1,721,318 research outputs found
Long-term effect of shock wave therapy on upper limb hypertonia in patients affected by stroke
No full textBACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Spasticity is a disabling complication of stroke and different noninvasive treatments are used to reduce muscle hypertonia. Shock waves are defined as a sequence of single sonic pulses largely used in the treatment of diseases involving bone and tendon as well as muscular contractures. The effect and duration of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) was investigated on muscle hypertonia of the hand and wrist. METHODS: A total of 20 patients affected by stroke associated with severe hypertonia in upper limbs were evaluated. Placebo stimulation was performed 1 week before active stimulation in each patient. Evaluation was performed using the National Institutes of Health and Ashworth scales and video monitoring with a digital goniometer before and immediately after placebo or active stimulation. Motor nerve conduction velocity from abductor digiti minimi were recorded. Patients were monitored at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after active treatment. RESULTS: After active ESWT, patients showed greater improvement in flexor tone of wrist and fingers compared with placebo stimulation. At the 1- and 4-week follow-up visits, a significant decrease of passive muscle tonicity was noted on muscles in all patients receiving active treatment. At 12 weeks after therapy, 10 of the 20 patients showed persistent reduction in muscle tone. There were no adverse events associated with ESWT. CONCLUSIONS: ESWT reduces hypertonia of the wrist and finger muscles for > or =12 weeks after treatment. The possible mechanisms of action of ESWT are discussed
Contribution of motor cortex in generation of evoked spikes in patients with benign rolandic epilepsy
No full textObjectives: Among the different kinds of rolandic epilepsy there is a form of benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECT) presenting the peculiar characteristic of evoking rolandic paroxysmal activity, characterized by a spike followed by a slow wave, using electrical stimulation of the fingers. Methods: We evaluated 7 patients suffering from BECT presenting evoked scalp activity by electrical stimulation of the fingers of the hand. Electrical stimulation was performed using a pair of ring electrodes applied to the thumb. The motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were elicited in hand muscles by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and were conditioned by the same electrical digital stimulation producing the evoked spikes at interstimulus intervals ranging from 10 to 200 ms. Results: Digital stimulation in epileptic patients produced an increase in MEP amplitude substantially above the normal ranges. MEP facilitation showed a time course overlapping the ascending phase and peak of the evoked spike, whereas no significant MEP changes were found during the early positive peak and the descending phase of the spike, or during the following slow wave. Conclusions: Several considerations support the hypothesis that the short-lasting M1 facilitation is related to the spread of an abnormal hypersynchronous discharge of the S1 neurones to functionally related motor areas via cortico-cortical connections. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd
Role, indications and controversies of levodopa administration in chronic stroke patients.
No full textStroke leaves many patients disabled even after rehabilitative training, representing a major cause of disability. Several approaches to improve outcomes have been attempted in recent years, with only relative benefit. Emerging evidences show a potential role of pharmacological intervention to enhance motor recovery after stroke. Contrasting evidence are coming from experimental and clinical studies, so far, and pharmacological intervention during rehabilitation represents a major controversial in neurorehabilitation. Dopaminergic stimulation appears as one of the most promising way to improve motor recovery. Subject of this paper will be the ratio underlying the clinical use of levodopa in chronic stroke patients, trying to outline the most convincing evidences about a potential role of this drug in rehabilitative strategies
What does Doppler Ultrasonography Brings to the Diagnosis of Traumatic Vertebral Artery Dissection
Full text linkHere we describe the case of a young woman with a late diagnosis of vertebral artery dissection and midbrain ischemic lesion after minor post traumatic injury. Doppler ultrasonography was used as the first diagnostic examination to evaluate the dissection. We present this unusual but not rare case related to the frequent events of cervical distraction after car accident in order to better understand the clinical approach the sensitivity Doppler ultrasonography in post-traumatic cervical distorsion
Speech disorder and behavioral involvement in a thalamic stroke: a case report
Full text linkData from literature on clinical manifestation of thalamic strokes have been published for ages. First in 1906 Dejerine e Roussy have spoken about sensorymotor disturbances and have opened the door to new pathologic disorders that may occur after thalamic lesions. From 1925 behavior and speech disorders related with thalamic injury were described. Since then a classification of thalamic syndromes into four groups based on the four main arterial territories was accepted. As we know thalamic stroke account for 11% of vertebra basilar infarct. Inferolateral territory infarctions are the most common injury (45%), followed by the paramedian territory infarctions (35%) and the anterior territory lesions (12%), the posterior territory infarctions are less frequent (8%). Anyway lots of symptoms cannot still be classified easily and strictly into only one of this four groups and several variant topographic patterns of thalamic strokes with distinct manifestation and etiology have been proposed.
