Causative factors, epidemiology, and follow-up of bilateral vestibulopathy.

Bilateral vestibulopathy (BV) is characterized by impaired or lost function of both peripheral labyrinths or of the eighth nerves. In a review of 255 patients (mean age +/- SD, 62 +/- 16 years) with BV diagnosed in the authors' dizziness unit between 1988 and 2005, 62% of the patients were male. Previous vertigo attacks had occurred in 36%, indicating a sequential manifestation.

Long-term prophylactic treatment of attacks of vertigo in Menière's disease--comparison of a high with a low dosage of betahistine in an open trial.

Conclusion: Despite the considerable limitations of an open, non-masked trial, particularly in Menière's disease (MD), a higher dosage of betahistine-dihydrochloride and a long-term treatment seems to be more effective than a low dosage and short-term treatment.

Objective: To evaluate the prophylactic effects of a low versus high dosage long-term treatment with betahistine-dihydrochloride on the number of attacks in MD.

Patients And Methods: We performed an open, non-masked trial, in which patients with MD received either a low dosage of betahistine-dihydrochloride (16 or 24 mg tid) or a higher dosage of 48 mg tid for at least 12 months.

Assessment of potential cardiotoxic side effects of mitoxantrone in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Previous studies showed that mitoxantrone can reduce disability progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). There is, however, concern that it may cause irreversible cardiomyopathy with reduced left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and congestive heart failure. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate cardiac side effects of mitoxantrone by repetitive cardiac monitoring in MS patients.

Diagnostic pitfalls in patients with hypoxic brain damage: three case reports.

Objective: Our aim was to assess the possible diagnostic pitfalls in three patients with hypoxic brain damage who had partly conflicting clinical, biochemical, and electrophysiological data and were in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) following cardiac arrest (CA).

Methods: Serum concentrations of the destruction proteins, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and protein S-100B (S-100B), were measured on days 1-3, and 7; somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were recorded within 48 h and on day 7 after CA.

Results: Two patients had significantly increased concentrations of NSE and S-100B during the first 3 days after CA, a finding that indicates ongoing neuronal destruction.

Methylprednisolone, valacyclovir, or the combination for vestibular neuritis.

Background: Vestibular neuritis is the second most common cause of peripheral vestibular vertigo. Its assumed cause is a reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection. Therefore, corticosteroids, antiviral agents, or a combination of the two might improve the outcome in patients with vestibular neuritis.

Early prediction of neurological outcome after cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a multimodal approach combining neurobiochemical and electrophysiological investigations may provide high prognostic certainty in patients after cardiac arrest.

A reliable and reproducible method for precisely predicting the neurological outcome of patients with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy after cardiac arrest is urgently needed in neurological intensive care units. We prospectively investigated the predictive power of serum concentrations of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and protein S-100B (S-100B) measured on days 1, 2, 3 and 7 as well as somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) recorded within 48 h and on day 7 after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in 27 patients (14 females, 13 males; mean age 61.3 +/- 17.