Biomedical subjects

M Behari

Publications and source records attributed to M Behari.

97 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Bilateral basal ganglia lucencies following acute febrile illness.

Bilateral striatal necrosis in children without damage elsewhere in the brain can present as an acute neurological disorder or as a progressive disorder. Three children of 6, 7 and 12 years age developed dystonic posture of limbs without any cranial nerve involvement or alteration of sensorium soon after recovery from acute high grade febrile illness of 3-4 days duration. Computerized tomographic scan of head showed bilateral necrosis of basal ganglia. We think that these patients probably constitute a clinically and radiologically distinct subgroup of disorder that produce bilateral striatal necrosis in children. The cause of the syndrome is unknown.

Basal Ganglia Diseases↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Phenytoin levels in catamenial epilepsy.

We studied the fluctuations in phenytoin (PHT) levels during ovulatory and menstrual phases of the cycle, in eight patients with catamenial epilepsy and in eight age-matched controls. Pharmacokinetic studies of PHT were done in five patients with catamenial epilepsy. The difference in PHT levels during menstrual and ovulatory phase in catamenial group was 3.44 +/- 3.25 micrograms/ml as compared with 0.91 +/- 2.03 micrograms/ml in controls. The mean fall during menstrual phase was significant (p less than 0.05) in the catamenial group. There was also rapid though statistically nonsignificant clearance of PHT during menses as compared with the ovulatory period. It is presumed that the fall in plasma PHT levels during menses, though still within therapeutic range, may be responsible for catamenial exacerbation of epilepsy.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of D-alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) as add-on therapy in uncontrolled epilepsy.

In a double-blind, cross-over trial, vitamin E, and placebo were compared as add-on therapy in 43 patients with uncontrolled epilepsy. The study consisted of a 3-month baseline period followed by two treatment phases of vitamin E or placebo with cross-over to the second phase after 3 months. No significant side effects were noted during the study. Mean seizure frequency in the baseline period was 15.9 +/- 10.5 as compared with 11.8 +/- 10.9 during the placebo phase and 13.7 +/- 11.1 during the vitamin E phase. No significant change in seizure frequency was observed with vitamin E as compared with placebo (p > 0.1). Similar observation was noted in subgroups with generalized seizures (n = 25), partial with secondarily generalized seizures (n = 11), or complex partial seizures (CPS) (n = 7). This study did not corroborate the earlier claims of therapeutic efficacy of vitamin E as add-on therapy in refractory epilepsy in adults.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Case-control study of Meige's syndrome. Result of a pilot study.

A pilot case-control study was conducted to identify possible risk factors for Meige's syndrome. Patients with Meige's syndrome and age- and sex-matched controls suffering from other neurological diseases were recruited from the Movement Disorders Clinic and Neurology Outpatient Department of the All India Insititute of Medical Sciences. All participants were interviewed and information regarding psychiatric and medical illnesses, use of medications, exposure to fumes, dust and pets, characteristics such as marital status, socio-economic status, alcohol, tea/coffee use, tobacco use, betel nut chewing and family history of neurodegenerative diseases among first-degree relatives was ascertained. We found that betel nut with tobacco chewing was a significant predictor for Meige's syndrome (adjusted odds ratio 7.4, 95% confidence interval = 1.0-59. 82). The role of local irritation or the effect of some chemicals in tobacco and betel nuts needs further evaluation of the pathogenesis of Meige's syndrome.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Primary AL (kappa-light chain) amyloidosis manifesting as peripheral neuropathy in a young male without increase in serum and urine immunoglobulin load: a diagnostic challenge.

Primary systemic or AL amyloidosis is a multisystem disorder characterized by diffuse extracellular infiltration of a fibrillar protein of monoclonal light chain origin (AL). Majority of the patients have monoclonal immunoglobulin in serum and/or urine and some have clonal proliferation of plasma cells in their bone marrow. This disease has the widest spectrum of organ involvement, most commonly affecting the kidneys, heart and liver. Involvement of peripheral nervous system is not infrequent and may be the presenting feature of the disease process. Thus, recognition of peripheral neuropathy and affecting the kidney as an early symptom of AL amyloidosis may widen the scope for therapeutic intervention. We describe here a rare case of primary amyloidosis (AL) kappa-light chain presenting with clinical features of peripheral neuropathy and affecting the kidney and heart at an early age of 18 years, hitherto unreported in literature. The case was further interesting as it was not associated with increased serum/urine immunoglobulins or plasma cells in bone marrow. Diagnosis was confirmed using immuno-electron microscopy on sural nerve biopsy.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Widespread electromyographic abnormalities in patients with monomelic amyotrophy: a detailed EMG study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate subclinical electromyographic changes in unaffected muscles of the patients with monomelic amyotrophy (MMA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 35 patients of MMA with single limb atrophy (30 patients with upper limb involvement and 5 patients with lower limb involvement) were studied at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Dellhi, from September 2000 to September 2002. All the patients were evaluated clinically, by detailed three limb electromyography (EMG) and by MRI scan of the spine to rule out other disorders. RESULTS: The mean age of 35 male patients was 24.17 (+/-6.8) years and the mean duration of illness was 3.64 (+/-2.7) years. Patients with upper limb involvement had segmental pattern of atrophy, predominantly distal or proximal. EMG revealed evidence of subclinical diffuse chronic reinnervative changes. All the patients (100%) had bilateral chronic reinnervative changes and 50% had chronic reinnervative changes in three limbs. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with clinically single limb MMA were found to have evidence of widespread chronic reinnervative changes on EMG.

Action Potentials↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Albendazole in neurocysticercosis.

BACKGROUND: In India, parenchymatous cysticercus cysts are more common than the meningeal racemose variety which are seen frequently in Latin America. Reports from Mexico suggest that albendazole is effective in the treatment of neurocysticercosis. We, therefore, studied whether this drug changed the natural course of neurocysticercosis in India. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study, we allocated 29 consecutive patients (22 men and 7 women) with multiple cystic lesions on computed tomography (CT) of the head suggestive of cysticercosis to 7 days treatment with albendazole (15 mg/kg/day) or placebo. CT scans were repeated at the end of treatment and 1 and 3 months later to assess the number of cysts and extent of oedema. RESULTS: Sixteen patients received albendazole and 13 placebo. No change was seen at the end of one week. At 3 months, 14 patients in the albendazole group and 10 in the placebo group showed more than 25% reduction in the number of lesions. The difference between the two groups was not significant. CONCLUSION: Albendazole given in a dose of 15 mg/kg/day for 1 week does not change the natural course of neurocysticercosis.

Adolescent↗