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Biomedical subjects

A Saia

Publications and source records attributed to A Saia.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1978

Long-term treatment of Parkinson's disease with L-Dopa and Dopa-decarboxylase inhibitor: therapeutic results and side effects.

The authors present a review of their clinical experience in the treatment of 127 Parkinsonian patients with L-Dopa alone and in association with a Dopa-decarboxylase inhibitor; the follow-up lasted more than 7 years. In all cases the dosages of L-Dopa, either alone or associated with the decarboxylase inhibitor, were fairly low; the strategy was to reach in each case the minimal effective dose instead of the maximal tolerable one. After 7 years of treatment about 60-65% of the patients had shown improvement, even though to a lesser degree than during the first and second year of therapy; the remaining 35-40% were unchanged or worse. The authors conclude that, despite the decreased efficacy of the therapy with time, the L-Dopa treatment remains of great significance in lengthening and in improving the quality of life of Parkinsonian patients.

Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylase Inhibitors↗
PubMed1975

Motor neurone disease: an immunological study.

The state of the immune system, both humoral and cell-mediated, was evaluated in motor neurone disease (MND) patients. The data obtained for the MND patients were confronted with normal controls and a group of patients affected by nervous diseases not involving the immune system. Some differences were observed between MND patients and normal subjects, namely: increase of WBC and gamma-globulin in MND patients. However, such differences were not observed between MND patients and pathological controls, and therefore are probably due to a higher frequency of infectious complications in MND patients in respect to normal controls. The capacity of the immune system to respond to an adequate stimulus was normal, and no precipitating anti-CNS antibodies were detected in MND sera. Furthermore, no sex-linked differences were observed and the CSF abnormalities observed in 2 out of 16 MND patients were probably reflecting only destruction of CNS cells. The data are discussed in view of the possible pathogenetic mechanisms of MND.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A case of polymyositis in autoimmune thyroiditis with hyperthyroidism].

A young woman, during an autoimmune thyroiditis with hyperthyroidism, suffered from progressive proximal weakness at her four limbs. The diagnosis of a concomitant polymyositis was indicated by a marked increase of plasma CPK, myopathic findings at EMG and a clearcut picture of inflammatory alterations at muscle biopsy. Steroid therapy brought a full recovery of both thyroid and muscular symptoms. In the following months, the patient suffered from a second episode of thyroiditis and subsequently from another poussée of polymyositis. The possible pathogenesis underlying the unusual association of an autoimmune thyroiditis with a polymyositis is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Surgical management of extracranial vertebral artery occlusive disease.

Thirty-seven consecutive patients underwent vertebral artery (VA) reconstruction over a 6 years period (1983-1989). Detailed neurologic, medical, and angiographic information was obtained for all patients. Indications for surgery were as follows: (1) stenosis of VA with symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency; (2) very tight stenosis (greater than 75%) of the dominant VA with stenosis or occlusion of the contralateral VA; (3) very tight stenosis of VA with bilateral occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA); (4) very tight stenosis of VA with homolateral ICA lesion eligible for simultaneous repair; (5) very tight stenosis of VA and very tight stenosis of the homo or contralateral carotid siphon. There were 15 isolated vertebral lesions (group I), and 22 were VA lesions associated with lesions of the supraaortic trunks which were simultaneously treated (group II). The reconstructions of the first portion of the VA were 30 (12 of group I and 18 of group II) and reimplantation of the VA into the common carotid artery was the procedure of choice. There were 7 revascularizations of the third portion of the VA at C1-C2 level (3 of group I and 4 of group II): carotid-vertebral bypass, using an autogenous vein graft, was the procedure of choice. Three patients in group II died in the immediate postoperative period from myocardial infarction but no patient presented immediate postoperative neurologic deficits. All symptomatic patients but one were relieved of their symptoms in a median follow-up of 31 months. No postoperative complications were observed. Long-term results were satisfactory in all the 28 patients at their last follow-up visit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Carotid stenosis and obliteration of the contralateral carotid. A prospective study of the risks of a carotid endarterectomy intervention and its long-term results].

From March 1980 to July 1988 a consecutive series of 256 patients (p.) underwent 301 carotid endarterectomy + patch with routine use of continuous intraoperative EEG monitoring and selective use of an intraluminal shunt (IS) for the presence of an atherosclerotic plaque concerning the internal carotid artery (ICA). Patients were divided in two groups: the first (42 p.) marked by contralateral ICA occlusion, the second (214 p.) without contralateral ICA occlusion (259 CEA). Immediate peroperative, long term and global (immediate and long term) outcomes were prospectively and comparatively studied. A temporary IS was inserted in 27 p. (64%) of the group I and in 38 p. (14%) of the group II. Immediate permanent postoperative neurological deficit occurred in 1 p. of group I (2.38%) and in 2 p. (0.9%) in group II. Immediate postoperative mortality was 0% and 0.9% in group I and II respectively. All p. had neurological valuation and Echo-Doppler of operated ICA and of the contralateral ICA every 6 months (middle follow-up 44 months). New neurological symptoms compared in 5.8% of p. of group I and in 5.23% of p. of group II with a stroke rate of 0% and 2.32% respectively. There were 2 restenosis of operated ICA, both of them in p. of group I, that underwent reoperation. In the two groups the principal causes of deaths were myocardial infarct and cancer; in the group I no death was due to stroke versus 1.86% in the group II.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Use of substances modifying serotonin metabolism in the treatment of narco-cataplexy (considerations on 5 cases)].

The AA., after a critical analysis of the new proposed treatments for the narco-cataplexy, report their experience about the therapeutic possibilities of this syndrome with particular manipulations of cerebral serotonin (5-HT). In 5 patients they tried to act on the two sides of the sleeping-waking cycle by using a diurnal administration of Methysergide (5-HT inhibitor) and an evening loading of L-Tryptophan combined with Benserazide (dopa-decarboxilase inhibitor). The immediate and long term results on the nercoleptic as well as cataplectic symptoms can be considered good. Conversely treatments with Clomipramine alone exerted poor beneficial effects in these patients. The AA. discuss the physiopathogenetic mechanisms which are thought to be involved in this disease.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Possible activating effect of subnarcotic doses of some anaesthetic drugs in clinical electroencephalography (author's transl)].

The use of subnarcotic doses of anaesthetic agents has been proposed, in the last few years, as a practical method for enhancing EEG activities in epileptic patients. Barbiturates such as Evipan or Brietal were used in the present study. Both electrographic and clinical effects occurred not only with the intravenous administration fo Brietal and Evipan but also with Althesin (a new non-barbiturate drug), in two groups of suspected and confirmed epileptics having either a normal or specific EEG pattern. These results were then compared with a normal control group. In a high percentage of instances all these drugs were found to induce either focal or generalized increase of epileptiform activities, as well as the appearance of latent epileptic abnormalities. The AA. stress the advantages these new techniques as ascreening method in suspected epilepsy.

Adolescent↗