1/120. Utility of a microcomputer as an external memory aid for a memory-impaired head injury patient during in-patient rehabilitation.Memory deficit is one of the most frequent cognitive complications encountered after brain injury. It is recognized as difficult to treat. Over the past decades, various strategies of memory remediation have been used. Among them, prosthetic devices, such as notebooks and alarms, have shown some benefit. This study describes the case of a 22-year-old man who demonstrated deficits in memory and executive function. In an in-patient rehabilitation setting, a microcomputer was introduced as an external memory aid. With this intervention, the patient demonstrated an immediate improvement in the ability to attend every therapy and ask for every medication on his schedule. This case study demonstrates the usefulness of a microcomputer as an external memory aid for a memory-impaired head injury survivor.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/120. Fractionation of visual memory: evidence from a case with multiple neurodevelopmental impairments.It is known that the adult visual memory system is fractionable into functionally independent cognitive subsystems, selectively susceptible to brain damage. However, it is unclear whether these cognitive subsystems can fractionate developmentally. The present study describes an investigation of visual memory of a patient (PE) with multiple developmental disorders. PE was congenitally deaf, had Gilles de la tourette syndrome and autism, with non-verbal ability in the normal range. The patient presented with a recognition memory impairment for unknown human faces. This contrasted with his superior recognition memory for unknown buildings, landscapes and outdoor scenes. PE's memory impairment for faces could not be explained by a general deficit in face processing. Interestingly, PE also showed a recognition memory impairment for animals. These findings indicate that different domains of the visual memory system can be fractionated developmentally. In particular, it demonstrates that topographical memory can develop independently from other aspects of visual memory.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/120. early diagnosis of the frontal variant of frontotemporal dementia: how sensitive are standard neuroimaging and neuropsychologic tests?OBJECTIVE: To examine the role of structural (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) and functional (single photon emission computed tomography [SPECT]) imaging and neuropsychologic evaluation in the early diagnosis of frontal variant frontotemporal dementia (fvFTD). BACKGROUND: Current criteria for FTD stress the need for neuropsychologic and functional neuroimaging abnormalities, yet caregivers report lengthy histories of behavioral change. It is not known when, in the course of the disease, these investigations become abnormal, because few longitudinal studies have been reported. METHOD: Longitudinal study of two patients with serial neuropsychologic evaluation and MRI and HMPAO-SPECT scanning. RESULTS: Both patients, men aged 49 and 50, had major changes in personality, behavior, and social conduct that progressed over 5 to 6 years in a way that conformed to the clinical picture of fvFTD. There was remarkably little abnormality on neuropsychologic testing, and MRI and HMPAO-SPECT findings initially were normal. Over time, however, abnormalities on SPECT, frontal atrophy on MRI, or a neuropsychologic profile more typical of fvFTD developed in both patients. CONCLUSIONS: Standard neuropsychologic tests and conventional brain imaging techniques (MRI and SPECT) may not be sensitive to the early changes in fvFTD that occur in the ventromedial frontal cortex, and better methods of accurate early detection are required. These findings are relevant to the diagnostic criteria for FTD.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/120. Self awareness: effects of feedback and review on verbal self reports and remembering following brain injury.brain injury may produce impairments in self awareness. The magnitude of impairment is often determined by comparing patient self reports with self reports of others (report-report) or with patient performance (report-performance). This paper presents data on the pattern of a self-awareness deficit in memory functioning exhibited by a brain injury survivor 5 years post-injury. The effects of practice and feedback on reporting-recall differences was examined using single case methodology. Several prospective and retrospective self reports were obtained, to allow an examination of reporting about past or future recall. Results showed that recall improved and the magnitude of report-recall differences were reduced with practice and feedback.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/120. Mnestic block syndrome.The case of a patient with largely preserved intelligence, but severe and persistent memory impairments is reported. FA, a 46-year-old patient with the diagnosis of prolonged depression was investigated repeatedly over a two year period with neuroradiological, neuropsychological, neuromonitoring and other methods. While no brain damage was detectable in FA, he manifested continued and severe anterograde and retrograde memory disorders together with an inhibition in his thinking processes. Otherwise, his intellectual capabilities were in the normal range, that is he was not pseudo-demented. Various approaches with drug treatment and psychotherapy failed to improve his condition. The condition is interpreted as 'mnestic block syndrome' and is considered to be related to an altered brain metabolism which may include changes in various transmitter and hormonal systems (GABA-agonists, glucocorticoids, acetylcholine). Whether depression contributes to this syndrome is uncertain from FA's cognitive performance, but may be a possibility.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/120. A treatment selection model for weight reduction in adults with acquired brain injury: applications and preliminary findings.This article presents a unique method for providing weight management assistance to persons who have experienced an acquired brain injury (ABI). Most of the available literature on this topic deals with weight loss methods for individuals who are not faced with the cognitive and behavioural challenges inherent in this population. A treatment selection protocol will be described that allows for appropriate selection of behavioural weight loss interventions. Interventions are based upon specific cognitive and behavioural difficulties that individuals with acquired brain injury may present. A detailed case study will also be presented depicting successful use of the treatment selection model with an adult male with an acquired brain injury.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 7keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/120. Cognitive and behavioral abnormalities in a case of central nervous system whipple disease.BACKGROUND: whipple disease is a rare condition characterized by migratory polyarthralgias, fever, and chronic diarrhea. A subset of patients with the disease may either initially have or eventually develop symptoms of central nervous system involvement. DESIGN AND methods: The cognitive and behavioral functioning of a patient with central nervous system involvement from whipple disease was studied during a 7-month period. Serial neuropsychological evaluations were used to quantify the nature of his cognitive and behavioral profile. SETTING: neurology department of a university medical center. RESULTS: A variety of cognitive impairments were noted, most prominently in the domains of sustained attention, memory, executive function, and constructional praxis. There were striking behavioral manifestations as well, including disinhibition and confabulation. CONCLUSIONS: The case demonstrates a degree of higher-order central nervous system dysfunction rarely observed and quantified in connection with whipple disease, and with important implications for differential diagnosis of certain neurologic conditions. We also call attention to some of the neuroanatomical correlates of this encephalopathic condition.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3.9289137654042keywords = central nervous system, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/120. Vocational reentry following TBI: an enablement model.OBJECTIVE: To illustrate the importance of environmental factors for optimizing return to work following traumatic brain injury (TBI) using illustrative case examples. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Three case studies are presented that were selected from an overall sample of 57 TBI survivors. SETIING: Postacute, outpatient TBI rehabilitation program. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome was essentially descriptive and focused on factors associated with successful return to work. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: These case examples point out the necessity of specialized treatment that not only focuses on the specific strengths and weakness of the individual, but also on extant environmental factors, including degree of structure or distractions that either reinforce or preclude optimal performance.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/120. Visual implicit memory deficit and developmental surface dyslexia: a case of early occipital damage.This study reports the case of EBON, a fifteen-year-old right-handed female Swedish student, who suffered an early medial/dorsal occipital brain lesion and showed a clearly defined pattern of developmental surface dyslexia. EBON and 17 controls were examined with within and cross-modality (visual and auditory) word stem completion tasks together with tasks requiring free-recall and recognition for visually and auditory presented words. Compared to age-matched controls, EBON was found to show a significant deficit of visual priming following visual presentation, and a deficit approaching significance following auditory presentation. Explicit memory and visual and spatial abilities were not significantly different from controls. Therefore, EBON represents the first childhood case establishing the role of occipital regions in visual priming, as well as illustrating a profile of surface reading difficulty as a developmental consequence of this locus of lesion.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/120. 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 = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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