1/13. motor neuron disease-inclusion dementia presenting as cortical-basal ganglionic degeneration.The frontotemporal dementias are a group of relatively new and evolving clinical and pathologic entities. The predominant frontal-temporal atrophy causes a variety of clinical syndromes, usually dominated by disturbances in behavior, mood, and speech. The motor neuron disease-inclusion dementia (MNDID) subtype is characterized by the accumulation of specific intraneuronal ubiquitin-immunoreactive inclusions with the complete absence of tau immunoreactivity. We present a patient with the clinical and neuroimaging characteristics of a highly asymmetric neurodegenerative condition distinguished by limb rigidity, bradykinesia, dystonia with an alien limb phenomenon, cortical sensory findings, and limb apraxia. His premorbid diagnosis was cortical-basal ganglionic degeneration but he had the typical histologic features of a frontotemporal dementia of the MNDID subtype.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bradykinesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/13. Parkinsonism, dementia and vertical gaze palsy in a Guamanian with atypical neuroglial degeneration.A 58-year-old Chamorro female patient, who died in 1993, was examined clinicopathologically. At the age of 51, she suffered from hemiparkinsonism, then bradykinesia, rigidity without tremor, and dementia. Extrapyramidal symptoms developed, and at the age of 57, vertical gaze palsy was noted. The clinical diagnosis was parkinsonism-dementia complex (PDC) with vertical gaze palsy. The brain showed atrophy in the frontal and temporal lobes, and the atrophy was accentuated in the dentate gyrus, Ammon's horn and parahippocampal gyrus. The basal ganglia, thalamus and midbrain were moderately atrophic. The substantia nigra and locus ceruleus were completely depigmented. Numerous neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) were seen in the subiculum and amygdaloid nucleus. Many NFTs were evident in the parahippocampal gyrus, lateral occipitotemporal gyrus, insula, Sommer sector, basal nucleus of meynert, lateral nucleus of the thalamus, subthalamic nucleus and brain stem, and several were observed in the globus pallidus and hypothalamus. The Sommer sector, substantia nigra, locus ceruleus and basal nucleus of meynert showed severe loss of neurons, and a moderate loss of neurons was exhibited by the globus pallidus. These findings were apparently consistent with those associated with PDC. However, in this patient, severe neuronal loss was seen in the subthalamic nucleus and lateral nucleus of the thalamus, and grumose degeneration, which has not previously been reported in PDC, was seen in the dentate nucleus. In addition, many tufted astrocytes, which have been reported to occur in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and postencephalitic parkinsonism, but scarcely observed in PDC, were present. Furthermore, astrocytic plaques, which have been considered as a specific finding of corticobasal degeneration (CBD), were observed in the cerebral cortex. On the other hand, granular hazy astrocytic inclusions, previously reported to occur in PDC, were not seen. Chromatolytic neurons were not observed. The question thus arises as to whether it is appropriate to consider this patient as having suffered from a combination of PDC, PSP and CBD. From the view points of absence of granular hazy astrocytic inclusions and chromatolytic neurons, and of tufted astrocytes in the neostriatum, it is conceivable that this patient is a case of a new disease entity.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bradykinesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/13. Late-onset neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation type 1: expanding the clinical spectrum.We report on two patients with pathologically proven neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation type 1 (NBIA-1) with late onset and atypical presentations. One patient experienced gradual onset of shuffling gait, rigidity, bradykinesia, and increasing postural instability at age 85 years. He died a few weeks after developing acute hemiballismus at age 90 years. Histopathology revealed marked neuronal loss in the internal segment of the globus pallidum, astrocytosis, axonal spheroids, and extensive iron deposition consistent with NBIA-1. No additional lesions were found to explain the hemiballismus. The second patient experienced fulminant dementia evolving to total disability and death within 2 months. autopsy showed typical NBIA-1 pathology. We conclude that NBIA-1 pathology can develop at any age, and that the phenotype should be expanded to include late-onset parkinsonism. The relationship to hemiballismus and adult-onset dementia is less clear.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bradykinesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/13. motor neuron disease with dementia combined with degeneration of striatonigral and pallidoluysian systems.This study concerns an autopsy case of motor neuron disease with dementia (MND-D) that exhibited unusual clinical and neuropathological findings. The patient was a Japanese man without any relevant family history who was 60 years old at the time of death. His clinical manifestation included character change at the age of 54, followed by frozen gait, dysarthria and bradykinesia and he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He gradually developed spastic paresis and died of respiratory failure 6 years after onset of the illness. Neuropathological examinations showed prominent degeneration in the striatonigral and pallidoluysian systems in addition to the neuronal loss and microvacuolation in the second to third layers of the frontal and temporal cortex, the involvement of the upper and lower motor neuron systems and the presence of ubiquitinated neuronal inclusions. To our knowledge, five cases of motor neuron disease (MND) combined with pallido-nigro-luysian atrophy (PNLA) have been reported previously, but the present case is the first report of MND-D combined with the degeneration of the striatonigral and pallidoluysian systems. Such an association may represent more than a coincidental occurrence, and it suggests that MND-D is not simply a disease of the motor neuron system but a multisystem degeneration.