1,721,009 research outputs found
TNFRSF1A R92Q mutation in association with a multiple sclerosis-like demyelinating syndrome
No full textParoxetine treatment improves motor symptoms in patients with multiple system atrophy
No full textPurpose: In view of the putative role of serotonergic neurotransmission in basal ganglia circuitry we investigated the effects of paroxetine (PXT) as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) on the motor performance in n = 19 patients clinically diagnosed as MSA using a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized study design. In addition, we assessed the effects on the psychopathological status of the patients. Results: The short-term add-on treatment with PXT up to 30mg tid for two weeks resulted in a significant improvement of the motor abilities of the upper limbs and speech when compared to placebo. The treatment with PXT was generally well tolerated. The degree of depressive symptoms was not significantly influenced by PXT or placebo during the observation period. Conclusions: Previous observations suggest that serotonergic projections may modulate the neuronal excitability of the mesolimbic system and cerebellar system. The observed effects of PXT on motor performance may therefore be due to a direct action of the drug on the motor system. However, these results should be regarded as preliminary, and further research is suggested to evaluate the long-term outcome and clinical relevance of SSRI co-medication in MSA. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Time of interferon- β 1a injection and duration of treatment affect clinical side effects and acute changes of plasma hormone and cytokine levels in multiple sclerosis patients
No full textDuring initiation of interferon-beta (IFN-beta) therapy, many multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experience systemic side effects which may depend on the time point of IFN-beta injection. We investigated the time course of plasma hormone-, cytokine- and cytokine-receptor concentrations after the first injection of IFN-beta either at 8.00 a.m. (group A) or at 6.00 p.m. (group B) and quantified clinical side effects within the first 9 h in 16 medication free patients with relapsing-remitting MS. This investigation was repeated after 6-month IFN-beta therapy. Plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations followed their physiological rhythms, with lower levels in the evening compared to the morning, but raised earlier and stronger in group B after IFN-beta administration. IFN-beta injection in the evening led to a prompter increase of plasma IL-6 concentrations and temperature during the first hours and correlated to more intense clinical side effects compared to group A. Plasma IL-10 concentrations increased more in group A compared to group B, but sTNF-RI and sTNF-RII concentrations raised 7 h after IFN-beta injection only in group B. Acute effects on plasma hormone and cytokine concentrations adapted after 6-month IFN-beta treatment, while diurnal variations were still present. Baseline sTNF-RII concentrations were elevated after 6-month IFN-beta therapy only in group A. Our results show that time point of IFN-beta injection has differential effects on acute changes of plasma hormone and cytokine concentrations and is related to systemic side effects. This may have implications on the tolerability and effectiveness of IFN-beta therapy
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
The major brain endocannabinoid 2-AG controls neuropathic pain and mechanical hyperalgesia in patients with neuromyelitis optica.
No full textRecurrent myelitis is one of the predominant characteristics in patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO). While paresis, visual loss, sensory deficits, and bladder dysfunction are well known symptoms in NMO patients, pain has been recognized only recently as another key symptom of the disease. Although spinal cord inflammation is a defining aspect of neuromyelitis, there is an almost complete lack of data on altered somatosensory function, including pain. Therefore, eleven consecutive patients with NMO were investigated regarding the presence and clinical characteristics of pain. All patients were examined clinically as well as by Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) following the protocol of the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain (DFNS). Additionally, plasma endocannabinoid levels and signs of chronic stress and depression were determined. Almost all patients (10/11) suffered from NMO-associated neuropathic pain for the last three months, and 8 out of 11 patients indicated relevant pain at the time of examination. Symptoms of neuropathic pain were reported in the vast majority of patients with NMO. Psychological testing revealed signs of marked depression. Compared to age and gender-matched healthy controls, QST revealed pronounced mechanical and thermal sensory loss, strongly correlated to ongoing pain suggesting the presence of deafferentation-induced neuropathic pain. Thermal hyperalgesia correlated to MRI-verified signs of spinal cord lesion. Heat hyperalgesia was highly correlated to the time since last relapse of NMO. Patients with NMO exhibited significant mechanical and thermal dysesthesia, namely dynamic mechanical allodynia and paradoxical heat sensation. Moreover, they presented frequently with either abnormal mechanical hypoalgesia or hyperalgesia, which depended significantly on plasma levels of the endogenous cannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerole (2-AG). These data emphasize the high prevalence of neuropathic pain and hyperalgesia in patients with NMO. The degree of mechanical hyperalgesia reflecting central sensitization of nociceptive pathways seems to be controlled by the major brain endocannabinoid 2-AG
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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