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Biomedical subjects

F Bandini

Publications and source records attributed to F Bandini.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Aphasic status epilepticus in multiple sclerosis.

Aphasia due to simple partial status epilepticus is rare. We report a case of prolonged mixed aphasia without clouding of consciousness in a patient with an old history (10 years) of multiple sclerosis (MS). We found a clear clinical-EEG correlation with a continuous epileptic pattern in the shape of periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDs). Clinical, laboratory and neuroradiological data ruled out possible etiological conditions other than MS and suggested that the development of new subcortical demyelinating lesions might play a critical role in seizure production. These findings, besides the role of PLEDs as an intrinsic feature of the status epilepticus condition, are discussed in relation to the literature.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Eye closure affects flash VEP latency in dementia.

In a group of 27 demented patients (21 with DAT and 6 with MID) with normal pattern VEP (PVEP), the latencies of the main flash VEP (FVEP) components (P1, N2, P2 and N3) were assessed both with open and closed eyes. At variance from controls, demented patients showed that both P2 and N3 components are significantly delayed with closed eyes while neither P1 nor N2 timings are affected. Control studies ruled out the possibility that such an outcome might depend on a defective pupillary responsiveness and/or an impaired sensitivity to luminance changes. On these grounds it is suggested that the effect of mode of stimulation on FVEP latency in demented patients is more likely to depend on "central" than on "peripheral" mechanisms. The dependence of latency changes on closure of the eyes seems to negate the direct effect of lesions upon visual structures and suggests an impairment of the modulatory action of non-visual afferents upon the activity of the visual cortex.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

[Infections due to central catheterizations in a cardiac intensive care unit: an evaluation of 6 months of continuous surveillance. The nursing personnel of a cardiac intensive care unit].

BACKGROUND: Infections in intensive care unit are nowadays well documented. As no recent papers about catheter related infections in cardiological intensive care units were found, we decided to approach them during a period of six months with a surveillance study including a clinical, nursing and microbiological protocol. METHODS: The microbiological protocol the semiquantitative Maki cultural evaluation of the tips, the interior of the hubs and the skin around the catheter insertion point. In addition, all the samples were additionally cultured in liquid media. A total of 432 biological samples were analysed, from 125 patients entered into our cardiological intensive care unit: 144 from catheter tips, 144 from the hubs and 144 from the skin around the catheter insertion. RESULTS: Three hundred and eighty-four biological samples (88.9%) were completely negative. Thirteen tips resulted positive (27.1% of the 48 total positive biological samples): 92.3% (12/13) of the positive catheters were infected from internal origin, hub and skin resulting culture negative. Of the 144 catheter tips 12 were colonized (C.F.U. < 15) while only 2 resulted infected (C.F.U. > or = 15). Only one patient was infected with an exogenous infection presenting tip, hub and skin positivity. The overall positivity was of 214 microorganisms mainly represented (93.5%) by gram positives; 87% of them were coagulase-negative staphylococci (C.N.S.). In addition, the tip detection of a Candida guillermondii strain in a pacemaker patient is a relevant finding. CONCLUSIONS: The very low number of cutaneous contaminations (1.3%) and patient's infections (0.69%) showed the good sensibilisation of the medical and nursing teams in the infection control and surveillance.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1993

Crossed aphasia: analysis of a case with special reference to the nature of the lesion.

We report a case of crossed aphasia in a strongly right-handed woman due to a parieto-occipital tumor in the right hemisphere, documented by CT and MR images. Neuropsychological assessment was conducted on four different occasions: results revealed an uncommon feature in our case, because of the nature of the lesion and the evolution of the clinical picture. These findings are discussed in relation to the literature.

Aphasia↗
PubMed1992

[Risk stratification in patients with a first myocardial infarct based on simple clinico-instrumental variables].

UNLABELLED: It is an acknowledged fact that the prognosis for patients with a first myocardial infarction depends mainly on the degree of residual left ventricle function. We wanted to evaluate the importance that certain simple clinical and instrumental variables can have in stratifying post-infarction cardiovascular risk with particular emphasis on chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD). We selected 97 out of the 512 patients treated in the coronary intensive care unit (CICU) from February 1, 1988 to October 31, 1990 according to the following criteria: First myocardial infarction; no cardiogenic shock; no serious concomitant diseases with considered negative prognosis within 6 months. The following variables were considered for all the patients: age; sex; positive family history for ischemic heart disease; history of diabetes mellitus; arterial hypertension; previous cerebrovascular incident; history of obstructive arteriopathy of the lower limbs, of angor and COLD. The following tests were performed on all the patients: echocardiogram prior to discharge form the CICU; angiocardioscintigraphy with Tc-99 between the 20th and 30th day following the acute event; bicycle ergometer stress test on the 30th day. END POINTS: general mortality; cardiac mortality; non-fatal reinfarction; residual angina at 3 months. All the patients were treated with aspirin (325 mg/die) and/or heparin (12,500 units subcutaneously). All 97 patients were monitored for a mean follow-up time of 19.8 months. General mortality was 2.08% (for reinfarction) 24 (24.7%) non-fatal cardiac events.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Hemisphere asymmetry in decision making abilities. An experimental study in unilateral brain damage.

