PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Bogousslavsky

Publications and source records attributed to J Bogousslavsky.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Intentional motor phantom limb syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical and anatomic correlates of a previously unreported form of chronic supernumerary phantom limb, which developed only in association with motor intent directed at a hemiplegic-anesthetic upper limb. METHODS: We explored the phenomenology of the phantom illusion in the light of motor control models. Hemodynamic correlates of supernumerary phantom limb were studied with an fMRI sensorimotor paradigm consisting of finger-thumb opposition movements. RESULTS: The kinesthetic-proprioceptive illusion of a third arm was triggered by any attempt to move the paretic limb, by bimanual actions, and by motor imagery involving the nonfunctional limb. The responsible lesion destroyed the posterior part of the posterior limb of the internal capsule on the opposite side, damaging corticospinal and thalamocortical tracts. Comparison between fMRI signals performed during virtual movement of the phantom hand vs imaginary movement of the paretic hand showed increased activation in thalamus and caudate nucleus in the first condition. CONCLUSIONS: A preserved sense of agency provided by intact premotor processes translating intention into action may lead to the vivid feeling of movement in a paralyzed limb, similar to kinesthetic illusions in amputees. The interruption of thalamic afferences may explain the persistence and stability of the phantom by preventing any correction of the mismatch between expected and effective movement. The increased blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal in the basal ganglia-thalamus-cortex pathway during movement of the supernumerary hand may reflect an abnormal closed-loop functioning of the thalamocortical system underlying the phantom phenomenon.

Aged↗

Painful hand and moving finger treated by wearing a glove.

The authors report a patient with unilateral painful hand and moving finger in whom tactile stimulation interrupted both the movement and the pain. This effect suggests a gating mechanism at a segmental level. The difference between afferent and efferent pathway levels and the delay of several months between trauma and occurrence of symptoms support a central mechanism, most probably involving sensorimotor reorganization at a segmental level.

Female↗

Continuous assessment of electrical epileptic activity in acute stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and risk factors of electrical seizures and other electrical epileptic activity using continuous EEG (cEEG) in patients with acute stroke. METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients with acute stroke admitted to our stroke unit underwent cEEG using 10 electrodes. In addition to electrical seizures, repetitive focal sharp waves (RSHWs), repetitive focal spikes (RSPs), and periodic lateralized epileptic discharges (PLEDs) were recorded. RESULTS: In the 100 patients, cEEG was recorded for a mean duration of 17 hours 34 minutes (range 1 hour 12 minutes to 37 hours 10 minutes). Epileptic activity occurred in 17 patients and consisted of RSHWs in seven, RSPs in seven, and PLEDs in three. Electrical seizures occurred in two patients. On univariate Cox regression analysis, predictors for electrical epileptic activity were stroke severity (high score on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) (hazard ratio [HR] 1.12; p = 0.002), cortical involvement (HR 5.71; p = 0.021), and thrombolysis (HR 3.27; p = 0.040). Age, sex, stroke type, use of EEG-modifying medication, and cardiovascular risk factors were not predictors of electrical epileptic activity. On multivariate analysis, stroke severity was the only independent predictor (HR 1.09; p = 0.016). CONCLUSION: In patients with acute stroke, electrical epileptic activity occurs more frequently than previously suspected.

Adult↗

Migraine and patent foramen ovale: A residual coincidence or a pathophysiological intrigue?

Migraine is one of the most common neurological disorders and one of the most frequent primary headaches. It imposes a significant burden on the affected individuals, society and health care system. As the etiology and pathophysiology of migraine are not well understood, treatment is largely symptomatic. Patent foramen ovale is a remnant of a fetal circulation and is highly prevalent in the general population. Its presence was linked to several disorders including migraine. The aim of this review was to search in the available data the answer to the question whether the link between migraine and patent foramen ovale is coincidental or whether they represent a pathophysiological entity.

Cardiac Catheterization↗

[Neurodegeneration and cerebrovascular disease: causal or incidental link?].

Neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases have been related for more than a century. Epidemiological data show that main vascular risk factors are also risk factors for Alzheimer disease. Experimental evidences demonstrate that some of those risk factors accelerate the progress of Alzheimer lesions, mainly by acting on the amyloid cascade. Recent advances in understanding the basic mechanisms of CADASIL and familial amyloid angiopathy reveal that these forms of vascular dementias are degenerative disease of brain vessels. Modern neuroimaging techniques will allow to better understand relations between symptomatic strokes, silent infarcts, leukoaraiosis, microbleeds and degenerative pathology before the stage of dementia.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗

Risk awareness and knowledge of patients with stroke: results of a questionnaire survey 3 months after stroke.

