Infantile hypopituitarism: etiological variability evidenced by MRI

In this study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to document potentially present morphostructural abnormalities of the hypothalamopituitary region in seven infants (age 0–21 months) who presented very early in life with clinical and biochemical evidence of hypopituitarism. Four infants had associated congenital cerebro-facial malformations.The following anatomical abnormalities were identified in variable combinations: ectopic neurohypophysis absence of the pituitary stalk, extreme elongation of the pituitary stalk, aplasia of the anterior pituitary lobe and no identification of the hypothalamopituitary complex.MRI proved to be very sensitive in the identification of structural malformations of the hypothalamopituitary region in infants with or without cerebro-facial malformations. AllhwuLll the magnetic resonance image does not appear to be a good predictor of endocrine dysfunction, it provides us more insight into the precise aetiology of this disorder and may be therefore of diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic importance.     

利培酮与奋乃静治疗脑血管病所致精神障碍的对照研究

目的 比较利培酮与奋乃静治疗脑血管病所致精神障碍的有效性及安全性。方法 将 63例患者按治疗药物分为两组,利培酮组(33例)和奋乃静组 (30例 ),比较两组患者的疗效及副反应。结果在治疗前两组间性别、年龄、病程、BPRS、MMSE等均无统计学差异(P>0. 05),两组在治疗前后BPRS评分均具显著性差异(35. 6±7. 3, 27. 3±6. 1,P<0. 01) (34. 9±6. 5, 28. 1±5. 7,P<0. 01),利培酮组治疗前后MMSE有显著性差异(13. 7±9. 1, 19. 5±9. 4,P<0. 05),两组间在治疗后BPRS无显著性差异(27. 3±6. 1,28. 1±5. 7,P>0. 05),而MMSE和TESS有显著性差异。结论 利培酮治疗脑血管病所致精神障碍与奋乃静疗效相当,但利培酮对认知功能的影响和安全性方面优于奋乃静。     

事件相关电位和脑电图在痴呆早期诊断中的意义

目的 研究血管性痴呆（vascular dementia，VD）患者ERP和EEG的变化特征，并与神经心理学及痴呆程度进行相关性分析。方法 测定68例VD患者及37例健康志愿者的事件相关电位（ERP：N100，P300）、脑电图（EEG），同时采用MMSE进行认知功能评定，并进行相关性分析。结果 68例VD组患者的P300潜伏期明显延长，波幅明显降低，与正常对照组比较有明显差异性（P〈0.01，P〈0.05），N100潜伏期。波幅变化不是很大（P〉0.05），脑电图异常率，VD组94%，正常对照组18%，2组比较有明显差异性（P〈0.01）。VD组患者ERP异常程度与EEG异常程度经相关性分析无相关性。VD组MMSE与正常对照组比较有明显差异（P〈0.05），VD组MMSE评分与P300PL呈负相关（r=-0.57，P〈0.05），与P300AMP呈正相关（r=0.37，P〉0.05）。结论 ERP与认知功能存在明显相关性，提示了ERP是反映其认知功能障碍程度的客观指标之一，可作为检测高危人群普查的手段之一，ERP在判断认知功能方面敏感于其他检查手段，客观性强。     

神经元移行异常的大鼠脑皮层中NMDA的表达

目的 观察神经元移行异常(neurona1 migration disorders,NMDs)动物模型脑组织的病理变化以及N-甲基-D-天门冬氨酸受体(n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor,NMDA)的表达.方法 三组Sprague-Dawley孕鼠分别在孕15天,孕17天以及孕19天接受2.25Gy的X射线照射约5分钟,其后代成年后即为NMDs动物模型.观察指标为:存活率、脑组织的病理变化以及皮层中NMDA的表达.结果 胚胎期较早接受射线的大鼠,存活率低,大脑皮层结构紊乱严重,皮层NRl和NR2A的表达高.结论 在NMDs的大鼠脑皮层中,NRl和NR2A表达增加,且其表达增加的程度能反映NMDs的严重程度.NMDA的上调可能是NMDs患者致痫的主要病因.     

