Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2004
A cross sectional study on determinants of quality of life in ALS.
Understanding the determinants of quality of life (QoL) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has become increasingly important with the recent emphasis on the comprehensive management of patients. ⋯ With both QoL scales, the most important explicatory variable of QoL was the self perceived quality of social support. Physical status was not relevant in determining QoL. This study indicates that health related QoL measures are not adequate to assess QoL in patients with ALS, because their appreciation of QoL mainly relies on psychological, supportive, and spiritual factors. Therapeutic interventions should consider the psychological needs of patients and pay greater attention to caregivers' issues.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2004
Enlarged perivascular spaces are associated with cognitive function in healthy elderly men.
Increased white matter (WM) lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are associated with worse cognitive function in older people. Enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) commonly coexist with and share some risk factors for WM lesions but are not quantified in published scales. It is not known whether the extent of EPVS is also associated with cognitive function. We tested the hypothesis that more EPVS would be associated with worse cognitive function. ⋯ These findings suggest that increased EPVS are correlated with worse cognitive function. Future studies examining changes in WM with ageing should consider incorporating measures of EPVS and examine the sequence of EPVS and WM lesion development over time. More work is needed to develop valid and reliable measures of EPVS.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2004
The longer term outcome of children born to mothers with epilepsy.
To determine the prevalence of cognitive delay and possible associated dysmorphic features in children exposed to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in utero. ⋯ This study identifies valproate as a drug carrying potential risks for developmental delay and cognitive impairment and is the first to suggest that frequent tonic-clonic seizures have a similar effect. Our results need to be interpreted with caution given their retrospective nature. Women with epilepsy need careful counselling about individual risk benefit of AED treatment before pregnancy.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Nov 2004
Editorial Comment Comparative StudyLonger term outcome of children born to mothers with epilepsy.