Sweet liking in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Pleasant tastes and odors are considered phylogenetically old natural rewards and their hedonic evaluation is regarded as a good indicator of the reward system function. The primary aim of the present study was to compare pleasantness ratings of sucrose solutions (1-30%, w/w) and sweet liking/disliking status in 20 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and in 20 age-matched healthy controls. In addition, basic sensory aspects of gustatory (intensity ratings, electrogustometric thresholds) and olfactory function (identification abilities in the Sniffin' Stick test) were assessed in both groups.

[Aortic dissection and carotid arteries dissection complicated by ischaemic stroke in a patient with cystic medial necrosis].

We present a case of a 62-year-old man who was admitted in grave condition to the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology because of ischaemic stroke. Neurological examination re- vealed left-sided pyramidal hemiparesis. Computed tomography (CT) showed the ischaemic focus in the right cerebral hemisphere.

[Dopamine agonists--clinical applications beyond Parkinson's disease].

Contemporary experience and results of clinical trials concerning dopamine agonist application in the treatment of many different diseases (apart from Parkinson's disease) are presented in the paper. A basic clinical recommendation for agonists is restless legs syndrome. In this syndrome almost all agonists give a considerable subjective and objective improvement.

Sneddon's syndrome as a disorder of small arteries with endothelial cells proliferation: ultrastructural and neuroimaging study.

We report a 18-year-old female patient with livedo reticularis and neurological disturbances. CT scan showed two big ischemic focuses in the pons, moreover MRI revealed small disseminated ischemic focuses in the pons and deep structures of both brain hemispheres. MRA demonstrated no changes in the big extracranial and intracranial arteries.

Taste responses in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Objective: Preclinical studies indicate that dopaminergic transmission in the basal ganglia may be involved in processing of both pleasant and unpleasant stimuli. Given this, the aim of the present study was to assess taste responses to sweet, bitter, sour, and salty substances in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: Rated intensity and pleasantness of filter paper discs soaked in sucrose (10-60%), quinine (0.

Depressive symptoms and taste reactivity in humans.

Animal studies suggest that induction of depression-like states may alter preference for sweet tastants. A major goal of the present study was to search for correlations between depressive symptoms measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and taste responses to sweet and bitter substances. Thirty-three nonclinical volunteers rated intensity and pleasantness of chocolate and vanilla milk as well as of sucrose- and quinine-soaked filter paper disks.

[Current perspectives in the treatment of Huntington's chorea].

Huntington's chorea (HD) is a degenerative condition of the central nervous system of genetic origin, inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. The mechanism of the genetic defect is already known, it is a dynamic mutation in the ITI5 gene situated on chromosome 4 p 16.3 coding the protein huntington.

[EEG value in cases of epileptic seizures in early phase of stroke].

The aim of our work was to assess the usefulness of EEG in patients with seizures in acute phase of stroke. EEG patterns of 54 patients with epileptic seizures at the onset of stroke were evaluated: 45 of ischaemic, 6 of haemorrhagic origin and 3 with lacunar stroke as confirmed by CT or MR examination. Out of 40 patients, who had a single or multiple seizures at the onset of stroke, EEG revealed focal slow waves in 90% and in 22.

[PLED pattern and its clinical significance in stroke patients].

The pathophysiological connection between periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLED) and epileptic seizures is still not clear. In the study clinical data and EEG findings were analysed in 22 patients aged 43-90 years with a history of stroke in whom EEG disclosed PLED. Eleven patients were studied in the acute phase of stroke and 11 were studied years after stroke when the diagnosis was established of poststroke epilepsy.

[Adrenomyeloneuropathy: a form of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. Report of a family].

A family with adrenoleucodystrophy linked to chromosome X (X-ALD) is reported. Three patients, one man (proband) and two female monozygotic twins, had adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) which is a form of the disease. The proband had characteristic changes in MRI with demyelination of the white matter in the cerebral hemispheres.

[Electroencephalographic studies of family members of patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy].

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is a common idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE); it has a clinical and probably a strong genetic relation to the other IGE forms. Generalized spike/polyspike-wave discharges (SW/PSW) are typical of all IGEs. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence of epilepsy and SW/PSW in EEG of family members of 12 JME patients.

[Progressive supranuclear palsy, diagnostic problems in the light of own case].

A case is reported in which the neurological findings and disease course meet fully the criteria of the possible progressive supranuclear palsy. The authors discuss the principles of clinical diagnosis of the syndrome, characteristic oculomotor disturbances and parkinsonian syndrome especially pronounced in this disease in the muscles of the nape, trunk and upper extremities. The main features of neuropathological changes are described fibrillary degeneration and atrophy of neurons in midbrain and pons, with accumulation of tau protein in the neurons and astrocytes in the areas involved by the process.

