Short timescale modulation of cortical and cerebellar activity in the early phase of motor sequence learning: an fMRI study

Brain Imaging and Behavior - Motor learning is a multi-stage process, in which the involvement of different brain regions is related to the specific stage. We aimed at characterising short...     

Mesenteric vein thrombosis associated with primary cytomegalovirus infection: a case report.

In the past few years several studies have supported an interplay between cytomegalovirus infections and a prothrombotic state. We describe a case of primary cytomegalovirus infection in an immunocompetent adult that was complicated with mesenteric vein thrombosis. Transient protein C deficiency, lupus anticoagulant and activated protein C resistance were found, in combination with a heterozygous prothrombin G20210A mutation. We discuss the possible mechanisms of cytomegalovirus-related venous thrombosis.     

Differential desensitization of lipopolysaccharide-inducible chemokine gene expression in human monocytes and macrophages

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been shown to induce a wide variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. An initial challenge with minute amounts of LPS causes tolerance to later LPS effects which is characterized by a much lower or abrogated release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. To explore the relationship between the production of chemokines and the induction of LPS tolerance, we pretreated human monocytes with increasing LPS doses and thereafter restimulated with LPS. The re-expression of the CC chemokines macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, MIP-1beta and RANTES was substantially suppressed after pre-incubation with low LPS doses. In striking contrast, the re-expression of neutrophil-attracting IL-8 and melanoma growth stimulatory activity-alpha and of the monocyte-attracting monocyte chemotactic protein-1 remained high and was, in part, initially increased after restimulation with LPS. The corresponding gene expression pattern as determined by Northern blot analyses correlated closely with the release of chemokines and cytokines. Thus, a basic set of chemotactic mediators that are still produced by otherwise LPS-desensitized monocytes/macrophages may ensure the continuing recruitment of monocytes and neutrophils into an inflammatory process caused by gram-negative bacteria.     

Nontropical pyomyositis as a cause of subacute, multifocal myalgia in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

We report a case of nontropical pyomyositis in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and disseminated Mycobacterium avium infection, in which severe myalgia was the presenting symptom over several weeks. Multifocal muscle lesions were identified by gallium scanning and magnetic resonance imaging techniques. The epidemiology, possible pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnostic imaging, and therapy are reviewed. Early suspicion of nontropical pyomyositis in severely immunocompromised patients with "cryptic" myalgia is recommended.     

An age-period-cohort analysis of 50,875 AIDS cases among injecting drug users in Europe

BACKGROUND: The long average incubation time from HIV infection to AIDS makes it difficult to estimate recent HIV transmission from AIDS incidence data. Age-period-cohort (APC) analysis can separate out the effects of age, calendar time and birth cohort to provide a clearer picture of transmission trends. METHODS: AIDS incidence data from 1981 to 1994 among intravenous drug users (IDU) for 12 Western European countries were used. Yearly incidences per 100,000 population or 100,000 person-years were calculated by age at diagnosis and 5-year birth cohort (1950-1954, 1955-1959, 1960-1964, 1965-1969 and 1970-1974), and corrected for reporting delay. Incidence patterns were compared between birth cohorts and countries. RESULTS: For most countries the impact was greatest on the cohort born 1960-1964. Comparing incidence patterns in the 1965-1969 to 1960-1964 cohorts suggest the epidemic has plateaued at low to intermediate levels in Austria, Greece and the North-Western European countries, and at high levels in France, Italy and Switzerland. For most countries transmission amongst the 1970-1974 as compared to the 1965-1969 cohorts could not be assessed due to small numbers and short follow-up time. In Spain the epidemic was uncontrolled with a high incidence among recent birth cohorts. In Portugal the epidemic was still at an early and expanding phase. CONCLUSIONS: The APC analysis revealed large country differences in the dynamics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic among IDU. Full interpretation of these differences is dependent on information from other sources about the local public health response and trends in drug injecting behaviours. Earlier introduction of the virus and higher prevalence of injecting drug use may explain some of the generally higher incidence in Southern European countries, but the larger part of it is most likely explained by local characteristics of drug users, such as younger age and more frequent sharing of needles and syringes, and a less effective public health response.     

Postural control during galvanic vestibular stimulation in patients with persistent perceptual–postural dizziness

Journal of Neurology - Over the past years galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) has been increasingly applied to stimulate the vestibular system in health and disease, but not in patients with...     

Volume loss in the deep gray matter and thalamic subnuclei: a longitudinal study on disability progression in multiple sclerosis

Journal of Neurology - Volume loss in the deep gray matter (DGM) has been reported in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) already at early stages of the disease and is thought to progress...