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Biomedical subjects

P J Bratty

Publications and source records attributed to P J Bratty.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Parkinson's disease: a comparison of mesulergine and bromocriptine.

Previous studies with mesulergine (CU 32-085) demonstrated safety and efficacy in short-term observations of patients with Parkinson's disease. We compared mesulergine with bromocriptine in 20 patients with Parkinson's disease. Eighteen patients completed the randomized, double-blind, crossover study. Clinical assessments employed the UBC scale and "Mini-Mental State" examination; neurophysiologic measurements were undertaken on wrist rigidity and speed and accuracy of hand movement, and toxicity screening tests were compared. There were no significant differences between the effects of mesulergine (mean dosage, 27.4 mg/d) and bromocriptine (mean dosage, 40.8 mg/d).

Adult↗

Symptomatic anterior spinal arachnoid diverticulum.

The authors report a case of symptomatic arachnoid diverticulum, which was located anterior to the spinal cord and covered the entire length of the spinal canal. The patient underwent cervical laminectomy and cystoperitoneal shunting with subsequent neurological improvement. The causes, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management of spinal arachnoid diverticulum are discussed.

Adult↗

Acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalopathy. A clinical, pathological, and radiological correlation.

Two patients with acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalopathy, one of which was pathologically proven, were serially studied with CT scanning. Both patients showed marked distinctive low density white matter changes throughout both hemispheres, which correlated with clinically involved areas. One patient recovered from the disease, perhaps due to steroid treatment, and showed slow but complete resolution of CT scan changes. We feel that CT scan findings significantly help in the diagnosis of this disease, which may be amenable to early treatment with steroids.

Acute Disease↗

Hereditary mental depression and Parkinsonism with taurine deficiency.

An unusual neuropsychiatric disorder inherited in autosomal dominant fashion occurred in three successive generations of a family. Symptoms commenced late in the fifth decade in six affected patients and led to death in four to six years. The earliest and most prominent symptom was mental depression not responsive to antidepressant drugs or electroconvulsive therapy. This was accompanied by exhaustion, sleep disturbances, and marked weight loss. Later in the disease, symptoms of parkinsonism appeared, and respiratory failure occured terminally. The most recently affected family member was investigated biochemically late in his illness. Concentrations of taurine were greatly diminished in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, and at autopsy, all regions of brain examined had a markedly reduced taurine content. Since taurine is a putative inhibitory synaptic transmitter, deficiency of brain taurine may possibly have caused the psychiatric and neurological manifestations of this disorder.

Age Factors↗