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At least 451 records · Page 25Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Modulation of sensory nerve function in the airways.

Several clinical studies document a greater discrimination between asthmatic and healthy subjects in bronchial responsiveness to a range of stimuli such as cold air, distilled water and sodium metabisulphite, than to conventional bronchoconstrictor agonists including histamine and methacholine. One of the mechanisms thought to account for the bronchoconstriction induced by these agents is via reflex activation of the cholinergic pathway. An increase in sensory nerve (afferent) activity in asthma might account for the increased responsiveness to these agents. If so, a number of strategies are available to inhibit the function of afferent nerves which could lead to a suppression of bronchial hyperresponsiveness, including (1) inhibition of afferent activity, (2) inhibition of neuropeptide release and (3) antagonism of tachykinin receptors. As there are numerous reviews dealing with the latter, in this review Domenico Spina, Saloni Shah and Selena Harrison focus on the first two strategies.

Anti-Asthmatic Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Measurable deficit of autonomic and sensory nerve function in asymptomatic diabetic patients.

In a group of 46 consecutive outpatients attending the diabetic clinic of our Metabolic Department, 30 insulin-dependent and 16 non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients in stable metabolic control, and in 38 age-matched controls, we measured vibration perception threshold with biothesiometer and autonomic function, by means of the five classical cardiovascular tests: R-R interval variations during deep breathing, Valsalva ratio, lying-to-standing, postural hypotension, and sustained handgrip. None of the patients complained of symptoms related to diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) or sensory polyneuropathy. Vibration perception threshold positively correlated with Valsalva ratio (p < 0.05) and deep breathing (p < 0.01), and all of them correlated with age (p < 0.001), but not with duration of diabetes and metabolic control. Patients scored significantly lower than controls in vibration perception threshold and all of the autonomic function tests. According to the outcomes of cardiovascular tests ["Autonomic Score" (AS)] patients were divided into two different groups: presence (DAN+ = AS > or = 3) or absence (DAN- = AS < 3) of autonomic neuropathy. The DAN- group (n = 28, 60.9%) showed no significant differences from the DAN+ group (n = 18, 39.1%) in age, duration of diabetes, glycated hemoglobin, or body mass index. DAN+ patients had vibration perception threshold measured at the first toe tip and at external malleolus significantly higher than DAN- patients (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively) and controls (p < 0.005), as well as all the other cardiovascular tests except sustained handgrip. No difference in any of these items was observed between DAN- patients and controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Functional and aesthetic reconstruction of full-thickness cheek, oral commissure and vermilion.

PURPOSE: This paper presents surgical techniques for reconstruction of the cheek, oral commissure and vermillion in the repair of full-thickness cheek defects after resection of buccal-mucosal squamous cell carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Four reconstructions in one-stage surgery with either a free radial forearm flap or a rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap for cheek and oral commissure were carried out. There were combined with a new approach for vermillion advancement flaps. Most challenging was the need not only for morphological reconstruction of the orifice, but also for physiological reestablishment of sphincteric and sensory functions in the vermillion. RESULTS: Morphological and physiological reconstruction of the lip with sphincteric and sensory functions was attained. CONCLUSION: This valuable reconstruction technique was demonstrated in large, full thickness defects involving the cheek, oral commissure and vermilion.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

The relationship between sensory impairment and motor recovery in patients with hemiplegia.

The relationship between motor and sensory functions has been studied in sixteen patients with hemiplegia due to brain infarct. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) were recorded in the subacute phase after the vascular accident. Clinical ratings of the reduction of motor and sensory functions were repeatedly performed during a period of six months. The study demonstrates that a relationship exists between the results of the early SEP recording and the degree of motor recovery in the upper limb and, to a lesser extent, in the lower limb.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

The longitudinal assessment of congenitally infected infants.

Infants with congenital infections are at high risk for developmental disabilities. Because of this increased-risk status, they require comprehensive, longitudinal follow-up that should begin in the neonatal period with sensory, developmental, and neuromotor assessments as well as neuroradiological imaging. Reassessments of general development, sensory function, neuromotor abilities, and emerging language should be done during the early years, with cognitive, preacademic, and phonologic-awareness skills assessed during the preschool years. Serial evaluations of cognitive, academic, language, attention, neuromotor and sensory functions are needed through adolescence. Such surveillance of children with congenital infections is required to identify specific disabilities, to determine educational/intervention needs, and to investigate the total effects of congenital infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Bladder sensory power factor (BSPF): a novel diagnostic tool.

