OCT and VEP correlate to disability in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Background: The afferent visual pathway provides a unique opportunity to monitor clinical and subclinical optic neuritis and features of neuroaxonal degeneration in secondary progressive MS.

Objective: To investigate the usefulness of visual evoked potentials (VEP) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in evaluating SPMS, and the association between these modalities and clinical course and lesion load on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with SPMS with or without a history of optic neuritis (ON).

Methods: SPMS patients (n = 27) underwent clinical assessment with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) grading, visual acuity, OCT, and VEP examination.

[Possibilities to diagnose hearing impairment in children].

Hearing impairment (HI) in children with a congenital or early onset is explained by genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors are regarded as responsible for more than half of the cases of congenital HI and environmental factors are responsible for another 14-30%, but the etiology is still unknown in 20-40% [1]. Regarding the genetic causes, 30% are considered syndrome related, whereas 70% non-syndromic.

Three-Dimensional Fast Spin-Echo T2-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Images of the Cerebellopontine Angle.

In patients experiencing dizziness and hearing disorders, it is essential to rule out the possibility of an intracranial affection, typically a cerebellopontine angle (CPA) process. Clinically, this often is accomplished using audiology and otoneurology and by interpreting the time course of the symptoms. However, in many cases, we must resort to imaging of the skull base and the CPA.

Temperature Order Effects in the Caloric Reaction.

Does it matter in what order the four irrigations are conducted in the caloric test? It has been suggested that warm water (44 degrees C) elicits stronger reactions than does cold water (30 degrees C), which might be explained simply by slight differences in water temperatures. However, if it can be shown that starting with cold water diminishes the difference between the warm and cold irrigations, it might be worthwhile to apply the cold irrigations first. Binaural, bithermal caloric irrigation was conducted in darkness using electrooculography.

MRI screening of the cerebellopontine angle and inner ear with fast spin-echo T2 technique.

In patients with unilateral hearing loss and dizziness it is important to rule out a cerebellopontine angle process. This is often done by audiological and otoneurological investigations. However, in many cases we must rely on the imaging of the temporal bone and the cerebello-brainstem area.