[Clinical and electromyographical analysis of peculiarities of parkinsonian syndrome in multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease].

Because differential diagnosis between Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) may be difficult due to overlapping of clinical features, especially at the early stage of the diseases, a search for additional clinical and instrumental markers increasing reliability of etiological diagnosis appears actual. The article presents the results of comprehensive comparison of parkinsonian signs and spectral electromyography (sEMG) data in 18 patients with MSA, diagnosed clinically according to criteria of Gilman et al (1998), and in 21 PD patients. Though no between-group differences in total expression of parkinsonian signs evaluated with The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, part III, were found, MSA patients demonstrated progressive motor deficits, severer hypokinesia in the distal regions of the extremities, more pronounced impairment of axial movements, postural instability and gait disturbances but milder resting tremor, as compared to the PD patients (p < 0.

[Neurotransplantation in the treatment of Parkinson disease: follow-up].

The paper presents the results of follow-up of 11 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) after neurotransplantation (NT) of fetal brain dopaminergic suspension into the caudatus and putamen on one or two sides. All the patients were clinically assessed at least 3 months before and during a follow-up (for as long as 9 years) in accordance with the Core Assessment Program for Intracranial Transplantation (CAPIT) by a Russian group of the Network of European CNS Transplantation and Restoration (NECTAR) Programme by using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (URDRS). An analysis of clinical findings showed that: 1) there was a slight amelioration in bradykinesia, rigidity, and smaller dosage of L-DOPA; 2) tremor and drug-induced dyskinesia remained unchanged; 3) subsequently (till 9 years), the clinical effect slightly decreased in almost all patients with PD and in some of them the clinical status became worse than that prior to surgery; 4) repeated NT (2 cases) in the striatum contralaterally did not improved the situation; 5) only neurostimulation of subcortical structures improved clinical results.

[A method for the self-assessment of social adaptation in parkinsonism patients].

The rating scale of self-estimation of social adaptation which permits to determine the patient's adaptation in three life spheres (professional-working, family and self-service) was described. 103 patients with different forms of parkinsonism were examined by means of this scale. High effectiveness of this scale is demonstrated for estimation of the influence of such parameters as the disease gravity, its clinical form, mnemic-intellectual disorders expression, age and the duration of disease on social adaptation.

[Use of neurotransplantation in the treatment of Parkinson's disease].

The outcomes of transplantation of the human embryonal mid-brain into the striatum of patients with Parkinson's disease are presented. For this, a procedure for obtaining, isolating, preparing the human embryonic midbrain, as well as a method for stereotactic administration of embryonal nerve tissue suspension having high dopaminergic neuron levels into the patients' striatum are specified. Patients underwent neurological examinations by the international protocol Core Assessment Program for Intracerebral Transplantation including monthly video recording within 3 months before and 3-24 months after surgery.

[The evaluation of the vasomotor cerebrovascular action of vasoactive substances by using gamma scintigraphy].

A method of assessing relative changes in the head blood content under the influence of medicines is described. The method is based on an analysis of deviations of the equilibrium part of the radioactivity curve recorded with the aid of gamma-scintigraphy and injection in the form of bolus of the radiopharmaceutical agent 99mTc-pertechnetate to the ulnar vein. Changes in the blood content under the influence of nitroglycerin, duzodril, adalate and cavinton were examined in 37 patients suffering from dyscirculatory encephalopathy.

[Comparison of the effectiveness of treatment with diverse doses of cinnarizine of patients with circulatory encephalopathy].

A single-dose cinnarizine (25 and 75 mg) was compared to its course administration (75 and 225 mg/day) in 35 patients with circulatory encephalopathy. Upon a 3-fold increase in conventional doses, there appeared more profound clinical, vasomotor cerebral and functional cerebral effects as evidenced by EEG and neuropsychological tests.

[Clinico-rheographic study of the cerebrovascular effect of alpha-adrenergic blockers in vascular diseases of the brain].

The effect of the alpha-adrenoblockers, nicergoline (N) and dihydroergotoxin (DHET), on the cerebral vessels and the systemic hemodynamics was studied in 152 patients with acute and chronic vascular diseases of the brain. It was established that the hypotensive action of alpha-blockers was the greater the higher was the initial arterial hypertension. REG conducted during an hour after the intravenous administration of N and DHET revealed an increase in the pulse blood filling and an improvement of the arterial tone.

[Effect of nifedipine (adalate) in neurology patients with arterial hypertension].

Using rheoencephalography and gamma-scintigraphy, the cerebrovascular action of nifedipine was studied in 38 patients with an ischemic stroke and chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency. In patients with a crisis-like increase in the blood pressure, the drug induced a rapid and considerable drop in the blood pressure, a decrease of the tone and an elevation of the blood content of the cerebral vessels. In patients with a moderately elevated stable BP, this effect was less marked.

[Clinical study of the cerebrovascular action of pentoxifylline].

Clinical trials of pentoxiphylline (trental) used in the treatment of 164 patients were carried out. Of these patients, 32 were suffering from acute cerebral circulation disorders, 25 from chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency, 50 from cerebrovascular dystonia of various genesis, 12 from peripheral vasculopathy, and 5 from migraine. A favourable effect of pentoxiphylline on the course of the cerebrovascular disorders (except migraine) was noted.