Predictors of impaired daytime sleep and wakefulness in patients with Parkinson disease treated with older (ergot) vs newer (nonergot) dopamine agonists

BACKGROUND: Patients with Parkinson disease (PD) treated with the nonergot dopamine agonists pramipexole dihydrochloride and ropinirole hydrochloride have been reported to have sleep attacks without warning. OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic evaluation of excessive daytime sleepiness using standard polysomnographic techniques. DESIGN: Two overnight studies and daytime sleep tests were performed on a prospective sample. Pathologic daytime sleep latency was indexed by a mean Multiple Sleep Latency Test score of no greater than 5 minutes or a mean Maintenance of Wakefulness Test latency of no greater than 20 minutes. PATIENTS AND SETTING: Eighty nondemented, independent PD patients treated with dopamine agonists at the Toronto Western Hospital Sleep Research Unit, Toronto, Ontario. RESULTS: Patients treated with pramipexole dihydrochloride (n = 29), ropinirole (n = 28), or bromocriptine mesylate or pergolide mesylate (n = 23) did not differ with respect to mean Multiple Sleep Latency Test scores (overall, 12.1 minutes [SD, 5.1 minutes], F(2,77) = 0.11; P =.90) or mean Maintenance of Wakefulness Test latencies (overall, 26.7 minutes [SD, 5.4 minutes]; F(2,77) = 1.1; P =.29). Fifteen patients (18.8%) exhibited pathologic daytime sleep latencies. The main risk factor associated with pathologic daytime sleep latency was high levodopa dosage equivalents (>867.5 mg; odds ratio, 4.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-13.7). Subjective accounts of daytime sleep and wakefulness, as indexed by scores on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, were not related to impaired daytime sleepiness or wakefulness (chi(2)(1) [n = 80], 0.13; P =.72). CONCLUSIONS: Total dopaminergic drug dose rather than the specific dopamine agonist used is the best predictor of daytime sleepiness in PD patients receiving dopamine agonist therapy. Physicians concerned with daytime hypersomnolence in PD patients treated with dopamine agonists and receiving high levodopa dosage equivalents should consider polysomnographic monitoring for impaired daytime sleep latency.     

Impact of aerobic training on immune-endocrine parameters, neurotrophic factors, quality of life and coordinative function in multiple sclerosis

In recent years it has become clear that multiple sclerosis (MS) patients benefit from physical exercise as performed in aerobic training but little is known about the effect on functional domains and physiological factors mediating these effects. We studied immunological, endocrine and neurotrophic factors as well as coordinative function and quality of life during an 8-week aerobic bicycle training in a waitlist control design. In the immune-endocrine study (1) 28 patients were included, the coordinative extension study (2) included 39 patients. Training was performed at 60% VO(2)max after determining individual exertion levels through step-by-step ergometry. Metabolic (lactate), endocrine (cortisol, adrendocortico-releasing hormone, epinephrine, norepinephrine), immune (IL-6, soluble IL-6 receptor), and neurotrophic (brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF)) parameters were compared from a prestudy and a poststudy endurance test at 60% VO(2)max for 30 min. In study (1), lowered lactate levels despite higher workload levels indicated a training effect. Disease-specific quality of life (as measured by the Hamburg Quality of Life Questionnaire for Multiple Sclerosis, HAQUAMS) significantly increased in the training group. No significant training effects were seen for endocrine and immune parameters or neurotrophins. In study (2), two out of three coordinative parameters of the lower extremities were significantly improved. In summary, low-level aerobic training in MS improves not only quality of life but also coordinative function and physical fitness.     

Emergence of restless legs syndrome during subthalamic stimulation for Parkinson disease

The authors systematically studied the emergence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) after subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson disease (PD). Postoperatively, 11 of 195 patients with STN DBS reported new problematic symptoms of RLS. The mean reduction in antiparkinsonian medication was 74%. The mean RLS score at diagnosis was 15 (+/-5.9) of a possible 24 points and after symptomatic drug therapy 4.3 (+/-3.1) points. Reduction of antiparkinsonian medication during STN DBS may unmask symptoms of RLS and complicate therapy of both RLS and PD.     

CTA der A. carotis mit unterschiedlichen CT-Geräten

Noninvasive modalities like CTA are increasingly replacing selective angiography in the evaluation of carotid artery stenosis. Dedicated scan protocols and contrast injection techniques are mandatory for the morphological assessment of carotid artery stenosis. These protocols need to be adapted to different scanner types. The delineation of plaque components and the residual lumen is improved with high resolution scan protocols and dedicated reconstruction algorithms. The exact delineation of in-stent stenosis remains limited. Standardization of postprocessing is crucial in order to attain reproducible results. Multislice spiral CT allows reliable grading of carotid artery stenosis. Relevant venous opacification and pulsation artifacts have to be expected with 4-slice scanners, the short scan time of the latest CT scanners minimize these problems.     

