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Biomedical subjects

E Auff

Publications and source records attributed to E Auff.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Circadian secretion pattern of melatonin in Parkinson's disease.

Although several studies on the efficacy and the toxicity of exogenous melatonin in Parkinson patients have been carried out, there are no data available on melatonin secretion in these patients. We therefore performed a controlled trial in 9 Parkinson patients (aged 62.1 +/- 8.7 years, x +/- SD) and in 14 control persons (58.0 +/- 10.4 years). Parkinson patients were treated with l-dopa (300-1000 mg per day) in combination with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor (benserazide, carbidopa). 14 venous blood samples were taken from each person during a period of 24 hours in order to investigate the circadian secretion pattern of melatonin. Serum melatonin levels were estimated by radioimmuno assay. We found that the circadian secretion patterns of l-dopa-treated Parkinson patients and age-matched controls were very similar except for a phase advance of the nocturnal melatonin elevation in the parkinsonian group.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Clinical comparison of dementia in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

Neuropsychological, neuropathological and neurochemical findings show different types of dementias. Few of them have been able to confirm a division into "subcortical" and "cortical" dementia, so this concept has to be questioned. The present clinical study compared type and severity of dementia in 12 Parkinson-patients (PD) and 12 Alzheimer-patients (AD). The age-adjusted normal value differed a significantly from both patient groups. No significant difference in pattern of neuropsychological deficits between PD- and AD-patients was apparent. However, after similar duration of illness, dementia was more severe in AD- than in PD-patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

[Therapeutic possibilities in spasmodic torticollis].

Spasmodic torticollis is classified as a focal dystonia. It is characterized by involuntary contractions of the muscles of the neck, with consequent deviation of the head from the correct posture. Psychological factors are recognized as important trigger and aggravating mechanisms. The various possibilities of therapeutic management (medical and surgical treatment, psychological methods and psychotherapy) are reviewed. Therapy of spasmodic torticollis should be started with methods such as biofeedback, behaviour therapy, and anticholinergic drugs. If these procedures not successful, local application of botulinum toxin offers a new and highly effective technique. Surgical treatment such as neurotomy, rhizotomy, or stereotaxic operations should be restricted to otherwise intractable cases.

Accessory Nerve↗
PubMed1990

[The value of evoked potentials in brain death diagnosis].

At the moment evoked potentials in Austria are not admitted for diagnosing brain death. Brainstem auditory evoked potentials are proving the loss of the brainstem function, if a primary supratentorial lesion is excluded and if they disappear bilaterally and stepwise. The early components of somatosensory evoked potentials after median nerve stimulation allow the examination of the brainstem and the cortical function, if medullary lesions are excluded. In our study evoked potentials were recorded in 23 patients with bulbar brain syndrome and isoelectric EEG: In 21 (47%) of the 45 examined hearing pathways a component I and in 3 pathways (7%) a component II was found. In 41 examined pathways of median nerve a complete loss of the spinal response was observed in 12 pathways, whereas in 29 pathways (71%) the spinal response was preserved.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[The significance of EMG artefacts in isoelectric EEG].

Five potential organ donors showed muscle artefacts during isoelectrical EEG recording. The electromyographic examination revealed MUAP activity occurring as doublets, triplets and quadruplets. All patients had normal blood chemistry except reduced CO2 and increased O2 partial pressures. We assume that the recorded "tetaniform" muscle activity is due to hyperexcitability of the nerve membrane caused by artificial hyperventilation.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Effect of levodopa on the human pattern electroretinogram and pattern visual evoked potentials.

Pattern electroretinograms (P-ERGs) and pattern visual evoked potentials (P-VEPs) were recorded at three luminance levels and five different check sizes in a group of 16 control subjects before and after the oral administration of levodopa. At the lower luminance levels, significant decrease in P-ERG and P-VEP latencies were found. For P-VEPs the latency changes occurred only at small check sizes. No changes were observed in control experiments without levodopa administration. Our results show that levodopa-induced changes even occur at the retinal level and support a dopaminergic involvement in light and dark adaptation. Our observations are in agreement with a VEP delay found in Parkinson's disease and with a VEP latency increase in rats after dopamine depletion.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1988

[Persistent changes in tissue-type plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor fibrinolytic parameters in patients following juvenile ischemic cerebral infarct].

In diseases associated with thrombotic or thromboembolic complications, a reduction in the fibrinolytic potential may contribute to the risk to develop thrombosis. To investigate whether juvenile cerebral infarction is associated with a permanent defect of the fibrinolytic system we measured the main components of the fibrinolytic system, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and its fast acting inhibitor (PAI) in plasma samples of 21 patients (aged 21-44 years) 3-24 months after the acute event. The data obtained were compared to those from thirteen healthy young volunteers (22-46 years). A direct effect of known risk factors on the fibrinolytic system could be excluded because patients avoided their risk factors immediately after the ischemic cerebral attack. Hypertension and the combination of oral contraceptives and smoking had been the most striking original risk factors. Levels of t-PA antigen and t-PA activity before and after venous occlusion, or PAI activity were not different between patients and controls suggesting that at least a permanent decrease in the activity of the fibrinolytic system does not exist in these patients. However, our findings do not exclude that a temporary defect in fibrinolysis might have contributed to the acute onset of the thrombotic cerebral event possibly induced by the risk factors originally present.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Does alcohol consumption promote the manifestation of strokes? Considerations on pathophysiology].

