Myasthenia gravis with anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase antibodies during therapy for multiple myeloma: a case report.

Background: The onset of myasthenia (MG) gravis with anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK) antibodies most commonly peaks in the fourth decade of life, and MG with MuSK antibodies (MuSK-MG) rarely coexists with a malignant tumor. To date, MuSK-MG has not been reported in multiple myeloma (MM).

Case Presentation: A 60-year-old male with MM who was receiving treatment with bortezomib and thalidomide presented diplopia, ptosis, and limb weakness.

[A case of suspected neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder preceded by aseptic meningitis-like symptoms].

A 20-year-old woman was hospitalized after experiencing headaches, high fever, and nausea for 1 week. She was conscious and had no abnormal neurological findings or neck stiffness. Examination of her cerebrospinal fluid showed a pronounced elevation of mononuclear cells.

[Case of cerebral venous thrombosis secondary to Protein S gene abnormality first diagnosed as aseptic meningitis].

A 28-year-old man admitted to our hospital because of severe neck pain, headache, fever and vomiting. He was alert and had no neurological deficit except for nuchal stiffness. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination showed elevated mononuclear cell counts (68/mm(3)) and protein levels (300 mg/dl).

Health-related quality of life among community-dwelling patients with intractable neurological diseases and their caregivers in Japan.

Aims: The aims of this study were: (i) to clarify the general quality of life (QOL) of patients with intractable neurological disease; (ii) to clarify the general QOL of the caregivers of these patients; and (iii) to explore the association of QOL in patient-caregiver pairs.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2003 and May 2004 among community-dwelling patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD), spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their caregivers using a mailed, self-administered questionnaire. To measure QOL, we used the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) for patients and the short form of the health-related QOL scale SF-36 (SF-8) for caregivers.

Neuro-Sweet disease: report of the first autopsy case.

Background: Neuro-Sweet disease is a rare condition of central nervous involvement accompanied by cutaneous Sweet lesions. Neuropathological changes in neuro-Sweet disease are unknown.

Objective: To describe post-mortem findings of the first case of neuro-Sweet disease.

Care burden and depression in caregivers caring for patients with intractable neurological diseases at home in Japan.

Objectives: The aims of this study are to describe the care burden on caregivers of individuals with intractable neurological diseases and to clarify the prevalence of depression in caregivers and factors related to the presence of depression.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among caregivers who provide home care to patients with neurological diseases such as Parkinson disease (PD), spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), using a mailed, self-administered questionnaire. We used the Burden Index of Caregivers to measure multi-dimensional care burden and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale to determine the presence of depression among caregivers.

Neuro-Sweet disease: report of the first autopsy case.

Background: Neuro-Sweet disease is a rare condition of central nervous involvement accompanied by cutaneous Sweet lesions. Neuropathological changes in neuro-Sweet disease are unknown.

Objective: To describe post-mortem findings of the first case of neuro-Sweet disease.

Validation of the Burden Index of Caregivers (BIC), a multidimensional short care burden scale from Japan.

Background: We constructed a concise multidimensional care burden scale that reflects circumstances unique to Japan, with a focus on intractable neurological diseases. We surveyed 646 family caregivers of patients with intractable neurological diseases or stroke using 28 preliminary care burden scale items obtained from qualitative research. The results were used to finalize the feeling of care burden scale (BIC: burden index of caregivers), and verify its reliability and validity.

[Bradykinetic utterances and monopitch speech in patients with Parkinson's disease].

We compared vocalization and speech of 20 patients with Parkinson's disease with those of 24 healthy volunteers using acoustic analysis. The time from the beginning of pronunciation of "a" to the maximum amplitude was significantly longer in the Parkinson group than in the healthy group. In a reading aloud test using a short sentence "o-te-ra-ni-o-ba-ke-ga-de-ta (a ghost appeared in a temple)", the coefficient of variation of the mean fundamental frequency for each syllable was significantly smaller in the Parkinson group.

[Non-persistent "doll phenomenon" in a patient with right thalamic infarction].

An 81-year-old right-handed woman was admitted because of acute dysarthria and left hemiparesis. She had lived herself without aids until the admission. On neurological examination she was confused and disoriented.