Cataract surgery with implantation of toric silicone lenses for severe astigmatism after keratoplasty

BACKGROUND: The treatment of high astigmatism after keratoplasty is often not possible with glasses or refractive corneal surgery, particularly in patients with anisometropia and contact lens incompatibility. METHODS: In 3 patients with cataract and high astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty, phacoemulsification was performed via a 4 mm sclerocorneal tunnel incision. A toric silicone lens with Z-haptic was implanted in the bag (Type MS 6116 TU, Dr. Schmidt). All patients had high anisometropia and contact lens incompatibility. The follow-up was ten weeks, uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, corneal and total astigmatism were evaluated. RESULTS: A 68-year-old female presented with corneal astigmatism of 10 dpt. Keratoplasty was performed two years earlier. After implantation of a toric lens (+ 22.5 + 11.0 dpt.) uncorrected visual acuity increased from 1/50 to 20/40, corrected visual acuity increased from 20/30 to 20/25. A 78-year-old male presented with irregular corneal astigmatism of 6.5 dpt. Keratoplasty was performed 25 years previously. Due to high myopia (corneal radii 5.3/5.9 mm), implantation of a toric lens (- 3.0 + 7.0 dpt.) in the bag was combined with implantation of a spheric lens (- 6.0 dpt., Type MS 614, Dr. Schmidt) in the sulcus. Uncorrected visual acuity increased from light perception to 1/20, corrected visual acuity increased to 1/10. An 84-year-old female presented with irregular corneal astigmatism of 8.6 dpt. Keratoplasty was performed two years earlier. After implantation of a toric lens (+ 16.0 + 11.0 dpt.) uncorrected visual acuity increased to 20/50, corrected visual acuity increased from 20/100 to 20/25. During the follow-up all implanted lenses were well-centered and no significant IOL rotation was observed. CONCLUSION: Implantation of foldable toric silicone lenses during cataract surgery may improve considerably the uncorrected visual acuity by reducing the total astigmatism in patients with high astigmatism after keratoplasty. Preoperatively, a reliable keratometry is important.     

Startle reflex modulation, affective ratings and autonomic reactivity in incarcerated Spanish psychopaths

Startle probe modulation during affective picture viewing was assessed in a Spanish prison population. As for North American inmates, psychopaths failed to display normal blink potentiation during unpleasant slides even though their evaluative judgments and autonomic reaction to affective stimuli paralleled those of other inmate and noninmate participants. The results suggest that diminished defense activation characterizes psychopaths despite cultural differences.     

Increased endothelial thrombomodulin (TM) expression in pregnancies complicated by IUGR

Thrombomodulin (TM) is a cell surface receptor playing an important role in endothelial cell anticoagulant activity. TM is also known as a factor of angiogenesis; low TM activity correlates with impaired angiogenesis. Since vascular lesions with disorders of the placental coagulation and inadequate angiogenesis can be associated with IUGR, we hypothesized that thrombomodulin expression in the villous vasculature and syncytiotrophoblast of placentae complicated by IUGR might differ from those of normal pregnancies. Representative tissue samples of normal, IUGR as well as 1st and 2nd trimester (n = 12) placentae were collected. Immunohistochemistry (APAAP) of paraffin tissue sections was performed using monoclonal antibodies specific for TM and PECAM. The percentage of immunopositive vessels and the intensity of immunoreactivity was assessed. Vascular endothelium and syncytiotrophoblast stained positive for TM. Immunoreactivity for TM in villous vasculature rose significantly with gestational age. Villous vessels of IUGR placentae, showed a higher expression of TM, compared to placentae of appropriately grown fetus (p < 0.05). The number of terminal villi and the number of blood vessels per intermediate villi was significantly reduced in IUGR placentae (p < 0.05). These differences reflect inadequate vascularisation and impaired angiogenesis in IUGR.     

会阴子宫内膜异位症的临床分析

目的：探讨会阴子宫内膜异位症（内异位）的诊断和处理。方法：对1院1983－2000年收治的11例会阴内异症病例进行回顾性分析,术后随诊0．5－7．0年。结果：会阴内异症占我院同期内异症的0．37％,我院会阴内异症发生率为0．87／万。根据临床表现及病理检查,11例均诊断正确。除1例外,均有会阴撕裂或侧切史;发病潜伏期,30岁以前多在1年以内,30岁以上多在1年以上,两者差异有显著性（P＜0．05）。会阴内异症病灶完整切除10例,随诊6个月至7年,无复发。结论：根据典型的病史和身体检查,可以对会阴切口内异症做出正确诊断;手术切除为主要治疗方法。