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Biomedical subjects

P Bergonzi

Publications and source records attributed to P Bergonzi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Tuberous sclerosis and Down syndrome: a casual association?

This paper reports on the clinical, neurophysiological and neuroradiological characteristics of a patient with Down syndrome unusually associated with tuberous sclerosis. In particular, epilepsy is investigated in detail and its polygraphic study and etiopathological factors are discussed. The most interesting findings are those related to the presence of a structural abnormality of the rolandic-parietal cortex, bilaterally, in the form of pachygyria.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Modulation of the interictal epileptiform EEG activity during sleep: from oscillations to complex dynamics.

Polygraphic sleep recordings (EEG, EMG, and EOG) were performed in two groups of epileptic subjects, six with fragile-X syndrome and six with symptomatic epilepsy. Recordings were visually scored for sleep stages and number of spikes/min. Subjects with fragile-X syndrome showed a well defined pattern of production of interictal epileptiform activity with the lowest values during REM sleep; symptomatic epileptic subjects showed less defined and more variable spike/min diagrams. The spectral analysis of the outline of such diagrams confirmed these differences showing shorter periodicities (80-100 min) in the fragile-X group compared to those of the symptomatic group (160-220 min). Finally, a model with multiple feedback circuits is proposed in order to explain the different patterns observed.

Activity Cycles↗
PubMed1990

Seizures in patients with trisomy 21.

We report on the incidence of seizures in 113 patients with Down Syndrome (DS), 43 coming from the OASI Institute for Research on Mental Retardation and Brain Aging, Troina, and 70 from the outpatient clinic of the Department of Pediatrics, University of Catania. We obtained the following results: 15 (13.2%) patients had seizures; 6 (5.3%) febrile seizures (FS) and 9 (7.9%) afebrile seizures (aFS). Among the latter group 2 patients had generalized tonic-clonic seizures, 3 partial complex seizures, and 4 infantile spasms. The seizures appeared early in life. Only 2 adult patients had seizures. These results suggest that patients with DS show a higher incidence of FS and of aFS than non-DS individuals. Seizures in DS may be an epiphenomenon of the neurological abnormalities, both anatomical and functional, usually observed in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

A simple electronic and computer system for automatic spindle detection.

The authors present a new system for the automatic detection of sleep spindles. The electronic and computer analysis are described and a comparison between automatic and visual analysis, performed by two independent readers, was carried out with the aim of evaluating the reliability of the system. Results are discussed and compared with those of different systems already described.

Electroencephalography↗
PubMed1989

Comparison between the results of an automatic and a visual scoring of sleep EEG recordings.

In this paper, results from the visual scoring of nocturnal polygraphic recordings, carried out by nine different groups of readers from different Italian sleep laboratories, are analyzed; inter-and intragroup variability is shown and statistically discussed. Data are then compared with the results of an automatic scoring of the same recordings, carried out by the Medilog Sleep Stager. The validity of this automatic method of scoring is discussed. Finally, an epoch by epoch analysis is described, with the aim of achieving a more detailed evaluation of the intergroup variability.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Butoctamide hydrogen succinate and intensive learning sessions: effects on night sleep of Down's syndrome patients.

Mentally retarded children present a reduction in percentage of REM sleep and of oculomotor frequencies. These sleep patterns are probably relevant for their cognitive activities. The effects of butoctamide hydrogen succinate and intensive learning sessions on the night sleep of five Down's syndrome patients was studied by the authors. They found an increase in percentage of REM sleep after pharmacological treatment and an increase in oculomotor frequencies after learning sessions. The authors' hypotheses of REM sleep as a neurophysiological indicator of cerebral "plasticity" and of oculomotor frequencies as an indicator of "organization" abilities are discussed in this article. Pedagogical implications and therapeutical perspectives are also outlined.

Amides↗
PubMed1986

Sleep patterns of Down's syndrome children: effects of butoctamide hydrogen succinate (BAHS) administration.

Several investigators have described the altered sleep patterns in Down's syndrome subjects. The most relevant findings have been a reduction in percentage of REM sleep, a prolonged latency to the first REM episode, an increase in undifferentiated sleep, and a reduced ratio of the oculomotor frequencies. Because it is of interest to identify new drugs able to increase the percentage of REM sleep in mentally retarded subjects, we studied the effects of butoctamide hydrogen succinate (BAHS) on nocturnal sleep in eight young institutionalized Down's syndrome subjects. BAHS produced a significant increase in the percentage of REM sleep as well as a decrease in undifferentiated sleep and latency to the first REM.

Amides↗
PubMed1985

Myelin basic protein and S-100 antigen in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis in the acute phase.

It has previously been demonstrated that both Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) and S-100 are released in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients during acute phases of exacerbation of the disease. In order to investigate the pathobiological significance of the release of these two proteins into the CSF, MBP and S-100 were assayed in 10 MS patients during the five weeks following onset of an acute exacerbation. MBP was detectable in CSF during the first three weeks after exacerbation, while S-100 was detectable during the entire period of observation, at least in some of the patients. MBP reached its highest CSF concentrations during the first two weeks while S-100 did so in the third week, decreasing thereafter. This difference in time of presence of MBP and S-100 in the CSF is probably due to the different biological origin, MBP being a marker of myelin sheath injury, and S-100, more probably, of astrocytic activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Night sleep organization in patients with severe hepatic failure. Its modifications after L-dopa treatment.

20 subjects with severe hepatic failure have been studied by means of all night polygraphic sleep recordings. Base night recordings have been made, as well as registrations after treatment with drugs that are known to improve the clinical conditions of these patients, especially concerning the psychic performances. Base night recordings show sleep disruption, with a large amount of wakefulness at the beginning of the registrations and during the night itself; sleep stages are strongly reduced, especially REM sleep. After L-dopa treatment, these negative patterns are furthermore enhanced and the percentage incidence of the REM stage is very low; nevertheless, this behaviour goes side by side with a light improvement in psychological performances. On the contrary, therapy with lactulose seems to improve the neuropsychiatric state and the sleep organization; as a matter of fact, wakefulness is lower in the night records after lactulose treatment, whilst the percentage incidence of sleep stages tends back toward normality; REM sleep has clearly risen.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Occult normal pressure hydrocephalus with parkinsonian symptomatology.

The authors describe a case where a parkinsonian symptomatology is associated with pneumoencephalographic and RISA-cisternographic findings typical of an occult normal pressure hydrocephalus. They discuss their personal contribution in the light of what has been already reported in the literature on the same subject. They conclude that a CSF dynamics disturbance among the possible physiopathogenetic mechanisms of an extrapyramidal syndrome in young subjects should be considered. On the other hand, they also emphasize the possibility that the occult normal pressure hydrocephalus may have syndromical expression which are different from the typical one initially described.

Adult↗