ABSTRACT
A multicentre, double-blind, between-patient study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of oxiracetam (800 mg tablet), in comparison with placebo, each given twice daily for 12 weeks to patients suffering from primary degenerative, multi-infarct or mixed dementia. Efficacy was assessed by a neuropsychological battery (simple reaction time, controlled associations, short story, Raven's Progressive Matrices, token test, digit span, word list learning), administered at the beginning and at the end of the study, and by a quality of life scale, administered at entry and after 6 and 12 weeks treatment. Sixty-five patients (28 men, 37 women, mean age 71 yrs) were enrolled; 58 completed the study: 2 on oxiracetam were withdrawn because of poor tolerability, 2 (one in each group) were withdrawn for poor compliance, one (on oxiracetam) for the occurrence of a transient ischaemic attack (defined as not related to the treatment) and 2 for administrative reasons. A significantly (p < 0.01) different effect in favour of oxiracetam was observed on the quality of life scale, and confirmed by significant (defined according to the Bonferroni technique) differences in some neuropsychological tests (e.g. controlled associations, short story). Four patients in the oxiracetam group complained of a total of 5 unwanted effects, and 1 on placebo complained of 3 unwanted effects, but none of them was withdrawn from the study.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease/drug therapy , Dementia, Multi-Infarct/drug therapy , Psychotropic Drugs/therapeutic use , Pyrrolidines/therapeutic use , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis , Alzheimer Disease/psychology , Attention/drug effects , Dementia, Multi-Infarct/diagnosis , Dementia, Multi-Infarct/psychology , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Male , Mental Recall/drug effects , Middle Aged , Neurologic Examination/drug effects , Neuropsychological Tests , Problem Solving/drug effects , Psychotropic Drugs/adverse effects , Pyrrolidines/adverse effects , Reaction Time/drug effectsABSTRACT
The review of a large number of acute hemorrhagic strokes was undertaken to study the relationship between localization and size of lesion demonstrated by CT scan and clinical neurologic grade agreed with the classification of Gillingham. Moreover we could evaluate the prognostic value of clinical grade and of hyperglycemia especially in non-diabetic patients. We have also considered some suggestions on risk factors and on therapeutical treatment according to clinical neurologic grade.
Subject(s)
Cerebral Hemorrhage/diagnosis , Acute Disease , Brain/pathology , Cerebral Hemorrhage/pathology , Cerebral Hemorrhage/therapy , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Histological, histochemical and ultrastructural studies of muscle biopsy in a case of congenital neuromuscular disease revealed unusual findings consisting of muscle fibers uniformity which were all type I and of small diameter, jagged Z-line and abnormally developed transverse network of mitochondria. E.M.G. examination demonstrated a myopathic pattern, but mitochondrial changes are quite different from those reported in mitochondrial myopathies and jagged Z-line seems poorly correlated with Z-line streaming present in denervation atrophy, target fibers, core-like lesions or other Z-line abnormalities of the nemaline myopathy. On the other hand type I histochemical uniformity seems more likely related to some dysfunction of the neuronal mechanisms that control both the fiber type differentiation and other trophic influences. It also suggests that myogenic E.M.G. pattern might actually be pseudo-myopathic and due to a reduction of the cross sectional area of the individual muscle fibers composing the motor unit.
