Telemedicine for the acute management of stroke in Burgundy, France: an evaluation of effectiveness and safety.

BACKGROUND: In the context of the development of telemedicine in France to address low thrombolysis rates and limited stroke infrastructures, a star-shaped telestroke network was implemented in Burgundy (1.6 million inhabitants). We evaluated the safety and effectiveness of this network for thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke patients. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-two consecutive patients who received intravenous thrombolysis during a telemedicine procedure (2012-2014) and 222 consecutive patients who were treated at the stroke center of Dijon University Hospital, France (2011-2012) were included. Main outcomes were the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score and case fatality at 3 months. Comparisons between groups were made using multivariable ordinal logistic regression and logistic regression analyses, respectively. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of telethrombolysis patients were similar to those of patients undergoing thrombolysis locally except for a higher frequency of previous cancer and pre-morbid handicap, and a trend towards greater severity at admission in the former. The distribution of mRS scores at 3 months was similar between groups, as were case-fatality rates (18.9% in the telethrombolysis group versus 16.5%, P = 0.56). In multivariable models, telethrombolysis did not independently influence functional outcomes at 3 months (odds ratio for a shift towards a worse outcome on the mRS, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.74-1.66, P = 0.62) or death (odds ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.44-1.69, P = 0.66). CONCLUSION: The implementation of a regional telemedicine network for the management of acute ischemic stroke appeared to be effective and safe. Thanks to this network, the proportion of patients who benefit from thrombolysis will increase. Further research is needed to evaluate economic benefits.

Semantic memory assessment in 15 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: A total of 30 to 50% of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients suffer from cognitive disorders. The aim of the study is to characterize these disorders and to assess semantic memory in non-demented ALS patients. The secondary aim is to look for a link between disease type and neuropsychological characteristics. METHOD: Patients were followed in an ALS center in Dijon. The following neuropsychological tests were used in this study: Folstein test, BREF test, verbal fluency, Isaac test, GRESEM test and TOP 30 test. RESULTS: Fifteen ALS patients were included. Nine of them (60%) were suffering from a semantic memory disorder. There was no correlation between ALS characteristics and the semantic memory disorder. DISCUSSION: This is the first study to reveal a semantic memory disorder in ALS. This result accentuates the hypothesis that ALS and semantic dementia are two phenotypes of the same degenerative process linked to TDP 43 proteinopathy.

Impact of a premature menopause on cognitive function in later life.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether premature menopause (≤40 years) can have long-lasting effects on later-life cognition and investigate whether this association varies depending on the type of menopause and use of hormone treatment (HT). DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SETTING: The French Three-City Study. POPULATION: Four thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight women aged at least 65 years. METHODS: Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were used to determine the association between age at menopause, type of menopause (surgical, natural), and the use of menopausal HT and later-life cognitive function. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Performance on a cognitive test battery (at baseline and over 7 years) and clinical dementia diagnosis. RESULTS: Menopause at or before the age of 40 years, both premature bilateral ovariectomy and premature ovarian failure (non-surgical loss of ovarian function), was associated with worse verbal fluency (OR 1.56, 95%CI 1.12-1.87, P=0.004) and visual memory (OR 1.39, 95%CI 1.09-1.77, P=0.007) in later life. HT at the time of premature menopause appeared beneficial for later-life visual memory but increased the risk of poor verbal fluency. Type of menopause was not significantly associated with cognitive function. Premature menopause was associated with a 30% increased risk of decline in psychomotor speed and global cognitive function over 7 years. CONCLUSION: Both premature surgical menopause and premature ovarian failure were associated with long-term negative effects on cognitive function, which are not entirely offset by menopausal HT. In terms of surgical menopause, these results suggest that the potential long-term effects on cognitive function should form part of the risk/benefit ratio when considering ovariectomy in younger women.

