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Biomedical subjects

J M Guerit

Publications and source records attributed to J M Guerit.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The EEG assessment of low-grade hepatic encephalopathy: comparison of an artificial neural network-expert system (ANNES) based evaluation with visual EEG readings and EEG spectral analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The EEG provides an objective staging of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), but its interpretation may be biased by inter-observer variability. This study aims at comparing an entirely automatic EEG classification of HE based on an artificial neural network-expert system procedure (ANNES) with visual and spectral analysis based EEG classifications. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-eight consecutive cirrhotic patients underwent closed-eye EEG. They were followed up for up to one-year to detect bouts of overt HE and death. The EEG was classified by ANNES, qualitative visual reading, main basic rhythm frequency and spectral analysis. The classifications were assessed on the basis of: (i) match with liver function, (ii) prognostic value and (iii) repeatability. RESULTS: All classifications were found to be related to the severity of liver failure, with cognitive findings and a history of previous bouts of HE. All of them had prognostic value on the occurrence of overt HE and on survival. The ANNES based classification was more repeatable than the qualitative visual one, and had the advantage of detecting low power EEG, but its efficiency in analyzing low-grade alterations was questionable. CONCLUSIONS: An entirely automatic - ANNES based - EEG classification of HE can improve the repeatability of EEG assessment, but further improvement of the device is required to classify mild alterations. SIGNIFICANCE: The ANNES based EEG grading of HE needs further improvements to be recommended in clinical practice, but it is already sufficient for detecting normal and clearly altered EEG tracings.

Electroencephalography↗

Assessment of olfactory and trigeminal function using chemosensory event-related potentials.

GOALS: To give an overview on the theoretical and practical applications of chemosensory event-related potentials. METHODS: Chemosensory event-related potentials (ERPs) may be elicited by brief and precisely defined odorous stimuli. Based on the principles of air-dilution olfactometry, a stimulator was developed in the late 1970s, which allows stimulation of the olfactory neuroepithelium and the nasal mucosa with no concomitant mechanical stimulation. Chemosensory ERPs were obtained after stimulation of the olfactory nerve (olfactory ERPs) or the trigeminal nerve (somatosensory or trigeminal ERPs). The characteristics of the stimulator for chemosensory research as well as the variables influencing the responses are discussed in this paper. RESULTS: Implementation and normative data from our department are reported with different clinical examples from otorhinolaryngologic clinic. The bulk of the evoked response consists of a large negative component (often referred to as N1), which occurs between 320 and 450 ms after stimulus onset. This component is followed by a large positive component, often referred to as P2, occurring between 530 and 800 ms after stimulus onset. Absence of olfactory ERPs and presence (even with subtle changes) of somatosensory ERPs is a strong indicator of the presence of an olfactory dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: This review examines and discusses the methods of chemosensory stimulation as well as the electrophysiological correlates elicited by such stimuli. The clinical applications of chemosensory ERPs in neurology and otorhinolaryngology are outlined.

Animals↗

Recording click-evoked myogenic potentials (CEMPs) with a setup for brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs).

AIM OF THE STUDY: Click-evoked myogenic potentials (CEMPs) originate in the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle through a reflex loop involving the sacculus and the vestibular nerve. In this study we suggest that they can be picked up from the mastoid reference used for auditory evoked potential (AEP) recording by using standard filters for brainstem AEPs (BAEPs). They consist of a P13-N20 complex. METHODS: Fifty normal subjects were investigated. Recordings were performed with the same setting as that used for conventional BAEPs but without artifact rejection and using a wide time window (100 ms). Unilateral auditory stimulations were used. All acquisitions were performed in both sitting and supine positions. In nine subjects CEMPs and BAEPs were simultaneously recorded at both earlobe and both SCM muscles. RESULTS: In all subjects, a CEMP P13-N20 component could be evidenced in sitting, but not in supine position at both the ipsilateral earlobe and the ipsilateral SCM muscle. Its latency was 0.7 ms lower at the earlobe. It obeyed the same relationship to stimulus intensity at both earlobe and SCM muscle. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate the possibility to get simultaneous information on the brainstem auditory pathways and on a reflex probably mediated through the sacculus and the vestibular nerve. Further studies on patients with selective vestibular nerve impairment should be conducted to confirm the clinical utility of this approach.

