The vestibulocochlear nerve (VIII)

The vestibulocochlear nerve (8th cranial nerve) is a sensory nerve. It is made up of two nerves, the cochlear, which transmits sound and the vestibular which controls balance. It is an intracranial nerve which runs from the sensory receptors in the internal ear to the brain stem nuclei and finally to the auditory areas: the post-central gyrus and superior temporal auditory cortex. The most common lesions responsible for damage to VIII are vestibular Schwannomas. This report reviews the anatomy and various investigations of the nerve.     

感觉性和运动性神经膜细胞的培养研究

目的对感觉性和运动性神经来源的神经膜细胞进行培养和鉴定,并通过神经生长因子(NGF)的表达间接地研究两种细胞的差别,探讨对神经特异性再生的影响。方法立体显微镜下对SD乳鼠后根神经和股神经运动支进行取材,经2.5g/L胰蛋白酶+0.3g/LIV型胶原酶联合消化,用高糖型DMEM/F12(含100g/LCS)对感觉神经源性和运动神经源性的神经膜细胞进行培养,并经抗S100荧光组织化学染色鉴定。双抗体夹心间接ELISA法测量两种神经膜细胞培养基中NGF的表达。结果培养的两种神经膜细胞经荧光染色证明均为神经膜细胞,光镜观察并手工计数显示两种细胞纯度均超过95%,未见形态学差异,但NGF的表达量和表达模式差异均有显著性意义(F=45.3681,P=0.000)。结论本实验方法可以获得高纯度的感觉性和运动性神经源性神经膜细胞,两者的生物学功能有差异。     

两种颈丛阻滞方法对锁骨手术麻醉镇痛效果和颈丛相邻神经阻滞并发症的影响

目的：比较两种不同颈丛阻滞方法对锁骨手术麻醉镇痛效果和颈丛相邻神经阻滞并发症的影响。方法：60例ASAⅠ-Ⅱ级，锁骨中段骨折拟在颈丛阻滞麻醉下接受手术的病人随机分成2组，每组30例。第一组病人麻醉的方法是行颈深丛与颈浅丛分别阻滞的方法（Ⅰ组）。用2％利多卡因10mL和0．75％罗哌卡因10mL混合成20mL，内含1：200000肾上腺素，取10mL行颈深丛阻滞，另10mL行颈浅丛阻滞。第二组病人颈丛阻滞的方法是肌间沟法（Ⅱ组）。用上述20mL混合液直接在肌间沟的顶点内注射从而一次性阻滞颈神经丛。观察颈丛相邻神经阻滞并发症。麻醉镇痛效果不佳者追加局麻药或改行全身麻醉并终止连续VAS评分。结果：Ⅱ组麻醉镇痛效果优良率和颈丛相邻神经阻滞并发症发生率均高于Ⅰ组，P〈0．05。结论：肌间沟法颈丛阻滞麻醉对锁骨手术非肥胖成年病人手术镇痛效果优于颈深丛与颈浅丛分别阻滞的方法，但其颈丛相邻神经阻滞并发症发生率也高。     

Compression du rameau superficiel du nerf radial par un kyste synovial du coude (À propos d’un cas et revue de littérature)

Compression of the radial nerve at the elbow is quite rare; entrapment of its superficial branch is exceptional. Extrinsic compression is the most frequent etiology. Magnetic resonance imaging plays a major role in the diagnosis, and early surgical excision or echoguided drainage – in case of synovial ganglion – allows a total recovery. The authors report the case of a compression of the superficial branch of radial nerve by an elbow synovial cyst treated by surgical resection.     

Near-normal gait pattern with peroneal electrical stimulation as a neuroprosthesis in the chronic phase of stroke: a case report

van Swigchem R, Weerdesteyn V, van Duijnhoven HJ, den Boer J, Beems T, Geurts AC. Near-normal gait pattern with peroneal electrical stimulation as a neuroprosthesis in the chronic phase of stroke: a case report.In recent years, the use of functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the peroneal nerve has increased as an alternative for an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) to treat stroke-related drop foot. We present a chronic stroke patient demonstrating an almost normal gait pattern with peroneal FES as a neuroprosthesis. A 60-year-old survivor of a right hemisphere infarction 21 months ago, who regularly used a polypropylene AFO, was provided with a surface-based peroneal FES device for severe drop foot. In a second instance, he received an implanted FES system because of skin problems with the surface stimulator. With both FES devices, the patient achieved an adequate foot elevation. Moreover, his hip and knee flexion angles during walking increased to normal values and his ankle push-off power increased. His gait pattern became almost symmetrical and less variable than with the AFO. Furthermore, his ability to avoid a sudden obstacle improved to normal values with FES. Our patient showed benefits from peroneal FES beyond what can be attributed to improved foot lift alone. With regard to the potential working mechanisms underlying this response to FES, biomechanical benefits related to improved ankle push-off are suggested as the main mechanism.     

