Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry articles from January 2004

Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry archives from January 2004

New year, new editorial team.(Editorials)
January 1, 2004... The New Year brings a change of editorship; after seven years of exceptional custodianship the journal says goodbye to Professor Chris Kennard. During his tenure he has maintained the key role of the journal as a premier European clinical...

Contribution of cerebral amyloid angiopathy to Alzheimer's disease: contribution of CAA to Alzheimer's disease.(Editorials)
January 1, 2004... In patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), focal and diffuse ischaemic abnormalities of the cerebral white matter can be demonstrated neuropathologically (1-3) and neuroradiologically. (4-8) The focal lesions have been shown to contribute to...

Cognitive profiles in Alzheimer's disease: diagnosing vascular dementia.(Editorial Commentaries)
January 1, 2004... In the paper by Graham et al (see pp 61-71, this issue) (1) the authors provide a useful foundation for delineating the neuropsychological profile of a well defined group of subjects with vascular dementia and for differentiating this profile...

Depressive symptoms and cognitive decline--disentangling the effect of affect: time to take depression seriously?(Editorial Commentaries)
January 1, 2004... Is depression a risk factor for cognitive decline? Dementia, a potential consequence of cognitive decline, is a devastating disorder. If depression is a risk factor, it is important because it is common. Therefore, even a weak risk-outcome...

Functional magnetic resonance imaging.(Neuroscience for Neurologists)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:6-12 Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a powerful approach to defining activity in the healthy and diseased human brain. BOLD fMRI detects local...

Hemispatial neglect.(Review)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:13-21 The syndrome of hemispatial neglect is characterised by reduced awareness of stimuli on one side of space, even though there may be no sensory loss. Although it is extremely common, it has proven...

Founders of neurology: www.uic.edu/depts/mcne/homepage/neurofounders.(Neuronline)
January 1, 2004... This website from the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation at the University of Illinois, Chicago, provides a good source of images for those preparing a talk on some neuroscience topics. One hundred and five names are listed and most...

Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia diagnosed by magnetic resonance angiography and risk of stroke and death: a cohort study.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:22-26 Objective: There are only limited epidemiological studies evaluating the association between vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD) and outcomes. This study was designed to elucidate the outcome and...

Dolichoectatic arterial compression of the anterior visual pathways: neuro-ophthalmic features and clinical course.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:27-32 Aim: To characterise the clinical findings and natural history of anterior visual pathway compression by dolichoectatic intracranial vessels. Methods: A retrospective case review of patients...

Paul Broca's thermometric crown.(Historical Note)
January 1, 2004... The fame of Paul Broca as a precursor of cognitive neuroscience is mainly due to his groundbreaking work in describing brain lesions, most notably patient Leborgne's speech disorder, and the correlation he drew with the left inferior frontal...

Oxygen extraction fraction and acetazolamide reactivity in symptomatic carotid artery disease.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:33-37 Objective: It has been proposed that cerebral blood flow (CBF) response to acetazolamide may be reduced according to the degree of autoregulatory vasodilation in regions with normal oxygen...

Bedside assessment of cerebral perfusion reductions in patients with acute ischaemic stroke by near-infrared spectroscopy and indocyanine green.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:38-42 Objective: To detect perfusion reductions in patients with acute cerebral infarcts using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with indocyanine green (ICG) as tracer. Methods: Kinetics of an...

Myotonic dystrophy like mitochondrial myopathy with tRN[A.sup.Ala] mutation.(Echo)
January 1, 2004... In the past decade there have been reports of over 100 mitochondrial (mt) DNA mutations associated with neuromuscular disease. These have included large scale mtDNA rearrangements, common point mutations in mt tRNA genes, and mutations...

The impact of cognitive impairment on upper body dressing difficulties after stroke: a video analysis of patterns of recovery.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:43-48 Objective: to study the underlying cognitive deficits influencing a stroke patient's ability to relearn to dress. The aim was to investigate how recovery had occurred and whether the nature of...