[Dopamine agonist in the treatment of Parkinson's disease].

In the review paper is discussed the group of dopamine agonists which act directly on the postsynaptic receptors in the striatum, and have been used since over 20 years in the treatment of various stages of Parkinson's disease. For practical reasons they are divided in the paper into three groups: drugs used formerly and now gradually withdrawn mainly because of various adverse effects, new drugs whose effectiveness and usefulness have not yet been confirmed clinically, and three drugs (bromocriptine, lisuride, pergolide) used fairly widely with clinically confirmed effectiveness. The mechanism of their action and clinical results are described.

[Differential diagnosis in idiopathic generalized epilepsies with tonic-clonic seizures: assessment of the use of ambulatory EEG and video/EEG monitoring].

The value of long-term cassette EEG (24-EEG) and Video/EEG for differential diagnosis and classification of idiopathic epilepsies with generalised tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) was evaluated in twenty-eight patients. The analysis of clinical and EEG features allowed proper classification of epileptic syndrome in twenty-two (79%) patients. In twelve cases absences or myoclonic seizures appeared beside GTCS after 1-9 years from epilepsy onset (mean 3.

[Clinical trial of the first Polish levodopa preparation in the treatment of Parkinsonian patients].

In three neurological centres the therapeutic effects and adverse effects were compared of two levodopa preparations combined with carbidopa (25/250): 1. A foreign drug widely prescribed in Poland, and 2. Its Polish analogue produced by Polfa Stargard Works.

Primary malignant lymphoma of the brain.

A primary lymphoma in the left temporal lobe of the brain in a 66-year old man is presented. The brain tumor was diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms (temporary dizziness, mixed aphasia and right hemiparesis) and repeated CT scanning of the brain. The patient with diagnosed malignant, non-operative brain tumor underwent a series of radiotherapy and steroidtherapy.

[Clinical-electrophysiological pattern of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy].

18 patients (9 females, 9 males) with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) were studied. Despite a fairly long duration of the disease (from 1 to 34 years--mean 9.5 years) the patients had not been properly diagnosed.

[The role of enzymatic systems in pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy of Parkinson's disease].

In the metabolism of one of the main CNS neurotransmitters dopamine very important roles are played by four enzymes: two synthetizing dopamine: TH and DDC, and two enzymes breaking down dopamine: MAO-B and COMT. In a short review the author discusses disturbances of these enzymatic systems in parkinsonism and therapeutic possibilities of using drugs stimulating or inhibiting the activity of these systems.

[Clinical electroencephalographic diagnosis of myoclonus in various types of epilepsy].

Twenty-six epileptics, 16 males and 10 females, with various types of myoclonia were studied. In all patients routine EEG, 24-hour EEG and/or Video-EEG, also with EMG recording were done. Combined detailed clinical-electrophysiological analysis was possible owing to the modern methods of diagnostic examinations and it enabled five epileptic syndromes to be isolated in this group, that is: childhood epilepsy with absence attacks (CAE), juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE), juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), progressive myoclonic epilepsy (PME) and photogenic epilepsy.

[Electrophysiologic methods in differential diagnosis of syncope].

The purpose of the study was the assessment of the diagnostic possibilities and usefulness of 24-hour cassette EEG/ECG recording in the differential diagnosis of short attacks of consciousness disturbances and/or syncopal states, and demonstration of interrelations between arrhythmias and seizures of cerebral origin. 24-EEG/ECG was obtained in 71 patients, including 34 with cardiological history who had above disturbances. Recording of 24-EEG/ECG made possible establishing of correct diagnosis in 15 cases (21.

[Clinical assessment of therapeutic results of Ergolactyn (bromocriptine) in Parkinson's disease].

The effect of Ergolaktyna (bromocriptine) produced by Grodzisk Pharmaceutical Works POLFA on the intensity of parkinsonism manifestations was studied in 27 patients in four clinical centres. All patients had moderately advanced parkinsonism and prior to Ergolaktyna they received L-Dopa preparations which were also given concomitantly with that preparation. The final assessment was done after 4 months of treatment in 18 cases.

[History of discoveries and advances in the studies of parkinsonism].

A review is presented of the more important discoveries and advances in the 175-year history of the studies and therapeutic trials on parkinsonism. The personality and achievements of James Parkinson are described, with a brief discussion on his most important paper "An Essay on Shaking Palsy". The important works of clinicians, neuropathologists and pharmacologists in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially in the "era of L-DOPA", are reviewed.