Contributions of occipital and temporal brain regions to visual and acoustic imagery--a spect study

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was assessed by means of HMPAO-SPECT in two experimental groups. In a control condition both groups listened to abstract words, in the experimental condition they heard five names of objects. One group was advised to form visual images of the objects, the other group was advised to form acoustic images of the sounds made by these objects. Post-experimental questionnaires revealed that most of the subjects in the acoustic imagery condition had had visual images in addition to the acoustic ones. Both imagery conditions lead to approximately equal increases of rCBF in the left inferior occipital region and in the left thalamus. Flow increases in both hippocampal regions and the right inferior and superior temporal regions were larger in the acoustic than in the visual imagery condition. It is concluded that only the activation of left inferior occipital and left thalamic regions can be interpreted as being related to modality-specific visual aspects of imagery.     

Effects of visual field stabilization on the behavior of automobile drivers: visuo-vestibular model trials

Postural changes of body equilibrium on a moving force plate were examined for sinusoidal movements, saccades and frequency whilst different stimuli were applied under various visual conditions. If a dynamic stimulus was used, the stabilization of vision shows a distinct visual-vestibular conflict which provokes postural disequilibrium. This is the cause of motion sickness during car driving. This disequilibrium is also the cause of the motor insecurity experienced during walking and reading at the same time.     

L’école de formation de la Ligue nationale contre le cancer

The objective of the training school of the French National League Against Cancer is to offer competent and knowledgeable volunteers and staff with a structured training strategy that is motivating and represents a guarantee for donors and government authorities. The school focuses on obtaining high quality results, tailored to the needs and expectations of the departemental committees of the French League Against Cancer. The curriculum consists of 38 training modules: two general modules mandatory for all workers — including volunteers and employees, regardless of their responsibilities — and a series of specialized modules corresponding to the different technical skills and positions within the League. From its creation in September 2002 until November 2006, the school organized many sessions and trained a large number of trainees: 315 training sessions were organized and 4084 trainees participated. The instructors are selected based on their skills, knowledge and teaching abilities. When possible, the school makes every effort to decentralize the training sessions; 144 of 345 were held in different regions. The school’s ambition is to produce highly skilled personnel who will take their place among those dedicated to the fight against cancer.     

Die Verwendung eines Nervenstimulators zur sicheren Platzierung von Ilisarov-Drähten

OBJECTIVE: Avoidance of potential iatrogenic nerve injury during insertion of Ilizarov fine wires into areas of high anatomic risk by using a modified nerve stimulation technique. INDICATIONS: Application of the Ilizarov ring fixator to areas of high anatomic hazard, in situations where anatomic topography may be distorted by previous surgery, trauma, or congenital anomalies. CONTRAINDICATIONS: Use of systemic muscle relaxants. Caution in patient with cardiac pacemaker. SURGICAL TECHNIQUE: Preliminary experiments showed that a standard nerve-stimulating device can deliver a negatively charged, monophasic square pulse of current through Ilizarov wires. During the application of an Ilizarov frame to potentially hazardous anatomic regions, providing no systemic muscle relaxants are used, a voltage field sufficient to cause nerves in close proximity to the Ilizarov wire to depolarize is produced. Identification of a distal muscle twitch provoked by the stimulation may indicate a potential for iatrogenic nerve injury. RESULTS: Results show that with the nerve stimulator set at 2.5 mA (pulsed at a frequency of 2 Hz), peripheral nerves are stimulated if they lie within 5 mm of the wires. Should a distal muscle twitch occur, wires should be repositioned so that equivalent stimulation produces no twitch. The technique was used during Ilizarov frame application in ten patients, with only a single occurrence of distal muscle twitches in a lower-leg frame. Following repositioning of the Ilizarov wire in this case, no further twitches were observed, indicating that no Ilizarov wire was inserted close to peripheral nerves. No neurologic impairment was present postoperatively.     

Isolated intracranial hypertension due to Lyme's disease]

Lyme's borreliosis is characterized by the variety of its revealing symptoms, which may explain an often delayed diagnosis. We report on a case of a child affected by Lyme's disease, confirmed by serology, who presented a particular form consisting in an isolated intracranial hypertension. This rare form must be known and diagnosed early in order to avoid serious complications such as optic nerve atrophia in the absence of an appropriate treatment.