Influence of environmental growth temperature on tocopherol and sterol oil concentrations in olive fruit.

BACKGROUND: Tocopherols and sterols are minor components of virgin olive oils that contribute to oil quality. Based on observations at different geographical locations, it has been suggested that environmental temperature during fruit growth affects tocopherol and sterol oil concentrations in olive fruit. However, controlled experiments have not been conducted to directly assess their responses to temperature. In this study, a manipulative experiment using open-top chambers (OTCs) was performed in the field to evaluate the responses of these oil components to a moderate air temperature increase during oil accumulation in young trees of two olive cultivars (Arbequina, Coratina). The two temperature levels in the OTCs were a control about 1 °C above ambient temperature (T0) and a heated treatment (T+) with a target temperature of 4 °C above T0. RESULTS: Total tocopherol and sterol oil concentrations in olive fruit were generally higher in the T+ temperature treatment than in the control at the end of the oil accumulation period. The increase in total tocopherols in T+ appeared to be related to a decrease in fruit oil concentration with heating. Individual sterols showed both significant increases and decreases due to T+, and some differences in response occurred between the two cultivars. CONCLUSION: These findings provide evidence that growth temperature affects tocopherol and sterol oil concentrations in olive fruit at the end of the oil accumulation period. Cultivars should be carefully chosen for new olive-growing regions, and the results could be relevant for global warming scenarios in existing growing regions. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Influence of Experimental Warming on the Rate and Duration of Fruit Growth and Oil Accumulation in Young Olive Trees (cvs. Arbequina, Coratina).

Olive tree cultivation in new warmer areas and climate change have increased the global interest in understanding how air temperature affects both fruit growth and oil accumulation. The aims of this study were to evaluate the rate and duration of fruit growth and oil accumulation in response to experimental warming (+3) in a semiarid region of Argentina; and assess how warming affected fatty acid composition. Young, potted olive trees (cvs. Arbequina, Coratina) were warmed (T+) or maintained near ambient temperature (T0) inside open top chambers in the field during oil accumulation in 2014-2015 or 2015-2016 using different trees in each season. Warming reduced the rate of both fruit growth and oil accumulation in T+ compared to T0 in both cultivars. These rate reductions under T+ led to large decreases in final fruit dry weight and oil concentration. In contrast, the durations (i.e., days) of fruit growth and oil accumulation were most often not affected. Cultivar x temperature interactions were observed in 2014-2015 with warming decreasing oleic acid and increasing linoleic acid in cv. Arbequina, while cv. Coratina showed no response to warming. However, no interactions were found in 2015-2016. Studying how fruit growth and oil accumulation respond to adaptation strategies against increasing air temperatures should be a priority in both young and mature olive trees of numerous cultivars given crop expansion to new regions and future climate scenarios.

Loss of the Parkinson's disease-linked gene DJ-1 perturbs mitochondrial dynamics.

Growing evidence highlights a role for mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress as underlying contributors to Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. DJ-1 (PARK7) is a recently identified recessive familial PD gene. Its loss leads to increased susceptibility of neurons to oxidative stress and death. However, its mechanism of action is not fully understood. Presently, we report that DJ-1 deficiency in cell lines, cultured neurons, mouse brain and lymphoblast cells derived from DJ-1 patients display aberrant mitochondrial morphology. We also show that these DJ-1-dependent mitochondrial defects contribute to oxidative stress-induced sensitivity to cell death since reversal of this fragmented mitochondrial phenotype abrogates neuronal cell death. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) appear to play a critical role in the observed defects, as ROS scavengers rescue the phenotype and mitochondria isolated from DJ-1 deficient animals produce more ROS compared with control. Importantly, the aberrant mitochondrial phenotype can be rescued by the expression of Pink1 and Parkin, two PD-linked genes involved in regulating mitochondrial dynamics and quality control. Finally, we show that DJ-1 deficiency leads to altered autophagy in murine and human cells. Our findings define a mechanism by which the DJ-1-dependent mitochondrial defects contribute to the increased sensitivity to oxidative stress-induced cell death that has been previously reported.