Adult↗

The electrophysiological correlates sustaining the retrieval of face-name associations: an ERP study.

An ERP study on 9 healthy participants was carried out to temporally constrain the neural network proposed by Campanella et al. (2001) in a PET study investigating the cerebral areas involved in the retrieval of face-name associations. Three learning sessions served to familiarize the participants with 24 face-name associations grouped in 12 male/female couples. During EEG recording, participants were confronted with four experimental conditions, requiring the retrieval of previously learned couples on the basis of the presentation of name-name (NN), face-face (FF), name-face (NF), or face-name (FN) pairs of stimuli. The main analysis of this experiment consisted in the subtraction of the nonmixed conditions (NN and FF) from the mixed conditions (NF and FN). It revealed two main ERP components: a negative wave peaking at left parieto-occipital sites around 285 ms and its positive counterpart recorded at left centro-frontal electrodes around 300 ms. Moreover, a dipole modeling using three dipoles whose localization corresponded to the three cerebral areas observed in the PET study (left inferior frontal gyrus, left medial frontal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobe) explained more than 90% of the variance of the results. The complementarity between anatomical and neurophysiological techniques allowed us to discuss the temporal course of these cerebral activities and to propose an interactive and original anatomo-temporal model of the retrieval of face-name associations.

Adult↗

Retrospective study of somatosensory evoked potential monitoring in deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the efficiency of median-nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) monitoring in determining the optimal level of hypothermia in 62 consecutive patients operated on under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (CA). METHODS: CA was started at 1 degree C below the temperature at which both brainstem and cortical SEP components disappear. No additional method of cerebral protection was used. RESULTS: New neurological complications were observed in 15 patients: long-lasting in 11 and transient in 4. A retrospective analysis of SEP monitoring identified the origin of the complications in 12 cases: early CA with incomplete cooling due to emergency (3 cases); inefficient retrograde perfusion through the femoral artery during cooling due to the dissection flap effect (4 cases); embolism during rewarming (2 cases); delayed embolism (2 cases); hemorrhagic shock (1 case). In 2 cases, neurological sequelae involved the lower limbs (extracerebral origin). One case without intraoperative SEP changes was neurologically abnormal preoperatively and did not change postoperatively. There were no cases with sequelae due to excessive CA duration. CONCLUSIONS: The use of SEP monitoring to determine the optimal level of hypothermia efficiently prevents neurological sequelae of CA. It helps in monitoring the degree of cerebral protection during cooling (flap effect), and rewarming.

Adult↗

Sensitivity, specificity, and surgical impact of somatosensory evoked potentials in descending aorta surgery.

BACKGROUND: We evaluate the efficiency of multilevel somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) monitoring for intraoperative re-establishment of blood flow to the spinal cord in 63 patients undergoing descending aorta repair. METHODS: The presence of critical vessels in a cross-clamped aortic segment was ascertained by a 15 minute SEP observation period while the segment between the clamps was vented to drain out the collateral flow. RESULTS: SEPs influenced the surgical strategy in 17 cases (27%): use of the Biomedicus in 1 traumatic rupture; critical vessel reimplantation or distal clamp replacement in 13 cases of segmental spinal ischemia; and hastening the procedure or proximal clamp replacement in 3 cases of left carotid ischemia. There were no cases of unexplained multilevel SEP abnormalities. Immediate paraplegia was observed in 2 cases (1 pre-existing; 1 forecast by a 199-minute period of SEP absence due to segmental ischemia); 2 patients presented delayed paraplegias despite unchanged intraoperative SEPs, and 1 case presented a transient paraplegia due to lower motoneuronal involvement. CONCLUSIONS: SEPs efficiently identified critical vessels to be reimplanted in order to avoid immediate paraplegia. However, systematic additional vessel reimplantation, if technically feasible, and prolongation of SEP monitoring during the postoperative period with careful blood pressure control are needed to prevent delayed paraplegia.

Adult↗

Task modulation of brain activity related to familiar and unfamiliar face processing: an ERP study.