A simple clinical test for assessment of sensory function of the urinary bladder is described. It is performed during urodynamic assessment, consisting of stepwise filling of the bladder by gas. Subjects give numerical description of the perceived magnitude of pressure at each step, using an open-ended ratio scale. Based on Stevens law of psychophysics, the bladder sensory power factor (BSPF) is extracted from these data, reflecting the sensory state of the bladder. A BSPF of 1.01 +/- 0.12 (mean +/- SD) was found for 13 normal subjects. For 20 patients with lower urinary tract complaints who had a lesion of lumbosacral nerve roots, the BSPF was 0.59 +/- 0.23 (P < 0.001, t-test). In 16 (80%) of them BSPF was lower than 0.77 (= normal mean -2 SDs), being markedly more sensitive than the punctual sensory parameters-bladder sensory threshold (25%) or capacity (35%). BSPF is presented as a sensitive and easy to perform test for assessment of the sensory function of the human urinary bladder.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Transplantation treatment of spinal cord injury patients.

The minimally manipulated cells from fetal nervous and hemopoietic tissues (gestational age 16-22 weeks) were subarachnoidally implanted into 15 patients (18-52 years old) with severe consequences of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) at cervical or thoracic spine level. The times after SCI were from 1 month to 6 years. Each patient underwent from one to four cell transplantations (CT) with various time intervals. In 11 of 15 cases, CT was combined with an operative partial disruption of a connective tissue cyst and with implantation into a spinal cord lesion of a spinal cord fragment together with olfactory ensheathing cells. Before CT the patients showed complete motor and sensory function disorder consistent with a grade A of SCI according to Frankel classification. With CT treatment, six patients improved their neurological status from A to C grade of SCI, exhibiting incomplete restoration of both motor and sensory function. The status of other five CT-treated patients became consistent with SCI grade B and was characterized by appearance of contracting activity in some muscles and incomplete restoration of sensitivity. The remaining four patients did not exhibit any clinical improvements. No serious complications of CT were noted. The results suggest a clinical relevance of the CT-based approach to treating severe consequences of SCI.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Effects of cocaine on sensory motor function in baboons.

The effects of cocaine on auditory and visual threshold functions and reaction times were studied in baboons. Single IM injections of cocaine HCl (0.001-1.0 mg/kg) were administered once or twice weekly and were followed immediately by psychophysical tests designed to assess cocaine's effects on sensory thresholds and reaction times. Consistent reductions in reaction times were observed in the cocaine dose range of 0.032-0.32 mg/kg. Reaction times were decreased by 5-8% at the more effective cocaine doses. Concurrently measured auditory and visual threshold sensitivities showed no systematic changes at any of the cocaine doses studied.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Aggravation of poststroke sensory symptoms after a second stroke on the opposite side.

The role of the ipsilateral hemisphere in sensory functions remains unknown. The author describes 5 patients who presented with hemisensory symptoms due to unilateral strokes occurring in the left putamen, left thalamus, right putamen, right lateral medulla and left thalamic-internal capsular area, respectively. Sensory symptoms had gradually improved or remained stable after the initial events. However, when another stroke occurred on the contralateral thalamic-occipital, frontoparietal, lateral medulla, temporoparietal and pontine areas, respectively, previous sensory symptoms significantly worsened and became painful. These observations suggest that ipsilateral sensory pathways play a role in the modulation of sensory functions.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Microsurgical reconstruction of sensory skin.

Loss of sensory function is a severe impairment for the hand which loses a lot of its dexterity, becomes "blind" if not guided by sight and is susceptible to burns, wounds and infections. Nerve repair by sutures or grafts is the preeminent operation if the condition of the skin is good. When skin is damaged, various sensory flaps (both free microvascular and local pedicle) may be used. Island flaps from the pulp of another digit give inconsistent results. Sensory flaps from the back of the index finger to the thumb give a fair two-point discrimination. Free microvascular flaps from the pulp or the web of the hallux or from two or even three toes are safe and good operations which restore both perfect skin coverage and excellent sensory function with good two-point discrimination. The damage at the donor site is well tolerated. When previous operations have covered the digit or the hand by means of non-sensory skin, direct neurotization of this skin is possible. Research has been done in animals showing the formation of free endings inside the neurotized skin. Rehabilitation of the previously existing sensory corpuscles is even possible. Our series includes 12 island flaps from the pulp, 19 pedicle flaps from the dorsum, 17 homodigital reverse flow flaps, 38 different types of free neurovascular flaps from the foot and 3 direct sensory neurotization.

