[The method of axonal stimulation (AS) for jitter evaluation in the diagnosis of neuromuscular transmission disorders].

The results of jitter measurements in 15 patients with myasthenia gravis and 10 control group persons are presented using single fiber emg (SFEMG) method during weak voluntary activation and intramuscular AS. The method of AS is described, advantages of its use in evaluation of neuromuscular transmission disorders, some limitations and technical traps that the investigator encounters are presented. Jitter values obtained by both methods are compared and existing differences are discussed taking into account two variants of jitter origin.

Muscular fatigability in mitochondrial myopathies. An electrophysiological study.

A frequent occurrence of ophthalmoplegia and muscle fatigability in mitochondrial myopathy (MAM) often makes its differential diagnosis from myasthenia rather difficult. Neuromuscular transmission was investigated in 9 patients with MAM, presenting marked fatigability. The aim of the study was to see whether there were any other causes of muscle fatigability in addition to the metabolic factors.

[Facilitation phenomenon in electrophysiological diagnosis of myasthenia gravis].

A group of 10 patients with atypical result of repetitive stimulation was selected out of the patients examined in our EMG Laboratory. The diagnosis of myasthenia was clinically confirmed. In all those 10 patients no essential amplitude decrement was found on stimulation, so the electrophysiological confirmation of the diagnosis was lacking.

Disintegration of the motor unit in post-polio syndrome. Part II. Electrophysiological findings in patients with post-polio syndrome.

The aim of the study is to investigate the motor unit abnormalities in late postpolio muscular atrophy (PPMA) as compared to those found in patients who had polio 20-30 years prior to examination without any new clinical signs. The quantitative concentric needle EMG and a single fiber EMG techniques were employed. Spontaneous activity, the parameters of individual motor units potentials (MUP), number of complex potentials and their stability, jitter and blocking as well as fiber density (FD) have been evaluated.

Disintegration of the motor unit in post-polio syndrome. Part I. Electrophysiological findings in patients after poliomyelitis.

CN EMG and SF EMG were performed in 12 patients many years after acute poliomyelitis, without symptoms of post-polio syndrome. In 19 muscles with clinical symptoms and in 11 clinically normal muscles chronic neurogenic changes of a similar degree were observed. Fibre density was increased in both groups of muscles.

[A trial of cronassial use in late postpoliomyelitis syndrome].

The results are presented of treatment with gangliosides (Cronassial) in 5 patients with late postpoliomyelitis syndrome. Clinical and electrophysiological examination were done before and after three months of treatment. Only subjective improvement was found.

[Reactivity of periodontal vessels in children with insulin-dependent diabetes].

The morphological changes of capillaries and small vessels in diabetes are preceded by functional disturbances. The purpose of the work was assessment of the reactivity of parodontal vessels in children with insulin-dependent diabetes. The study was done in 50 children with this diabetes aged 7 to 17 years, and 45 healthy controls (without parodontal changes).

Pseudoselectivity of the neuromuscular block in ocular myasthenia: a SFEMG study.

The patients with pure ocular myasthenia presenting no signs of neuromuscular transmission defect on classical supramaximal repetitive stimulation were studied using SFMG method. Only those patients were selected to the study in whom the diagnosis of the ocular myasthenia was confirmed by the clinical criteria arranged so as to exclude ophthalmoplegia of the other nature. The series comprises 20 patients in whom the results of the supramaximal repetitive stimulation with the recording from the proximal muscles and with the evaluation of posttetanic phenomena were normal.

[Atypical clinical image of myopathy with abnormal mitochondria (MAM) in our cases].

Two peculiar cases of mitochondrial myopathy are presented. In the first case the diagnostic difficulties are discussed stressing especially the differentiation of the myopathy from myasthenia. In the second cases polyneuropathy signs were evident, which is extremely rare in this myopathy.

[Post-poliomyelitis syndrome. Description of 2 cases].

The authors describe two cases of slowly progressing damage of the peripheral motor neuron which developed in the patients several tens of years following typical acute poliomyelitis anterior in childhood. The clinical features of these cases and the results of electrophysiological investigations are reported in detail. In the light of these cases and a literature review the authors discuss the clinical findings, course, electrophysiological, virological and immunological investigations, and hypotheses concerning the pathological mechanism of the postpoliomyelitis syndrome.

[Favorable results of the treatment of the hyperkalemic form of periodic paralysis with salbutamol].

Two cases of hyperkalaemic periodic paralysis with myotonic symptoms were treated successfully with salbutamol. The methods of managing the hyperkalaemic form of periodic paralysis are discussed in brief.

Do true remissions in myasthenia really exist? An electrophysiological study.

To answer the question whether true remissions in myasthenia gravis occurred, 20 patients were studied with a history of evident, typical myasthenia but in full clinical remission. Two control groups served as a comparison: one of 10 healthy volunteers and the other of 10 patients with generalized, presently active myasthenia. In 17 of the 20 patients in remission single-fibre EMG (SFEMG) abnormalities were found, indicating some subclinical disturbances of neuromuscular transmission (in 3 cases the results were overtly pathological, in 11 cases moderately pathological, and in 3 cases slightly pathological).

[Evaluation of treatment of myasthenia with thymectomy (author's transl)].

The paper describes the effectiveness of treatment of myasthenia with thymectomy in 136 patients operated on, observed in hospital and 107 examined by questionnaire on late results after 10 years. Exclusive of myasthenia with thymoma, cures were obtained in 26.4%, marked improvement in 19.

[Spinal cord tumors simulating the clinical course of Charcot-Marie disease].

The authors describe two cases of extramedullary tumours in the vertebral canal with long (7 and 15 years) course without pains and with clinical manifestations simulating Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. It is stressed in conclusion that sporadic cases of this disease with involvement of the lower extremities only, with normal conduction velocity in the peroneal nerves should be differentiated against spinal cord tumours situated in the vertebral canal.

Nerve conduction in the Guillain-Barré-Strohl syndrome.

Fifty cases of the Guillain-Barré-Strohl syndrome were investigated clinically and electrophysiologically--20 in the acute phase, and 30, as a matter of followup, many years after. The sural nerve was biopsied in six cases. There was no evident correlation between clinical symptoms and slowing of motor and sensory conduction.

Evaluation of results of thymectomy in myasthenia gravis.

The results of thymectomy carried out in 150 cases of myasthenia gravis are discussed. In a group of 123 cases followed for 1 to 5 years after the operation, full remission was observed in 24.4% of cases, significant improvement in 36.