[The correlation between the type of positivity of the tilt test and a simultaneous electroencephalogram: the preliminary results].

Background: Today the first-choice examination to study neurally-mediated syncope is the tilt test. There are still many aspects to be clarified on the pathophysiology of neurally-mediated syncope, and much uncertainty remains on the therapeutic procedure to adopt. Recent research has investigated the role of neurohumoral agents, thus shifting interest to the pathogenetic role of the central nervous system, over and above that of the already widely studied vegetative nervous system.

High dose intravenous immune globulins and plasma exchange in Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

We report the effects of treatment with plasma-exchange (PE) and intravenous immune globulins (IVIg) in 36 out of 50 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) recruited by an incidence study in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Comparison of the patients treated with PE and IVIg showed no significant differences in terms of effectiveness in improving the clinical course of GBS: at one month, respectively 11.1% and 25% had recovered, and 55.

Transient global amnesia: neuropsychological findings after single and multiple attacks.

We examined by neuropsychological tests 41 patients who had presented attacks of transient global amnesia (TGA; 31 had single and 10 multiple episodes), comparing them with 41 matched normal controls. Patients with single attacks showed only two impaired memory tasks with respect to controls (immediate and long-term verbal memory), while patients with multiple attacks showed more impaired tasks in memory and visuoperceptual ability. These data confirm that TGA is a benign syndrome, but could leave a few subclinical memory deficits probably exacerbated by repeated attacks.

Epileptic transient amnesia.

A patient with epileptic amnesic attacks suffered three prolonged episodes similar to transient global amnesia. Clinical, electroencephalographic and neuropsychological observations during 2 years' follow-up are reported.

Lacunar infarcts: a personal series of 92 consecutive cases.

A series of 92 patients with lacunar infarcts identified by CT brain scan are described. Risk factors for cerebrovascular disease, clinical aspects and outcome are analyzed. Our cases show unusual clinical syndromes in a remarkable number of subjects, indicating the usefulness of performing a CT brain scan.

A prospective clinical and epidemiological study of head injuries in northern Italy: the Comune of Ravenna.

An analysis of all the head injuries occurring during one year within a well-defined geographical area was conducted in the region served by the Ravenna City Hospital in Northern Italy. This hospital does not have a neurosurgical service, so that patients suspected of having neurosurgical problems are transferred to the neurosurgical unit in Bologna, a distance of 65 Km (40 mi.).

Isolated sixth nerve palsy due to intracavernous carotid aneurysm in a young woman.

A large intracavernous carotid aneurysm was angiographically demonstrated in a 29 years old woman suffering from a persistent isolated abducens nerve palsy. CT brain scan failed to reveal the lesion. The usefulness of performing angiography in the cases of isolated abducens palsy of undetermined nature, is stressed.

Skull fracture as a risk factor of intracranial complications in minor head injuries: a prospective CT study in a series of 98 adult patients.

Ninety eight patients admitted to hospital after a minor head injury were studied by CT. Forty seven patients had a skull fracture and 51 did not. Significantly more intracranial lesions were found in those with a fracture (16) that those without (3) (p less than 0.

Could a neurohormonal mechanism be involved in transient global amnesia?

Some considerations on a possible involvement of a neurohormonal mechanism in transient global amnesia are briefly reported.

The acid-base balance and the electroencephalographic pattern in patients on biofiltration treatment.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring and arterial blood gases was performed during biofiltration (BF) treatment and during conventional acetate hemodialysis (HDA). Biofiltration is an ultrashort hemodiafiltration with 3 liters of substitution fluid (Na+ 145 mEq/l, HCO-3 100 mEq/l). Our data show a better correction of acid-base balance during BF than during HDA.

[Cranial traumas in the city of Ravenna: a prospective study of patients who recovered].

A prospective study of head injury patients was carried out in the city of Ravenna in 1984. A complete record was completed for all patients admitted for hospital care. More than 50 clinical and diagnostic variables were evaluated to investigate risk factors on patients admitted to a Non-Neurosurgical Unit with CT facilities.