Mitochondrial cytopathy or Leigh's syndrome? Mitochondrial abnormalities in Spongiform encephalopathies.

A boy with mitochondrial cytopathy and neuropathological changes of subacute necrotizing encephalopathy is reported. Conditions with abnormal mitochondria in muscle and/or brain are reviewed and the role of mitochondrial abnormalities in spongiform encephalopathies is discussed. It is suggested that electronmicroscopical and histochemical investigations of muscle tissue would be of value in patients with Leigh's syndrome or other forms of spongiform encephalopathies.

Joubert-Boltshauser syndrome with polydactyly in siblings.

Two siblings are described with clinical features of the Joubert-Boltshauser syndrome. Both had polydactyly and one had fleshy tumours of the tongue. Computed tomography of the brain showed hypoplasia of the cerebellar vermis, associated in one case with a cyst of the fourth ventricle.

[Sex function disorders after myocardial infarct. Diagnosis, counseling and therapy].

Sexual activities are possible and important even after myocardial infarction. Sexual complaints after a coronary heart disease are frequent, in most cases functional and primarily caused by psychological or psychosocial problems. There are good reasons to provide for psychological counselling and short-time therapy of sexual disturbances in the postcoronary rehabilitation programme.

[Efficiency of myocardial infarction (author's transl)].

During inpatient cardiological rehabilitation following myocardial infarction, 120 patients were examined by means of a written enquiry on the subjective appreciation of changes in the quality of their lives. The following picture emerged: cardiac patients experience a distinct deterioration in the quality of their lives as a result of the disease. The reactions from the social environment are judged by the patients vaguely and without uniformity.

Mitochondrial cytopathy. A multisystem disorder with ragged red fibres on muscle biopsy.

Thirteen children with abnormal mitochondria in muscle tissue, and a progressive neurological disorder that affected the cerebrum, cerebellum, extrapyramidal system, vestibular system, retina, upper motor neuron, lower motor neuron, and musculature, are reported. Other signs and symptoms were short stature, diabetes mellitus, cardiopathy, hypoplastic anaemia, glomerulopathy, and renal tubular dysfunction. These symptoms may occur singly or in various combinations and the manifestation may differ even within the same family.

Effects of sodium valproate in 100 children with special reference to weight.

Excessive weight gain occurred in a patient who was taking sodium valproate and phenytoin. The sodium valproate was therefore withdrawn but the rapid weight loss that ensued led to phenytoin intoxication. Hence a retrospective analysis was conducted of 100 children with epilepsy treated with sodium valproate.

[Subjective and objective effects of music use during mental effort].

The subjective and objective effects of music consumption during intellectual work were assessed by a special questionnaire and the concentration paper-pencil-test (Brickencamp). Three different styles of music (pop-music, classical music and folk-music) were presented in a standardized way. It appeared that pop-music was experienced to be less conscious, less irritable and more pleasant than classical music.

Computed tomography in mitochondrial cytopathy.

The clinical and computed tomographic (CT) findings in 11 proven cases of mitochondrial cytopathy (mitochondrial myopathy, Kearns Sayre syndrome, ophthalmoplegia plus) were studied. The CT changes included focal low density lesions in the basal ganglia and white matter and atrophy which could be slight or diffuse and severe. Calcification has been described in the basal ganglia, but did not occur in our series.

[Influence of acupuncture and electroacupuncture on heart rate and extrasystoles (author's transl)].

In 33 patients with constant ventricular extrasystoles the influence of acupuncture and electroacupuncture on the extrasystoles and the heart rate was examined. There was no difference in heart rate between the treatment-conditions and the non-treatment-conditions. Differences were seen however in the frequencies of the ventricular extrasystoles: During acupuncture (normal as well as electric) the total sum of ventricular extrasystoles and the number of subjects with ventricular extrasystoles was lowered significantly in relation to the non-treatment-condition.

[Long term ECG monitoring post myocardial infarction during a representative programme of TV-broadcasts (author's transl)].

Five patients with myocardial infarction were presented a completely representative television programme of 60 hours in order to examine the cardiac strain caused by consumption of television. During a period of 31 days they saw 108 selected TV-broadcasts. Heart activities were registered by long-time-ECG tapes and subjective data on wellbeing were recorded.

[Group psychotherapy in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases--health and disease education in inpatient rehabilitation (author's transl)].

Psychotherapy, beside kinesitherapy, pharmacotherapy and the use of appropriate devices in cardiology, are an important and integral part of therapeutic efforts in inpatient rehabilitation of cardiovascular diseases. A working pattern is suggested for the major part of psychological treatment, namely, group therapy, devised and translated into reality by a clinical psychologist for a specialised rehabilitation center. The therapeutical aims of group psychotherapy include adequate control of disease of anxiety after myocardial infarction and subsequent health training based on behaviour therapy.

[Clinical psychology in rehabilitative cardiology - a working model (author's transl)].

The article presents a model for the psychological treatment within the framework of an in-patient rehabilitation programme for patients suffering from heart and circulatory diseases. On the basis of research work investigating the psychological factors of heart diseases, this model describes details of a clinical-psychological intervention and psychotherapeutic/psychosomatic supervision tested over a two-year period at a specialised rehabilitation centre for heart and circulatory diseases.