Untreated depressive symptoms among cognitively-intact, community dwelling Filipino patients with Parkinson disease.

The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its correlation with the quality of life among cognitively intact, community dwelling Filipino patients with Parkinson disease (PD) not treated pharmacologically for depression. In this prospective, cross-sectional study 76 PD patients were included. Demographic data were obtained including: age, gender, onset of disease, disease duration, and medication intake.

Topographic movie of intracranial ictal high-frequency oscillations with seizure semiology: epileptic network in Jacksonian seizures.

Purpose: We developed a technique to produce images of dynamic changes in ictal high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) >40 Hz recorded on subdural electroencephalography (EEG) that are time-locked to the ictal EEG and ictal semiology video. We applied this technique to Jacksonian seizures to demonstrate ictal HFO propagation along the homunculus in the primary sensory-motor cortex to visualize the underlying epileptic network.

Methods: We analyzed intracranial ictal EEGs from two patients with intractable Jacksonian seizures who underwent epilepsy surgery.

Abnormal axial diffusivity in the deep gray nuclei and dorsal brain stem in infantile spasm treated with vigabatrin.

We evaluated the DTI changes in the deep gray nuclei and dorsal brain stem, which demonstrated abnormal T2 and/or diffusion signal intensity, in 6 patients with infantile spasm treated with vigabatrin compared with 6 age-matched controls. Regions of interest were placed in the globi pallidi, thalami, and dorsal brain stem; FA, trace, D(‖), and D(⊥) were measured. Patients on vigabatrin had significantly lower FA in both globi pallidi (P = .

Chikungunya fever in Singapore: acute clinical and laboratory features, and factors associated with persistent arthralgia.

Background: In Singapore, the first local outbreak of chikungunya was reported in January 2008, followed by a larger outbreak occurred in August 2008. During the initial outbreak period, a strict containment strategy was adopted and all chikungunya PCR-confirmed cases were isolated and hospitalised at the designated national outbreak management centre.

Objectives: To detail daily clinical and laboratory features of chikungunya cases during acute illness, and determine factors associated with persistent arthralgia at week 6.

Revision of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) electrodes: review and report on use of ultra-sharp monopolar tip.

Purpose: As a result of the increasingly popularity of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) for intractable seizures, neurosurgeons not uncommonly encounter cases which require electrode revision. We examine our experience of VNS revision and reports the use of the ultra-sharp monopolar tip for safe dissection and removal of the electrode from the vagus nerve.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed from January 2000 to Dec 2009 reviewed eight cases of VNS revision.

Diffusion tensor imaging of commissural and projection white matter in tuberous sclerosis complex and correlation with tuber load.

Background And Purpose: Cortical and white matter changes have been identified outside the MR imaging-visible cortical/subcortical tubers in the tuberous sclerosis complex. The aim of this study was to evaluate DTI changes in the corpus callosum and internal capsules and to correlate the DTI changes with cortical/subcortical tuber load.

Materials And Methods: Twelve TSC patients and 23 controls underwent MR imaging including DTI.

Localization of epileptic foci in children with intractable epilepsy secondary to multiple cortical tubers by using synthetic aperture magnetometry kurtosis.

Object: Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has been typically used to localize epileptic activity by modeling interictal activity as equivalent current dipoles (ECDs). Synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM) is a recently developed adaptive spatial filtering algorithm for MEG that provides some advantages over the ECD approach. The SAM-kurtosis algorithm (also known as SAM[g2]) additionally provides automated temporal detection of spike sources by using excess kurtosis value (steepness of epileptic spike on virtual sensors).

The current prevalence and factors associated with tardive dyskinesia among Filipino schizophrenic patients.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of and the factors associated with tardive dyskinesia (TD) among Filipino patients with schizophrenia admitted at the National Center for Mental Health.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: A total of 227 inpatients fulfilling the DSM-IV TR criteria for schizophrenia participated in the study.

Interictal epileptogenic fast oscillations on neonatal and infantile EEGs in hemimegalencephaly.

Purpose: Hemimegalencephaly is an epileptic encephalopathy which presents during the neonatal period. Our aims are to analyze interictal fast oscillations and EEG patterns in neonates and infants with hemimegalencephaly.

Methods: We collected scalp EEGs and applied multiple band frequency analysis (MBFA) to analyze frequency and power of interictal fast oscillations (FOs).

Relationship of predictive modeling to receiver operating characteristics.

Background: Discriminatory capabilities of a measurement technique can be assessed by a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis (specifically, area under the curve [AUC]) and predictive modeling (predictive accuracy and positive predictive value). Theoretically, predictive accuracy is dependent on disease prevalence while AUC assessments are not.

Objective: To compare the effect of changes in disease prevalence on ROC AUC analysis and predictive modeling.

Changing ictal-onset EEG patterns in children with cortical dysplasia.

Purpose: Cortical dysplasia (CD) is intrinsically epileptogenic. We hypothesize that CDs clinically emerging in the early developing brain tend to extend into multifocal or larger epileptic networks to pronounce intractability in contrast to CDs which clinically emerge at a later age.

Methods: We evaluated the spatial and temporal profiles of ictal-onset EEG patterns in children with histopathologically confirmed CD.

Pharmacologically intractable epilepsy in children: diagnosis and preoperative evaluation.

