Rev Neurol France
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Hemiplegic migraine (HM) is a rare variety of migraine with aura characterized by the presence of a motor weakness during the aura. Hemiplegic migraine has two main forms according to the familial history: patients with at least one first- or second-degree relative who has aura including motor weakness have familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM); patients without such familial history have sporadic hemiplegic migraine (SHM). The prevalence of HM is one in 10,000 with FHM and SHM being equally frequent. ⋯ Prognosis is usually good. Treatment is similar to approaches used in other varieties of migraine with aura, excepted for triptans that are contraindicated in MHF/MHS. Based on new pathophysiological insight, preventive treatments by various antiepileptic agents seem promising.
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Urea cycle disorders (UCD) usually present after 24 h to 48 h of life with failure to thrive, lethargy and coma leading to death, but milder forms may occur from infancy to adulthood. ⋯ Potentially fatal acute hyperammonemia may occur in male or female patients at any age. Ammonia should be measured promptly in case of acute neurological and psychiatric symptoms or coma.
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Dysimmune neuropathies, in common with other neuropathies, comprise an axonal impairment that it is primary or secondary to a demyelinating process. We consider here axonal impairment in the course of certain dysimmune neuropathies, such as the Guillain Barré syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuritis and multiple conduction block neuropathy. We mention the fact that it is not always easy to evidence the axonal impairment, its severity and its potential for regeneration. ⋯ It is generally recognized that it is only useful if applied for a period of weeks, although this is currently a matter of debate. Other therapeutic options have been discussed and proposed, although to date there is a lack of proven efficiency: such treatments include neuroprotective agents and drugs which block sodium/potassium ion channels. It is increasingly difficult to propose new treatments with validated efficiency, due to the small number of patients presenting dysimmune neuropathies of the type discussed here that are both typical and suitable for inclusion in medium to long term studies.
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T cell apoptosis has been studied in animal models for human autoimmune disorders of the nervous system and in other tissues devoid of specialized immune-defense mechanisms. Our data suggest that the central nervous system has a high potential to eliminate T cell inflammation, whereas this mechanism is less effective in the peripheral nervous system, and even more in muscle and skin. In-vitro experiments indicate different scenarios how specific cellular and humoral elements in the nervous system may synergize and sensitize T cells for apoptosis in-vivo. ⋯ This is further substantiated since neutralization of TNF-alpha in MS patients increased cellular inflammation and relapses. Therapeutically several conventional and novel approaches like glucocorticosteroids and high-dose antigen therapy induce T cell apoptosis in-situ. We also discuss regulatory, proapoptotic mechanisms such as the Fas/FasL system and counterregulatory mechanisms that have been utilized to limit tissue damage.
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Review
[Apathy an neurodegenerative diseases: pathophysiology, diagnostic evaluation, and treatment].
Apathy is usually defined as a lack of motivation leading to reduced interest and participation in various activities. From a pathophysiological viewpoint, the most common cause of apathy is dysfunction of the frontal lobes, following either direct lesion of the frontal cortex or damage to regions tightly connected to the latter (such as the basal ganglia). ⋯ The methods for detecting apathy and assessing its severity are various, the main difficulty being to disentangle apathy and depression. The treatment of apathy per se remains anecdotal and, to date, little research into the efficacy of medication therapy has been performed.