Impact of physical activity, physical fitness and exercises on cognitive impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis: A review of evidence and underlying mechanisms.

Cognitive impairment in persons with MS (pwMS) occurs commonly, early and independently of other clinical features of the disease. MS-related cognitive impairment is mainly characterized by weakening of information processing speed, working memory and episodic memory. Much evidence, based on both neuropsychological and neuroimaging outcomes, highlights successful cognitive rehabilitation interventions. In this context, promotion of physical activity and exercise training could be a dual, motor and cognitive, rehabilitation method. The aim of this article is, firstly, to review existing evidence regarding the effects of exercise on cognition among pwMS, and secondly, to explore the possible mechanisms of action of the cognitive-motor coupling.

[Endoscopic internal urethrotomy. Retrospective studies of 132 cases]. / Urétrotomie interne endoscopique. Etude rétrospective de 132 observations.

The authors report a series of 132 patients with urethral stricture all treated by the same surgical technique between 1979 and 1984: direct vision internal urethrotomy. 62% of good results were obtained after a single operation with a follow-up ranging between 18 months and 5 years. There was no mortality and the morbidity was considered to be 5%. The authors indicate that the results were more favourable when the operation was performed in a solitary, short (less than 2 cm) non-infected stricture of the proximal urethra. The duration of postoperative catheterization was 10 days; catheterization for a longer period did not provide any significant advantage. The poor results (38%) were reported in cases of extensive strictures situated in the distal urethra or in patients with a history of urethral surgery. These cases were treated by repeated internal urethrotomy; 32% were cured after a second urethrotomy, while the others required maintenance sessions of urethral dilatation or even a urethroplasty procedure.

[Endoscopic treatment of complicated ureteroceles in adults. Apropos of 2 cases]. / Le traitement endoscopique des urétérocèles compliquées de l'adulte. A propos de deux cas.

Usually diagnosed in childhood, ureterocele is a congenital malformation which is often revealed in adults because of a complication. Renal colic and dysuria were the clinical symptoms that led to discovery in the two patients reported here. These two women (aged 80 and 32 years) underwent transurethral meatotomy for complicated ureterocele. This procedure was sufficient for cure, with spontaneous evacuation of all stones in patient 2. There were no clinical or bacteriological (urine analyses) signs of reflux during the follow-up period (24 and 12 months). Endoscopic treatment of adult complicated ureterocele can thus be proposed as a first line procedure. Development of symptomatic secondary reflux is an indication for surgery.

[Successive connective tissue diseases (scleroderma, then lupus). Clinical and biological study of 4 cases]. / Connectivities successives (sclérodermies puis lupus). Etude clinique et biologique de 4 observations

The authors present 4 patients who had suffered for several years from isolated systemic scleroderma and in whom, after 3, 10, 19 and 22 years, clinical, biological and histological signs of DLE appeared. There was no current further progression of the scleroderma in two cases, at the time of onset of DLE. In the oter two cases, it had disappeared. All four patients had a serum cryoglobulin. In all cases the kidneys were involved histologically : extra membranous glomerulitis in one, segmental glomerulitis in a second, and diffuse progressive glomerulitis in the last two. The authors analyse the biological changes which accompanied the clinical transformation. One of the patients had anti-ribonucleoprotein antibodies. She died from severe renal involvement which would be against the good prognosis usually associated with the presence of this type of antibody.