The association between caffeine and cognitive decline: examining alternative causal hypotheses.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies suggest that higher coffee consumption may reduce the rate of aging-related cognitive decline in women. It is thus potentially a cheap and widely available candidate for prevention programs provided its mechanism may be adequately understood. The assumed effect is that of reduced amyloid deposition, however, alternative pathways notably by reducing depression and diabetes type 2 risk have not been considered. METHODS: A population study of 1,193 elderly persons examining depressive symptomatology, caffeine consumption, fasting glucose levels, type 2 diabetes onset, serum amyloid, and factors known to affect cognitive performance was used to explore alternative causal models. RESULTS: Higher caffeine consumption was found to be associated with decreased risk of incident diabetes in men (HR = 0.64; 95% CI 0.42-0.97) and increased risk in women (HR = 1.51; 95% CI 1.08-2.11). No association was found with incident depression. While in the total sample lower ratio Aß42/Aß40 levels (OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.05-1.77, p = 0.02) were found in high caffeine consumers, this failed to reach significance when the analyses were stratified by gender. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence that reduced risk of cognitive decline in women with high caffeine consumption is moderated or confounded by diabetes or depression. The evidence of an association with plasma beta amyloid could not be clearly demonstrated. Insufficient proof of causal mechanisms currently precludes the recommendation of coffee consumption as a public health measure. Further research should focus on the high estrogen content of coffee as a plausible alternative explanation.

Vascular aphasia outcome after intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator thrombolysis for ischemic stroke.

INTRODUCTION: No data about the specific outcome of aphasia after thrombolysis are available. Our aim was to describe the severity and type of aphasia after stroke thrombolysis. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included consecutive aphasic patients hospitalized in the Stroke Unit of Dijon (University Hospital, France) between 2004 and 2009 for a first-ever ischemic stroke of the left middle cerebral artery. Aphasic syndromes and their severity (French version of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination) were evaluated during the first week and 3 months after stroke. RESULTS: In multivariate analyses, the severity of aphasia in the 37 thrombolysed patients was milder than in the 38 nonthrombolysed patients during the first week (adjusted OR = 10.13, 95% CI: 2.43-42.28, p = 0.002) and at 3 months (adjusted OR = 8.44, 95% CI: 2.76-25.80, p = 0.001). The frequency of mild aphasia (conduction or atypical) was not significantly higher in thrombolysed patients during the first week after stroke (adjusted OR = 5.80, 95% CI: 0.82-41.16, p = 0.079). CONCLUSION: The severity of aphasia during the first week and 3 months after stroke is milder in thrombolysed than in nonthrombolysed patients, perhaps because of a greater frequency of conduction and mild atypical aphasia.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D predicts severity and prognosis in stroke patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and both clinical severity at admission and outcome at discharge in stroke patients. METHODS: From February 2010 to December 2010, consecutive stroke patients admitted to the Department of Neurology of Dijon, France, were identified. Clinical information was collected. Serum concentration of 25(OH)D was measured at baseline. Stroke severity was assessed at admission using the NIHSS score. Functional impairment was evaluated at discharge using the modified Rankin scale (m-Rankin). Multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Of the 386 recorded patients, serum 25(OH)D levels were obtained in 382 (median value = 35.1 nM; IQR = 21-57.8). At admission, 208 patients had a NIHSS ≤5, with a higher mean 25(OH)D level than that observed in patients with moderate-to-high severity (45.9 vs. 38.6 nM, P < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, a 25(OH)D level in the lowest tertile (<25.7 nM) was a predictor of a NIHSS ≥6 (OR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.05-2.68; P = 0.03). The mean 25(OH)D level was lower in patients with moderate-to-severe handicap at discharge (m-Rankin 3-6) than in patients with no or mild handicap (35.0 vs. 47.5 nM, P < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, the lowest tertile of 25(OH)D level (<25.7 nM) was associated with a higher risk of moderate-to-severe handicap (OR = 2.06; 95% CI = 1.06-3.94; P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: A low serum 25(OH)D level is a predictor of both severity at admission and poor early functional outcome in stroke patients. The underlying mechanisms of these associations remain to be investigated.

