[Motor asymmetry and hemisphere interactions in Parkinson's disease].

About 90% of the people in general population are right-handed. Such right-side motor lateralization is presumed to be, at least partially, related to higher brain functions, especially to presentation of speech areas in the left hemisphere. Although lateralization may be predetermined genetically, the investigations into this problem have not yielded the equivocal results.

[Gender dimorphism in Parkinson's disease].

The article addresses the gender differences in Parkinson's disease. Neurohumoral mechanisms of protective action of estrogen are discussed. An analysis of 159 patients with parkinsonism revealed definite differences in symptoms presentation and autonomic appearances in men and women that suggested a role of gender dimorphism in the development and course o Parkinson's disease.

[Motor, cognitive and affective disorders in Parkinson's disease].

The study aimed at investigating the ratio of movement disorders to cognitive and affective ones. The group of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD, n = 42) compared with those with brain tumors (n = 14), neurotic depression (n = 15) and normals (n = 20). Clinical, psychological and neurophysiologic (motor evoked potentials--MP) methods were used.

[Efficiency of new forms of madopar in Parkinson's disease].

The paper presents estimation of the efficiency of some new forms of madopar (madopar dispergative--Mad-Dis, Mad-HBS) in 26 patients with Parkinson's disease by methods of motor potential, autonomic tests. A good tolerance of Mad-HBS was found. Its administration neither causes changes of autonomic indices nor aggravates symptomatology of cardiovascular disease.

[The influence of alpha-dihydroergocryptine derivatives on psychomotor manifestations in Parkinson disease].

The paper presents the results of administration of alpha-dihydroergocryptine preparation (vasobral) to parkinsonic patients. It was prescribed to 20 patients with parkinsonism together with the specific therapy. Clinical state as well as the level of anxiety and depression was estimated using standard scales both before and after treatment.

[Diabetic polyneuropathy treatment by milgamma-100 preparation].

Efficiency of Milgamma-100 preparation (100 mg of benfothiamine + 100 mg of pyridoxin) was studied in treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy in 14 patients with diabetes mellitus type II (1 dragee 3 times a day, within 6 weeks). After the course of treatment the intensity of pains was decreased according to visual analogous scale on the average from 8.2 to 2.

[Evoked potentials in parkinsonism].

Evoked potentials (EP) were analysed in patients with idiopathic form of Parkinson's disease (PD) in terms of three modalities: visual EP of chess pattern, acoustic EP of brain stem and somato-sensory EP during stimulation of median and tibial nerves. The data were compared with clinical characteristics. The conclusion was drawn about evident participation of afferent systems in PD development which is apparently secondary.

[Idiopathic orthostatic hypotension (the Bradbury-Eggleston syndrome)].

The case of idiopathic orthostatic hypotension (Bradbury-Eggleston syndrome) which gradually arose in 70-years-old women was described. The clinical pattern of syndrome included pronounced orthostatic hypotension, fixed constant rare pulse (46-56 per minutes), independent of the changes in body position together with hypohidrosis and constipation. Autonomic nervous system investigation carried out with the help of the cardiovascular tests, spectral analysis of heart rhythm as well as sympathetic skin potential revealed expressed disturbances in autonomic functions of cardiovascular and sudomotor systems.

[The use of the Drionic apparatus for treating essential hyperhidrosis].

40 patients with essential hyperhidrosis of palms, feet and axillary spaces were examined. All patients were divided into 2 groups: with permanent or remittent manifestations of hyperhidrosis. The prolongation of latent periods as well as the decrease of evoked skin sympathetic potentials amplitudes was observed in group with permanent type of hyperhidrosis as compared with remittent type patients or with control individuals.

[A comparative analysis of the function of the autonomic nervous system in patients with thyrotoxicosis and autonomic crises].

Patients with diffuse toxic goiter and those with vegetative dystonia and paroxysmal permanent disorders are shown to have parasympathetic deficiency and moderate sympathetic insufficiency. In toxic goiter patients hyperhydrosis was accompanied by normal conduction along the vegetative perspiration fibers and a significant increase in foot potential amplitude. In patients having vegetative crises there was reduced conduction along the perspiration fibers.

[A clinico-physiological analysis of essential hyperhidrosis].

A total of 30 patients with essential hyperhidrosis (EH) and 20 healthy test subjects were examined. Based on the anamnestic and clinical data the patients with EH were distributed into 2 groups: permanent EH and remitting EH (PEH and REH respectively). REH and PEH patients manifested disorders of the suprasegmental part of the autonomic nervous system, which showed up by a rise of the level of reactive and personality anxiety, an increase of the readings of the MIL test scales.

[Peripheral autonomic insufficiency in the Guillain-Barré syndrome].

Overall 11 patients with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy or Guillain-Barre syndrome were examined for the status of the peripheral part of the autonomic nervous system. Methods used in the study permit estimating the status of vegetative fibers in different systems: in the cardiovascular system, in the pupil, and in sweat glands. Part of the patients were examined over time for all the vegetative and electroneuromyographic characteristics.

[Autonomic disorders in Charcot-Marie neural amyotrophy].

The paper is concerned with disorders of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in Charcot-Marie amyotrophy. 32 patients were examined. Of these, 21 suffered from the demyelinizing type of the disease and 11 from the axonal one.

[Evaluation of the autonomic innervation of the pupil].

The purpose of the study was to examine vegetative innervation of the pupil in different diseases associated and not associated with vegetative disorders. In addition to the ++clinico-neurological method, the main method of examination was to study the pupillary cycle (determination of the time of the pupillary cycle (TPC) with the aid of a slit lamp). Fifty healthy test subjects and 262 patients suffering from different somatic and neurologic diseases were examined.

[Electrophysiological analysis of the functions of the sweat gland fibers in various diseases].

The authors relate the data on vegetative sweating fibers studied by the method of evoked skin sympathetic potentials in patients with diabetes mellitus, Charcot-Marie atrophy, spinal amyotrophy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, essential hyperhidrosis, and in those with Raynaud's phenomenon and thyrotoxicosis. A remarkable decrease of conduction by sweating fibers was revealed in patients with diabetes mellitus, Charcot-Marie atrophy and Raynaud's phenomenon; a moderate decrease was shown by the patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome and by those with spinal amyotrophy. The conclusion is made about the high information content of the method.

[Cardiovascular tests in various forms of pathology].

Quantitative estimation of the status of the autonomic nervous system is a research priority in neurology. One of the approaches to its solving lies in the use of cardiovascular tests. The authors brief the mechanisms of the tests, provide their standards.