Comparison of modern diagnostic methods in children with intractable focal epilepsy

The basic aim of neuroimaging in children with intractable focal epilepsy is stablishing localization of epileptogenic zone. In this study 34 children (age 11-17 years) with intractable focal epilepsy were examined including: clinical history, physical examination, EEG, CT, MR, 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT. The hypoperfused region in interictal SPECT was concordant with clinical seizure characteristics in 22 children, with EEG in 13, with MR with 13 children. The localization of hyperperfused region in ictal SPECT was concordant with the clinical seizure characteristics in 9 from 10 examined children, with EEG in 7 and with MR in 8. The diagnostic value of estimation of the localization of epileptogenic zone in interictal SPECT (63 per cent) was comparable with the results of EEG (56 per cent) and MR (59 per cent), but ictal SPECT offers more information (100 per cent). In conclusion, performing both ictal and interictal SPECT studies may provide data about both seizure origin and its relationship with structurally abnormal regions of the brain.     

A COMPARISON BETWEEN AGAR GEL ELECTROPHORESIS and CSF SERUM QUOTIENTS of IgG and ALBUMIN IN NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES

CSF and serum was obtained from 216 patients with neurological or psychoneurotic symptoms and the concentrations of albumin and IgG were immunologically determined. The IgG/albumin index, calculated as the quotient of the CSF/serum ratios of IgG and albumin was compared with electrophoresis on agar gel. In "normal" cases, the IgG/albumin index was between 0.26-0.66. Pathological electrophoresis, i.e. with two or more IgG bands in the gamma globulin region was found in 85 per cent of the MS patients; in 29 per cent of the patients with a possible demyelinating disease; in 41 per cent of patients with CNS infection; and in 4 per cent of patients with other neurological disorders; whereas an increased IgG/albumin index ( greater than 0.66) was found in 88 per cent of the MS patients; in 43 per cent of the patients with a possible demyelinating disease; in 50 per cent of the patients with CNS infection; in 11 per cent of patients with immunological disorders; and in 18 per cent of patients with other neurological diseases. The increase of the IgG/albumin index was sometimes moderate (0.67-0.90), except in patients with MS, syphilis and other CNS infections, where a pathological electrophoresis combined with an IgG/albumin index above 1.0 was found to be a valuable support for the clinical diagnosis.     

Late-life psychosis and modern neuroimaging

A historical review of the literature on late-life psychosis (LLP) is presented with special emphasis on the relationship of structural and metabolic brain disease to this condition. The study of this patient population with modern neuroimaging is described. With the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single photon computerized emission tomography (SPECT), and computerized EEG, the authors estimate that approximately 50 to 60 per cent of cases will have structural or metabolic brain disease as a significant contributing factor to their psychosis. In their experience, silent vascular disease is seen in approximately one quarter of all cases. A logical clinical approach to these patients is presented.     

Increased risk of cerebral palsy among very low-birthweight infants with chronic lung disease

To determine the risk of cerebral palsy and other forms of neurosensory impairment in very low-birthweight infants (less than 1500g) with severe lung disease, as compared with those with lesser degrees of lung disease, and to examine perinatal and demographic correlates of chronic lung disease, the authors prospectively followed 249 survivors born between 1983 and 1984. 52 (21 per cent) developed chronic lung disease (CLD), defined as oxygen dependence greater than or equal to 28 days. 15 per cent of children with CLD developed cerebral palsy, compared with 3 per cent who required oxygen for between three and 27 days and 4 per cent of those requiring oxygen for two days or less. The overall neurological impairment rate, including cerebral palsy, abnormalities of muscle tone, hydrocephalus requiring a shunt, and severe visual or hearing impairment, was 29 per cent for infants with CLD. This compares with rates of 9 per cent for those requiring oxygen for between three and 27 days and 6 per cent for those on oxygen for two or less days. Infants with CLD had a significantly lower mean birthweight and gestational age; 43 per cent had grade III or IV intraventricular hemorrhages; and they also required longer periods in hospital.     

