RESUMO
During recent years chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) has been characterized on the basis of clinical and laboratory findings. Immune modifying treatment with glucocorticoids, plasma exchange and infusion of immune globulins has had a therapeutic effect in controlled studies. Decisive for increased therapeutic efforts against CIDP in Denmark is intensified electrophysiological search in patients with polyneuropathy with examination of several nerve segments for evidence of demyelination including conduction block, potential dispersion and reduction of conduction velocity by more than 40%.
Assuntos
Doenças Desmielinizantes , Polirradiculoneuropatia , Doença Crônica , Doenças Desmielinizantes/diagnóstico , Doenças Desmielinizantes/etiologia , Doenças Desmielinizantes/terapia , Humanos , Polirradiculoneuropatia/diagnóstico , Polirradiculoneuropatia/etiologia , Polirradiculoneuropatia/terapiaRESUMO
Certain genotypes of apolipoprotein E (apoE, locus APOE) are associated with an increased risk for development of Alzheimer's disease. We present the distribution of the APOE alleles (E2, E3 and E4) in 50 Danish patients referred to a dementia clinic. The distribution of alleles in patients with dementia was E2: 2, E3: 36 and E4: 38; and in 12 patients without dementia E2: 1, E3: 18, and E4: 5. The frequency of E4 alleles was significantly increased (chi 2 = 42; df = 1; p < 10(-4)) among patients with Alzheimer's disease compared with a Danish control population. The study demonstrates a strong association between Alzheimer's disease and the E4 allele. No difference was found in the frequency of the E4 allele between Alzheimer and non-Alzheimer demented patients.
Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer/genética , Apolipoproteínas E/genética , Demência/genética , Alelos , Doença de Alzheimer/diagnóstico , Doença de Alzheimer/etiologia , Demência/diagnóstico , Dinamarca , Frequência do Gene , Genótipo , Humanos , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
Case reports of 110 patients referred to a neurological dementia clinic were reviewed to evaluate a standardized diagnostic program. The patients were evaluated by a neurologist, a gerontopsychiatrist, and a neuropsychologist. ICD-10 criteria were used. Fifty-two patients had dementia while 58 had not; of these, 27 suffered from other non-dementia diseases and 31 were without dementia or other psychiatric or neurological disease. Thirteen patients with Alzheimer's disease were treated with tacrine. Four patients underwent cobalamin substitution treatment and seven started antidepressant medication. Ten patients received acetylsalicylic acid (150 mg Q.D.) and two a levo-dopa-type drug. Twenty-six patients were followed by gerontopsychiatric district care. Because only 47% of the patients suspected of dementia actually fulfilled dementia criteria, the evaluation suggests that patients suspected of dementia benefit from a standardized diagnostic program in a specialist setting.