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Biomedical subjects

J Pouget

Publications and source records attributed to J Pouget.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in patients with motor neuron syndromes associated with anti-GM1 antibodies: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

We studied the effects of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in 12 patients with motor neuron syndromes associated with high titers of anti-GM1 antibodies. Five of the patients had conduction blocks. The study design was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial with IVIg (0.4 g/kg body weight per day injected for 5 consecutive days). We evaluated the patients before and 5, 28, and 56 days after drug administration using a computerized analyzer for muscle strength, the Norris scale for disability, motor nerve conduction velocities for patients with conduction blocks, and measurements of immunologic markers. Compared with placebo, IVIg induced a significant increase in muscle strength only in the patients with conduction blocks.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Isolated proximal muscular weakness disclosing myasthenic syndrome].

Three cases of chronic limb-girdle myasthenia gravis (one man and two women) are reported. The duration of the disease was three, five and 20 years respectively. None had oculobulbar weakness during this period nor fluctuating symptoms. The primary diagnosis was myopathy in two cases and myelopathy in the other one. In view of this diagnosis, several features were atypical: absence of marked wasting, preservation of tendon reflexes and normal serum creatine kinase activity. Finally, diagnosis of myasthenia gravis was established by the occurrence of a characteristic decremental muscular response to repetitive stimulation and by positive edrophonium test. It seems that the rate of positivity of acetylcholine receptor antibody is lower than in the common form of the disease. Two patients responded to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and one to high-doses intravenous human immunoglobulins. These and previous cases described in the literature raise the problem of the definition of an unusual form of myasthenia gravis or of a new type of neuromuscular disease characterized by the presence of distinctive changes on muscular biopsies, specially tubular aggregates as in one of our cases. However, this unusual form of chronic limb-girdle weakness has to be recognized because treatments are effective in most cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Association of post-radiation focal muscular atrophy and hypertrophy].

We report a 48 year old woman who had radiotherapy for uterine carcinoma and who developed amyotrophy and muscle hypertrophy in one lower limb. Very few cases of post-radiation monomelic amyotrophy have been reported. On the other hand denervation hypertrophy was presumed to be well known. The seat of the lesions was presumed to be radicular and spinal. The mechanism of atrophy and hypertrophy is discussed.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1993

Nociceptive threshold in hypothyroid patients.

The purpose of this study was to measure the nociceptive threshold in hypothyroid patients by determining when the nociceptive flexion reflex of the lower limb occurs under percutaneous electrical stimulation of the sural nerve, given that this threshold is well correlated with pain sensation. Twelve hypothyroid patients and twelve control subjects participated in the study. In the case of the hypothyroid patients, the nociceptive flexion reflex (or RIII reflex) was measured before and six weeks after the onset of substitution treatment. The results clearly indicate that the nociceptive threshold of the patients with hypothyroidism was significantly higher than that of the control subjects. After six weeks of substitution treatment, the RII threshold return to normal. The analgesia observed in the hypothyroid patients in this study do not appear to be correlated with the blood TSH level. The possible mechanisms of these analgesic effects are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

A double-blind placebo-controlled trial of L-threonine in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Fifteen patients with the unequivocal diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) completed a 1-year randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of L-threonine (2 g daily). During the study, patients in the placebo group showed a decline in functional status consistent with the natural history of ALS, which was not statistically different from outcome in the patients in the L-threonine group.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Nociceptive threshold in patients with epilepsy.

Clinical practitioners have often observed in the course of their daily work that the pain thresholds of epileptic patients seem to differ from those of healthy subjects. These patients can suffer from quite severe traumatic lesions without apparently experiencing any pain. Since they are usually under treatment for epilepsy, it is difficult to determine whether the absence of pain is due to these patients' epileptic condition or to its treatment, since most antiepileptic drugs also have analgesic effects. In the present study, it was proposed to assess the pain thresholds of 15 epileptic patients (10 with tonic-clonic seizures generalized at outset and 5 with temporal lobe epilepsy), by measuring the leg flexion nociceptive reflex (or RIII reflex) threshold: the stimulation threshold at which this reflex is triggered is known to be correlated with the pain threshold. The nociceptive threshold of the patients with generalized epilepsy was not found to differ from that of the control population, whereas that of the patients with temporal lobe epilepsy was spontaneously high and was not reversed upon injecting naloxone. These data are discussed from the point of view of the pain pathways and mechanisms possibly involved.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Study of sensory involvement and dysautonomia in HIV infected patients. A prospective study of 55 cases].