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bradykinesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/13. Clinical features and disease haplotypes of individuals with the N279K tau gene mutation: a comparison of the pallidopontonigral degeneration kindred and a French family.BACKGROUND: An N279K missense mutation in exon 10 of the tau gene reported in an American family with pallidopontonigral degeneration (PPND family) was recently found in members of a French kindred with dementia and supranuclear palsy. OBJECTIVES: To compare clinical phenotypes of both families and to perform genealogical and molecular genetic studies to determine whether they are derived from a common founder. DESIGN AND methods: We performed clinical examinations of affected members of both families and compared clinical phenotypes, existing genealogical family records, and chromosome 17 microsatellite repeat markers in the vicinity of the tau gene. RESULTS: The inheritance pattern is autosomal dominant in the PPND family and appears so in the French family. Average age at onset of clinical symptoms was 43 years in the PPND family and 41 years in the French family. Mean disease duration was 8 years in the PPND family and 6 years in the French family. Parkinsonism, personality changes, and dementia of the frontotemporal type were seen in both kindreds. All affected patients exhibited rapidly progressive parkinsonism characterized by bradykinesia, tremor, postural instability, and rigidity. Some had a transient response to levodopa therapy during the initial stages. Pyramidal signs and eye movement abnormalities, including supranuclear gaze palsy, were common. Results of linkage studies of the tau region in chromosome 17 did not reveal a haplotype common to both kindreds. CONCLUSIONS: Affected members from both families had more clinical similarities than differences. Results of genealogical and molecular genetic studies determined that the families were not related. The N279K mutations found in both families have independent origins.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bradykinesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/13. A case of dementia parkinsonism resembling progressive supranuclear palsy due to mutation in the tau protein gene.BACKGROUND: Few cases of frontotemporal dementia parkinsonism (FTDP-17) have been described in the literature. To our knowledge, this is the first Italian case. OBJECTIVE: To report a case of FTDP linked to chromosome 17, exhibiting progressive supranuclear palsy on initial examination. PATIENT: A 50-year-old woman had a 4-year history of behavior changes associated with slowly progressive mental decay and parkinsonism, with poor balance, supranuclear vertical gaze palsy, and bradykinesia. The symptoms were not responsive to dopaminergic therapy. Her father had died at age 46 years after a 7-year history of parkinsonism, and her brother, diagnosed as having progressive supranuclear palsy, died at age 45 years. RESULTS: magnetic resonance imaging showed mild midbrain atrophy, results of an electroencephalogram were normal, and cognitive evaluation showed moderate cognitive impairment, especially evident in the executive and attentional functions. genetic testing revealed a tau gene mutation at codon 279 (AAT-->AAG) of exon 10. CONCLUSION: Exon 10 mutations (including the N279K mutation) that result in overproduction of the tau isoform with 4 microtubule binding motifs seem to be associated with a mainly parkinsonian phenotype at disease onset.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bradykinesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/13. frontotemporal dementia with ubiquitinated neuronal inclusions presenting with primary lateral sclerosis and parkinsonism: clinicopathological report of an autopsy case.We report a case displaying upper motor sign, parkinsonism, and behavioral abnormality, with marked degeneration of the precentral cortex, neostriatum and frontotemporal lobes, as well as ubiquitinated neuronal inclusions. The patient was a 66-year-old male at the time of death. At age 57, he noticed progressive difficulties in speaking and swallowing. At age 60, he was severely anarthric and displayed emotional lability and incontinence. Neurologically, very poor movement of tongue was observed, but without atrophy or fasciculation. Deep tendon reflexes were hyperactive. Grasp reflex and snout reflex were also positive. Needle electromyography revealed no abnormalities. A diagnosis of primary lateral sclerosis and character change was made. At age 62, he developed bradykinesia and rigidity of the neck and all extremities. Treatment with carbidopa-levodopa was initiated, but resulted in minimal improvement. At age 65, he was bed-ridden, and had repeated occurrences of aspiration pneumonia; he died of pneumonia. Neuropathological examination revealed marked atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes with Betz cells completely absent and moderate atrophy of the neostriatum. The spinal cord and nerve roots appeared normal. Immunohistochemically, ubiquitin-positive but tau-negative intraneuronal inclusions were found in the frontal and temporal cortices, including the precentral cortex and the hippocampal dentate gyrus, and the neostriatum. This case could be included with inclusion-associated disorders such as frontotemporal dementia or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with dementia, and furthermore, predominant upper motor sign and parkinsonism could represent phenotypes of clinical manifestations with such inclusions.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bradykinesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/13. Diffuse lewy body disease presenting with supranuclear gaze palsy, parkinsonism, and dementia: a case report.A 67-year-old man with a family history of parkinsonism had visual complaints due to difficulty in convergence, which was followed 2 years later by development of bradykinesia and rigidity. The diagnosis of Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome was made on the basis of a supranuclear gaze palsy, bradykinesia, rigidity, and poor response to levodopa. However, subsequent neuropathological examination revealed diffuse lewy body disease with no evidence of neurofibrillary tangles involving either subcortical or brain stem structures.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = bradykinesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/13. Acute parkinsonian syndrome with demyelinating leukoencephalopathy in bone marrow transplant recipients.A syndrome of rigidity, bradykinesia, spasticity, and often myoclonus and dementia developed acutely in 5 patients who had undergone successful engraftment of bone marrow transplants for the treatment of various hematologic diseases. magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated widespread changes in white matter; brain biopsy disclosed mild demyelination associated with active phagocytosis of myelin. One patient, who was not treated, remains severely demented. patients treated with very high-dose methylprednisolone had complete clinical recovery.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bradykinesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/13. Diffuse lewy body disease presenting with a supranuclear gaze palsy.A patient with diffuse lewy body disease presented with supranuclear vertical and horizontal ophthalmoplegia, dementia, axial rigidity and falls, bradykinesia and pyramidal signs. This broadens the clinical presentation of this pathological diagnosis and re-emphasises the heterogeneity of patients diagnosed clinically as progressive supranuclear palsy (Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome).- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = bradykinesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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