Tardive syndromes (TS) encompass a broad spectrum of abnormal movements due to chronic exposure to dopamine receptor blocking agents. This review provides a compiled update on TS, including phenomenology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, genetic correlations and therapeutics, highlighting the emerging experience with atypical antipsychotics. The advent of atypical antipsychotics, which have lower affinity for dopamine receptors and act on 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C serotonin receptors, was expected to dramatically reduce the prevalence and incidence of this iatrogenic problem.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCerebellar ataxias comprise a wide range of etiologies leading to central nervous system-related motor and non-motor symptoms. Recently, a large body of evidence has demonstrated a high frequency of non-motor manifestations in cerebellar ataxias, specially in autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA). Among these non-motor dysfunctions, sleep disorders have been recognized, although still under or even misdiagnosed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report a case of a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a young woman presenting with an abdominal mass and an unusual instance of cranial nerve palsies mimicking Gradenigo's syndrome. This condition is characterized by a triad of otorrhea, facial pain and diplopia, related to otitis media in the pre-antibiotic era. Incomplete and atypical clinical features of Gradenigo's syndrome have been described and noninfectious causes may mimic this condition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProgressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a distinctive form of neurodegenerative disease which affects the brainstem and basal ganglia. Patients present supranuclear ophthalmoplegia, postural instability and mild dementia. PSP is defined neuropathologically by the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles in the subthalamic nucleus, pallidum, red nucleus, substantia nigra, striatum, pontine tegmentum, oculomotor nucleus, medulla and dentate nucleus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Neurol Neurosurg
June 2011
Movement disorders have been increasingly recognized in patients with HIV infection and may be due to distinct causes, as opportunistic infections or medication side effects for example. Parkinsonism, tremor and hemichorea have been more frequently noted in association with HIV and opportunistic infections. However, a variety of involuntary movements have already been described.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArq Neuropsiquiatr
December 2009
Few trials have evaluated combination of two or more drugs in the preventive treatment of migraine. In this study three therapeutic regimens were compared: (a) propranolol, at a dose of 40 mg per day, (b) nortriptyline, at a dose of 20 mg per day, and (c) the combination of these two drugs in these dosages. The groups were matched according to age, gender, and frequency of migraine attacks prior to treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Sjogren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) is characterized by the triad of ichthyosis, mental retardation, and spastic diplegia or quadriplegia. The hallmark of SLS is ichthyosis. We report a case and review the major differential diagnosis of SLS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTopiramate was administered to eight patients with classical trigeminal neuralgia with or without previous symptomatic therapy with other antiepileptic drugs. The topiramate doses ranged from 50 to 100 mg a day, according to the clinical response and the reported side effects. Three patients had complete symptoms remission, three reported moderate improvement, and the treatment was not effective in two.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis is the first study to assess the prevalence of headache and migraine among Pomeranian descendents in Brazil. A high prevalence of headache in the last 6 months was found (53.2%).
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