1/60. Lamotrigine for startle-induced seizures.Startle-induced seizures are reflex seizures precipitated by a sudden, surprising stimulus, usually auditory. Aetiologies, electroencephalographic correlates, and brain structural abnormalities are variable. Because of the frequent tonic component at onset, falling is a major clinical problem. There is no established drug of choice, and therapy is often unsatisfactory. Adjunctive lamotrigine therapy was used in four consecutive patients with this syndrome seen in a referral epilepsy practice. All four had been refractory to virtually every other drug, but responded dramatically to lamotrigine with elimination of falls from seizures. This observation may serve as pilot data for trials of lamotrigine for startle-induced or other varieties of reflex epilepsies, as adjunctive or monotherapy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/60. A case of arrhythmia-induced transient cerebral hyperaemia.Transient cerebral hyperaemia following an arrhythmia has not been previously demonstrated in humans. We report the effects of head-up tilt on a 78-year-old man with neurocardiogenic syncope. During tilt, an asymptomatic arrhythmia caused arterial blood pressure and transcranial Doppler-recorded cerebral blood flow velocity to fall markedly. Upon spontaneous resumption of sinus rhythm, cerebral blood flow velocity increased to values greater than those prior to the arrhythmia. This occurred prior to a full recovery of arterial blood pressure, indicating spontaneous transisent hyperaemia. Pressure-flow velocity graphs support current methods of measuring critical closing pressure and demonstrate a rise in critical closing and a fall in resistance-area product after the arrhythmia.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 994.13550537109keywords = cerebral (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/60. Recurrent seizure diagnosed by the insertable loop recorder.INTRODUCTION: The Insertable Loop Recorder (ILR) has emerged as an important new tool in the diagnostic armamentarium for patients with syncope. methods AND RESULTS: A case report illustrates how the ILR unexpectedly led to the diagnosis of seizure as the explanation for a man's recurrent, but infrequent episodes of sudden loss of consciousness. CONCLUSIONS: This case raises the possibility that the development of implantable recording devices which monitor physiologic parameters other than cardiac rhythm (eg. brain, nerve or muscle activity) may provide the long-term monitoring capability needed to improve the diagnostic yield for conditions, such as seizures, which occur infrequently.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/60. Valsalva-induced syncope during apnea diving.A young man had two dangerous episodes of transient loss of consciousness during apnea diving in a swimming pool. Medical and neurologic examination results were normal. Standard autonomic test results (including heart rate variability, baroreflex sensitivity, tilt-table test, and Valsalva ratio) were unremarkable, with the exception of an increased blood pressure decrease during early phase II of the valsalva maneuver. syncope with arrhythmic myoclonic jerks could be evoked by a strong straining maneuver. Simultaneous physiologic recordings showed extreme blood pressure and cerebral blood flow velocity decreases and electroencephalographic slowing during syncope. The electrocardiogram showed a continuous sinus rhythm with a progressive tachycardia. The authors' findings were not compatible with baroreflex failure or vasovagal mechanisms (Bezold-Jarisch reflex activation) as the underlying causes. The authors concluded that mechanical factors (strong reduction of blood reflux to the heart) in combination with a reduced threshold of the brain for developing ischemia-related arrhythmic myoclonic jerks were responsible for Valsalva-induced syncope in the patient.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 143.01935791016keywords = cerebral, brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/60. January 2001: A 37 year old man with a history of Hodgkin's disease.The January Cases of the Month (COM): A case of intracranial metastatic nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease without dural attachment in a 37-year-old previously stage III male is presented with a brief review of the literature. Both the primary tumor in the lymph node biopsy and the metastatic brain tumor showed similar histopathology and a immunohistochemical profile typical for Hodgkin's disease. After chemotherapy, there are no signs of recurrence or systemic disease on follow-up for five months.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/60. Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular responses associated with orthostatic intolerance and tachycardia.Idiopathic orthostatic intolerance syndrome is characterized by postural symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion without arterial hypotension. Abnormal baroreceptor responses with deranged cerebral autoregulation leading to cerebral vasoconstriction have been proposed as a causative mechanism. The authors report the cerebrovascular and cardiovascular responses in a patient who recovered from orthostatic intolerance and tachycardia. Changes in the orthostatic responses of mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), and transcranial Doppler middle cerebral artery (MCA) mean blood flow velocity (Vmean) were assessed at admission and again 6 months after recovery. Normal cardiovascular responses to forced breathing and to standing indicated intact overall baroreflex integrity with normal baroreflex sensitivity (10.2 msec.mm Hg(-1)). After the patient stood for 8 minutes, presyncopal symptoms developed, with unchanged MAP but increased HR ( 41 beats/min) and reduced stroke volume (SV) (-69%), CO (-50%), and MCA Vmean (-46%; 57 to 31 cm. s(-1)). After a reconditioning program and recovery, the patient was reexamined. The supine MCA Vmean was larger (79 cm. s(-1)), as were MAP (76 versus 70 mm Hg) and CO ( 15%). The orthostatic HR increase was smaller ( 5 beats/min), as was the reduction in SV (-44%) and CO (-30%), with an increase in MAP to 93 mm Hg. The orthostatic reduction in MCA Vmean was smaller (-13 versus -26 cm.s(-1)) and standing cerebrovascular resistance decreased (1.41 versus 2.39 mm Hg.cm. s(-1)). In this patient who had intact baroreflex control and no postural decrease in blood pressure, the reduction in MCA Vmean, concomitant with a large decrease in CO, seemed reversible. The result suggests that a symptomatic reduction in cerebrovascular conductance during standing is to be interpreted as being an adaptive response to a critically limited systemic blood flow, rather than to derangement of cerebral autoregulation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 710.09678955078keywords = cerebral (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/60. Chiari type I presenting as left glossopharyngeal neuralgia with cardiac syncope.Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is an uncommon craniofacial pain syndrome that is occasionally associated with cardiac syncope. However, we relate Chiari I syndrome as a cause of this clinical picture for the first time in the literature. The authors analyze the relevant literature and discuss the pathogenesis and treatment of associated syndromes. We describe the case of a 45-year-old female patient who presented with a 3-year history of left glossopharyngeal neuralgia with occasional dysphagia and episodes of syncope when eating or swallowing. The pain was not disseminated to the right side and was fairly well controlled by carbamazepine. The syncopal attacks had a duration of about 10 sec. Neurological examination elicited a faint dysphonia associated with paradoxical dysphagia. The cranial magnetic resonance imaging scan showed a bilateral herniation of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum, more evidently on the left side. The patient received a suboccipital craniectomy and resection of the posterior arch of C1. The dura mater was opened, and we found both tonsils displaced into the foramen magnum extending caudally toward the C1 level. Both tonsils were compressing the brainstem and especially the low cranial nerves bilaterally. The lower cranial nerves were compressed between the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (pica) and the herniated cerebellar tonsil on both sides. Both PICAs were dissected by microsurgical technique and all the arachnoid adherences were cut. The left tonsil was resected by means of ultrasonic aspirator. Duraplasty was performed with the occipital pericranium. The paroxysmal pain attacks and the syncopal picture disappeared immediately after the operation. The patient was discharged on the 7th postoperative day. One year later, she was free of symptoms. This case provides clinical evidence of close connections between the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves, which control visceral sensation; and compression of the IX and X nerves between the herniated tonsil and pica or vertebral artery may cause an irritative sensory phenomenon, which is the origin of the algic sensation and the cardiac syncope by means of cross talk between the fibers of the same nerve.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/60. carotid sinus syndrome: new surgical considerations.1. Direct surgical denervation of the carotid sinus would appear to offer the best long-term results for carotid sinus syncope. 2. carotid sinus denervation should be done under temporary cardiac pacing for safety and for completeness of denervation. 3. Arteriography is indicated to eliminate those cases of cerebral vascular insufficiency that might mimic carotid sinus syndrome. Credit must be given to Dr. R. Hughes, Clearfield, Pa., who recognized this diagnosis and referred the patient for therapy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 142.01935791016keywords = cerebral (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/60. brugada syndrome: an unusual cause of convulsive syncope.A patient who presented with a new apparent seizure was found to have abnormal electrocardiographic findings, with classic features of the brugada syndrome. He had spontaneous episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, easily inducible ventricular fibrillation at electrophysiological study in the absence of structural heart disease, and a negative neurological evaluation. These findings suggested that sustained ventricular arrhythmias known to be associated with the brugada syndrome and resultant cerebral hypoperfusion, rather than a primary seizure disorder, were responsible for the event. patients with the brugada syndrome often present with sudden death or with syncope resulting from ventricular arrhythmias. In consideration of its variability in presentation sometimes mimicking other disorders, primary care physicians and internists should be aware of its often transient electrocardiographic features.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 142.01935791016keywords = cerebral (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/60. Adams-Stokes seizures due to ventricular tachydysrhythmias in patients with heart block: prevalence and problems of management.One hundred and twelve patients with heart block and chronic tendency to syncope were ECG-monitored during syncope. Ventricular tachycardia and/or fibrillation (VT-VF) was observed as the cause of syncope in 11 patients: in 6 of 20 patients with chronic third degree A-V block, in 3 of 65 with paroxysmal A-V block and in 2 of 27 with S-A block. The R-R interval preceding the escape beat which initiated VT-VF varied between 1.2 and 2.2 seconds. The cerebral attacks were amenable to long-term pacemaker treatment. However, relapses of VT-VF were observed during pacing with a low rate of 55 per minute and during short interruptions in pacing, as produced by intermittent pacemaker failure or threshold determination. In one patient, supplementary treatment with a beta-blocking agent had to be given to suppress exercise-induced attacks of VT-VF after pacemaker implantation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 142.01935791016keywords = cerebral (Clic here for more details about this article) |
| | Next -> |