A Novel Application of an Adjustable Catheter in Acute Radicular Pain Management.

Introduction: Acute lumbosacral radicular syndrome is often a medical disorder of difficult management. Epidural steroid injection is a useful approach for the herniated disc and radiculitis. The transforaminal approach is usually considered more effective and target-specific, but it can be associated with permanent lower extremity paralysis.

Cognitive and Neurophysiological Effects of Non-invasive Brain Stimulation in Stroke Patients after Motor Rehabilitation.

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two specific Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) paradigms, the repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), and transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), in the upper limb rehabilitation of patients with stroke. Short and long term outcomes (after 3 and 6 months, respectively) were evaluated. We measured, at multiple time points, the manual dexterity using a validated clinical scale (ARAT), electroencephalography auditory event related potentials, and neuropsychological performances in patients with chronic stroke of middle severity.

Chemotherapy-Induced Neurotoxicity: Evidence of a Protective Role of CC Homozygosis in the Interleukin-1β Gene-511 C>T Polymorphism.

We hypothesized that the IL-1β-511 C>T polymorphism could be associated with the development of neurotoxicity and that it could be a possible biomarker to rate the risk of occurrence of neurotoxicity in cancer patients. Genomic DNA was extracted from 85 cancer patients: 49 received systemic chemotherapeutic treatment (CHT) and 36 patients did not receive it (No-CHT). All subjects were genotyped for the functionally active polymorphisms of IL-1β-511 C>T.

Paroxysmal non-kinesigenic dyskinesia, post-streptococcal syndromes and psychogenic movement disorders: a diagnostic challenge.

We report a case of a 15-year-old boy presenting with sudden attacks of hyperkinetic movements of the limbs, trunk and neck. Clinical features were suggestive of paroxysmal non-kinesigenic dyskinesia, but the elevated antistreptolysin O antibody titre and history of recurrent upper airways infection led us to consider a post-streptococcal syndrome as a possible diagnosis. The patient started therapy with benzathine penicillin, sodium valproate and clonazepam without any significant improvement.

Ultra performance liquid chromatography PDA method for determination of tigecycline in human plasma.

: A simple ultra performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array method for the quantification of human plasma concentrations of tigecycline was developed and validated. Quinaxoline, used as an internal standard, was added to 500 μL of plasma before adding 1 mL of protein precipitation solution. The extracts were dried in a vacuum centrifuge system at 60°C and reconstituted with 60 μL of water and acetonitrile (95:5, vol/vol), and 5 μL was injected onto an ACQUITY UPLC H-Class system.