Gesture comprehension, knowledge and production in Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although apraxia is a typical consequence of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the profile of apraxic impairments is still subject to debate. Here, we analysed apraxia components in patients with AD with mild-to-moderate or moderately severe dementia. METHODS: Thirty-one patients were included. We first evaluated simple gestures, that is, the imitation of finger and hand configurations, symbolic gestures (recognition, production on verbal command and imitation), pantomimes (recognition, production on verbal command, imitation and production with the object), general knowledge and complex gestures (tool-object association, function-tool association, production of complex actions and knowledge about action sequences). Tests for dementia (Mini Mental State Examination and the Dementia Rating Scale), language disorders, visual agnosia and executive function were also administered. RESULTS: Compared with controls, patients showed significant difficulties (P ≤ 0.01) in subtests relating to simple gestures (except for the recognition and imitation of symbolic gestures). General knowledge about tools, objects and action sequences was less severely impaired. Performance was frequently correlated with the severity of dementia. Multiple-case analyses revealed that (i) the frequency of apraxia depended on the definition used, (ii) ideomotor apraxia was more frequent than ideational apraxia, (iii) conceptual difficulties were slightly more frequent than production difficulties in the early stage of AD and (iv) difficulties in gesture recognition were frequent (especially for pantomimes). CONCLUSION: Patients with AD can clearly show gesture apraxia from the mild-moderate stage of dementia onwards. Recognition and imitation disorders are relatively frequent (especially for pantomimes). We did not find conceptual difficulties to be the main problem in early-stage AD.

Effects of prolonged elevated temperature on leaf gas exchange and other leaf traits in young olive trees.

Despite the economic importance of long-lived crop species in the Mediterranean Basin and their expansion to new warmer regions, their potential responses to prolonged temperature increases have not been adequately addressed. The objectives of this study were to: (i) assess leaf gas exchange responses to prolonged elevated temperature in young olive trees; (ii) evaluate some additional leaf traits such as stomatal density and size under these same conditions; and (iii) determine whether photosynthetic acclimation to temperature was apparent. A field experiment with two temperature levels was conducted using well-irrigated, potted olive trees (cvs. Arbequina, Coratina) grown in open-top chambers during the summer and early fall in two growing seasons. The temperature levels were a near-ambient control (T0) and a heated (T+) treatment (+4 °C). Maximum photosynthetic rate (Amax), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (E) and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured. Stomatal size and density and trichome density were also determined. The Amax, gs and chlorophyll fluorescence were little affected by heating. However, leaf E was higher at T+ than T0 in the summer in both seasons due in large part to the moderate increase in vapor pressure deficit that accompanied heating, and consequently water-use efficiency was reduced in heated leaves. When reciprocal temperature measurements were conducted in mid-summer of the second season, Amax values of T0 and T+ leaves were higher under the temperature level at which they grew than when measured at the other temperature level, which suggests some thermal acclimation. Stomatal size and density were greater in T+ than in T0 grown leaves in some cases, which was consistent with a greater E in T+ leaves when measured at both temperature levels. These results suggest that acclimation to long-term changes in temperature must be carefully considered to help determine how olive trees will be influenced by global warming.

An analysis of communication in conversation after severe traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Communication disorders have been reported following severe traumatic brain injury. However, we have little information about patient behaviour during dyadic interaction. Here, we analyzed conversation at the rehabilitation and chronic phase post traumatic brain injury (TBI), to define the main mechanisms of verbal and non-verbal communication disorders and relationship with other cognitive difficulties. METHODS: Sixteen patients were evaluated at the rehabilitation phase (2-12 months) and 18 at the chronic phase (after 2 years) following severe TBI. They were compared with equivalent groups of matching (gender, age, education level) control subjects. We used the Lille Communication Test, which comprises three parts: participation to communication (greeting, attention, engagement), verbal communication (verbal comprehension, speech outflow, intelligibility, word production, syntax, verbal pragmatics, verbal feedback) and non-verbal communication (understanding gestures, affective expressivity, producing gestures, pragmatics, non-verbal feedback). We also investigated executive functions (Stroop test, trail-making test, categorical evocation), language (Montreal-Toulouse protocol) and behaviour (Neurobehavioural Rating Scale). Verbal communication disorders were relatively equivalent at the rehabilitation and chronic phases. RESULTS: Patients were impaired (P < or = 0.01) in their participation to communication, especially in greeting behaviour. Verbal communication was mostly affected by difficulties in producing fluent and intelligible language and using pragmatics (responding to open questions, presenting new information and introducing new themes, organizing discourse and adapting to interlocutor knowledge). Non-verbal communication was impaired by difficulties in using pragmatics (mostly adapted prosody). Participation and verbal communication correlated with the executive functions, language and behavioural assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Disorders of social communication justify systematic assessment in patients with TBI.

