Inflammation in dementia with Lewy bodies.

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common neurodegenerative cause of dementia, behind Alzheimer's disease (AD). The profile of inflammation in AD has been extensively researched in recent years, with evidence that chronic peripheral inflammation in midlife increases the risk of late-onset AD, and data supporting inflammation being associated with disease progression. In contrast, our understanding of the role of inflammation in DLB is less developed.

The introduction of the trauma triage clinic at a district general hospital: safety and efficacy during the first year of implementation.

Introduction: Previously published work has shown that there are no missed injuries following the introduction of a trauma triage clinic (TTC). This study aimed to assess both the safety and efficacy of the TTC model in a district general hospital in the United Kingdom. We aimed to assess the rate of missed 'high-risk' injuries, including posterior shoulder dislocations, talar injuries, Lisfranc injuries and complex carpal instability.

Astrocytic Response to Acutely- and Chronically-Implanted Microelectrode Arrays in the Marmoset () Brain.

Microelectrode implants are an important tool in neuroscience research and in developing brain⁻machine interfaces. Data from rodents have consistently shown that astrocytes are recruited to the area surrounding implants, forming a glial scar that increases electrode impedance and reduces chronic utility. However, studies in non-human primates are scarce, with none to date in marmosets.

Neuronal Assemblies Evidence Distributed Interactions within a Tactile Discrimination Task in Rats.

Accumulating evidence suggests that neural interactions are distributed and relate to animal behavior, but many open questions remain. The neural assembly hypothesis, formulated by Hebb, states that synchronously active single neurons may transiently organize into functional neural circuits-neuronal assemblies (NAs)-and that would constitute the fundamental unit of information processing in the brain. However, the formation, vanishing, and temporal evolution of NAs are not fully understood.

Spectral characteristics of the hippocampal LFP during contextual fear conditioning.

Objective: The hippocampus has an important role in the acquisition and recall of aversive memories. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship among hippocampal rhythms.

Methods: Microeletrodes arrays were implanted in the hippocampus of Wistar rats.

Assessment of the cytotoxicity of aluminium oxide nanoparticles on selected mammalian cells.

The rapid development of nanotechnology raises both enthusiasm and anxiety among researchers, which is related to the safety use of the manufactured materials. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aluminium oxide nanoparticles on the viability of selected mammalian cells in vitro. The aluminium oxide nanoparticles were characterised using SEM and BET analyses.

Can the fractal dimension be applied for the early diagnosis of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy?

The fractal dimension has been employed as a useful parameter in the diagnosis of retinal disease. Avakian et al. (Curr Eye Res 2002; 24: 274-280), comparing the vascular pattern of normal patients with mild to moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), found a significant difference between them only in the macular region.

Alkylaluminum derivatives of diphenic acid: novel aluminum carboxylates.

The reaction of trialkylaluminum compounds with diphenic acid in a 2:1 molar ratio results in the formation of novel dialkylaluminum dicarboxylates [Et(4)Al(2)(OOCC(12)H(8)COO)](3) (1) and [(i)Bu(4)Al(2)(OOCC(12)H(8)COO)](2) (2). Molecular structures of the compounds have been determined by X-ray crystallography. Compound 1 is a hexamer with a skeleton framework consisting of four fused heterocyclic rings, one 27-membered and three Al(2)O(4)C(2) 8-membered.

Fractal analysis of retinal vessel patterns in ophthalmically normal dogs.

Objective: To study the applicability of the fractal dimension as a parameter for describing retinal vessel patterns in ophthalmically normal dogs.

Procedures: The following strategy was adopted: (i) development of an experimental procedure to obtain digitalized photographs of the fundus; (ii) development of software to segment retinal vessel images and calculate the box-counting and radius of gyration fractal dimensions of the retinal vessels and diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA), a process with similar characteristics to retinal vessel morphology, and (iii) establishment of a standard curve for the fractal dimensions of segmented vessels.