Thirty control subjects and 60 unilateral brain-damaged patients, 30 with left hemisphere (LH) damage and 30 with right hemisphere (RH) disease, underwent a disjunctive 4-choice reaction time study. Speed of reaction (as defined by the reciprocal of reaction time (RT), movement time (MT) and total response time (TRT] and accuracy of response (as represented by the sum of errors in selecting the correct response key) were investigated comparatively as a function of side of lesion and of performance on Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (PM47). In contrast to movement speed (1/MT), reaction speed (1/RT) as well as total response speed (1/TRT) showed a lesion effect independent of side of damage. Conversely, accuracy was differentially impaired, LH damage being associated with a significantly higher number of errors. Speed and accuracy had different relationships with the performance on the PM47 in the two hemisphere groups. Speed was affected in parallel with changes in PM47 performance both in the LH and in RH groups, whereas accuracy was altered only in LH patients. It was concluded that speed of motor reaction is affected by unilateral brain lesions irrespective of their side, whereas decision making processes, as expressed by accuracy of response, seem to be specifically impaired by LH damage.

Attention↗
PubMed1990

[Disorders of atrioventricular conduction in Ebstein's anomaly in an adult. A report of 5 cases].

From the literature we find that the most frequent electrical alterations in Ebstein's anomaly are: the abnormal right atriogram; ventricular pre-excitation; supraventricular tachycardia; right bundle branch block and lengthening of the PR tract. These alterations are also present in cases of Ebstein's anomaly diagnosed in adults. The study of the activation of the right ventricle, which offers a variety of forms of development, is a source of particular interest. We report five cases which have come to our attention, in which greater disturbances of the atrioventricular block were present. This aspect has not yet been clearly reported in the literature.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Electrophysiological detection of "silent" plaques in the optic pathways.

The incidence of a delayed P100 component of the VEP after checkerboard stimulation in probable or possible multiple sclerosis (MS) without history, signs or symptoms of optic neuritis is not significantly different from that found in other neurological disorders in which the visual system is unaffected. This reduces the diagnostic validity of a delayed P100 as evidence of "silent" plaques in the optic pathway, at least in suspected MS. The use of grating increases the VEP sensitivity in the MS group, but it still leaves more than a 30% chance of error in attributing a delayed P100 to a demyelinating disorder. In this respect the discordant behaviour of checkerboard and grating responses may represent a useful clue.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Conventional perimetry, short-wavelength automated perimetry, frequency-doubling technology, and visual evoked potentials in the assessment of patients with multiple sclerosis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic power of conventional, achromatic, automated perimetry (CAP), short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP), frequency-doubling technology (FDT) perimetry, and visual evoked potentials (VEP) in a group of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with or without a history of optic neuritis. METHODS: Thirty eyes of 15 patients (5 male, 10 female, average age 38+/-7 years) with confirmed diagnosis of MS underwent CAP, SWAP (Humphrey 750-II VFA, program central 30-2, full-threshold strategy), FDT perimetry (program N-30), and pattern VEPs. Sixteen eyes (53.3%) had no history of ocular involvement and a negative ophthalmologic examination. They were matched with a control group of 10 healthy volunteers (4 male, 6 female, average age 31+/-10 years). The mean deviation (MD) and the pattern standard deviation (PSD) of the two groups were compared (t-test). Fourteen eyes (46.7%) had, on the contrary, a history of optic neuritis. Inside this group, the MD and the PSD of the three techniques were correlated (Spearman's rank test), in order to investigate whether any significant differences might be revealed by these techniques in pointing out the total amount of visual field damage. RESULTS: When comparing MS patients without signs or symptoms of ocular involvement and a control group, no significant differences were found for CAP MD, CAP PSD, and FDT PSD. Significant differences were found, on the contrary, for SWAP MD (p=0.0014), SWAP PSD (p=0.0001), and FDT MD (p=0.0001). When considering the MD and the PSD of the three techniques in the group of MS patients who had a history of optic neuritis, a significant correlation was found only between CAP MD and SWAP MD (r=0.0057), with a tendency by SWAP to reveal a higher rate of visual field loss. The other correlations were not significant. According to predefined criteria, the group of asymptomatic subjects had abnormal CAP in 1 eye (6.25%), abnormal SWAP in 9 (56.2%), abnormal FDT in 11 (68.7%), and abnormal VEPs in 7 (43.7%). The combined use of all techniques allowed us to identify silent optic nerve impairment in 15 (93.7%) eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Short-wavelength automated perimetry and FDT perimetry are two non-conventional perimetric techniques that were mainly developed for the early detection of glaucomatous damage. The results of this study demonstrate their efficacy also in detecting early visual field deficits in MS patients without clinical signs of optic neuropathy. Frequency doubling perimetry, in particular, proved to be an easy, fast, and sensitive technique in the assessment of patients with MS. Our results also suggest that subclinical visual involvement in MS can be better diagnosed using multiple (neurophysiologic and psychophysical) tests.

Adult↗