Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 2010
Neuroimaging of multimodal sensory stimulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Structural and functional imaging techniques were combined to investigate sensory system function in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ⋯ Multiparametric MRI suggests a progressive functional deficit in secondary/higher order sensory processing areas in ALS, probably associated with reduction of re-afferent information flow due to progressive immobility. The changes described might also represent an expression of the disease process itself. Evidence for compensatory processes in multimodal associative cortices was found.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 2010
Tripod pinch strength and thumb opposition are the major determinants of manual dexterity in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A.
Clinical features of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) include slowly progressive distal muscle weakness, atrophy and sensory loss. Upper-limb involvement results in reduced manual dexterity interfering with the execution of daily activities. ⋯ Tripod pinch strength and thumb opposition are major determinants of manual dexterity in CMT1A and should therefore be the focus of intervention strategies that aim to preserve or enhance manual dexterity in CMT1A.
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Recent studies have suggested an important role of the B cell chemoattractant CXCL13 in acute neuroborreliosis (NB). Our aim was to confirm the diagnostic role of CXCL13 and to evaluate its relevance as a therapy response and disease activity marker in NB. ⋯ The study confirms the relevance of CXCL13 as a diagnostic biomarker of NB and suggests that CSF CXCL13 in NB is linked to duration of disease and could be a marker of disease activity and response to antibiotic therapy.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Aug 2010
Preserved motor axonal membrane potential in mitochondrial disease.
Mitochondrial disorders are characterised by protean neurological manifestations including peripheral neuropathy. The neuropathy is typically an axonal process, with a proposed mechanism being degradation of the membrane potential of the axon due to dysfunction of energy-dependent Na(+)/K(+) ATPase pump. ⋯ Strength--duration time constant, threshold electrotonus, current--threshold relationship and recovery cycle were identical to control values. These findings imply that an alternative mechanism to a change in membrane potential is responsible for neuronal injury in these patients.