Hemianopia and neglect influence on straight-ahead perception.

In spatial neglect, the pathological ipsilesional deviation of the subjective straight ahead (SSA) received both 'translational' and 'rotational' interpretations. Furthermore, hemianopia per se could also influence straight-ahead (SA) perception. Here, we aimed at disentangling the relative effects of neglect and hemianopia on the SSA by using a method analyzing translation and rotation in parallel. We included patients with a right hemisphere stroke. Ten had neglect and hemianopia, 6 neglect only, 3 hemianopia only, and 12 neither one nor the other. 15 were controls. Participants had to adjust a bar, movable in translation and rotation, SA of the navel, in darkness. Patients with spatial neglect showed systematic rightward translation, greater when hemianoptic. The rotation component appeared more variable and was influenced by the presence of a visual field defect, as most of the patients with hemianopia showed an anticlockwise rotation and most of the patients without hemianopia a clockwise rotation. Non-neglect patients and control subjects demonstrated a fair performance level. In conclusion, both neglect and hemianopia resulted in a translation error of the SSA to the ipsilesional side. In neglect patients, additional hemianopia resulted in a counterclockwise rotation. Furthermore, rotation and translation errors appeared dissociated, suggesting a different coding of these dimensions by the right posterior hemisphere.

Evidence of persisting cognitive impairment in a case series of patients with locked-in syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research on cognition and locked-in syndrome (LIS) is limited to single case reports, and usually reported normality of performance. Here, cognitive disorders in a group of LIS patients are investigated, using a specific test relying only on a yes/no response indicated by eye movements or verbally. METHODS: Nine patients with LIS resulting from brainstem stroke were compared with seven patients with frontal or frontotemporal lesions and 16 matching normal control subjects. The test comprised 19 subtests of perception (visual and auditory recognition), oral comprehension (identity, words and sentences), written comprehension (words and sentences), orientation (in time and place), immediate and delayed memories (verbal and visuo-spatial information), calculation and problem solving, and analysis of verbal logic. RESULTS: LIS patients showed significant difficulties in auditory recognition (associative level), oral comprehension of complex sentences, delayed visuospatial memory, mental calculation and problem solving. Patients with hemispheric lesions were more severely impaired. Single case analysis revealed that four LIS patients showed cognitive disorders in at least three subtests. These disorders were not related to a specific localisation of lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate and selective cognitive disorders can be observed in LIS patients. Systematic assessment is needed, because of their possible consequences for communication and rehabilitation protocols.

Reducing rightward bias of subjective straight ahead in neglect patients by changes in body orientation.

BACKGROUND: The subjective straight ahead (SSA), a measure of the representation of body orientation, has been shown to be shifted to the lesion side in neglect patients, and to be influenced by stimulation of sensory systems involved in postural control. METHOD: This study investigates the influence of changing body orientation in the sagittal plane on the SSA in 21 patients with a right hemispheric lesion, of whom 12 had neglect, in comparison with six healthy control subjects. In order to quantify both horizontal components of SSA error (ie, yaw rotation and lateral shift), the study used a method requiring the alignment of a luminous rod with SSA. RESULTS: Neglect patients showed a significant rightward shift in the sitting position, which was greatly reduced in the supine position. No shift occurred in patients without neglect or in controls. Yaw rotation did not reach significance in any group. CONCLUSION: The data showed that the body centred frame of reference, mostly translated in neglect, is strongly improved in the supine position. Changing body orientation seems to be a convenient tool to correct the representation of body midline.