The influence of limb crossing on left tactile extinction.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:49-55 Background: Previous research on patients with left tactile extinction has shown that crossing of hands, so that each hand is on the opposite side of the body midline relative to the other,...

The epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Devon: a comparison of the new and old classification criteria.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:56-60 Objectives: To determine the prevalence of multiple sclerosis in Devon and compare the new McDonald classification guidelines with the Poser criteria currently used. Methods: All patients...

Stress may increase the risk of an exacerbation in people with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.(Echo)
January 1, 2004... Neurologists and patients have long suspected that stress can trigger exacerbations of multiple sclerosis. Circumstantial evidence has suggested it since Charcot first described the disease. New, more robust, prospective data from the...

Distinctive cognitive profiles in Alzheimer's disease and subcortical vascular dementia.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:61-71 Background: There are inconsistencies in published reports regarding the profile of cognitive impairments in vascular dementia, and its differentiation from Alzheimer's disease. Objectives:...

A comparison of adult onset and "classical" idiopathic generalised epilepsy.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:72-74 Objectives: To report the characteristics of a population of patients with idiopathic generalised epilepsy (IGE) with age of onset over 20 years, and compare them with patients with "classical"...

The relationship between treatment with valproate, lamotrigine, and topiramate and the prognosis of the idiopathic generalised epilepsies.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:75-79 Objective: To examine a large population with idiopathic generalised epilepsy (IGE), and estimate the overall remission rates for the IGEs and subsyndromes in a clinic based sample. Remission...

Visual command hallucinations in a patient with pure alexia.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:80-86 Around 25% of patients with visual hallucinations secondary to eye disease report hallucinations of text. The hallucinated text conveys little if any meaning, typically consisting of individual...

Zero tolerance to shunt infections: can it be achieved?(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:87-91 Objective: To evaluate the rigid application of a technique of shunt placement aimed at the eradication of postoperative shunt infection in neurosurgical practice. Method: All shunt...

Ropinirole in the treatment of restless legs syndrome: results from the TREAT RLS 1 study, a 12 week, randomised, placebo controlled study in 10 European countries.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:92-97 Objective: To assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ropinirole in the treatment of patients with restless legs syndrome. Methods: A 12 week, prospective, double blind, randomised...

Persistence of pain induced by startle and forehead cooling after sympathetic blockade in patients with complex regional pain syndrome.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:98-102 Background: Stimuli arousing sympathetic activity can increase ratings of clinical pain in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Objective: To determine whether the increase...

Multiple regional [.sup.1]H-MR spectroscopy in multiple system atrophy: NAA/Cr reduction in pontine base as a valuable diagnostic marker.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:103-109 Objective: We performed [.sup.1]H-MR spectroscopy ([.sup.1]H-MRS) on multiple brain regions to determine the metabolite pattern and diagnostic utility of [.sup.1]H-MRS in multiple system atrophy...

Abnormal baroreceptor-mediated vasopressin release as possible marker in early diagnosis of multiple system atrophy.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:110-115 Background: Although autonomic failure (AF) is a critical symptom of multiple system atrophy (MSA), it may not appear until late in the disease process. Objectives: To clarify whether a...

Hippocampal MRI volumetry in cognitively discordant monozygotic twin pairs.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:116-120 Objective: To investigate whether hippocampal atrophy, a proxy for incipient Alzheimer's disease, can be detected in non-demented monozygotic co-twins of demented twins by using volumetric...

Abductor sign: a reliable new sign to detect unilateral non-organic paresis of the lower limb.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:121-125 Objectives: To test a new neurological sign, the "abductor sign," which can distinguish between organic and non-organic leg paresis using synergic movements of the bilateral hip abductors. ...

Depressive symptoms and cognitive decline in a community population of older persons.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:126-129 Background: An association between depressive symptoms and cognitive decline has been observed in selected cohorts of older people, but studies of defined populations have had conflicting...

