SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “sensory function”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,459 records · Page 81Linked to original sources

PubMed2000

Acute thoracoabdominal aortic dissection presenting as painless, transient paralysis of the lower extremities: a case report.

Acute dissection of the aorta can be one of the most dramatic of cardiovascular emergencies. Its symptoms can occur abruptly and progress rapidly. Prompt recognition and appropriate intervention is crucial. However, not all aortic dissections present with classic symptoms of abrupt chest, back, or abdominal pain, and the diagnosis may be missed. A 63-year-old woman presented with transient loss of lower extremity motor and sensory function as the only symptom of an acute thoracoabdominal aortic dissection. Aortic dissection presenting as a transient neurologic syndrome is quite unusual. The sudden onset of weakness and parasthesia can result from the interruption of blood flow to the spinal cord. These symptoms of acute spinal cord ischemia, suggestive of a serious cardiovascular event, must be recognized and thoroughly investigated.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1997

Successful controlled limb reperfusion after severe prolonged ischemia.

Controlled limb reperfusion was performed in two patients who were admitted for lower limb-threatening ischemia as a result of embolism. After embolectomy, the inflow blood was drained with a cannula and mixed with a crystalloid solution to obtain an hyperosmolar, hypocalcemic, alkalotic, and substrate-enriched (aspartate, glutamate) reperfusate. This reperfusate was reinjected with a roller pump for 30 minutes through two cannulas inserted in the profunda and superficial femoral arteries. Temperature, intraarterial pressures, and flow were closely controlled. No complications occurred, and complete recovery of motor and sensory functions were observed, with restoration of pedal pulses.

Aged↗

PubMed1992

[Paraplegia after spinal anesthesia].

A case of paraplegia occurring after a spinal anaesthetic is reported. The 79-year-old man was admitted for a fractured neck of femur. Twenty years previously, he had had pharyngeal surgery and a tracheostomy. He had also undergone a prostatectomy for prostate cancer, and had been on oestrogen therapy for two years. He complained of dyspnoea at rest and his chest film showed diffuse pulmonary opacities. In order to avoid possible intubation and respiratory complications, spinal anaesthesia was performed without any problems in the L4 space. After the surgery, the patient recovered all his motor and sensory functions in the lower limbs. On the second postoperative day, he suffered from a motor paralysis of the right leg, which spread to the left leg on the fourth day. NMR imaging showed several vertebral metastases, together with anterior and lateral epidural invasion responsible for cord compression. Treatment with tetracosactide was begun, but the patient died six weeks later in his home, not having recovered any neurological function at all in his lower limbs. In fact, it was only after the procedure that the anaesthetist was informed that, at the time the prostate cancer had been diagnosed, vertebral body metastases, of which the patient had not been informed, were already present. The part played by the spinal anaesthetic in the occurrence of the paraplegia is not clear. It is reminded that such a technique should be used with extreme care in patients having a neoplasm with a very often high incidence of vertebral metastases.

Aged↗

PubMed1990

[Flumazenil and peroperative awakening in surgery of scoliosis].

Motor and sensory function must be assessed during surgery of scoliosis so as to avoid possible damage to the spinal cord. The intraoperative awakening by a specific benzodiazepine antagonist, flumazenil, was studied prospectively in 20 patients (mean age 17 years) undergoing surgery for severe scoliosis. Premedication consisted in 0.02 mg.kg-1 atropine and 0.15 mg.kg-1 midazolam. Anaesthesia was induced with a mean dose of 0.42 +/- 0.1 mg.kg-1 midazolam, 1.6 +/- 0.6 micrograms.kg-1 fentanyl and 0.1 mg.kg-1 pancuronium. Maintenance was obtained with a continuous infusion of 0.22 +/- 0.1 mg.kg-1.h-1 midazolam, 66% nitrous oxide in oxygen, and fentanyl (1.6 +/- 0.5 micrograms.kg-1.h-1). Nitrous oxide and midazolam were respectively stopped 10 and 1 min before giving the antagonist (5 micrograms.kg-1 flumazenil) if required (17 out of the 20 patients). Eye opening occurred a mean 42 +/- 32 s after giving the antagonist. At this time, there was a significant increase in mean arterial blood pressure (+ 11 mmHg) and heart rate (+ 7 b.min-1). Thiopentone, 66% nitrous oxide in oxygen and 0.5% halothane were given to re-induce and maintain anaesthesia for completion of the procedure. The day following surgery, 19 patients were unable to remember the period of intraoperative awakening. One patient, although remembering the episode, did not experience any pain or any other disagreement in relation to it. Two patients were given a second dose of flumazenil at extubation so as to improve the quality of their recovery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Lupus myelopathy in a child.

