Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry articles from February 2002

Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry archives from February 2002

Reporting clinical trials: Full access to all the data. (Clinical Trials).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Authors' right to access to all data obtained in their study Biomedical research is becoming more complex as a result of involvement by individual investors, universities, commercial research units, and industry. Financial conflicts of...

The "new" mitochondrial disorders. (New Mitochondrial Disorders).
February 1, 2002... The "new" mitochondrial disorders It is now clear that mitochondria serve two fundamental biological roles: the provision of ATP by aerobic respiration, and the mediation of cell death by apoptosis. Production of ATP is achieved primarily...

Modafinil for fatigue in multiple sclerosis: Single daily dose of modafinil is of benefit. (Modafinil).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Fatigue is a perplexing and at times incapacitating symptom in multiple sclerosis. It has both physical and cognitive components and its severity is not closely related to the extent of neurological disability, nor to clinical or laboratory...

Community based rehabilitation: Community based rehabilitation after severe traumatic brain injury. (Rehabilitation).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Practitioners of rehabilitation are often criticised for failing to evaluate their clinical work critically and assembling sound research evidence upon which to base it. The paper by Powell et al (this issue, pp 193-202) describes the results...

Which CT features help predict outcome after head injury?: Presence of subarachnoid blood and overall appearance are helpful. (CT After Head Injury).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... In the paper by Wardlaw et at (this issue, pp 188-192)' it is shown that the presence of subarachnoid blood and "overall appearance" of a CT scan could be added to the already established variables of age, Glasgow coma score, and pupil...

Protein aggregates and dementia: Is there a common toxicity? (Advances in Neuropsychiatry).
February 1, 2002... This review considers some of the recent advances made in the understanding of the pathogenic proteins known to aggregate and be implicated in neurodegenerative dementing disorders. It concentrates on the two most obvious candidates for the...

Psychoanatomical substrates of Balint's syndrome. (Nosological Entities?).
February 1, 2002... Objectives: From a series of glimpses, we perceive a seamless and richly detailed visual world. Cerebral damage, however, can destroy this illusion. In the case of Balint's syndrome, the visual world is perceived erratically, as a series of...

Efficacy and safety of modafinil (Provigil[R]) for the treatment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis: A two centre phase 2 study. (Paper).(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of modafinil for the treatment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Patients aged 18-65 years with a diagnosis of MS, a stable disability level [less than or equal to] n the Kurtzke...

HLA-DR 15 is associated with female sex and younger age at diagnosis in multiple sclerosis. (Paper).
February 1, 2002... A.E. Hensiek (*) S.J. Sawcer (*) Background: The association between multiple sclerosis and class II alleles of the major histocompatibiliy complex, in particular the DRB1 [1501.sup.*]-DQB1 [0602.sup.*] haplotype, is well established...

Which CT features help predict outcome after head injury? (Paper).(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Background: Information collected at baseline can be useful in predicting patient outcome after head injury. The appearance of the CT brain scan may add useful baseline information. The aim of this study was to evaluate which features on the...

Community based rehabilitation after severe traumatic brain injury: A randomised controlled trial. (Paper).
February 1, 2002... Objective: Evaluation of multidisciplinary community based outreach rehabilitation after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: A randomised controlled trial compared outreach treatment (mean of two sessions a week for 27.3 (SD...

An expanded cortical representation for hand movement after peripheral motor denervation. (Paper).(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Objectives: Functional reorganisation of the motor or sensory cortex has been demonstrated in animals after section of mixed peripheral nerves. Here functional changes in the motor cortex specifically after peripheral motor denervation in...

Incidence and case fatality rates of stroke subtypes in a multiethnic population: The South London stroke register. (Paper).(England)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Objective: To identify sociodemographic differences in the incidence of the subtypes of first ever stroke in a multiethnic population. Methods: A prospective community stroke register (1995-8) was developed using multiple notification...

Executive dysfunction in subcortical ischaemic vascular disease. (Paper).(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Background: Executive dysfunction has been reported in patients with subcortical-frontal pathology, even in the absence of dementia. Objective: This study was undertaken to determine if impairments in executive functioning could be found...

Localisation of the sensorimotor cortex during surgery for brain tumours: Feasibility and waveform patterns of somatosensory evoked potentials. (Paper).(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Objective: Intraoperative localisation of the sensorimotor cortex using the phase reversal of somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) is an essential tool for surgery in and around the perirolandic gyri, but unsuccessful and perplexing results...

Immunological study of hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type 1a (HMSN1a). (Paper).
February 1, 2002... Objectives: Fifty three patients were studied to investigate whether autoimmune or inflammatory mechanisms could explain the phenotypic heterogeneity of patients with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type 1a (HMSN1a). Methods: Serum...

Ocular motor myotonic phenomenon in myotonic dystrophy. (Paper).
February 1, 2002... Objective: To detect disconjugate ocular motor abnormalities and a possible extraocular muscle myotonic phenomenon in patients with myotonic dystrophy (MyD). Methods: The magnetic scleral search coil technique was used to record...

Health related quality of life in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review of disease specific instruments. (Paper).
February 1, 2002... Objective: To compare and contrast disease-specific quality of life instruments in Parkinson's disease and assess their clinimetric properties. Methods: Two reviewers independently evaluated both thoroughness and results of studies...

