Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry articles from December 2003

Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry archives from December 2003

Developmental dyslexia.(Editorial)
December 1, 2003... The term developmental dyslexia ("specific reading retardation") refers to an unexpected difficulty in reading in children and adults who otherwise possess the intelligence, motivation, and schooling considered necessary for accurate and fluent...

Surgical treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms.(Editorial Commentaries)
December 1, 2003... The paper by Lafuente and Maurice-Williams on p 1680-1684 describes a well documented, consecutive, personal series of neurosurgically treated patients with aneurysmal sub-arachnoid haemorrhage, and it puts the finger on a sore spot. Since...

Why study mesial temporal atrophy in patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy?(Editorial Commentaries)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
December 1, 2003... The paper by Bonilha et al in this issue (pp 1627-1630) represents yet another step in clarifying the significance of atrophy of mesial temporal structures beyond the hippocampus. (1) One of the major advances in the imaging of patients...

BNA 2004 Annual Meeting.(Editorial Commentaries)
December 1, 2003... The British Neuropsychiatry Association 2004 Annual Meeting will be held at the Institute of Child Health, central London, on 26-27 February. The meeting will cover the following topics: * language disorders * parietal lobes *...

Neurogenetics: single gene disorders.(Neuroscience for Neurologists)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1608-1614 The advent of molecular biology has changed the way in which neurological illnesses are classified, and the single genes causing a number of disorders have been identified. In addition,...

Who named it? www.whonamedit.com.(Neuronline)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The "Whiggish" approach to medical history, which documented great men (sic) and their great deeds, is now frowned upon in academic circles. However, many in neurological practice will continue to feel an affinity with their forebears (male and...

Evaluation of the modifying effects of unfavourable genotypes on classical clinical risk factors for ischaemic stroke.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1615-1620 Objectives: Ischaemic stroke is a frequent heterogeneous multifactorial disease that is affected by a number of genetic mutations and environmental factors. We hypothesised the clinical...

Heralding manifestations of basilar artery occlusion with lethal or severe stroke.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1621-1626 Background: Basilar artery occlusion usually causes severe disability or death. Until the recent developments in local intra-arterial or systemic intravenous fibrinolysis, interest in early...

Medial temporal lobe atrophy in patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1627-1630 Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the volumes of medial temporal lobe structures using high resolution magnetic resonance images from patients with chronic refractory medial...

MRI directed bilateral stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in patients with Parkinson's disease.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1631-1637 Objective: Bilateral chronic high frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has emerged as an appropriate therapy for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease...

A population based epidemiological study on myasthenia gravis in Estonia.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1638-1643 Objective: To describe the occurrence of myasthenia gravis in the Baltic area. Methods: Data were obtained from hospital files recorded during the period 1942 to 1996 from neurologists...

Ulcus terebrans: an unusual cause of paraparesis.(Neurological Picture)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... A rare case of progressive paraplegia is described. A 55 year old man was admitted on 18 February 2002, because of gradually increasing weakness in both legs, sensory disturbance below the level of T7, and a significant loss of body weight. ...

Auditory disturbance as a prodrome of anterior inferior cerebellar artery infarction.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1644-1648 Objectives: To investigate the clinical and radiological features of patients presenting with an acute auditory syndrome as a prodromal symptom of anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA)...

Magnetoencephalographic representation of the sensorimotor hand area in cases of intracerebral tumour.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1649-1654 Objective: To assess the clinical value of magnetoencephalography (MEG) in localising the primary hand motor area and evaluating cortical distortion of the sensorimotor cortices in patients...

Pyridostigmine in postpolio syndrome: no decline in fatigue and limited functional improvement.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1655-1661 Objectives: To investigate the effect of pyridostigmine on fatigue, physical performance, and muscle function in subjects with postpoliomyelitis syndrome. Methods: 67 subjects with...

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: 12 cases treated by venous sinus stenting.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1662-1666 Background: The high pressures documented in the intracranial venous sinuses in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) could be the result of focal stenotic lesions in the lateral sinuses...

CSF hypocretin-1 levels in narcolepsy, Kleine-Levin syndrome, and other hypersomnias and neurological conditions.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J. Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1667-1673 Objective: To determine the role of CSF hypocretin-1 in narcolepsy with and without cataplexy, Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS), idiopathic and other hypersomnias, and several neurological...

Clinical surveillance of carpal tunnel syndrome in two areas of the United Kingdom, 1991-2001.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1674-1679 Objective: To study the demographic characteristics of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and changes in incidence over time. Methods: Prospective collection of neurophysiological and...

Ruptured intracranial aneurysms: the outcome of surgical treatment in experienced hands in the period prior to the advent of endovascular coiling.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1680-1684 Objectives: To evaluate the results of treatment of patients with a ruptured intracranial aneurysm treated by a single experienced vascular neurosurgeon in the period prior to the introduction...

Limitations of sniff nasal pressure in patients with severe neuromuscular weakness.(Paper)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1685-1687 Background: Inspiratory muscle strength in patients with neuromuscular disorders can be assessed using sniff inspiratory nasal pressure (P[n.sub.sn]) and maximum inspiratory mouth pressure...

