Biomedical subjects

Martina Rinnerthaler

Publications and source records attributed to Martina Rinnerthaler.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Auditory startle reaction in primary blepharospasm.

Primary dystonia is associated with abnormal brainstem function, as shown by abnormalities of the blink reflex in blepharospasm (BSP) and of the auditory startle reaction in cervical dystonia. We examined the auditory startle reaction--a brainstem reflex elicited by an unexpected loud stimulus--in patients with primary BSP to expand knowledge on brainstem pathophysiology in primary focal dystonia. Thirteen patients with primary BSP were included and 13 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers served as controls. Auditory startle responses (ASRs) were elicited by binaural high-intensity auditory stimuli, and reflex electromyographic activity was recorded simultaneously with surface electrodes bilaterally from masseter, orbicularis oculi, sternocleidomastoid, and biceps brachii muscles. Patients with BSP showed higher ASR probabilities (masseter, sternocleidomastoid, biceps brachii), shorter ASR onset latencies (masseter, orbicularis oculi, sternocleidomastoid), and larger ASR area-under-the-curve (masseter, sternocleidomastoid) as compared with normal controls. Habituation of ASRs did not differ significantly between patients and controls. These results corroborate previous findings of increased brainstem excitability in primary BSP but point to a different pattern of brainstem dysfunction compared to cervical dystonia, indicating that different pathophysiological mechanisms are involved in the two types of focal dystonia.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed2006

Facial recognition in primary focal dystonia.

The basal ganglia seem to be involved in emotional processing. Primary dystonia is a movement disorder considered to result from basal ganglia dysfunction, and the aim of the present study was to investigate emotion recognition in patients with primary focal dystonia. Thirty-two patients with primary cranial (n=12) and cervical (n=20) dystonia were compared to 32 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and educational level on the facially expressed emotion labeling (FEEL) test, a computer-based tool measuring a person's ability to recognize facially expressed emotions. Patients with cognitive impairment or depression were excluded. None of the patients received medication with a possible cognitive side effect profile and only those with mild to moderate dystonia were included. Patients with primary dystonia showed isolated deficits in the recognition of disgust (P=0.007), while no differences between patients and controls were found with regard to the other emotions (fear, happiness, surprise, sadness, and anger). The findings of the present study add further evidence to the conception that dystonia is not only a motor but a complex basal ganglia disorder including selective emotion recognition disturbances.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Social stigmatization in patients with cranial and cervical dystonia.

Patients with cranial and cervical dystonia (CCD) suffer from visible involuntary facial, head, and neck movements. Therefore, the social appearance of patients with CCD may be seriously affected and self-perceived stigma can be a major source of disability. The present study investigated enacted social stigmatization of patients with CCD. In a pilot study, a semantic differential scale for assessment of stigma was constructed and validated. The final scale contained eight items representing personality traits to be rated on a seven-point scale (-3 negative extreme to 3 positive extreme). Short video sequences (15 seconds) of patients with various types of CCD and age- and sex-matched healthy controls were presented to a sample of 80 biology students (mean age, 19.8 +/- 2.3 years). Immediately after presentation of each video sequence, the students were asked to perform stigma ratings. Significant differences between CCD patients and controls were found on all eight items (P < 0.001 for each). CCD patients were rated as less accountable for their actions, less likeable, less trustworthy, less attractive, less self-confident, more odd and different, more reserved, and more piteous than controls. CCD patients are subject to serious prejudice and enacted stigmatization. There is a need for informing the public about the nature and symptoms of this disorder and a need to support patients to cope with stigmatization.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Computerized tremor analysis of valproate-induced tremor: a comparative study of controlled-release versus conventional valproate.

PURPOSE: Valproate (VPA) induces postural tremor in 6-45% of patients. The characteristics of VPA-induced tremor have not yet been quantitatively assessed, and it is not known whether tremor prevalence or severity is affected by VPA formulation (controlled-release CR-VPA vs. conventional VPA). The aim of this study was quantitatively to assess tremor in epilepsy patients receiving VPA and to compare the effects of two VPA formulations (CR-VPA vs. VPA) on tremor severity. METHODS: In a prospective study, 18 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed focal or generalized epilepsy were assigned to receive alternately either VPA (n=10) or CR-VPA (n=8) monotherapy. Computerized tremor analysis was performed at baseline 1 day before initiating VPA treatment and repeated after a seizure-free period of >or=8 weeks, during which VPA doses had remained stable. Rest and postural tremor were recorded by accelerometry, and surface electromyograms (EMGs) were recorded from the wrist flexors and extensors. RESULTS: At baseline, the two groups had similar postural tremor amplitudes. At follow-up, the CR-VPA group had remained at the same level, whereas VPA subjects exhibited a significant increase in tremor amplitudes (p<0.05) despite comparable VPA doses and comparable plasma VPA concentrations at the time of tremor testing. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to assess quantitatively VPA-induced tremor by standardized tremor analysis. These results suggest that CR-VPA may cause less tremorigenic activity as compared with standard VPA. The mechanisms underlying this difference are unclear but may include greater peak-trough variation with VPA than with CR-VPA.

Activities of Daily Living↗