Prestroke antiplatelet therapy and early prognosis in stroke patients: the Dijon Stroke Registry.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous antiplatelet therapy (APT) in cardiovascular prevention is common in patients with first-ever stroke. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of APT on early outcome in stroke patients. METHODS: All first-ever strokes from 1985 to 2011 were identified from the population-based Stroke Registry of Dijon, France. Demographic features, risk factors, prestroke treatments and clinical information were recorded. Multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between pre-admission APT and both severe handicap at discharge, and mortality at 1 month and 1 year. RESULTS: Among the 4275 patients, 870 (20.4%) were previously treated with APT. Severe handicap at discharge was noted in 233 (26.8%) APT users and in 974 (28.7%) non-users. Prestroke APT use was associated with lower odds of severe handicap at discharge [adjusted odds ratio (OR): 0.79; 95% confidence interval (CI): 063-1.00; P = 0.046], non-significant better survival at 1 month [adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 0.87; 95% CI: 0.70-1.09; P = 0.222] and no effect on 1-year mortality (HR: 0.94; 95% CI 0.80-1.10; P = 0.429). In stratum-specific analyses, APT was associated with a lower risk of 1-month mortality in patients with cardioembolic ischaemic stroke (HR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.43-0.98; P = 0.040). CONCLUSIONS: APT before stroke was associated with less severe handicap at discharge, with no significant protective effect for mortality at 1 month except in patients with cardioembolic stroke. No protective effect of APT was observed for mortality at 1 year. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the distinct effects of prior APT observed across the ischaemic stroke subtypes.

One-year survival of demented stroke patients: data from the Dijon Stroke Registry, France (1985-2008).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Dementia is a frequent condition after stroke that may affect the prognosis of patients. Our aim was to determine whether post-stroke dementia was a predictor of 1-year case-fatality and to evaluate factors that could influence survival in demented stroke patients. METHODS: From 1985 to 2008, all first-ever strokes were recorded in the population-based stroke registry of Dijon, France (150, 000 inhabitants). Dementia was diagnosed during the first month following stroke, according to DSM-III and DSM-IV criteria. Survival was evaluated at 1 year and multivariate analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards to identify independent predictive factors. RESULTS: We recorded 3948 first-ever strokes. Among these stroke patients, 3201 (81%) were testable, and of these, 653 (20.4%) had post-stroke dementia (337 women and 316 men). Demented patients had lower 1-year survival than patients without dementia (82.9% vs. 86.9%, P = 0.013). However, in multivariate analysis, dementia did not appear as an independent predictor of 1-year death. In demented stroke patients, age >80 years old, severe handicap at discharge, recurrent stroke within the first year and subarachnoid haemorrhage were associated with a higher risk of 1-year death, and the risk was lower in the study period 2003-2008. CONCLUSIONS: Dementia after stroke is not independently associated with an increased risk of death at 1 year. In recent years, 1-year case-fatality decreased in demented as well as in and non-demented patients suggesting that improvements in the management of stroke also benefited the most fragile patients.

[Should all old hypertensive subjects have Mini-Mental State Examination?]. / Faut-il réaliser un "Mini-Mental State Examination" chez tout sujet âgé hypertendu?

Hypertension constitutes a recognized risk factor of vascular dementia but also of Alzheimer-type dementia. Various longitudinal studies showed that midlife blood pressure level is one of the factors conditioning the onset of dementia syndrome in late life. The high risk of dementia is linked to leukoaraiosis, vascular rigidity, microcirculation disorders, oxidative stress, blood pressure fluctuations including orthostatic hypotension and strokes, all of those being associated with hypertension. Numerous clinical trials showed the positive effect of effective treatment of hypertension on the prevention of cognitive disorders and dementias. Thus, screening and early management of dementia and cognitive decline, in particular in the hypertensive subject, are essential. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is a major first-intention screening test because it allows a full assessment of cognitive aptitudes. If cognitive decline is suspected and the MMSE score is considered to be abnormal, the elderly subject must be sent to a specialist or a referent memory centre; the MMSE is only a first stage in the diagnostic reasoning. MMSE should be included in the follow-up of all hypertensive elderly subjects and should be performed once a year by the general practitioner.

[What has changed for stroke at the beginning of the 21st century]. / Les accidents vasculaires cérébraux : ce qui a changé au début du xxi(e) siècle.

