European neurology
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To examine the incidence of post-lumbar puncture headache (PLPH) in patients admitted for cognitive disturbances. ⋯ The incidence of PLPH in patients with cognitive disturbances is low and CSF analyses can thus be part of the diagnostic work-up at memory clinics.
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Pain in patients with chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy (CIAP) has never been studied in detail. The aim of the study was to investigate the pain experienced by patients with CIAP, and to determine whether pain is associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). ⋯ Neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain syndromes should be distinguished in patients with CIAP who experience pain, to enable appropriate tailoring of treatment.
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Historical Article
Sleepwalking in Italian operas: a window on popular and scientific knowledge on sleep disorders in the 19th century.
There is little knowledge on sleepwalking in ancient times even though it is a very common condition. The aim of this report is to describe the backgrounds of medical knowledge on somnambulism in the 19th century, a key period in the development of neurosciences, by analysing its representation in two famous Italian operas: La Sonnambula by Vincenzo Bellini and Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi. The 19th-century operas may be considered as a crossing point between the popular and intellectual world because they mirror popular answers to phenomena that were still awaiting scientific explanations. ⋯ The analysed Italian operas provide two different views on sleepwalking, probably because they are based on texts belonging to different periods. Their examination allows one to understand the gradual evolution of theories on sleepwalking, from demoniac possession to mental disorder and sleep disease. At the same time, this analysis throws some light on the history of psychological illnesses.
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Multicenter Study
Symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation and its predictors in acute ischemic stroke with atrial fibrillation.
Patients with acute cardioembolic stroke frequently show hemorrhagic transformation (HTr). We attempted to identify predictors of symptomatic HTr in acute ischemic stroke with atrial fibrillation (AF). ⋯ Caution is needed in anticoagulation treatment of acute cardioembolic stroke patients with a large infarct, previous hemorrhagic stroke, low platelet count, or a high hsCRP level.
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Methods to assess impaired consciousness in acute stroke typically include the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), but the verbal component has limitations in aphasic or intubated patients. The FOUR (Full Outline of UnResponsiveness) score, a new coma scale, evaluates 4 components: eye and motor responses, brainstem reflexes and respiration. We aimed to study the interobserver variability of the FOUR score in acute stroke patients. ⋯ The FOUR score is a reliable scale for evaluating the level of consciousness in acute stroke patients, showing a good correlation with the GCS and the NIH stroke scale.