PROGNOSIS OF SEVERE BRAIN INJURY

The data concerning the mortality in severe brain injury and the disability caused by it were analysed. We classified as severe those head injuries which caused unconsciousness for more than 24 hours. The series presented consists of 204 patients. The follow-up time was from three to five years. The total mortality was 50 per cent, but increased steeply in older age groups. The mortality in patients over 60 years of age was 78 per cent, but among those under 20 years it was 38 per cent. Three years after the injury 43 per cent of the survivors were totally disabled. Less than 30 per cent of patients over 50 years of age were able to return to their former work, whereas more than 70 per cent of patients under 20 years were able to return to work or to school. It is concluded that in patients over 60 no special or heroic methods of treatment are indicated but that in children and adolescents every effort should be made as long as there has not been respiratory arrest and cerebral death.     

急性脑卒中的综合治疗及SPECT动态观察

目的探讨药物治疗合以早期康复为主要手段的综合性治疗措施对急性脑卒中治疗的优越性及脑SPECT在急性脑卒中患者脑血流灌注状态的动态变化。方法选择118例首次发病的急性脑卒中病人，随机分为康复组62例，56例为对照组，入选标准为经CT或MRI确诊发病48小时内的急性偏瘫，诊断符合第四届全国脑血病会议诊断标准。分别用Fulg—Meyer和Barthel指数评定患者的运动功能和ADL能力，比较两组主要临床指标及动态检查脑放射性核素显像SPECT，观察脑部病灶周围及时侧的脑血流灌注状态。结果康复组3个月内病死率为6．45％，对照组为10．71％（P〈0．01）；治疗后两组的Fulg—Meyer评分及Barthel指数均有改善，但康复组改善更明显，差异有显著性意义（P〈0．05）；康复组SPECT变化显示1个月后局部脑损伤灶周围及对侧脑组织的血供有明显改善。结论药物治疗合以早期康复为主要手段的综合性治疗模式下的急性脑卒中患者的预后，比单纯药物治疗的疗效更具有优越性，单纯追求药物在疾病转归中的价值可能是个误区。康复体疗可以促进局部脑损伤灶周围及对侧脑组织的血供．有利于瘫痪肢体的功能康复。     

An evaluation of the factor of depression of brain metabolism in the treatment of schizophrenia

Summary and Conclusions This investigation was undertaken to determine the effect of depression of brain metabolism in the course of schizophrenia. To evaluate the effect of depression of brain metabolism without any direct stimulatory effects on the brain, patients with schizophrenia were subjected to the nitrogen inhalation therapy. Sixty-five patients ill less than one year and 34 ill for more than one year were treated. Of the patients ill less than one year, 46 per cent were improved and 34 per cent paroled. Of those ill longer than a year, 34 per cent were improved, and 9 per cent were paroled.From an analysis of these results and a comparison of those obtained with other treatments it may be concluded: (1) That the depression of brain metabolism exerts a desirable effect on the course of schizophrenia. (2) That the duration of depression is of importance. In the treatment of schizophrenia, the longer periods of depression produced by insulin hypoglycemia are more valuable than the shorter ones caused by nitrogen inhalation or metrazol.Report of a research aided by a grant from the John and Mary R. Markle Foundation to one of the writers (H. E. H.).     

SIGNIFICANCE OF SEIZURES IN VERY LOW-BIRTHWEIGHT INFANTS

Of 506 very low-birthweight (VLBW) infants, the authors review data on 67 identified as having seizures. 29 survivors with seizures and 305 without were followed up at the ages of one, two and five years: statistical significance of psychological and mental impairment was evaluated. Impairment was higher in the seizure group at 66 per cent (15 per cent in non-seizure group) and 43 per cent of these were considered to be severely impaired. Infants with seizures occurring for more than seven days and lasting for more than five minutes had the poorest outcome, and infants with late onset had the best outcome. Analysis showed that 40 per cent of seizures were caused by birth asphyxia, and these were strongly prognostic, correlating with mortality and impairment rates. 60 per cent of the infants who died had the same cause for both their seizures and death, and for 57 per cent of these the cause was perinatal asphyxia. The poor outlook for the VLBW infants suggests that the seizures themselves are a serious neurological insult.     

Short latency evoked potentials: new criteria for brain death?

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the auditory brain stem responses (ABR) and short latency somatosensory potentials (SEP) from median nerve stimulation are effective tools in the confirmation of brain death. Thirty six brain dead patients were submitted to ABR and 24 to SEP in the same session. All waves of the ABR were absent in 28 (77.8 per cent) patients, while only wave I was present in the others (22.2 per cent). In SEP recordings the components later than P13 were absent in 17 (70.8 per cent) of cases; in the remaining seven patients (29.2 per cent) a N13/P13 dissociation (namely, retention of the cervical N13 and absence of the far-field P13) was found. The results suggest that SEP and ABR are reliable tools in the diagnosis of brain death and should be included in the criteria: they enable the functional status of two pathways in the brainstem to be checked, which cannot be explored by the clinical examination.     