Transcutaneous ultrasound for evaluation of vocal fold movement in patients with thyroid disease

Background

Preoperative evaluation of recurrent laryngeal nerve function is important in the context of thyroid surgery. Transcutaneous ultrasound may be useful to visualize vocal fold movement when evaluating thyroid disease.

Methods

A 7–18 MHz linear array transducer was placed transversely on the midline of the thyroid cartilage at the anterior neck of patients with thyroid disease. The gray-scale technique was used, with the scan setting for the thyroid gland.

Results

Between August 2008 and March 2010, 705 patients, including 672 patients with normal vocal fold movement and 33 patients with vocal fold paralysis were enrolled. They included 159 male and 546 female patients. Their ages ranged from 10 to 88 years. Vocal fold movement could be seen by ultrasound in 614 (87%) patients, including 589 (88%) patients with normal vocal fold movement and 25 (76%) patients with vocal fold paralysis (p = 0.06). The mean age of patients with visible and invisible vocal fold movement was 46.6 and 57.9 years old, respectively (p = 0.001). Ultrasound was able to see vocal fold movement in 533 (98%) female patients but only in 81 (51%) male patients (p = 0.001). Among the patients with vocal fold paralysis, ultrasound revealed palsied vocal folds in 17 of 18 (94%) female patients but in only 8 of 15 (53%) male patients (p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Transcutaneous ultrasound represents an alternative tool to evaluate vocal fold movement for more than 85% of patients with thyroid disease, including more than 90% of female patients and about half of male patients.     

Bilateral inflammatory pseudotumour of the trigeminal nerve: a diagnostic challenge

Inflammatory pseudotumour (IPT) is an uncommon disease with undefined pathogenesis. It is often characterized by local aggressiveness with compressive and displacing effects on surrounding structures. It may appear in different regions of the body, rarely involving perineural structures unilaterally. We present a case of a bilateral IPT around trigeminal branches in a patient with a long-term history of periorbital swelling and proptosis.     

中枢神经系统黑色素瘤的影像诊断

目的：本文通过6例中枢神经系统黑色素瘤的分析，对其特征性影像表现做一总结。方法：6例术前均经MR平扫及增强检查。1例经CT检查。结果：单发肿瘤3例，肿瘤呈短T1短T2信号1例，短T1长T2信号2例，肿瘤信号不均匀，边缘清。多发肿瘤3例，短T1长T2信号2例，等T1等T2信号1例。注药后肿瘤可见均匀增强。肿瘤内可有坏死。结论：黑色素瘤因含有顺磁性的黑色素而具有特征性的短T1短T2信号，常见于中颅凹底，小脑，额叶脑膜。应与出血性的脑膜瘤相鉴别。     

Effects of simultaneous dual-site TENS stimulation on experimental pain

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is commonly used for pain relief. However, little robust research exists regarding the combination of parameters required to provide effective doses. This study investigated the hypoalgesic effects of different parameter combinations, applied simultaneously at two sites (segmental and extrasegmental), on pressure pain threshold (PPT) in pain-free humans. Two-hundred and eight volunteers (median age 22 years, range 20–26) were randomized to eight groups: six active TENS groups, placebo and control. Parameter combinations were such that frequency always differed at each site (110 Hz or 4 Hz), but intensity could be either the same or different levels: high (to tolerance without pain) or low (strong but comfortable). TENS was administered to the forearm over the radial nerve and the ipsilateral leg below the fibular head for 30 min with monitoring for 30 further minutes. PPT measurements were taken bilaterally from the mid-point of first dorsal interosseous muscle, by an independent blinded rater, at baseline and at six subsequent 10-min intervals. Log-transformed data were analysed using repeated-measures analysis of covariance (baseline values and gender as covariates). Those groups using high-intensity stimulation at the segmental stimulation sites showed significantly greater hypoalgesia than placebo (p < 0.025 in each case). The largest hypoalgesic effect was for simultaneous high-intensity stimulation at segmental and extrasegmental sites, using different frequencies. These results reaffirm that high-intensity stimulation (regardless of frequency) is of fundamental importance in effective dosage.