significance threshold of P = .05. Symptoms assessed on Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening were correlated with fMRI mean parameter estimates using Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Subjects with postconcussive visual motion sensitivity had significantly more Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening abnormalities and increased symptoms while viewing provocative videos. While robust mean activation in the primary and secondary visual areas, the parietal lobe, parietoinsular vestibular cortex, and cingulate gyrus was seen in both groups, selective increased activation was seen in subjects with postconcussive visual motion sensitivity in the primary vestibular/adjacent cortex and inferior frontal gyrus, which are putative multisensory visual-vestibular processing centers. Moderate-to-strong correlations were found between Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening scores and fMRI activation in the left frontal eye field, left middle temporal visual area, and right posterior hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS: Increased fMRI brain activation in visual-vestibular multisensory processing regions is selectively seen in patients with postconcussive visual motion sensitivity and is correlated with Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening symptom severity, suggesting that increased visual input weighting into the vestibular network may underlie postconcussive visual motion sensitivity.

Endoscopic evaluation of pharyngeal and laryngeal sensation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and compare the findings of endoscopic sensory assessment in COPD patients and healthy controls. DESIGN: A prospective cross-sectional study. SETTING: Otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic at a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 27 adults with COPD and 11 age-matched healthy controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Group differences in light touch endoscopic tests of pharyngeal and laryngeal sensation, controlling for pooled salivary secretions in the pharynx and laryngo-pharyngeal reflux as measured by the Reflux Finding Score (RFS). RESULTS: A significant difference in laryngeal sensation was found between the study groups (P = .047), with reduced laryngeal sensation in the COPD patients. Additionally, a significant relationship was found between impaired oropharyngeal sensation and the presence of pooled salivary secretions in the pharynx (P = .018), especially in the pyriform sinuses (P = .012). No differences in the frequency of abnormal RFSs were found between groups. CONCLUSION: Individuals with COPD were significantly more likely to present with impaired laryngeal sensation. Additionally, impaired sensation in the oropharynx was associated with pooled salivary secretions in the pharynx.

Posterior circulation stroke presenting as a new continuous cough: not always COVID-19.

A 19-year-old man was admitted with a 2-week history of continuous cough along with a day history of acute onset unsteadiness and hiccups. Given the current pandemic, he was initially suspected to have COVID-19, however he tested negative on two occasions. Subsequent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)confirmed a small left acute and subacute lateral medullary infarction with chest X-ray suggesting aspiration pneumonia with right lower lobe collapse. This is a distinctive case of posterior circulation stroke presenting with a new continuous cough in this era of COVID-19 pandemic. We anticipate based on MRI findings that his persistent cough was likely due to silent aspiration from dysphagia because of the subacute medullary infarction. It is therefore imperative that healthcare workers evaluate people who present with new continuous cough thoroughly to exclude any other sinister pathology. We should also be familiar with the possible presentations of posterior circulation stroke in this pandemic era.

Pinprick and Light Touch Are Adequate to Establish Sensory Dysfunction in Patients with Lumbar Radicular Pain and Disc Herniation.

BACKGROUND: The frequency with which sensory disturbances occur in patients with radicular leg pain and disc herniation is not well known, and the efficacy of tests to identify such changes are not firmly established. The presence of sensory disturbances is a key sign of nerve root involvement and may contribute to the diagnosis of a lumbar disc herniation, identify patients for referral to spinal imaging and surgery, and improve disease classification. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: In this study, we sought: (1) to determine the frequency with which abnormal sensory findings occur in patients with lumbar disc herniation-related radicular pain, using a standard neurological sensory examination; (2) to determine what particular standard sensory test or combination of tests is most effective in establishing sensory dysfunction; and (3) to determine whether a more detailed in-depth sensory examination results in more patients being identified as having abnormal sensory findings. METHODS: Between October 2013 and April 2016, 115 patients aged 18 to 65 years referred to secondary health care with radicular leg pain and disc herniation were considered potentially eligible for inclusion in the study. Based on these inclusion criteria, 79% (91) were found eligible. Ten percent (11) were excluded because of other illness that interfered with the study purpose, 3% (3) because of cauda equina syndrome, 2% (2) because of spinal stenosis, 2% (2) because of prior surgery at the same disc level, and 2% (2) because of poor Norwegian language skills. Three percent (4) of the patients did not want to participate in the study. Of the 91 eligible patients, 56% (51) consented to undergo a comprehensive clinical examination and were used for analysis here. The sample for the purposes of the present study was predetermined at 50. These patients were first examined by a standard procedure, including sensory assessment of light touch, pinprick, vibration, and warmth and cold over the back and legs. Second, an in-depth semiquantitative sensory testing procedure was performed in the main pain area to assess sensory dysfunction and improve the detection of potential positive sensory signs, or sensory gain of function more precisely. Sensory loss was defined as sensations experienced as distinctly reduced in the painful side compared with the contralateral reference side. In contrast, sensory gain was defined as sensations experienced as abnormally strong, unpleasant, or painful and distinctly stronger than the contralateral side. Ambiguous test results were coded as a normal response to avoid inflating the findings. The proportions of abnormal findings were calculated for each sensory modality and for all combinations of the standard examination tests. RESULTS: The standard examination identified at least one abnormal finding in 88% (45 of 51) of patients. Sensory loss was present in 80% (41), while sensory gain was present in 35% (18). The combination of pinprick and light touch identified all patients who were classified as having abnormal findings by the full standard examination. The semiquantitative procedure identified an additional three patients with an abnormal finding. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the combination of pinprick and light touch assessment is an adequate minimal approach for diagnostic and classification purposes in patients with lumbar radicular pain. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, diagnostic study.