Results: Digitalized photographs of the fundus showed an adequate contrast between the vessels and the rest of the fundus for numerical analysis.

[Computerized infusion test. II. Clinical use].

In 39 patients with intracranial lesions the resorption resistance was measured using an own computerized infusion test. A high usefulness of this test was demonstrated in the diagnosis of hydrocephalus and for establishing indications to ventriculocardiac valve implantation. In patients after craniocerebral injuries a rise was observed of the resorption resistance immediately after trauma in cases with subarachnoid haemorrhage.

[Peculiar forms of benign tumors of the brain stem].

Three patients are described, who were treated because of tumors of the medulla oblongata, growing towards the lumen of the IV ventricle and into the subarachnoid space. In two cases clinical cure was achieved after partial removal of the tumor and radiotherapy. One of these patients 32 years after the operation is working as a librarian, the other one treated 25 years ago is also professionally active and has a 5-year old son.

Some remarks on the mode of spread of primary benign brain-stem tumours based on description of three cases.

On the basis of long-standing own experiences and the literature, the author subdivides the tumours mentioned in the title into two types. Type A (occurring most frequently): Developing in the transversal plane and the longitudinal axis; typical clinical signs on cerebral nerves, long pathways and cerebellar pathways. Choked papilla and signs of cerebral compression develop late or not at all.

CSF absorptive capacity in patients without intracranial pathology.

The role of changes in CSF inflow in patients without intracranial pathology has been studied. The CSF outflow resistance has been calculated, by dividing the CSF pressure rise by the speed of intrathecal saline infusion. The average CSF pressure rise produced during infusion test (infusion 2 ml/min) amounted to 11.

[Immediate and remote results of surgical treatment of meningioma in the area of the small wing of the sphenoid bone].

Symptoms and therapeutic results are reported in 21 cases of the sphenoidal ridge meningiomas. These meningiomas are usually not recognized in an early stage of typical of intracranial tumours. Headaches as an early symptoms were the complaint in only 10 cases.

[Immediate and remote results of treatment of cerebellar astrocytoma].

Cerebellar astrocytoma accounted for 10% of all brain tumours treated at the Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Academy in Cracow in the years 1946 to 1968. It accounted for 16.6% of all gliomas, and 57% of subtentorial gliomas.

A fast method of estimating the elastance of the intracranial system.

The authors describe a fast method for estimating the elastance of the intracranial system in man. The method consists in constructing the so-called amplitude-pressure (Amp-P) curve which describes the relationship between the amplitude of pulse-related oscillations in cerebrospinal fluid pressure and the basic level of intracranial pressure. The Amp-P curve consists of two straight lines, and the point of intersection of these lines is thought to indicate the intracranial pressure level at which there occurs a qualitative change in the functioning of compensatory mechanisms of the intracranial system.

[Effect of sudden decompression on tissue pressure in the brain and the cerebrospinal fluid pressure].

Extracranial hypertension was produced in cats by means of epidural compression with a baloon. After 2 hours of compression sudden decompression was performed and tissue pressure was compared at symmetrical sites of cerebral hemispheres with cerebrospinal fluid pressure measured in the cisterna magna. It was found that symmetrical tissue pystem, which was due probably to early oedema developing in the compressed area.

[Osmotic serum pressure in patients treated with furosemide and hypertonic mannitol solution].

In patients with expanding intracranial lesion syndrome osmotic pressure of the serum was measured during administration of furosemide or 20% mannitol solution. Mannitol was administered by two methods: a) a dose of 1.5 g/kg during 3--4 hours, b) a dose of 1 g/kg for about 20 min.

A method of estimating intracranial decompensation in man.

A new method of estimating intracranial decompensation in man is described. An on-line computer system is connected to an intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring system to compute regression plots of mean ICP vs standard deviation; standard deviation is used as a measure of ICP instability. Two zones with distinctly different slopes are a characteristic feature of these plots.