A 5-year-old female developed, after a 7-month period of fever, anorexia, weight loss, and a transitory cutaneous erythematous eruption, a severe acute transverse myelopathy, with a partial recovery of motor and sensory function. She had positive antinuclear and antidouble-stranded DNA antibodies but no antiphospholipid antibodies. Six months later she had massive proteinuria and restarted treatment with steroids and cyclophosphamide. Our patient is one of the youngest reported with lupus myelopathy. We discuss the clinical presentation, the magnetic resonance imaging findings, and other relevant laboratory studies of this rare but serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1997

Cystic leukoencephalopathy in a megalencephalic child: clinical and magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance spectroscopy findings.

A neurodegenerative disorder characterized by megalencephaly since early infancy and slowly progressive symptoms of cerebellar, pyramidal, and extrapyramidal dysfunction, pseudobulbar signs, and epilepsy was detected in an 8-year-old girl with severe neuromotor handicap but preservation of mental and sensory functions. Cranial computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed brain swelling as well as severe abnormalities of frontal, temporal, and parietal white matter, with an extended cystlike appearance isointense to cerebrospinal fluid. Localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of affected cystic white matter showed a loss of all metabolites, in accordance with a complete disintegration of neuroaxonal and glial tissue. This case is likely a severe variant of a recently described megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with swelling and discrepantly mild clinical course.

Brain↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of acute sensory--motor effects and test sensitivity using termiticide workers exposed to chlorpyrifos.

Sensory and motor testing was performed on a group of termiticide workers primarily using chlorpyrifos-containing products to evaluate both the acute effects from current exposure and sensitivity of the measures to detect effects. The study group comprised 106 applicators and 52 nonexposed participants. Current exposure was measured by urinary concentrations of 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) collected the morning of testing. The mean TCP value for the 106 applicators was 200 microg/g creatinine. Participants received 4--5 h of testing and were evaluated using a sensory--motor test battery recommended by a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-sponsored advisory panel to be appropriate for testing effects from pesticide exposures. Measurements testing olfactory dysfunction, visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, color vision, vibrotactile sensitivity, tremor, manual dexterity, eye--hand coordination, and postural stability were analyzed. Study results indicated limited acute effects from exposure to chlorpyrifos using urinary TCP as a measure of current exposure. The effects occurred primarily on measures of postural sway in the eyes closed and soft-surface conditions, which suggests a possible subclinical effect involving the proprioceptive and vestibular systems. Several other tests of motor and sensory functions did not show any evidence of acute exposure effects, although statistically significant effects of urinary TCP on the Lanthony color vision test scores and one contrast sensitivity test score were found. The visual measures, however, were not significant when a step-down Bonferroni correction was applied. Information also is presented on the sensitivity of the measures to detect effects in an occupationally exposed population using standard error of the parameter estimates.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Postnatal growth, neurobehavioral and neurophysiologic changes of prenatal low-dose beta-radiation from tritiated water in mice.

