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Biomedical subjects

O S Levin

Publications and source records attributed to O S Levin.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Coaxil (tianeptine) in the treatment of depression in Parkinson's disease].

Clinical evaluation of tianeptine (coaxil) efficacy and safety has been conducted in an open non-comparison study of 18 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with moderate and marked depressive symptoms measured by Hamilton and Beck depression scales. To the end of the 3rd month of the treatment, scores on the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) decreased by 34% and by 31% on the Beck Depression Scale (p<0.05) as compared to the baseline level. Improvement was observed in 14 out of 18 patients (77%), with decreasing of HAM-D scores by 50% and over in 8 patients (44%). An analysis of depressive symptoms structure revealed that the improvement was due to the decrease of anxiety and somatoform symptoms and, to a lesser extent, to melancholy and sleep disorders. However, a level of apathy did not change. The decrease of depression was accompanied by significant improvement of quality of life. The efficacy of coaxil was higher in patients with less marked depressive and motor symptoms, shorter disease course and less cognitive impairment. Good tolerability of coaxil was observed during the whole study. Therefore, coaxil may be recommended for treatment of depressive symptoms in patients with PD.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

[Stalevo (levodopa/carbidopa/entacapon)--a new generation drug in the treatment of Parkinson's disease].

Based on literature data on the usage of Dopa medications in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), a characteristic of a new complex drug stalevo, which includes levodopa, carbidopa and entacapon (catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor), is presented. The authors studied 15 patients with PD, aged 55.6+/-8.7 years, illness duration 7.7+/-3.1 years, who received stalevo during 6 weeks and revealed that stalevo reduced significantly the intensity of main PD symptoms, especially hypotension and rigidity as well as motor fluctuations, and improved general movement and daily activity of patients thus ameliorating their quality of life. The drug is well-tolerable.

Antiparkinson Agents↗
PubMed2005

["Ephedron" encephalopathy].

The results of clinical, neuropsychological and MRI study of 21 patients with "ephedron" encephalopathy caused by intake of methcatinon ("ephedron"), a surrogate drug obtained from phenylpropanolamine-containing compounds by adding potassium permanganate, are presented. Signs of brain lesions emerged 3-14 (mean 6.8 +/- 4.9) months after the beginning of the regular drug intake. Neurological disturbances were measured using the Scale of clinical assessment of ephedron encephalopathy. In the acute stage of the disease, most patients had the combination of extrapyramidal disorders (parkinsonism, muscular dystonia, tremor, myoclonia) with pronounced postural instability, pseudobulbar syndrome, autonomic, cognitive and affective personality abnormalities of subcortical and frontal types. In 18 (86%) patients, MRI revealed a bilateral symmetric elevation of the signal from the basal ganglia on T1-weighted images, mostly from the medial segment of globus pallidus and the reticular part of substantia nigra that reflected magnesium accumulation. The spread of hyperintensive MRI changes negatively correlated with the disease duration (r = -0.6; p < 0.01), but did not depend on the drug abuse duration or its approximate total dosage, and also did not correspond to the disease severity. In follow-up, a tendency to spontaneous regress of symptoms was observed in 29% of the cases, and in 33% patients symptoms have been regressing even 4 years after stopping of methcatinon intake. The main mechanisms of "ephedron" encephalopathy development are probably related to the manganese accumulation in the brain that might trigger secondary pathogenetic mechanisms, such as mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, etc. The induction courses of calcium and sodium EDTA that accelerates manganese excretion decrease a probability of the further disease progress, though do not contribute significantly to symptoms regress. The data on possibilities of symptomatic therapy of movement and affective disturbances is presented.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

[Reminyl efficacy in dementia with Levi bodies].

Reminyl (galantamine)-- a cholinesterase inhibiting component--was used in treatment of 15 patients with dementia featured by the presence of Levi bodies in brain neurons. The treatment duration was 16 weeks with elevation of the drug dosage every 4 weeks--from 8mg to 12 mg twice a day. Treatment evaluation was conducted clinically and by psychometrical tests and scales. Reminyl improved patient's state reducing cognitive, behavioral and psychotic disturbances. The highest effect was achieved in 2/3 patients. Side-effects (nausea, dizziness, dyspepsia, general sickness, etc) were observed in 47% cases. Only in 2 patients they caused treatment withdrawal. The absence of aggravation of extrapyramidal disorders is emphasized.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

[Comparative study of Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies].