INTRODUCTION: Striking developments in stroke epidemiology, initially based on the results of the Framingham study, have greatly improved our neuroepidemiological knowledge of the disease. STATE OF ART: The development of stroke registries has made it possible to evaluate the descriptive epidemiology of stroke and its evolution. With the increasing use of CT-scan, MRI, and either cardiac or vascular imaging, the diagnosis of stroke and its subtypes has been made easier. Over the last 20 years, a decrease in the incidence and mortality of stroke has been observed in Western countries. In contrast, in Dijon, which has the only population-based stroke registry in France, stable incidence rates have been reported. However, over the same period, age at stroke onset has risen by five years in men and eight years in women, which is probably related to both population aging and improvements in primary prevention and general health. The reported decrease in case-fatality rates suggests better acute management of stroke patients, and explains in part the increase in the prevalence of stroke. In addition, the assessment of vascular risk factors has demonstrated that high blood pressure remains the principal risk factor for both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, and that antihypertensive treatment is able to reduce stroke incidence. PERSPECTIVES: Epidemiology studies could make it possible to measure the impact of new therapeutic strategies applied in both primary and secondary prevention. CONCLUSION: Prevention, diagnosis, and acute treatment of stroke have considerably improved, but cerebrovascular diseases together with myocardial infarction remain the leading cause of death. Despite the absence of a rise in the incidence of stroke, its prevalence has increased. This is due to the decrease in case-fatality rates. As a consequence, there is an urgent need to organize health networks around stroke. Moreover, the rise in stroke-free life expectancy is a positive finding that reflects improvements in prevention.

Ischaemic stroke subtypes and associated risk factors: a French population based study.

BACKGROUND: There is little reliable population based information about the distribution of risk factors among the various ischaemic stroke subtypes, even though determining risk factor profiles is of major importance to develop targeted preventive strategies. METHODS: The distribution of first ever ischaemic stroke subtypes was established in a prospective population based study conducted in Dijon, France (152,606 inhabitants). Cases were collected between January 2005 and December 2006, and were classified using TOAST classification. Vascular risk factors were recorded to determine a risk factor profile for each subtype. RESULTS: 332 patients with first ever ischaemic stroke (150 men and 182 women) were recorded. Adjusted incidence to world population was 54/100,000/year. The distribution of ischaemic stroke subtypes was as follows: 119 (35.8%) cases of large artery atherosclerosis, 89 (26.8%) small artery occlusions, 81 (24.4%) cardioembolisms and 43 (13%) other and undetermined causes. The most frequent vascular risk factor was hypertension, irrespective of the ischaemic stroke subtype, with a total prevalence of 62%. Using multivariate regression, a positive association between cardioembolism and age (OR 1.051; 95% CI 1.026 to 1.076; p<0.001) was demonstrated and between small artery occlusion and either high blood pressure (OR 1.86; 95% CI 1.06 to 3.27; p = 0.03) or hypercholesterolaemia (OR 2.23; 95% CI 1.33 to 3.76; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: This comprehensive prospective population based study has demonstrated that vascular risk factors exhibit a particular distribution according to the ischaemic stroke subtypes. These findings, as well as the great frequency of hypertension among stroke patients, have implications for prevention strategies, the design of clinical trials and the organisation of health care services.

Risk profiles for mild cognitive impairment and progression to dementia are gender specific.

OBJECTIVE: To examine risk factors for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and progression to dementia in a prospective community-based study of subjects aged 65 years and over. METHODS: 6892 participants who were over 65 and without dementia were recruited from a population-based cohort in three French cities. Cognitive performance, clinical diagnosis of dementia, and clinical and environmental risk factors were evaluated at baseline and 2-year and 4-year follow-ups. RESULTS: 42% of the population were classified as having MCI at baseline. After adjustment for confounding with logistic regression models, men and women classified as having MCI were more likely to have depressive symptomatology and to be taking anticholinergic drugs. Men were also more likely to have a higher body mass index, diabetes and stroke, whereas women were more likely to have poor subjective health, to be disabled, to be socially isolated, and to suffer from insomnia. The principal adjusted risk factors for men for progression from MCI to dementia in descending order were ApoE4 allele (OR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.7 to 5.7), stroke (OR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.9), low level of education (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.3 to 4.1), loss of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) (OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 4.5) and age (OR = 1.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.2). In women, progression is best predicted by IADL loss (OR = 3.5, 95% CI 2.1 to 5.9), ApoE4 allele (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.4 to 4.0), low level of education (OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.6), subclinical depression (OR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.6), use of anticholinergic drugs (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.0 to 3.0) and age (OR = 1.1, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.2). CONCLUSIONS: Men and women have different risk profiles for both MCI and progression to dementia. Intervention programmes should focus principally on risk of stroke in men and depressive symptomatology and use of anticholinergic medication in women.