OPTIC NEURITIS—A SIGN OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS OR OTHER DISEASES OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

A neurological and ophthalmological re-examination has been carried out of 116 patients with optic neuritis (ON), who were treated at the eye clinic of the Central Hospital of Turku University during the years 1950–1969. The follow-up period of patients varied from 3 to 22 years (average 10.2 years). Fifty-eight (50.0 per cent) had probable MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and 18 (15.5 per cent) possible MS. Thirty-two (42.1 per cent) earlier undiagnosed cases of MS were found in this material. In most of these cases the patients' neurological symptoms were so mild that they had not consulted a neurologist. This indicates that MS is a more common disease than the selective studies based on patients collected from the hospital records in a neurological clinic would suppose. ON with some cause other than MS was observed in 15 (13.0 per cent) patients, among whom were many cases with a neurological disease other than MS. The etiology of ON remained unknown in 25 (21.6 per cent) patients. Many of these patients had some very mild neurological symptoms, but a diagnosis of MS, based on criteria of the Schumacher committee, could not be made. After a longer follow-up period, even these cases can perhaps be classified as suffering from MS. Neurological and ophthalmological findings in re-examined patients are described and compared with previous reports. Six families with occurrence of MS within the family, and two with Leber's hereditary optic atrophy are reported. Our studies indicate that ON must be considered as an important sign of a disease of the central nervous system and not only as an isolated eye disease.     

SPECT scan in somatization disorder patients: an exploratory study of eleven cases.

OBJECTIVE: There are no previous studies using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans in somatization disorder (SD) patients. The aim of this paper is to assess SPECT imaging abnormalities in SD patients and study any relation to laterality. METHOD: Eleven SD patients from the Somatization Disorder Unit of Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain, not fulfilling criteria for any other psychiatric disorder and showing normal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images were studied with SPECT. Patients with DSM-IV axis I comorbidity were ruled out because it has been demonstrated that SPECT scans can show abnormalities in patients with depression and anxiety disorders. The technique used for SPECT was 99mTc-D,1,hexamethylpropyleneamide-oxime (99mTc-HMPAO) in four patients and 99mTc-bicisate in the other seven. The SPECT scans were evaluated without knowledge of clinical data and entirely by visual inspection. RESULTS: Seven out of 11 (63.6%) SD patients showed hypoperfusion in SPECT imaging. In four cases there was hypoperfusion in the non-dominant hemisphere and the predominance of pain symptoms took place in the contralateral hemibody. In the other three patients hypoperfusion was bilateral. The anatomical regions affected were cerebellum (four cases), frontal and prefrontal areas (three cases), temporoparietal areas (two cases) and the complete hemisphere (one case). CONCLUSIONS: A proportion of SD patients may present hypoperfusion in SPECT images, uni- or bilaterally, in different brain areas. Possible aetiological explanations for this finding are discussed. Controlled studies are necessary to confirm or refute this hypothesis.     

Risk-taking behavior among high school students in South Korea

In a national sample of high school students, 43 per cent had drunk regularly, 32 per cent had smoked regularly, and 11 per cent had experienced sexual intercourse. Boys were more likely to have experienced these behaviors than girls. Going to school in Seoul, not having two parents in the family, and having an experience of living away from immediate family were associated with higher livelihood of experiencing these behaviors. Students who had friends with sexual experiences were much more likely to experience sex themselves than those without.     

Decreased Cerebral Blood Flow in Neuro-Behcet''s Syndrome Patients With Neuropsychiatric Manifestations and Normal Magnetic Resonance Imaging—A Preliminary Report

Involvement of the brain is one of the most important complications of Behcet's disease, but its diagnosis is difficult because of the lack of effective imaging tools. Therefore, technetium‐99m ethyl cysteinate dimer (Tc‐99m ECD) single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the brain was used to detect abnormal regional cerebral blood flow in patients with neuro‐Behcet's syndrome (NBS). Tc‐99m ECD brain SPECT was per‐formed to detect hypoperfusion areas of the brain in 10 NBS patients with definite neuropsychiatric symptoms or signs and normal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Tc‐99m ECD brain SPECT demonstrated hypoperfusion areas of the brain in all of the 10 NBS patients. The parietal lobes were the most common areas with hypoperfusion lesions. Tc‐99m ECD brain SPECT is a more sensitive and useful tool than brain MRI for detecting hypoperfusion areas of the brain in NBS patients.     