In order to investigate stimulus-related and task-related electrophysiological activity relevant for face processing, event-related potentials (ERPs) from 58 electrodes at standard EEG sites were recorded while subjects performed a simple visual discrimination (control) task, in addition to various face processing tasks: recognition of previously learned faces and gender decision on familiar and unfamiliar faces. Three electrophysiological components or dipolar complex were recorded in all subjects: an occipital early component (P1, around 110 ms); a vertex positive potential (VPP; around 158 ms) which appeared to be specific to faces; and a negative central component, N2 (around 230 ms). Parametric analysis and source localization were applied to these components by means of a single-subject analysis methodology. No effect of familiarity was observed on any of these early component. While the VPP appears to be independent of the kind of processing performed, face task modulations of the early P1 and the N2 were observed, with a higher amplitude for the recognition than for the gender discrimination task. An attentional modulation of early visual areas is proposed for the first effect (P1 modulation), while the N2 seems to be related to general visual memory processing. This study strongly suggests that the VPP reflects an early visual stage of face processing in the fusiform gyrus that is strictly stimulus-related and independent of familiarity. It also shows that source localization algorithms may give reliable solutions on single subject averages for early visual components despite high inter-subject variability of the surface characteristics of ERPs.

Adult↗

Sciatic nerve regeneration in the rat after frozen muscle grafting. A comparative study using somatosensory evoked potentials.

In an experimental study, somatosensory evoked potentials were used to evaluate sciatic nerve regeneration in the rat after 12 mm-long conventional nerve grafting, vascularized nerve grafting and frozen muscle grafting. This experimental method was found to be technically easy and highly reproducible. No statistical difference was found between the three groups concerning amplitude of the negative electrical wave recorded at the cortex level after distal stimulation. Conduction velocities were found to be significantly higher in both the vascularized nerve group and the frozen muscle group, compared with the conventional nerve grafting group. The frozen muscle grafting technique is valuable as it gives good experimental results, is easy to carry out and causes minimal damage to the donor site.

Animals↗

Contribution of pattern electroretinogram and pattern visual evoked potential in early diagnosis of primary open angle glaucoma.

Pattern electroretinogram (PERG) combined with visual evoked potential (VEP) has become increasingly useful in clinical assessment of the anterior visual pathways. In regard to the PERG dependence on ganglion cell activity, we studied monocular PERG in 36 patients (71 eyes) with intraocular hypertension (6 eyes under topical beta-blockers) and in 10 patients (18 eyes) with advanced glaucoma, to estimate the potential effect of increased IOP on ganglion cells. We recorded simultaneous VEP to evaluate the retino-cortical conduction time. Referring to normal values obtained from 19 eyes (12 subjects), we found clear-cut PERG abnormalities in 20 eyes among ocular hypertensive patients with increased IOP. They were more altered in the advanced glaucomatous group. Two or three control exams were performed in 10 patients every 6 months: however such a short-time follow-up seems too limited to define the ERG prognosis value in this pathology. Comparing the PERG with the clinical routine assessments, we discuss its place in the diagnosis and in the follow-up of patients with ocular hypertension.

Adult↗

Fatal Streptococcus suis meningitis in man.

A case of Streptococcus suis meningitis is observed in a 39-year-old and previously healthy meat factory worker. Neurological recovery was incomplete despite adequate and sustained antimicrobial therapy. Early deafness was demonstrated by brainstem auditory evoked potentials. Death due to aspiration pneumonia, cardiac arrest and subsequent cerebral anoxia occurred late in the course of the illness.

Adult↗

Subacute sensory neuronopathy associated with Sjögren's sicca syndrome.

Sensory subacute neuropathies associated with sicca syndrome without any systemic involvement have been reported rarely. A sixth case is described with what appears to be the first report of muscle and nerve biopsy findings. The histological studies revealed axonal degeneration without vasculitis in the sural nerve, and a slight denervation process and a discrete myositis in the gastrocnemius muscle, reflecting a subtle systemic disorder. The clinical course of a long-standing subacute sensory neuropathy, the biopsy-documented axonal degeneration, and the neurophysiological findings suggest involvement of the dorsal root ganglia.

Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory↗