Pregnant adult C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to four groups: one sham and three irradiated groups that were exposed to -irradiation from tritiated water (HTO) by a single intraperitoneal injection on Day 12.5 of gestation. The offspring received cumulative doses of 0.036, 0.071, and 0.213 Gy, respectively. The litters were observed for postnatal growth (body weight, brain weight), the development of four physiologic milestones (pinna detachment, eye opening, testes decent, vaginal opening), the acquisition age of several reflexes (cliff avoidance, air righting) and sensory functions (auditory startle, thermal reflex), movement and coordination functions and activity (pivoting, foot splay, continuous corridor activity), learning and memory performance (shock avoidance, conditioning reflex), and the density of CA1-CA4 hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Modest but significant dose-dependent neuronal death and functional impairment were seen in both 0.071 and 0.213 Gy groups. In conclusion, even prenatal low-dose beta-radiation may impair murine central nervous system (CNS) development suggesting the potential importance of minimizing environmental exposure during human pregnancy.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Validation and factorial structure of a standardized neurological examination assessing neurological soft signs in schizophrenia.

Although neurological soft signs (NSS) have been consistently reported in patients with schizophrenia, their clinical relevance, the actual impact of treatment or their evolution during the disease are not well clarified, possibly because of methodological limitations of the available tools. We have developed a new standardized examination integrating the assessment of 23 NSS selected from the literature and the rating of well-validated scales for assessment of extra-pyramidal symptoms. We examined 161 subjects (controls, n=48; patients with schizophrenia, n=95; or recurrent mood disorder, n=18). Half of the patients were neuroleptic-free. Schizophrenic patients had significantly higher total score (14. 6+/-8) than mood disorder patients (12.0+/-7) and controls (5.0+/-2). Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.85) and inter-rater reliability were good. Principal component analysis found five consistent factors ('motor coordination', 'motor integrative function', 'sensory integration', 'involuntary movements or posture', 'quality of lateralization'). This scale thus confirmed a factorial structure in agreement with the conceptual areas of interest explored by NSS and should be a useful tool for assessment of the different dimensions of neurological dysfunction in schizophrenia.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Why should we study human food intake behaviour?

Several aspects of human eating behaviour may be relevant for identifying effective measures to treat or prevent diseases like obesity, diabetes, or the metabolic syndrome, whose natural history is strongly influenced by nutritional factors. Physiological factors determine hunger, satiety and satiation, and a biological learning mechanism supports the acquisition of food likes and dislikes. The paradigm of "conditioned taste aversion" refers to the acquisition of a strong rejection response after the intake of a food has been followed by digestive disorder. Food likes are acquired following the experience of the beneficial post-ingestive effects of intake. Physiological mechanisms reinforce the liking for energy-rich foods and both environmental and biological conditions facilitate "passive overconsumption". Sensory factors are important determinants of appetite and food choices from birth to old age. The human newborn exhibits an innate repertoire of acceptance or rejection for taste substances. The progressive change of sensory functions associated with ageing affects appetite and the pleasure of eating. Many individual psychological characteristics affect food intake behaviour in a significant way. These include chronic dietary restraint, disinhibition, etc. These psychological traits can be objectively assessed using validated psychometric instruments. Various stimuli present in the environment also affect ingestive behaviours in humans. Portion size is one potent environmental determinant of how much a person eats, regardless of hunger. The general increase in portion sizes observed in North America over the last decades might have played an important role in the rapid rise of obesity prevalence. Socio-economic factors also affect food selection and food intake in human societies. Factors such as education level and income determine food choices and behaviours in a way that does affect the risk of obesity. Behavioural science has provided many insights about crucial cause-and-effect relationships that affect nutrition and health. Therefore, clinicians and nutritionists cannot neglect this important area if they wish to effectively modify the habitual diet of individual patients or the general population.

Appetite↗

PubMed1997

Epidural hematoma in an ambulatory surgical patient.

Epidural hematoma is a rare but potentially devastating complication of epidural anesthesia. We report a case of an epidural hematoma in an ambulatory surgical patient who received epidural anesthesia in the presence of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and low molecular weight heparin. The patient developed symptoms of an epidural hematoma after hospital discharge. An emergency decompressive laminectomy was performed, and the patient regained full motor and sensory function.

