Thunderclap headache as a first manifestation of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: case report and literature review.

Background: Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an acute demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system, characterize by multiple white matter hyperintensities on T2 MRI. Patients usually present with subacute progressive encephalopathy and polyfocal neurological deficits. Possible treatments are corticosteroids, immunoglobulins and plasma exchange.

Comparison of age of onset and development of motor complications between smokers and non-smokers in Parkinson's disease.

Background: There is growing evidence from case-control and from cohort studies that smoking is inversely related to the risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it is still controversial if PD starts at an older age in ever-smoking patients compared to never-smoking ones.

Patients And Methods: The present retrospective study compares in a large series of 512 out-patients, collected over the last 24 years, the age of onset of the complaints, the age at which PD was diagnosed and the start of levodopa treatment between ever- and never-smokers.

Positron emission tomographic study of post-ischaemic-hypoxic amnesia.

Background: Despite extensive research, it still remains controversial as to what the precise location of the critical lesions underlying amnesia actually is. The amnesic syndrome is believed to be heterogeneous and due to several distinct functional deficits.

Patients And Methods: Two patients, a 45-year-old woman and a 56-year-old man, with sudden cardiopulmonary arrest and successful resuscitation, were left with a clear amnesic syndrome as main neurological sequela.