Pallidal deep brain stimulation in patients with cervical dystonia and severe cervical dyskinesias with cervical myelopathy. (Paper).
February 1, 2002... Objectives: Surgical treatment of complex cervical dystonia and of cervical dyskinesias associated with cervical myelopathy is challenging. in this prospective study, the long term effect of chronic pallidal stimulation in cervical dystonia...

Single cerebral metastasis 3 and 19 years after primary renal cell carcinoma: Case report and review of the literature. (Short Report).
February 1, 2002... Cerebral metastasis in general is associated with a relatively short survival time. However, brain deposits may occur rather late during follow up. Nine cases of solitary brain metastasis of renal cell carcinoma with a latency period of more...

Dermatitis herpetiformis and neurological dysfunction. (Short Report).
February 1, 2002... Dermatitis herpetiformis and coeliac disease are gluten sensitive diseases, which have common immunopathological and genetic mechanisms. Neuropsychiatric complications have been reported in up to 26% of patients with coeliac disease. This is...

Aquaporin-4 expression is increased in oedematous human brain tumours. (Short Report).
February 1, 2002... Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is a highly conserved water channel protein. In rats, AQP4 is expressed in astrocyte foot processes and is important in brain water homeostasis. AQP4 expression has not been investigated in non-neoplastic human brain or...

A novel mutation (V89L) in the presenilin 1 gene in a family with early onset Alzheimer's disease and marked behavioural disturbances. (Short Report).
February 1, 2002... A novel mutation (V89L) in the presenilin 1 (PSEN1) gene is described in a family with pathologically confirmed Alzheimer's disease. The mutation was identified in two affected members with early onset Alzheimer's disease characterised by...

Simultanagnosia in posterior cortical atrophy. (Neurological Picture).
February 1, 2002... A 54 year old woman presented with visual disturbance followed by geographical disorientation for 3 years. Neurological and neuropsychological examinations were remarkable for severe simultanagnosia accompanied by optic ataxia, oculomotor...

Misdiagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a patient with dysphagia due to Chiari I malformation. (Neurological Picture).
February 1, 2002... A 78 year old woman was admitted to our hospital's swallowing department because she had had progressive dysphagia for a year. Based on bilateral tongue atrophy with fibrillations and a normal CT, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with bulbar...

B cell lymphoma of the brain stem masquerading as myasthenia. (Lesson of the Month).
February 1, 2002... A 54 year old man is described with signs compatible with ocular myaesthenia gravis and an apparent excellent response to pyridostigmine. Subsequent clinical progression and further investigation suggested the presence of an inflammatory...

Anton Freiherr von Eiselsberg (1860-1939). (Neurological Stamp).
February 1, 2002... Eiselsberg, a pupil of Billroth, was for many years professor of surgery at Vienna, where he was long recognised as the leader in neurosurgery in Austria and a bold and skilful operator. He was the first to notice tetany after surgery for...

Conversion Hysteria: Towards a Neuropsychological Account.
February 1, 2002... Edited by Peter W Halligan and Anthony S David (PP292, [pounds sterling]24.95). Published by Psychology Press Ltd, Hove, 1999. IBSN 0-86377-651-5. It probably would not have pleased Aubrey Lewis to know that one of his lasting legacies...

Movement Disorders in Children.
February 1, 2002... Edited by E Fernandez-Alvarez and J Aicardi (Pp 263, [pounds sterling]50.00). Cambridge University Press, London, 2001. ISBN 1 898 683239 This is a truly marvellous book. The authors combine their vast clinical experience with an up to...

Advances in Dementia Research.
February 1, 2002... Edited by Kurt A Jellinger, Reinhold Schmidt, and Manfred Windisch (Pp 336, US$99.00). Published by Springer, Wien, 2000. ISBN 3-21 1-83513-X This book is a collection of presentations from a symposium "Ageing and Dementia" held at the...

Limbic Seizures in Children.
February 1, 2002... Edited by G Avanzini, A Beaumanoir, and I Mira (Pp 258, [pounds sterling]39.00), Published by John Libbey and Co Ltd, Eastleigh, 2001. ISBN 0 86196 5957 Limbic seizures in childhood differ from those in adults. They are more likely to be...

Spinal Cord Injury Desk Reference: Guidelines For Life Care Planning and Case Management.
February 1, 2002... By Terry L Blackwell, James S Krause, Terry Winkler, and Steven A Stiens (Pp 282, US$59.95). Published by Demos Medical Publishing, New York, 2001. ISBN 1-888799-49-8 This book is a reference text. It contains information that will be of...

Head Trauma: Basic, Preclinical, and Clinical Directions.
February 1, 2002... Edited by Leonard P Miller and Ronald L Hayes (Pp 494, [pounds sterling]107.00). Published by Wiley-Liss, New York, 2001. ISBN 0471 360 155 Miller and Hayes have assembled chapters from 42 expert contributors renowned for their work in...

Meeting the Challenge of Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.
February 1, 2002... By patrick K Coyle and June Halper (Pp 124 US$19.95). Published by Demos Medical Publishing, New York, 2001. ISBN 1 888799 46 3 Having been diagnosed in 1982 I have lived for 19 years with a slowly progressive form of multiple sclerosis....