Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Apr 2014
Atrophy in distinct corticolimbic networks in frontotemporal dementia relates to social impairments measured using the Social Impairment Rating Scale.
Patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) often exhibit prominent, early and progressive impairments in social behaviour. We developed the Social Impairment Rating Scale (SIRS), rated by a clinician after a structured interview, which grades the types and severity of social behavioural symptoms in seven domains. In 20 FTD patients, we used the SIRS to study the anatomic basis of social impairments. ⋯ Our findings underscore observations that FTD is associated with heterogeneous social symptoms that can be understood in a refined manner by measuring impairments in component processes subserved by dissociable neural networks. Furthermore, these findings support the validity of the SIRS as an instrument to measure the social symptoms of patients with FTD. Ultimately, we hope it will be useful as a longitudinal outcome measure in natural history studies and in clinical trials of putative interventions to improve social functioning.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Apr 2014
Comparative StudyVideo-based training improves the accuracy of seizure diagnosis.
The difficulties in differentiating epileptic seizures (ES) from psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are well known. However, interventions to enhance diagnostic accuracy have not been well studied. We sought to evaluate the accuracy of discrimination between ES and PNES before and after targeted training among medical students. ⋯ Targeted video-based training increases the accuracy of visual discrimination of seizures short-term and medium-term.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Apr 2014
Persistent anterograde amnesia following limbic encephalitis associated with antibodies to the voltage-gated potassium channel complex.
Limbic encephalitis (LE) associated with antibodies to the voltage-gated potassium channel complex (VGKC) is a potentially reversible cause of cognitive impairment. Despite the prominence of cognitive dysfunction in this syndrome, little is known about patients' neuropsychological profile at presentation or their long-term cognitive outcome. ⋯ The results show that, despite broad cognitive dysfunction in the acute phase, patients with VGKC-LE often make a substantial recovery with immunotherapy but may be left with permanent anterograde amnesia.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Apr 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEvidence-based patient information programme in early multiple sclerosis: a randomised controlled trial.
To evaluate the efficacy of an evidence-based patient information programme aiming to increase informed choice in patients with early multiple sclerosis (MS). ⋯ The intervention significantly increased informed choice and relevant risk knowledge without negative side effects.