Amputation, Traumatic↗
PubMed2002

Clinical and electrophysiologic correlates of quantitative sensory testing in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the degree of association among indices of preserved sensation derived from quantitative sensory testing (QST), somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs), and the clinical characteristics of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: A controlled correlational study of diverse measures of preserved sensory function. SETTING: Regional SCI rehabilitation center in Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-three patients with incomplete SCI and 14 able-bodied controls. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: QST measures of perceptual threshold for temperature and vibration, American Spinal Injury Association sensory scores (light touch, pinprick), and tibial nerve SEPs. RESULTS: There was a low degree of association (kappa) between QST results and sensory scores (|kappa|=.05-.44). QST measures yielded greater numbers of patients with SCI being classified as impaired, suggesting a greater sensitivity of QST to detect more subtle sensory deficits. QST measures of vibration threshold generally corresponded to the patients' SEP recordings. QST measures of modalities conveyed within the same tract were significantly (P<.05) correlated (|r|=.46-.84) in patients with SCI, but not in controls, whereas those modalities mediated by different pathways had lower and generally nonsignificant correlations (|r|=.05-.44) in both patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: The low degree of association between QST measures and sensory scores is likely attributable to measurement limitations of both assessments, as well as various neuroanatomic and neuropathologic factors. QST provides more sensitive detection of preserved sensory function than does standard clinical examination in patients with incomplete SCI.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

A clinical and neurophysiological study of a patient with an extensive transection of the spinal cord sparing only a part of one anterolateral quadrant.

In 1976, Noordenbos and Wall studied sensory functions in a woman with a surgically verified T3 spinal cord transection which spared only a part of the left anterolateral quadrant, We re-investigated this unique case 18 years after the lesion and included a comparable sensory examination, MRI of the spinal cord, somatosensory evoked potentials, PET-activation study during hand and foot vibration and analysis of flexion reflex modulation during the Jendrassik manoeuvre. Our results show that the residual anterolateral quadrant contains ascending pathways carrying a wide range of sensory information as well as descending pathways modulating flexion reflex activity at the spinal level. Moreover, the changes in sensory functions and the unique pattern of cortical activation suggest a functional reorganization of the connectivity between the periphery and the cerebral cortex. Changes of facilitation and/or of inhibition at different levels of the somatosensory system may account for these longterm plastic changes.

Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory↗
PubMed2006

Retinoblastoma with spinal recurrence presenting as spinal cord compression.

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is not rare in extraocular retinoblastoma, and it is not surprising to find it in view of its route of spread. However, although spinal recurrence presenting as spinal cord compression (SCC) is a form of CNS involvement, it is extremely rare. This report describes two patients with unilateral retinoblastoma with spinal recurrence presenting as SCC. The first patient developed erythematous swelling of the right foot and weakness of the bilateral lower limbs at 7 months after left enucleation. Examination revealed pitting edema of bilateral feet and muscle power of 2+ to 3+, with intact sensory function. The second patient developed weakness of the bilateral lower limbs, and defecative and urinary difficulty for 2 days at 8 months after left enucleation. Examination revealed pitting edema of bilateral feet and muscle power of 2+, with defective sensory function. Both patients received surgery and local irradiation after SCC. The first patient refused chemotherapy and survived only 4 months due to disease progression. The second patient received systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy, and survived 19.5 months without disease progression. Spinal recurrence with SCC should be suspected when leg weakness or bowel or bladder disturbance occurs in patients with retinoblastoma.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2005

Long-term effects of muscle-derived protein with molecular mass of 77 kDa (MDP77) on nerve regeneration.

