Intermittent alien hand syndrome and callosal apraxia in multiple sclerosis: implications for interhemispheric communication.

We report a case of a 47-year-old woman with 35-year history of multiple sclerosis, who showed alien hand signs, a rare behavioural disorder that involves unilateral goal-directed movements that are contrary to the individual's intention. Alien hand syndrome has been described in multiple sclerosis (MS) only occasionally and is generally suggestive of callosal disconnection. The patient presented also with bilateral limb apraxia and left hand agraphia, raising the possibility of cortical dysfunction or disconnection, in addition to corpus callosum and white matter involvement. Her specific pattern of symptoms supports the role of the corpus callosum in interhemispheric communication for complex as well as fine motor activities and may indicate that it can serve as both an inhibitory and excitatory function depending on task demands.

The Brief Neuropsychological Screening (BNS): valuation of its clinical validity.

The assessment of functional and cognitive efficiency of acute brain injured patients represents a relevant innovation in the rehabilitative approach to stroke patients. Indeed, the identification of severe cognitive difficulties early in the recovery process can be an important prognostic factor for the evolution of the disorders themselves. The aim of the present study was to describe a new diagnostic tool that rapidly assesses the cognitive efficiency of acute patients suffering from a cerebral vascular accident. The Brief Neuropsychological Screening (BNS) has been designed for the detection of either the presence or absence of damage in different cognitive areas, with particular emphasis to those most frequently occurring after a stroke, such as aphasia, apraxia, agnosia or eminattention. Data from 250 normal adult subjects and from a group of 150 acute cerebrovascular inpatients are also presented that confirm the validity of the BNS in discriminating acute patients affected by cognitive impairments from those free of cognitive disruption, and supports its prognostic value in predicting cognitive recovery over time.

The effects of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and dexamethasone on acute inflammation and T-cell proliferation.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Chronic glucocorticoid treatment is associated with pharmacological resistance. We investigated the auxiliary effects of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) on dexamethasone (DEX)-related modulation of inflammation and T-cell proliferation. METHODS: Acute inflammation (pleurisy) was induced by injection of carrageenan into the pleural cavity of rats that were treated in vivo with DEX s. c. and FBP i. p. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and T-cell sensitivity to FBP and DEX was evaluated in vitro. RESULTS: FBP and DEX reduced the exudate volume, protein concentration and neutrophils in the pleural cavity. However no synergistic effects were observed when these compounds were tested simultaneously. In contrast, both compounds dose-dependently and synergistically suppressed T-cell proliferation. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that FBP may be beneficial as auxiliary drug for the treatment of patients with acquired glucocorticoid resistance.

Extract of the bristles of Dirphia sp. increases nitric oxide in a rat pleurisy model.

OBJECTIVES: In the present study we assessed the inflammatory potential of venom obtained from caterpillar genus Dirphia in an acute model of lung injury. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Injection of extract from the bristles of Dirphia sp. (EBD) into the pleural cavity of rats elicited an acute inflammation response characterized by fluid accumulation which contained a large number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). RESULTS: The results show that EBD induces an inflammatory response, with a significant increase in PMNs, exudate and nitric oxide within 4 h after a 0.04 mg/kg dose. The administration of anti-inflammatory drugs (fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, dexamethasone, rofecoxib, sodium diclofenac and pyrilamine) significantly reduced the inflammatory effect of EBD. CONCLUSIONS: EBD causes an inflammatory reaction in the pleural cavity of rats involving a variety of inflammatory mediators, its action mechanism probably involving cellular injury and the exacerbated induction of cytokines and nitric oxide.

Influencia de los trigliceridos en los niveles de colesterol HDL / The influence of triglycerides on serum levels of HDL cholesterol

Las muchas correlaciones clínica que la proporción de la lipoproteína (HDL) de alta densidad puede predecir, lo puede hacer un parámetro importante para el análisis en el laboratorio clínico. Investigación ha demostrado repetidas veces una relación clara y positiva entre los niveles del colesterol y la enfermedad de corazón de coronario, aunque el nivel del colesterol estado relacionado con HDL pone en correlacción negativamente con tales enfermedades. El objetivo de este estudio se propone probar la influencia del triglicerido en la dosis de HDL. Varios métodos pueden utilizarse para el análisis de HDL: de ultra centrifugation (el método de la referencia), eletroforese, la precipitación selectiva y, más recientemente, por el método directo. Los resultados de este estudio indican que la medida del colesterol de HDL por el método directo es más eficiente, es útil en la medida de HDL en muestras con niveles elevados de triglicerideo, que no era posible en los métodos de precipitación. Se notó también, que el aumento en los niveles del suero de triglicerideo se puede considerar un factor del riesgo en enfermedades coronarias, cuando su aumento redujo los niveles del suero del colesterol de HDL (AU)

Prevalência e perfil de sensibilidade de microrganismos em infecções do trato urinário / Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility in urinary tract pathogens

Infecções bacterianas do trato urinário são um problema muito comum tanto em infecções nosocomiais quanto na comunidade. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a prevalência de patógenos responsáveis por infecções no trato urinário, relacionando-os com a sua susceptibilidade frente aos antimicrobianos utilizados. Durante o período de janeiro de 1998 a dezembro de 2001 foram analisados resultados de 2378 culturas de urinas positivas de pacientes ambulatoriais, sem restrições de sexo e idade, de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Escherichia coli foi o microrganismo isolado mais prevalente: 74,3 porcento, seguido de Proteus mirabilis com 8,0 porcento e Enterobacter aerogenes com 4,88 porcento. Nitrofurantoína (NIT) apresentou altos índices de atividade frente ao Cocos Gram-positivos, enquanto que o Norfloxacin foi o antimicrobiano que apresentou a maior atividade frente aos Bacilos Gram-negativos.

Controlled and automatic processing during animal word list generation in schizophrenia.

Controlled and automatic aspects of semantic-associative functioning in schizophrenia were investigated by evaluating performance on animal word list generation (WLG). Responses from control (n = 47) and patient (n = 38) participants were subjected to multidimensional scaling (MDS), cluster analysis (CA), and indices on the basis of number of shared attributes (SA) between consecutive responses. Patient MDS results accounted for less variance and contained more error than control data. CA results yielded fewer and less clear animal-response subgroups among patients yet demonstrated intact associations among strongly related exemplars. The SA indices revealed better clustering and more effective switching among response clusters in controls than patients. Results suggest that animal WLG in schizophrenia is compromised both by aberrant automatic semantic-associative network activation and by controlled processes such as search, access, and selection. This pattern is consistent with prominent frontotemporal pathology evident in the disorder.