BACKGROUND: Secondary prevention of stroke has been shown to dramatically reduce recurrence and has been described as suboptimal. OBJECTIVE: To analyse patients' awareness and knowledge about cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRF) and their influence on CVRF control. METHODS: Patients (n = 164) who were attending a stroke outpatient clinic for the first time after hospital discharge (3 months) for a first stroke were asked to answer a short questionnaire including questions on awareness and knowledge of CVRF, visits to a CVRF specialist, number of visits to a general practitioner, adherence to drug treatments, cigarette smoking and cessation. RESULTS: CVRF were spontaneously mentioned as relevant for their stroke by only 13% of patients. A specialist was visited by only one-third of the patients and a general practitioner was not visited at all by 27% of the patients since their stroke. Awareness was inversely correlated with older age and good recovery. More than half of the patients had high blood pressure (> or = 140 mmHg for systolic and > or = 90 mmHg for diastolic values) at the time of follow-up. These high values were correlated with poor awareness. Appropriate secondary stroke prevention measures were not received by one-fourth of the patients; this was also correlated with poor awareness. CONCLUSIONS: CVRF control is not optimal and is at least partially related to patients' awareness and knowledge and suboptimal medical follow-up. Older patients and patients with excellent recovery are at particular risk for poor awareness and CVRF control.

Adult↗

Chronic posttraumatic stress symptoms after nonsevere stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related symptoms were present 1 year after a nonsevere stroke and, if so, to examine the relationship between PSTD, coexisting cognitive variables, and infarct localization METHODS: The authors assessed 49 patients using standard measures of memory, trauma experience, neurologic deficit, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. RESULTS: Fifteen (31%) patients had significant PTSD symptoms on the Impact of Event Scale (IES > 30). PTSD-like syndrome was independent of neurologic impairment, peristroke amnesia, long-term memory impairment, nosognosia, hypochondriac preoccupations, and physical pain during hospitalization, but was more frequent in women, less educated patients, and patients with more negative appraisals of the stroke experience. Intrusions were increased after basal ganglia strokes, suggesting that the re-experiencing phenomena may be modulated by frontosubcortical pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms seem frequent in patients with nonsevere stroke and were associated with the subjective intensity of the stroke experience and accompanied by a depressive and anxious state.

Adult↗

[Therapeutical advances in neurology in 2005].

We report on the therapeutic advances in Neurology that took place over the last year. The purpose here is not to provide a detailed and exhaustive listing of each study of 2005, but rather to emphasize those that might be the most significant for the clinician. Following this idea, we have chosen to mention not only the therapeutical advances, but also, sometimes, the disappointments of 2005.

Atherosclerosis↗

Stroke incidence and prevalence in Europe: a review of available data.

Reliable data on stroke incidence and prevalence are essential for calculating the burden of stroke and the planning of prevention and treatment of stroke patients. In the current study we have reviewed the published data from EU countries, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland, and provide WHO estimates for stroke incidence and prevalence in these countries. Studies on stroke epidemiology published in peer-reviewed journals during the past 10 years were identified using Medline/PubMed searches, and reviewed using the structure of WHO's stroke component of the WHO InfoBase. WHO estimates for stroke incidence and prevalence for each country were calculated from routine mortality statistics. Rates from studies that met the 'ideal' criteria were compared with WHO's estimates. Forty-four incidence studies and 12 prevalence studies were identified. There were several methodological differences that hampered comparisons of data. WHO stroke estimates were in good agreement with results from 'ideal' stroke population studies. According to the WHO estimates the number of stroke events in these selected countries is likely to increase from 1.1 million per year in 2000 to more than 1.5 million per year in 2025 solely because of the demographic changes. Until better and more stroke studies are available, the WHO stroke estimates may provide the best data for understanding the stroke burden in countries where no stroke data currently exists. A standardized protocol for stroke surveillance is recommended.

Age Distribution↗

Acute autonomic dysfunction contralateral to acute strokes: a prospective study of 100 consecutive cases.

Complex painful reflex syndrome is sometimes described in the chronic phase of stroke. Acute autonomic dysfunction (AAD), which is occasionally present in cases of acute stroke, has not been studied prospectively. The aim of the study was to investigate AAD on the hemibody contralateral to the lesion in the acute phase of stroke. One hundred consecutive patients (median age +/- interquartile range, 74 +/- 21; range 19-93; 51 women: 80 +/- 17 and 49 men: 70 +/- 17 years) in the acute phase of stroke were studied prospectively. Changes in skin temperature or coloration, diaphoresis, pain, or edema were noted in the first 3 days post-stroke. Associations between AAD and topography (cortical pre- and/or post-central, insular, corona radiata, basal ganglia, internal capsule, thalamus, and brainstem), age, gender, ischemic or hemorrhagic etiology, or the presence of sensorimotor deficits or ataxia were examined using the chi-squared or Fisher's exact test and logistic regression analysis. AAD was found in 71% of the patients and showed a significant positive association with the presence of a lesion in the post-central cortex (P = 0.037), internal capsule (P = 0.005), basal ganglia (P = 0.002), or insula (P = 0.011) and a negative association with the presence of a lesion in the brainstem (P = 0.004). Multivariate logistic regression analysis including all studied topographic variables showed that only brainstem lesions were significantly associated with a decreased risk of developing AAD (odds ratio = 0.08, 95% confidence interval: 0.01-0.69, P = 0.022). AAD was not associated with age, gender, the ischemic or hemorrhagic nature of the lesion, the side of lesion, hypertonic or hypotonic paresis, or hyperreflexia or hyporeflexia. AAD was found in association with sensory deficits (P = 0.001) and contralateral hyperkinesia (P = 0.004). Acute AAD is significantly more likely to occur in the presence of hemispheric lesions involving sensory pathways from the cortex to the internal capsule and insula and is significantly less prevalent in the presence of brainstem lesions.