Modulation of the transmission in group II heteronymous pathways by tizanidine in spastic hemiplegic patients.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:130-135 Objective: To investigate the effect of tizanidine (an [[alpha].sub.2] noradrenergic agonist) on transmission in the interneuronal pathway coactivated by group I and group II afferents in...

Diagnostic value of MHC class I staining in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.(Paper)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:136-139 Background: Identification of mononuclear cellular infiltrates in skeletal muscle tissue is the histological cornerstone of the diagnosis of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). However,...

Double pituitary adenomas with distinct histological features and immunophenotypes.(Neurological Picture)
January 1, 2004... We present a case of double pituitary adenomas with distinct pathological features. A 59 year old Japanese woman was referred to Hokkaido University Hospital for endocrinological examination of acromegaly. The patient showed typical acromegalic...

Duration of amantadine benefit on dyskinesia of severe Parkinson's disease.(Short Report)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:141-143 Background: Recent short-term studies suggested that amantadine (Ama) might ameliorate dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson's disease. A double-blind study programmed over 12 months was...

DJ-1 mutations in Parkinson's disease.(Short Report)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:144-145 Mutations in the DJ-1 gene have recently been shown to cause autosomal recessive Parkinson's disease. To estimate the prevalence of this mutation, an analysis was undertaken of 39 index cases of...

Dementia associated mental and behavioural disturbances in elderly people in the community: findings from the first Nakayama study.(Short Report)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:146-148 Objective: To determine the prevalence of mental and behavioural disturbances associated with dementia in elderly people living in the Japanese community of Nakayama. Methods: A door to...

Aphasia after hemispherectomy in an adult with early onset epilepsy and hemiplegia.(Short Report)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:149-151 A 55 year old left handed man with left hemisphere subcortical encephalomalacia, seizures, language impairment, and right hemiparesis from a motor vehicle accident at age five was evaluated for...

Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection of the central nervous system in patients with multiple sclerosis.(Short Report)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:152-154 Background: Chlamydophila pneumoniae has been postulated as an aetiological agent in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis. Previous studies show conflicting results. Objective: To...

Sequence analysis of tau 3' untranslated region and saitohin gene in sporadic progressive supranuclear palsy.(Short Report)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:155-157 Background: The extended tau H1 haplotype has previously been described in association with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Recently, a new gene called saitohin (STH), nested within an...

The breathing hand: obstetric brachial plexopathy reinnervation from thoracic roots?(Short Report)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:158-160 It has been found that in cases of obstetric brachial plexopathy, injured phrenic nerve or C3/4/5 roots may sprout into the adjacent injured upper and middle trunks of the brachial plexus. This...

Predictive value of Glasgow coma scale after brain trauma: change in trend over the past ten years.(Short Report)
January 1, 2004... J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004;75:161-162 Background: Age and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score on admission are considered important predictors of outcome after traumatic brain injury. We investigated the predictive value of the GCS...

The androgen receptor CAG repeat and serum testosterone in the risk of Alzheimer's disease in men.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... We recently reported (1) that the glutamine (CAG) repeat polymorphism of exon 1 of the androgen receptor was associated with Alzheimer's disease in men from the Oxford region. If this androgen receptor polymorphism indeed affects Alzheimer's...

Subthalamic nucleus stimulation in a parkinsonian patient with previous bilateral thalamotomy.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... Stereotactic surgical ablation of the thalamic nucleus (thalamotomy) has long been applied to parkinsonian tremor, rigidity, and levodopa induced dyskinesias. (1-3) Chronic high frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the thalamus, the globus...

Testosterone deficiency in a Parkinson's disease clinic: results of a survey.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... It has been shown recently that male patients with Parkinson's disease who have testosterone deficiency may have symptoms resembling non-motor parkinsonian symptoms. (1 2) Because of the similarity between the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's...

LBP-1c/CP2/LSF gene polymorphism and risk of sporadic Alzheimer's disease.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... The [epsilon]4 allele of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) accounts for an estimated 45-60% of the genetic risk for late onset sporadic Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that it may be possible to identify other genetic loci that could account for the...

