Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
-
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2012
Meta AnalysisDiffusion tensor imaging studies of mild traumatic brain injury: a meta-analysis.
To assess the possibility that diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can detect white matter damage in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients via systematic review and meta-analysis. ⋯ Our meta-analysis revealed the posterior part of the CC was more vulnerable to mTBI compared with the anterior part, and suggested the potential utility of DTI to detect white matter damage in the CC of mTBI patients.
-
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2012
ReviewRetinal pathology as biomarker for cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Furthermore, over the last few decades, there has been a shift towards identifying earlier stages of AD, which include mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Improved methods of screening and early detection are essential to identify cognitively normal individuals who have a high risk of developing MCI and AD, so that interventions can be developed to delay the progression of specific disease-related pathologies. ⋯ While most AD-related pathology occurs in the brain, the disease has also been reported to affect different regions of the retina, including the macular region and optic disc. Studies have suggested that retinal pathology, such as deposits in the macular region, decreased retinal nerve fibre thickness, and optic disc cupping and retinal microvascular abnormalities may be related to AD and cognitive impairment. This article presents a review of current literature on retinal involvement in AD and MCI.
-
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialPosiphen as a candidate drug to lower CSF amyloid precursor protein, amyloid-β peptide and τ levels: target engagement, tolerability and pharmacokinetics in humans.
A first in human study to evaluate tolerability and pharmacokinetics followed by an early proof of mechanism (POM) study to determine whether the small orally, available molecule, Posiphen tartrate (Posiphen), lowers secreted (s) amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) α and -β, amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), tau (τ) and inflammatory markers in CSF of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). ⋯ These results confirm preclinical POM studies, demonstrate that pharmacologically relevant drug/metabolite levels reach brain and support the continued clinical optimisation and evaluation of Posiphen for MCI and Alzheimer's disease.
-
J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Sep 2012
Review'A Leg to Stand On' by Oliver Sacks: a unique autobiographical account of functional paralysis.
Oliver Sacks, the well known neurologist and writer, published his fourth book, 'A Leg to Stand On', in 1984 following an earlier essay 'The Leg' in 1982. The book described his recovery after a fall in a remote region of Norway in which he injured his leg. ⋯ In the first edition of his book Sacks explicitly rejected the diagnosis of 'hysterical paralysis' as it was then understood, although he approached this diagnosis more closely in subsequent revisions. In this article we propose that, in the light of better understanding of functional neurological symptoms, Sacks' experiences deserve to be reappraised as a unique insight in to a genuinely experienced functional/psychogenic leg paralysis following injury.