Trigeminal neuralgia (Fothergill's disease) in the 17th and 18th centuries.(Historical Note)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1688 "There is as exquisite an anguish suffered as from any distemper to which the body is subject, if we may judge by the expressions of it..." W Heberden, 1802 (1) John Fothergill gave...

A post-marketing study on interferon [beta] 1b and 1a treatment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: different response in drop-outs and treated patients.(Short Report)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1689-1692 Background: Interferon [beta] 1b (Betaferon) and 1a (Avonex) were licensed in Italy for treating relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in February 1996 and August 1997, respectively. ...

Diffuse brain oedema in idiopathic intracranial hypertension: a quantitative magnetic resonance imaging study.(Short Report)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74:1693-1696 Objectives: To investigate the hypothesis that idiopathic intracranial hypertension is associated with diffuse brain oedema, using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging. Methods: Values...

An unusual phenotype of McLeod syndrome with late onset axonal neuropathy.(Letters)
December 1, 2003... McLeod syndrome is a rare multisystem disorder defined by weak expression of the Kell glycoprotein antigens and the absence of a red blood cell surface antigen, Kx. (1 2) The gene responsible for McLeod syndrome, XK, was cloned in 1994. (1) The...

NHS Direct for headache.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... NHS Direct is a government sponsored, nurse led, telephone helpline available throughout the United Kingdom, offering confidential medical advice without recourse to a doctor by using computerised assessment systems based on clinical...

Isolated total tongue paralysis as a manifestation of bilateral medullary infarction.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... Isolated acute bilateral hypoglossal nerve (CXII) paralysis is a very rare clinical condition which has been described in the context of traumatic mechanical injuries to the nerves. (1) The two nuclei of CXII, located at the tegmentum of the...

Neurological disorders: course and treatment. 2nd edition.(Book Reviews)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... Neurological disorders: course and treatment. 2nd edition Edited by Thomas Brandt, Louis R Caplan, Johannes Dichgans, H Christoph Diener, and Christopher Kennard. Published by Academic Press, 2003, pp 1150. [pounds sterling]165.00. ISBN...

The Clinical Science of Neurologic Rehabilitation. 2nd Edition.(Book Reviews)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... The clinical science of neurologic rehabilitation. 2nd edition By Bruce H Dobkin. Published by Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003, pp 577. [pounds sterling]95.00. ISBN 0-19-515064-3 This is an excellent book and a major tour de force...

Pharmacogenetics of psychotropic drugs.(Book Reviews)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... Pharmacogenetics of psychotropic drugs Edited by Bernard Lerer. Published by Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2002, pp 446, [pounds sterling]95.00. ISBN 0-521-80617-8 In the introductory chapter of the book the author correctly...

Reducing the Burden of Headache.(Book Reviews)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... Reducing the burden of headache Edited by J Olesen, T J Steiner, R B Lipton. Published by Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003, pp 409, [pounds sterling]85.00. ISBN 0-19-851589-8 It is now becoming clear that the physical effects of...

Neurological rehabilitation, uro-neurology, and motor neurone disease.(Neurology in Practice)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74(Suppl IV):iv1-iv2 Neurological rehabilitation is an area within the neurology curriculum that generates considerable discussion about the nature and depth of the "essential" core training and required...

Principles of neurological rehabilitation.(Neurology in Practice)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74(Suppl IV):iv3-iv7 This article reviews the basic principles that underlie the subspeciality of neurological rehabilitation. Neurological rehabilitation is in many ways different from the other branches...

Multidisciplinary approaches in progressive neurological disease: can we do better?(Neurology in Practice)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74(Suppl IV):iv8-iv12 Progressive neurological disease (PND) is an important cause of disability in the community and hence a focus for the forthcoming National Service Framework on long term conditions....

Aids, orthoses, and environmental control systems.(Neurology in Practice)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74(Suppl IV):iv13-iv17 The provision of effective aids, orthoses, and environmental control systems for people with neurological disability is particularly challenging because of the spectrum of deficits...

Evidence behind stroke rehabilitation.(Neurology in Practice)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74(Suppl IV):iv18-iv21 Stroke is a common and serious condition for which there is no routinely available curative treatment. Because of the high burden of disability and the lack of a widely applicable...

Rating scales for neurologists.(Neurology in Practice)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74(Suppl IV):iv22-iv26 A neurologist once told me that he found the subject of rating scales "exceedingly dull", while another found the area "abstruse". I have therefore attempted to produce an overview...

Investigation and management of neurogenic bladder dysfunction.(Neurology in Practice)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74(Suppl IV):iv27-iv31 Because of the complex nature of the neural control of the lower urinary tract, complaints about bladder function are common in patients with neurological disease. The main neural...

The management of motor neurone disease.(Neurology in Practice)
December 1, 2003... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74(Suppl IV):iv32-iv47 The management of motor neurone disease (MND) has evolved rapidly over the last two decades. Although still incurable, MND is not untreatable. From an attitude of nihilism,...