Primary focal dystonia: evidence for distinct neuropsychiatric and personality profiles.

Background: Primary focal dystonia (PFD) is characterised by motor symptoms. Frequent co-occurrence of abnormal mental conditions has been mentioned for decades but is less well defined. In this study, prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders, personality disorders and traits in a large cohort of patients with PFD were evaluated.

Comparison of open versus percutaneous pedicle screw insertion in a sheep model.

Minimally invasive surgery has become more and more important for the treatment of traumatic spine fractures. Besides, some clinical studies, objective data regarding the possible lower damage to the surrounding tissue of the spine is still missing. Here we report a sheep model where we compared a percutaneous versus an open approach for dorsal instrumentation with pedicle screws to the spine.

Plasma amino acids in ecstasy users.

Recreational use of the illegal drug "ecstasy" has increased dramatically in recent years. We have measured 33 different plasma amino acids in ecstasy users and controls. Significant differences were found for phosphoserine, glutamate, citrulline, methionine, tyrosine and histidine.

[Continuous EEG for monitoring on the neurological intensive care unit. New applications and uses for therapeutic decision making].

Fifteen patients at our neurological intensive care unit were monitored with continuous EEG (cEEG: 10 channels EEG and ECG) for a total of 109 days. Primary indications for monitoring were nonconvulsive seizures in patients with altered consciousness (AC, n = 9) and control of therapy in generalized/partial status epilepticus (SE, n = 5). The cEEG findings influenced therapeutic management of patients in almost 50% of monitoring days (50/109), with decisive decisions (changes in medication) being made in 31/109 days.