Brain SPECT, CT and EEG in 45 cases of epilepsy during the intermission

The regional cerebral blood flows (rCBF) in 45 cases of epilepsy during the interictal period were determined with brain SPECT. The results were compared those obtained with CT scans and EEG. 48.89% of the SPECT were found to be abnormal while 8.98% were suspected to be abnormal; the 35.71% of the CT scans were found to be abnormal; 16 cases (39.02%) were found to show focal abnormalities in the EEG while 9 cases (21.95%) had epileptic form discharge. SPECT seemed to show more significance in discovering the abnormalities in the epileptics during the interictal period than CT or EEG. However, the combined use of these three methods of examinations would be of greater help for identifying the focal abnormalities in epilepsy. Two of the 22 cases with abnormal SPECT had increased rCBF, whereas the other 20 cases had decreased rCBF. Among the 22 cases of abnormal SPECT and 4 cases of suspected abnormalities, the locations of the lesions as indicated with SPECT in 3 cases were not consistent with those as with CT. There were 5 cases in which the SPECT findings were not consistent with those in EEG.     

Regional cerebral blood flow images of single photon emission computed tomography by N-isopropyl-p-[I-123] iodoamphetamine in patients with brain tumor

Regional cerebral blood flow (r-CBF) was studied by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using N-isopropyl-p-[I-123] iodoamphetamine (IMP) in order to evaluate CBF in patients with brain tumor. Total 27 studies were carried out in 20 patient, including 8 patients with meningioma, 3 with glioblastoma multiforme, 2 with oligoastrocytoma, and 7 with other intracranial tumors. All CBF images by IMP-SPECT were obtained by using a rotating gamma camera with dual heads. In the serial scans, each scan was started at 20 minutes, 2 hours and 6 hours after intravenous injection of I-123 IMP (3 mCi). The all IMP-SPECT images were compared with cerebral angiogram, X-ray CT (plain and/or enhancement), and images of Kr-81 m SPECT and Tc-99 m SPECT. In 5 patients (4 patients with meningioma and 1 with glioblastoma multiforme) this comparative study was performed before and after surgery to evaluate the r-CBF changes surrounding tumor. The abnormal lesion on X-ray-CT was identified as hot area on CBF image by IMP-SPECT in two cases with meningioma, and in 14 cases the lesion showed cold area. Totally 80% of cases showed abnormal findings on CBF images by IMP-SPECT. The cases which showed no abnormal findings on IMP-SPECT images included 1 case with meningioma which located in frontal base, 2 with small intracranial brain tumor which was smaller than 2 cm in diameter, and 1 with pituitary adenoma. On the IMP-SPECT images scanned 2 hours after injection, hot area, which was identified in two cases with meningioma on the images 20 minutes after injection, was changed into cold area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY and NEUROPATHOLOGY Histological Findings in Resected Temporal Lobes Correlated to Surgical Results and Clinical Aspects

Neuropathological findings were studied in 74 patients with drugresistant temporal lobe epilepsy who underwent unilateral temporal lobe resection in 1960–1969 in Denmark. In 60 per cent of the patients a well-defined neuropathological abnormality was revealed (i. e. 13 cases of focal lesions, including four small tumours, 21 cases of gliosis, and 10 cases of perivascular infiltration), in 23 per cent the findings were either questionably abnormal or without structural abnormality, while in the last 18 per cent sequelae of a previous operation dominated the histology. the general trend was for the postoperative clinical outcome to be better, the more specific and circumscribed the histological abnormality. There was no correlation between the neuropathological findings and the preoperative types of seizures. Postoperative recurrence of seizures was more often observed in patients with gliosis than in those with other histological diagnoses. A positive correlation existed between a history of cerebral infection and the presence of perivascular lymphocytic and histiocytic infiltration, and gliosis was a frequent finding in patients with epilepsy of unknown aetiology. No other significant correlation was found between the neuropathological abnormalities and the clinical, hereditary, aetiological, and social aspects.     

