A unique episode of REM sleep behavior disorder triggered during surgery for Parkinson's disease.

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is characterized by vigorous movements during REM sleep. Here, the authors report the case of a patient who presented such a disorder immediately after the implantation of the definitive electrode for left subthalamic stimulation. Interestingly, this was and has remained a unique episode in his medical history.

[The five-word test in memory deficiency].

The 5-Word test is a bedside memory test with free and cued selective recollection. Here, we evaluated its reliability Belgian French speakers. Five groups were studied : normal subjects, depressive patients, patients with AD, patients with vascular dementia and 47 patients for a validation of a logistic model.

Progressive focal degenerative disease of the posterior associative cortex.

A 72-year-old man developed a very progressive neuropsychologic deficit 6 years ago, beginning with isolated visual topographic memory disturbances and visuo-constructive apraxia without additional manifestations of dementia. The syndrome worsened thereafter with the emergence of visual agnosia, simultagnosia, psychic paralysis of gaze, auditivo-verbal agnosia, and recently an amnestic syndrome with confabulation and confusion (at the end of 1989). CT scans, which remained unchanged over the years, showed mild, focal atrophic changes revealed by dilatation of the right occipital horn.

[Cognitive evoked potentials in the diagnosis of senile dementia and dementia of Parkinson's disease: significance of multivariate analysis].

P300 latency is often delayed in dementia but some authors have questioned its value in clinical practice, because of the relatively low specificity and sensibility of the method. Numerous parameters (latency, duration, amplitude and surface) of N100, N200 and P300 waves were therefore studied in patients with senile dementia, subjects suffering from Parkinson's disease with dementia, and non-demented elderly patients. Using discriminant analysis, more than 90% of the patients were correctly classified.

[Opsoclonus associated with multisystemic sarcoidosis].

A 32 year old patient with unexplained cough developed an opsoclonus-ataxic-myoclonic syndrome. Chest X-ray film were normal at this onset but became pathologic, and the diagnosis of multisystemic sarcoidosis was made. The possibility of sarcoidosis being the cause of the opsoclonus is discussed.