Ambulatory Surgical Procedures↗

PubMed1990

Peripheral streptomycin/lidocaine injections versus lidocaine alone in the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. A double blind controlled trial.

Seventeen patients with long-lasting idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) were treated with either five, weekly peripheral streptomycin/lidocaine (S/L) or lidocaine alone injections, in a double blind controlled study. Eight patients responded initially to the treatment in the S/L group and three patients in the lidocaine group. Pain recurred in four patients from the S/L group within two weeks and six months following the last injection. One patient from the lidocaine group remained pain-free for eight months. At the final assessment, three patients from the S/L group and two patients from the lidocaine group remained pain-free up to 30 months. Neither treatment affected sensory functions of the injected nerves. It is concluded that S/L injections are initially effective in the treatment of ITN. In the long term, however, their effects are similar to the effects of lidocaine alone.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Motor and sensory dysfunctions in children with mental retardation and epilepsy.

The aim of this study was to assess motor and sensory functions in a population-based series of 88 mentally retarded children with epilepsy. A new standardized physiotherapy protocol was developed for the heterogeneous population of children with epilepsy; the Cailler-Azusa scale was also found to be useful. For children with cerebral palsy, the gross motor function measure was used. Sensorimotor impairments, resulting in disabilities and handicap, were found to be very common but often overlooked and neglected. Sensorimotor dysfunctions need to be identified in order to provide rational training, understanding and care to children with epilepsy and mental retardation.

Cerebral Palsy↗

PubMed2003

Validity of the Titmus and Randot circles tasks in children with known binocular vision disorders.

PURPOSE: The Titmus and Randot (version 2) circles tests contain monocular form cues that may enable patients with binocular vision disorders to pass without any measurable stereopsis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of the Randot and Titmus circles tests for quantifying stereoacuity in children with known binocular vision disorders. METHODS: Participants included 170 consecutive children with diverse binocular sensory function ranging from fine to no measurable stereopsis. Stereoacuity was measured using the Randot circles, the Titmus circles, and the Randot Preschool Stereoacuity tests. RESULTS: Discrepancies between stereoacuity scores derived using either the Titmus or Randot circles tests and the Randot Preschool Stereoacuity test increased as a function of random-dot stereoacuity. Stereoacuity scores derived using the circles tests showed good agreement with random-dot stereoacuity when stereoacuity was 2.2 log seconds of arc (160 seconds of arc) or better, but they progressively overestimated stereoacuity for poorer random-dot stereoacuity scores. CONCLUSION: When measuring stereoacuity using either the Titmus or Randot circles tests in patients with known binocular vision disorders, stereoacuity scores > 2.2 log seconds of arc should be interpreted with caution because it is above this level of stereoacuity that the monocular form cues of each of the tests may invalidate the results.