Comparison of botulinum toxin injection and neurotomy in patients with distal lower limb spasticity.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We compared the efficacy of botulinum toxin injection (BTI) and tibial nerve neurotomy (TNN) in an open-label study of 34 post-stroke hemiplegic patients with distal lower limb deformation. METHODS: The dose of BT was 300 U (Botox). TNN was performed with a 6-12 month delay on the motor branches of the tibial nerve. Muscles to be treated were selected according to the distal deformity (equinus, varus and clawing toes). Patients were assessed following each treatment for spasticity, motor control, range of movements, balance, gait and the Rivermead Motor Assessment. RESULTS: TNN (M3, M6 and Y1) resulted in a more significant effect than BTI (D15, M2 and M5) on most of the measures: ankle plantar flexor spasticity, range of movement in dorsiflexion and eversion, foot position in upright situation, Functional Ambulation Categories (barefoot), RMA, gait velocity (comfortable condition), subjective benefit and use of walking aids. Patients treated for tibialis posterior or flexor digitorum longus spasticity often complained of subjective sensory disorders at the plantar sole over a period of 4-6 weeks. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, TNN is more effective than BTI on most of the functional parameters. The interest of BTI lies in the preliminary testing of the efficacy of a technique for reducing spasticity on lower limb function.

[The adolescent to adulthood transition of persons with traumatic-brain injury: the physical-medicine point of view]. / La transition adolescent à adulte du traumatisme crânien: le point de vue de la médecine physique.

Traumatic-brain injury (TBI) is relatively frequent and can involve children and adolescents; it causes not only physical but also important neuropsychological and behavioral problems that can impair familial, social, and professional reintegration. The affected person requires long-term follow-up of medical, psychological, and social problems. The transition from childhood to adulthood, which can cause problems related to the lack of organization and training of specialized TBI medicosocial teams and structures in adult care for both the family, which is reluctant to change, and the patient, who often shows anosognosia, therefore requires organized coordination between pediatric and adult-care teams. This transition must be prepared early and in collaboration with the patient and his family. It first concerns physicians, both pediatric and adult specialists, who need to develop closer collaboration and cooperation. However, the patient should remain the main actor, because the objective is to transfer diversified healthcare, which depends on the TBI patient's individual problems. This relates to medical treatments and, more generally, the life project, which should not be disturbed by divergent practices. The main measures enabling harmonious transfer are training, establishment of specific procedures, and, most particularly, networking.

Influence of cognitive impairment on the institutionalisation rate 3 years after a stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pre-existing cognitive decline and new-onset dementia are common in patients with stroke, but their influence on institutionalisation rates is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of cognitive impairment on the institutionalisation rate 3 years after a stroke. DESIGN: (1) The previous cognitive state of 192 consecutive patients with stroke living at home before the stroke (with the Informant Questionnaire on COgnitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE)), (2) new-onset dementia occurring within 3 years and (3) institutionalisation rates within 3 years in the 165 patients who were discharged alive after the acute stage were prospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Independent predictors of institutionalisation over a 3-year period that were available at admission were age (adjusted odds ratio (adjOR) for 1-year increase = 1.08; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03 to 1.15), severity of the neurological deficit (adjOR for 1-point increase in Orgogozo score = 0.97; 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99) and severity of cognitive impairment (adjOR for 1-point increase in IQCODE score = 1.03; 95% CI 1 to 1.06). Factors associated with institutionalisation at 3 years that were present at admission or occurred during the follow-up were age (adjOR for 1-year increase = 1.17; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.27) and any (pre-existing or new) dementia (adjOR = 5.85; 95% CI 1.59 to 21.59), but not the severity of the deficit of the neurological deficit. CONCLUSION: Age and cognitive impairment are more important predictors of institutionalisation 3 years after a stroke than the severity of the physical disability.

Botulinum toxin injection in patients with hereditary spastic paraparesis.

In an open label study, we analyzed the efficacy of botulinum toxin injection at the lower limbs of patients with hereditary spastic paraparesis (HSP). Fifteen patients who showed disabling spasticity with no or poor effect of oral treatment were recruited consecutively. Botulinum toxin was injected (400 U; Botox) into the spastic muscles identified by clinical examination (equinus, varus, and pathological hip adduction). Patients were regularly assessed from the first day to the fifth month: spasticity (Ashworth), motor strength, range of movements, Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC), gait parameter, Rivermead Motor Assessment, self-analysis of benefit and satisfaction. We observed a moderate and significant (P < 0.05) reduction of ankle plantar flexor and hip adductor spasticity, with a partial increase in the range of the active and passive motion at the ankle and in gait velocity. At an individual level, six of 15 patients showed an increase in gait velocity. The FAC and RMA did not change. Patients often reported partial improvement in foot position and lower limb propulsion, and fair satisfaction. In conclusion, botulinum toxin injection can be effective in HSP patients with relatively ancient spasticity. This technique can be introduced into the therapeutic panel, which also includes physiotherapy, oral treatment and baclofen pump.

