Laser scanning tomography of the optic nerve vs CSF opening pressure in idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

The authors investigated 17 patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), correlating laser scanning tomography of the optic nerve with CSF opening pressure. The decrease in papilla volume and papilla height showed a linear correlation with the opening pressure of the CSF (r = 0.59, p < 0.

[Hospitalization of non-stroke patients in a Stroke Unit].

Background And Objective: Stroke care in Germany has substantially improved during the last decade. One column of modern stroke care is the institution of stroke unit which allows rapid diagnosis and treatment. The aspect of admission of nonstroke patients to a stroke unit is poorly evaluated.

[Thrombus attached to a Sideris septal occluder system 6 years later].

History And Clinical Findings: A 61-year-old man was admitted to hospital because of right-sided hypaesthesia. Additionally he reported a brief speech disturbance some weeks before. Neurological examination indicated right-sided sensomotoric hemiparesis and left-sided upper quadrant anopia.

Does improved problem-based teaching influence students' knowledge at the end of their neurology elective? An observational study of 40 students.

Background: Elective programs for medical students in the last year of their university training are poorly evaluated. The goal of this study was to determine the gain in theoretical and practical skills in a group of students during their elective in neurology. Students were trained by either conventional teaching methods or applying improved problem-based teaching.

Choreoathetosis related to lithium intoxication.

A 76-year old woman was admitted because of severe gait ataxia and dysarthric speech that had worsened over the last 24 h. The patient was initially suspected of having repeated transitory ischemic attacks (TIAs) as her daughter reported a similar episode that had happened 3 weeks prior to admission. The onset of spontaneous twisting, choreoathetotic movements of both hands and arms and worsening of symptoms one hour after admission together with a history of lithium therapy lead to the correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Telemedicine in emergency evaluation of acute stroke: interrater agreement in remote video examination with a novel multimedia system.

Background And Purpose: In acute stroke care, rapid but careful evaluation of patients is mandatory but requires an experienced stroke neurologist. Telemedicine offers the possibility of bringing such expertise quickly to more patients. This study tested for the first time whether remote video examination is feasible and reliable when applied in emergency stroke care using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS).

The hereditary adult-onset ataxias in South Africa.

There is little data on the spectrum and frequencies of the autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) from the African continent. We undertook a large prospective population-based study over a 10-year period in South Africa (SA). Affected persons were clinically evaluated, and the molecular analysis for the SCA1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 expansions was undertaken.

Novel presenilin 1 mutation with profound neurofibrillary pathology in an indigenous Southern African family with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Genetically determined Alzheimer's disease (AD) is virtually unknown in Africa. We report clinicopathological findings and a presenilin 1 (PS1) mutation associated with early-onset AD in a large Xhosa family from Southern Africa. Twelve individuals spanning four generations were affected, four of whom underwent clinical and psychometric evaluation.

Delayed cerebrovascular autoregulatory response to ergometer exercise in normotensive elderly humans.

Background: Relatively little is known about physiological cerebrovascular haemodynamics during physical stress in elderly healthy individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of ergometer stress on cerebrovascular haemodynamics in elderly healthy individuals in comparison with young healthy individuals, using non-invasive methods.

Methods: Continuous middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (CBFV; transcranial Doppler ultrasound), beat-to-beat blood pressure, heart rate and transcutaneous pCO(2) were measured in response to 3 min ergometer exercise stress in 18 elderly healthy subjects (mean age +/- SD 66.

Electrocerebral silence with preserved but reduced cortical brain perfusion.

Isoelectric electroencephalogram in conformance with clinical findings is strongly suggestive of brain death. In clinical practice, isoelectric electroencephalogram in not-brain-dead patients is rarely seen. We report on a 53-year-old patient who suffered ischaemic encephalopathy after cardiopulmonary arrest.

Multiple brain abscesses caused by Fusobacterium nucleatum treated conservatively.

Background: Multiple brain abscesses are serious neurological problems with high mortality and disabling morbidity. The frequency is rising as a result of AIDS and the increasing number of immunocompromised patients.

Case Study: A 59-year-old woman developed signs and symptoms of diffuse brain dysfunction including fever and neck stiffness.

Simultaneous involvement of third and sixth cranial nerve in a patient with Lyme disease.

We report a 57-year-old woman with neuroborreliosis presenting with headache, shoulder muscle pain and double vision. MRI demonstrated enhancement of the right third and sixth cranial nerves. A 3D MP-RAGE sequence was used to perform multiplanar reformations to show this more graphically.

Mononeuritis multiplex caused by Coxiella burnetii infection (Q fever).

After 1 week of flu-like illness, a 64-year-old man developed rapidly progressive mononeuritis multiplex involving the right arm and both legs. Serologic studies identified Coxiella burnetii as the cause of the febrile disease (Q fever). Fourteen days doxycycline treatment (200 mg daily) induced rapid and complete recovery.