Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Jun 2018
ReviewAutoimmune nodo-paranodopathies of peripheral nerve: the concept is gaining ground.
Peripheral neuropathies are classified as primarily demyelinating or axonal. Microstructural alterations of the nodal region are the key to understand the pathophysiology of neuropathies with antibodies to gangliosides and the new category of nodo-paranodopathy has been proposed to better characterise these disorders and overcome some inadequacies of the dichotomous classification. Recently, the research in autoimmune neuropathies has been boosted by reports of patients carrying immunoglobulin G4 antibodies against paranodal axo-glial proteins with distinct phenotypes and showing loss of transverse bands, terminal myelin loop detachment, nodal widening and axonal loss. ⋯ Evidence from nerve conductions and electron microscopy studies in patients and mutant animal models can reconcile the apparent contrast between the electrophysiological 'demyelinating' features, explainable just by the paranodal involvement and the axonal pathology. These patients broaden the autoimmune nodo-paranodopathy category and re-emphasise the usage of the term that pointing to the site of nerve injury reminds specific pathophysiological mechanisms, reconciles contrasting electrophysiological and pathological findings, and avoids misdiagnosis and taxonomic confusion. In our opinion, the nodo-paranodopathy term more adequately classifies the peripheral nerve disorders due to an autoimmune attack directed and limited to the nodal region integrating the traditional classification of peripheral neuropathies.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Jun 2018
ReviewSystematic review of structural and functional brain alterations in psychosis of epilepsy.
This systematic review critically assesses structural and functional neuroimaging studies of psychosis of epilepsy (POE). We integrate findings from 18 studies of adults with POE to examine the prevailing view that there is a specific relationship between temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and POE, and that mesial temporal lobe pathology is a biomarker for POE. ⋯ Understanding POE as a disease of brain networks has important implications for neuroimaging research and clinical practice. Specifically, we suggest that future neuroimaging studies of POE target structural and functional networks, and that practitioners are vigilant for psychotic symptoms in all epilepsies, not just TLE.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Jun 2018
ReviewSystematic review of structural and functional brain alterations in psychosis of epilepsy.
This systematic review critically assesses structural and functional neuroimaging studies of psychosis of epilepsy (POE). We integrate findings from 18 studies of adults with POE to examine the prevailing view that there is a specific relationship between temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and POE, and that mesial temporal lobe pathology is a biomarker for POE. ⋯ Understanding POE as a disease of brain networks has important implications for neuroimaging research and clinical practice. Specifically, we suggest that future neuroimaging studies of POE target structural and functional networks, and that practitioners are vigilant for psychotic symptoms in all epilepsies, not just TLE.