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Biomedical subjects

W Emser

Publications and source records attributed to W Emser.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Effective cabergoline treatment in idiopathic restless legs syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of the dopamine agonist cabergoline (CAB) in patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS). METHODS: Patients with moderate to severe RLS were randomized into four groups receiving placebo, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, or 2 mg CAB once daily in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter dose-finding trial followed by an open long-term extension trial of 47 weeks. Efficacy was assessed with the RLS-6 scales and International RLS Study Group severity scale (IRLS). RESULTS: A total of 85 patients (age 56 +/- 10 years, 71% females) were treated. Severity of RLS-6 scale symptoms during the night (the primary endpoint) was markedly improved by all CAB doses compared to placebo (placebo: -1.4 +/- 3.1, 0.5 mg CAB: -4.2 +/- 3.0 [p = 0.0082], 1.0 mg CAB: -4.0 +/- 2.9 [p = 0.0040], 2.0 mg CAB: -4.8 +/- 3.7 [p = 0.0026]). Similar results were found for the RLS severity at bedtime and during the day, IRLS, and satisfaction with sleep. A stable, clinically relevant improvement was achieved in all efficacy measures (severity during the night: change between last assessment and baseline: -5.6 +/- 2.5, rate of remission: 71.2%) throughout 1 year with a mean CAB dose of 2.2 mg per day. During long-term treatment, 6 of 66 treated patients were affected (n = 2) or possibly affected (n = 4) by mild augmentation. Under CAB therapy up to 1 year, 11 of 85 patients discontinued treatment due to a drug-related adverse event. CONCLUSIONS: Cabergoline is an efficacious and well-tolerated option for the treatment of restless legs symptoms during the night and the day.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Melatonin decreases the amplitude of the b-wave of the human electroretinogram.

In a double-blind placebo crossover study of 13 healthy volunteers, the pineal hormone melatonin (10 mg) was given at 4 pm, and the electroretinogram measured under conditions of dark and light adaptation. A significant diminution of b-wave amplitude was found under both photopic (delta = 5.4 microV, p < 0.05) and scotopic conditions (delta = 7.4 microV, p < 0.01). These data indicate that melatonin may transduce the dark signal at the level of the retina as well as the pineal. Acute administration of melatonin decreases sensitivity to light.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Evoked potentials with intrathecal and systemic corticosteroid therapy in multiple sclerosis].

46 MS-patients were treated by systemic or intrathecal administration of steroids. Before and three weeks after the beginning of the treatment, we measured the latencies of visual and somatosensory evoked potentials and examined clinically according to the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Only one patient showed significant changes in VEP latencies, SEP showed equivalent results before and after therapy. In contrast, in 24 out of 46 patients the clinical examination revealed a change in EDSS. As a consequence visual and somatosensory evoked potentials can not be regarded as adequate tools for short-term assessment in therapeutic trials.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1988

Changes in nocturnal sleep in Huntington's and Parkinson's disease.

There have been no reports of studies on nocturnal sleep or quantitative studies of sleep spindle density in Huntington's disease, whereas sleep in Parkinson's disease has been extensively reported. We therefore examined nocturnal sleep changes in patients with Parkinson's and Huntington's disease and compared them with a control group. The previously reported decrease in sleep spindle density was observed in patients with Parkinson's disease. The patients with Huntington's disease, however, had a significant increase in sleep spindle density, the nocturnal sleep pattern being normal in other respects when compared with the control group. This observation may provide a further diagnostic criterion in Huntington's disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The P300 component of event-related potentials in schizophrenic patients.

In a pilot study, the P300 component of the ERP subsequent to competitive visual stimulation was examined in 12 schizophrenic patients (paranoid hallucinatory schizophrenia in partial remission, neuroleptic medication). In the competitive stimulation with a varying information content of the non-target stimuli, healthy probands showed a distinct increase in the amplitude of the P300 components according to a in the frequency of the non-target stimuli. The P300 components during these changing stimulatory conditions remained constant in the schizophrenic patients. This reduction in the reactivity of the P300 component subsequent to an increasing information content of the non-target stimuli can be interpreted as a disturbance in the selective information processing. The ability to adequately react to the information content of irrelevant stimuli appears to be reduced in the schizophrenic patients we examined.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Visual evoked potentials following double-pattern stimulation with pseudo-color perception].

