Revista de neurologia
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Revista de neurologia · Sep 2004
Review[Nogo-A functions during the development of the central nervous system and in the adult].
The myelin-associated inhibitors play a very important role in preventing the regeneration of the adult central nervous system. Among these inhibitors it is Nogo-A, a recently cloned protein expressed by oligodendrocytes. However, after its discovery as a myelin-associated protein, there has been described new functions for Nogo-A far from its role in the oligodendrocytes myelin. ⋯ Although Nogo-A was discovered in the context of axonal growth inhibition, in which it is indeed playing a determining role, Nogo-A has turned out to be also a neuronal protein involved in diverse processes that go from axonal fasciculation to apoptosis. As we deepened in our knowledge about the molecular mechanisms that organize the complex functioning of the CNS, it is clearer that the proteins implicated in fasciculation and axonal guidance during development also play equally important roles in mechanisms like the axonal inhibition or the regulation of the synaptic plasticity in the adult CNS.
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Revista de neurologia · Aug 2004
Review[The safety and tolerability profile of gabapentin in optimal doses].
Gabapentin (GBP) is an amino acid that is structurally analogous to GABA with the capacity to cross the blood-brain barrier and an antiepileptic action. It is indicated in the treatment of partial seizures with or without secondary generalisation. It has been suggested that the dosages used in pilot studies were not suitable to achieve optimal efficiency. ⋯ Enough evidence was found to allow us to state that the efficiency of GBP can be increased with the utilisation of higher doses than those recommended to date, without the risk of generating unacceptable side effects at the same time.
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Revista de neurologia · Aug 2004
Review[Analysis of the aetiologies of headaches in a paediatric emergency service].
Headaches are a frequent cause of children's visits to different health care services but the epidemiological profile varies widely according to whether the sample is taken from among visits to hospital clinics, neuropaediatric units or emergency services. ⋯ Our study confirmed the existence of a wide and varied range of aetiologies causing headaches, with a clear predominance of extracranial disorders and a low percentage of serious intracranial causes. Non-classifiable headaches made up 10.8% of the sample. Brain imaging studies were performed in 9.7% of cases, which is a considerably lower percentage than that of other series and demonstrates a rational use of this resource.
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Revista de neurologia · Jun 2004
Review[Relationship between body temperature and prognosis, and neuroprotective effect of hypothermia in acute stroke patients].
We review the relationship between body temperature and severity of acute stroke, and evaluate published evidence about the possible neuroprotective effect of hypothermia in these patients. ⋯ Hyperthermia is deleterious in acute stroke patients and must be treated. Hypothermia should not be considered a routine procedure in these patients until its safety and efficacy has been demonstrated in large trials. Patients with induced hypothermia should be closely monitorized to reduce the risk of adverse effects related to the procedure.
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Revista de neurologia · May 2004
Review Historical Article[Vestibular nerves and nuclei throughout history].
Throughout the evolution of the concepts concerning the peripheral nerves, different ideas have dominated at different moments in history. The studies and demonstrations conducted in an attempt to further our knowledge of our own constitution and working at the same time enabled us to gain a better understanding of the make-up and specific functioning of the vestibular nerves, together with their central connecting elements in the brainstem: the vestibular nuclei. ⋯ Another century went by before attempts were made to clarify the role it plays in balance and not in hearing. The differences between the distinct vestibular nuclei situated between the medulla oblongata and the pons were established in the 19th and 20th centuries when a number of authors, backed by previous microscopic studies, contributed to clarifying the fuzzy limits of cells separating the four classic nuclear groups and four others taken as being accessory.