[Dysphagia in Parkinson's disease].

Although dysphagia is an important symptom associated with prognosis in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), dysphagia tends to be overlooked until swallowing difficulties reach an advanced phase. We assessed dysphagia with videofluoroscopic examination of swallowing in 31 patients with mainly mild or moderate PD. Swallowing problems were observed in the pharyngeal phase in 28 patients, oral phase in 19 patients, esophageal phase in 15 patients, and oral preparatory phase in 1 patient.

[Increased variability of membrane potentials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis].

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by increased excitability of motor neurons and early involvement of large motor fibers that have low electrical thresholds. Despite the advent of new techniques of threshold tracking, exploration of this abnormal excitability has not been straightforward, by tracking at the single target level as previous reported, because of the heterogeneous nature of the disease process among fibers that have variable thresholds. We have assessed different populations of motor axons by tracking at four different target response levels (10, 20, 40 and 60% of maximum compound muscle action potentials), and conducted multiple nerve excitability tests in 27 ALS patients and 23 control subjects.

Can Awaji ALS criteria provide earlier diagnosis than the revised El Escorial criteria?

Background: Recently, new electrophysiological ALS criteria incorporating fasciculation potentials (FPs) as evidence for lower motor neuron signs (Awaji Criteria (AC)) was proposed to provide earlier detection of early-stage ALS than revised El Escorial electrophysiological criteria (REEC). However, serial electrophysiological analysis is lacking to ascertain the original intention. The objective for this study was to elucidate whether electrophysiological criteria set for AC detects ALS earlier than REEC's counterpart in patients with ALS.

Utility of recovery cycle with two conditioning pulses for detection of impaired axonal slow potassium current in ALS.

Objective: Slow potassium current (I(Ks)) is important in controlling nerve excitability and its impairment is known in various neurological diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). I(Ks) gives rise to the late subexcitability phase of the recovery cycle, which can be amplified by the use of multiple conditioning pulses. The clinical utility of this technique has not previously been explored.