Child↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Differential effect on vasodilatation and pain after intradermal capsaicin in humans during decay of intravenous regional anesthesia with mepivacaine.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: When given intracutaneously, capsaicin can cause burning pain by central propagation in thin afferents, as well as neurogenic vasodilatation, reflecting antidromic conduction in the same fibers. We wanted to test the hypothesis that an intravenous regional block (IVRA) inhibits these two phenomena to a similar degree. METHODS: Sixteen healthy volunteers participated. A bilateral IVRA was performed by simultaneously injecting mepivacaine in one arm and normal saline in the other in a randomized, double-blind manner. Ten minutes after release of the tourniquet, neurogenic inflammation was inflicted in each forearm by intracutaneous capsaicin. Microvascular skin blood flow was measured with a laser Doppler perfusion imager. The area of the flare and the flow therein were measured, taking into account the change in baseline caused by mepivacaine treatment and the postischemic hyperemia. Pain was repeatedly evaluated by visual analog scale. RESULTS: The reactive hyperemia following arterial occlusion was less in the mepivacaine-treated arm 10 minutes after tourniquet release (P=.026). Intracutaneous capsaicin elicited a flare in both arms. The area of the flare was smaller 10 minutes after capsaicin (P=.009) in the mepivacaine-treated arm. There was no difference between the arms concerning the mean blood flow within the flare or in ischemic or capsaicin-induced pain. CONCLUSIONS: Mepivacaine, given as an IVRA, had no effect on the post-IVRA sensory function of thin afferents but differentially decreased the spread of the capsaicin-induced flare.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Laser-evoked potentials in post-herpetic neuralgia.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the reliability of laser-evoked potentials (LEPs) as a diagnostic tool in patients with post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), i.e. a chronic painful condition that causes small-diameter fibre dysfunction. Furthermore, we sought information on pathophysiology of PHN pain. METHODS: We recorded 'late' LEPs after stimulation of the supraorbital, upper cervical, lower cervical, upper thoracic, mid thoracic, and lower thoracic territories in 12 control subjects and 40 patients with PHN. We also determined the correlation of LEP data with age, duration of disease, and severity and quality of pain. RESULTS: At all stimulation sites, laser pulses invariably evoked high-amplitude brain potentials related to small-myelinated (A-delta) fibre activation. The laser perceptive threshold and LEP latency correlated with the distance of the dermatome from the brain (P<0.001). In patients, the perceptive threshold was higher and the LEP amplitude was lower in the affected dermatome than on the contralateral side (P<0.001). We found no significant LEP-clinical correlation except for a correlation between LEP abnormality and age. CONCLUSIONS: Being sensitive and reliable in assessing sensory function also in proximal dermatomes, LEPs are a promising diagnostic tool in radiculopathies. Although PHN severely impairs small myelinated fibres, the lack of a significant correlation between LEP abnormalities and pain suggests that pain in PHN does not chiefly arise from a dysfunction of small-myelinated afferents.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Intrathecal morphine for chronic benign pain.

In the treatment of chronic benign pain, the administration of an intrathecal opioid produces a potent analgesia without interfering with the motor and sensory functions of the lower extremities. An intrathecal opioid should be considered only when pain control with conventional oral and systemic administration is inadequate or is associated with unmanageable side effects. A trial period and a psychological evaluation are mandatory prior to implantation of a permanent device. About 40% of the patients need surgical revision for various complications. Hormonal changes may influence sexual behaviour. Catheter granulomas can form with high concentrations of morphine. Adjuvant drugs such as bupivacaine, clonidine and ketamine might be necessary to deal with the development of tolerance to morphine. The sophistication of available technology for intrathecal infusion today far exceeds our knowledge of the potential neurological effects of this treatment modality.

Analgesics, Opioid↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Brown-Sèquard syndrome produced by cervical disc herniation: report of two cases and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Brown-Sèquard syndrome is most commonly seen with spinal trauma and extramedullary spinal neoplasm. A herniated cervical disc has rarely been considered to be a cause of Brown-Sèquard syndrome. PURPOSE: To report and discuss two cases of Brown-Sèquard syndrome produced by herniated cervical disc. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Case studies in Japan. PATIENT SAMPLE: The first patient was a 64-year-old man who presented with right leg weakness and diminished sensation to pain and temperature in the left side below the T4 dermatome. The second patient was a 39-year-old man who presented with right-sided weakness and diminished sensation to pain and temperature in the left side below the T6 dermatome. OUTCOME MEASURES: American Spinal Cord Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale (only our cases). METHODS: These patients were diagnosed to have Brown-Sèquard syndrome produced by herniated cervical disc. Anterior cervical discectomy with fusion was performed for these patients. RESULTS: These cases revealed contralateral deficit in sensation of pain and temperature of more than a few levels below the cord compression, and showed paracentral protruded disc in magnetic resonance images and cervical spinal stenosis in cervical spine X-rays. Postoperatively, motor and sensory function of these patients returned to normal. CONCLUSIONS: Characteristic finding in discogenic Brown-Sèquard syndrome are contralateral deficit in sensation of pain and temperature of more below than a few levels below the cord compression and paracentral protruded disc with cervical spinal stenosis. Outcomes are favorable in rapid diagnosis by magnetic resonance images and performance of anterior approach.

Adult↗