Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialClonazepam quiets tinnitus: a randomised crossover study with Ginkgo biloba.
To assess the effect of Ginkgo biloba and clonazepam, a γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-receptor agonist, upon tinnitus. ⋯ Clonazepam is effective in treating tinnitus; G biloba is ineffective.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 2012
White and grey matter abnormalities in patients with SPG11 mutations.
Mutations in SPG11 are the most frequent known cause of autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia. Corpus callosum thinning is a hallmark of the condition but little is known about damage to other structures in the CNS. ⋯ Widespread white matter damage in patients with SPG11 mutations has been demonstrated. Grey matter atrophy was prominent in both the thalamus and basal ganglia but not in the cerebral cortex. These findings suggest that neuronal damage/dysfunction is more widespread than previously recognised in this condition.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 2012
ReviewFunctional (conversion) neurological symptoms: research since the millennium.
Functional neurological symptoms (FNS) are commonly encountered but have engendered remarkably little academic interest. 'UK-Functional Neurological Symptoms (UK-FNS)' was an informal inaugural meeting of UK based clinicians in March 2011 with a variety of research and clinical interests in the field. This narrative review reflects the content of the meeting, and our opinion of key findings in the field since the turn of the millennium.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 2012
ReviewEffort, exaggeration and malingering after concussion.
Although most individuals who suffer a mild traumatic brain injury have complete recovery, a number experience persistent symptoms that appear inconsistent with the severity of the injury. Symptoms may be ascribed to malingering, exaggeration or poor effort on cognitive testing. The purpose of this paper is to propose that previously unconsidered factors, informed by social psychology and behavioural economics, can appear as 'symptom magnification' or 'poor effort', which are incorrectly interpreted as the result of a conscious process. These are complex and multi-determined behaviours with a unique differential diagnosis which have important implications for research, evaluation and treatment.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialAssessing the risk of subsequent tonic-clonic seizures in patients with a history of simple or complex partial seizures.
Patients who present with only simple or complex partial seizures have a poorly documented prognosis. Treatment may be advocated to prevent future secondary generalised seizures, reduce the frequency of further simple or complex partial seizures or a combination of both. ⋯ Patients presenting with a history of only partial seizures are at low risk of subsequent tonic-clonic seizures in the period of time to which therapeutic decisions are relevant. The effects of the antiepileptic drugs used in the MESS study are greater for tonic-clonic seizures than they are for partial seizures.