Biomedical subjects

R J Arts

Publications and source records attributed to R J Arts.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1987

Discontinuation of antiepileptic therapy: a prospective study in children.

Anticonvulsant medication was stopped in a prospective study in 116 children with epilepsy who had had no seizures for a period of 2 years. A remission rate of 80.5% was found 5 years after withdrawal. The population studied was unselected, and based on children directly referred by general practitioners to the outpatient department. Among the many variables examined, such as type of epilepsy or seizure, presence of concomitant neurological or intellectual deficit, and epileptiform activity on the EEG, only the age of onset of seizures was significantly and positively correlated with the probability of recurrence after discontinuation of medication. In contrast to other recent studies, it was concluded that there are no reliable predictive factors for withholding from any individual "epileptic" child the benefit of attempts to stop medication after 2 years of seizure freedom.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

Paraesthesiae in multiple sclerosis.

The clinical features of paraesthesiae were analysed in 127 patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS). Fifty-one of these patients (40%) mentioned paraesthesia as a presenting symptom and 107 (84%) had persistent paraesthesiae by the time of this study. Paraesthesiae were frequently associated with sensory loss in the same region. However, this association was not statistically significant nor was that between the occurrence of paraesthesiae and abnormal somatosensory evoked responses (SSER). Statistically significant associations were found between abnormal SSER and abnormal sense of vibration, abnormal SSER and diminished sense of touch, and abnormal SSER and diminished sense of pain.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

Brainstem reflexes and brainstem auditory evoked responses in Huntington's chorea.

Blink reflex, corneal reflex, jaw reflex, exteroceptive suppression in masseter muscles and brainstem auditory evoked potentials were measured in 20 patients with Huntington's chorea and 12 controls. A significantly increased latency of the second component of the homolateral and heterolateral blink reflex was found in the patient group as compared with the controls. The other investigations revealed no significant differences between patients and controls except for some facilitation of the jaw reflex in the patient group. Increase of second component latency of the blink reflex in the presence of normal corneal reflexes is suggestive of functional impulse conduction disturbance in the lower brainstem. It is discussed whether in Huntington's chorea this is to be attributed to alterations of cortical or striatal influence or to local brainstem abnormalities.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Psychomotor status.

Four case histories are reported, including a review of the available literature since 1956 (35 cases). Contrary to what might be inferred from the limited number of published cases, the actual prevalence of psychomotor status must be much higher, as probably many patients' conditions are mistakingly diagnosed as psychiatric. Neurologic and electroencephalographic examinations are indicated in all patients with an apparently acute psychotic behavior combined with an altered state of consciousness.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Somatosensory evoked potentials in Huntington's chorea.

Somatosensory evoked potentials were measured in 21 patients with Huntington's chorea and 12 controls. Central brain conduction time was normal. Early cortical component amplitudes were reduced in the patient group, latencies were normal. These abnormalities probably can be attributed to cortical dysfunction in Huntington's chorea. No indication of brain-stem dysfunction was found.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Jaw, blink and corneal reflex latencies in multiple sclerosis.

Jaw, blink and corneal reflexes, which all involve the trigeminal system, were recorded in 54 patients with multiple sclerosis; thirty-seven of these patients were classified as having definite multiple sclerosis and 17 as indefinite multiple sclerosis, according to Schumacher's criteria. The jaw reflex was abnormal less frequently than either of the other two reflexes, but in four cases it was the only abnormal reflex found. Testing a combination of two or three trigeminal reflexes did not yield a higher incidence of abnormalities than testing the blink or corneal reflex alone. Nine patients showed abnormal reflexes which were unexpected on the basis of clinical symptoms. The combined recordings demonstrate at least one abnormal reflex in 74% of the patients. The various types of reflex abnormalities reflect major damage to different parts of the trigeminal system and may therefore make an important contribution to the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

Adult↗