Diaphragmatic weakness related to radiotherapy: 2 cases and a review.

Post-radiation diaphragmatic weakness have rarely been described. We report two cases of post-radiation diaphragmatic weakness from our center, and review the other published cases, computing clinical, electromyography and magnetic resonance imaging data. Including our two cases, seven cases of post-radiation diaphragmatic weakness have been described.

Electro-clinical presentation of hereditary transthyretin related amyloidosis when presenting as a polyneuropathy of unknown origin in northern France.

Introduction: Hereditary transthyretin related amyloidosis (h-ATTR) classically presents as a small fiber neuropathy with positive family history, but can also be revealed by various other types of peripheral neuropathy.

Objective: To describe the initial electro-clinical presentation of patients from in a single region (northern France) of h-ATTR when it presents as a polyneuropathy of unknown origin.

Method: We reviewed the records of patients referred to two neuromuscular centers from northern France with a peripheral neuropathy of unknown origin who were subsequently diagnosed with h-ATTR.

Ten-year assessment of the 100 priority questions for global biodiversity conservation.

In 2008, a group of conservation scientists compiled a list of 100 priority questions for the conservation of the world's biodiversity. However, now almost a decade later, no one has yet published a study gauging how much progress has been made in addressing these 100 high-priority questions in the peer-reviewed literature. We took a first step toward reexamining the 100 questions to identify key knowledge gaps that remain.

Reduced afferent-induced facilitation of primary motor cortex excitability in restless legs syndrome.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterized by the association of an urge to move, and vesperal or nocturnal sensory symptoms; it is frequently associated with periodic limb movements. Evidence from imaging and electrophysiological studies suggests that RLS is linked to changes in sensorimotor integration. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms have not been characterized, and the cortical origin has yet to be confirmed.

Effects of Stimulus-Driven and Goal-Directed Attention on Prepulse Inhibition of Brain Oscillations.

Objective: Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is an operational measure of sensory gating. PPI of cortical response to a startling pulse is known to be modulated by attention. With a time-frequency analysis, we sought to determine whether goal-directed and stimulus-driven attention differentially modulate inhibition of cortical oscillations elicited by a startling pulse.

Impaired Early Attentional Processes in Parkinson's Disease: A High-Resolution Event-Related Potentials Study.

Introduction: The selection of task-relevant information requires both the focalization of attention on the task and resistance to interference from irrelevant stimuli. A previous study using the P3 component of the event-related potentials suggested that a reduced ability to resist interference could be responsible for attention disorders at early stages of Parkinson's disease (PD), with a possible role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).

Methods: Our objective was to better determine the origin of this impairment, by studying an earlier ERP component, the N2, and its subcomponents, as they reflect early inhibition processes and as they are known to have sources in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is involved together with the DLPFC in inhibition processes.

The spatiotemporal dynamics of early attention processes: a high-resolution electroencephalographic study of N2 subcomponent sources.

The N2 subcomponents of event-related potentials are known to reflect early attentional processes. The anterior N2 may reflect conflict monitoring, whereas the posterior N2 may be involved in target detection. The aim of this study was to identify the brain areas involved in the generation of the N2 subcomponents, in order to define the spatiotemporal dynamics of these attentional processes.

Effects of stimulus-driven and goal-directed attention on prepulse inhibition of the cortical responses to an auditory pulse.

Objective: Inhibition by a prepulse (prepulse inhibition, PPI) of the response to a startling acoustic pulse is modulated by attention. We sought to determine whether goal-directed and stimulus-driven attention differentially modulate (i) PPI of the N100 and P200 components of the auditory evoked potential (AEP) and (ii) the components' generators.

Methods: 128-channel electroencephalograms were recorded in 26 healthy controls performing an active acoustic PPI paradigm.

Role of basal ganglia circuits in resisting interference by distracters: a swLORETA study.

Background: The selection of task-relevant information requires both the focalization of attention on the task and resistance to interference from irrelevant stimuli. Both mechanisms rely on a dorsal frontoparietal network, while focalization additionally involves a ventral frontoparietal network. The role of subcortical structures in attention is less clear, despite the fact that the striatum interacts significantly with the frontal cortex via frontostriatal loops.

Use of swLORETA to localize the cortical sources of target- and distracter-elicited P300 components.

Objective: Cognitive event-related potentials (especially P300) have long been used to explore attentional processes. The aim of this study was to identify the cortical areas involved in P300 generation during a selective attention task.

Methods: 128 channel electroencephalograms were recorded in 15 healthy controls performing a three-stimulus visual oddball paradigm, in order to identify distracter- and target-elicited P300 components.

[Primitive leptomeningeal malignant melanoma: a rare etiology of pachymeningitis and leptomeningitis].

Introduction: Leptomeningitis and pachymeningitis are known to occur consecutive to many causes.

Observation: We report the case of a 24-year-old woman with symptoms of raised intracranial pressure and repeated switching transient hemiparesis. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a pachyleptomeningitis.

Afferent-induced facilitation of primary motor cortex excitability in the region controlling hand muscles in humans.

Sensory inputs from cutaneous and limb receptors are known to influence motor cortex network excitability. Although most recent studies have focused on the inhibitory influences of afferent inputs on arm motor responses evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), facilitatory effects are rarely considered. In the present work, we sought to establish how proprioceptive sensory inputs modulate the excitability of the primary motor cortex region controlling certain hand and wrist muscles.

Attention impairment in temporal lobe epilepsy: a neurophysiological approach via analysis of the P300 wave.

Purpose: Attention is often impaired in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The P300 wave (an endogenous, event-related potential) is a correlate of attention which is usually recorded during an "oddball paradigm," where the subject is instructed to detect an infrequent target stimulus presented amongst frequent, standard stimuli. Modifications of the P300 wave's latency and amplitude in TLE have been suggested, but it is still not known whether the source regions also differ.

The effects of low- and high-frequency repetitive TMS on the input/output properties of the human corticospinal pathway.

The objective of this study was to characterize the effects of various parameters (notably the frequency and intensity) of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied over the primary motor (M1) and premotor (PMC) cortices on the excitability of the first dorsalis interosseus (FDI) corticospinal pathway. To this end, we applied a comprehensive input-output analysis after fitting the experimental results to a sigmoidal function. Twenty-six healthy subjects participated in the experiments.

[Digestive reconstruction after total circular pharyngolaryngectomy. Results and comments apropos of 60 cases].

60 reconstructive procedures after T.C.P.

Flow cytometric analysis of DNA abnormalities in colorectal carcinomas.

We report a flow cytometric study on ploidy in 117 colorectal cancers. An aneuploid cell population was found in more than 70% of adenocarcinomas. Ploidy was found to be stage-related; aneuploid tumors with DNA index greater than or equal to 1.

Flow cytometric studies of colorectal tumors using fine needle aspiration.

The results are reported of cytofluorometric DNA analyses of colorectal tumors using cells obtained by mechanical disruption and fine needle aspiration. The latter method does not lower the level of debris or cell aggregates. We found a significantly higher proportion of aneuploid cells by needle aspiration.

Immunostaining of colorectal cancer with monoclonal anti-CEA antibodies compared to serum and tumor CEA content.

Carcinoembryonic antigen was measured in serum and in extracts from 37 colorectal tumors and we found a poor correlation between circulating and tumor CEA. Monoclonal antiCEA antibodies were used in indirect immunoperoxidase staining of the corresponding formalin fixed tissue sections. We found that serum CEA measurement had a sensitivity of only 41.