Somatosensory evoked potentials during the ideation and execution of individual finger movements

Scalp somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were recorded in 10 volunteers after median nerve stimulation, in four experimental conditions of hand movements performance/ideation, and compared with the baseline condition of full relaxation. The experimental conditions were (a) self-improvised hand-finger sequential movements; (b) the same movements according to a read sequence of numbers; (c) mental ideation of finger movements; and (d) passive displacement of fingers in complete relaxation. Latencies and amplitudes of the parietal (N20, P25, N33, and P45) and frontal peaks (P20–22, N30, and P40) were analyzed. Latencies did not vary in any of the paradigms. Among the parietal complexes, only the P25-N33 amplitude was significantly reduced in (a), (b), (c), and (d) and the N20-P25 was reduced in (a) and (d); among frontal waves, N30 and P40 were significantly reduced (20–75%) in (a) and (b). Coronal electrodes showed amplitude decrements maximal at the frontal-rolandic positions contralateral to the stimulated side. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Current perception thresholds in toe-to-digit transplantation and digit-to-digit replantation

Recovery of digital nerve function in toe-to-digit transplantation and digit-to-digit replantation was evaluated by transcutaneous constant current sine wave stimulation at 5-, 250-, and 2000-Hz frequencies to determine the current perception thresholds (CPT). For toe transplantation and digit replantation, the mean interval between injury and surgery was 9 months and 7 h, respectively, while the mean interval between surgery and CPT study was 52 months and 20 months, respectively. Control CPTs evoked by three frequency stimuli were obtained from contralateral corresponding normal finger and normal toe. Normal finger had significantly lower 250- and 2000-Hz CPTs than normal toe, but the 5-Hz CPT was not different between them. Replanted digit achieved nearly complete recovery of these three frequency CPTs when compared to normal finger. In toe transplantation, 2000-Hz CPT was comparable to normal finger, while 5- and 250-Hz CPTs were comparable to normal toe. The present findings suggest that the transplanted toe was intermediate between normal finger and normal toe, but more like normal toe than normal finger with regard to detection thresholds of the current-evoked sensation. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical analysis of sural nerve biopsies

We performed quantitative immunohistochemical studies of sural nerve biopsy specimens from 20 patients to determine whether endoneurial and epineurial lymphocytic infiltration occurs in diabetic nerves. The diabetic nerves contained a mean of 129 CD3⁺ cells per tissue section compared to 19 cells in patients with chronic neuropathy matched for the histologic severity of disease, and 0–5 cells in normal control nerves. The T-cell infiltrates in the diabetic nerves were predominantly of the CD8⁺ cell type. Activated endoneurial lymphocytes expressed immunoreactive cytokines and major histocompatibility class II antigens. Microvasculitis was found in 12 (60%) patients. Infiltrative T cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy through a variety of effector mechanisms. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Changes in water diffusion due to Wallerian degeneration in peripheral nerve

The authors report NMR measurements of the changes in water diffusion brought about by in vivo Wallerian degeneration due to either crush- or tie-injuries in the sciatic nerve of the frog. Using a pulsed-gradient spin-echo sequence with a diffusion measurement time of 28 ms, the degree of diffusion coefficient anisotropy {D(longitudinal)/D(transverse)} 4 weeks after injury in both crush- and tie-injured nerves (2.3 ± 0.4 and 1.7 ± 0.1, respectively) is significantly less than in normal frog sciatic nerve (3.9 ± 0.4). The decrease of anisotropy in the degenerated nerves is due to both a decrease in longitudinal diffusion and an increase in transverse diffusion. The changes in diffusion coefficients are compared with the degree of axonal and myelin breakdown observed in light and electron micrographs of the nerves.     

运脾中药复方制剂降低厌食大鼠下丘脑腹内侧区神经元的兴奋性

目的：证实运脾中药复方儿宝颗粒降低厌食大鼠下丘脑腹内侧核（VMN）神经元对外周传人信号的敏感性．方法：用特制饲料喂养大鼠1wk制备厌食模型,再用运脾复方灌胃治疗3wk,然后用细胞外记录法,记录大鼠VMN神经元的自发放电,观察其对电刺激胃迷走神经、静脉注射八肽胆囊收缩素（CCK-8）的反应,比较对照组、模型组和治疗组3组间的差异．结果：模型组大鼠VMN神经元对胃迷走神经刺激的兴奋性反应时程延长（P〈0．05）,刺激强度降低（P〈0．05）,这些迷走兴奋的VMN神经元对静脉注射CCK的敏感率也增加（P〈0．05）;而治疗组大鼠VMN对胃迷走神经刺激和静脉注射CCK的反应与正常组无显著差异．结论：运脾复方儿宝颗粒能够降低VMN神经元对外周传人的摄食负反馈信号的敏感性,从而达到促进食欲的目的．     

