In a study of children with nocturnal enuresis a close relationship was found between disturbed family environment and the frequency of enuresis. It will appear that negative parental attitudes in contrast to positive ones, as defined in this paper, are predisposing factors for the appearance of nocturnal enuresis. It is well known that nocturnal enuresis is one of the most serious problems encountered in children. It is estimated that over 25 percent of the children examined in Child Guidance Clinics suffer from nocturnal enuresis. In fact enuresis is considered the most common reason for referral of children to such Clinics. Much has been said about the etiology of nocturnal enuresis, and the organic factor was considered to be of primary importance by physicians of past generations. Spina bifida, local infections, small cyst, adenoids, epilepsy and mental retardation were at times considered as the main causes. Today the organic factor is accepted as an important one in a percentage not exceeding that of five percent. As a psychological psychosomatic phenomenon, nocturnal enuresis is considered to be the result of many interacting factors. One of the psychological factors is known to be the child-parent relationship and the influence of the family environment as a whole. The purpose of this paper is the study of the influence of the family environment on the frequency of nocturnal enuresis regardless of the parents' reactions to the enuresis itself.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical observations in early and late onset Parkinson's disease.

The present study compares 30 patients who developed idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) at the age of 48 years or younger and 47 patients who developed the disease at the age of 68 years or older. PD patients with early onset had rigidity and bradykinesia as the predominant features at onset and during the course of the illness. In contrast older onset patients exhibited more often tremor at the beginning while later in the course most of them developed the full triad of symptoms i.e. tremor-rigidity-bradykinesia. In spite of such differences the overall disability status did not differ between the two groups of patients. An additional observation was that the early onset patients were apter to show earlier and more often abnormal movements and response fluctuations related to the L-Dopa therapy.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Focal experimental epilepsy in rabbits.

The present study aimed at producing a chronic model of focal epilepsy in rabbits. In group A (30 rabbits) 0.05 ml alumina gel was injected in the right sensorimotor cortex, while in group B (10 rabbits) normal saline was injected in the same region. The observation period lasted 70 days. All group A animals developed spontaneous focal or focal initiated seizures that continued throughout the study. The rate of seizures varied in different animals. Both interictal and ictal epileptiform activities were recorded in the ECoGs. Histological examination showed a typical alumina granuloma with gliotic reaction adjacent to the granuloma.

Aluminum Hydroxide↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The evaluation of blood flow Xe133 in different degrees experimentally induced carotid stenosis.

The present study was conducted in order to detect the possible relationship between the degree of carotid artery stenosis and the morphology, width of Xe133 curves and the absolute value of blood flow volume, obtained by the intra-carotid injection of Xe133 in 21 dogs (Groups A,B,C, n = 7 in each). In Group B the morphology of Xe133 curves revealed a double peak on the vertical part and the width a 57% decrease on the same part as compared to the control (Group A), while the per min blood flow value decreased by 47%. In Group C an elevation of the horizontal part was observed in all animals, the width of the vertical part could not be measured and the horizontal part showed a 10% increase as compared to the control Group A. Finally, the per minute blood flow value decreased by 75% compared to the controls.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

F-waves in evaluating uremic polyneuropathy: a long-term study after the application of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Electrophysiological parameters were studied in 8 patients with end-stage chronic renal failure (CRF). The patients had complete evaluations of the state of CRF, clinical neurological examinations and EMG studies, performed before starting continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) as well as 10 days, 2 months and 6 months after initiation of CAPD treatment. All the conventional electrophysiological parameters studied (motor and sensory conduction velocities, terminal latencies, muscle and nerve action potentials) had a tendency to shift towards normal values, the effect being more pronounced in the upper limbs. F-wave maximum and minimum latencies improved quickly in the upper limbs, but very slowly, if at all, in the lower limbs. F-wave frequency became normal in 82% of the median and ulnar nerves, in 75% of the tibial nerves and remained unchanged in the peroneal nerves. F-wave identically, as represented by the "test of multiplicity", showed a general improvement in all nerves, including the peroneal. Studies of F-wave parameters, in addition to improving the diagnostic results, provide a more sensitive method, whereby the effects of CAPD can be examined quantitatively.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Carotid compression test and supraorbital photoelectric plethysmography in patients with carotid TIAs.

Fifty-two patients with carotid transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) were subjected to subsequent compression of the common carotid and superficial temporal artery. An EEG recording was monitored simultaneously with plethysmograms from both supraorbital regions during the arterial compression period. All patients were angiographically classified as normal (Group A, n = 25) with less than 50% stenosis (Group B, n = 14) and with more than 50% stenosis (Group C, n = 13), according to the degree of internal carotid stenosis. The carotid compression test was positive in 6 (11%) of our 52 patients, corresponding to 1 (4%) patient from Group A, 1 (7%) from Group B and 4 (30%) from Group C. In contrast, supraorbital photoelectric plethysmography (SOPPL) yielded abnormal results in 17 (33%) of our 52 patients, corresponding to 3 (12%) patients from Group A, 4 (28%) from Group B and 10 (77%) from Group C. We conclude that in view of the false positive results (12%) obtained with the SOPPL technique, the clinician who interprets these findings should be careful and combine these tests with other tests, preferably hemodynamic, for a final decision about the patient's status.

Adult↗