The long-term effects of the 77-kDa muscle-derived protein (MDP77) on motor and sensory nerve regeneration were examined in vivo. Fourteen-millimeter bridge grafts of the right sciatic nerve of SD rats were carried out with silicone tubes containing a solution of type I collagen together with 0, 5, 10, or 20 microg/ml recombinant human MDP77 (N = 10 in each group). Recovery of motor and sensory function was evaluated monthly by the maximal toe-spread index (TSI) and hot-plate test, respectively, for 6 months after the operation. Electrophysiology (nerve conduction velocity), histology (diameter and total number of the regenerated myelinated axons in the tube), and immunohistochemistry (total number of Schwann cells in the tube), as well as measurement of soleus muscle weight, were also performed at this time. Motor, but not sensory, function recovered rapidly in the MDP77-treated groups in a dose-dependent manner. Electrophysiological measurements and the ratio of soleus muscle weight corroborated the positive effects of MDP77 on motor nerve regeneration, but no facilitation of sensory nerve recovery was observed. Furthermore, histological and immunohistochemical evaluations suggested that MDP77 treatment accelerates Schwann cell migration, followed by enhanced maturation of regenerating axons, resulting in functional recovery of both the nerves and the atrophied, denervated muscle.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

3-Nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity in olfactory receptor neurons of patients with Alzheimer's disease: implications for impaired odor sensitivity.

Olfactory sensory function is impaired in patients with the diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to elderly controls, and the olfactory epithelium (OE) of AD patients exhibits several pathological changes characteristic of the AD brain. To confirm that the populations from whom our postmortem tissues are obtained exhibit similar decrements in sensory function, threshold testing was performed; probable AD patients had significantly higher olfactory thresholds than controls. To determine if oxidative stress contributes to decreased olfactory function in AD, we localized 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) immunoreactivity in OE obtained postmortem from patients with neuropathologically confirmed AD and age-matched controls with brains free of significant neurodegenerative pathology. In AD patients, immunoreactivity was localized in olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), including dendritic knobs where ion channels that participate in sensory transduction are located, suggesting a direct mechanism for olfactory impairment. In controls, immunoreactivity occurred in blood vessel endothelium, suggesting age-related vascular dysfunction. Immunohistochemistry for CD68, a macrophage scavenger receptor, demonstrated activated macrophages, a source of free radicals contributing to 3-NT formation, in the OE of AD patients but not controls. These results demonstrate increased oxidative stress and modification of ORN proteins that may contribute directly to olfactory impairment in AD patients.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Surgical management of nerve injuries of the upper extremity in children: a 15-year survey.

In a 15-year retrospective study, the results of 37 surgically treated nerve lesions of the upper extremity in 33 children were reviewed after a mean follow-up of 2 years. Children ranged in age from 4 to 15 years. There were 19 ulnar, 12 median, and 6 radial nerve injuries. Discontinuity of the nerve trunk was found in 23 patients operated by interfascicular grafting (18 patients) or epineural suture (5 patients). The other 14 lesions were treated by decompressive external neurolysis. Useful sensory function (S4-S3) assessed at the autonomous zone was restored in 31 patients (84%). Satisfactory motor recovery was achieved in 25 patients (67%). Independent of the type of lesion, the median nerve showed the best ability to regain complete motor and sensory function. In lesions with continuity of the nerve trunk, those affecting the radial nerve had a worse prognosis regarding motor function recovery. Unfavorable prognosis was mainly related to a time interval of more than 1 year between nerve damage and surgery.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Sensory integrative function in a child guidance clinic population.

Recent researchers in the area of mental health have recognized the influence of biological defects on psychosocial development and on the child's ability to acquire social and academic skills. This study was designed to determine whether or not senxory integrative disorders occurred in a child guidance population, to explore the nature of sensory integrative disorders found in such a group, and to ascertain any relationships between certain types of sensory integrative disorders and specific behavioral traits. The subjects were 87 children between 5 and 9 years of age, the total number referred to a child guidance clinic in southern California because of problems in behavior. All subjects (Ss) were administered the Southern California Sensory Integration Tests and were observed for neuromuscular deviations. The date were subjected to factor analyses. Results showed a high incidence of sensory integrative dysfunction in this population. There was considerable evidence of a syndrome known as postural and bilateral integration dysfunction as well as a strong tendency in this group to show various kinds of behavior problems.

Child↗