MALIGNANCY GRADE and LONG-TERM SURVIVAL IN BRAIN TUMOURS of INFANCY and CHILDHOOD

281 histologically verified brain tumours in children were revised and reclassified according to degree of histological malignancy. Survival graphs based on 100 per cent follow-up after 15-40 years show that, of those who survived for more than 1 month after diagnosis and possible operation, 40 per cent were still alive more than 15 years later. There was a clear correlation between survival and degree of malignancy. Sixty-five per cent of those with tumours of malignancy grade I and only 3 per cent of those with malignancy grade IV were alive after 15 years.     

Assessing utility of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan in Alzheimer disease: correlation with cognitive severity

Diagnosis of probable Alzheimer disease (AD) is made by a combination of characteristic clinical findings, when normal laboratory studies reveal no structural or metabolic cause of the dementia. Definite diagnosis of AD, however, can only be made with brain tissue examination. PET scanning reveals parietotemporal decreases in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and glucose metabolism that differentiate AD from normal elderly and from multi-infarct dementia. Preliminary studies suggest that similar defects in CBF are detectable in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in AD. Utilizing the iodinated ligand [123I] HIPDM ([123I] hydroxyiodobenzylpropanediamine), we studied 19 patients with probable AD of varying severity, with emphasis on mild cases, to assess the utility of SPECT as a diagnostic test in AD. Parietotemporal perfusion on SPECT was decreased unilaterally or bilaterally in 16 of 19 AD patients, similar to the defects reported with PET. The degree and extent of decreased CBF on SPECT correlated with AD severity. Strong correlations were obtained between decreases in computer-generated ratios of parietal to cerebellar activity and the level of cognitive function. SPECT was read as normal (on the radiographic film) by the nuclear medicine physician in all cases with Mini-Mental State (MMS) score greater than 24, and showed bilateral parietal perfusion deficits in only 1 of 4 patients with MMS between 22 and 24. Ten of 12 patients with MMS less than or equal to 21 had bilateral parietal abnormalities; the other 2 had unilateral perfusion defects. All patients with MMS less than 15 were bilaterally abnormal. SPECT is less expensive and more widely available than PET, and may have an adjunctive role in diagnosis of AD and other dementias if utilized under the proper circumstances.     

Mortality and cerebral metabolism after bilateral carotid artery ligation in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Mortality and cerebral glycolytic metabolism were studied after bilateral ligation of the common carotid artery in normotensive Wistar rats (NTR), and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) derived from Wistar strain. In the first 24 hours after occlusion of carotid arteries, 72 per cent of 108 SHR died, whereas it was fatal in only 16 per cent of 43 NTR. In SHR, cerebral lactate and cerebral lactate/pyruvate ratio (L/P ratio) increased by 12.4 and 12.1 times the control, respectively at five to six hours after ligation, and remained raised even in rats surviving for two to three days thereafter. Changes in cerebral lactate and L/P ratio were minimal in NTR. Cerebral ATP decreased markedly at five to six hours after ligation in SHR studied. These results indicate that bilateral carotid artery ligation causes severe brain damage in SHR but not in NTR, suggesting hypertension per se to be operative for the development of cerebral ischaemia.     

First epileptic seizure in the elderly: electroclinical and etiological data in 341 patients

This study included 341 subjects aged over 60 years, 174 females and 167 males, (mean age 72-years), who experienced their first epileptic seizure and fulfilled all inclusion criteria over an 8-year period. Data were available from the physical examination, EEG, laboratory tests and CT scan or MRI for all patients. The international classification of epileptic seizures was applied, 41 p.cent of the seizures were generalized and 59 p.cent were partial. Status epilepticus occurred in 8 p.cent of the patients. The EEG recording was contributive to diagnosis or helpful for localizing the epileptic focus in 55 p.cent of the patients. Normal brain imaging was observed in 40 p.cent of the patients. The main etiology was cerebrovascular disease (33 p.cent), acute stroke (27 patients), or more often postvascular epilepsy (87 patients). Other etiologies were degenerative cortical dementia in 7 p.cent of the patients, metabolic and toxic disorders in 11 p.cent, and benign or malignant brain tumors in 6.5 p.cent. Thirty-two percent of the seizures were of unknown origin (cryptogenic seizures). No correlation was found between sex, age, and etiology. An antiepileptic drug treatment was initiated in 77 p.cent of the patients who were given either valproate (43 p.cent), carbamazepine (26 p.cent) or barbiturates (7 p.cent). These findings are in agreement with those reported in the reviewed literature.