Brain MR Imaging Findings in Amyotropic Lateral Sclersis: Report of One Case

Amyotropic lateral sclerosis(ALS) is a progressive degenerative illness of unknown cause ; we present its characteristic brain magnetic resonance(MR) findings in one patient. A 58-year-old woman who for two years had been suffering from progressive motor weakness and dysarthria was admitted to our hospital. Physical examination and laboratory findings showed a pattern of both upper and lower motor neuron disease such as decreased motor power(Grade III), tongue atropy, increased deep tendon reflex, a pattern of lower motor neuron disease, as seen on electromyogram, and a pattern of sparing sensory nervous system, extraocular muscle movement bladder, and bowel function. On axial brain MR proton-density and T2-weighted images, small round areas of high signal intensity were seen bilaterally in the posterior limb of the internal capsule ; these corresponded to the corticospinal tract. Additionally, bilateral, subtle linear low signal intensity in the precentral gyrus was noted on T2-weighted imaging. On the basis of the findings of clinical and laboratory examination, and of typical MR imaging findings, ALS was diagnosed.

Changes of 5-HT & 5-HIAA Levels in Spinal Cord after Compression Injury / 第三军医大学学报

Changes of neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT) and its metabolic product 5-hydroxyinaoleacetic acid(5-HIAA) in the spinal cord after comprssion injury in 10 dogs were studied. The spinal cords were compressed for 1 hour with a rubber balloon filled with 0.45ml water when the animals were under pento-barbital anesthesia and dissected after the sacrifice of the animals.The 5-HT and 5-HIAA contents in injured segments, the segments just above and below the injured part, and normal segments of the spinal cord were determined with the fluorometric method. It was found that the 5-HT levels in the segments just above and below the injury were markedly elevated, and the 5-HIAA levels in the injured segments were significantly lowered. It implies that the metabolism of the serotonergic nervous system in the injured segments is inhibited, while that in the segments abvoe or below the injury is enhanced. It is concluded that the serotonergic nervous system of the spinal cord can be involved in the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury.

CONVERGENCE OF THE INPUTS FROM HOMO-AND HETER-(SKIN; MUSCLE)NERVES ON THE DORSAL HORN OF THE RAT / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

Based on the classification dorsal horn evoked by graded stimulation of the sural and gastrocemuis nerves, the convergence of cutaneous and muscular afferents on the neurons was further studied in rat. The results indicate that the dorsal horn neurons activated by stimulating homo-nerve could be classified into three group A, A-C, C. Most of them are A-C.(activated by skin nerve: 68%; by muscular nerve 50.40%). According to their responses to A and C afferents the 125 cutaneo-muscular convergent neurons could be further divided into five groups: 1. A-A 2. A-AC 3. AC-A4. AC-AC 5. C-C. The AC-AC and A-A neurons are much more than the other three(46.27% and 26.12%). The results suggest that the convergent patterns may be involved in the basis for skin and muscle afferents to modulate their imputs(especially pain) in the spinal cord. It might be concerned to the analgesia and hyperalgesia in the level of Spinal cord.