[Functional magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of motor centers in patients with brain tumors in motor area]. / Czynnosciowy rezonans magnetyczny (cMR) w ocenie osrodków ruchowych u chorych z guzami mózgu tej okolicy.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is become recognised as the most sensitive and specific imaging modality for the examination of central nervous system pathology. Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) contrast imaging is a non-invasive functional MRI technique for localising active neuronal brain centres. The aim of our study was to determine usefulness of fMRI in detecting hand movements cortical activity in hemisphere with brain tumour and comparison with corresponding one. Six right-handed patients with brain tumours of central sulcus area, aged 20-50 years were examined using a commercial 1.5 T scanner. All patients underwent both conventional and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. Simple hand movements were examined separately for right and left hand at a self-paced rate. Significant increase of signal intensity was found in: a) contralateral primary motor cortex in all cases during both motor tasks, b) ipsilateral primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex and premotor cortex of both hemispheres in a part of the cases c) displacement of the activity in the affected hemisphere in comparison to the opposite one was noticeable depending on the localisation and size of the tumour and accompanied oedema. Usefulness of functional MRI in detecting primary motor area in patients with brain tumours was proved. There is a difference between activation in affected cortex and corresponding normal cortex in the opposite hemisphere.

The influence of 2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine on metabolism of deoxyadenosine in human primary CNS lymphoma.

The effects of 2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine (2CdA) on the activity of enzymes important for the metabolism of deoxyadenosine were studied in lysates prepared from human primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphomas and normal human lymphocytes. Strong inhibition (approximately 100%) of the phosphorylation of deoxyadenosine to its deoxynucleotide phosphate derivatives was produced in both systems in the presence of 2CdA, which was phosphorylated concomitantly to 2-chloro-2'-deoxyAMP. Interestingly, 2CdA was also found to be an inhibitor of the deamination of both deoxyadenosine (over 50%) and AMP (70%). These findings add to our understanding of the mechanisms of toxicity of this drug, especially considering that 2CdA is resistant to deamination by adenosine deaminase. These results challenge the existing theories of 2CdA toxicity, which have been limited to the formation of phosphate derivatives of 2CdA. The present in vitro studies have demonstrated that 2CdA also inhibits both phosphorylation and deamination of deoxyadenosine (dAdo), suggesting that its mechanism of toxicity includes a block in dAdo metabolic pathways. This has important implications for the perturbation of cell methylation, a functionality associated with, for example, apoptosis.

[Immunology of the central nervous system and brain tumors]. / Immunologia osrodkowego ukladu nerwowego i nowotworów mózgu.

Treatment of brain tumours, especially poorly differentiated gliomas, by conventional methods is usually unsuccessful. A possibility of improvement of these results could be given by mobilization of immune system mechanisms. This has been made possible by partial insight into the mechanism of this system, its specific relations with the central nervous system, and interaction between the tumor and the immune system. The aim of the paper was a surgery of the state of knowledge concerning the immunobiology of brain tumours.

[Parkinsonism caused by bilateral subdural haematomas]. / Zespól parkinsonowski spowodowany przez obustronne przewlekle krwiaki podoponowe.

The authors present a case of 75-year old man with bilateral chronic subdural haematomas presenting as parkinsonism. Surgical removal haematomas was followed by complete recovery of the patient.

Acute head injuries in children--a review of 100 consecutive patients.

Head injuries of children between 4-16 years in the first hour after the trauma have been studied. The neurological examination was completed by CT-scan. Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) as well as Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) were also applied and proved to be very helpful. Our findings show a significantly frequent occurrence of epidural haematomas. Their treatment in patients with GCS above 8 was in 90% successful.