Susac syndrome: a case report and PET imaging findings.

We describe the case of a twenty-year-old woman with subacute encephalopathy, who subsequently developed hearing loss and ophtalmopathy. The clinical triad and typical findings on magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis led to the diagnosis of Susac syndrome. Brain positron emission tomography showed abnormalities which are comparable with other types of central nervous system vasculitis, and distinct from those found in multiple sclerosis.

Fatigue as the presenting symptom of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

Different clinical presentations of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) have been described. Fatigue is generally considered to be a secondary sign and is not mentioned as a warning sign for the diagnosis. We present a patient with CIDP in whom fatigue remained the only symptom, hereby stressing the importance of adding this disease to the differential diagnosis of fatigue.

Impact of efflux transporters and of seizures on the pharmacokinetics of oxcarbazepine metabolite in the rat brain.

Background And Purpose: Accurate prediction of biophase pharmacokinetics (PK) is essential to optimize pharmacotherapy in epilepsy. Here, we characterized the PK of the active metabolite of oxcarbazepine, 10,11-dihydro-10-hydroxy-carbamazepine (MHD) in plasma and in the hippocampus. Simultaneously, the impact of acute seizures and efflux transport mechanisms on brain distribution was quantified.

A case of 'tropical' myelopathy.

We present a case of lower limb sensory disturbances and weakness in a patient originating from Mali. MRI showed a diffuse myelopathy of the cervical and thoracic spinal cord. Serological evaluation of blood and cerebrospinal fluid pointed towards schistosomiasis as the cause.

Direct enhancement of hippocampal dopamine or serotonin levels as a pharmacodynamic measure of combined antidepressant-anticonvulsant action.

The neurobiological relationships between epilepsy and depression are receiving increased experimental attention. A key role for limbic monoamines in depression has been established and we recently showed the importance of hippocampal monoamines in limbic seizure control. We here studied whether anticonvulsant compounds are antidepressant and can elevate hippocampal dopamine (DA) or serotonin (5-HT) levels determined by in vivo microdialysis in rats.