Highlights of an Expert Advisory Board on Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AE-COPD) in Latin America.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable and usually progressive lung disease that affects millions of people worldwide and is the sixth leading cause of death in the Americas. Viral and bacterial respiratory tract infections and air pollution may cause acute exacerbations of COPD (AE-COPD) ranging from mild, moderate to severe. The greatest proportion of the overall COPD burden on the health system is due to disease exacerbations.

Efficacy and safety of tianeptine in major depression: evidence from a 3-month controlled clinical trial versus paroxetine.

Objective: This study was performed to compare the efficacy and safety of tianeptine and paroxetine in the treatment of major depression. Anxiolytic drug use was systematically reported to provide an indirect evaluation of the anxiolytic activity of both treatments. Zopiclone use was assessed to provide an indirect evaluation of the possible hypnotic activity of both treatments.

Decrease in cerebellar blood flow in patients with Friedreich's ataxia: A TC-HMPAO SPECT study of three cases.

Three cases of Friedreich's ataxia were submitted to diverse neuroradiological procedures in order to determine the extent of atrophic processes in the central nervous system. All patients underwent computerized-tomography scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and HMPA-single Photon emission computerized tomography studies, focusing in cerebellar lobes. A slight atrophy was observed in the vermis and the cerebellar lobes with CT scan and MRI.