Arterial hypertension is the most important risk factor in all types of stroke. The significance of alcohol in the pathogenesis of stroke is less well defined. Chronic alcoholism leads to an elevation of blood pressure. Thus, the association between alcohol and stroke might be the blood pressure effect of alcohol. However, some studies have shown a significant influence of alcohol on the incidence of stroke--especially of intracerebral haemorrhage and subarachnoid haemorrhage--even after adjustment for blood pressure. Many possible pathomechanisms are discussed. Alcohol inhibits aggregation of thrombocytes, and chronic alcohol abuse may induce thrombocytopenia, which could lead to a haemorrhagic stroke. Alcohol withdrawal leads to rebound thrombocytosis. Acute alcohol ingestion induces a decrease in fibrinolytic activity and an increase in factor VIII activity, which enhances the thrombotic potential. Additionally, alcohol increases plasma osmolarity, erythrocyte aggregability, haematocrit and blood viscosity, and decreases deformability of erythrocytes. The effects of alcohol on cerebral blood flow are still under debate; there is a deterioration in autoregulation of cerebral blood flow anyway. In animal studies alcohol induced dose-dependent vasospasm of the cerebral blood vessels, which could be a possible pathomechanism in ischaemic, as well as in haemorrhagic stroke. Chronic alcoholism is the most common cause of secondary non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy, which can lead to cerebral embolism via rhythm disorders or intracardiac thrombus formation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1987

Unilateral stenosis of the vertebral artery--secondary finding with no prognostic relevance?

The outcome of 142 patients suffering from ischemic cerebral circulation disorders was followed up over a period of 33 months on average. The spontaneous course of 25 patients with unilateral, hemodynamically ineffective stenoses of the vertebral artery was compared with that of 107 patients without vertebral artery stenoses. Within the first 12 months, novel clinically manifest cerebrovascular events were observed in 16.0% of patients without vertebral artery stenosis (deaths 5.0%), but in only 4.3% of the patients with vertebral artery stenosis (no deaths). Within 30 months, only 2 of the 13 patients with vertebral artery stenosis had suffered a new cerebrovascular attack. At the end of the observation period, 39.3% of the patients without vertebral artery stenosis and 48.0% of the patients with vertebral artery stenosis were significantly disabled in their social life or had died. An additional unilateral hemodynamically irrelevant vertebral artery stenosis did not influence the rate of reinfarction or the remission of neurological deficits, independently of age, the degree of the circulatory disorder, the vascular territory involved, the presence of an organic psychosyndrome, or of additional stenoses in the carotid arteries. Consequently, a vertebral artery stenosis narrowing the vessel diameter to less than 1/3 is without prognostic relevance.

Carotid Artery Diseases↗
PubMed1986

[Status of oral contraceptives as a risk factor in cerebrovascular diseases].

A critical review of the relevant literature revealed that the incidence of subarachnoid haemorrhage is increased in women taking oral contraceptives and the mortality rate is higher. The data concerning correlation between the use of oral contraceptives and other cerebrovascular disorders are less conclusive. Taking oral contraceptives seems to result in a higher risk of stroke, but there is no definite correlation to the incidence of strokes with a fatal outcome. However, in the case of the coexistence of more than one risk factor, including cigarette smoking, the risk of cerebrovascular disease is considerably increased for women using oral contraceptives. Age also seems to be a significant factor. Women older than 44 should avoid oral contraceptives in general; women between 35 and 44 should use oral contraceptives only if additional risk factors are absent, i.e. if they are non-smokers. Indeed, in the presence of this or other risk factors younger women should also avoid taking oral contraceptives.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Prognostic significance of initial loss of consciousness in cerebrovascular disorders].

An initial loss of consciousness is of grave prognostic significance in patients with acute ischaemic cerebrovascular disorders, both as regards the early course as well as the long-term prognosis. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic importance of an initial loss of consciousness in patients who had survived the acute stage. Thus, 133 out of 139 patients suffering from ischaemic cerebrovascular disorders who survived the first 3 weeks after a stroke were clinically re-examined after a mean follow-up period of more than two years. The other 6 patients had died as a result of a second stroke in the post-acute period. Patients with an initial loss of consciousness suffered cerebrovascular disturbances or fatal strokes in the follow-up period slightly more frequently than patients without an initial loss of consciousness. However, there were no convincing differences between the two groups. Indeed, on follow up, patients with an initial loss of consciousness were slightly less socially disabled than patients without an initial loss of consciousness. The results suggest that an initial loss of consciousness is no longer a factor of prognostic importance in patients who have survived the initial stage.

