Epileptic ictal strabismus: a case report and review of the literature.

Ictal strabismus, sometimes associated with epileptic nystagmus, is an extremely rare epileptic phenomenon, suggestive of cortical involvement in monocular eye movement control. We describe a patient with ictal disconjugate contraversive horizontal eye deviation of cortical origin as the main clinical feature of a focal seizure. A 17-year-old, previously healthy woman had a seizure characterized by initial rightward conjugate eye deviation, followed by convergent strabismus due to adduction of the right eye towards the nose without conjugate left eye abduction (esotropia), forced leftward head deviation with impaired awareness, and subsequent evolution into a bilateral tonic-clonic seizure.

Synkinetic wrist extension in distinguishing cortical hand from radial nerve palsy.

We describe a patient with pseudoradial nerve palsy caused by acute ischaemic stroke ('cortical hand') to emphasise how preserved synkinetic wrist extension following fist closure can distinguish this from peripheral causes of wrist drop.

Epilepsy in Hildegard of Bingen's writings: A comprehensive overview.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179AD) is one of the most relevant figures of the Middle Ages. She wrote two medical books, Physica (Natural history) and Causae et curae (Causes and remedies). Our aim was to provide a comprehensive account of Hildegard of Bingen's conception of epilepsy, of the remedies proposed to treat it, and of the medical and physiological theories behind their use.

Reduced duration of breastfeeding is associated with a higher risk of multiple sclerosis in both Italian and Norwegian adult males: the EnvIMS study.

Breastfeeding for at least 4 months has been found to be associated with a reduced risk of immune-mediated diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS). Using data from a large multinational case-control study (EnvIMS), the association between MS and breastfeeding was investigated in two distinct populations. A questionnaire (EnvIMS-Q) which included a section on feeding during the first year of life was administered to MS cases and to age and sex frequency-matched controls from Italy and Norway.

Protein-protein interaction analysis highlights additional loci of interest for multiple sclerosis.

Genetic factors play an important role in determining the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). The strongest genetic association in MS is located within the major histocompatibility complex class II region (MHC), but more than 50 MS loci of modest effect located outside the MHC have now been identified. However, the relative candidate genes that underlie these associations and their functions are largely unknown.

Vitamin D receptor binding, chromatin states and association with multiple sclerosis.

Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the aetiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). More than 50 genomic regions have been associated with MS susceptibility and vitamin D status also influences the risk of this complex disease. However, how these factors interact in disease causation is unclear.