[Stroke in elderly: what have we learned from stroke epidemiology in younger people]. / Les accidents vasculaires cérébraux du sujet âgé : ce que nous a appris l'épidémiologie du sujet jeune.

Stroke in the elderly has more major differences compared to young people: it is the first complication of atherothrombosis disease associated with the following risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, tobacco consumption and sleep apnea syndrome; AVC is the first consequence of atrial fibrillation; from a clinical point of view, seizure at the onset of the stroke is more frequent; prognosis is characterized by a high risk of dementia (20%); primary and secondary prevention is very efficacious even in very old patients, not only on the risk of stroke, but also on the risk of dementia; time trends at Dijon show a slight decrease of incidence rates of stroke only over 85 years, while prevention of stroke has taken advantage of real progress in precocious diagnosis and innovative treatments. In contrast, we observed a decrease of case-fatality rates at any day with a delay in age of onset of stroke, reaching five years in men and eight years in women, suggesting an increase of life expectancy without stroke, reflecting a certain efficacy of prevention.

[Contribution of the Dijon Stroke Registry after 20 years of data collection]. / Les apports du registre dijonnais des accidents vasculaires cérébraux en 20 ans d'activité

INTRODUCTION: The Dijon Stroke Registry is the only population-based registry in France which has collected neurological data without interruption for more than 20 years. This registry has produced reliable epidemiological data from a large non-selected population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During the 20-year study period, 3142 ischemic strokes, 341 primary cerebral hemorrhages and 74 subarachnoid hemorrhages were recorded. Age at first stroke rose by five years in men and eight years in women. RESULTS: Comparing the descriptive epidemiology data between 1985 to 1989 and the 2000-2004 periods, the following results were noted: age- and sex-standardized incidences of first-ever stroke were stable except for lacunar stroke where the incidence increased significantly (p=0.05), and for cardioembolic stroke where incidence decreased significantly (p=0.01); 28-day case-fatality rates decreased significantly mainly for lacunar stroke (p=0.05) and for primary cerebral hemorrhage (p=0.03). The proportion of subjects with hypercholesterolemia and diabetes increased significantly (p<0.01). Analysis of cohort data issuing from the registry yielded the following findings: hyperglycemia during the acute stage of cerebral infarct was linked with poor prognosis; lower levels of E. apolipoprotein linked to HDL-cholesterol were associated with atherothrombotic infarcts; activation of coagulation factors was linked with atherothrombotic infarct; decreased N-acetyl-aspartate, a marker of the number of neurons, and increased serum lactate, a marker of anaerobic metabolism measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy were noted in the cohort of cerebral infarct victims; release of platelet V-glycoprotein was noted in cerebral infarct; the incidence of cerebral infarct rose during autumn and during periods with high levels of atmospheric ozone and was higher in male smokers aged more than 40 years with hypertension. The population-based registry contributed to the assessment of medicoeconomic expenditures and professional practices. CONCLUSION: In Dijon, age- and sex-standardized stroke incidence has remained stable over the past 20 years. Increasing age at first-ever stroke, decreasing case-fatality rate, increasing use of antiplatelet treatments and a reduction in certain prestroke risk factors were noted.

[Semantic dementia: reflexions of a French working group for diagnostic criteria and constitution of a patient cohort]. / Démence sémantique: réflexions d'un groupe de travail pour des critères de diagnostic en français et la constitution d'une cohorte de patients.

Semantic dementia (SD) is a syndrome of progressive loss of semantic knowledge for objects and people. International criteria propose that SD be included in the frontotemporal lobar degeneration syndromes, with progressive non-fluent aphasia and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). However, several related syndromes have been defined that clinically and conceptually share both similarities and differences with SD: fluent progressive aphasia, progressive prosopagnosia, temporal variant of FTD. In order to establish a French consensus for the diagnosis and modalities of evaluation and follow-up of SD, a working group, composed of neurologists, neuropsychologists and speech-therapists, was established by the Groupe de réflexion sur les évaluations cognitives (GRECO). New criteria were elaborated, based on clinical, neuropsychological, and imaging data. They define typical and atypical forms of SD. A diagnosis of typical SD relies on an isolated and progressive loss of semantic knowledge, attested by a deficit of word comprehension and a deficit of objects and/or people identification, with imaging showing temporal atrophy and/or hypometabolism. SD is atypical if the deficit of semantic knowledge is present only within a single modality (verbal versus visual), or if non-semantic deficits (mild and not present at onset) and/or neurological signs, are associated with the semantic loss.

