Paraparesia espástica progresiva idiopática HTLV-I seronegativa: estudio clínico y neurofisiológico de las manifestaciones sensitivas / HTLV-I seronegative idiopathic progressive spastic paraparesis: clinical and neurophysiological study of the sensory features

Background: HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) is a defined entity. However, there are many patients not well characterized with a similar clinical picture who are HTLV-I seronegative. Objective: Clinical and neurophysiological description of patients with HTLV-I seronegative idiopathic paraparesia. Patients and Methods: Seventeen patients (4 women and 13 men aged 24-67 years, average 52.3) were evaluated including clinical assessment, vibratory sensory analysis, quantitative somatosensory thermotest (QST), somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs), electromyography (EMG) and motor and sensory nerve conductions. Results: In addition to the spastic paraparesis, 3 (17.6 percent) patients had pseudobulbar symptoms. Ten (58.8 percent) patients had a spastic gait but could walk unaided, 6 (35.2 percent) needed support and 1 patient could not walk. Bladder dysfunction was found in 10 (58.8) patients and sensory symptoms in 7 (41.1 percent). There was mild distal impairment of vibration and position sense, distal tactile and pinprick hypoesthesia in 4 (23.4 percent) patients. Tibial SSEPs were abnormal in 11 (64.7 percent). Nerve conduction studies and EMG were normal. QST showed cold hypoesthesia in 14 (82.4 percent) patients. Warm sensation and heat pain appeared unimpaired. Conclusions: All sensory abnormalities found were restricted to sensations carried by myelinated (A beta and A delta) channels. Sensory and motor abnormalities are similar to HAM/TSP patients suggesting a common pathogenesis

Síndrome de piernas inquietas: estudi clínico en población general adulta y en pacientes urémicos / Restless legs syndrome: a clinical study in chilean general population and in uremic patients

Background: The restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a movement disorder characterized by an imperative urge to move the legs, associated with paraesthesias, motor restlessness and worsening of symptoms at night with at least partial relief by activity. Its prevalence ranges between 2-15 percent of general adult population and 20-30 percent of uremic patients. Aim: To evaluate the frecuency and the clinical features of RLS in a sample of general adult population and in uremic patients, in Chile, correlating it with biochemical parameters. Method: 100 relatives of outpatients and 166 uremic patients undergoing chronic haemodialysis were interviewed assessing the presence and severity of RLS according to current diagnostic criteria. Biochemical parameters assessed were hematocrit, serum ferritin, phosphate, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels. Results: 13 percent of the general population sample was affected, 15 percent of them were severe. Forty three cases were found among uremic patients (25.9 percent) (p <0.01 vs general population), 60 percent of them were severe and women were affected with higher frequency (p <0.05) and severity (p <0.01). Four patients presented RLS even during hemodialysis. No correlation was found with biochemical parameters. Most RLS cases had not been diagnosed previously. Conclusions: In our population RLS is common and undetected. It is especially prevalent and severe in uremic patients: we found no evidence that anaemia, iron deficiency or iPTH level play a major pathogenic role. Our findings emphasize the need of greater medical awareness of RLS because available therapy may improve the quality of life

Corea inducido por el uso de anticonceptivos orales en dos casos / Chorea induced by oral contraceptives in 2 cases

We report two women using oral contraceptives, aged 17 and 33 years old, who presented with hemichorea. In both patients all other possible causes of chorea were discarded and the disease disappeared when contraceptives were discontinued. Four months later, the 33 years old patient used again oral contraceptives and chorea reappeared. This rare complication of contraceptive use has been previously reported in young and mainly nulliparous women

Efecto del núcleo CMP forte en 46 pacientes con paraparesia espástica progresiva: estudio randomizado y ciego / Effect of CMP forte nucleus in 46 patients with progressive spastic paraparesis: randomized and blind study

Idiopatic or HTLV-1 associated progressive spastic paraparesis does not have a clear etiology or treatment. To assess the effects of a medication containing cytidinmonophosphate, uridintriphosphate and vitamin B 12 in the treatment of progressive spastic. Patients with the disease were randomly assigned to receive the Nucleus CMP forte (containing dysodic cytidinmonophosphate 5 mg,trisodic uridintriphosphate 3 mg and hydroxicobalamin 2 mg) tid or placebo during 6 months. Gait, spasticity, degree of neurogenic bladder and somatosensitive evoked potentials were assessed during treatment. Forty six patients aged 25 to 79 years old were studied, 24 were female and 29 HTLV-1 positive. Twenty two were treated with the drug and the rest with placebo. Gait and spasticity improved in 7 of 22 patients receiving the drug and 1 of 24 receiving placebo (p<0.05). Neurogenic bladder improved in 10 of 22 receiving the drug and 4 patients treated with the drug and in two of seven treated with placebo. The medication caused a modest improvement in patients with progressive spastic paraparesis and was free of side effects

Potenciales evocados somatosensoriales y respuesta sintomática a medicamentos dopaminérgicos en enfermedad de Parkinson / Somatosensory evoked potentials and sintomatic response to dopaminergic drugs in Parkinson's disease

Short latency somatosensory evoked potentials were measured in 10 patients with Parkinson's disease before and after tha administration of Apomorphine 5 mg sc. Eight of these subjects were reassessed after one month of treatment with Levo-dopa. These potentials were measured in other nine subjects before and after one month of treatment with Selegiline 10 mg od. There was a significant increase of frontal potential N30 in nine of 10 subjects that received apomorphine, in seven of 8 patients treated with Levodopa and 7 of 9 patients treated with Selegiline. No changes in N20 parietal potential were observed. During apomorphine test, changes in N30 potential preceded clinical improvement in 6 patients and occurred simultaneously in 3 patients. No changes with apomorphine in N30 potential were observed in 2 healthy males. There was no relationship between electrophysiological changes and duration of disease or motor fluctuations. It is concluded that short latency somatosensory evoked potentials are an objective means of measuring dopaminergic response in patients with Parkinson's disease