[The risk-benefit of high doses of botulinum toxin injections for muscle spasticity ]. / Place des doses élevées dans les injections de toxine botulique.

OBJECTIVE: To bring general elements of reflection on the use of the high doses of botulinum toxin in spastic children and adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Review of the literature on the high doses and the benefit-risk associated with botulinum toxin injections. RESULTS: The medical literature exclusively relates to the use of the high doses in children and adolescents. Comparative work with conventional doses suggests a relative interest, but with a risk of increased side effects. Several articles report on treatments with high and even very high doses in series of patient, with a documented effectiveness. But their justification remains partial and the study of the possible side effects is limited. Reflections are brought to contribute to the debate on the use of high doses, taking into account the local physiological effect of botulinum toxin, the risk of regional and general diffusion, the need for a progressive strategy, the variability of effects, the cost of the treatment and the need for obtaining an informed consent of the patient and of significant others. CONCLUSION: The use of high doses of botulinum toxin increases progressively, but must remain very careful.

Olive Cultivation in the Southern Hemisphere: Flowering, Water Requirements and Oil Quality Responses to New Crop Environments.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is a crop well adapted to the environmental conditions prevailing in the Mediterranean Basin. Nevertheless, the increasing international demand for olive oil and table olives in the last two decades has led to expansion of olive cultivation in some countries of the southern hemisphere, notably in Argentina, Chile, Perú and Australia. While the percentage of world production represented by these countries is still low, many of the new production regions do not have typical Mediterranean climates, and some are located at subtropical latitudes where there is relatively little information about crop function. Thus, the primary objective of this review was to assess recently published scientific literature on olive cultivation in these new crop environments. The review focuses on three main aspects: (a) chilling requirements for flowering, (b) water requirements and irrigation management, and (c) environmental effects on fruit oil concentration and quality. In many arid and semiarid regions of South America, temperatures are high and rainfall is low in the winter and early spring months compared to conditions in much of the Mediterranean Basin. High temperatures have often been found to have detrimental effects on olive flowering in many olive cultivars that have been introduced to South America, and a better understanding of chilling requirements is needed. Lack of rainfall in the winter and spring also has resulted in an urgent need to evaluate water requirements from the flower differentiation period in the winter to early fruit bearing. Additionally, in some olive growing areas of South America and Australia, high early season temperatures affect the timing of phenological events such that the onset of oil synthesis occurs sooner than in the Mediterranean Basin with most oil accumulation taking place in the summer when temperatures are very high. Increasing mean daily temperatures have been demonstrated to decrease fruit oil concentration (%) and negatively affect some aspects of oil quality based on both correlative field studies and manipulative experiments. From a practical standpoint, current findings could be used as approximate tools to determine whether the temperature conditions in a proposed new growing region are appropriate for achieving sustainable oil productivity and quality.

Perception of the vertical in patients with right hemispheric lesion: effect of galvanic vestibular stimulation.

Patients with right-brain injury present, more frequently in the acute phase, with a deviation of the subjective vertical (SV) contralateral to the lesion. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) on this disorder. Twelve patients presenting with a right hemispheric lesion, seven with neglect (N+) and five without (N-) were compared to eight control subjects. They had to orient vertically a luminous rod in darkness, in three galvanic stimulation (1.5 mA) conditions: cathode left, cathode right and no stimulation (baseline). Without stimulation, the patients' SV, and especially that of N+, showed an anticlockwise deviation. In comparison with baseline values, GVS induced a deviation toward the side opposite to the cathode in the three groups. In the patients, the deviation was of larger amplitude and appeared greater for left than for right cathodic stimulation. In conclusion, we showed an influence of vestibular stimulation on the SV of right brain-injured patients, especially when spatial neglect was present. As left cathodic stimulation can reduce the SV deviation associated with spatial neglect, such a tool could be introduced in rehabilitation.

[Management of communication in patients after severe traumatic brain injury. Pilot study]. / Programme de prise en charge de la communication à distance d'un traumatisme crânien grave. Etude pilote.