Subclinical impairment of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is frequent during HIV infection. Nevertheless, little attention has been given to the autonomic nervous system (ANS). We undertook a prospective study of the ANS, exploring 55 HIV+ subjects with non-invasive functional tests for the cardiac ANS. We also made a quantitative study of thermic (small fibers) and vibratory (large fibers) sensibilities. The results do not show any statistically significant difference between HIV+ subjects and control subjects or between HIV+ subjects of groups I, II and III and those of group IV of the CDC classification. However, an individual analysis comparing the results of the infected subjects with those of the control group indicated the presence of functional abnormalities of the ANS (small fibers) in 34.5% of HIV+ patients with an equally frequent impairment of the thermic perception (small fibers) and of the vibratory perception (large fibers). Moreover, the signs of subclinical dysautonomia were more frequent in group IV (48.3%) than in groups I, II and III (19%) showing a progressive accentuation of the troubles during the course of the infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Analgesic effect of indomethacin shown using the nociceptive flexion reflex in humans.

This study investigated whether indomethacin has an analgesic effect on the central nervous system. As analgesics which affect the central nervous system produce a correlated decrease in the subjective sensation of pain and in the nociceptive reflex in humans, the amplitude of the nociceptive flexion of the biceps femoris was studied. Eight patients (six men, two women) aged 35-70 years (mean 51) with rheumatic diseases were included in the study. Each patient was his or her own control and was given a single intramuscular injection of either 50 mg of indomethacin or a placebo. A placebo controlled, double blind experimental design was used. Patients were evaluated before and 30, 60, and 75 minutes after the injection. Seventy five minutes after injection, indomethacin gave a 54% decrease in the amplitude of the nociceptive reflex, whereas the placebo produced a decrease of only 12%. This suggests that indomethacin exerts a depressive effect on the amplitude of the nociceptive reflex and affects the central nervous system as part of its analgesic action.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

31P NMR spectroscopy and ergometer exercise test as evidence for muscle oxidative performance improvement with coenzyme Q in mitochondrial myopathies.

Two patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy due to complexes I and IV deficiencies received 150 mg/d of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ). We studied them with a bicycle ergometer exercise test and 31P NMR spectroscopy before and after 10 months of treatment. Before treatment, we observed a low phosphocreatine/inorganic phosphate (PCr/P(i)) resting value along with abnormally high resting lactate concentration. During exercise, there was a pronounced acidosis with delayed kinetics of postexercise recovery for blood lactate, pH, PCr, and PCr/P(i) ratio. Oxygen uptake during exercise was reduced while the lowering of the ventilatory threshold indicated an early activation of glycolysis. After treatment, the bicycle ergometer exercise test indicated a significant improvement with a decrease in resting blood lactate level, an increase in oxygen consumption during exercise, and an increase in the kinetics of lactate disappearance during the recovery period. A shift of the ventilatory threshold to higher workload was present. 31P NMR spectroscopy confirmed the improvement, showing a significant increase in the PCr/P(i) ratio at rest and in the kinetics of recovery for pH, PCr, and PCr/P(i) ratio following exercise in patient 1. For patient 2, we observed a less pronounced acidosis correlated with a lesser amount of Pi produced during exercise. These observations indicate an improvement of mitochondrial function and a shift from high to low glycolytic activity in both patients consequent to CoQ treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Nociceptive threshold and Parkinson disease].

It has now become possible to measure pain thresholds in man by the threshold or amplitude of the leg flexion nociceptive reflex (RIII reflex). These parameters accurately reflect the pain levels perceived by the patients. The aim of the present study was to assess pain thresholds in Parkinsonian patients, using the RIII reflex. Painful phenomena are often mentioned in Parkinson disease, but the perceived pain threshold level can be difficult to assess because of the depressive symptoms which are often associated with Parkinson disease. In 8 cases out of 10, the pain threshold was found to be higher in patients with Parkinson disease than in a control population of the same age: in 2 cases, naloxone injection led to recovery of the normal pain threshold level.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

[Polysaccharide amylopectin-type storage myopathy].