We examined in which form an additional structural stimulus in the white checks influenced the visual evoked potential of a checkerboard reversal induced response. A pattern of vertical bars was introduced with a short delay to the checkerboard reversal. The purpose of these experiments was to find out about the discrimination threshold of the occipital cortex for timely spaced stimuli. The double stimulus was separated from the next change minimally for 800 ms. With this arrangement we avoided "steady states", which are shown by repetitive interstimulus intervals of less than 200 ms. Nine normal volunteers between 22 to 28 years of age were measured. We found a typical waveform after the P 100 potential consisting of a positive peak followed by a negative long-lasting baseline elevation. Only separations of more than 60 ms yielded this configuration. Interstimulus times of less than 60 ms resulted in refractory effects on the visual evoked response. All the subjects reported colour or brightness changes of the additional bars. These pseudo colours were very probably due to the Prevost-Fechner-Benham-Effect which is common with repetitive white and black pattern changes. Our pseudo colours showed remarkable differences to the classical designs which has led us to the conclusion that colour perception on TV monitors is influenced so far by unpredictable flicker factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Regeneration of frog twitch and slow muscle fibers after mincing.

Iliofibularis muscles of Rana temporaria were minced and allowed to regenerate in the iliofibularis or the sartorius bed of the same frog. Regenerated muscles were examined for the presence of slow muscle fibers using electrophysiologic, histochemical, and contractile parameters. Muscle regeneration from sartorius mince was also studied. Regeneration was more successful from iliofibularis than from sartorius mince, and the iliofibularis bed was more favorable for regeneration than the sartorius bed for both types of muscle. Twitch fibers regenerated within a few months, but slow fibers could not be identified earlier than 14 months after muscle destruction. Slow muscle fibers regenerated only from iliofibularis mince, both orthotopically and heterotopically. All regenerates capable of maintaining a K-contracture contained histochemically identified slow fibers; the membrane properties of electrophysiologically identified slow fibers were normal. It is concluded that slow muscle fibers regenerate only from the remnants of a muscle that contains slow fibers. The results are discussed with respect to the role of innervating nerve fibers.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

[Latency differences of visual evoked potentials in binocular and monocular checkerboard stimulation as well as age and sex dependence].

Pattern reversal evoked potentials (VEPs) have been recorded in 100 normal subjects with an average age of 37.6 years (range 11-69). We found significantly shorter latencies of the P 100 for binocular stimulation compared to monocular stimulation. Women under 50 years showed shorter latencies than men for both binocular and monocular stimulation. Men showed no significant latency dependence of age. However, women had a significant latency prolongation above an age of 50 years, indicating a sex specific influence on latencies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Familial occurrence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, parkinsonism, and dementia.

We report here on a 59-year-old man from southwest Germany who died after a 14-year course of an illness characterized by progressive dementia, parkinsonism, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Postmortem examination revealed Alzheimer's neurofibrillary tangles in the substantia nigra, innominata, locus ceruleus, parahippocampal gyrus, and less frequently in the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex. Investigation of the patient's pedigree back to the 17th century revealed nine additional family members who had exhibited signs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or parkinsonism-dementia or both. The pedigree suggests that a recessive trait with genetic epistasis is responsible for the disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Hypermagnesemic periodic paralysis: treatment with digitalis and lithium carbonate.

An 18-year-old man suffering from a hereditary hyperkalemic periodic paralysis showed, in addition, a hypermagnesemic periodic paralysis with a 2.5-fold increase in serum magnesium level. All other serum electrolyte levels were normal. The hypermagnesemic periodic paralysis seems to have been caused by a disturbance of the renal tubular system. Thus, magnesium-stimulated paralysis was prevented by treatment with lithium carbonate and digitalis, which blocked the active ion transport.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Parasitic myositis by Echinococcus alveolaris. Report of a family with myotonia congenita.

Echinococcus alveolaris infections were found in 5 members of a family and at least 3 of them also suffered from myotonia congenita. A muslce biopsy, performed in 1 case because of a pathological EMG finding allowed a diagnosis of parastic myositis caused by E. alveolaris to be made. In a further case, X-rays demonstrated calcification of an Echinococcus cyst in the thigh. Since is it only on rare occasions that these parasites are found in muscle tissue, factors are then discussed which might in some way be responsible for this high rate of E. alveolaris lesions in the muscles of patients with myotonia congenita.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

[A case of Ehlers-Danlos-syndrome and its zinc therapy (author's transl)].

An 8-year-old boy presented a typical Ehlers-Danlos-syndrome. The light- and electromicroscopic findings of both skin- and muscle-biopsy cannot explain the symptoms. A deficiency of zinc and, resulting from this, a defective cohesiveness of collagenous and elastic fibres seems possible. After oral zinc treatment a significant therapeutic effect was seen.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1977

Myxedema myopathy: a case report.

A classical case of myxedema, demonstrating the typical Hoffmann syndrome (muscle weakness, hypertrophy, pseudomyotonic phenomena) and the usual rise in serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK), is discussed. Assuming that there is a CPK loss in the muscle fiber, the pseudomyotonic phenomena may be due to an increase in ADP, which in turn inhibits the calcium pump. Furthermore, light-microscopic and electron-microscopic findings are reported.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