[Dementia syndrome in an elderly subject related to valproic acid use: a case report]. / Syndrome démentiel du sujet âgé lié à un traitement par acide valproïque: à propos d'un cas.

In addition to the usual adverse effects, the chronic use of the valproic acid can entail dementia syndrome. We describe the case of a 68-year-old woman who had presented a dementia syndrome due to the use of valproic acid for one year. This drug was prescribed in order to prevent a potential convulsive crisis after an ischemic stroke in a patient who did not have a history of epilepsy. This case shows that each clinician must be careful about all medications consumed by the patient in the face of cognitive disorders.

[Contribution of ecological evaluation of executive disorders in multiple sclerosis]. / Apport de l'évaluation écologique des troubles exécutifs dans la sclérose en plaques.

INTRODUCTION: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a major cause of neurological disability among young adults. The cognitive disorders are the second cause of alteration of quality of life after physical handicap and are often responsible for loss of social-occupational adaptability. The prevalence of cognitive disorders is 40 to 65%. The alteration of executive functions predominates whereas instrumental functions are generally preserved. The assessment of these disorders is often underestimated by the usual battery of neuropsychological tests. However, the link between psychometric results and executive difficulties of daily life is uncertain. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the sensitivity of an ecological test compared to standard psychometric tests in assessment of executive disorders in MS. METHODS: Twenty subjects with clinically definite MS were matched for age, sex and pre-morbid intellectual level with control subjects. A battery of neuropsychological and ecological tests was applied to all subjects. The performances on these tests formed a global score of executive function (SFE). The "paper and pencil" multiple errands test was used as the ecological test to examine planning and goal-oriented behavior. We also assessed fatigue and depression with the Fatigue Severity Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS: There was no significant differences between MS patients and controls in neuropsychological executive tests, except for verbal fluencies (p=0.01). The performances were significantly decreased in the MS group for the multiple errands test (p=0.01). 75% of MS subjects have a pathological score for this test. There was a significant link between the performances with this test and SFE (p=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Executive disorders are underestimated in MS. However, we suggest that an ecological approach is more reliable than standard neuropsychological tests to estimate the cognitive difficulties in daily life in MS subjects. The results of our study favor further research to ascertain the usefulness of ecological assessment in MS.

Dual effect of docosahexaenoic acid (attenuation or amplification) on C22:0-, C24:0-, and C26:0-induced mitochondrial dysfunctions and oxidative stress on human neuronal SK-N-BE cells.

Increased levels of C22:0, C24:0 and C26:0 were found in cortical lesions of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). So, it was of interest to precise the cytotoxic effects of these fatty acids, and to determine whether docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), described to prevent AD, can attenuate their eventual side effects. Human neuronal SK-N-BE cells were cultured in the absence or presence of C22:0, C24:0 or C26:0 (0.1-20 µM) without or with DHA (50-150 µM). C22:0, C24:0 and C26:0 induce an inhibition of cell growth, a loss of Δψm, an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a decrease of reduced glutathione, and a lipid peroxidation. DHA attenuates C22:0, C24:0 and C26:0 induced-mitochondrial dysfunctions and/or cell growth inhibition measured with MTT whatever the concentrations considered, whereas it can either decrease or amplify (especially at 150 µM) ROS overproduction. C22:0, C24:0 and C26:0 have neurotoxic activities, and depending on its concentration, DHA attenuates or not fatty acid-induced side effects.

[Alien hand syndrome due to a corpus callosum infarct: a case report]. / Le syndrome de la main étrangère par infarctus du corps calleux. A propos d'un cas.

A 64-year-old man with alien hand syndrome presented with abnormal feelings in the left upper limb, associated with an intermanual conflict. There were no clinical signs of frontal or parietal apraxia. This syndrome was induced by an infarct localized in the right posterior area of the splenium, subsequent to a cardiogenic embolus. This observation enlightens the rising syndrome of callosal type alien syndrome due to a posterior callosal infarct.