Vestibular stimulation in mania: a case report.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... Caloric vestibular stimulation is a common clinical procedure, routinely employed during testing of vestibulocochlear nerve function. The procedure involves stimulation of vestibular afferents by the application of cooled water to the tympanic...

Hand weakness onset Guillain-Barre syndrome.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... Landry's 19th century report gives the impression that Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is characterised by ascending weakness. This clinical picture now is called "Landry's ascending paralysis." (1) Indeed, muscular weakness in GBS does usually...

Lack of association between interleukin-1[beta] polymorphism (-511) and ischaemic stroke.(Letters)
January 1, 2004... A growing body of evidence suggests an important role for interleukin 1 (IL-1) in the pathogenesis of brain damage following cerebral ischaemia. Central administration of IL-1 exacerbates brain damage, and over-expression of the IL-1 receptor...

Intracranial hypertension and giant arachnoid granulations.(Correspondence)
January 1, 2004... We read with great interest the article by Arjona et al (1) concerning a patient with intracranial hypertension (ICH) and giant arachnoid granulations (GAG). The patient was a non-obese male without known risk factors for ICH apart from left...

Acute pain (vol 1), Practical applications and procedures (vol 2), Cancer pain (vol 3), Chronic pain (vol 4).(Book Reviews)
January 1, 2004... Acute pain (vol 1), Practical applications and procedures (vol 2), Cancer pain (vol 3), Chronic pain (vol 4) Series editors Andrew S C Rice, Carol A Warfield, Douglas Justins, and Christopher Eccleston. Published by Edward Arnold...

The handbook of memory disorders, 2nd edition.(Book Reviews)
January 1, 2004... The handbook of memory disorders, 2nd edition Edited by Alan D Baddeley, Michael D Kopelman, and Barbara A Wilson. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2002, pp 865, [pounds sterling]90.00. ISBN 0-471-49819 This is an altogether...

Cecile and Oskar Vogt: the visionaries of modern neuroscience.(Book Reviews)
January 1, 2004... Cecile and Oskar Vogt: the visionaries of modern neuroscience Edited by I Klatzo. Published by Springer Wien, 2002, pp 130, [euro]76. ISBN 3-211-83798-1 This slender volume sings the praises of two pioneers of modern day neuroscience,...

Neurological complications of critical illness, 2nd edition.(Book Reviews)
January 1, 2004... Neurological complications of critical illness, 2nd edition By F M Wijdicks. Published by Oxford University Press, New York, 2002, pp 415, [pounds sterling]79.50. ISBN 0-19-514079-6 On the morning that the request for a review of this...

Synesthesia--a union of the senses.(Book Reviews)
January 1, 2004... Synesthesia--a union of the senses By Richard E Cytowic. Published by MIT Press, Cambridge, 2002, pp 424, [pounds sterling]36.95. ISBN 0-262-03296-1 Synaesthesia occurs when an experience in one sensory modality or of a particular...

Behavioral neurology, 4th edition.(Book Reviews)
January 1, 2004... Behavioral neurology, 4th edition Edited by Jonathan H Pincus and Gary J Tucker. Published by Oxford University Press, New York, 2002, pp 267. ISBN 0-19-513782-5. The fourth edition of Behavioral neurology is an update of a slim volume...

The dynamic neuron.(Book Reviews)
January 1, 2004... The dynamic neuron John Smythies. Published by MIT Press, Cambridge, 2002, pp 150, [pounds sterling]39.95. ISBN 0-262-19473-2 The subject of this book, synaptic plasticity, represents one of the most exciting developments in present...

Research and publishing in neurosurgery.(Book Reviews)
January 1, 2004... Research and publishing in neurosurgery Edited by Y Kanpolay. Published by Springer-Verlag Wien, New York, 2002, pp 131, Hardback [euro]76.00. ISBN 3-211-83821 The book was planned to serve as an essential handbook and comprises a...