We report a late onset form of polysaccharide myopathy with progressive limb girdle muscles weakness, without cardiomyopathy. Muscle biopsy showed a vacuolar myopathy in type 1 fibres. The PAS positive diastase resistant deposits were made of filamentous material at electron microscopy similar to long chain glycogen. Muscle glycogen levels and glycogen metabolism enzymes were normal. Numerous abnormal mitochondrial with paracrystalline inclusions were observed around the storage material. Twelve patients with polysaccharide amylopectin-like storage myopathy have previously been reported. This disease must be distinguished from other diseases with polysaccharide accumulation such as branching enzyme deficiency and some cases of phosphofructokinase deficiency. In other disorders, no deficient enzymes in the glycogen pathway was found. Some of them show systemic storage (Lafora disease, adult polyglucosan body disease). Corpora amylacea, Bielchowsky bodies and basophilic degeneration of the myocardium represent localised depositions. A few inclusions can also be observed in hypothyroid myopathy. In polysaccharide myopathy allosteric inactivation of phosphofructokinase by a mitochondrial dysfunction is considered by analogy with cases of polysaccharide storage related to phosphofructokinase deficiency.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

[Trigeminal neurotrophic ulcer and vascular disorders of the brain stem. A clinico-electrophysiological study].

Torpid facial ulcerations may occur as a result of lesions involving the trigeminal fibers. These neurotrophic ulcerations have usually been observed after alcohol injection in the trigeminal ganglion. We report two cases associated with brainstem infarction. In both patients, the blink reflex was studied. The masseter inhibitory reflex was studied in one case. Analysis of these electrophysiological recordings can be of particular value in localizing the site of the lesion along the trigeminal pathway.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Chronic polyradiculoneuritis. 25 cases].

Twenty-five patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) were studied in order to define the clinical, biological, electrophysiological and pathological features of this disease. There were 11 men and 14 women ranging in age from 15 to 82 years. The average follow-up was 43 months. Patients fulfilled the criteria laid down by Dyck et al. (1975), except that progression of weakness was at least 2 months and not 6. Fourteen patients had a progressive course and 11 a relapsing one. Weakness was almost constant (24/25), sensory impairment was present in 22/25 with deep sensation predominantly impaired. Areflexia was observed in all patients. A history of previous infection or other possible precipitating event was given by 7 patients. Cerebrospinal fluid examination showed a raised total protein count in 22 cases. Electrophysiological examination revealed a slowing down of nerve conduction velocities to an extent compatible with a demyelinating process in 23 cases; 2 patients only had prolongation of F-waves. Sural nerve biopsy was less informative: inflammatory process--the most specific finding--was observed in only 3 out of 20 biopsies. Six patients had benign forms or spontaneous remission, the others were treated with corticosteroids or with immunosuppressive drugs. Most patients (64%) recovered very well. Only one died during the time of study. Eight other patients were treated with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins and 4 of them improved with administrations at regular intervals to maintain the benefits observed. The occurrence of CIDP in association with other conditions is reviewed and we discuss its nosological position among the acquired demyelinating neuropathies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Inclusion body myositis and neuromuscular diseases with rimmed vacuoles].

A retrospective study of 40 patients with various neuromuscular disorders and more than 3 muscle fibers with rimmed vacuoles has been performed. Two subgroups of patients were distinguished according to the presence or absence of inflammatory exudates. In the first group (14 patients), inflammatory exudates were observed and numerous fibers showed partial invasion. Abnormal filamentous inclusions (16-18 nm in diameter) were found by electron microscopy in muscle fibers cytoplasm and/or nuclei. The diagnosis of inclusion body myositis (IBM) was made in these cases. They presented with insidious proximal muscle weakness and were not improved by immunosuppressive therapy. Immunohistological studies demonstrated T lymphocytes predominance, only few natural killer and B lymphocytes. The number of T8 lymphocytes was high in endomysial sites while T4 were more numerous in perivascular exudates. Abnormal membranous expression of class I MHC antigens was observed on muscle fibers lying near the inflammatory exudates. In the second group of cases (26 patients), no inflammatory exudate was observed. This group of neuromuscular diseases with rimmed vacuoles was heterogeneous. In 10 cases, abnormal filamentous inclusions (16-18 nm in diameter) were observed in rimmed vacuoles. However, this ultrastructural feature did not help in distinguishing subgroups. Various neuromuscular disorders were observed in this group: oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (12 cases with IBM like filaments in 4 cases), chronic spinal atrophy (5 cases with IBM like filaments in 3 cases), post poliomyelitis syndrome (2 cases with IBM-like filaments in one), muscle glycogenosis with IBM like filaments (2 cases), hereditary limb girdle myopathy or distal myopathy (3 cases) and 1 patient clinically presenting with polymyositis and another with cramps and myalgias. No abnormal sarcolemmal expression of class I MHC was found in this group. The pathogenesis of IBM is discussed. Besides T cell mediated cytotoxicity, denervation may be involved. The nature of the abnormal 16-18 nm filamentous inclusions remains unknown. These filaments are not IBM specific.

Adult↗