Dysphagia,an unrecognized handicap

The aim of this study was to examine whether esophageal dysphagia can be described as a handicap and to grade the severity of handicap as the discrepancy between the subject's own eating goals and his or her eating disability. The severity of the disability-goal-handicap (DGH) regarding dysphagia was expressed on a scale ranging from 0 to 48 points. Nineteen patients with dysphagia of differing causes were selected from a patient register at a laboratory for diagnostic procedures of the esophagus. The severity of handicap for the 19 patients was, on average, 33 points (range, 20–44). The DGH score correlated significantly with the patients' own evaluation of the severity of their dysphagia (p=0.008). The DGH scores did not differ markedly based on patient's sex, age, or cause of dysphagia. Patients who were operated upon because of dysphagia had significantly more points on the DGH scale prior to operation than patients who were not (p=0.001). Denial of dysphagia (N=18), concealment of dysphagia (N=18), and lack of confirmation by the patient's physician (N=15) were common but did not influence the severity of handicap as assessed by the DGH scale. It was shown that dysphagia affects all aspects of life as expressed by reduction in self-esteem (N=13), security (N=16), work capacity (N=8), exercise (N=7), and leisure time (N=6). Esophageal dysphagia may therefore be regarded as a handicap when assessed using the DGH code described in this study.     

Health status,work limitations,and return-to-work trajectories in injured workers with musculoskeletal disorders

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to describe the health status and work limitations in injured workers with musculoskeletal disorders at 1 month post-injury, stratified by return-to-work status, and to document their return-to-work trajectories 6 months post-injury. METHODS: A sample of 632 workers with a back or upper extremity musculoskeletal disorder, who filed a Workplace Safety and Insurance Board lost-time claim injury, participated in this prospective study. Participants were assessed at baseline (1 month post-injury) and at 6 months follow-up. RESULTS: One month post-injury, poor physical health, high levels of depressive symptoms and high work limitations are prevalent in workers, including in those with a sustained first return to work. Workers with a sustained first return to work report a better health status and fewer work limitations than those who experienced a recurrence of work absence or who never returned to work. Six months post-injury, the rate of recurrence of work absence in the trajectories of injured workers who have made at least one return to work attempt is high (38%), including the rate for workers with an initial sustained first return to work (27%). CONCLUSIONS: There are return-to-work status specific health outcomes in injured workers. A sustained first return to work is not equivalent to a complete recovery from musculoskeletal disorders.     

Cerebrovascular deaths before and after the appearance of oral contraceptives

The mortality of cerebrovascular diseases in Denmark was analysed for men and women 15-44 years of age, in a 14-year period before and after the appearance of oral contraceptives (OC) in 1966. 1,670 deaths were registered over 28 years, during which the female incidence of cerebrovascular deaths increased by 19% (P less than 0.025), while the male mortality was unchanged. Women showed a percentage increase in deaths from cerebral thromboembolic attacks (CTA) of 33%, men a fall of 14%. The increase of female CTA deaths was most pronounced in the young fertile group, the age group with a high OC use. A relative risk of CTA of 3.3-4.5 for OC users compared with non-users could explain the CTA trend difference between women and men. No other single risk factor responsible for the observed trends could be identified. Both women and men had a significant increase in the mortality of subarachnoidal hemorrhages, and a significant fall in the mortality of intracerebral hemorrhages.     

Nocturnal sleep in huntington's disease

Summary Nocturnal sleep was studied in 16 inpatients with Huntington's disease. In comparison with healthy controls, patients exhibited a disturbed sleep pattern with increased sleep onset latency, reduced sleep efficiency, frequent nocturnal awakenings, more time spent awake and less slow wave sleep. These abnormalities correlated in part with duration of illness, severity of clinical symptoms, and degree of atrophy of the caudate nucleus. Patients showed an increased density of sleep spindles.     

Factor analysis of bowel symptoms in US and Italian populations

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Functional gastrointestinal disorders are diagnosed by the presence of a characteristic set of symptoms. Aims of this study were to validate the Rome symptom criteria by factor analysis and to determine whether symptoms cluster in the same way in different cultures. METHODS: One thousand forty-one gastroenterology clinic patients in the US (response rate 53%) and 228 family members accompanying clinic patients in Italy (84%) completed a previously validated symptom questionnaire. Factor analysis identified clusters of symptoms which are highly correlated with each other, and these were compared to the Rome diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: In the US, 13 factors were identified. The irritable bowel factor was composed of three core symptoms corresponding to the Rome II classification system. Two dyspepsia factors were identified which correspond to the ulcer- and motility-like subtypes proposed in the Rome I classification system. All symptoms of constipation formed a single cluster as proposed in the Rome II classification system. Symptom clusters in the US agreed well with symptom clusters identified in Italian subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Empirically derived symptom clusters agree in most respects with the Rome II classification system and support their validity. These symptom clusters are independent of cultural differences in diet and behaviour.