Here we described the case of one young Caucasian man that was admitted to the emergency department for a sudden onset of dizziness with left lateropulsion, vertigo, visual impairment and speech disorder involving unpredictable topic shifts but grammatically correct. During recovery patient performed a typical behavior disorder consisting mainly in lack of emotion and memory long or short term loss. Magnetic resonance was performed and showed left thalamic infarction involving paramedian territory.
The complex cognitive and behavioral disorders described can be explaned only supporting the already described different topographic patterns of thalamic infarctio
Diagnosing an unusual case of myelitis and diabetes insipidus through skin biopsies
No full text[no abstract available
Shock wave over hand muscles: a neurophysiological study on peripheral conduction nerves in normal subjects
Full text linkBackground and purpose: shock waves are defined as a sequence of single sonic pulses largely used in the treatment of bone and tendon diseases and recently on muscular hypertonia in stroke patients. Our purpose is to investigate the short and long term effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on the peripheral nerve conduction and central conductions from the treated muscles in normal human subjects in order to define safety criteria. Methods: we studied 10 patients normal subjects. Motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity and F response from right ipothenar eminence (abductor digiti minimi) of the hand was recorded. Furthermore MEP latency and amplitude and central conduction from the same muscles by transcranial magnetic stimulation was evaluated. In all subjects each neurophysiological measures were monitored before, immediately after, 15 minutes and after 30 minutes from the active ESWT treatment (1600 shots with an energy applied of 0.030 mj/mm2). Results: no significant short or long term changes were noted in sensory and motor peripheral nerve conduction and in central motor conduction in all the subjects evaluated after ESWT.
Conclusions: the ESWT has no effect on sensory and motor peripheral nerve conduction and in central motor conduction. The ESWT using low level of energy represent a safety method for treating the muscles in human subjects without involvement of motor or sensory nervous trunks. Different mechanisms of action of ESWT are discusse
Effect of shock wave stimulation on hypertonic plantar flexor muscles in patients with cerebral palsy: A placebo-controlled study.
Full text linkBackground: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy has been reported to be effective in reducing muscle hypertonia in adults. Aim: To evaluate the effect of shock wave treatment of spastic muscles in children with cerebral palsy. Methods: Twelve children with spastic equinus foot (6 boys, 6 girls; mean age 8 years (standard deviation (SD) 2.31)) were monitored. Clinical (Ashworth Scale, passive range of motion) and instrumental (pedobarography) examination were performed. This is an open study with one placebo treatment session, followed 6 weeks later by one active shock wave treatment session. Gastrocnemius muscles and soleus muscles were treated. Results: After placebo stimulation no clinical or instrumental effect was seen. After a single active shock wave stimulation a significant decrease in the Ashworth Scale (from 3 to 2), an increase in the range of motion (from 20 degrees to 50 degrees), and an increase in the whole plantar surface area of the treated limb (from 40.3 to 80.2 cm2) were observed in all patients. This effect lasted for 4 weeks in all patients. Conclusions: A single active shock wave stimulation produced a significant long-lasting reduction in hypertonia in the plantar flexors in children with cerebral palsy
Deep brain stimulation in persistent vegetative states: ethical issues governing decision making.
Full text linkThe aim of the present paper was to investigate the fundamental ethical issues of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) on patients remaining in Persistent Vegetative State (PVS). First, the purpose of this analysis was to discuss the nature of this intervention in order to classify it such as an ordinary clinical practice, or otherwise as an extraordinary clinical practice or as experimental research. Second, ethical issues, criticisms, and methodological issues of this intervention, also in the future perspectives, are discussed, attempting to identify who could give informed consent for a patient in PVS
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