猫眼视盘微血管铸型研究

目的 利用血管铸型技术观察猫眼视盘微血管的三维结构。方法 采用甲基丙烯酸甲酯／丙烯酸甲酯分别经颈总动脉灌注家猫8例16眼。解剖显微镜及扫描电镜观察。结果 猫眼视神经中央无大血管贯穿,视网膜及脉络膜供应血管由睫状后动脉分支形成,视盘表面放射状毛细血管由睫状视网膜动脉分支构筑。视盘血管由睫状后动脉形成的鞘膜动脉网和脉络膜动脉直接分支供应,睫状后动脉在鼻侧形成半环状样结构。结论 猫眼无中央血管系统及完整的秦氏环,睫状后动脉是视盘血管的主要来源。猫眼视盘微血管构筑与人眼相似．     

椎间孔阻滞治疗腰椎间盘突出症的临床疗效研究

目的 探讨椎间孔阻滞治疗腰椎间盘突出症（U）H）的临床疗效。方法 50例LDH患者椎间孔阻滞治疗（B组）,50例硬膜外腔注药治疗法为对照组（C组）。参照JOA标准对100例患者自觉症状、临床检查的改善程度进行治疗前后对照比较。结果 两组均有较好的疗效,但B组的不良反应发生率小于C组（P〈0．05）;治疗次数明显少于C组（P〈0.01）。结论 椎间孔阻滞治疗LDH是疗效好且简便的方法。     

Intraparotid facial nerve schwannoma: a 17-year,single-institution experience of diagnosis and management

Background: Intraparotid facial nerve schwannoma (IFNS) is rare and its definite preoperative diagnosis is challenging.

Objective: To improve available knowledge regarding the diagnosis of IFNS and to suggest an appropriate treatment plan.

Material and methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of IFNS patients at our hospital. Inclusion criteria were surgery (from January 2000, to December 2016) for a parotid mass, pathologically diagnosed as a schwannoma.

Results: The study included 42 eligible patients who had undergone tumor resection from 5977 parotid tumor patients. Mostly presented hard-textured (18/39) or medium-textured (15/39), with limited mobility (21/39) mass (three tumors were not palpable). Their facial nerve function outcomes were House–Brackmann Grade I (n?=?14), Grade II (n?=?7), Grade III (n?=?11), Grade IV (n?=?5), Grade V (n?=?3), and Grade VI (n?=?2). Significant differences were noted in results based on different surgical methods used (p?=?.000) and tumor involvement (p?=?.002).

Conclusions and significance: A hard-textured tumor with limited mobility mass in the parotid gland should prompt the diagnosis of a schwannoma. Tumors involving main trunk usually lead to unsatisfactory facial nerve outcomes. Facial nerve preservation should always be essential, and stripping surgery or intracapsular enucleation could be the preferred surgical methods of choice.     

Different patterns of morphological changes in the hippocampus and dentate gyrus accompany the differential expression of disability following nerve injury

Physical and psychological trauma which results in mood disorders and the disruption of complex behaviours is associated with reductions in hippocampal volume. Clinical evaluation of neuropathic pain reveals mood and behavioural change in a significant number of patients. A rat model of neuropathic injury results in complex behavioural changes in a subpopulation (~30%) of injured rats; these changes are co‐morbid with a range of other ‘disabilities’. The specific objective of this study was to determine in rats the morphology of the hippocampus and dentate gyrus in individuals with and without complex behavioural disruptions following a constriction injury of the sciatic nerve, and to determine whether rats that develop disabilities following nerve injury have a reduced hippocampal volume compared with injured rats with no disabilities. The social behaviours of nerve‐injured rats were evaluated before and after nerve injury. The morphology of the hippocampus of rats with and without behavioural disruptions was compared in serial histological sections. Single‐housing and repeated social‐interaction testing had no effect on the morphology of either the hippocampus or the dentate gyrus. Rats with transient or ongoing disability identified by behavioural disruption following sciatic nerve injury, show bilateral reductions in hippocampal volume, and lateralised reduction in the dentate gyrus (left side). Disabled rats display a combination of behavioural and physiological changes, which resemble many of the criteria used clinically to diagnose mood disorders. They also show reductions in the volume of the hippocampus similar to people with clinically diagnosed mood disorders. The sciatic nerve injury model reveals a similarity to the human neuropathic pain presentation presenting an anatomically specific focus for the investigation of the neural mechanisms underpinning the co‐morbidity of chronic pain and mood disorder.