Brain Ischemia↗
PubMed1986

Impairment of motor planning in patients with Parkinson's disease: evidence from ideomotor apraxia testing.

Compared with a group of age matched controls, patients with Parkinson's disease scored significantly lower in testing for ideomotor apraxia. Imitation of movement sequences was affected more severely than performance of single movements. The degree of impairment was not related to severity of motor disability, but correlated strongly with the results of tests that measured visuospatial and visuoperceptive abilities. It is suggested that defective encoding and central processing of visuospatial information impairs memory for movement which is necessary for correct imitation of movements. Enhanced vulnerability to interference between successively presented items may cause further deterioration of performance in the copying of movement sequences.

Apraxias↗
PubMed1985

[Further therapeutic possibilities with valproic acid (Convulex)].

Valproic acid is used in first case as an antiepileptic; own clinical observance and references from the literature show other indication-fields outside of the group of cerebral fits; so Convulex was employed successfully also in the therapy of perioral dyskinesia of variable etiology and in the medical treatment of therapy-resistant pains within the bounds of Polyneuropathy-Polyneuritis Syndrome. Our own experience is presented by the description of the 10 case histories.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

[Contribution of cerebral angiography to the prognosis of juvenile stroke].

46 patients (aged 13 to 40 years) suffering from ischaemic cerebrovascular disease were investigated by means of complete 4-vessel angiography. 40 of these patients were re-examined after a mean follow-up period of 57 months. The aim of the study was to investigate possible connections between the angiographic data and the clinical condition some years later. In the 37 patients who were not subjected to surgical treatment prognosis was not significantly different in cases with, and those without stenoses/occlusions in the craniocervical vessels. However, patients suffering from severe stenoses/occlusions had a significantly worse prognosis than patients with stenoses of a mild degree. The clinical course in patients with stenoses/occlusions localized in the vertebro-basilar system was significantly more favourable than the course of the disease in patients with similar changes in the carotid system. There was a trend towards a worse clinical picture at the end of the follow-up period in cases with degenerative alterations in the small intracranial arteries. The difference in prognostic value of cerebral 4-vessel angiography in cases of stroke in the young, as opposed to the findings in older patients is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Gangliosides in rabbit and human skeletal muscle with denervation atrophy.

In experimental denervation of rabbit skeletal muscle, an increase of gangliosides has been reported. Ganglioside, DNA, total lipid and protein levels were studied in experimental denervation of rabbit gastrocnemius muscle and in human skeletal muscle with denervation atrophy. In severe human denervation atrophy total ganglioside, DNA and total lipid levels were increased, and protein levels decreased as compared with controls. The ganglioside pattern was changed in severe human denervation atrophy and showed a significant increase of a GT1b-like and moderate decrease of a GM1-like compound. Findings in experimentally denervated rabbit muscle resembled results obtained in human denervation atrophy, showing a significant increase of total ganglioside levels as well as a moderate increase of GT1b-like and decrease of GM1-like compounds.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

[Long-term prognosis of patients with juvenile infarct. Catamnestic results].

Seventy patients suffering from ischemic cerebrovascular disease had had their first attack before the age of 40 years. Of these patients 57 were re-examined 84 months (mean) after the initial event. Within 48 months, 22 of 51 patients (43.1%) without surgical treatment had recurrent ischemic events (78.6% patients with transient ischemic attacks, 33.3% patients with protracted reversible deficits, 28.6% patients with completed stroke). Of all patients 31.5% had their first recurrent attack during the first year, most of them during the first few months after the initial event. In spite of the considerably higher recurrence rate, patients with initial transient ischemic attacks or protracted reversible deficits had a lower degree of social disability at the end of the follow-up period than patients with an initial completed stroke. In 72.2% of the patients with recurrent events the ischemic focus was found in a vascular area different from the one originally concerned. Patients with arterial hypertension during the follow-up period had a somewhat less-favorable long-term prognosis, but nicotine abuse or relative body weight had no influence on the degree of social disability at the end of the follow-up period. In general, long-term prognosis was rather favorable, 78.4% of the patients being fully capable of work at the end of the follow-up period. Nevertheless, results point to the necessity of complete diagnostic evaluation without delay and introduction of individual therapy for patients suffering from "juvenile stroke."

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

[WPW syndrome combined with AV block 2 in an adult with glycogenosis (Type II)].

A 31 year-old female with a five year history of muscle weakness, cardiac palpitations and elevation of activity of some serum enzymes of muscular origin, showed signs of the WPW syndrome on ECG, often in combination with grade 2 A-V block. Type II glycogenosis (Pompe's disease) was diagnosed on the basis of the results of physical examination, laboratory findings--especially subtotal deficiency of acid maltase (a-1,4 glucosidase) activity-and morphological aspects of light and electron microscopy of a quadriceps muscle biopsy specimen. To our knowledge the coincidence of such a rarely encountered arrhythmia with glycogenosis type II in an adult has never been reported so far.

Adult↗