It is important to correctly diagnose medically intractable epilepsy in children and to identify those children whose medically refractory, localization-related seizures may be surgically remediable as soon as possible to optimize the surgical outcome. In this paper the authors review the definition of medically intractable seizures and discuss the various causes and risk factors for this disorder in children. They also outline the presurgical diagnostic evaluation process for pharmacologically intractable epilepsy in children who may be candidates for surgical treatment of localization-related seizures.

The role of magnetoencephalography in epilepsy surgery.

Epilepsy surgery requires the precise localization of the epileptogenic zone and the anatomical localization of eloquent cortex so that these areas can be preserved during cortical resection. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a technique that maps interictal magnetic dipole sources onto MR imaging to produce a magnetic source image. Magneto-encephalographic spike sources can be used to localize the epileptogenic zone and be part of the workup of the patient for epilepsy surgery in conjunction with data derived from an analysis of seizure semiology, scalp video electroencephalography, PET, functional MR imaging, and neuropsychological testing.

Astrocytic inclusions in epilepsy: expanding the spectrum of filaminopathies.

We report the finding of unique astrocytic inclusions in a series of pediatric epilepsy patients, all of whom presented with seizures in their first year of life and had mild-to-moderate developmental delay. All eventually underwent surgical treatment for refractory epilepsy and, on pathological examination, were found to have distinctive, eosinophilic, globular cytoplasmic inclusions confined to cortical astrocytes. These inclusions were almost exclusively juxtanuclear, highly refractile, spared distal subpial, or perivascular astrocytic processes and were strongly and exclusively immunopositive for filamin A, an actin binding protein involved in neuronal migration.

Bilateral diffusion tensor abnormalities of temporal lobe and cingulate gyrus white matter in children with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Purpose: Bilateral diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) abnormalities have been reported in the white matter associated to the hippocampus in adults with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In children with a shorter duration of epilepsy, such changes may not have yet emerged. The aim of this study was to investigate interictal changes in the temporal lobe white matter (TLWM) and cingulate gyrus white matter (CGWM) of children with TLE using DTI.

Psychometric properties of the German version of the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Code.

Motivational interviewing (MI) is effective in the treatment of addictions. To evaluate MI adherence of therapists, the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Code (MITI) was developed. MI is used in German-speaking countries, but there is no equivalent to the MITI.

High-frequency oscillations of ictal muscle activity and epileptogenic discharges on intracranial EEG in a temporal lobe epilepsy patient.

Objective: During seizures, intracranial EEG electrodes can record ictal muscle movements. Our purpose was to differentiate the high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) of extracranial muscle contractions from those of intracranial epileptogenic discharges.

Methods: Using intracranial video-EEG (IVEEG), we recorded seizures in a 17-year-old boy with left mesial-temporal lobe epilepsy.

Depth of a strong jovian jet from a planetary-scale disturbance driven by storms.

The atmospheres of the gas giant planets (Jupiter and Saturn) contain jets that dominate the circulation at visible levels. The power source for these jets (solar radiation, internal heat, or both) and their vertical structure below the upper cloud are major open questions in the atmospheric circulation and meteorology of giant planets. Several observations and in situ measurements found intense winds at a depth of 24 bar, and have been interpreted as supporting an internal heat source.

Comparison of high- versus low-tissue affinity ACE-inhibitor treatment on circulating aldosterone levels in patients with chronic heart failure.

Introduction: Previous animal studies of chronic heart failure (CHF) suggest that angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors of differing tissue avidity provide varying levels of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) suppression. Human studies have not consistently confirmed these animal findings. We hypothesised that production of circulating aldosterone (ALDO) would be suppressed to a greater extent in subjects treated with an ACE-inhibitor of higher tissue avidity.

A unique strategy of host colony exploitation in a parasitic ant: workers of Polyrhachis lama rear their brood in neighbouring host nests.

The formicine ant Polyrhachis lama is a social parasite, exploiting its ponerine host ant species Diacamma sp. In most social parasitic associations, the parasitic species are closely related to their host species group, evolving directly from independent ancestors of the host species. However, in the Polyrhachis lama- Diacamma sp.

Investigation of newly developed added damping and stiffness device with low yield strength steel.

Energy dissipators, isolated-resistant and specific structural forms for earthquake resistance are popular topics in the research to improve shock-resistance. In this work, experimental methods were used to investigate the property of low yield strength steel. Carbon content in LYS material is lower than that in other steels; the ultimate stress is three times the yield stress.

Measurement of TG synthesis and turnover in vivo by 2H2O incorporation into the glycerol moiety and application of MIDA.

A method is presented for measurement of triglyceride (TG) synthesis that can be applied to slow-turnover lipids. The glycerol moiety of TG is labeled from 2H2O, and mass isotopomer distribution analysis (MIDA) is applied. Mice and rats were given 4-8% 2H2O in drinking water; TG-glycerol was isolated from adipose and liver during < or =12-wk of 2H2O labeling.

Molecular transformation of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: viral typing and p53 overexpression.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a histologically benign disease of the larynx, trachea, and bronchi. Here we report on the histologic and molecular characteristics of 7 cases of malignant transformation of RRP to squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA). The clinical histories of 7 patients with RRP who developed SCCA were carefully reviewed.

Insulin sensitivity and the insulin-like growth factor system in prepubertal boys with premature adrenarche.

Girls with premature adrenarche (PA), similar to women with polycystic ovarian syndrome, display alterations in the IGF system, may have impaired insulin sensitivity, and demonstrate unfavorable lipid profiles. Girls with PA are also at increased risk for functional ovarian hyperandrogenism. Metabolic studies in boys with PA, however, are limited.