Acute Disease↗

EFNS guideline on neuroimaging in acute stroke. Report of an EFNS task force.

Neuroimaging techniques are necessary for the evaluation of stroke, one of the leading causes of death and neurological impairment in developed countries. The multiplicity of techniques available has increased the complexity of decision making for physicians. We performed a comprehensive review of the literature in English for the period 1965-2005 and critically assessed the relevant publications. The members of the panel reviewed and corrected an initial draft, until a consensus was reached on recommendations stratified according to the European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) criteria. Non-contrast computed tomography (CT) scan is the established imaging procedure for the initial evaluation of stroke patients. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has a higher sensitivity than CT for the demonstration of infarcted or ischemic areas and depicts well acute and chronic intracerebral hemorrhage. Perfusion and diffusion MRI together with MR angiography (MRA) are very helpful for the acute evaluation of patients with ischemic stroke. MRI and MRA are the recommended techniques for screening cerebral aneurysms and for the diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis and arterial dissection. For the non-invasive study of extracranial vessels, MRA is less portable and more expensive than ultrasonography but it has higher sensitivity and specificity for carotid stenosis. Transcranial Doppler is very useful for monitoring arterial reperfusion after thrombolysis, for the diagnosis of intracranial stenosis and of right-to-left shunts, and for monitoring vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Currently, single photon emission computed tomography and positron emission tomography have a more limited role in the evaluation of the acute stroke patient.

Humans↗

Favourable outcome of progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy in two patients with dermatomyositis.

Progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy (PML), a demyelinating disease caused by the JC virus (JCV), occurs in immunosuppressed patients and carries a poor prognosis. A favourable outcome is reported in two patients with PML and dermatomyositis. Immunosuppressive drugs were stopped in patient 1 but could only be partially tapered in patient 2. The JCV-specific CD8+ T cell response was strong in patient 1 and weak in patient 2. Both were treated with cytosine-arabinoside, and patient 2 was also treated with mirtazapine, a 5HT2A receptor antagonist. Combination of these drugs might be helpful to treat HIV-negative patients with PML.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists↗

Thrombolysis in stroke patients aged 80 years and older: Swiss survey of IV thrombolysis.

This databank-based, multicenter study compared all stroke patients with IV tissue plasminogen activator aged > or = 80 years (n = 38) and those < 80 years old (n = 287). Three-month mortality was higher in older patients. Favorable outcome (modified Rankin scale < or = 1) and intracranial hemorrhage (asymptomatic/symptomatic/fatal) were similarly frequent in both groups. Logistic regression showed that stroke severity, time to thrombolysis, glucose level, and history of coronary heart disease independently predicted outcome, whereas age did not.

Age Factors↗

[Treatment of acute stroke].

The aim of this review is to discuss the different treatment strategies of acute stroke. The main studies performed with intravenous or intra-arterial thrombolysis are reported as well as the recent results concerning the use of IIb/IIIa platelet receptors antagonists. We will also discuss the potential effect of ultrasound on systemic thrombolysis. Finally are mentioned the most important measures to avoid medical and neurological complications which may occur during the acute phase of stroke.

Brain Ischemia↗

A prospective study of predictors of poststroke depression.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between early depressive behavior after stroke onset and occurrence of poststroke depression (PSD) at 3- and 12-month follow-up evaluations. METHODS: The study prospectively included 273 patients with first-ever single uncomplicated ischemic stroke. In the stroke unit, nurses scored crying, overt sadness, and apathy daily using an observational method to include patients with comprehension deficits. The Barthel Index was used to assess disability. Follow-up evaluation at months 3 and 12 included psychiatric assessment based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition. RESULTS: Crying (19.8%), overt sadness (50.5%), and apathy (47.6%) were observed. Of the patients observed crying, 4 showed pathologic crying, 19 emotionalism, and 12 catastrophic reactions. Crying and overt sadness, but not apathy, were associated with a subjective experience of depression (p < 0.05). Thirty of 52 (58%) patients observed crying, 12 of 19 (63%) patients with emotionalism, and 5 of 12 (41%) patients with catastrophic reactions developed PSD within the first year. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that only severe functional disability (odds ratio [OR], 4.31; 95% CI, 2.41 to 7.69), crying behaviors (OR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.35 to 5.27), and an age <68 years (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.30 to 4.13) were (p < 0.05) predictors of late PSD development (13% of the variance). CONCLUSIONS: In the stroke unit, crying and overt sadness are more reliable indicators of depressed mood than apathy. In patients with first-ever stroke, crying behaviors soon after stroke, a younger age, and severe disability are predictors of poststroke depression occurrence within the first year after stroke onset.

Aged↗