1/27. Number processing and calculation in a case of visual agnosia.We describe the performance of a brain-damaged subject who suffered from visual agnosia leading to major difficulties in generating and exploiting visual representations from long-term memory. His performance in a physical judgement task in which he was required to answer questions about the visual shapes of Arabic numerals reflected his agnosic problems. However, he showed no impairment in usual number processing and calculation tasks. This case shows that, despite some commonalities in number and object processing, actual numerical processes are not affected by visual agnosia and can be preserved even when fine visual processes are impaired.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/27. Ictal generalized rhythmic alpha activity during non-convulsive status epilepticus.We investigated the repetitive manifestation of non-convulsive status epilepticus with an uncommon ictal electroencephalographic pattern observed in two patients suffering from epilepsy (aged 29 and 55 years). The patients had suffered from epilepsy since the age of 1 and 40 years, respectively. Interictal and ictal neurological, neuropsychological and electroencephalographic investigations were carried out. Non-convulsive status started and ended abruptly, clinically as well as electroencephalographically. The ictal electroencephalographic pattern was a monomorphic alpha activity with a generalized bilateral distribution. Altered responsiveness, sometimes eyelid myoclonia (in one patient) and amnesia were the most characteristic clinical findings during non-convulsive status. Intellectual development was delayed in the patient with early onset of epilepsy. However, this was not the case in the other patient, who developed memory impairment during the course of the disease. In both patients, lamotrigine added to valproate reduced the frequency of status epileptici significantly. Obviously, these patients suffer(ed) from a type of generalized non-convulsive status epilepticus with an uncommon electroencephalographic pattern.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.99882040706224keywords = suffering (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/27. Mobile phones as a new memory aid: a preliminary investigation using case studies.memory impairment is one of the most common concerns following a brain injury of any severity. The use of effective external memory aids can help minimize the devastating effects such memory impairment can have on an individual's everyday life. Reviewed in this report are case studies of five individuals suffering significant everyday memory problems that were given a new memory aid that utilizes standard mobile phones. Measurements included diary-format observations and qualitative feedback. The results of the study show promising outcomes for all of the cases, and have led to recent adaptations to allow for wider and more effective use of this memory aid.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.99882040706224keywords = suffering (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/27. Cognitive deficits due to asymmetrical bilateral thalamic lesions.The cognitive deficits are described in a 20-year-old right-handed man with asymmetrical bilateral thalamic lesions and a lesion resulting in the 'locked-in' syndrome. memory and intellectual assessment, modified due to the physical and communication difficulties, suggested that the patient had little impairment of verbal intelligence and performed normally on memory test involving immediate recall of new material. There was, however, considerable impairment of organization, planning and in the recall of visual and especially verbal memory, over longer periods. Remote memory was relatively intact, except for chronological errors in time-tagged material, and he was disoriented for year, month and day.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/27. The dangers of diagnostic laparoscopy in the head injured patient.pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopy has been known to result in a rise in intracranial pressure (ICP) in experimental studies. There are no reports of the effect of pneumoperitoneum during diagnostic laparoscopy in patients suffering closed head injuries. We present the case of a 39 year old male with a closed head injury. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed while intracranial pressure was monitored. ICP increased from 9 mmHg to over 60 mmHg within 10 min of pneumoperitoneum. laparoscopy was terminated and the ICP returned to normal levels within 35 min. The authors recommend that pneumoperitoneum laparoscopy should not be used in the trauma setting where head injury is suspected.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.99882040706224keywords = suffering (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/27. capgras syndrome--out of sight, out of mind?OBJECTIVE: Recent theoretical approaches emphasize a disorder of face processing in the pathogenesis of the capgras syndrome. We report a patient with the capgras syndrome developing in the physical absence of the person who is believed to be replaced and thus a limited role for a disorder of face processing. METHOD: The clinical phenomenology of a case of the capgras syndrome is explored. RESULTS: A disorder of face processing might not be a sufficient explanation of the course of the disorder in this patient. CONCLUSION: face processing accounts, of the Capgras delusion, have to be supplemented by additional assumptions.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/27. A punch drunk jockey?The case is reported of a retired professional jockey with progressive memory loss. The concern is that he may be suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy or the "punch drunk syndrome".- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.99882040706224keywords = suffering (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/27. The role of context in remembering familar persons: insights from semantic dementia.Semantic dementia (SD) is a progressive condition characterized by an insidious and gradual breakdown in semantic knowledge. patients suffering from this condition gradually lose their knowledge of objects and their attributes, concepts, famous persons, and public events. In contrast, these patients maintain a striking preservation of autobiographical memory. The aim of the present study was to examine in a patient suffering from SD the role of context in the ability to recall knowledge of familiar persons. In an experiment, patient J.M. was asked to name and identify familiar persons that appeared on family photographs from recent and remote periods of her life. In the first experimental condition, the pictures represented personally familiar persons present in a specific spatial and temporal context. In a second experimental condition, the pictures showed personally familiar persons who were presented without any specific episodic context. Results indicate that the patient was able to name and identify familiar persons irrespective of the context of presentation (with/without context) and of the time period (recent/remote). No temporal gradient was found using family photographs. Finally, in contrast with familiar persons, J.M. presented a severe anomia for celebrities. Results are discussed in light of recent research in the field.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.9976408141245keywords = suffering (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/27. Semantic and syntactic aspects of the mass/count distinction: a case study of semantic dementia.Semantic and syntactic contributions to processing of mass and count nouns were assessed by examining the performance of a patient suffering from a pure semantic deficit. Semantic and syntactic processing was evaluated on grammaticality judgement and sentence-picture matching tasks, respectively, where each task involved mass and count readings of metonymic nouns. While the patient did not show impaired performance on the grammaticality judgment task, he manifested difficulties in making mass/count distinctions in the sentence-picture matching task. It is thus argued that while distributionally the mass/count distinction may be established on a purely syntactic basis, cognitive processing of mass/count information requires both intact syntactic and semantic knowledge.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.99882040706224keywords = suffering (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/27. A ministry of memory: spiritual care for the older adult with dementia.The primary focus of research related to spiritual and ministry needs of older people, historically and in the present, has been on those whose cognitive abilities are only minimally impaired. The older adult with a dementia like Alzheimer's disease, however, has not received as much attention. This may be related to a lack of any theoretical framework from which to understand what may be happening to a markedly confused person spiritually, and how a person with progressive cognitive impairment might still be able to maintain a relationship with God and be ministered to by a God who may only be remembered vaguely, if at all. Elderly persons with dementia with a faith background rooted in the Judeo-Christian worldview are often able to respond to various rituals of their faith, verbally, physically, and emotionally. Common practices like familiar prayers, bible readings, hymns, and attendance at worship services where collective memory is shared can serve as memory joggers to reconnect the person, not only to the faith community, but to a faithful God. A spiritual care ministry to older people with dementia can be considered a ministry of memory.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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