The survival processing effect in episodic memory in older adults and stroke patients.

In the present study, we tested whether processing information in the context of an ancestral survival scenario enhances episodic memory performance in older adults and in stroke patients. In an online study (Experiment 1), healthy young and older adults rated words according to their relevance to an ancestral survival scenario, and subsequent free recall performance was compared to a pleasantness judgment task and a moving scenario task in a within-subject design. The typical survival processing effect was replicated: Recall rates were highest in the survival task, followed by the moving and the pleasantness judgment task.

Postoperative rehabilitation after deep brain stimulation surgery for movement disorders.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a highly efficient, evidence-based therapy for a set of neurological and psychiatric conditions and especially movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor and dystonia. Recent developments have improved the DBS technology. However, no unequivocal algorithms for an optimized postoperative care exist so far.

[Measurement of functional independence: concordance of the assessments SINGER and FIM and consequences for the user].

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the concordance between the assessments SINGER and FIM, both measurements for detecting functional disabilities in activities of daily living (ADL).

Methods: 301 rehabilitants were assessed with FIM and SINGER in the beginning and at the end of an inpatient rehabilitation program. Correla­tion coefficient, regression analysis, and Kappa statistics were applied to examine the relationship and the concordance between the 2 ADL scales.

Altered tonic and phasic cortisol secretion following unilateral stroke.

Evidence is accumulating that cerebral laterality appears to be an important feature in the regulation of the stress response with the right hemisphere being closely linked to stress-regulatory systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Although some animal and human data support this hypothesis, studies on brain damaged patients yet failed to substantiate laterality effects on cortisol secretion. The aim of this study was to examine whether unilateral stroke differentially affects tonic and phasic response characteristics of the HPA axis, and to evaluate the impact of intrahemispheric lesion location.

Influences of levodopa on adipose tissue and skeletal muscle metabolism in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

Objective: The substantial weight loss in Parkinson's patients may be related to direct influences of levodopa treatment on fat mobilization/oxidation. We assessed systemic and local metabolic responses to levodopa/benserazide in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease.

Methods: We studied 10 Parkinson's disease patients and examined adipose tissue and skeletal muscle metabolism directly with microdialysis.