OBJECTIVE: In the long term, people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) present with communication disorders impairing their professional and social integration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of group therapy on communication disorders of people with TBI in the post-hospital period. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Four patients were followed in the medico-social department "Auprès-TC" and took part in various day programs. Two speech therapists participated for a 7-month period using group therapy to take into account communication disorders. The patients and families were evaluated at the beginning and end of care, by use of the Lille Communication Test, the Bordeaux Scale of Verbal Communication, the Revised Neurobehavioural Rating Scale, and part of the European document EBIS. RESULTS: Despite the delay since TBI, patients showed quantitative and qualitative evolution of communicative abilities. DISCUSSION-CONCLUSION: The influence of group therapy on the improvement of communication in patients with TBI should be reconsidered, because in this study, familial and institutional environment influenced the communication. Group therapy allows for communication care from an ecological point of view, by enhancing interactions.

Treatment of dystonia in extensor hallucis longus and digitorum muscles with neurotomy of the branches of the deep fibular nerve: Preliminary results.

INTRODUCTION: Dystonia in extensor hallucis and/or digitorum muscles can be observed in pyramidal and extrapyramidal lesions and results in pain in these toes, spontaneous or when walking, problems and discomfort when putting on shoes and socks, and cutaneous lesions on the toes. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of deep fibular nerve neurotomy for the extensor hallucis longus (EHL) and/or the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) branches in the treatment of extension dystonia of the hallux and/or other toes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A deep fibular nerve neurotomy was performed in 20 patients (n=19 for the EHL, n=6 for the EDL). We retrospectively analyzed the treatment's efficacy and safety and assessed the patients' self-reported improvement and overall treatment satisfaction. RESULTS: Dystonia totally disappeared in 15 cases (75%); it persisted at a minimal level in the other patients. The patients reported a decrease in pain (P<0.01) and fewer difficulties putting on shoes and socks (P<0.001) and had a high median level of satisfaction (8.5/10). Adverse effects were rare and transient. The identification of the nerve branches was sometimes difficult. DISCUSSION: Deep fibular nerve neurotomy for the EHL and/or EDL branches seems to be an effective treatment for extension dystonia of the hallux and/or other toes and its consequences for the adult neurological patient. However, these encouraging preliminary results should be confirmed by prospective, longer-term studies.

The Cognitive Assessment scale for Stroke Patients (CASP) vs. MMSE and MoCA in non-aphasic hemispheric stroke patients.

INTRODUCTION: CASP specifically assesses post-stroke cognitive impairments. Its items are visual and as such can be administered to patients with severe expressive aphasia. We have previously shown that the CASP was more suitable than the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in aphasic patients. Our objective was to compare the above scales in non-aphasic stroke patients, and assess to what extent the solely visual items of the CASP were problematic in cases of neurovisual impairments. METHODS: Fifty non-aphasic patients admitted to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) units after a recent left- or right-hemisphere stroke were evaluated with the CASP, MMSE and MoCA. We compared these three scales in terms of feasibility, concordance, and influence of neurovisual impairments on the total score. RESULTS: Twenty-nine men and 21 women were included (mean age 63 ± 14). For three patients, the MoCa was impossible to administer. It took significantly less time to administer the CASP (10 ± 5 min) than the MoCA (11 ± 5 min, P=0.02), yet it still took more time than MMSE administration (7 ± 3 min, P<10(-6)). Neurovisual impairments affected equally the total scores of the three tests. Concordance between these scores was poor and only the CASP could specifically assess unilateral spatial neglect. CONCLUSION: The sole visual format of the CASP scale seems suitable for administration in post-stroke patients.

Regional cerebral blood flow imaging: a quantitative comparison of 99mTc-bicisate with 133Xe using single photon emission computed tomography.

The aim of this study was to compare 99mTc-bicisate with 133Xe inhalation in regional CBF (rCBF) imaging. Five healthy volunteers and five patients were imaged with both techniques. Regional standardized values (SVs) of 99mTc-bicisate, uptake indexes (UIs), and asymmetry indexes (AIs) were compared quantitatively with, respectively, rCBF, flow indexes (FIs), and AIs. Areas with highest rCBF (sylvian and thalamic areas) appeared to be underestimated with 99mTc-bicisate, but significant correlations were found between SV and rCBF (n = 140, r = 0.468, p < 0.01) and for the 10 subjects between UI and FI and between AIs (p < 0.0001). There are therefore distinct regional differences in the cerebral distinction of 99mTc-bicisate and CBF, particularly in the thalamus and the temporal cortex. It is probable but not yet proved that an underestimation of high flow rates occurs with bicisate.