Comparative investigation of motor and neuropsychological functions was conducted in 17 patients with clinically established diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), 21 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) without dementia and 26 patients with dementia (PDD). No significant differences were found in overall severity of parkinsonian features. However, comparing to PD, patients with DLB rarely had resting tremor, bilateral parkinsonism onset and good response to levadopa medication but more frequently exhibited gaze up palsy and myoclonus. Patients with PDD had more prominent akinesia, rigidity and axial disturbances, as compared to the PD patients without dementia, but there were no significant differences in these variables between patients with DLB and PDD. Comparing to PDD patients, those with DLB poorly performed on the tests measuring attention, verbal fluency and visual-spatial functions. Behavioral disturbances (especially apathy, aspontaneity, euphoria, obsessive-compulsive syndrome, dysinhibition, environment dependence) were severer in the patients with DLB and PDD, but no significant differences were found between these two groups. All the patients with DLB, 14 patients with PDD (53.8%) and 2 patients without dementia (7.4%) had psychotic disorders, which emerged later and were less pronounced in the patients with DLB compared to PDD patients. However, no significant differences were found in motor and neuropsychological impairment between DLB and PDD with psychotic disorders. The results may indicate a typological similarity of clinical manifestations of DLB and PDD that suggest nosologic proximity of these conditions included to synucleinopathies group.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

[Characteristics of vertebral and muscular tonic syndromes in acute and remote periods of cervical whiplash injuries].

The study elicited the peculiarities of vertebral and muscular tonic syndromes in acute and remote periods of whip cervical trauma (WCT). Forty patients in acute period of WCT (2nd-3rd degree of severity) and 30 patients in remote period of WCT, who experienced pain and other symptoms 6 months after the trauma (late whip syndrome--LWS) were examined. The control group included 30 patients with neck and arm pain due to cervical osteochondrosis. In WCT, comparing to cervical osteochondrosis, more marked movement restriction in sagittal plane, more frequent blockade of the lower cervical spine segments, stronger correlation between pain syndrome and movement restriction in the cervical segments, more frequent muscular tonic syndrome in the anterior neck muscles and deeper neck flexors were found. In LWS, in contrast to the acute period of WCT, dissociation between more restricted active and more preserved passive movements in the cervical segments, weaker correlation between emerging of pain syndrome and restriction of movement volume, more frequent blockade of the upper cervical segments, more frequent occurrence of supraspinal muscles and shoulder-scapular syndromes were detected. The data obtained revealed a complex mechanism of symptoms formation in WCT that should be taken into account in treatment planning for acute and remote periods of cervical trauma.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

[Clinical and genetic analysis of juvenile parkinsonism in Russia].

Clinical and genetic analysis of juvenile parkinsonism was performed in 26 sibs from 20 families. Heterogeneity of the disorder was observed. Mutations in the parkin gene (locus PARK2, chromosome 6q25.2-27), with the prevalence of deletions over point mutations, have been identified in 41%. The comparative clinical analyses of patients examined confirmed the phenotypical polymorphism of "parkinopathy". We also showed the absence of asymmetric manifestation--an important and underestimated so far sign of the disease. The results of the study may be considered as a valuable clue to the clinical diagnosis of parkin-related juvenile parkinsonism in Russian population and implemented for mutation screening and medico-genetic counseling of affected families.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

[Clinical and electromyographical analysis of peculiarities of parkinsonian syndrome in multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease].

Because differential diagnosis between Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) may be difficult due to overlapping of clinical features, especially at the early stage of the diseases, a search for additional clinical and instrumental markers increasing reliability of etiological diagnosis appears actual. The article presents the results of comprehensive comparison of parkinsonian signs and spectral electromyography (sEMG) data in 18 patients with MSA, diagnosed clinically according to criteria of Gilman et al (1998), and in 21 PD patients. Though no between-group differences in total expression of parkinsonian signs evaluated with The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, part III, were found, MSA patients demonstrated progressive motor deficits, severer hypokinesia in the distal regions of the extremities, more pronounced impairment of axial movements, postural instability and gait disturbances but milder resting tremor, as compared to the PD patients (p < 0.05). Besides, the MSA patients were more frequently resistant to levodopa and had axial drug-induced dyskinesia (p < 0.05). An analysis of sEMG data revealed that MSA patients had a more prominent peak in 10-17 Hz frequency band (for arm muscles) and in Hz 7-14 (for leg muscles) as well as higher amplitudes peak frequencies (p < 0.05) positively correlated to hypokinesia severity. The results may be useful for differential diagnosis between PD and MSA.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1996

[Experience with using high doses of cerebrolysin in vascular dementia].

The efficacy and tolerability of high-dose neurotrophic drug cerebrolysin was studied in 20 patients with vascular dementia diagnosed by criteria NINDS-AIREN and DSM-IV. The drug was well tolerated, affected positively cognitive function, especially neurodynamic processes. EEG featured after treatment intensification of rapid rhythms power and a decrease in delta-activity spectrum. The highest effect of cerebrolysin was achieved in patients with mild cognitive defects.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

[The use of nimodipine in elderly dementia patients].

The analysis of original and literature evidence on nimodipin administration in senile patients with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease allows the conclusion on positive effects of the drug on cognitive, motor, behavioral, neuropsychological and postural defects. Further efforts should be directed to the study of long-term regimens and elucidation of nimodipin ability to inhibit progression of dementia.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

[Chorea minor].

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Acute Disease↗