-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Here we present the case of a 50-year-old man suffering from "painful tic convulsif", on the left side of the face, i.e., left trigeminal neuralgia associated with ipsilateral hemifacial spasm. An angio-MRI scan showed a neurovascular confliction of left superior cerebellar artery with the ipsilateral V cranial nerve and of the left inferior cerebellar artery with the ipsilateral VII cranial nerve. Neurophysiological evaluation through esteroceptive blink reflex showed the involvement of left facial nerve. An initial carbamazepine treatment (800 mg/daily) was completely ineffective, so the patient was shifted to lamotrigine 50 b.i.d. that was able to reduce attacks from 4 to 6 times per day to 1 to 2 per week. Considering the good response to the drug, the neurosurgeon decided to delay surgical treatment.
The Journal of Headache and Pain 08/2011; 12(6):653-6. · 2.43 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: High cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma levels of homocysteine (HC) have been reported in certain neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's diseases and, recently, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
To assay the CSF and plasma levels of HC in ALS patients and controls, and to evaluate the relationship between HC levels and clinical variables of the disease.
Cerebrospinal fluid from sixty-nine (M/F 1.87) and plasma from sixty-five ALS patients (M/F 1.83) were taken and stored at -80 degrees C until use. Controls (CSF = 55; plasma = 67) were patients admitted to our hospital for neurological disorders with no known relationship to HC changes. CSF and plasma from ALS patients and controls were obtained as a necessary step of the diagnostic workup. HC levels in CSF and plasma were assayed using a high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) and a fluorimeter detector.
The median level of total HC in the CSF of ALS patients was 0.46( )microM, significantly higher than that of the controls (0.24 microM, +91.6%, P < 0.001). A similar trend was observed when HC was assayed in plasma (ALS, 12.4 microM vs. controls, 7.26 microM, +70.8%, P < 0.001). The CSF and plasma HC levels showed no relationship with the disease progression, age at onset, and the site of onset.
Homocysteine is a biochemical marker in ALS, and it might be related to the pathophysiology of the disease.
European Journal of Neurology 07/2009; 17(1):84-9. · 3.69 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder leading to progressive motor neuron cell death. Etiopathogenesis is still imperfectly known and much effort have been undertaken to find a biological marker that could help in the early diagnosis and in the monitoring of disease progression. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of tau, an axonal microtubule-associated protein, have been measured in ALS with levels found increased in some studies and unchanged in others.
Total CSF tau level was assayed in a population of ALS patients (n = 57) and controls (n = 110) using a specific ELISA method.
No significant differences in the median CSF tau levels between ALS cases and controls were found [ALS: 126 pg/ml (78-222); controls: 112 pg/ml (71-188), P = ns]. In the ALS group, the bulbar-onset patients showed increased CSF tau levels as compared with the spinal-onset cases. These differences might be related to the higher age of the bulbar-onset patients. Further, no correlations were found between CSF tau concentrations and the rate of progression of the disease.
These results do not support the hypothesis that total CSF tau protein is a reliable biological marker for ALS.
European Journal of Neurology 01/2009; 16(2):257-61. · 3.69 Impact Factor
